A Newbie from Downunder

[JasonB]

G'day Mootorscrubs community,
I have been restoring a mixed bag of a 250 narrow case for some three years, should of been finished in a year but with buying a house and getting married things got put on hold, But I finally fired her up on the Friday though its not idling to well, I think the SS1 carby and my ignition needs sorting, and for whatever reason I got a wild cam fitted which I am now thinking might be a problem as well, you learn by these things, still it was great to hear it run after buying it in bits in boxes.
I have been lurking on this site for a while and enjoying some great topics, I hope to be welcomed on the great site....
I am also after a centre stand, I bought an remade one but its made out of round steel, which has bent since starting to kick start, if anyone has an original they would like to sell please let me know...

Regards
JasonB

[DewCatTea-Bob]

" I hope to be welcomed on the great site.... "

____ Then please allow me to welcome you here, Jason !


" I have been restoring a mixed bag of a 250 narrow case for some three years,
I think the SS1 carby and my ignition needs sorting, and for whatever reason I got a wild cam fitted which I am now thinking might be a problem as well, "

____ So then how about some pix of what you have and/or a guess at what model of DUKE(s) that you think you may have there ?


DUKE-Cheers,
-Bob

[JasonB]

Thanks for the warm welcome bob,
I posted a pic on the picture topic, as I said this was a basket case I got a frame, motor, and wheels, I laced my wheels with WM2 alloy mud slingers and ss spokes and built the bottom half of the engine myself and did allthe long hours of alloy polishing, I got Phil @ Road & Race to supply a cam (I think a G/W, maybe its too wild) and had new larger valves (Mach 1) fitted and some porting, I have two carby's a SS1 27 mm and a SS1 29m with a remote fuel bowl which the latter seems to run better...I bought a F3 replica fibreglass tank from again Phil (he lives about an hours drive) and source other bits from ebay and around the world..I am like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to pretty Italian singles (bikes not girls, well maybe both) and my mate has a few Parilla's, one in which he races he in Oz land.. I am an instrument repairer and would you know it the hardest thing for me (besides idling issues) was trying to get an old white face Veglia tach to calibrate right (it's the huge hairspring they use), but it has been a huge enjoyment building a bike from boxes, and would jump at the chanced to build another...

Regards
Jason

[Bevel bob]

Hi Jason, the remote float is by far the best bet, a G/W cam can work ok on a 250, try raising the float level till the carb floods then back off just enough to stop the flooding. A good strong spark will help a lot, I use a pazon booster with the points, I converted to 12v, SSi carbs are a bit fussy and its never going to be a bike for use in traffic.

[JasonB]

G'Day Bevel Bob,
I hope to sort this all out this week, I should mention I am running a 6volt system and modified the alternator wiring ( isolating the earth) and using a aftermarket reg/rectifier from Road & Race, and of course a battery. I am finding it hard o set the level of the remote bowl as I have just mocked up a make shift petrol tank whilst the painters finish off my tank. I did try and use a NGK BP7HS plug but the high comp piston touched the electrode, so I am using a B7HS plug, I think this is ok, I do seem to have a strong spark, my mate says his little Parilla is tricky to run in traffic even the slightest angle starts to flood the carb.But hey this is all part of the adventure I say anyways (-:

Thanks for your reply!
Regards
Jason

[dav]

Gday Jason, what part of Aus are you in mate? Iam from Sydney.

Congrats about putting your 250 back together, father & i just did the same a few months back & it had its first outing in public in 35yrs last weekend.

[JimF]

Hi Jason,

Welcome to the list.

I have an original centerstand that I could spare, but the bad news is that it is bent too.

You can see it in this photo:

download/file.php?id=119

Perhaps your is really an original that just bent?

At the time I got my bike I had no idea what the center stand was supposed to look like. The stand in the photo came with the bike and I assumed that was the shape of the center stand having never seen a good narrow case center stand. That's why I had it painted.

I have since replaced it. It is in a friend's basement now as he wants his powdercoater to match the color for early 1970's BMW project bike he's working on. A hydraulic press might bend it back into shape.
PM me if you can't get anything better and you want to give it a try.

Jim

[JasonB]

G'Day Jim,
My centre stand is a aftermarket stand made of soft round steel, it's not pressed steel construction, yours look like an original type just a bit bent, I am interested in it, I reckon I could get it back in shape, let me know what you want and cost of postage and I have a paypal account..
I wil send you a private email..

From Sydney
Regards
Jason

Thanks for all the welcomes

[Jon Pegler]

Although not cheap, Barry Jones at Classic Ducati in the UK lists centre stands for narrowcase singles at 95 UK pounds.
Most of the original ones need a bit of straightening or repair nowadays.
They were not that good to start with.
Jon

[MotoMike]

speaking of center stands.. I have been reading a lot about Ducati Singles trying to come up to speed on them. One thing I noticed in the hundreds of pictures I've seen is that they all seem to sit at different heights when on the stands. despite the stands appearing to be the same, some have thier rear wheel touching the ground and some have it as much as 3 inches off the ground. I do notice that the stands don't allways seem to be in the same position along the arc of their swing, that is to say some are more rear ward and some are nearer vertical, but sometimes even the more vertical ones have the rear wheel touching. Just seemed odd to me.