New bike 350 scranbler

[rustynuts]

First post , so hello to all, having sold my M M ( well known other Italian v twin) the cash immediately burnt a hole in my pocket. A midnight trawl of of flea bay resulted in me pressing the buy now button on this .
Having owned in the past several ducati , 160 , elite, 350 WC and 450 Wc. I thought I knew what is was doing. I've watched these bikes from my past rocket in price beyond what I was now prepared to spend.
This shiny bright red job at 3 grand ..that's uk £ not us $ . Seemed too good to be true... and it probably was. There was a sparce description , photos of one side only and I didn't ask questions, just pressed the button.
Seems like I've bought a 1975 or maybe 74 , moto trans scrambler . Very red, and very shiny , someone must have worked in a plating shop. The hubs, brake plates and even the Akront rims are chrome..the seat is off god knows what and although without a decompressor with the motoplat ignition it fired up second kick. Clicked it into gear ...it died, tried again and again.same result.
I'm away now, one day later to lie in a darkened room and try and figure out what's wrong
Ps did I say it also has a brand new dellorto carb fitted.
Opinions please
Pps , what's the optimum pic size in KB please

[Ventodue]

Opinions please ..

Hi and welcome to the Forum,

Well, let's be positive: at least you'll have a nice time getting it back to what it should be! . More seriously, I think you have a better bike there than you think.

We should wait for Jon Peglar, the expert on the Motorans bikes, to come along. But I agree your bike seems to be Barcelona bike - for example, the exhaust nut and the way the clutch cable is 'finished' are typically Spanish, as are the h/bar levers, the filter plug in the sump and the left side cam cover with the temperature sender in it. Just out of interest, what are the frame and engine numbers? Do they start DM or MD?

Otherwise, your bike seems to be a little bit of a mix-and-match. The frame, with the bend up at the rear, is Scrambler. But the tool boxes are Motorans Road - as is the ginormous (for a little bike) rear light (that HAS to go!). I think the headlight is also Road. But let's see what Jon says ...

P.s It should have a Spanish-built Amal carb, not a Dell . Just saying ...

If the seat is the same as the Bologna bikes - which I think it is - you can get one from Ducat Vintage Store (formerly, Amici dello Scrambler) for not too much money:
http://www.ducativintagestore.eu

The red, you will just have to deal with . Ditto those absurd bars. As for the excess chrome, get the bike dirty and no-one will see it .

It stalling when put into gear will most likely be just a sticky clutch. Take the plates out, clean them in paraffin, check the actuating rods are the right ones and in the right order, regrease them, refit everything (new side cover gasket from Nigel Lacey. Get a couple of spare valve cover gaskets and exhaust gaskets while you're there) and it shoud be ok.

HTH

Craig

P.s These Barcelona bikes are not the POS that some authors would have you believe. I suspect most commentators never actually owned one; but myths die hard. For one thing, more than a few late Ducati single engines were made in Barcelona and then installed in 'Italian' bikes.

[rustynuts]

Can I hilight the hidden question in my first post?
Your thoughts on why after starting easy , and reving out in neutral , It subsequently dies when I release the clutch in first gear?just stalls... dragging clutch? Ignition timing ..carb jetting?

[rustynuts]

Thanks Craig, missed your post when I re asked the question , . Yep frame is MDprefix77004 and engine DM73111
So def Spanish.seat and bars already ordered...think I might get my local chrome plate guy to look at dechoming at least the Akronts...won't last Scottish weather as it is.

[Ventodue]

Thanks Craig, missed your post when I re asked the question .

Ah! I like to keep folks hanging on to the bitter end ... .

... frame is MD prefix, 77004 and engine DM73111

Gracias. Una bella española, etonces ...

[Ventodue]

..think I might get my local chrome plate guy to look at dechoming at least the Akronts

Dumb question.
Looking at their profile, I guess they must be alloy rims? I just have a thought that Akront also made steel (and therefore chromed) rims ..

[rustynuts]

Just done the magnet test,, they are alloy. A few other bits are chrome, centre stand, rocker box , cam covers and bevel tunnel , as I said think an owner must have worked in a plating shop, I'm just waiting on the leprosy to appear.!

[Jon Pegler]

Craig is correct with his remarks.
Your machine is a Spanish built 350 Scrambler, made for their home market, almost certainly in 1974.
If it was built for export it would have a frame number in line with the Italian Scramblers, starting DM350S-----
I believe your bike was imported into the UK about a year ago, by a gentleman who regularly travels to Spain. It was subsequently sold on to the person you bought it from, possibly with the intention of making a quick profit. I doubt that he made much on the deal.
Your bike is a bit of a bitza with its Road toolboxes.
I think I am right to think that the wheels are mismatched, with a 7-ribbed rear hub and a front hub with the wider ribbing.
The engine number is in the Vento number series. Is it certainly 73111, not 75111?
The rear light may well be correct. Some Spanish Scramblers were fitted with the large unit.

Jon

[rustynuts]

Craig, Jon. Thanks for your comments and info , in answer to Jon engine no is 73111 although the top of the 3 is a bit rubbed.
The old V 5 has the date if registration as 08/11/1975 presumably someone made an attempt to date it .but there were no other docs with it , the bloke in Northants from whom I bought it was a bit vague, as you say probably a bit of a wheeler dealer as his term of ownership was brief. Don't think he had Sussex the sticky clutch, thinking he had carburator problems he binned the Amal and bought the dellorto, might be less original but problably a better instrument, certainly cost double the price of an Amal.the hubs as you say Jon are a miss match, that troubles me less than the fact that they are chrome plated.doubt if that was standard.
Anyway , runs fine , seat and lower bars are in the list to me , so looking forward to a proper ride.

[Ventodue]

The engine number is in the Vento number series. Is it certainly 73111, not 75111?

Jon, would that explain the presence of an oil temp sensor in the cam cover?

The rear light may well be correct. Some Spanish Scramblers were fitted with the large unit.

It's still 'orrible, tho' ...