1977 Ducati Darmah 900SD
Bought on Ebay from the Stuart Parr Collecton on Nov 20th 2019….arrived Dec 30th 2019
Original E-bay ad
U-ship. Still the better deal.
In the picture of the same instruments in a report/ book that Ian Falloon produced about on this bike in 2015.....
This model was the first Ducati to have Japanese instruments. I took this picture on the day it rolled off the truck.
...the mileage is the same. The pictures were taken five years apart and proof that the bikes main achievement since 2015 was to simply sit and look gorgeous, something that most Italian machines do not find hard to do. That made me more mindful of the process of bringing it back to the fire breathing monster it was made to be- in other words I didn't immediately try and start it and roll off down the road, which is just as well because the brakes would have likely failed.
This bike is not light.
These calipers would later make a mess- but worth putting up with. Cast iron discs too.
Excellent Bosch headlight. Bosch Ignition components just as good?...not so much...but not necessarily Bosch's fault. No one told them that the pick ups that Ducati asked them to produce for the Darmah would spend their life bathed in boiling oil. It's likely I will have to replace the wiring to them
welcome.
Note from previous owner to previous owner....highlights the fact that these carbs need to be rebuilt a lot...not to mention is it a 77 or a 78?
Carburetor & brake caliper rebuild
in the waiting room…
Until I had time to attend to it we put in in the entry way of the house so we could appreciate it’s immaculate Italian design every damn day. This Ducati had spent all of it’s time with the last owner displaying itself in a museum. They only passed this one on because they found another model with 1 mile on the clock. Gregory of the Stuart Parr collection tried to get it running before I took ownership but said he couldn’t get it going as smoothly as he wanted and promised to reimburse me for carb rebuild kits when I had a chance to get at it. While sitting in the house, the bike decided to release it’s contents of the front brake system onto the floor. Seals gone, master cylinder empty, floor relieved of it’s sealer. I guess 6 years is a caliper seals limit. I took this as a signal it was time to work on it. I’m somewhat glad I didn’t jump on it and take it for a ride the first day it arrived- the truth is…I didn’t even attempt to start it.
…on the lift
bike out of the house and into the garage heading for the lift.
Where to start? I had a great, long and informative conversation with Steve Allen longtime Ducati racer and the owner of Ducati parts store bevelheaven.com. Plan: rebuild the carburetors with authentic Dellorto kits. Also purchased from BH: Brembo brake caliper and master cylinder rebuild kit, fork seals & Ceriani embossed fork wipers, fuel line, classic inline Paioli fuel filters and even the recommended Motul brake fluid (RBF600 DOT4) and engine oil (3000 20W50)
These Dellorto PHF32 carbs are a little more complicated than the Mikuni’s I’ve worked on from the H2 and RDLC’s- but there is some really great video available on YouTube that walks you through every step, not to mention Bevel Heaven’s downloadable pdf’s- those aren’t free though, but equally valuable so….I spent it.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLULuGf3sBIFRExVT3wShAiRcMnhItfp5E
Carburetor rebuild….
Authentic parts catalogue arrived from ....France...of all places...
via... fleabay of course...
With both print and video as guidance, launching into Dellorto rebuild with authentic kits....
122 main
60 pilot
K6 needle
we've all seen worse...
much worse....
and if your cold start plungers have these indents, it's likely they aren't sealing well, leading to running rich and, yeah, backfiring. These were replaced
Crud on the end of the pump piston possible evidence of why the accelerator pump wasn't working
a lot of o-rings to contend with and not completely obvious which one goes where...
It was at this point, after watching video of an Aussie gentleman rebuilding his carbs that had been vapor blasted, (They looked far superior to mine) I couldn't resist it. I re-dismantled the carbs and sent the bodies to the blaster. In the meantime I added some Cavis Benz fuel line and OMG/PAIOLI in line filters
Getting them vapor blasted....priceless
Rebuilding the front brakes….
Have Steve's (Bevel Heaven Owner) instructions on how to deal with rebuilding the calipers.
the blown seal......there's a joke about that isn't there?
this has got to be the easiest piston removal method I've ever used and beats having caliper pistons flying across the garage due to impatient use of compressed air....
this is the set up I had to create to get the pistons out of the FZ600 calipers...
I found the caliper pistons to be the updated black ones in great condition so no need to replace. ..pads looked good...but with all that fluid having been released...not worth the risk...so calipers got new pads.
i hereby declare these calipers...
....restored.
Master cylinder mostly dismantled....
to replace all seals on the plunger....
Although under no pressure at all, a front brake caliper seal let go while it was on display in the house. Resulting damage done to the finish on the Campaognolo is super disappointing. That, and the resulting removal of the sealer on the 1930's original wood floor are nothing in comparison to what might have happened had I decided to jump on and take a test ride the day it arrived. If the seal caved just sitting there it would have likely exploded the first time I grabbed the front lever with any kind of force. That should be a lesson to all of us eager buyers of dream bikes. Take a breath and take a minute to think: what should I REALLY do first?
Oil change, fork seal replacement, exhaust sealing and chain adjustments…
Before I put the expensive oil in, and since the bike had been sitting idle for at least five years, rather than try to start it with who knows what in the carbs etc, I warmed up the sump with a heater before I drained the original oil. Later, after carbs were rebuilt and the motor had been running while synchonizing the carbs etc, I drained the generic oil, replaced the filter and and filled with recommended Motul.
word of warning.....it comes out pretty fast.
filter is a bit fiddly to get back into the correct position in the engine.
Athena beats Emgo
the recommended lifeblood. MOTUL 3000 Engine Oil - 20W50 *SG RATED* you need 5 of these as capacity is 4.9 lites or 1.32 US gallons
In an effort to eliminate every possible reason for the backfire the previous previous owner mentioned, decided to dismantle the exhaust system and make sure each joint was airtight. Where I thought necessary, added a little RTV. Dual walled exhaust header pipes were meant to resist bluing, but this wasn't very successful
had to get one of these.....
so I could remove this...
clean faces make for the best airtight joint...
As you can see the chain was lacking tension. Years of Japanese motorcycle ownership had me going straight to the rear axle to start adjustment...imagine my surprise when that's all I see.
adjustment is made by the eccentric swingarm axle. Fantastic. You can either get a special tool....and who doesn't love another special tool...
or take a grinder to a 1/2 inch impact socket in just the right way....I of course ordered a fancy one from Bevel Heaven and almost immediately made my own out of curiosity......A.D.D.
iconic
Fork seals were next. Before I got myself a mini scissor lift, some old school wood was used to levitate the front....ride around rural Tennessee enough and before long you'll see mobile homes held up by such an arrangement.
Like most forks: undo Allen bolt at bottom, and slide out the forks..remove circlip and these seals came out easily.
perhaps the only thing unique to me about these original 38mm Ceriani forks (besides being pronounced Cheeriani) is that they take two seals per side simply stacked one upon the other...
and then tapped into place....
That's 'Cheeriani' to you pal...
got it ready in time for my 60th birthday with my favorite run out to Leipers Fork....and the best coffee this side of the Mississippi....I kinda like it without the side panels....
Fuse box…..
Jan 20th 2021- out on another run to Leipers Fork and on return bike dies in Green Hills. Motor seemed fine- just all electrics dark. Much fiddling with the (uncovered and lidless) fusebox find the connections dry and the fuses suspect. A quick trip across the street to Walgreens gets me some tinfoil and a home tool kit including the allens needed to get better access to the fuses. Problem solved and new fusebox and fresh fuses ordered from Bevel Heaven.
easier to access fuse box with the tank out of the way...It was cold but so glad it wan't raining.
The thing that kept me from fixing it for so long (90mins) was that all the fuses looked fine.....only when they were given a full metal jacket would two of them work and that got me home. Found the exact fuse box on Bevel Heaven (https://store.bevelheaven.com/Electrical-Battery-Ignition/Fuse-Box-900SS-etc/) and only there did I discover that there is supposed to be a cover- a relief because the box is in the exact target area for rain spray from the front tire.
On reaching for my basic tool kit I discovered the lock was gone! The latch bar, nut and so-called "lock washer" was in the tail.
I might get to this next week or it could be next year....not taking any chances and labelling everything. R= rear, F=front
New Box arrives....
without numbers imprinted so I label up...
had to drill out the 4mm mounting holes to allow the 5mm screws and then (a little carelessly) countersunk them a little to allow the screwheads to be flush...it works.
All back in place with the plastic cover....
As to the missing seat lock. I consulted everyone on the Vintage section of the best Ducati forums (https://www.ducati.ms/forums/vintage.14/) and 'Ventodue' told me that all I needed was a 'cam lock'. Googling just those words lead me to Home Depot- they had just the thing......
just needed a little but of filing here and there, some Loctite and a good lock washer and....done. Never underestimate the Power of a Good Forum.
May 2021- First gear.
Bike has developed a strange characteristic of feeling like it’s jumping a tooth when pulling away in first gear. Another analogy would be like it hits a small patch of ice and the rear tire slips & grips. Steve @ Bevel Heaven suggested: “Ok the first and easiest things to check are: make sure the sprocket in front has the locknut still on and it solid. 2ndly disassemble the clutch and make sure the huge nut that holds the clutch basket is super tight and has not loosened out. while in there, check out the shifter spring. Might need to replace that.” So here we go….
Got it up on the lift and heating the sump again up so I can drain the oil.
Just like any other clutch....but I've never see a fibre plate spot welded to the pressure plate.
LowBrow Customs 'Barbie Stairs' not really helpful in this circumstance...
beauty.
I had bought a whole new set of pick up wires- only to find the conversion has already been done.
Special tool helped me get off the clutch basket
The selector spring is behind the toothed plate on the left : it's intact and in place, so that is not the problem. I thought about adjusting it but there's little direction in the manual about how to do it. "act on the adjusting screw.....until the best operating position is found." I wouldn't know whether to loosen it or tighten it.
prepping a new lock washer around the clutch basket nut...
and on...torqued I think it was 70lbs.
This is the first plate that goes in after the 2 spring rings... first plate has teeth that are very slightly bent outwards....the very last steel (or they call it the 'driving' plate) has it's ears facing outward.
As suggested by the PPO's (Previous, Previous Owner) hand written note above- the clutch plates are virtually new.
new gasket with a thin layer of grease...looks more than that...but it ain't.
The electric start chain....a bit fiddly to reinstall. This is the best position to get the chainlink on....along the bottom run....copied the direction of the spring link from the manual.
Eagle eyed Steve of Bevel Heaven spotted from my write up on this bike that my original filter was an Emgo- which would have only been able to install without this big washer would have been missing. It's an essential piece when using the Athena filter which is closest to OEM you can get. Without this washer, in Steve's words, "the filter is being by-passed" I got one from Steve and dropped it in. Feels good to get that done.
Filled up with just over 4 litres of mineral Motul 3000 20w-50. If the bike had been completely stripped it would need 5 itres.
As suggested, double checked that the sprocket lock nut was still on and was locked in solid. I don't have the exact tool to check the torque but there is no doubt it's tight with a lock tab down in place.
End result: perhaps it's my rookie naivety brought on by some mild recreational heavy drug use as a kid that made me think that simply dismantling something and putting it back together would change anything: but it's still jumping in first. It can be avoided if you're ultra smooth on the gas and short shift to second...but there is no hiding the fact that the issue is still there.
Will I have to finally break this seal to get at the first gear problem? The smart people say yes.
Apr ‘23: Trip to A Specialist: Mr. Brook Henry
…..and it’s a shorter trip than you’d think….
Let’s face it, it’s not a round case. Is it the Ford Fiesta of the bevel twins? I don’t know enough to say, but I DO know that I’ve always thought that a rock solid and reliable running vintage Ducati would be something very special. I’ve always dreamt that it would be great to have Brook Henry sort the first gear problem and more importantly while he’s in there add each and every fixit he’s invented to the motor that, with my continuous careful maintenance, will have it start at a mere push of a button everytime and light up the Conti’s (and neighbors) for years to come. So I followed up on my wish and e-mailed Brook asking if he would send me a flat pack crate. Imagine my surprise when he called me out of the blue and told me he would setting up in Iconic Motorbikes Santa Monica Airport hanger and fixing some bikes and offered to take a look at mine. 2 weeks later it was on it’s way to the West Coast…
She's long....and at least I think.....super fast.
I've been running it without the side panels. I had stored them carefully along with their original fasteners. So carefully that I in fact couldn't find the fasteners.
The underside of the seat. Why? I don't know!
I love a label.
And she's gone! (will take the devil to replace her). Work commitments prevent me from meeting Brook Henry and all the Iconic crew. Gutted.
$75 just so that the fasteners are OEM. Expensive loss.
Bike sitting @ Iconic Santa Monica awaiting the trip back to Nashville. Lots of Brook Henry goodies inside that engine!
Running…
The experienced Bevel owners will be able to tell you that it only sounds exactly like this when running on choke, something you should only do for very short periods….this is actually probably just a little long. You run the risk of oiling up the plugs….
