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View Full Version : Very early M900 nearly at rebuild time so some info wanted before I start..


spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 02:38 PM
Hi chaps and chapesses,

As some of you know I own one of the oldest Monsters (only on 46k miles though IIRC) and when it started needing jobs done I took it off the road to do them all in one.. and never got around to it! That was about 2 years ago. Ok, maybe 3..

But now as it's 20th birthday approaches fast I intend to get it sorted pronto ready to emerge in a growling seething mass in the springtime. I'm a bit rusty on Monster tech despite popping in occasionally so need my memory jogging on a few jobs.

Today I am clearing the workshop area. I've moved back into this house last May after being away since '97 so everywhere is piled up with stuff and it's a slow house restoration project which has seen no progress on the bike. It was supposed to be done already. Ahem..


Right, jobs that I am aware NEED doing are:

Valve guide oil seals. This will also mean taking engine out for repainting too, fitting new (non leaking) O rings on the barrel/case interface, lapping valves, cleaning head, setting Desmo (never done that before) and of course new belts/tensioners. Also check clutch which was fairly new and pushrod/bearing/slave which were also within 10k miles. Should be fine though.


New chain/sprockets required. IIRC it's 14t up front and standard rear fitted to sort the gearing. While here check all swing arm bearings. Most recently done so should be fine. Rear shock is a 888 one from Natty boy which I had modded and setup for my weight.


Wheels need powdercoating. Also do bearings/cush drives as I last did them about 25k ago. Good practice despite them being fine. Forks and head bearings sorted recently too so should be fine. Tyres were less than a few thousand miles old when last ridden so should be ok.


Frame WILL need rubbing and touching up in places but not really going for a full sprayjob as I have limited funds and time at the mo'. For future ref, can you get them powdercoated in the CORRECT early colours? IIRC there was a gold colour touch up pen for cars that matched the Monster frame pretty well back in the day. Was it an old Fiesta or Escort? Pretty sure it was an old Dagenham Dustbin of the old school. Or any other ideas for a match? Only need a tiny amount. Things rub in places and has worn to metal but it's kept nicely polished through the vibes of regular use, but having laid up (in garage mind) it's bound to need seeing to. Same applies with edges and underside of tank. Anyone know a good colour match for early red? Underside of tank needs proper doing so close enough is fine. Outside is great.


Carb needs new jets etc. the old Dynojet kit is 25k old and the jets have keyholed. No surprises there. I have researched that the Factory Pro kits use Titanium and thus wear better so that's what I'm going for. I have Remus Grand Prix cans (care of Alex Yerbury if you remember that reprobate I sat with in the old naughty corner) and a K&N filter (recently cleaned etc) with an open airbox lid. Does the Pro kit have good enough instructions to give a rough enough setup for these mods? I assume a proper dyno session will be required?


Need to upgrade the LED rear bulb. Back in the day, these things regularly blew rear bulbs (supposedly due to vibes- I have an uprated aftermarket regulator) so fitted an LED bulb, but technology has moved on immeasurably since then and it was a bit dire. So what is a good LED upgrade nowadays?


Everything else should be fine. I hope...



Comments on anything very welcome and gratefully received. Some questions I can think of already is where to buy the parts? I don't live or travel near a Ducati shop anymore- I live in cow**** land down near Christchurch, Darzet, and as far as I know we don't have Ducati shops near here. I want genuine belts and tensioners, oil seals, desmo bits and wheel bearings/cush drives for a start. Anyone know a good wheel powder coating place in the South or Oxford?

spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 02:47 PM
Forgot to add- I seem to remember that silver Smoothrite is good for the engine painting? Satin black (or crackle!!) for the barrels?

What is best way to strip paint off the engine and repaint? I'm assuming Smoothrite can go on baremetal? Not going for ful engine strip just barrels and heads off.

Pedro
06-01-2013, 03:26 PM
Hiya SM

I have similar plans with mine. I believe Trestan Finishers in Southampton can match the early frame colours.

If you need any info I've got lots here, drop me a note

Ped

spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 03:34 PM
Cheers bud! You still in the old Pig Town?

Southampton is close enough!

Darkness
06-01-2013, 04:40 PM
Hiya SM

I have similar plans with mine. I believe Trestan Finishers in Southampton can match the early frame colours.

If you need any info I've got lots here, drop me a note

Ped

Me too: there's a definite theme developing here......

:spin::spin:

yorkshirepuddin
06-01-2013, 04:50 PM
MotoRapido in Winchester will sort you out with all the parts, they will even post them out to you.

spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 05:14 PM
I suggest a mini meet of all the restored 1993 models in the summer!!! No getting out of it then...


BTW, who's got the oldest one now? Mine is number 497 off the line and one of the earliest ones with yellow suspension hoops. I was told these were only fitted in the first 6 months of production in yellow. Dunno if true..?

Blah blah
06-01-2013, 06:50 PM
You've forgot the important bit....






PICTURES !!

Pedro
06-01-2013, 07:09 PM
Cheers bud! You still in the old Pig Town?

Southampton is close enough!

No, escaped Swindonia, now live south of Devizes.

I suggest a mini meet of all the restored 1993 models in the summer!!! No getting out of it then...


BTW, who's got the oldest one now? Mine is number 497 off the line and one of the earliest ones with yellow suspension hoops. I was told these were only fitted in the first 6 months of production in yellow. Dunno if true..?

Frame number doesn't strictly relate to build date. Spoke with Marco at Ducati last year, his was number 422, built feb 1994, mine is 1015 registered in the uk August 1993 (I think mine was a parallel import from Germany if memory serves correctly)! He reckoned a load of frames were made but not used in numerical order. I think Crust has number 500 ish but it was registered about 4 months after mine. Marco also said no build records are kept from then either.

Ped

Nick Peace
06-01-2013, 07:41 PM
I've just finished painting my engine in silver Smoothrite, I also bought some black smoothrite for barrels and also to mix with into the silver it to take the edge of the unnatural silver that it is. I also them mixed it to a nice gun metal grey for the cam and rocker covers

spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 09:27 PM
Thanks Nick, be interesting to see the result!

Pedders, mine was registered 13th September 1993 but of course that doesn't correlate to build date. Somewhere I have the build slip I found in the bike signed off by some bird called Olivia. I shall have to check the date on that!

I don;t have any recent pics of my bike- my old hard drive imploded after I locked the bike up for winter and on there are the pics of a magazine photoshoot. And I can proudly claim the bike was not washed any time in the 6 months leading up to and including the shoot... ;)

spacemonkey
06-01-2013, 09:50 PM
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/KV7T8996small.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/KV7T9152.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/KV7T9104.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/DSC00110.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/DSC00108.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/KV7T9156.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/Picture145.jpg

http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/spacemonkey_mk1/Videos/?action=view&current=MonkeyMonkey.mp4

All the bikes in my garage. Any good???