erthmvr888 wroteA book by Paolo Conti " Ducati Superbikes 851,888,916" states that frames from 1988 and later are chrome/moly including strada's. Earlier bike are not covered in the book.
Trav
Well mine is 1992 so that means it's moly, right?
I don't think it is - here is why.
a) My frame is machine welded. It's MIG machine welded. I've not seen TIG done by a machine but I'm sure those clever Chinese have a way. There are welds on mine that don't go all the way around - I've seen this on white-framed SS's of the same era and they crack - well the one I saw cracked, was at the steering head and that isn't a good thing.
b) Why is moly usually TIG'd? Because, from my experience, it distorts a LOT more than mild steel when the heat is applied and TIG allows the heat to be more concentrated thus less distortion.
c) I MIG'd the welds on my frame that didn't meet - it welded like mild steel.
J) So, if you combine the above ramblings it can be deduced that if mine was moly then it would MOST LIKELY be TIG welded which it certainly is not. Plus, from observation, the tube cross-section that can be observed shows a wall thickness which in my opinion would be thinner if it wasn't mild steel.
Of course, these are just my opinions and I stand to be corrected by someone who knows more about this than me!
PS. Last year I was chatting to a guy on the production line at Borgo Panigale - he was assembling 848's and the frames he was working on were MIG'd. I asked him if they were done by machine and he said yes. So ... not moly!
PPS. Attached ... a frame I made a few months back to take a bevel engine.
