Mr R

Tony IOM

Hi Steve
Looks like you've got your own forum section now! Ha ha

Cheers
Tony (whippersnapper relatively)

griff851

Screw Steve, now about my bevel. 😄
By the way the 350 Desmo I've been working on, went racing the other week. The rider pulled a second over all for the 2 day event. Does that mean I can call myself a race mechanic!

wgsvintage

Damn, the planets aligned and my '80 bevel was washed and waxed, between projects, and I actually thought to take pictures for the "What's in your garage" thread, but that now seems to be gone. Supposedly, Steve R has a black one too (although we've never seen photographic evidence), and this thread is apparently for geriatric 851 owners (I'm 68), so I guess I'll stick it here. And, if you look close, there are one or two 851 parts on it. This bike has been a ten year off and on, mostly chassis, project. Last winter was building the wheels, and next will be replacing the F08 rear caliper with an F05. But in the mean time, it's going to it's second track day in about a week, and hopefully going to the North Carolina mountains in mid September. It is a blast to ride, once it's running - this f_cker has a starting routine that I'm STILL trying to decipher, but getting close.
Bill

marvin

Looks great Bill!

Look me up when you come down to NC

scott 888

Bloody lovely is that Bill, well done.

Scott

griff851

It shouldn't be anymore complicated than:- No choke if choke fitted. Otherwise if ticklers fitted, tickle until fuel comes out he overflow. Turn key on. 2 twists of the throttle and kick over from any place, top of kick starter stroke. ( I have a mate that tries to find the compression spot, I tried to tell him there is no point, even showed him, but he still pussies around.) The bike should start first or second kick. If not, its not set up right. If it does fail to start for some reason, the next bit is to start kicking over with throttle wide open. (basically because there is now too much fuel in the cylinder. Same applies if it won't start when its hot. The bike should not idle when its cold.
This has worked on every bevel I've set up or been done at the shop. Watch out for kick back if there is to much fuel in the cylinder, it will drive your knee into you chin. 😄 Of coarse the trick is finding someone that actually knows how to set up the carbs, for it is an art of listening, feeling the exh pulse and turning screws, and you don't stand a chance if the the little ramps on the bottom of the slides are worn or the slides them selves are worn. I had to pull up one mechanic as he was going to shorten the spring on the slide height screw. No short cuts. Its either right or it needs to be fixed. On foggy still mornings, mine actually blows rings once its idling. Very impressive in front of your mates.😎

Do you find a tendency to scrape after riding the 851? Scares the hell out of the guys behind. I have the exh clamp bolt at about 135 degree so it scrapes first, as bolts are cheaper to replace that pegs and mufflers.

ducatibruce

Here's a pic of mine dirty from a ride & my start procedure.

With ignition off, pull the clutch in & kick over. Unsticks the clutch plates & avoids either a nasty thump through the gearbox or stall when you first put into gear when running (this is more of an issue if you're running straight 50w oil). Also, it puts the engine up near compression 😉

Turn on the ignition, engage chokes, leave throttle alone & kick like you mean it. Once it starts (almost always 1st or 2nd kick), catch the running engine on throttle & turn off the chokes. If it hasn't started, turn off the chokes & kick again, it will usually start in the next 2 kicks. If not go to Griff's flooded method, wide open throttles & kick.

Not sure if it's the 40mm carbs or the enthusiastic std accelerator pumps in them but using Griff's method on mine if it hasn't started by the 2nd kick it's flooded.(& I know it's time to re-do the carbs)

I agree on the importance of carb setup - I like the method in this book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ducati-Tunin.../dp/0850770920 (if you can find it).
edit to add: It's a good book but not worth the US$400 buy it now price on a current 2nd hand ebay listing

My only other tip is to drain the float bowls when putting the bike away, modern fuels seem to evaporate & leave a varnish that gums up the floats so that they stick - which gives you fairly instant & serious flooded engine next time you turn on the fuel taps.

griff851

Yep forgot about the clutch bit. I take it off the stand, pull in the clutch and select 2nd, then push the bike back and forward until the clutch frees up. When I first got the bike I was 68kg. Hell of an effort doing a start. Bump starting, before I fitted the kick start and removed the electric start was a bad joke. 10kg of mussle added over the year has made it way easier.

wgsvintage

Thanks guys. I am familiar with all your starting / tuning tips from surviving the dark ages when these were state of the art. This one just seems to enjoy screwing with my mind every once in a while. The adventure is already under way before it's even running. Makes you appreciate the one kick starts all the more. Marvin, I'll PM you when Robbie and I have our plans better figured out. I do think we're heading for Franklin though.
Bill

Griff, nothing drags (at least the way I ride), shocks are 13.5" long (added 1" to center stand). And I have to admit, I've never ridden my 851. It's the ex-Adamo Tricolor, and it was in no condition to ride when I got it, and it's STILL completely apart.