griff851
Happy days, not that anybody really cares but me, just scored a set of ag1's ( grey remote res marzocchi's) and a new conti 2 into 1, plus muffler for under a $1000. All items new old stock. It pays to be patient.
Now I have a set of hi-comp pistons as well. Anybody out there had the joy of kicking over a high comp bevel engine? If so, basically am I going to be too old and end up breaking a leg, or my face with my knee? 😄
ducatipaddy
The thing i built in my sig was 1000cc and high comp. It was fine 😄
Mr.R
ducatipaddy wroteThe thing i built in my sig was 1000cc and high comp. It was fine 😄
Hi Paddy,
How did you get it out to 1000cc's, what was the bore and stroke?
Steve R
sp2 boy
One of the 'round-case' engines I have has 11.5:1 'Arias' pistons fitted, I wonder how easy that will be to kick over?
I suppose I shall find out once it has been delivered...I am awaiting it's imminent delivery almost three years after having paid for it and it's rebuild. 😄
ducatipaddy
I dont know off hand Steve as i bought the motor and bike as a basket case. The whole lot came from Hong Kong in a couple of tea-chests via a pilot from Cathay Pacific...its a long story. A lot of the cycle gear was NCR and the motor had a close ration box, one of six sets of gears produced for Mike Hailwoods TT comeback. it had one 40mm carb bored out to 42mm so i had to bore out a second to match., twin plug heads and a complete external oil system and so on. I will try and find out what the piston kit was....I seem to remember they were black Teflon ?
Mr.R
Hi Peter,
At the peak of my tuning of my old nail I used 11.2-1 comp' ratio and 950cc's it was still quite easy to kick over.
I used to just give it a few kicks to free off the clutch/stir up the oil, (this was before I converted it to dry clutch) then turn on the fuel and tickle the 41mm rubber mounted racing carbs, kick it over twice, then ease it up onto compression, turn on the ignition and give it a healthy/man type kick...
After that it usually would (99 times out of 100) burst into life.
As I've stated elsewhere on the forum a well set up Bevel twin isn't a problem to start.
At the WDW 2000 I went over with 3 tuned Bevel twins* that I'd built, I spent most of the week starting all 3 of them, in the end I took to starting them by hand using the kickstart just to show everyone how easy it is to do.
The owners of the two other than mine were just plain afraid of the bikes kicking back, even after I'd shown them how easy it was countless times.
*A 882cc, 950cc and a 975cc.
Steve R
sp2 boy
Steve, thanks for letting me know regarding kicking over the 'hi-comp' engine. Like Paddy that 'roundcase' engine of mine is a twin plug head configuration with I believe a 904cc capacity. A few years ago I bought a pair of solid mount 40 Dellortos to go with that set-up with the cast and not plastic parts.
My other 'roundcase' engine has lots of V2 parts in it, again twin plug heads but only 750cc capacity, it also came with a V2 crank, a dry clutch kit, straight cut primary gears etc. etc. This engine has rubber mounted 40 Dellortos but with the pumps removed and blanked, like some of the dellorto KTM carbs I have seen. By all accounts the carbs are no good for anything other than a race track. The bike that this engine is destined for is the 'Baines' old 'Mille racer', which they had started to convert for a period style 'Norman Hyde race series' that never transpired and thus the whole project was shelved after a lot of expense. That bike will need a roller to start it as there is no kick start mechanism within the engine, it should make a fun machine. I am not sure when this engine will be ready but hopefully not too long after I have delivery of the other engine.
Mr.R
I've used 40 and 41mm Delorto's with the accelerator pumps removed for many years, the slides have been replaced with solid brass and chromed items used in KTM desert racers, that I've hand filed to the cut away that I wanted.
They work very well/have a beautifull light/positive action, if you're really on it the accelerator pumps aren't in use anyway, they only squirt extra fuel when you're opening the throttles from the bottom and give a heavy throttle action.
The race Bevels (especially the Endurance racers) almost always had them removed for a good reason.
A highly tuned and well set up Bevel twin as a hoot to ride, sadly the gereration that enjoyed them has now got older and the new owners rarely use them to the full.
Steve R
ducatipaddy
Its all coming back now...slowly ! its been 12 years since i built mine. the second plugs on this side were small lawn mower plugs. I used a BL Mini cartridge oil filter under the tank with one feed pipe up and 5-6 down.
It had a light weight Verlicchi frame. AS Steve says the secret of starting was completely down to it being well set up. I don't remember it being any different from my black and gold at the time to start but i do remember the extra punch with every firing stroke on the road 😄 i didnt keep it long because every build then was financed by the sale of the one before. ( still is )
Current build is a 250, just got the paint back.
Its a bit of a special hence the mudguard and seat but i wanted a nod towards original with some paint. I cant afford to do twins any more simply because you need £10k for a 900SS starting point where as i can get a project single for less than a quarter of that now. trouble is a single is never worth anything when its done 😄
Mr.R
Hi Paddy,
What a small World I'm 99.9% sure that not only do I know that bike but that I also rebuilt it.
A mate of mine (Bob Palmer RIP) bought it from Mdina's some years back, the motor had been tuned and taken out to 950 or 970cc by Pete Thomas who'd worked for Alfred Bajohr.
Bob had been told that the bike had belonged to an airline pilot.
Steve R
duc904red
Mr R re bevels the new generation can't bloody afford them
Regards Steve B
ducatipaddy
Hi Steve
In those days i worked with John at Mdina ( I still run his website but he sold Mdina and he now trades as Made in Italy Motorcycles)
The NCR was mine. I bought it from the pilot and built it in my flat. It was in the garage at Mdina when Bob turned up one day, usually flogging T shirts or something, and as per usual he had a carrier bag full of cash and tried to buy my black and gold. I wouldnt sell so he tried to buy the NCR. TBH i didnt think it would last long given its state of tune and the worry i had about the pressure it took to press the crank together ( about 20 tons) instead of 30......so i sold it to him.
From memory i think he bought a high pressure oil pump from us and tried to have it copied but it was a long time ago. I heard he went to France but i'm sorry to hear he passed on.
this is what i bought from the pilot who was a friend of john at Mdina.
And this was it as i sold it to Bob
I did hear he junked the wheels which was a shame but other than that we lost touch.
I still see John regularly but i am in Surrey and he is in Suffolk now but as i do his web site i get to see the bikes come and go still.. We have a SP4 and a SP3 at the moment.
http://www.madeinitalymotorcycles.com/Stock%20List%20.htm
As you say mate, Small world 😄
Mr.R
Paddy,
John Fallon knows me I'm Steve Robins,
Yes Bob fitted mag' Campagnola's to it, converted it to dry clutch along with a few other mods.
Sadly it looks nowhere near as good as it did having stood around for years, the one piece tank/seat leaked eventually like they all do/did so it was replaced with an alloy tank and seperate seat unit.
I could tell you an awful lot of horror stories about that motor.😏
I lived in a cottage in Bob's garden, we used to ride all over the UK together on our Bevels, he was the Best Man at my wedding and I was a Pall Bearer at his funeral wearing a T shirt he'd printed for me with a pic' of a 900SS Bevel on it with the words underneath stating...
"The most exciting bike ever built".😎
Bob left it to his elder daughter in his will, a mate and I are going to recommision it then put it up for sale, so that she can buy a more practical bike she used to own a Urban Tiger Blade.
... OH and it was me who bought the german oilpump and had them copied, when I bought it Johnny said...
"I know what you're going to do with this Steve, the poor German wil be crying if he finds out".
Please say hello to John from me when you next see him.
Steve R
ducatipaddy
I had one of those t-shirts... sadly it wouldn't fit any more :-)
How bad is the old NCR ? does his daughter want to sell it as it is ? It would be fun to build it..... again :-)
lambretter
Carry on I'm enjoying this thread..😄
ducatipaddy
lambretter wroteCarry on I'm enjoying this thread..😄
He went quiet when i asked about buying it back 😉
A couple more of my bevels
This was a wreck when i bought it
this was a bit of a bitzer
And this was my 1976 which is the one to have... sadly they are all gone now
Mr.R
I'll speak with my mate who's in contact with Bob's daughter this week, when I get a chance to pop over.
I saw Bob's ex wife last week when I dropped off two copies of the latest DOCGB mag' Desmo,
it has an obituary I'd written in it and Jilly the editor kindly sent me a couple of extra copies for the girls.
I wouldn't want it myself as I still own my '79 900SS based special and it's a far better bike than Bob's NCR. 😎
Steve R
ducatipaddy
Steve
I dont know why but i was assuming Bob had died a few years back and i was just out of touch.
Your latest post re obituary, makes my feel awful to think i was chasing one of his old bikes so soon after he passed away.
Please except my apologies for the terrible timing and inexcusable haste i have shown here. Please don't trouble Bobs relatives now with something like this. In the big scheme of things its just not important right now.
Apologies again friend and all the best to you.
Paddy
scott 888
ducatipaddy
scott 888 wrote
I think you might be little mistaken there scott 😁
What is that supposed to be ? a Harris ?
Bobs old NCR has fond memories for me and it would be great to build it up again. I need something to ride and that would fit the bill now:-)
EDIT: Oh the details have popped up now, they were missing when i first looked.
