Transformation

ducatipaddy

My little 239cc Duc is coming on slowly. some of you may recognise it in RED form as it was on ebay for quite a while earlier in the year with no takers so in the end i bought it. It starts and runs like a dream :-)

As I bought it

as she is now

Its not all original of coarse but i have given it a nod towards its origins with the paintwork.
The 239cc was the last of the model and probably the best with its slipper piston and conventional valve spring head rather than the double lever spring set up as well as its 32mm DelOrto pumper 😄

scott 888

Very tasty Paddy well done.

Scott

900SL

Hat's off to ya Paddy'

Job well done.!!😉

Mr.R

Hi Paddy,

That's an interesting oil drain from the rockerbox to the bevel tube, have you got a close up pic' of it please?
Did you make it yourself or buy it from someone?

I've got a rubber mounted 32mm smoothbored Mk1 Amal for my little '74 250 Yellow Desmo,
I've converted the head to take the V Twin helper springs on the closing rockers instead of the hairpin springs, MBP valve collets and it's also been ported/gasflowed by John Smith back in the day.

Steve R

ducatipaddy

Its home made Steve, gives a bit better oil flow back so i left it where it is.

Quite a lot of this bike is home made including the footrests, levers etc and best of all..the petrol cap :-)

Believe it or not this cap is machined out of a billet of alloy !

Mr Bumble

The new colour and decals have transformed the bike, a really well executed job.

Mbracing748

Hmmm Very nice....shame I don't still have my old 250...

ducatipaddy

Thanks guys, these were the rich man's option to a Yam RD250 when i was 17 so its all a bit of nostalgia for me :-)

lambretter

More Italian tin.

I like it Paddy. I've just sold one of my Lambrettas the other week on a Saturday and bought this on a Monday.

Not a Ducati I know but a nice little 350 to go down the shops on.😉
Got any parts?

Mr.R

Nice bike,

But I'd still rather have a Ducati single preferably a Desmo 350, until then I'll have to make do with my '74 250 Desmo.
I do know how to convert the motor to 350cc using standard parts and unless someone counts the fins on the barrel (one extra fin 😉) no one would ever know.
But there's more than one way to skin a cat and a big bore short stroke 280 or 300cc motor might well blow a standard 350cc motor away.

A standard road going 250 Desmo's good/safe to 10,000rpm.

Steve R

ducatipaddy

Something rather nice about a MV of any size 😄, I fell in love with them watching Ago and Phill Read go round Brands on them when i was a kid 😄 I will ask about regards parts, are you just missing the obvious in the picture ?

Not a lot of difference between a 250 and 350 on the road Steve but i think you get a bit more vibration from a 350 😄
Any news on the NCR front ?.

Mr.R

No news on the NCR front yet Paddy,
I've been busy and not been round to see my mate or Sue (Bob's ex) this week yet.

My understanding is that a 350 should be almost as smooth as the 250 with close to the punch of the 450, but that's just what Nigel (Lacey) told me over dinner and a beer one night.
Other mates like Brian Silver (Moto Marriana) say their 350cc converted 250's go like stink compared with a standard or tuned 250, Brian's Mach 1 is now 350cc and no slouch when it's given it's head,
Tony Brancato also says the same...
I'm fairly confident that I can get an overbored 250 to kick out close to tuned 350 cc power.

Steve R

ducatipaddy

Well it makes sense Steve as without a turbo :-) there is no substitute for CC's !! and 250/350 is 40% increase. must admit i don't know a lot about the singles other than the obvious where they cross over with the twins. That said i have 4 engines, all that need work, one that will probably be cheaper to break as it needs a crank and Nigel wants £550 straight away. One that is Spanish and needs re building into a set of Italian cases i have 😉 , one thats complete and just needs a check over and one other that needs a barrel and piston. I guess i will know a bit more about singles once i get round to that lot .......lol

lambretter

lambretter wroteI like it Paddy. I've just sold one of my Lambrettas the other week on a Saturday and bought this on a Monday. Not a Ducati I know but a nice little 350 to go down the shops on.😉 Got any parts?

Now MOT'd registration next,

851 tricolore

you've made a great job of that Phil.
all the best
Ian

ducatipaddy

That looks excellent Phil Glad you managed to track down the bits :-)

I don't suppose anyone knows of a DM175 narrow case frame I can buy for huge amounts of cash?? pretty please ?