Maxsam wroteLovely front end on your 888!
Wilks with your skills putting together great looking race bikes, you can definitely build something for less than half of a corse. If money is not a concern, there is no doubt that a corse would be beautiful.
Full agree-- these days it comes down to what you can afford, what you wish to do with the bike once you are finished tracking it, and where your passion leads you. I have built two Corse replicas because I plainly love building bikes and the challenge of building a Corse replica is just plain fun.
Just because I suggested to Wilks that he should buy the Corse (if he could afford) as a base for his track bike (knowing he would have to spend much more building a bullet proof motor starting with an ST4 case) does not mean I felt that is the only way to go. Only reason I am lucky to own my Corse's -which I have had the joy of refurbishing back to stock and tracking- is because I started buying them (and their parts) as wrecks at a time when no-one else was interested/wanted them. When I started buying parts back in 1997--- They were old race bikes being parted out. You heard about them word-of mouth. It was very hard to find parts because there was no internet and no repro carbon. I would save my money and make pilgrimages to Ferracci and dicker for parts. After a few years Mr. Ferracci would let me go through his back room and search for parts. He would spend hours telling me about how he developed the early bikes- he seemed a bit surprised I was so passionate about these bikes. Told me I was crazy-- even then- for him it was all about the bikes his team was currently racing. They were tools that became obsolete.
Most new Ducati lovers were blown away by the 916's and could not conceive of spending money on an 851/888 race bike. I would bring my first bitsa Corse to the track and it was completely ignored-- for many many years. AND-because I painted my first track Corse black with a white frame -guys would ask how I was able to make a 900SS run so quick. They had no idea what it was. Many would comment on the carbon dash and ask how I molded it.
The reason I started the Corse section in this forum years back is so there would be a place to gather Corse info in one place. Now if you wish to build a replica or restore a Corse you can search the forum and find what you need-- or have a place to ask your questions.
Passionate forum members such as BABA, Phill, Scott, Guy and many others have contributed to the Corse section over the years to assure accurate descriptions, pictures, and discussions are there for all who care.
I look forward to see many more pictures of member's replica's on and off the track.
