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OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM What is there about this last true production cafe racer that Three thousand kilometres ago it had been new; the product of an honors it with immortality? We might have believed its Italian factory that understood the qualities were all Italian idiosyncrasies the average owner real meaning of a solo seat, clip-ons, might not be prepared to tolerate until JOE BLAKE presented rearsets and a megaphone with a detachable . this 13,000 kilometre report. The glint of the stunning metal- The single- bike is not dead, he says. Nor does its flake silver beckoned me closer. strength lie only in soppy memories of yesteryear. That paint was nearly two years old and it still looked half an inch deep. It took a Desmo to make this experienced rider realise it! “DUCATI”. White decals on a silver flake fibreglass tank. Only the IT WAS love at first sight. But here was a CAFE RACER — Italians could do that. But they But for a very difficult-to- one of the street-legal roadracer switched colors for the sidepanels. explain reason. It wasn’t logical for breed beloved by British enthusiasts “Desmo” screamed the writing . . . a man who already owned a who cling tenaciously to their what the hell did Desmo really well-used Norton roadster ahd re­ memories of the late Velocette mean? cently relinquished his hold on a Thruxton and like to pretend that I didn’t buy it on the spot. I little Kawasaki 100 to fall quite so N orton’s production racer is as went away and thought about it, heavily. good. determined to read all I could on

. . But here was a true cafe racer.”

44 TWO WHEELS, January, 1974

OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM the machine. But I was frustrated. What you see is what you get. The Italians don’t bother to tell the rest of the world much about how to love and understand their thorough­ breds. But I was thorough. I compared it with other machines and a little simple arithmetic brought me to the conclusion that the Desmo has a very good power to weight ratio. And then I went back to the technical books to learn more. Did you know that operation goes back as far as 1910, when an English gentleman named A. F. Arnott patented the design? After that it went through several stages of development until 1954, when Mercedes used the Desmo system on their “straight eight” engined GP , much to the dismay of all opponents. A couple of interesting points about their system was the use of two cams per valve, and the fact that there were no valve springs. The heart of the machine from the timing side. Points are in front section The Mercedes desmodromic system of cover and the barrel tube carries the valvegear driveshaft. closed the valves to within .003 in. Rearsets provided a sloppy gear operation initially but this improved with age. Header pipe blued severely at about 3735 km (1700 miles). of their seats then engine compres­ sion did the rest. Several motor­ cycle manufacturers experimented with the system, among them BMW, Velocette, N orton and Ducati. If Norton had got their dohc Manx sorted out properly before they dropped their racing program the motorcycling record books might have been entirely different. Ducati got the job done and between 1956 and 1958 their 125s were a sensation. In 1958, Alberto Gandossi needed to win only the Ulster GP to clinch the world championship but he got spat off near the end of the race, after having gained the lead. So a forerunner of my intended bike was nearly famous! And then I got one of those rare Ducati handbooks. The exploded diagram of the motor opened a whole new world of Italian phrase­ A gear-driven clutch is under left hand cover. Note that retaining screws ology for me. are all Allen caps. The Ducati 450 Desmo engine is an astonishing device. It has a cast blocking the throat, thus cutting vertically-split crankcase being cast alloy head and barrel, the barrel down the amount of air coming in the shape of a finned oil cooler. containing a cast iron liner. The through, in turn richening the An oil pump is gear-driven off the is 86 mm and the is air/fuel mixture. The Dell’Orto shaft to raise the oil to the top, and 75 mm, giving an “over-square” works in the reverse direction, and gravity returns it to the . Most capacity of 435.7 cm3 and the putting the choke “on” raises a interesting however, is the fact that is 9.3:1. slide on the left side of the carb, the sump oil lubricates the gearbox Carburetion is by Dell’Orto, and which uncovers a small jet, adding as well, making an oil change simple the 450 carries a VHB29 model extra fuel to the mixture, which is and quick (provided one can get the carb, the 29 signifying 29 mm why the engine idles so fast drain plug in the side of the sump choke size. Talking about chokes (2500-3000 rpm) with the choke undone). reminds me of the hassle I had on. Spark is supplied by the old The m otor’s sohc is driven by a trying to figure out which way was battery-and-coil method, the bat­ bevel shaft and the whole thing is “start” and which way was “run”. tery being 6 volt, unusual on a reminiscent of a Norton Manx, even Eventually, by stripping the modern bike of such large capacity. down to the use of hairpin springs thing down, I figured it out, at the Lubrication provides another on the valves, although in the case same time making an amazing fascinating insight into the Italian of Ducati the springs are really used discovery. The average bike carb mind. The engine is , with only to ensure the correct seating choke works on the principal of the lower forward section of the of the valve. On the “ordinary” ohc

TWO WHEELS. January. 1974

OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM Ducati, the valve pressure is around 160 psi (1102 kPa) whereas the desmodromic valve springs have only 18 psi (124 kPa) pressure. One cold May morning I went and bought the bike, convinced I knew as much about it as the guy who was selling it to me. I did too, but he had to start it . . . At 2500 rpm it moved away swiftly. With knees tucked in against the tank, most of the mechanical noises were blocked off, but spreading the knees a bit caused a horrible metallic ringing to assail the ears, this being accompanied by the roar of the carb intake, unmuffled by an air cleaner of any sort (the air cleaner is an optional extra which I had fitted later on). Changing from first to second at about 4500 rpm produced a rather violent jump forward. The same from second to third, until I found that I wasn’t letting the revs drop far enough on each change. I was soon cruising down the road at what I hoped was 56 km/h (35 mph) — the speedo showing anything from 80 to 144 km/h (50 to 90 mph) — and looking for a corner. I soon found one and kicking back to third, I leaned the bike over and around we went, my knee nearly scraping the kerbing. I came to an intersection and touched the brakes — and got a small drop in speed. Gripping harder caused the nose to dive and the Marzocchi forks almost to bottom. Relieved of most of its load, the back wheel locked up and made funny squealing sounds as it bounced up and down on the road. Borrani rims and Marzocchi suspension helps keep the image up and the The twin panel single leading shoe weight down. Rear units are easily adjustable but disappointing in front brakes are better than they performance. look! On the highway I found that keep the wheels on the road as needed when (a) starting (b) stop­ passing at up to 112 km/h much as possible, and to keep the ping, (c) cornering or (d) riding in a (70 mph) was a snap. Just roll open rider as comfortable as possible straight line, not forgetting chang­ the and a gorgeous howl without compromising the first job. ing gears up or down. Though the emerged from the pipe, the only On the Ducati, rider comfort is tyres are Pirelli (3 x 18 front and real evidence of any increase in given little, if any, consideration. rear), and excellent in the dry, they velocity. The rear shocks (Marzocchi) are just can’t grip when it rains. I spent the afternoon running up three-way adjustable, and can be It’s the first bike I’ve ever ridden and down the highway, diving in adjusted in about three seconds flat which has enabled me to pull and out of corners at maniac thanks to the built-in levers. After wheelspins in the first three gears speeds, waiting for something to some practice, I got to the stage just by opening the throttle. At no scrape, but I was doomed to where I could adjust the shocks extra charge, the wheelspin includes frustration. Nothing scraped. Not while doing about 80 km/h the gut-twisting sensation of being the pipe, not the pegs, not the (50 mph), simply by reaching down able to watch the rear end try to stand (until the retaining spring and turning the lever. Going from overtake (be it oh, so slowly) the broke), not even my toes, though I hard to soft, there was no detect­ front end, in a style reminiscent of had them pointed slightly down­ able difference. Mert Lawill at Santa Rosa. wards. But, if the suspension falls down Throughout this type of activity I did, however, manage to cop a in the second department, it does a it’s possible to miss seeing what revs couple of tank slappers while superb job in the first. About the (or Giri) you are pulling, and it’s negotiating a few rough corners, only way to get the wheels off the almost equally impossible to see but back on the straight, the bike road is to lift the bike up by hand how many miles (or kilometres) per went back to its normal pussy­ or ride a scrambles circuit. hour you are doing, because the footed self. This, of course, is in the dry. In speedo is mounted in the top of the Until I bought the Ducati I the wet, one might be better headlight shell, and the tachometer always thought the suspension on advised to leave the Ducati at home covers the speedo face. any vehicle had a two-fold job. To and take a train. Extreme caution is (Continued on page 66)

46 TWO WHEELS, January, 1974

OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM slide backwards or forwards. Sliding the speeds which this machine is THE SILVER SHOTGUN backwards is okay; the hump on capable of. The front lens disperses Continued from page 46 the end of the seat is placed there the light from the headlamp in a for that specific reason, but going ring fashion, which illuminates the forward, which occurs even under sides of the road and tops of the To compensate for this, Ducati moderate braking, is another kettle trees moderately well, and leaves a have offset the tacho a little to the of fish. dark area in front of the rider. On right and rotated the speedo All the strain must be taken on the other end, the taillight/stoplight through about 120 deg to the left, the left wrist, as the right is usually is bright enough, but suffers from which allows you to see the face of working the throttle and brake lack of size, globe failure due to the speedo from 64 km/h (40 mph) lever, and must be kept free of vibration and poor wiring. It’s a around to about 177 km/h (110). load. good idea to glance over your The only thing the speedo is good While the clutch action is fairly shoulder every two seconds or so to for is counting the distance the bike light, it can be regarded as the final see if it is still functioning. has covered. Blipping the motor straw to break the rider’s wrist. There was no horn on the bike causes the needle to jump about After about 320 km (200 miles), when it was bought, and in its place violently, and 6000 rpm in neutral even picking up a glass in the left there is a “cheap Japanese one”. In can bring the speed of the bike up hand becomes a painful ordeal. It general, the wiring is the worst I’ve to an indicated 241 km/h took about eight or nine days for ever seen on any bike, even one I’ve (150 mph). After 6437 km (4000 my wrist to strengthen sufficiently re-wired myself. miles) were clocked up the needle to enable me to ride the bike as it Sitting in the saddle and adopt­ quit. should be ridden. ing the riding position shows Mounting the speedo in the One way around this would be immediately that some manufac­ headlight shell makes it a very time to follow the idea Bultaco used on turers do use test riders of normal consuming job to remove the shell. their Metralla, and put a strip of size, Ducati included. All the Most of the wiring winds up inside some rough material down the controls “fall readily to hand” — a the shell too, which looks like the centre of the seat. Ducati might human hand and not a gorilla’s inside of a Univac computer! also follow the idea that most hand. No ignition kill switch is The riding position is a full manufacturers use and put some fitted, though I think it should be, racing-crouch, and it is very com­ padding in the seat. It’s all very well as the right handlebar carries fortable once you build up certain to have a low centre of gravity but nothing but the mirror. The levers muscles. The bend in the rider’s what price good handling if the are integral with the handlebars and body isn’t in the back, but in the machine can’t be ridden for long cannot be adjusted up and down. hips, so a sore back isn’t anything enough to enjoy it? This isn’t really a criticism, just an to really worry about. However, the The Ducati’s lighting would be observation, as they are placed seat is covered with a very smooth sub-standard on a knee-guard 90. A perfectly for me. The horn and vinyl material, and acceleration or 6 volt system isn’t sufficient to dipswitch can both be operated braking causes the rider’s body to illuminate the road adequately for with a minimum of waste motion. lilM You save dollars^ SPARE PARTS which ever way available from y o u look a t it! EX-1WTERNATIQNAL

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OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM To start the machine, one turns the bike). The kick is on the required. Repeat as required until on the petrol cocks, the ignition left, so you fold up the left foot the motor starts. switch mounted on the left side of peg and brake lever to avoid a the headlight shell, and if the motor broken ankle. Then, grasping firmly An unusual feature of this is cold, full choke (at this stage, the the clip-on handlebars use your machine is the fact that the colder bike should be on the centre stand right foot and give the lever a short, the bike is, the easier it is to start. and the rider standing to the left of sharp prod. Very little throttle is (Continued on page 70)

SPECIFICATIONS CAPACITIES: E u e l...... ,...... 3 gals (13.6 litres) MAKE...... DUCATI O i l ...... 5 pints (5.1 litres) MODEL...... , ...... 450 Desmo DIMENSIONS: ENGINE: Weight...... 265 lb (approx) (120.1 kgs) 43§cc single-cylinder four-stroke, alloy head arid Wheelbase...... 53.5 m. '1359 mm) barrel with cast iron liner. 86 x 75 bore and stroke. Seat h e ig h t...... 29 in. (735 mm) Hemispherical . Compression Ground clearance ...... 5.1 in. (130 mm) ratio 9.3:1. 1 x 29 mm Dell'Orto carb. Alloy PERFORMANCE: with truncated conical top, 3 rings. Steel Standing %-mile ...... 14.9 sec (approx) rod with big end assembled on a caged roller Max speed ...... 107 mph (approx) bearing, little end bushed. Wet sump with cast oil Cruising...... 40-70mph (64-112 km/h) cooler on front of crankcase Est. 38 hp at V.yTQOQ rpm. A : HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? Remove rear w heels...... 10 min TRANSMISSION: Check oil ...... 1 min Helical cut primary drive, multi-plate wet clutch, Adjust c o n ta c t...... 3 min constant mesh five-speed gearbox. Right foot shift, Check ...... 60 min 1 up, 4 down. Adjust brakes ...... 5 min FRAME: Adjust chain . : ...... 6 min All-steel tube. Single backbone, single dpwrttube Top tip b a tte ry ...... , ...... ‘ 3 min with crankcase as stressed member. Check plug . . , ...... >7 ...... ,1 min SUSPENSION: HOW Dd'THE FINEFfjPOINTS SCORE? Front: Marzocchi internally: sprung two-way (out of 10) damped forks. Rear: Marzocchi three-way adjust- Finish . . . . , ...... 9 able shod; absorbers with integrated adjusting Handling ...... 10 levers. Noise ...... 6 S tarting...... 4 BRAKES: Spam parte . . . . . i . 4 Front: 2 x 8 in. (203 mm) single leading shoes. Instrumentation...... 1 Rear: 1 x 7 in. (177 mm) single ieading shoe. Controls...... 9 WHEELS AND TYRES: Lighting ...... 2 Borrani Alloy rims: 3.00 x 18 Pirelli Ribbed front, Seat co m fo rt...... 4 3.00 x 18 in. Pirelli Supersport rear. ... Vibration , , . . . . : ...... 5

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OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM THE SILVER SHOTGUN The gearchange is a bit vague Continued from page 67 and sloppy, though I tend to On a cold morning, it never takes believe that this is the fault of this more than three kicks and the bike bike rather than the model in idles merrily away at about general (this was later found to be 3000 rpm. Yet pulling into a service due to lack of lubrication and it is station after doing about 112km now rated as smooth and easy). The (70 miles) non-stop, getting petrol exhaust pipe header had already and then having a smoke gives the turned blue when I bought the bike time to get nasty and at least bike, and is now heading towards seven or eight kicks are required brown. On the side of the pipe next before it even kicks back (kicking to the frame, the pipe has started to back, incidentally, is sometimes rust (admitting that the bike is very severe because of the com­ nearly two years old), and some of pression ratio and capacity of the the rubber straps securing the engine. One way to make it kick wiring have started to perish. back is to give a half hearted kick Another bad point is vibration. and a bit of throttle). It almost cancelled out the pleasure Once the m otor is warmed up, of the handling, but after 1609 km the choke can be set to run, but a (1000 miles) it dropped almost hand must be kept on the throttle below my sensory threshold, and as the motor sometimes has a became about as bad as a British tendency to backfire and die if the twin. The next fault is really an idle gets below 1500 rpm. extension of the previous one. Tail The front brake set-up — still as Fuel consumption is really some­ light globes died with frustrating much a mystery to the owner as it thing to write about. When I first frequency. One globe lasted about was the first day he bought the picked the bike up, I managed to 25 minutes, but this short life was bike! get almost 28 km/1 (80 mpg) out of brought about by the fact that the it, but it has dropped down to upper rear engine mounting bolt Ducati 450 Desmo could hold its about 23 km/1 (70 mpg), and the had snapped, causing the bike to own with almost any machine 13.6 litre (3 gal) tank gives a range perform weird and wonderful available on the market today, of about 312 kilometres (200 antics. The crankcase is a stressed provided the course is one over miles). Oil consumption is neg­ member of the frame, and if the which sheer speed is not a govern­ ligible, and most of it stays inside engine mounting bolts fail, the ing factor. Even though I own a the motor, with only a slight frame loses some of its rigidity, and Norton roadster, I’d rather be seepage from the filler plug, which as an aside, lets the motor shake in sitting astride the 450 for a piece of ceased when I opened it and unfettered freedom. clubman thrashing. In handling, it retightened it. My overall conviction is that the leaves the Norton floundering, and

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70 TWO WHEELS, January, 1974

OLDTIMERWORKSHOP.COM in braking it is also superior (the HAVE YOU CONSIDERED clutch and brake will make up for Norton is drum braked). A BIG BORE? carrying spares; plus the time spent Acceleration and speed fall the in changing it after you fall and Norton’s way, the former by a fair Continued from page 40 break one of the standard levers. margin and the latter by a big Terry and Rex have changed $4. margin although the difference the standard 14 tooth countershaft The total cost of the conversion wouldn’t be as great as most people and 44 rear on the 100 to 14/49. is listed on the table on page 72. would imagine. The Duke has the You can even go to a tree-climbing After completing the process ability to brake hard under almost 14/55. The 125 comes with 15/49 you will have a few items which any circumstances ... in the dry; in standard and most change to the 14 could net you a return of up to the wet, it’d be better to try tooth countershaft giving 14/49. $50. The tyres, tail light assembly dragging my heels. Perhaps chang­ Cost, $6 for the 14 tooth counter­ (someone will break his the first ing the tyres would help. shaft and $8.50 for the 49 tooth time out in the bush), handlebars, a It’s hard to be impartial and rear. front rim if you bought the 100 objective about this machine, be­ 10. Honda’s indicators are com­ and rear units and throttle (don’t cause it has such a definite paratively easy to take on and off bank on selling these). character that one is sure to wind as required, but the standard up either loving it Or hating it. tail-light is very vulnerable. For What you get Personally, I love it, for the simple longevity replace rear with an What does this outlay and work reason that it has given me more automotive small round tail-light give the owner? pleasure and thrills than any bike from Repco. About $3.50. A very well set-up trail bike I’ve ever ridden. 11. If you’re serious, remove which is ultra-responsive — and still In a way though I’m rather instruments — it’s surprising how, reliable. The weight has dropped unhappy to have it because it’s a after a while, they’re not missed! from 98.8 kg (218 lb) standard for bike which is designed to be ridden Leave the speedometer if you really the 100 to around 81.6 kg (180 lb), on the ragged edge all the time, and want to see how far you have gone. and that’s light for a trail bike! unluckily the road laws and police 12. Tyres can be left standard The standard wheelbase was a don’t allow such goings on. but this would defeat the other short 1282 mm (50.5 in.). The Perhaps, when I get my ACU items you have bothered with. Real extra swinging arm length has made licence, I’ll be able to give the Duke results come by changing to English this a more comfortable 1320 mm the riding it so richly deserves and Dunlop trials on the front; 2.75 x (52 in.). This is still on the short become one of the forerunners in 21 in.; and block tread 3.50 x side but the bike, with the extra the “revive the big single” cam­ 17 in. on the rear of the 100 and power and quick-action throttle, is paign ! 3.50 x 18 in. for the 125. Expect a a fast, precise tracker, ultra- And when I’m in the winners’ bill of about $32. responsive to body movement, and circle I might be able to explain 13. Brakes, seat and tank are capable of tight, easily-controlled more easily just why it is that a big fine just the way they come but cornering. single is such an appealing bike! * two unbreakable levers for the The gearing on the two bikes I BIG BORE HONDA KITS RYANS OF PARRAMATTA THE SPORTING SPECIALISTS — Power and performance with bolt on A gents for SUZUKI, KAWASAKI, TRIUMPH NORTON, B.S.A. & MOTO GUZZI kits; no extra work whatsoever.

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TWO WHEELS, January, 1974 71

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