I’ve always liked the aircooled ducatis.. the sound is so different from the watercooled superbikes (which, also, is intoxicating..).

These guys are taking it a step further -> http://www.radicalducati.com/index.php?page=home

These look to be water cooled(but not testastretta/desmoquattro)? and the frame is a SBK? Rear suspension is from a monster? and the front fairing is from an SS?
Just put a 900/1000/1100 cc airhead in there and we’re done.

Maybe someday..

Here’s a few pics of the navi-setup on the top triple.

The original handlebar holder has a short 22mm rod, to which the navi holder was attached.

Under the tail I have a cigarettelighter-output installed and to that I can attach the navi charger. Again, not pretty, but it works.

The navi holder is by RAM-MOUNT.

The navi is aTomTom One, for car use, but works well enough in good weather and as an emergency you can use a zip bag over it and if it really starts raining just put the navi in your pocket/tankbag or something.

Here’s one:

Pic courtesy of PistonSpy.com

more to come later…

Update: some more pics.

Team JL Meccanica Corse, Guzzi and Aermacchi:

Molnar Manx, by a 67 year old rider. The engine let go on saturday morning, and it was replaced and back on track in the afternoon.

The guzzi, before the drive shaft broke..

Alken, on the Mosel.

Cheap or not?

A good candidate for my next bike.

A Speed Daytona?

Touring Kawi’s? Beautiful? Don’t know. Practical? Maybe.

Touring v-twins? Yes.

Eating. An important part of travelling.

The whole trip was great, ~3500 km, great weather all the time. Ok, maybe a little cold at the WSBK races.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Hopefully I have now seen the end of my electrical problems. Oh, and I know she will come up with more complex, more expensive and time consuming problems….

On to the one I just ‘fixed’.

The throttlebodies were synced, TPS and CO and all adjusted this spring and now she runs great. It seems that you can ride thousands and thousands of km’s with a poorly adjusted bike.. well, that’s just me, maybe. Anyway -

The bike still showed symptoms of poor starting every now and then, especially when hot or right after a very short ride.
So finally I hooked a voltmeter on to the battery and took a ride. Right after starting, at idle, the voltage seemed ok, at about 13V. But as soon as I took off, the voltage dropped to near 12V and even below. During the short ride, with various rpm’s, the voltage never went above 12V, even with the lights off!

In the evening I went online and ordered a new regulator/rectifier from the UK, from Electrex and crossed my fingers that it would arrive before we are about to leave for Belgium, in about 2 weeks. This was wednesday.

On friday I was handed a small package by a courier in the afternoon. This can’t be, it’s unbelievable!?!
well, there it was, a brand new electrex RR-53 reg/rec for my bike.

In the evening I proceeded to put it on the bike and a small test proved that the old unit was bad. At idle, the voltage on the battery was already showing over 14V.

WOOHOO! it works! Today a more thorough test drive is scheduled.

Here’s a pic of the first install, I’m not sure if I’m going to keep it there, or put it back under the battery, where it originally sits.
*NEXT-DAY-EDIT: Of course it can’t be there, it interferes with the fairing scoop -> to the original place.

So, now the trip abroad is saved, there’s still time for last minute fixes and tweaks..

And, I know - I should have fixed this problem more than three years ago…

If you need a regulator/rectifier for your Ducati (or other bikes, too) I wholeheartedly recommend electrex in the UK.
http://www.electrexworld.co.uk

ps. a new set of rennsports are also installed. During the winter, I will have to order more from M and P in the UK(again).

August is closer every day, and the planned trip also.

The idea is to go to Gedinne, Belgium to see another Classic race. After that, there is again the WSBK races at the Nürburgring. Maybe even a lap around the old Nordschleife.. well see.

I’ve already bought a Bags-Connection Cargobag for the stuff. We’re not taking tents. There’s plenty of B&B’s in Europe..

I rode the Ducati again on the weekend; Damn she works smoothly, now that everything is sync’ed, balanced and so on.

How’s this for a hockey puck under the side stand?

Thanks Juha!

Time to change it again.

and the type again - it’s knecht mahle KL145.

Also replaced the big green o-ring.

Next up: new thicker wiring for the battery and starter. Oh, and Iridiums (IXU27) are on the way from sparkplugs.co.uk.

The spider spring on my slipper clutch died, so off came the clutch. While there, I noticed a possible leak in the big axle seals.. they might need to be replaced. I also replaced the 2 small o-rings on the clutch rod.

After some googling around, the seals are as follow:

the big one:
46340477A [ 463.4.047.7A ] (old number)
93040341A [ 930.4.034.1A ] (new number)
size 75x95x12 in mm.

The small one:
46340269A [ 463.4.026.9A ] (old number)
93040351A [ 930.4.035.1A ] (new number)
size 35x47x7 in mm.

(before buying or anything, double check, these are only FYI!!)

I am planning to take the bike for valve adjustment again to the local authorised dealer. that’s where they were checked the last time and also replacement rockers were installed. The Tech at the dealer is very friendly, talks candidly about Ducati’s and knows them inside out. Highly recommendable. (even though nothing beats doing everything by yourself and saving a lot of money.. or, on the other hand - doing a lot of damage and ending up costing way more than what it would have originally cost.)

This does not yet look like it needs replacing?

I think it’s time to get active again so that spring doesn’t surprise us! (and I am not talking about the cracked spider spring that sits in my slipper clutch..)

Yesterday I finally changed the oil and filter..

Fuel filter is next, along with the clutch spring.

No pics.

Last Thursday I finished the season. I can still take her out, if the weather permits, but the forecasts don’t look good..

That’s 46617 km. When I started in May, it was something like 38xxx or 39xxx. I have to check my notes.

Now off to hibernation, expect a slower (if possible) pace of updates.

..or the next update might come pretty soon, but It could look like something VERY, VERY different. Like this or this..