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..

Just so that these are documented.. I have to dig up what the odo said in spring.

Now it’s time for some maintenance. Maybe a new set of chain and sprockets? I haven’t given much thought to this yet. Maybe a spare P8 and some stuff from Cliff Jeffries? IDK.

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.

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.

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).

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.

There’s nothing going on here for the next 2 months, I’m away in Canada.

See you in June.

Thanks Juha!