Project Odd Duc: Make it work

 I think I like "Project Odd Duc", we'll see.  

So...the factory mirrors, in all their rubber accordion glory, are getting pretty impotent in their old age. This is a common problem, often remedied with hose clamps, loctite, and other mods.  Others pull the factory mirrors and opt for bar-end style.  I've never had anything but factory, mounted on the levers style mirrors, until now.  I picked these up from Kemimoto via the AtoZ store, the price was good and they have some good reviews.   Initial inspection looks good, the build quality looks to be beyond their small price point, and the install should have been super easy.  Should have been. 

But there is something about these clip-ons (Woodcraft  I think) that kept spitting out the expansion nut. Had I been using any other type of handlebar or clip-on, this wouldn't have been an issue. No fault of Kemimoto, their supplied hardware was not the problem.

So, with the stock option out of the picture, I tried to come up with other solutions. Flying by the seat of my pants and creative problem solving has become a garage honed skill.  My first plan was to use the hardware from an old set of bar ends, but that didn't work.  As frustration mounted and thoughts of returning them started to sprout, I thought about printing a new rubber expansion piece.  Then my friends, then I remembered that I try to never throwaway a piece or part that may be useful in the future.  Yes, this is a reoccurring theme.

By mixing both the factory bar end, hardware from the old bar-ends, and a 3D printed flexible riser, I was able to make a working solution.  Add a little hairspray in the tube for slip-n-grip, and we were all set.  I may end up printing a wider version of this riser for added security.

This is one of the pieces from the neon pink windscreen install on the Hurricane!

Small but looking good.

Whenever my wheel spacer gets here, I can get the 900SS back on the road.  We're going to replace the front tire this weekend, and that should be the last real work for this season, the rest is riding. 

Ok...well, that's not true.  Somewhere between here and Bravaria, is a set of Hepco Becker luggage racks for my bike.  On those racks, I thinking about mounting my yellow Pelican cases. This requires a swap to LED turn signals. That requires replacing the warning lights on the dash with LEDs (all except the low fuel light), and wiring in resistors. Hell, while I'm in there, I might as well replace the dash lights with LEDs, and the brake light (add a flasher module as well). It just keeps snowballing but garage time is awesome.

Or, you know, I could keep it simple and pick up some soft luggage for the rack, to pack up for my planned trip this autumn. We'll see.  Soft luggage has it's benefits, but you can't put stickers on it. =\   Heated grips will get installed at some point too, can't live without those. 

Looking forward to looking rearward with these mirrors.  I'll report back but so far, I'm impressed with their build quality.  

- stay safe out there

Project Ducati: Grinding my gears, err, bolts.

 There's a reason I prefer to do all my own work, besides being kinda cheap, often on a thin budget, and being rather particular.  Too many times I've seen and heard about issues with "trained professionals" doing things the wrong way, or leaving vital things out during reassembly.  Take this example, not only did the rear tire get put on backwards, they also left out the conical spacer between the swingarm and the sprocket carrier. 

I felt a grinding sensation when pushing the bike but assumed it was due to the rusty chain.

That's one way to shorten bolts.

Isn't messing with the rear wheel/axle how they tried to kill Goose?

This could have been really, really bad.  I'm glad I kept fighting the urge to take the Duc on the highway for some speed runs, er advanced testing.  The new spacer is on it's way to my local Ducati shop.  We'll need to straighten out the left arm of the swingarm.  Maybe the decrease in friction will increase my mileage! 

This was shiny, but that damn anti-seize compound.

At the suggestion of many Ducatistas, I went with a stock 15 Front and a larger 41 Rear, which should improve the low speed / surface street experience. I'm excited to try out the taller rear sprocket.  

Stay safe out there... 

Project Ducati: Letting go, and Maintaining Balance

 Saturday morning, I woke up early to get out some tools a coworker needed to borrow, as well as hand the Hurricane off to it's new owner.  Once that was complete, I planned on balancing the carbs and putting some miles on the Duc before I had to meet up with my kiddos.  

Adios Hurricane, you were a good bike and kept me sane during the pandemic. 

Coffee, breakfast, and wrenching. 

.

Nipple.

Be careful, there are 2 screws, one is the idle, the other is balancer.

Perfetto! Nice and balanced.

There was a small hiccup before I could balance the carbs.  I told R., the new Hurricane owner that he could ride the Duc.  But when I hit the start switch, I got nothing.  Not a whine, buzz, whimper, or crank.  Well, shit.  Electrical gremlins again.  After he left, I grabbed my multimeter and tested the switch, all was well.  So, I grabbed an allen wrench, uncovered the starer selonoid connections and ZAP she fired up!  One more part to replace.  But after some internet sleuthing, this appears to be rather common on the 900SS and M900, mainly due to the connector coming loose.  It happened again later in the day, and I wiggled the connector, it started.  One zip tie later, it's "fixed".  

I rode to the gas station, filled her up with petrol and took a quick ride.  Man, I love the feel of this engine.  It reminds me of riding vintage twin cylinder bikes with my friends back when I first got into riding.  Bikes like this have character, a soul if you will, which is something I find lacking on new bikes. They're just to clean and smooth, I like the visceral nature of this bike and engine.  You never feel the bike disappear beneath you, it's always there reminding you. 

I replaced the crank turning tool access cover with an oring I ordered off of Amazon, 10 pack for less than the prices of the Duc oring including shipping.  We'll see if this holds up to the heat.  

Stay safe out there. 

Project Ducati: Wire it Up and Fire it Up!

 My connector kit arrived and I made quick work of the foul repairs for my fuel pump, but also noticed another questionable wrap of electrical tape.  Hmm...we'll deal with that later. 

Much better!

I also decided to print a clutch gasket out of TPU instead of using the washers to space out the closed cover.  To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the dry clutch rattle.  I think it takes away from the lovely L Twin sound. 

We'll see if it holds up to engine temps. 

So, with the wiring fixed, the last hurdle was those damn float valve seats.  With no more work to be done on the Duc, I started pulling all the remaining "stuff" off of the Hurricane.  I decided I would rather take less dough, and sell it to someone who wants to bring it back to it's full 80's plastic glory; instead of selling it to some rando on FB who'll put it in a ditch (or worse).  Stripping down the Honda was pretty easy, now I essentially have a street fighter kit in a box. 

I got a USPS notice about an inbound packing with a funky tracking number.  Could it actually be my parts, all the way from the Netherlands?!  It was indeed my friends! 

That night, I got the carbs assembled, and then installed them over lunch today.  With my kiddos gone for the evening, all resources were redirected to the garage.  I had one goal, and one goal only.  Ride the Duc, even if it was around my street.  All the remaining reassembly went rather easy (hmmm...maybe too easy).  I dropped in the new fat battery, put some fuel in the tank and turned the key.  The gentle whine of the fuel pump filled my ears.  So, I hit the go button!  It turned over a few times, and then back fired like a 5.56 rifle round going off.  Hmmm...too easy indeed.  Perhaps I swapped the plug wires.  About 1 minute later, I was hitting the go switch again.  One revolution, then.... nothing.  No lights, no starter, no fuel pump.  Just a buzz from behind the instrument cluster.  Is this it?  Am I getting the Ducati electrical curse right off the bat?  

I found the buzzing relay, luckily I had a replacement (never throw anything away). With the new relay installed, I turned the key.  LIGHTS! Glorious lights and the fuel pump singing like a choir of angels, then BUZZZZZZZ.  SON OF A B!TCH.  2 relays?  Wait a minute, this has to be something else.  Immediately, my mind went to a guy on YouTube that I've been following as he works on his 900ss.  He chased all kinds of issues and went way down the rabbit hole, only to have it end up being a bad ground.  So, I pulled the airbox (man this bike is easy to work on), cleaned up the ground cables and frame mounts.  

The moment of truth.... 

I threw on my helmet and gloves, and rolled out into the street.  I put about 3 miles on ripping, I mean, riding as a sane person.  Once the clock hit 10pm, I figured my neighbors probably didn't enjoy the fine music of my Italian motorbike, so I rolled into the garage.  The idle was still high, so I referenced the good book  and found the idle screw.  I dropped the idle, it sounded better, then I noticed the damn "enrichment circuit" (it's not a choke, according to Ducati), was still about half on.   It's reversed from my Honda and has a pretty far throw so I goofed on it.   With the circuit closed (open?), I reset the idle and it seemed happy.  Tomorrow I'll sync the carbs, and pass the Hurricane on to it's new owner.  

Stay safe out there. 

Project Ducati: What's your clearance Clarence?

 With a second set of hands, we were able to check the closing valve clearance.  Thankfully, all valve clearances (closers and openers) were within Ducati specifications.  No tinkering with shims for me, at least not yet.  I've heard from multiple sources that once Ducs hit this type of mileage, the clearances are pretty stable.  Sorry for the lack of pictures, would have needed another set of hands.  Although, I have been thinking about using a remote camera and starting to do video of work in the shop; but video editing is not something I'm familiar with.  

Initially, I thought the valve covers had been installed with gasket material and gaskets, but I think it is just residue from the factory gaskets. Either way, it's been a mess to clean up without damaging the engine cases.  I've been using a little 3d printed piece from a previous project and it's working great! See, that's why you save useful stuff!  With the valves covered up, it was time for new plugs. 

Hmm...going to need to address this as well.

I ran out of new-old hardware, time to buy another bag.

The big delay is going to be those damn carb parts.  That's what I get for being a ham-fisted moron at times.  Slow down, especially when working with old plastic parts.  With the carbs complete, it will be time to sync them with my fancy electric sync tool.  I think I'll gladly trade more frequent service intervals for doing half the work, and that work being easier to access.  

I got the clutch basket cleaned up, and everything installed.  I had printed a clutch holder tool out of PETG.  When I first tried to fit it, I thought it didn't align correctly, however it did fit the basket and hub.  What did not align were the bolt holes, but it worked.

2 outta 3 ain't bad, but it's not ideal.

I was worried about this bolt bending, but it worked.

Single use tool, but it got the job done up to the required 136ftlbs!

Once everything was bolted down, it was time to put in the plates and pressure plate. Under the spring caps, I found 2 small washers, which I don't see on the parts diagram. I don't really see the purpose of them, as you do not crank the springs all the way down, otherwise the clutch would not function.  I need to get a torque wrench that goes down to 5ft-lbs to check the spring bolts. 

Starting to look like a motorcycle again. Who knows, maybe it will be running this week.  Still need to put on the new front tire, and flip the rear.  

Stay safe out there. 

**UPDATE**

Right after I hit publish, I remembered I DO have torque wrench that goes down that low, but in inch-pounds.  And I realized why those washers were there.  So, with each spring assembly removed, washers added, I was able to set the proper torque value. 

One of the many cool vintage tools that have been passed down from my Grandfather.

 

Project Ducati: Clutching my Rusty Plates

 When we picked up the Duc, I knew the clutch was going to be a trouble spot. Open clutch, steel plates, being sedentary, and East Coast air were not kind.  I managed to pull some of the plates but the rest were fused together.  

I know a certain motorcycle that is getting a closed clutch cover for it's birthday!

Back of the pressure plate.  This could be cleaned up, but the recesses for the springs have some bad wear, so it's time to replace.

The rod is stuck in the bearing.  Shouldn't pull it out from the right side.

Crunchy

Reminds me of the brake drums I pulled off my Jeep Commanche.

Going to hit this with a wire wheel and high temp paint.

Time for clutch pack, springs, and a new pressure plate. 

It's easy for me to say, screw it, I'm buying all new parts, but my budget does not line up with that. So, I'm replacing what needs to be and what doesn't can stay until the future.  

My float seat assemblies have shipped from the Netherlands, who knows when they'll arrive but at least they're in transit.  Once those are in place (assuming I have the valves checked and serviced if required) all that will be left is the clutch, and general reassembly.  Then we can test start for real! Oh wait, I need to repair the fuel pump wiring too.  THEN we can test.  If it's operational, then I'll get the tires swapped, (and if budget allows) replace the chain and sprockets.  

The Hurricane is road ready.  The thermostatic switch is still giving me fits, so I wired in a bypass switch to activate it manually.  Good thing I mounted a spare switch on the cluster back when it was assembled!  I've pulled the side cases and the Lockhart neon windscreen, so it's down to it's fighting weight. 

Now, it's ready to sell. But I'm dreading putting it on FB market place due to all the crap. 

Update: 

The steel plates, pressure plate, and the damper spring and plate have all been cleaned up.  Now, I just need to tackle the basket.  The plates are stacked up and ready to go.  

Stay safe out there. 

Project Ducati: Keeping Time

 With the Honda being stuck in limbo until I get my new rad cap on Friday, it was time to finally do the belts and valve service.  

A friend graciously passed his 2v Ducati tools along to me a few weeks ago.  After a quick run to pick up a bolt for the engine turning tool and a length of all-thread to use in addition to my ceiling straps to secure the bike, it was time to get working.  

The belt change was really easy.  Once I had the engine set for horizontal TDC, I refreshed the marks, added a second to each cam gear and loosened the tensioners.  The vertical belt was a bit of a struggle since there was tension on the cam gear, but using the belt and sheer determination, I got it set back in alignment and the belt slipped on.  The horizontal was no issue. 

This makes life much easier, but my stuck clutch plates don't.

This is the last belt these tensioners will see.

New belts with proper tension.

Another thing I purchased from eBay was a bag of hardware from a torn down 900SS, it was a great deal for $25.  I replaced any mangled or rusted allen bolt I could from my hardware grab bag.  One day a full set of stainless bolts will be obtained, maybe when the engine is nice and pretty after powder coating.

I finally managed to track down the float valve seat assemblies to replace the two I broke, after emailing multiple eBay vendors, carb shops, and our local Ducati dealership.  However, two problems....  1. I accidentally ordered 2 sets from two different vendors.  2. One vendor is in the Netherlands and the other Australia.  I guess we'll see which one gets here first, and it won't hurt to have a spare set.  Although, I am STRONGLY considering a set of FCR39 flat slides, instead of the DSG and Stage 2 tune for the TDI wagon.  But we'll see. I think I'd like to just ride the 900SS stock for a while, but man do those carbs and open air box sound good. As my friend that gave me the Duc tools said "They sound like how Cate Blancette looks in Thor: Ragnarok".  

In the meantime, I needed someplace safe to store  my nice, clean carbs.

I moved on to the valve check but it was late and my brain was struggling at this point. My horizontal openers are within spec, but I was struggling with depressing the closer and checking the clearance.  I'll need to try again, or, ideally, have a second set of hands. 

This project needs a catchy name until it's road worthy, like how the Hurricane was Project LOL (lots of leaks) for awhile.  I kinda like Project: Secondhand Duc, but I'm open to suggestions (not like anyone else is reading this).  

Stay safe out there.