Ducati 1000 DS custom build

[crawsue]

Interesting choice, Tony, Eric Buell was always a bit “left field” …..rim style single front disc, under slung rear suspension , belt drive…etc etc….but his use of pushrod H-D motors was probably a deal breaker for a few potential customers. It would be interesting to know how much the motor weighed….especially in comparison to your ‘Guzzi lump……

[mickj]

Never seen an orange buell before.

[walkingpictures]

Looking forward to the build Tony

[motomartin11]

Just seen the updates on this thread.
As has been said already this should be a great project.
I'm afraid I'm at the other (bottom) end of the skill set as far as my bikes are concerned . I sometimes struggle to get by with basic maintenance and servicing - particularly where my Monster is concerned.
Interesting to hear that the Quatt bikers' cafe is closing . I used to go occasionally but more often would go to the bike nights at the Wheel at Worfield or the Country Club just up the road on the A454. It's been a good few years since I last went . I prefer a quieter life these days! Used to go to the Waterman at Hatton near Warwick as well - late 90's early nounties.
Good luck with the new project which I'll be following with great interest - like your others.

[buzzer]

Originally Posted by motomartin11

Just seen the updates on this thread.
As has been said already this should be a great project.
I'm afraid I'm at the other (bottom) end of the skill set as far as my bikes are concerned . I sometimes struggle to get by with basic maintenance and servicing - particularly where my Monster is concerned.
Interesting to hear that the Quatt bikers' cafe is closing . I used to go occasionally but more often would go to the bike nights at the Wheel at Worfield or the Country Club just up the road on the A454. It's been a good few years since I last went . I prefer a quieter life these days! Used to go to the Waterman at Hatton near Warwick as well - late 90's early nounties.
Good luck with the new project which I'll be following with great interest - like your others.

Ah yes... the wheel and Swancoat! The cafe at Quatt was a loss... However, the Danery pub just up the road has opened a car and bike themed cafe which is very good. However, I have been going to Pool Hall cafe at Alveley which is superb! nice to sit there in the sunshine, overlooking the big lake, its probably my cafe of choice!

[motomartin11]

Originally Posted by buzzer

Ah yes... the wheel and Swancoat! The cafe at Quatt was a loss... However, the Danery pub just up the road has opened a car and bike themed cafe which is very good. However, I have been going to Pool Hall cafe at Alveley which is superb! nice to sit there in the sunshine, overlooking the big lake, its probably my cafe of choice!

Oh yes that was it the - Swancoat. Used to go occasionally to one of the pubs at Alverley - the Squirrel maybe. Haven't seen the Pool Hall cafe though. Years ago there used to be a bike club one night on the week at another pub heading back towards Shatterford. Last time i went past it was a care home IIRC.

Sorry to highjack your thread ................I may give the Danery a try some time.

[Mark64]

Really looking forward to this, I thoroughly enjoy all your builds, I was considering a Buell years ago until a mate rode one and told me the gearbox was beyond agricultural, a compromise too far for me, I'm very interested to find out your thoughts.

[buzzer]

First job has been to address the plastic tank… While it’s not too bad, its already showing signs of bubbling due to the ethanol in the fuel… I hate plastic tanks, so it has to go. Plan was to make an alloy under tank and then make a fiberglass seat and tank cover. However, I had an old Ducati Monster tank that was rotted out on the bottom so I got Arnie the angle grinder out and cut it up… just to see! I was really pleased with the shape and how it fitted! It did of course mean that I would lose that nice Buell filler cap, so instead of using the Ducati one, I made a conversion ring to take the Buell one, it worked a treat.

I made a new bottom for the tank out of some 1.2mm mild steel, and TIG brazed some mounting lugs on, and also a plinth for the fuel tap. This didn’t go well and I got some leaks (good job I pressure tested before putting the bottom in!) The reason was due to my TIG settings… you need both pre AND post gas with braze and you need to flood the weld area with gas before you arc up. The tap plinth brazed on much better. I did mill some shoulders to make it easier as its 10mm thick.

Rather than leave a hard welded edge I planished a 90 degree curve on the edges and then recessed the bottom in.

Next the seat… I quite like the back shape, but not the triangle that hangs down… I decided to use the existing seat as a pattern and make a new one out of fiberglass. The original seat is actually quite valuable so I was keen to keep it nice. I covered it in cling film before covering that with 3″ wide sticky foil tape. It's very thin and moulds to shape, and does a good job of following the contours, its actually fantastic stuff and very sticky! To make the things line up to the new tank I used builders foam, which once dry, I cut to shape with a bread knife. Be a few days before the resin and mat arrives!

[buzzer]

The seat unit is now in shape, next job is to make the actual seat… Not cut it to the end shape yet, still pondering! I must work on my photoshop skills!

[stopintime]

Originally Posted by buzzer

I must work on my photoshop skills!

Please don't. You have enough skills

C and D are out.

A was in the race until I imagined how the rear light/license plate will balance the visual (on it's own) over weight of the "race number", below seat area on B. So, B it is

[utopia]

I also think that the "race number" area is a bit visually overweight and doesn't blend well with the lines of the tank.
To my eye the curves of C and D are wrong but they do lighten the visual load.
Have you considered more of a concave curve to the leading edge (and maybe also the trailing edge but to a lesser extent) ?
If you did that to the curves of A, the lines and weighting might start to look right.

I agree that the lines of the cut down monster tank look very nice indeed.

But of course, a two dimensional pic will never tell the full story.
It probably needs a few mugs of tea and a mooch around from different angles.
In the past I have covered the parts in question in masking tape and then drawn proposed cut lines on that with a sharpie pen. Changes of mind are thus easily accommodated via a fresh layer of tape. Its worked well for me.
"A good coat of looking at" is an expression which always makes me grin.

[buzzer]

Originally Posted by utopia

I also think that the "race number" area is a bit visually overweight and doesn't blend well with the lines of the tank.
To my eye the curves of C and D are wrong but they do lighten the visual load.
Have you considered more of a concave curve to the leading edge (and maybe also the trailing edge but to a lesser extent) ?
If you did that to the curves of A, the lines and weighting might start to look right.

I agree that the lines of the cut down monster tank look very nice indeed.

But of course, a two dimensional pic will never tell the full story.
It probably needs a few mugs of tea and a mooch around from different angles.
In the past I have covered the parts in question in masking tape and then drawn proposed cut lines on that with a sharpie pen. Changes of mind are thus easily accommodated via a fresh layer of tape. Its worked well for me.
"A good coat of looking at" is an expression which always makes me grin.

wise words there....

Still undecided on the seat shape but that can wait… for now I have also made the seat base. I bonded in some alloy plates for the rivinuts to secure into. It fits rather well!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2P5jEA18BSI

[buzzer]

One thing I have often regretted is not fitting a steering damper… they are difficult to retro fit so I decided to fit one to this bike… This entailed making a lug which I wanted to be a tight fit on the frame…I didn’t have a 30mm cutter, So I used a fly cutter adjusted to size!