Slow Monster rebuild

350TSS · 02-01-2017, 01:55 PM

I have also posted this on Ducati UK forum but was told there might be more interest here, apologies to those seeing double.
I bought a1994 M900 in 1998 second hand as a non runner for £1200. it was a non runner because the tank was half full of water. With that drained out and fresh fuel in it was still a non runner. It turned out that the vacuum petrol pump diaphragm was perished but in those first few days I thought I had bought a pup and having flattened the new battery I did spend a lot of time pushing it up and down my road trying to bump start it.
At the time I had a daily commute from South East London to Euston and I was working horrendous hours. I had just got married for the second time, moved house and 2 kids arrived in 15 months. The bike was the only thing that kept me sane, unfortunately I never got the time to maintain it properly. It never once let me down but belts went unchanged, new front discs were required rear chain and sprockets were barely serviceable weeping front fork seals etc. etc . Oil was changed regularly. I loved that bike and could not part with it. When the battery expired I just went out and bought a newish S4, which although quite a bit faster I did not enjoy riding anywhere near as much.
The project has a few constraints/guiding principles, not much money is to be spent, the bike must end up a lot lighter than standard, all that I can do I will do myself, and I will try to unlearn the habit of a lifetime which is to rush and bodge rather than doing it properly (I haven't a chance of succeeding on this one).
First job was to build a blast cabinet from an old filing cabinet, a cracked acrylic sheet and some 4" x 2" offcuts, wheels off a shopping trolley and handle from a broken kid's toy. the gloves I had to buy

02-01-2017, 01:55 PM	#1
350TSS Too much time on my hands member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Shipbourne Bike: M900 Posts: 1,422	Slow Monster rebuild I have also posted this on Ducati UK forum but was told there might be more interest here, apologies to those seeing double. I bought a1994 M900 in 1998 second hand as a non runner for £1200. it was a non runner because the tank was half full of water. With that drained out and fresh fuel in it was still a non runner. It turned out that the vacuum petrol pump diaphragm was perished but in those first few days I thought I had bought a pup and having flattened the new battery I did spend a lot of time pushing it up and down my road trying to bump start it. At the time I had a daily commute from South East London to Euston and I was working horrendous hours. I had just got married for the second time, moved house and 2 kids arrived in 15 months. The bike was the only thing that kept me sane, unfortunately I never got the time to maintain it properly. It never once let me down but belts went unchanged, new front discs were required rear chain and sprockets were barely serviceable weeping front fork seals etc. etc . Oil was changed regularly. I loved that bike and could not part with it. When the battery expired I just went out and bought a newish S4, which although quite a bit faster I did not enjoy riding anywhere near as much. The project has a few constraints/guiding principles, not much money is to be spent, the bike must end up a lot lighter than standard, all that I can do I will do myself, and I will try to unlearn the habit of a lifetime which is to rush and bodge rather than doing it properly (I haven't a chance of succeeding on this one). First job was to build a blast cabinet from an old filing cabinet, a cracked acrylic sheet and some 4" x 2" offcuts, wheels off a shopping trolley and handle from a broken kid's toy. the gloves I had to buy