hoop question for anoraks

[the lodger]

My 1995 registered M900 has a yellow suspension hoop. I'm not sure that colour is correct for a 95 bike but I guess it could have been sitting in a showroom for a while before being sold. However here is the question for anoraks. Is the yellow of the hoop supposed to be the same yellow as the spring on the rear shock ?

[350TSS]

If it isn't it would look better if it was - if you get my drift

[slob]

I think it’s a paler yellow. Remember the shock is a bought in item, either from Sachs or Ohlins, so not painted by the factory.

[Mr Gazza]

It all depends on what you regard as "correct". I certainly would not describe it as incorrect in any way.
It could well be that you have a late registered bike, the VIN numbers will tell you that. The "'93 lads" will be along and be able to date your bike fairly well from the VIN.
It could also be that a batch of 888/851 hoops were discovered in the stores and utilised on that particular production run.
Yellow hoops are very special and coveted, I like to see them. Yes I believe they are the same yellow as the spring. Weren't they originally supplied by the same people as the shock as part of the (then) radical suspension?

^Doh! Slob has the answer before the question^..

[Flip]

Someone more anoraky than me will be along with the answer to this shortly I'm sure.

The original hoop on my '97 900's was (is- I kept it along with all the other original parts for bike should I ever want to return it to standard) the same colour as the frame but in homage to the original (and along with it the 888 the frame was based on) I bought another and painted it a close match to the yellow.

However, I'd already changed the rear shock for a Nitron which has their trademark turquoise spring so was never going to match- personally I like the contrast but I agree, if your shock has the original yellow spring then it would look nicer if the hoop was the same shade.

After getting the ten year old Nitron back from a service:


In situ but the flash has lightened the yellow:


Almost together:

[Albie]

Put it like this they are a close match to springs. Not as close to an ohlins yellow mind. I had my ohlins spring matched to hoop so it was unseen running it and hiding the remote.

[350TSS]

Flip, I see you have a proper tea tray fitted

[Darkness]

Originally Posted by slob

I think it’s a paler yellow. Remember the shock is a bought in item, either from Sachs or Ohlins, so not painted by the factory.

You are correct Slob.

The yellow hoop fitted to ‘93 model year 888 and M900 is the same shade as the yellow spring on the Sachs shock.

It is a little less “Birds Custardy” than the Ohlins yellow, more “Creme Anglais”.

The ‘94 model year Monsters (Built from October 93 ish) had bronze painted hoops, the same shade as the frame.

This is of course subject to the usual Ducati provisos that:
1. whenever they ran out of a part at the factory, they fitted what they had to hand,
2. customers and dealers like to “improve” bikes with upgrades, some from new.

[slob]

Originally Posted by Albie

Put it like this they are a close match to springs. Not as close to an online yellow mind. I had my online spring matched to hoop so it was unseen running it and hiding the remote.

/autocorrect

;-P

[Flip]

Originally Posted by 350TSS

Flip, I see you have a proper tea tray fitted

Of course, I haven't got enough mugs in the house to afford to give it a tail chop

[Albie]

Originally Posted by slob

/autocorrect

;-P

Oops bloody phone. Need to check before saving note to self.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Mr Gazza

It all depends on what you regard as "correct". I certainly would not describe it as incorrect in any way.
It could well be that you have a late registered bike, the VIN numbers will tell you that. The "'93 lads" will be along and be able to date your bike fairly well from the VIN.
It could also be that a batch of 888/851 hoops were discovered in the stores and utilised on that particular production run.
Yellow hoops are very special and coveted, I like to see them. Yes I believe they are the same yellow as the spring. Weren't they originally supplied by the same people as the shock as part of the (then) radical suspension?

^Doh! Slob has the answer before the question^..

The VIN numbers are not an accurate way of dating a Bike, it appears Ducati had a big pile of frames and pulled them randomly from the pile. Mine was built May 1993 / registered Aug 1993 and is number 1015. Crust’s for example is 500 and something and is a December registered Bike if I recall correctly. I spoke to Marco Rimondi at the factory about it a few years ago, he has a Feb 94 built 900 with a VIN in the 400’s. The only real way to date it is if the original build ticket is still on the bike somewhere

Ped

[Graham04]

Just had a look at an old photo of my 94 M900 which was new, the hoop looks the same as the shock. I have a 95 600 in the garage and that has a white spring and the hoop is the same colour as the frame.

[Pedro]

As I understand it....

1993 built bikes had yellow hoops - most likely 851/888 stock parts
1994 built bikes had bronze hoops

But given the random selection of parts from stock that may be an iffy assumption

Originally Posted by Flip

Someone more anoraky than me will be along with the answer to this shortly I'm sure.

The original hoop on my '97 900's was (is- I kept it along with all the other original parts for bike should I ever want to return it to standard) the same colour as the frame but in homage to the original (and along with it the 888 the frame was based on) I bought another and painted it a close match to the yellow.

However, I'd already changed the rear shock for a Nitron which has their trademark turquoise spring so was never going to match- personally I like the contrast but I agree, if your shock has the original yellow spring then it would look nicer if the hoop was the same shade.

After getting the ten year old Nitron back from a service:


In situ but the flash has lightened the yellow:


Almost together:

I love your sentiment. And the photos are just well representing the point.