Ducati Cucciolo

[landshark]

I like the colours mate, but how about getting rid of the "old man going to the shops handlebars" and going for something more along the lines of a boardtracker?

Just my opinion obviously!

 

[Guest]

Wow Pete it's coming right along

Haha dunno about that Scott... the engine case bolted on there is just the case... nothing inside... I really need to get some progress on it! But collecting the parts is proving interesting at the moment...

I like the colours mate, but how about getting rid of the "old man going to the shops handlebars" and going for something more along the lines of a boardtracker?

Just my opinion obviously!

Yeah not decided on 'bars yet Tim, those are what's on it now and I think they're gonna prove troublesome once I add brake levers, then try to add the clutch lever and throttle/compression release lever as well... more thought needed on that one yet!

 

[razor02097]

I like the paint scheme also.

One thing about those handlebars... Aren't they up side down?

 

[Guest]

Thanks mate, yeah I reckon it'll work out well

Technically they're upside down, but it was a common thing to do when you had a racer but wanted a roadster... there wasn't the same availability of different 'bars back then and they certainly weren't as cheap or easy to get as now.

I'm more than likely going to change them out for something a little easier to work with down the track...

 

[Guest]

Well, no progress as such but I did get the drum brakes yesterday.

Front drum is used but very good condition, manufactured October 1965:

Rear drum is NOS, never been mounted on a wheel, manufactured May 1946:

So, the whole project is basically at a standstill at the moment.

I haven't been able to source any suitable forks yet, one potential pair only has appeared on eBay but the seller doesn't answer questions so I let them go.

If I don't find some soon, I am seriously contemplating making some springer type forks along the lines of what this guy has done using some mountain bike shocks and triple clamp style forks:

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=42961

While it won't be authentic from the era, it will at least fit in with the fact that there wasn't so much off-the-shelf equipment back then and you had to use your hands to make what you needed as often as not.

Aside from all that, I am at the point of needing to blast the Ducati cases and bicycle frame etc. but to do that I need somewhere to do it.

I'm currently planning a new shed which will accomodate blasting and spraying hopefully, so that's really gonna put the skids on this for a while.

 

[john82q]

motorised bicycle

motorised bicycle

Hey Pete,


have you seen this site?
http://zbox.com.au/index.htm

Since summers coming and the sidecar counterweight is bigger than ever I started a health kick and dusted off the treadly. Anyways while I was puffing along the bike path, a group of teenagers went screaming by trailing a cloud of two stroke. (seems somethings never change) anyway I caught them up a bit latter, and I quizzed them re the legality of it all. Seems recently the law that sidelined mopeds in the 90s has been altered. You can have a motorised bicycle, and as long as its output is less than 200W no need to worry about those pesky ADRs, and rego.

Dont know what power the mighty Cucciolo puts out, but you now know what to tell the cop...

Cheers John

Thinking might have quick fang this weekend, up for it?

 

[Guest]

Very interesting indeed John! Although looking further at the "Legislation" link reveals this:

A motorised bicycle is a bicycle to which an electric motor is attached. The motor must not be capable of generating more than 200 watts of power. It is illegal to ride a bicycle on roads or road-related areas (such as paths) if the bicycle has an internal combustion engine (for example, a petrol or diesel motor) attached.

ADR's still apply for the little Duc

Oh well, maybe I could join the DOC or something down the track?

Actually that reminds me... a week or two ago driving with my wife down Settlement Rd we were literally surrounded by old Ducati's and going by their hi-vis vests it was the Ducati Owners Club Motogiro event heading up to Mt Nebo. That'd be an interesting trip on the little puppy!

And as per my SMS, next Saturday looks the go for sure! Will find out if it's 7am or 8am...

 

[landshark]

I was up Tamborine last weekend and there was a lot of BSA's. I dont know what for, but there was some nice old bikes.

 

[Steveb64]

i did a trick trying to decarbon a piston. i had tryed every thing i could think of but nothing would cut the carbon. till i tryed glass cleaner for a corn/wood stove. it cut the carbon fast and clean. the only thing that i had to do was oil every thing to stop rusting.

Aerosol 'gasket stripper' (I used CRC - available in NZ - don't know about the rest of the world...) works wonders on carboned up pistons too! Used it to clean the pistons on my V6 3.5 Mitsi Montero at Christmas when I had to do the head gaskets. They cleaned up a treat!

 

[Steveb64]

Very interesting indeed John! Although looking further at the "Legislation" link reveals this:



ADR's still apply for the little Duc

Oh well, maybe I could join the DOC or something down the track?

Actually that reminds me... a week or two ago driving with my wife down Settlement Rd we were literally surrounded by old Ducati's and going by their hi-vis vests it was the Ducati Owners Club Motogiro event heading up to Mt Nebo. That'd be an interesting trip on the little puppy!

And as per my SMS, next Saturday looks the go for sure! Will find out if it's 7am or 8am...

Pete - a handy site to check is www.ducati.ms - they have a Vintage section - and there's a bunch of pretty clued up guys on the site, who are generally very willing to help out - either with info and/or parts.

I know they'd appreciate your rebuild tale and pictures too!

 

[Guest]

I was up Tamborine last weekend and there was a lot of BSA's. I dont know what for, but there was some nice old bikes.

That would've been a sight Tim! There's something about a bunch of old bikes out and actually being ridden that's just awesome...

Pete - a handy site to check is www.ducati.ms - they have a Vintage section - and there's a bunch of pretty clued up guys on the site, who are generally very willing to help out - either with info and/or parts.

I know they'd appreciate your rebuild tale and pictures too!

Thanks Steve! I've been pointed there once or twice but have resisted joining so far... don't get enough time to get on here much at the moment so another forum will be awkward. However that may have to change once I actually get moving on this properly.

In theory I just bought a pair of Malvern Star forks off eBay but I won't really know until they get here if they're right or a waste of money... at least they were cheap!

 

[Mark Harrop]

Man, this thread has got me looking for an old cruiser frame I can put one of those little chinese buzz-bomb engines in...there are some pretty cool bikes out there

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=fvwp&v=MyWUskJMRUo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ7iz6SZJpA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHHXwGF7wQY&feature=related



But the electric stuff is coming on pretty fast too...check this kid out on his home maded e-bike racing motorcycles...pretty cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leLZZK4llYE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=xP6fAPJa7cE


I'm surprised Ducati hasn't jumped on the Chinese bandwagon...a high performance four stroke is what's needed...again. Or maybe a hybrid...

 

[Guest]

There's definitely some nice work done there Mark! I was tempted early on to go the whole board tracker thing but I'm going to stick to authentic as much as possible.

However a cruiser frame and Chinese buzz box certainly could be plenty of fun!

Those electric ones are mad... 100mph on a home made electric bicycle? And I thought I was nuts!

 

[skip]

I buit this for $350 including the bike...its a lot of fun and I already have over 1200 miles on it

 

[Steveb64]

Thanks Steve! I've been pointed there once or twice but have resisted joining so far... don't get enough time to get on here much at the moment so another forum will be awkward. However that may have to change once I actually get moving on this properly.

You mean you've just been playing? Looks to me like you're moving just fine!

 

[Guest]

I buit this for $350 including the bike...its a lot of fun and I already have over 1200 miles on it

Nice one Skip, very well done!

What is that an old Schwinn or something else? It's the right style anyway.

You mean you've just been playing? Looks to me like you're moving just fine!

Errrr... yeah somethin' like that... haha

I'm experiencing frustration at present... bought a set of Malvern Star forks off eBay on Sunday, paid with Paypal within an hour of the auction ending, and the seller doesn't appear to have posted the forks and hasn't replied to my question yesterday as to when he intends to post them...

At least when I get some forks I can mock up with the wheels and guards again to make sure I've got enough clearance for the motor.

Then once that's done I can at least dismantle the wheels and start cleaning them up and trying to find suitable length spokes for the drum brakes...

In the meantime I'm just twiddling my thumbs again...

 

[tatu]

Then once that's done I can at least dismantle the wheels and start cleaning them up and trying to find suitable length spokes for the drum brakes...

In the meantime I'm just twiddling my thumbs again...

Pete, you will likely find that it will be easier to use ordinary spokes, cut them down and thread them yourself, easy and standard procedure save yourself a load of time and messing.
Here is an example, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hozan-C-7...046?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232235078e
Your local bike shop should have this sort of thing, or you could probably do it long hand with a die and stock.
I would imagine that the kind of spoke you would need for this would be one of the older fashioned kind that are a bit thicker and more robust.

 

[Guest]

Pete, you will likely find that it will be easier to use ordinary spokes, cut them down and thread them yourself, easy and standard procedure save yourself a load of time and messing.
Here is an example, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hozan-C-7...046?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item232235078e
Your local bike shop should have this sort of thing, or you could probably do it long hand with a die and stock.
I would imagine that the kind of spoke you would need for this would be one of the older fashioned kind that are a bit thicker and more robust.

Thanks Tatu, I'd actually considered reusing the ones I have and just cutting them to size but I wasn't sure if it was possible or not. Looks like it is!

That tool's a little pricey but compared to sourcing correct size spokes or getting someone to do it for me that's probably quite cheap...

I'm pretty sure the spokes are serviceable, just need a good cleanup like the rest of the wheels.

 

[skip]

My bike is based on A "Panama Jack" frame made by Huffy. Panama Jack made cruiser style bikes on the west coast til huffy bought them out. They are sturdier than most of your huffy cruiser's, with welded racks and thicker spokes etc. Notice the bottle opener on the front fork?

 

[Guest]

Good stuff Skip, sturdy is what you want in a motorised bicycle!

I noticed something odd on the front fork but didn't pick it for a bottle opener, very cool! Not to mention handy