not a ducati tt replica.

so, i had a look at the 'off the shelf' ducati tt replica kits available, a verlichi replica frame, fairing, tank and seat, six grand, you have to supply your own swingarm, [also available as an 'optional' extra], electrics, forks, wheels, engine, carbs, blah, blah, blah, a lot of money for a 'replica' for a daft derbyshire lad like me. is there really a sexier motorcycle than one of the ducati pantah tt formula tt f1 / f2 race bikes? not in my eyes, mrs b bought me alan cathcarts book back in 1987, i've absorbed every detail of those bikes from that day. never able to afford the genuine article, [and, let's face it, you are talking a rare, highly strung machine that would probably break your heart and leave you queueing at the soup kitchen] after off-loading the 'false' triumph, the 'yellow-hammer' and the 900ss i would still have to put up a big slice of 'disposable' to afford the basic 'replica' kit. bollocks to that. i have the 'peaky blinder' sitting in the shed. a fully sorted, fast, good handling machine. i strip off the tank, fairing and seat and sit looking at the bare-bones of the machine. i can make a tt 'look-a-likey' bike out of this bike. the air-box is the first thing to bite the dust. a couple of ram-air filters give me loads of room. the bike is off up to sunny hull for ducati forum member chad to work his magic on a one-off aluminium tank. [this is a 750sie fuel injection bike, i need to get a fuel regulator and fuel pump installed somewhere [the reg and fuel pump are located in the tank on the ie series supersports] and the ecu unit and battery mounted, what looks like a relatively easy cosmetic make-over turns into a proper challenge] i need a two-into-one exhaust too, running up the left hand side of the bike, got to remember that i need a sidestand, another problem.....just look at the picture of the bike from the r/h side, can you imagine obstructing that view with a silencer? nah. the finished bike is in my minds eye, a ducati tt f1 fairing, [just the top half mind you, why block that view of the engine?] a tt f2 seat, [probably cut down a tad] matt black paint, rattle can of course, get my mate roy to make me up some white number boards and some cheeky-as-fuck retro stickers, the pantah '81,82, 83 world champion', verlichi, 'battle of the twins' crossed piston red and whites. yeah baby, not a replica, just the loveless take on a classic race bike, lets face it, the formula one, classic tt, suzuki 'xr69' race bikes are all sixteen valve bandit engines or gixxer motors not the original old eight-valvers based on the gs thousand, andy molnar runs eight-valve 'manx' engines in his bikes not some crusty old fifties, manx two-valve, chain primary clunker. so fuck it, i'm building a bike as a nod to the legendary ducati tt race bikes, my bike is originally descended from the pantah, [yes, yes, yes, i know the rear head on the pantah was originally the other way around, give me a break!] it's a two-valve desmo, the frame isn't a direct copy, the wheels are seventeen-inch etc, etc, but, like i said, it's not a tt replica........ [so, do i go the whole hog and put lights on it like an endurance racer or stick a barely legal / daytime mot on it and enjoy the thrill of racing home from the local bike nights on those far away, long, summer nights.............]




Comments

  1. rutter helmet( tr of coarse) jobs a fish

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  2. Can't wait to see what you cook up with your replica-esque take on a replica...

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  3. And so it goes on!, this is same the bike, that was a deathtrap/ shed when you first got it??, I lobe how its still evolving. Defo go for the endurance headlights, and have a think aboot a red and blue pauntjob. In other news I''ve seen a photo of that Guy Martin in a Sleaford Mods T-shirt. Discuss

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  4. hope you didn't waste your time, listening to the wireless this evening....bad news old chap from the city ground!

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  5. wotcha grant, yep, bet you are laughing at the misery of the rams fans! fuck it, it hurts but the end-game is what is important! [got a call off my mate red-dog-rob, friday night, in the pub with all the other red-dog scummers, giving it me big-time! fuck it, thats what it's all about, love having the craic and the banter was flowing, he put me on loudspeaker and i sang them the 'fawaz came to derby' song, brilliant!!!!] hey larry, good to see you back up and running, sent you a mail when i was in the states but i guess it got lost in the ether? thanks for your kind comments, wotcha jan, sleaford mods, hookworms, soul music and mettalica, there isn't any other music worth listening too is there? yep, this is the old 'peaky blinder' project going to get reworked this winter into the tt look-a-likey, geat bike, just couldn't get my head around the look, plus someone told me you can't make a tt rep out of a fueli, game on, hold tight......

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