Ducati Superlight

Rebuilding my '93 Ducati 900SL Superlight, #898

Finally, Belts

After fighting the belts for way too long, I finally got new belts mounted and adjusted last night.  It took a few forum posts at www.ducati.ms/forums/57-supersport/136403-belts-too-tight-slip-over-roller.htm to manage, but now the belts are on and adjusted.

Next: My son-helper will help me remount the covers, then we'll get the Keihin 41 FCR carbs on and do a valve check, and then rebuild the clutch and bleed the brakes.

LT's Desmo Maintenance Manual

If you ask around, you'll find that there is one workshop manual
overwhelmingly recommended for owners of contemporary Ducatis: LT
Snyder's
Ducati Desmodue/Desmotre Maintenance and Modification Guide

It's spiral-bound, practical in content and with lots of photos.

You can order one for the 2v desmodue (900ss/907ie/etc) and 3v
desmotre (ST3, etc) motors, or a different one for the 4-valve heads,
from http://www.desmotimes.com/

Mine showed up extremely quickly after ordering it, and you'll also
find that LT stocks parts, tools and other goodies in his online
store.

Two Things I Learned getting ready to make workstands

At the last moment (walking into the hardware store), I decided to do the simplest build - option #4, the plywood and 2x4 contraption.  It's also the cheapest.

So I grabbed a 4x8x3/4" sheet of plywood, and asked the folks at Home Depot to rip it in half lengthwise.  Then I grabbed 7 2x4's.  Four were left 8' in length to run along the sides on top and bottom of the frame.  The other three were cut into 2' lengths - eight of those for legs, and then 4 of them for cross-braces at the ends(*1).

Two things I learned as I was getting stuff together at the store:

(* 1) Thinking through the necessary cuts in my head, I forgot that not everything needed to be 2' long; the cross-braces on top and bottom of the narrow ends should be 2' less 2x(thickness of a 2x4); I'll fix the m with a circular saw (Skilsaw) when assembling tonight.

(2) I thought I could get all the cut lumber into my car - a 1999 Toyota Camry sedan - because the two back seats actually fold forward, which would open up the passenger area and trunk to some storage.  However, I've only folded down one of the two halves of the seat in many years, and I could only get that one unlocked and folded down.  So, I couldn't get the 2'x8' pluywood sheets in there, and had to place them on "will call" at the store to pick up when I have a bigger vehicle.  Oops :)  I could get all the 2x4s in though..

Tonight, my 4 year old son and I will build the frame from 2x4 pieces, and then I'll pick up the plywood sheets tomorrow to screw onto the assembly as a lid.

Also, I'll stop by the local Harbor Freight and see if they have any wheel chocks that I could bolt to the front end for some additional stability.  I have one or two other upgrades in mind, but we'll get the basics in place first.

Motorcycle Workstands

For a while now, my Superlight has been sitting in a corner of the garage, covered for protection.  However, it's not easy to get to, and it's not been easy to spend a few minutes or hours working on it - so weeks have dragged into months and years, and it's still not on the road.

So, in the next step of making it easy to work on, I'm going to build a simple motorcycle workstand to lift up the bike, stabilize it and make it easier to work on.

Friends have built workstands before, and I - being a research-y type guy - wanted to look at some options for sturdy, easy to make, relatively inexpensive workstands.

There are three great options for stands made from 3/4" plywood that I can find in Internet searches.  Here they are (names are entirely my own):

1. The Collapsing Cyber Stand
Weblink: http://www.midnightfantasy.com/cyber/workstand/  See also http://www.lonestarbmwriders.org/2008/2008workstand.shtml, very similar in design, but uses 2.5 sheets of plywood and likely quicker to build.

Media_httpwwwmidnight_skpme

This is the one I've seen in person.  It's nifty.

Advantages:
1. Made from 2 sheets of plywood.
2. Has side-wings which effectively double the workspace, but fold down when not in use
3. Includes a built-in ramp that slides out and stores easily

Disadvantages:
1. It's probably a day's worth of work to build (which isn't much, but it's hard to find a whole free day)
2. Most easily built if you have a tablesaw, which I currently don't.  I guess I could borrow my neighbor's, though.


2. The Eurospares Ramp Stand

Media_httpwwweurospar_ffiai

Advantages: 
1. The workstand top IS a ramp, and when you load the bike onto it, when the bike gets past a pivot point, the ramp flips up and you lock it down.
2. Not too tough to make

Disadvantages:
1. Not as sturdy as the other choices, but can be beefed up

3. The BBC Racing Break-Apart Stand
Weblink: http://www.bbcracing.com/old/box/

Media_httpwwwbbcracin_stfti

Advantages:
1. Simple to make, requires the least woodwork of these options (with the possible exception of #4)
2. Breaks apart for easy storage

Disdvantages:
1. Doesn't seem too sturdy, though the design and various comments by builders at http://www.nestreetriders.com/forum/general-bike-related/53031-motorcyle-work-table-lift.html convinces me that it's good.

2. I'm not too concerned making a stand that is transportable, so not a big requirement for me

4. The Sturdy 2x4 Stand
No weblink, but rip a 4'x8' plywood sheet into two 2'x8' pieces, build a 2x4 frame to support it, and voila!

Media_httpwwwnestreet_ichbg

Advantages:
1. Simple to make
2. Strong
3. Cheap
4. Easiest access to storage space under top
5. Most flexible design; wanna make a 3' wide stand?  38"  Easy to figure out what to change.

Disadvantages:
1. Heavy

Summary:
At this point, I think I'm going to make option #3, the no-fastener stand.  Mostly because I can go to Home Depot, buy the plywood, have them do all cuts but the slots (and do the slots with a jig saw and circular saw at home).  That would get it done quickest, and get my Superlight up.  I think that in a few months, I'll put together a second stand, like option #1.

Today's parts order

Today I ordered a few parts for next weekend's wrenching session, mostly related to installing the Keihin carbs:

Qty Item Description
  • 1 Throttle tube and housing for FCR kit SS, Monster
  • 1 Cables for SS FCR kit SS
  • 1 Airbox adaptors, 62mm for FCR kit, pair SS OE airbox
  • 2 NGK D8EA (each) All except ST4/Testa/02+ 748

All from the nice folks at http://www.ca-cycleworks.com/, (and, for the moment, successfully resisting the temptation to add one or two bits to the cart from http://motorcycle.nicholsmfg.com/). If I had the extra cash, I'd definitely start with the engine bolts. But not this time.