$20,000
Brookfield, Wisconsin
Category
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Engine
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Posted Over 1 Month
Sometimes what we WANT in Life doesn’t quite sync up (bevel pun) with what we NEED in Life. As a result, I am forced to sell one of my “babies.” A beautifully restored 1978 Ducati Darmah. This bike was sold to me (Milwaukee, WI) from a Ferrari restoration shop in California. The original Owner's Manual has a sticker on it from "Sonny Angel Motorcycles, National City, CA." She has never seen bad weather (as far as I know), and she has always been garaged since I bought her in 2006. If you’re looking at this Ad, there is a very good chance you know about Ducati Bevels. About their cool factor, rarity, and exceptional GROWL! As a result of their rarity, very few people are around today who can completely strip-down and then rebuild one of these engines. Powder-coating and re-chroming are one thing, but blueprinting and rebuilding a bevel engine to maximize its potential is truly a thing of Mechanical Beauty! These old Bevel engines are what can be considered “High Maintenance” machines, and after about 40 years of aging, nearly all of them deserve a complete rebuild. Lucky for you, this bike has already had it done!! And by one of the few men who can do it perfectly!! This bike’s engine was completely stripped down and restored to better-than-factory specs. She has over-sized pistons and now puts down more torque and horsepower than even when she was born in '78. Even if you had a time machine and went back to 1978 to purchase this bike new, it would run better today than it did back then. An example of the care put into this engine rebuild is that the over-sized pistons were fit by hand, using clay, and then shaped to run optimally in THIS engine. Allowing for optimal compression while still clearing the complicated internals of the bevel heads. Nothing was simply purchased and then dropped in; ALL fitment was done by hand, perfectly, to at least ‘Factory Spec,' and in most cases, to 'BETTER-THAN-FACTORY-SPEC!’ 200-hours Labor were spent meticulously rebuilding this bike’s engine with the love and care it deserves! Here is an ‘Almost-Complete List’ of the work done to get this engine to better-than-stock specs! Sonic Clean Engine / Carbs / TransRebuild Carbs (R.152m, 60 Pilot)Rebuild & Balance Crankshaft (DRD) Complete rebuild of both Heads (Bevels timed and checked for fitment; new valve sleeves; valve work; rocker tolerances checked; etc) Machine clearance on closing rockersShimmed Lower Case (with Kickstarter AND Electric Start!) Starter Motor in amazing condition! Shim and tune TransmissionRebuild Clutch / fit to flywheelAdjust timing pickupsAssembled Counter Shaft rods Bore / blast Cylinder for over-sized pistons (DRD)Clay / Shape / Blast / Assemble pistons; Set ring gapNew Cam Support BearingSS Cams!!New gaskets & seal kitSS ControlsNew oil filterNew TiresMaster Cylinder RebuildComplete Brake RebuildNew ChainNew rear Sprocket bushingNew BatteryRust cleaned from gas tankEnd Bar Mirror Front Fork rebuild + New SealsClean and lube speedoOhlins rear shocksCarbs tuned and set to run optimallyNew rear brake switchRewire; all lights workNew ignitionNew fuel lines and petcocks I invested over $5,000 to have all this engine work done. As a result, the engine now runs the best that it ever has / will! I have only put ~500 miles on her since the complete rebuild. The first 500 miles I did not exceed 4,000 RPM, in order to properly break in the engine / pistons / rockers. Now that the first 500 miles are done, it is safe to rev her to 6,500 RPMS (almost redline). Another 500 miles and it will be safe to rev her to Redline! (Although, please be smart about it!) The 500 mile “Factory Recommended Service” was done by the same man who rebuilt her. This man is one of the best Ducati Bevel guys in the USA. He recently sold a GORGEOUS, flawlessly restored 1973 Ducati 750 Sport for about $40,000. I have a copy of the article in Motorcycle Classics Magazine that wrote about him, and which highlights that bike. (I included a sample pic of that article here, as well) I only mention this to illustrate the quality of his work. Just so you understand my mindset, it was never my goal to have this bike LOOK perfect; rather, it was my goal to have her RUN perfect. That's why I had the engine rebuilt to OCD-levels; because I planned on keeping her around for as long as I could still ride. Of course I planned to someday have the paint / decals / chrome redone; but all in due time (i.e. only after I got a chance to enjoy riding her for awhile!). But as already mentioned, sometimes Life forces us to make tough choices, so unfortunately I must sell her before the cosmetic stuff is done. With that said, if you purchase the bike and want to have it COSMETICALLY rebuilt, I can put you in touch with the man who rebuilt both the 1973 750 and my Darmah; as well as his buddy, who painted the 750 that sold for $40k. So, if you want to have the cosmetic work done, I can make it happen; or at least set you up with the contact info of the men who will do the work. Again, this bike is mechanically flawless. She immediately fires up every time you push “GO,” pulls like crazy from Idle all the way up to 6,500 RPM (again, haven’t pushed Redline yet), and is one of the best handling and most comfortable bikes I’ve ever driven! She is sure to put a HUGE smile on your face and turn heads everywhere you go! She will definitely be missed, but at least I get solace in the fact that as long as there are bevel-heads, she will always be cared for... and never rust away into despair! The buyer of this bike will also receive my copies of her Owners Manual, Workshop Manual, Spare Parts Catalogue, and Haynes Ducati Vintage V-Twin Shop Manual. Also, a few extra random parts, as well as a pair of hard-to-find Tomaselli Condor handlebars. This is truly a rare find, and one of the best running bevels you’ll ever see for sale! Period! I will try to get more close-up photos of the engine - as well as a video of start-up and her running - by tomorrow afternoon. The title is clear and she is ready to ride or be shipped to wherever you may be.
