A couple of people here have asked about my ride, a part here or there, that kind of thing. Seeing as I'm awake and have nothing to do I'll take a moment and share my story. My story is probably a lot like yours. I saw an ad for the bike on Craigslist about 3 years ago. It was December. I didn't really need another bike but something about the picture of the thing got me. I went to check it out, not really expecting to buy. The minute I saw it I could see what I wanted it to be and I had to have it. I knew nothing about Ducati at that time, this would be my first. I was 36 years old. She cost me $3200. The day I bought it she looked like this:
There were some rusty pipes and a floppy mirror and a scratch here and there but I was smitten. Seriously, I could just stare at that bike forever. It just did it for me. When it started, oh boy, that desmo noise, I was hooked. I rode it back to my office on that cold December day and quietly parked it out back in the warehouse so my wife wouldn't know there was another bike. I started dropping hints from January to March that I might buy another bike and then one day I brought it home. I think it was about 4 months after I bought it. She never knew and still doesn't.
The bike was stock except for the D&D exhaust system and the Sargent seat. I still remember the noise coming from the exhaust as I rode through the warehouse office park. It was echoing off the buildings and sounded like a big block Chevy. It was awesome.
The guy I bought it off of said he got it from a guy out in Pennsylvania. I saw that on his paperwork so I knew it to be true. I have that guy's name but have never tracked him down. The guy that sold it to me said he bought it to ride around during the first MotoGP here in Indy but he didn't like it. He was 6 foot 5. After his son dropped it in the back of a pickup truck he decided to sell it. Enter me.
I brought it home and took it to the local Ducat shop. I had it checked over and service done and immediately started ordering parts. I've been quietly doing that for the last 3 years. My wife sees boxes arrive but she doesn't really seem to get what they contain. I'll open the small ones in front of her and hold up some small seemingly cheap part and say, "Hey look, anodized wind screen bolts" and she'll roll her eyes and sarcastically say, "Wow, bike bling" and go on her way. I never disclose the big items.
Fast forward a bit and it started to look like this:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
I added pretty parts first. Things that just caught my eye and I liked. I'd stay up hours and hours, searching, trolling for parts. I got a milled triple tree and some Speedy Moto stuff and a clutch cover and pressure plate. That kind of thing. This trend continued. Searching and buying, little by little.
Fast forward a bit and we get this:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
Then I added 95 900SS SP forks to it. I had the caps anodized blue, to be different, and the red preload adjusters looked good against it.
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
Fast forward more and now it's like this:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
Someone asked about my seat so here is that story. The Sargent that was on the bike when I bought it had one small half inch or less tear on the side. It bugged me. On a lark I bought a stock 900SS seat on eBay in perfect condition for $40. I didn't have the stock seat so hey, why not. Not long after I found a company called LuiMoto. They do seat covers. Nice ones. I noticed they didn't have one for the 90s era 900s so I made a few doodles and called them. I asked if they wanted to make one and that they could use my seat as a template, provided they made mine for free. They said yes. I sent them the seat and my doodles. My seat doodles are here:
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About 3 months later they sent me this:
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Cost to me was free. Now they sell that cover. I got something cool by asking and it was heavily influenced by my doodles. Pretty cool. On a side note I did the exact same thing with my Multistrada seat shortly thereafter. I sent them a drawing and I got this, for free:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
Back to the 900. So, my two next additions will be a SP seat. It needs painted. I already have the white number plate side decals. I also have a perfect condition Sargent seat and bum stop set for this unit. That was an excellent find at the Barber Vintage Days event. Here it is:
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I also got a carbon fiber tank guard. The one that covers half the tank. Don't have a picture of that yet but I have it. It's nice.
Am I done? Nope. I would really like to have my engine's external surfaces refinished and my oil cooler repainted. I'd love to have some new aluminum wheels, probably gold seeing as I've got more gold on the bike than a pimp's teeth. I'd like some fancy rearsets. I'd really love an aluminum swingarm like the JMC or Metmachex seen here:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
I'd also love to change out every bolt with new stainless ones. I have those on my list to do soon as they can be obtained here:
Ducati | Specialty metric screws for your motorcycle as well as Fuel, Lube, and Air filters for your car or truck.
Not sure I'll do it but I kind of like this guy's front end and I know where to reach him if I ever decide to. He offered to make me one:
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ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting
All in all that's been the journey over the last 3 years. With any luck the journey will continue. Here's a list of everything that has been purchased:
* Ohlins rear shock
* Helibars
* Speedy Moto steering head bearing
* Dark smoke double bubble Zero Gravity screen
* Gold anodized screen bolt kit
* EVOTECH milled billet gas cap.
* New grips
* Cycle Cat milled billet triple tree clamp
* Gold bar ends from DesmoPorsche
* Carbon gauge surround
* Lockhart Phillips half tank bra from eBay
* MagKnight carbon look tank protector
* Carbon fiber half tank tank protector
* New billet reservoir caps (black and say DESMO)
* CRG shorty levers
* New Vitaloni mirrors from a Ferrari Dino
* Red Speigler brake lines with gold fittings
* Red Speigler clutch line with gold bango fittings
* Custom red Speigler oil return lines with gold fittings
* Carbon front fender
* Carbon rear hugger
* Red anodized bolts for huggers and fender
* Oberon mini LED rear turn signals
* LED taillight bulb
* New high intensity headlight bulb
* Black 39 tooth Vortex Cat 5 sprocket
* Red sprocket nuts
* Gold RK XSO chain
* Braking STX wave rotor for rear
* Gold annodized axle blocks
* 39mm Keihin flatslide carbs
* Speedy Moto frame sliders
* De-suicided the kick stand (auto retract feature is gone)
* Custom oil lines - braided steel with red annodized fittings
* "Hoosier Hooligans" crank case cover
* New plugs
* Dyna coils and new red NGK spark plug wires
* New gas tank seal (old rubber looked worn)
* D&D headers ceramic coated black
* Carbon Fast By Farracci cans
* D&D carbon cans cut to 10 inches with powder coated black end caps
* Gold annodized crankcase breather
* Gold annodized rear brake fluid cap
* New taillight lens (old one was cracked)
* Gold annodized oil cap
* Red annodized EVO clutch slave cylinder
* Speedy Moto Leggero belt covers (black billet with red domes)
* Speedy Moto Leggero front sprocket cover (black billet with red dome)
* Speedy Moto gunmetal billet vented clutch cover
* STM Vertigo pressure plate in gold
* PSR clutch cover
* Red caps and new springs
* New clutch friction plates and basket
* Gold annodized frame plugs
* Replacement left and right side rear panels, had repainted
* DP 900SS SP tail
* Sargent seat pad for DP 900SS SP tail
* Factory tail cowl
* Stock seat recovered by LuiMoto
* New wheel bearings
* Alth rotors up front
* 95 900SS SP forks setup for my weight
* STM preload adjusters
* New speedo cable
* Mild tail chop
* White number plate decal for front fairing
* New engine studs
* Ti exhaust bolts
* Michelin Power Pilot 2 tires
I think that's about it. It's easy to forget a few things. Anyway, that's the story. I love this bike, it's my 57 Chevy. It's not the fastest thing or the best handling thing but it sure is pretty. My taste isn't for everyone, with all the anodized parts and all but that's what makes it mine. I've spent way way too much money on this bike and I'm still not done. I probably have $11,000 or more into a $3200 motorcycle. Sad really, but I'm her steward until the next guy, if there ever is a 'next guy'.
I don't post a lot about my bike, probably for fear that someone will come and try to steal it. I guess that happens. It's locked up tight and I like guns so stay away. I enjoy this forum and I've learned a lot on it so Happy Holidays to all of you and be good.
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Just remember Bikes are like Guns never sell them and you never have enough.
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