I think I figured out how to post a couple thumbnails, they should be visible now. These are the only photos I have at this point, but I can take more and post if folks request. As you can see from looking at them, the visible modifications are very few and limited to a few details--simple Italian red paint, instead of the silver and blue with dashed lines and tiger decals, a smoke colored Gustaffson windshield, reversed fork legs to get the calipers under the steering head to improve steering, a custom color matched red Corbin seat, and Works Performance shocks, in a length an inch over stock to cut down a bit on fork rake, a Tomasselli 2 into 2 throttle, and stainless braided brake lines--and the nearly standard 40's and Contis. Otherwise, it is dead stock. One other little subtle adjustment, when I used to ride this in the tight California twisties, I dropped the forks in the clamps maybe an inch and a half or so to further improve its steering, but now I have it in Alaska and ride bigger roads, I have stood it back up so it steers in much larger arcs again.
On my electrical problems above, after fixing the regulator/rectifier wiring, I found one more defective very small diameter wire set--the circuit for the low tension side of the coil on the forward cylinder, which looks like maybe 20 gauge wire--that was similarly melted/burned up so I replaced that with larger wire, and I then encountered an almost comically challenging short somewhere, that resulted in the bike running with the high beams on, but not running if I switched on low beams--the low beam switch operated like a kill switch. As I mentioned above, some time ago my ignition switch died (the clutch cable hits it when I rotate the forks) so and I could only locate a newer "always on" switch, and I wanted to return to being able to turn the lights off, basically for starting, for battery conservation. Gowanloch Ducati in Oz was very helpful, and suggested simply disconnecting the headlight wires from the switch and joining them. I did this and--although I have not ridden it yet, knock on wood-- it appears this has it let me turn the headlights on and off, and also fixed my short so I can use high and low beams again. I anticipate the wiring problems will persist with the passage of time. If so, I will be back here, asking advice again.
What's interesting to me is when I bought this thing back in the early 80's, Jim Woods, the knowledgeable LA bevel drive Ducati dealer I got it from, recommended I buy a Darmah SS instead of a normal SS, since they came with far more reliable Bosch electrics and since I wanted to ride it a lot. He has been right over the 35 years or so I have owned this, but I am now beginning to encounter problems, not so much with the Bosch parts, but with the wiring loom, Ducati switchgear (but NOT the Nippon Denso switches), etc. But the trouble is definitely worth it, of all the motorcycles I own, this is the one that stops me walking out of the garage, every time, for one last look back, I really like this thing to ride, work on, and look at. I imagine a lot of you feel the same way about these older bevel twins.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me electrical advice, I appreciate hearing from you and sharing ideas.
