[Buzzer]

Thought I would post up a few pictures on my Multistrada Streetfighter winter project. I had intended to do one based on an ST4 last year, but after buying and riding it, I decided that I really wanted and air cooled bike, and it was far too good to pull apart. So in August this year a Multistrada became available with damaged bodywork, and the lock stop broke off the frame. I thought this would make an ideal basis for a street fighter!

some progress below, I have mocked the bike up, made a new exhaust, moved all the electrics to under the seat, and built the bottom end of the engine. I actually have two engines, one will be sold when its finished. they are nice engines to work on, but I have spent a lot of time making special tools!

For the full write up, have a look at my blog at

https://jtccc.wordpress.com/our-motorbikes/ducati-multistrada/

I am building two engines, as I have a spare, one will be sold when its finished...

I will be starting on the heads in the next few days!

 

[Gadgetech]

Looks like a great project!

 

[Yukon42]

Slick project. That pipe you made is sweet!

 

[GotRoad?]

Wow

There aren't that many projects like yours posted here, so thanks for post! It looks like you did the reassembly with all stock parts. Did you weigh and balance your pistons & con rods? Also read your blog; love your attention to detail. Please post more when you've moved things forward.

 

[Mustang0104]

Buzzer,
As a former dealer mechanic, cleanliness is everything and you are doing just that. You remind me of myself making special tools for the job at hand. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your future post. What a beatuti.

 

[SDRider]

Very cool! Looking forward to more updates.

 

[Wolverine1]

Subscribed! Cool post, thanks for sharing.

 

[Buzzer]

Thanks for the kind comments guys.... I am enjoying this build.

Next job has been the heads…. seems the Multistrada and a few other models of Ducati suffer premature valve guide were, its well documented. While the inlets were perfectly fine, the exhausts has more play than I would have liked… so I decided to replace them. I heated the head in the oven (hope she does not read this!) up to 180 degrees and used a drift to knock the guides out. I nearly fainted when I rang the dealer… seems inlet guides are £14… but exhausts £150 each! So I decided to have some custom made in Colsibro. They came finished to the correct OD, and ID, I just had to machine the valve seal step. Colsibro is a wonder material for valve guides (google it!) I first came across it with Ford Crossflows, which when fitted with extremely hign lift cams, wore the guides out rapidly due to the arc the rocker arm operated through, which pushed the valve against the side of the guide. Once I did a head with Colsibro guides, they lasted forever!

Putting the guides in is a little more tricky… I made a tool up as in the picture, whereby a slow taper mandrel sits in the valve seat, so the guide can be knocked in square. I heated the heads up again and they knocked in a treat. A quick lap with the grinding paste and I have a nice seal on the valves. An old trick is to mark lines across the seat with a felt tip pen, and then give the valve a light lap, just to be sure the lines are broken, indicating you have a full seal.

Next job will be setting the valve clearances

 

[Cyclops7]

I see you mentioned tightening the alt nut to 190nm, i think the correct torque is more like 320nm. The primary drive is 190nm as is the clutch nut.

 

[Buzzer]

I see you mentioned tightening the alt nut to 190nm, i think the correct torque is more like 320nm. The primary drive is 190nm as is the clutch nut.

Thanks! but I have looked in the manual and it says 190? unless of course Ducati altered the torque later on. do you have a link to the info that says its 320nm?

if it is, I will need to borrow a torque wrench as thats VERY tight!

 

[Buzzer]

The next job has been setting the valve clearances… what a time consuming and fiddly job, and expensive with the shims costing £15 each, and there are 8! Lucky I only needed to buy three…

With the engine almost finished, I have turned to fully stripping the bike. The frame and wheels have gone off to be powder coated. this meant I had to remove the front wheel bearings. They are difficult to remove as you cant get behind the bearing, despite a small cut out in the spacer… so I mad this split mandrel which has a small .5mm lip, which expands behind the bearing. with this they came out easily. I have also designed some clutch covers, and headlamp brackets and had them laser cut in 304 Stainless.

I have also removed the bearings from the swinging arm, so this can be polished, yet another puller!

 

[Buzzer]

The engine is almost finished. I am pleased with how the hydrographic dipping of the parts came out, I will use the process on other parts like the mirrors. For now I cant make my mind up which is best, the cam belt covers with the poly-carbonate windows or without...

The frame and wheels should be back from the powder coaters at the end of the week

 

[flynbulldog]

I like both but I'd vote for windows :wink2:

 

[Buzzer]

Wheels and frame back from powder coating in the last few days. I am VERY pleased with the results from this company, the finish and detail is superb! the engine is nice and easy to get in the frame, you just lift it on! started the build on the calipers, they are pretty good inside, no marks on the pistons at all.

I hate hammering bearings in… where I can I make a tool to pull them in, here is the needle roller on the swinging arm being pushed in. I have also been frustrated with the finish I get in my bead blasting cabinet. A bit of research and I have found that for years I have been using too high a pressure! seems this shatters the delicate glass beads. some new bead, and a low pressure and the results are MUCH better as can be seen in the before and after photo.

 

[GotRoad?]

It's fookin gorgeous work. :nerd:

 

[2wheelmike]

That hydrographic dipping is something I've never heard about until reading your post. That's really cool. I see you can get camo, wood grain, carbon fiber (as you did). Who did you use for this process?

 

[Buzzer]

That hydrographic dipping is something I've never heard about until reading your post. That's really cool. I see you can get camo, wood grain, carbon fiber (as you did). Who did you use for this process?

I did it at home... its not difficult and there are plenty of video's and web sites to explain how to do it. The materials are also very cheap! happy to give advice from my limited experience though. here is a short clip of me dipping the cam belt cover

 

[Buzzer]

It took a while to decide what to do about the instrument cluster… I have no choice but to use the original as there are too many electronics on the bike integrated into the unit. I ended up making a case out of aluminium, but it didn’t look right with straight sides, so I planished the edge using a former in the vice. It came out quite well.

I wanted to put the exhausts on, but didn't have any new copper gaskets… I found a bar of copper that's been under the bench for 30 years, I turned a couple up and annealed them. I also had a couple of rear wheel sockets cut by the laser cutter out of 10mm steel plate, rather than spend £50 on big sockets I will never use again… one 42mm and one 46mm. I am amazed at the accuracy of laser cutting. I design the parts in Solid Edge (free software) and send the file to the laser cutter, who feeds the drawing straight in!

here are a few shots of how it looks now...

 

[Buzzer]

and a couple more...

 

[hoggyis]

Very nice mate

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