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Paint for 1969 450 Desmo

3499 Views 35 Replies 6 Participants Last post by Reedotus, Jan 25, 2020

Reedotus

Discussion Starter · Jan 6, 2020

Hello all, long time lurker here. I have a 1969 Desmos single basket case. I’ve been searching the web for pictures of this bike. The tank i have is sort of a pasty white color. I’m trying to find what the color and model/equipment options were for that year single. Can anybody help or point me to a resource? Ideally picture cause I’m gonna have to get somebody to reproduce the color once I decide.

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Macdesmo

· #2 · Jan 6, 2020

Black frame, deep red/crimson on tank and side covers and chrome panels on the tank sides. Make sure you get the correct decals for the desmo..ie, 3D on the sidecover decal. I think there is a good photograph of one from Tasmania/Australia in one of Ian Faloon's books. I will have a look today. Good luck.
Ian

Macdesmo

· #3 · Jan 6, 2020

The title came to me after signing out. Great photos on pages 76&77 of Faloon's " Standard catalogue of DUCATI MOTORCYCLES " I know the owner of the bikeshould you need more detailed info. Cheers
Ian

flynbulldog

· #4 · Jan 6, 2020

This bike?

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flynbulldog

· #5 · Jan 6, 2020

or this bike?

Both are 1969 450 desmos

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Ventodue

· #6 · Jan 7, 2020

flynbulldog said:
or this bike?

Both are 1969 450 desmos

Not the Scrambler. The RT was desmo; but only very, very few SCRs (and these at the end of production) were made with a desmo head.

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Ventodue

· #7 · Jan 7, 2020

Reedotus said:
The tank i have is sort of a pasty white color. I’m trying to find what the color and model/equipment options were for that year single. Can anybody help or point me to a resource? Ideally picture cause I’m gonna have to get somebody to reproduce the color once I decide.

As well as the more usual red that others have mentioned, the Mark 3 Desmo was also produced in an off-white (in 1969-70, at least) . Have a look at pages 182-183 of Faloon's"Ducati Overhead Camshaft Singles", for example.

Personally, I'd probably keep the bike this way, if only to be different!

flynbulldog

· #8 · Jan 7, 2020 (Edited)

Thanks for setting me straight. ?
I have a whole shelf full of ducati reference books but I didnt have that one - I just ordered it.

Ventodue

· #9 · Jan 7, 2020

flynbulldog said:
I have a whole shelf full of ducati reference books but I didnt have that one - I just ordered it.

I don't think you'll be disappointed ...

Mad_Duk_Man

· #10 · Jan 8, 2020

Do you have the "Coffin" style MkIII D tank? (like in this picture?) there WAS a White/off-white kinda creamy color avail in those years....

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Mad_Duk_Man

· #11 · Jan 8, 2020

There was a Blue, and an Orange, as well as the Maroon-Burgundy color suggest above......... either way- MkIII regular had silver painted Tank flutes and Fenders/ gauge cups, MkIII Desmo had chrome -

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Mad_Duk_Man

· #12 · Jan 8, 2020

There was also a Widecase MkIII that came with this tank as well....... (Pictured is a Non-Desmo)

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flynbulldog

· #13 · Jan 8, 2020

Great stuff mad duk man! ?

I'd just like to point out that those are all later bikes, the gauge cups didn't appear on that bike until 1971. Not sure when/what year the varied paint colors were available. The burgundy color was common throughout the bike's life cycle and seems to be the most prevalent color on bikes we see today.

Reedotus

Discussion Starter · #14 · Jan 8, 2020

Thanks for all the posts, guys! If I can figure out how to post pictures, I’ll put pictures of the tank up. It’s white, and the side cases are black, about the same color as the black frame. My tank doesn’t have any chrome on it, and it may not have come from a 69. This is a long-term basket case, I’m the second guy that bought it as a basket case. I have both a 450 D engine ( broken crank) and a 350 engine which “ran when it came off the bike“

Reedotus

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jan 8, 2020

As to colors, I really like the classic look of the red. No chrome on my tag however. I’ve seen pictures of that red with white for the background of the badges and where the original head chrome.Could there possibly be an original Ducati color?

Reedotus

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jan 8, 2020

Flynbulldog, would it be correct to call my bike a 1969 Ducati 450 D Mark III RT? What does RT stand for?

Reedotus

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jan 8, 2020

2

Color of Tagg

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flynbulldog

· #18 · Jan 8, 2020

That is not an original color nor is it original paint. It is a single filler Mark 3 tank and would have been chrome if the bike was originally a desmo or a it would be red and silver if the bike was a springer. The side cover "tool boxes" would be the same color as the tank, never black. If that tank is indeed correct for the bike it is a Mark 3, it could be a 250, 350, or 450 and could be either a desmo or not, all of those options were available. It is not an RT, that was a trail bike.

Can you post a pic of the 450 engine and give us the vin numbers from both engines ( in front of the cylinder on the case) That may help us identify the engines. you also may want to post a pic of the frame to see if it an actual Mark 3 frame or a SCR frame.

Ventodue

· #19 · Jan 9, 2020

Reedotus said:
<snip> What does RT stand for?

"Road and Track", according to Marc Poels (L'Histoire de Ducati)

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Reedotus

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jan 13, 2020

3

Unsuccessful in finding frame numbers. looked at the frame in front of the battery case, on the swingarm pivot tube, and near the headset. Have to recover from the WD40 fumes from cleaning off the grunge and I’ll have at it again. ? The engine with the broken crank is a springer engine number 450121. The one sold to me as a 350 Desmo “running when it came off the bike” is indeed a Desmo number 450885. I attached a photo of what I assume are the 450 frame gussets.

next photo is a picture of the left side cover. It has room for a tool kit inside. Then a photo of the right side cover,with air filter. They are stamped with the contours for the three-line decal.

finally, tank badges..one black and one blue.

any further guidance as to where the frame number might be?

Thanks everyone for the help!

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