999 Portimao express

[Couchy]

Haven’t bothered with a few of the mundane bikes I’ve added this year but this one may be of interest, I wanted a bike for a euro Trackday next year and I wanted another Ducati. 999’s seem good value so I started looking. Found an ‘immaculate’ one an hour away and after a long chat with the owner I sent him £100 deposit and arranged to collect and pay in 4 days. Grabbed a van from work and headed over. The photos showed it looking very good and the owner said it was immaculate. The reality wasn’t quite that. It was at best a 6-7 out of 10. Bodywork was good and clean and waxed but loads of swirl marks. Wheels are good too. But it’s never been cleaned properly elsewhere and it looked like fork bottoms have been painted (remember this).....there was some slight pitting on fork tops but the chrome is all good. It started first time and ran as it should. I’m sure under the 14 years of chain lube there was some sprockets so a deal was done. The price was good for the 12k miles it had done and a fairly comprehensive history so I loaded up and headed home.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

Next day a list was made of stuff to do, 520 chain and sprockets, remote brake and clutch reservoirs, race fairing bracket, race fairings from the Chinese with a period paint job, belt tension check and a basic service.

Road gear was stripped off in an hour and revealed more dirt, I just don’t know why folk bother with nice bikes and clean them like cars just in the surface, but they do. It was obvious fork bottoms have been painted but they looked ok. The rear shock was showing corrosion but is on the list to be replaced.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

So another day of cleaning and this time the tank came off, yup more dirt. Air tubes came off so I took the air filters out and yup dirty, not the first Ducati with good history that has had stuff like this and tbh I think a lot of Ducati woes are poor dealer servicing. Also a goody box turned up including better cable to make new battery cables and starter cable. These can be bought for £70 but parts are only £5 lol.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Couchy]

Left the bike for a couple of days as I’m waiting for a workshop to be built at work for my bikes and it is cramped in my garage, the main lot of work will be done there over Xmas but I’m doing little bits. So with tank off and some more cleaning I moved the bike into more light, there was some yellowing on engine casing which looked weird and once I got light on the bike properly and round the side it was obvious why as the top of the swing arm also had a yellow shine and it looked like overspray, so a wipe down of the area and yup some fucking tool has tried to spray the shock spring in situ !. It’s one thing not cleaning it but what fucking arsehole sprays the spring in situ, obviously got bored as it’s not all done and there’s some nice runs too. But no biggie as a nitron will be on the way. So I spent another hour cleaning round the headstock, yes an hour in one area. Then another 10 mins around the filler cap on the tank. Need to wait till workshop is ready now as I’m going to strip it a fair bit more and replace shock and service forks before checking belts, these should have been done but I may change to make sure

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[Yorick]

I'll do you on the straight

[KungFooBob]

Fucking hell, what silly bastard sprays a spring while it's still on the bike!

Surely you'd touch it up with a pen/small paint brush, until you can take the fecker out properly... unless you were just try to smarten it up for a quick sale?

[Couchy]

I'll do you on the straight

And the corners and on the brakes 🏍

[Yorick]

I'll do you on the straight

And the corners and on the brakes 🏍

I'm a bit too old for all that malarkey

[Supermofo]

Wow! That's top bodging. Makes me wonder why I spent 15 mins with a cocktail stick touching in a few stone chips on my spring when I could've just rattle canned the bastard from a distance. I wouldn't do that on an old CG125 ratter let alone a 999 Ducati.

[bevvo]

Sounds a bit like my scrambler. 'Immaculate' and 'over-spray' featured on that one as well.
Looks like you rescued it just in time...

[Couchy]

I'm hoping there's no more surprises and I think it was the last owner who sprayed the shock and he didn't keep it long or indeed ride it lol. But it's gonna get stripped a fair bit more now so all good. I'll also swap belts while its on the bench as it isnt a hard job while its in bits

[Bigyin]

Fucking hell, what silly bastard sprays a spring while it's still on the bike!

Surely you'd touch it up with a pen/small paint brush, until you can take the fecker out properly... unless you were just try to smarten it up for a quick sale?

You havent met Daven yet ......... his spray work on his track bike was epic

[KungFooBob]

You havent met Daven yet ......... his spray work on his track bike was epic

But I have, I'm a big fan of using Plywood on track bikes

[Couchy]

You havent met Daven yet ......... his spray work on his track bike was epic

But I have, I'm a big fan of using Plywood on track bikes

My brother being a joiner made some apple wood knee sliders, smelt lovely but nearly set his leathers alight

[weeksy]

So another day of cleaning and this time the tank came off, yup more dirt. Air tubes came off so I took the air filters out and yup dirty, not the first Ducati with good history that has had stuff like this and tbh I think a lot of Ducati woes are poor dealer servicing. Also a goody box turned up including better cable to make new battery cables and starter cable. These can be bought for £70 but parts are only £5 lol.

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

Lets have a video of it running then.

What's the fairing plan ?

Shock ? Forks ? tyres ?

[Couchy]

It's in bits so no running yet, shock will be Nitron or rebuilt and revalved standard. Working at k-tech at the moment so may strike a deal with them. I'll strip and build forks with new seals and oil, fairing is chinese with road holes filled in and on the way !

[Couchy]

Untitled by Tony H, on Flickr

[weeksy]

That looks AWESOME !!!!!

I may not ride it, but i'll drool over it a bit for sure !!!

[Couchy]

That looks AWESOME !!!!!

I may not ride it, but i'll drool over it a bit for sure !!!

Thought you were buying it in June

[weeksy]

That looks AWESOME !!!!!

I may not ride it, but i'll drool over it a bit for sure !!!

Thought you were buying it in June

Not to ride.