Owner - Palmo Curcio

Brief: Reconfigure motorcycle to replicate BevelTech Desmo Project bike - Vern.

Commenced 9th July 2007

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The initial representation.

Disassembly begins immediately - evidence of previous mishaps become apparent but present no concern.

Seals, from the the clutch slave cylinder in this case, are replaced as a matter of course.

Specified items can be tailored to customers' particular requirements - in this instance, preference was for a black bezel with

black needle for the Tachometer.  Before ...

And after modification.

Electrical components are treated with suspicion and disassembled, with dubious parts replaced, and the finish returned to new.

The ends of the alternator lead as it plugged into the regulator.  Special.

The stages of manufacture of a Gear Gazer. A piece of machining rod is cut ....

Turned in the lathe ...

And a hole machined in the Bevel Gear Cover

This piece forms the interface between the viewing glass and the outer cover.

And is heat shrunk into place ...

And the final item polished. A piece of 3mm toughened glass will complete the unit.

Can you pick the difference between the rake angle here ....

And here?

The clue lies in the distance between the top bevel gazer and the frame. In the first picture, you see the standard setup but in the second, the engine is tilted rearward in the frame about the lower rear engine mount. When the bike is returned to a normal attitude, i.e. the sump is parallel to the ground, the steering head angle steepens, a result we wish to achieve to complement the modern USD forks which the bike will wear. Of course, the front downtubes will be removed and repositioned to suit.

This detail shot shows the distance backward the engine has been rotated. Existing holes to be MIG welded, and new mounting holes drilled.

Showing the proximity of the bevel gazer to the frame.

And where the downtubes end up in relation to the front engine mount.

Modifications to the frame are extensive, given the radical nature of the alterations. Here one of our welders repairs small imperfections created when the front downtubes were removed.

CLICK on the pic below and a short Quicktime film will load showing modifications being carried out to the rear of the frame.

Removal of the front downtubes for re-welding to allow for the relocated engine

An unexpected issue was that after the engine was tilted back in the frame, the cases fouled the swingarm mounts. Nothing to do but move the swingarm mounts rearwards. The rear tube forms a temporary brace.

This technique may have more in common with how the pyramids were built than with modern engineering methods ......

Front downtubes relocated - additional braces added - everything tacked prior to welding.

Sprocket resizing - final drive will be via 520 chain as opposed to 530. This will allow for a reduction in weight as well as critically-needed clearance to the wider tyre.

Reprofiled sprocket showing the relative chain widths.

Wheels - new Marvic magnesium. Lighter than the Hindenburg and not nearly as burning

The headlight assembly presented a challenge in that the customer specified a unit from a MHe 900. Following the fabrication of numerous bracketry and alteration to the original MHR mount, a solution was reached which allowed correct fitment within the fairing, plus headlight alignment to be carried out.

Ducati alloy has always responded well to polishing, as these external engine cases demonstrate.