Ducati 500 GTL 1975 Resto

HansS

Active Member
Hi.
Lets start with a OOPS. What did I do.

I didn't mean to buy this one it just happend.
A couple of years a go I found an ad for this bike. But someone snatched it right in front of me. That someone happend to be a friend and my former boss.
Anyway yesterday he came and asked me if I still was interested in it.
I said yes, if the price is right.
Of course the price was and here I am with a new bike in the house.

I'm going to do a gentle restoration. I will try to save the paint since it's the original and there are no dent just some minor chips and some scuff marks in places.
Everything else is going to be torn down and restored.
 

Attachments

  • gamduc1.jpg
    gamduc1.jpg
    1.8 MB · Views: 427
  • gamduc2.jpg
    gamduc2.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 423
  • 20180515_231929.jpg
    20180515_231929.jpg
    1,019.1 KB · Views: 420
Nice. How hard are those side covers going to be to find? I bought that tank at a Barber swap a couple years back for too much money and it turned out to be a dud. So much braze was everywhere and it had a few pounds of Bondo.
 
and just as a matter of interest, an XS650 motor pretty much fits straight into one of those, it was a common conversion in australia where they sold quite a few of them, shortly followed by quite a few of them blowing their delicate little italian hearts out

you end up with good italian looks, handling and brakes with the reliability of a japanese motor
 
XS650 and reliable in the same sentence? Its relative, i suppose.

It's a lovely old thing. The styling of the engine brings to mind the olde Aerial Square 4.
 
It's fun. Everybody seams to hate this Ducati. Even Ducati them selfs. ;D
Well I'm going to try to get it running and have it driving. I have read up on it and it needs a lot of servicing according to the owners manual.
And yes this engine has some issues, and yes it is the engine that made people think Ducatis where unreliable.
We will see how it goes. As a mechanical design engineer specialized in engines and engine design, it's a beautiful engine and the details are just awesome. that goes for the whole bike.

Spotty you are sent to the bench. Basta! ;)
I would never put a Japanese engine in a Ducati.
But if it's a Bimota then it's OK with a Japanese engine in the frame.
 
The Ducatista despise the 500 but they generally have no personal experience of the model.

Once the engine glitches are sorted it's a very capable machine.

Crazy
 
The Limey said:
XS650 and reliable in the same sentence? Its relative, i suppose.

It's a lovely old thing. The styling of the engine brings to mind the olde Aerial Square 4.
That's a bit harsh Limey, XS650's didn't handle particularly well, but the motors were as reliable as anything you could find...
 
Pete12 said:
That's a bit harsh Limey, XS650's didn't handle particularly well, but the motors were as reliable as anything you could find...

Agreed xs650 motors are spot on reliable


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Oops. So I took it apart.
Haven't seen anything that is really broken.
Some minor things on the frame need to be addressed. Someone has been welding some nuts on the frame for the luggage rack.
The chain guard has a crack in it. And the stand has a part broken off. So from now on it's mostly cleaning parts.
Big tumbs up.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using DO THE TON mobile app
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180518_004759.jpg
    IMG_20180518_004759.jpg
    108.4 KB · Views: 395
  • IMG_20180518_004737.jpg
    IMG_20180518_004737.jpg
    81.7 KB · Views: 400
no offence intended, just looking into my crystal ball to see an oily version of the future.......

seriously i have all respect for someone persevering with obscure italian machinery, i did my riding apprenticeship on crappy old vespas and lambrettas which were unreliable enough to start with, then start throwing tuning parts at them and make sure you've always got the money in your pocket for a tram ride home.....

a friend of mine has an obsession with similarly obscure spaghetti burners, he has quite a few tiny little 50s parilla's and the like as well as a morini camel, a 60s alfa Gulietta and the rarest of the lot a fire captains alfa 4WD form the 50s, it looks like a tiny little land rover but bright red with a stinking hot alfa twin cam in it
 
Got you!
I know exactly what you meant.
As a engineer, just looking at Italian engineering you are astonished how nice everything looks. Sure some times it doesn't work. But damn it looks good.
I done my share of bad engineering at work, trying out new ideas doesn't always work out as intended.


Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using DO THE TON mobile app
 
Started kleening parts. And made a stand so I can start assembling it.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180520_033021.jpg
    IMG_20180520_033021.jpg
    54.9 KB · Views: 392
Making a pair of side covers. One side done, one to go.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180520_185016.jpg
    IMG_20180520_185016.jpg
    65.5 KB · Views: 413
  • IMG_20180520_172602.jpg
    IMG_20180520_172602.jpg
    68 KB · Views: 405
  • IMG_20180520_152718.jpg
    IMG_20180520_152718.jpg
    67.7 KB · Views: 408
Im trying to source missing parts. Got a really nice rear light and license plate holder from Germany today.
Need a rear light. I'll see if I can find one on eBay or maybe I can find a reproduction. It's from a Aprillia!!!
Also trying to find the paint code, not as easy as I thought. I left the gas tank at a automotive paint store to se if they can match the color.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180523_181027.jpg
    IMG_20180523_181027.jpg
    65.6 KB · Views: 1,355
Got the frame back from powder coater.
Looks really nice. Semigloss black.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20180713_151148.jpg
    IMG_20180713_151148.jpg
    65.1 KB · Views: 393
I would definitely love to get my hands on an old Ducati but man are they becoming expensive. It might have its problems but I'd way rather ride this than a brand new one :)
 
Slow progress. Forks are pulled apart and waiting for parts.

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using DO THE TON mobile app
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20181210_215639.jpg
    IMG_20181210_215639.jpg
    85.8 KB · Views: 327
  • IMG_20181210_230716.jpg
    IMG_20181210_230716.jpg
    97.6 KB · Views: 337
Back
Top Bottom