500 Ducati GTL Cafe

Update times deus ;) ;). Picked up my forks last week...... studs drilled out and heli-coils installed. Tank still not finished because Pat (my painter) has been sick. I have been sick for two weeks...... got antibotics the first day...... got better in a week...... good for three days..... now sick again. I called my transplant person at U of Ky again today for more meds and am waiting for her return call. Hope I can get well after next run of antibotics and stay out of hospital. A heart transplant is a wonderful thing :eek: :eek: :eek:........ but the meds and resulting lack of immunity can really give ya' hell sometimes :-[ :'( :'(. Am hoping to get back in the shed next week....... this lyin' around is drivin' me knutz' and I am anxious to get to it ;) ;) ;)......
 
I'm baaaaaaaaack....... Had to go into the hospital for a little tune up so I have done very little. Got the forks together and waiting on warmer weather.... too cold in my unheated shop. :'( :'( :'(
 
Crazy story dewjantim. I guess doing this is a way of paying respect. I hope you get a lot out of doing this.

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I came across this piece the other day... Is it the same bike? I thought it was called a 500GT? What is the difference with regards a GTL?
Guy wanted $3000 for it! He's either trying his luck, or doesn't know any better...

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Ive always been under the impression that these motors are pretty difficult to live with? If Im wrong, I may still make an offer - nowhere near what he wants for it! What do you think?
 
That looks to be a 500 Sport Desmo if that is the correct seat cushion, side covers, and handlebars. It was a much faster and nicer bike than my GTL. The styling was the same as the Darmah with a nice flip-up tail fairing (which is missing on this bike) and the cool gas tank. Engine is same as mine except for desmo valves and different camshafts. Parts can be found on eBay and various vintage Ducati websites. Points are no longer made..... but the Sport Desmo may have electronic ignition. Oil filters are no longer made either.... that being said you could probably take the dimensions of the filter to an auto supply store and they could source one for you from something else. This is what I am going to try to do.... there is also a fix involving a spacer which will enable a Kawasaki filter to be used. As for price..... I paid $900 for two GTLs..... one locked up and the other (my cafe) is supposed to run. I sold my locked up bike to the guy who went to Pa. with me to pick them up for $530.... I will have probably about $1500-1700 in mine when it is finished. About a grand is as much as I would spend on that bike..... most of these bikes are sold in a non running condition which makes them worth much less than a runner. I have seen nice runners sell in the $3500 range (tops). As for their real value...... who knows. The book values are not accurate because this is a very low production motorcycle with pristine examples difficult if not impossible to find. If you can get it for a grand.... then buy it..... restore it to stock and maybe add a cafe fairing. In a few years these bikes will be very desirable and very, very expensive..... not to mention even more rare than they are today......
 
Thanks for the great info.

Sounds like this may be a plan.

Ill offer 1K, and see. He seemed pretty adamant about his price though.

I must say, that tank is a real beauty...
 
Thanks Indie ;D . Dale, he will take your offer after he finds out he can't sell it.... just ask him again in a couple of months. I tried to buy a BMW R90S for a friend a few weeks ago. The guy selling it said he saw one go for $15000 on the net. I had offered him $2000 for it and another non running BMW. I asked him how much he would have to put into it to get it in the kind of shape the expensive bike was in......uhhhh.... about $15000 was his answer. Many times people think just because they have something rare that it is worth a lot of money, but generally speaking..... junk is junk no matter if it is rare or not. Now rare and in fine condition...... is another thing altogether.
 
  • Yeah, absolutely.



    I just sold my 1971 Marshall Amp Head and Cab. Got about 2/3rds of the price I was hoping for. Something is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it.

    I'll play this one cool.


    One of the dads my kids class is a big Italian bike collector. Tons of Ducatis, Guzzis, Larverda etc... mostly Bimota's - hes actually been give dealership status by Bimota(!). He reckons that parallel twin will never run properly, and if it did, it wouldn't be for long.



    Based on your post earlier, I'm seeing a lot of solutions to this 'naysaying' attitude. Don't tempt me by telling me it cant be done. There is ALWAYS a solution, if you look hard enough.


    Hey, hope I'm not hijacking/spamming this thread or anything. Its just cool to talk bikes like this...



 
No, Dale you aren't hijacking my thread. I love talking about Ducs, especially since it is still too cold to work on mine. Does the guy with the Bimotas actually work on his bikes or has someone do it for him. Lots of times people will hear rumors and take them as fact. I am one of those guys who has to find out himself. I imagine that the 500 will be reliable enough..... given good maintenance and prudent riding. The big thing is to get the bike right to begin with and not mess with it until it needs it. I have a RE which is supposed to be a rather finicky bike, requiring lots of tuning, special riding and break-in technique, and other BS. After 1500 miles break-in I have only adjusted the valves once and changed oil several times. Of course I checked the timing a couple of times but it was OK. I just don't mess around with it unless it needs it. A friend of mine has an ironhead sporty. He kept telling me for months that it was running bad. Finally, I told him to bring it over in an hour and I would fix it. He brought it over to my house, face all red, and out of breath from kicking it. He had kicked on it for a half hour trying to start it. I adjusted the carb and set the timing. Then asked him to kick it...... it started first kick. Then he shut it off and I asked if he minded if I showed him the correct way to kickstart a sporty. He just laughed and said OK. Now I weigh 145lbs and am 5'7''...... most would think I would have a hard time kickstarting a bike like the high compression sportster. Standing flat footed on my right foot I eased it over TDC on the compression stroke and gave it an easy kick.......pop....pop......pop.... it quit. I did it again and it roared to life and purred like a wildcat in heat. I rode it around the block and it would fly...... for a sporty anyway. Brought it back and he tested it returning with a big smile on his face. Then he rode on down the road. The next time I saw him I asked how the bike was running..... "Like shit" was his reply........ yep..... you guessed it...... he just had to screw around with the carb and timing when he got home.......hehehe. Anyway, just buy a manual and it will tell you all you need to know to get the bike running. Even though these bikes are rather exotic they are still pretty straight forward to work on..... good luck.
 
I hear ya. You get a "feel" for things. Kicking my KDX after its been standing for a couple of weeks requires some basic little tricks that Ive learned based on the fact that 1. I work on the bike, 2 I ride the bike.

I know for sure that this guy, (and he's a hellava nice guy!, don't get me wrong - he wasn't being arrogant or anything - he just didn't want me to get myself into a jam) definitely doesn't work on his bikes. I believe they aren't ridden either. Apparently he has around 65 bikes. All pristine. Some very interesting "collectable" limited edition variants etc. He's said I can come and have look some time. I might push him on this, and take some pics. Keeps them in a warehouse. He's a different type of enthusiast to, say, the guy who would buy this 500...

So, yup, if that Ducati is still around in a few months, and the seller lets it go for what its worth to me, it'll be my next project.
On that note, I'm pretty keen on a Ducati Single (50's /60's?) at some point too. :)
 
I thought your friend was more of a collector than a motorcylclist..... and I don't see anything wrong with that. I always try to ride everything I have but am getting so many bikes that it is beginning hard to keep insurance and license for just a few rides a year, so I may be in the same boat soon. For sure take him up on his offer and if he asks be sure that you ride whatever he will let you ride. I let people ride my bikes all the time..... funny thing though, many of my friends won't ride my bikes. Anytime I get the chance to ride something unusual I always take it for a spin. I have ridden all kinds of bikes.... Vincent, Ariel Square Four, many rare BSAs', Triumphs', Boss Hoss, Nortons (even a 750 Combat Commando), Guzzis, BMWs, all the Japanese Brands and many of the models, lots of spanish, italian, and english dirt bikes, and even (especially) rare Ducatis'. I will tell you a secret.... the Vincent (a fully restored example) is not the bike everyone thinks it is.... big , heavy, slow, bad brakes, and a spindly frame..... sorry all you Vincent fans, but that is my opinion. As for the looks..... it is a fantastic looking bike. The Square Four was the better motorcycle.... smoother, faster, and much, much more comfortable..... Good luck with getting the 500 Desmo and you had better get your Ducati single while thay are affordable.... I have seen a restored Diana250 go for over $10000.....
 
No updates yet.... still too cold for me to go out. Hopefully it will get into the 40"s tomorrow and I will be able to go at it again.... still goin' crazy bein' inside....
 
Finally got to do a little work on the GTL. Had to take the forks apart again and reassemble them. I tried to put the calipers in the back but had clearance problems, so I took them apart, put them back together, mounted them on the bike (well frame and motor) then put on the front wheel. Then I started on the swingarm. It has concentric adjusters in the frame and I am having a hard time lining them up to put the rear swingarm on. I have ordered a chain adjustment tool which is specific to several ducatis to aid in lining up the adjusters so the swingarm pin can slide through the swingarm. I will try and get some pics and post them soon. Can't wait for the weather to break so I can get more than an hour or two to work on it.... ;) ;) ;) .
 
Sunday, Jan 29th....... I canceled the order for the adjusting tool and made one myself and saved $40. Got everything lined up and the swing arm, eccentric adjusters, and swing arm pin installed. Now I have started more cleanup and polishing.....exhaust collets, dash light holder, rear sprocket and carrier, and a few other bits shined up like chrome. I don't care much for chrome but really like the lustrous look of polished aluminum. I bought four new Bub mufflers from eBay a couple of weeks ago, one set for this bike and the other for my SS Replika. They look almost the same as the Continentals which came on many Ducatis in the 70s' only cost about a quarter of the price. Next up will be installation of rear wheel and center-stand.... then cleaning and polishing the exhaust headers and clamps and installation of the entire exhaust system. Unfortunately, it is still cold and I am working mighty slow. I hope to be finished by April..... if the weather improves enough....... ;) ;) ;) .....
 
Hey glad you're on it! When you say "calipers in the back", do you mean they are mounted on the leading edge of the forks, and you wanted to put them on the trailing edge? I was playing with that idea, as well (if that's what you're saying that is!) , but Ive been told by a number of people that the calipers on the leading edge increase the efficiency of these old Brembos... ?

Cool that you're working on it, and I hope the weather starts warming up soon. We've had 2 months of rain which cleared up on Saturday, about it looks like its back again! At least the weekend was sunny.

If you get a chance, post some pics. Really curious on this, and love Ducatis (almost as much as Moto Guzzis! :) ).

Are you going to make up anything that was specific to your fiends life and place it in as a detail on the bike? Hope I'm not being to personal. I think its a really cool thing you're doing.
 
Transferring the brakes from the leading edge to the trailing edge is what I meant. It was an old trick used by racers in the 70s' which is supposed to aid in handling. On many bikes it is as simple as turning the fork slider around and swapping sides. It just didn't work on mine so I changed it back. This bike wasn't the one my friend got killed on. His was a 99' Ducati 900SS. I am working on it at the same time, or will be working on it again when I move a couple of bikes somewhere to get more room. So far, I have rebuilt the forks and assembled the front end on that bike. I have most of the pieces to complete it..... frame, custom bodywork by Airtech, wheels, race tires, exhaust system, clip-ons, custom headlights, factory decals in red, gold O-ring chain, a scattering of CF, and many, many small details. Frame and wheels have been painted torch red, which is a close match for Ferrari red. Bodywork will be vivid black with carbon fiber details and the red factory decals with a smoked windscreen. Somewhere on the bike I will have "In memory of Ronnie" drawn up in red with white or gold accents. The little 500...... it will have a red cherry on each sidecover with the word "Cheri" painted next to it. I..... uhhhh..... can't tell ya' why though....... :-X :-X :-X . Here is a pic of Ronnie's 900 SS which I will post a separate build thread .......
 

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Well that's sounding great. The red frame and wheel with black bodywork is a fantastic combination. Having the carbon fibre offsetting the black paint will look awesome. Maybe do a couple of small details in matt black? Its got that limited edition Ducati theme thing going. Sounds like you've been busy regardless...
 
I have some 3M Carbon Di-noc sheeting which I will be using to detail it out a bit. Really neat stuff, like a decal only it is heated with a hair dryer so it can be stretched around corners and curvatures without getting wrinkles. I have already used it on a couple of BMW sidecovers..... had everyone asking where in the world did I get CF airhead sidecovers... looks very real. Going to get the basecoat black laid down, then add the carbon sheeting, next will come the clear coat so the CF will look as though it is actually part of the bodywork. When the sheeting cools it becomes very stiff and is supposed to actually strengthen the part.
 
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