Miscellaneous Cool Italian Bikes

[HotIce]

No. I'm happy with the way the Darmah looks right now.  If I was going to make a replica I think I'd start with a much less attractive and probably less expensive 860 GTE like this. 

There was a Darmah (SS though) very similar (same color) to that one, exposed at the dealership where I went for the recalls, this week.
Pretty nice, and in very good shape.

[Curmudgeon]

Hmmm... Looks like my 600 SL engine but Tiz would know best which it is as he has the Pantah warehouse.  What is that other assemblage of parts though? Looks so HEAVY!!! My SL was light and nimble and had gas shocks and BRAKES! 

[ducatiz]

Hmmm... Looks like my 600 SL engine but Tiz would know best which it is as he has the Pantah warehouse.  What is that other assemblage of parts though? Looks so HEAVY!!! My SL was light and nimble and had gas shocks and BRAKES! 

Hillbilly frankenstein bike.

"hyuck hyuck.. hey Bubba.. les' put some Lockheed drum brakes with spoke wheels from a Triumph on that ole Dewcawti Pantah 500 frame yew got out back and a chromed tank and bump seat WITH NO BUMP.  i got a M750 moter and a megaphone from JC Whitney and we can polish thuh clutch cover and penis-head belt covers and it will look faaaahhhne."

i just don't understand the fascination with drum brakes.  those brakes probably predate the original bike by 10-20 years.  the 260mm fixed iron rotors on the Pantahs were marginal at best, but the proper route is to go to a floating 280 or even 300mm rotor, not drop down.  sure spokes look cool, but they could have just as easily used a set from a GTL with rotors in the front and a drum in the back (or swapped the drum hum with a rotor hub from a 860)..

[Curmudgeon]

Hillbilly frankenstein bike.

 

[mickyvee]

  Looks like a Fontana double sided 4ls brake. Drop dead gorgeous and very effective. I love drum brakes! The ones on my Hustler work just fine.

[ducatiz]

Looks like a Fontana double sided 4ls brake. Drop dead gorgeous and very effective. I love drum brakes! The ones on my Hustler work just fine.

On that old bike, it's perfectly appropriate.. the Hustler had them from the factory.  Putting them on a Pantah is going assbackwards.

I don't care much for them except as an historical interest on an historical bike.  There is a reason they don't use them in SBK/MGP/anything....

[mickyvee]

  Yeah, I know what you're saying. The ABS equipped Brembo's on my Evo are just awesome, but they look like shit next to a big old drum brake. IMHO. I also think that it very much depends on your age. All of my early riding was done on bikes with drum brakes, discs only just starting to appear, and then only on high end machinery. And those early disc brakes weren't much cop, either!

[Curmudgeon]

Mickyvee,

Check out my SL from 1981. THESE cast iron Brembos WORKED!  Note how relatively light that front end is. The whole package was ~ 320 - 330 wet. My 796 is better in most respects but not all. A skilled pilot on my old SL could leave many modern Liter bikes for dead TODAY on a nice tight B road or track. http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=50673.msg929505#msg929505

This is what Tiz means by going seriously assbackwards! 

[ducatiz]

Yeah, I know what you're saying. The ABS equipped Brembo's on my Evo are just awesome, but they look like shit next to a big old drum brake. IMHO. I also think that it very much depends on your age. All of my early riding was done on bikes with drum brakes, discs only just starting to appear, and then only on high end machinery. And those early disc brakes weren't much cop, either!

My first bike was a Bronco!  I only knew drum brakes until .... 1990??

Here is Curmudgeon's old bike:



Those 260 mm fronts with brembo F05s were sufficient for the bike and with good pads you could almost do a stoppie if you were under 150lbs..

[Curmudgeon]

 

So true..., and in those days 135 lbs + one-piece custom silver/red full leathers and a silver/red Porsche Design helmet! Sadly now, only the gloves and one pair of boots still fit!  Note that front Pirelli was 10mm oversized. Didn't hinder the steering but two-finger stoppies on request. 

[ducatiz]

So true..., and in those days 135 lbs + one-piece custom silver/red full leathers and a silver/red Porsche Design helmet! Sadly now, only the gloves and one pair of boots still fit!  Note that front Pirelli was 10mm oversized. Didn't hinder the steering but two-finger stoppies on request. 

So you ran a 100 instead of a 90?  That doesn't sound too bad.

The Alazzurras had the same 2.15" front until 85 and then it went up to a 2.5" 

One piece silver/red on a silver/red pantah?  You must have looked like a suppository zooming down the roadway!   

...i mean when in a tuck.

[Buckethead]

One piece silver/red on a silver/red pantah?  You must have looked like a suppository zooming down the roadway!   

The best place for one.

[Curmudgeon]

100 sounds right and as you can see, it was a rounded profile like the rear. Sticky and it worked. I was afraid it was going to slow down the steering, but barely if at all.

Everybody's a comedian?  It looked cool when standing near the bike. I doubt many got much of a look when we were moving.  Wish that German company was still in biz because they made great stuff. Far better than what you see now in race grade. Softer and more comfortable. Perfect fit too if you had someone else measure you carefully. The company was called "Jacky M" with a flying wing logo. Adamo thought it was cool too..., so there! 

[ducatiz]

:-)

[Curmudgeon]

 

Not exactly...

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