New member - Ducati Single advice

Glawster

Glawster

New member
Hi,
New member here. I joined this forum as it seems to be the only reasonably active UK Ducati forum. I’m actually “Down South” in Cheltenham, but originally from Harrogate – so I hope that get’s me in on a technicality…
I currently have a GT1000 which is great – but the reason I’m posting is that I’m looking for a Ducati single – preferably a widecase Mk3 and ideally complete and originally but requiring refurbishing. If anyone has something fitting the bill at a reasonable price, I’d be interested. I cut my teeth on a 1958 200 Elite and ran it for a year in 1976. That bike taught me a lot about motorcycle maintainence!
I’d be grateful if any singles guru could comment about the attached (I hope) photo of a 250 MK3 which I'm going to look at this week. It's a nice original bike, described as a 1972 import - but I thought that the predecessor to the last MK3 (the blue and gold one) was the double filler cap model. The bike in the photo attached has a tank more like a Mach 1. Is this correct?
Anyway, I'd be very happy to receive advice on this bike and on singles in general.
Many thanks,
View attachment 8829
 
:welcome:Welcome to the forum.

Quie a few 'singles' folk on here so I hope someone can point you in the right direction. :thumbs:
 
mbg;212888 Quie a few 'singles' folk on here so I hope someone can point you in the right direction. :thumbs:[/QUOTE said:
You make it sound like a dating forum. Welcome!
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Hi and welcome to the forum.
I don't claim to be a guru (singles or otherwise) but I reckon what you have there is a pretty standard Mark 3.
What you have to appreciate is that until fairly recently Ducati had a habit (along with other Italian bike makers) of building a bike with whatever was available even if it wasn't what should be on the bike.
This makes claiming a bike is standard or not difficult at times.
You say the bike was imported in 1972. That could be a significant date.
Basically there were a load of bikes in the late 60's which went on a magical mystery tour around the world as Ducati tried to find a home for them. This became known as the Hannah shipment. There is an interesting background to it but end result was a large number of different singles ended up being bought by Mick Walker in 1972 and it is possible that this is one of these bikes.

Tank looks correct(single filler is correct for this year) along with wheels and lights and instruments. Bottom line is I would say this is a tidy standard Mark 3.
However it is 40 years old and it is possible previous owners have modified it but my gut feeling is it is largely correct but may actually have been made a few years earlier than 1972.

I do think I have seen this bike before either for sale or at a show.
 
Many thanks for the feedback - especially from 239desmo.
Well, I've learned a lot in the last 24 hours! A guy in the next street has 2 singles and an 851 so I went there first. He's like a walking Ducati encylopedia and he believes it's a very standard mk3 built just before the blue / gold ones but after the twin filler model. He let me borrow a copy of Mick Walker's Ducati Singles book and on page 98 there's a photo of exactly the same model which is described as a mk3 tourer and only available in the UK as a 450. Interestingly there's also a picture on the following page of the same mode but including the identical panniers.
This bike appears to have been imported from Italy - not sure when, but it was not first registered in UK. It has kph speedo.
I also read up about the Hannah shipment which is something I had not heard previously about - but I don't think this is part of that batch. Anyway, I'm going to have a look at it on Wednesday!

In the meantime I already had one offer of a single from a member here, but a bit non standard for me. If anyone else has something they want to sell, please let me know!

Rockjock - I left Harrogate 20 years ago when ICI moved out, but still have family there. I was in the Mitre in Knaresborough last week with my old school mates having a nice pint of Black Sheep.

And here's my other bike - it might be a poor man's 750GT, but I find perfect.
View attachment 8834
 
View attachment 9146View attachment 9145View attachment 9147Just to update this thread, I did buy this bike in early Feb and have since refurbished it. I wouldn't call it show standard, but it's now a very smart little bike which I'm quite pleased with. I took it out this week to get it MOT tested and it fair emptied the bike shop. Both customers and mechanics were very interested. Anyway it passed the MOT test OK and is now ready for the road. Mind you....it is slow, but I intend to ride sympathetically as befits it's 40 year old status and ride at 4-5,000 rpm.
I haven't touched the engine and only t-cut the red paintwork, but the rest has been more or less painted, plated, polished or replaced. For the record I used the following suppliers of parts and services:

Parts - Classic Ducati, Nigel Lacey, Italian Motorbikes (Verona), Big Joe (California), Paddy Ducati.
Powder Coating - RPA Bristol
Plating - Classic Chrome (Hinckley - next to the Triumph factory), Brimscombe Plating, (Stroud) for Zinc.
Wheels - Dick Waldron (Milton Keynes)
Seat - RK Leighton (Birmingham)
Number Plate - Tippers Vintage Plates (St Austell)

I've been out and ridden about 30 miles and it really is a pleasure to ride - so long as you're not in a hurry. The ride and handling are really nice - but not so good are the brakes and lights! Maybe next year I'll enter the Moto Giro on it.

Now the problem is I've enjoyed the rebuild so much I'd like another one. Has anyone got a scruffy 750GT going cheap?
 
Very nice indeed, to be fair it looked a very straight machine to begin with but with the time and effort and of course money, stunning example well done.

I think theres more chance of winning the lottery than finding a cheap 750gt even a scruffy one, but I will wish you luck with that quest.

Scott
 
Scott 888 said:
I think theres more chance of winning the lottery than finding a cheap 750gt even a scruffy one, but I will wish you luck with that quest.

Scott
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A GTS will be cheaper if you can find one?

A word of caution though - if you thought parts were expensive for the single....

Lovely job on the single though.

Cheers

Kenny.
 
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