Restoring a Ducati 900SS - a Real Dream Bike
As you can see from the pictures, the Ducati 900SS is in need of some serious engine rebuilding and the motorcycle will take some time to be back at its original glory.
The Ducati 900SS, if fully restored, will do a god job of beating its Superlight cousin on weight. Sadly it's a little down on power due to that engine not working perfectly. The Ducati engine need to be completely stripped out so we can seriously work on the engine of the old girl.
The original idea for the engine rebuild was to give it a complete refresh. This is something we do often, and what is recommended for motorcycles with a big numbers on the clock. The Ducati 900SS has clocked some hundred kilometers over 44,000 kilometers, and with little service history to speak of it seemed like a logical job to me. The desmodromic valve system is fairly robust, but very sensitive to being set up correctly, and the more it wears, the less efficient it gets.
The cylinder heads and cylinders need to be removed, stripped and cleaned. The pistons, barrels, and heads are de-coked. The valve guides get checked, and replaced it necessary. Then we need to clean and lap the valves and seats replace worn rockers, replace collets and stem seals, reassemble everything, and refit the heads with new gaskets. It's quite a lot of work, but if finished it's all worth it.Tag: Ducati 900SS Restoring Desmodromic V-Twin 900cc Classic Pierre Terblanche