OUR CLASSICS
What do you do when you can’t kickstart a classic? Crack out the ’90s Ducati...
Julie goes (relatively) modern with her Ducati 900SS
More used to riding vintage motorcycles such as her 1914 Triumph Model C, Julie has shifted to a more modern mode of two-wheeled transport, as she explains below...
I’VE BEEN NURSING a dicky right knee after a minor op, and have been advised to lay off high-impact exercise for a bit, which definitely excludes kickstarting old clunkers. Time to get my Ducati back on the road...
It’s rather a departure from my normal mode of transport, but I was given a Ducati 600SS in 2002, which proved a good bike for the winter commute when I got fed up of washing road salt from my Gold Flash. I found it a comfortable, reliable machine, and despite dire warnings I never had any problems with the electrics; in fact it had stood outside a chum’s house for a couple of years without a cover before I was given it.
Roll on a few years, and I upgraded to a 1991 900SS, but I just wasn’t using it enough, so I SORN’D it two years ago. Due to my current need for an electric start, I dragged the Ducati out of the shed, thinking: ‘What a great machine, why didn’t I do this sooner?’ I found the Haynes manual and did a quick service – oil and filter change and new cambelts. It just doesn’t seem worth economising on the belts, especially as the bike had stood for two years, and it’s not a difficult job.
Off to the MOT, and I noticed an ominous puddle of oil under the bike – I thought this only happened with my British bikes! The original Ducati oil filter appeared correctly seated, but following advice I bought an aftermarket filter, which proved to be a much better fit and solved the problem.
The bike is now back on the road – and I found an excuse to make a quick trip to visit Road Star Cycles in Dover. A blast down the M20 is just perfect for blowing out the cobwebs on this sports bike.