ducatipaso.org

Hi Paso World. I just bought a 1992 907 ie sight unseen from Michigan. After installing a new battery It fires right up. Impressively I might add. This morning is the first time I have had time to take it out of the friveway. So I check the oil, check the tires, check the coolant, all looks good. I start it up, warm it up, and it will not go in gear. It will not shift into any gear up or down. It was supposed to be ready to install the new battery (which came with it) and "Go for a ride". It is "supposed" to jave neen sitting since last November. What could be wrong with the clutch/transmission from sitting for 6 months? Have I bought another "Money Pit"?

Russell
Austin, Texas

Hi Russell,

six months won't affect the tranny.
when you try to engage, are there any unuseally sounds?
does the clutch disengage? you can see this when you remove the clutch covercan you move the gear lever by hand? if you can and you don't feel a defined click (whether up or down) there can be something happened to the gearshift system. the lever operating the drum can be dislocated, but happens rarely. to find out remove the left side engine cover. when you have removed the cover you can also see the pins in the shift drum, that are pushed ore pulled in order to rotate the drum.
if the drum is rotating and you still can't shift in to a gear, your in more serious trouble. splitting the cases would unveil the problem.
but try the easy things first.

Good luck and keep us posted.
Bertus

Thanks Bertus

The bike seems to have either fallen over during shipment or else something fell over on it. It had some black marks on the front cowl (which I compounded off), and a scrape on the right handlebar end and on the right muffler. I didn't notice it when I took receipt of it and signed away my rights to file a claim. They kept me on the left side of the bike and rolled it in the garage and parked it against the wall with the right side hidden and handed me the release form to sign and beat a hasty retreat. I work 12 hour night shifts and was sleepy and did not check it out for a few days. The tires are bald (I expected that), neither brake light works, the right turn signal doesn't work and it will not shift. My guess is that something is jammed in the shift mechanism or is bent. I made an appointment with the Revival Cycle guys here. There is a Ducati shop here, but my experience with Ducati shops is that every thing they do is in multiples of $1000.00. The Revival guys are Mototistis. They always have a couple of Ducati's and a Guzzi they are working on. And they specialize in vintage bikes. Paso's are pretty high tech for an old bike, so I was going to get them to check out the ignition, charging system, fuel injection, cooling system, and put a couple of new tires and to see if everything is working OK. It is supposed to have only 5,056 miles on it. The motor runs Very Well. It Lunges to life immediately and sounds strong. If it Is that low milage, then it has spent most of its life sitting and I would feel better if someone experienced with them checked everything out and I will learn about it as I go on from here. Pasos are elegant little bikes and I don't want to screw it up trying to work on it when I don't know anything about them. I mostly know about antiques. I have a 1922 Hazlewood outfit, a 1938 Zundapp K800, and a 1938 Indian Chief.

Thanks for the advice and have a great day
Russell

Russell,

welcome. To go directly to your question. Did you buy a money pit ? Yes, you did, sort of and I say that without even having seen the bike. The low milage, if that is fact, says it all.
Now I understand that everyone wants a low milage vehicle but what you buy in the end should depend on your purpose and future plans. Also I can`t recommend to buy vehicles on ebay or anywhere else unseen unless they are so cheap you can`t do anything wrong by buying them or you`re looking for something to rebuild and work on.
If you`re looking for a nice bike to ride and low required invest you`re generally better off with one with a higher milage and a full service record.

If your 907ie really only has 5K miles on it it is a rare find. But 5K miles also means that the bike was sitting somewhere the longest time of its life. Maybe it was started once a year or every two and left running at idle (which isn`t good) and it`s very likely that the only service the bike has ever seen was (and that is maybe) an oil change.
I wouldn`t have dared to even start the bike with timing belts so old as the bike itself. Get the bike to the shop on a trailer and have the belts replaced first. If the belts are off have the guys check if all roller bearings are still ok.
Basically have all the things done that are listed in the service manual.
You probably need to replace the oil seals of the fork as well and you may also consider getting the oil seal of the driveshaft replaced as with the years rubber starts sticking to metal and chances are if the bike is ridden again the seal gets small tears and starts losing a little oil.
There are many other things that can occur if a vehicle isn`t driven such as the fuel drying out leaving some residue in the lines, pump, filter and the injectors which can cause problems later on.

Get a small flashlight and check if the steering stops (that prevent the handle bars to hit the tank) are not bent or cracked. They are above the lower triple clamp. If the left one is there may have been more than the bike tipping over while being transported.

A 38 Indian Chief is a really nice bike

G.

Hi G. And thanks for your advice. Both of the fork stops seem to be present and undamaged. Here is the story I was told, although I dont know wheather to believe any of it at this point. The man I bought it from in upstate Michigan is a boat mechanic. He bought it from a man in Canada who was a retired racecar driver who cared more for his speedboat than the Ducati, so he made the mechanic a good deal on it. It is "supposed" to have had the first major maintenance including a belt change about 2 years ago. The seller says he put 6-800 miles on it last year. This could also be complete poppycock. I am sending it later this week to a shop I trust a lot. He said they will check out everything and change all the liquids. The oil in the site glass looks clean, but Stefan at the shop said we should see what if any odd bits drains out wi]h the. oil. They are prettu knowledgable in what rots where on older bikes. I am turning it over to them anyway. At this point given my level of Ducati expertise, I think that would be my best bet. I can learn about it as I time goes by. Many thanks for your advice and I will keep posting here as everyone seems nice and willing to share the hard won knowledge they have amassed over the years.

Have a good one
Russell

Russel,

that's a wise decission to have the bike serviced and checked for major things.
later on you can do the maintenance or mod's by your self in your own pace.
nearly everything is in the forum.

cheers, Bertus

When the motor is off will it shift into gear?
Follow the linkage to ensure that the shifter is put on correctly. You can put the short arm on the shaft incorrectly that it will hit the case when you try to shift it into 1st. Check second the rest of the gears.

Does the shift lever move up and down, but it just doesn't seem to engage a gear?

I know I always bring this up, but check to see that the clutch pack is free. Since its an air cooled dry clutch, you can get water in there, and the whole thing will rust together. Had it happen a time or two. Doesn't take much to loosen it up again, and there is no damage done.

Cheers, Phil

I heard from the shop on my shifting problem. They took off the shift lever and cleaned out around the shaft. They put it back on and it shifts fine now. I told them to check everything out and fix everything not working and replace everything that looks worn. They said it probably is a fairly low mileage machine, but could not speculate on the mileage exactly. They will know by Monday or Tuesday what all needs to be done, or may have it done by then.

Thanks For Your Support (Bartles and James, 1968)
Russell Brown

Whiff Ducbreath wrote: I told them to check everything out and fix everything not working and replace everything that looks worn.
Russell Brown

You are rather a trusting soul to give them an open ended request like that for a 30 year old bike. I've spent the past 5 years replacing all the worn bits on my bike.

Hope you get a good ride in when you get it back.

Cheers, Phil

the difference is that Whiff can ride after Tuesday and we buggers are spannering around for 5 years. The same happened to me.

Bertus

I wouldn't take it to the Ducati Shop and give them license to replace everything in sight. I would be looking at a $5K bill. Revival Cycles here is a reasonably trustworthy group of guys.

Hi Russell, and Welcome!

If you've a Paso this is THE SITE. Any questions and enquiries - you start here. You'll certainly get good advice from knowledgeable enthusiasts and it won't cost you a penny/dime/cent/peso(paso?)/etc.

However, you just might get the mick taken if you've been a bit of a plonker, and, let's be honest, buying a Paso sight unseen qualifies you as a plonker.

I can say this without fear of being accused of mocking you as I bought my Paso, my 916 and my 851 sight unseen too. Three Ducatis, sight unseen, that, I think, qualifies me as a "Complete Plonker".

Welcome anyway and I trust it all works out well, please keep us all informed and thanks for keeping another Paso on the road.

Rhino wrote:You'll certainly get good advice from knowledgeable enthusiasts and it won't cost you a penny/dime/cent/peso(paso?)/etc.

British homour?
About the unseen purchases: I don't believe a simple sight could tell very much about a bike.
Above all, about a Paso...
As in every thing of the life, a bit of luck is always needed...
Ciao

persempre907 wrote:
British homour?
About the unseen purchases: I don't believe a simple sight could tell very much about a bike.
Above all, about a Paso...
As in every thing of the life, a bit of luck is always needed...
Ciao

you're spot on there Francesco never underestimate the power of luck
...why wasn't there a 'Luck God' during the Greco/Roman empire?

Whiff,
Don't these guys get to you. They complain about working on the Paso, but they love it so much they can't keep their hands off of her.

I maintain mine too, but I love to ride, listen, and look at it.
You will find that the Paso is a very special Ducati. One of my favorite quotes:
"People who don't know motorcycles are drawn to it because it's a Ducati, motorcyclist who do know motorcycles are drawn to it because it's a rare Ducati."

You will find yourself "messing" with it all the time because you enjoy it.
On a bike that has been sitting around I would keep an eye on the sprag clutch. The quartz clock tends to drain the battery. Then if it sits, starting the bike with a weak battery "hurts" the sprag clutch which is what the starter engages on the back of the flywheel to turn the engine. After the engine starts and runs on it's own, the sprag clutch disengages. A weak battery messes up the knuckes and spring on the sprag clutch. Replacing the sprag clutch, disconnecting the clock, or keeping a strong battery is the fix. I bought mine with less than 4,000 miles on it and had to replace the sprag clutch.
Since you are in the US, you will want to replace the chip with one from Europe or one that riches the mixture a little. The big twins run better with a little richer fuel mixture. Guys on here have all sorts of information on this. Then there is balancing the throttle bodies and setting up the Thorttle position sensor. This stuff makes the paso run soooo much better and makes it run better at the lower RPMs in town. The bike does not like to run under 3,000 RPM. It will buck, spit, and run like crap. But get it out of town on the open road and it runs like a dream.
Good luck and enjoy. And if you have questions, just return here, post the problem, and you will get real answers.

du907