The Don made me an offer I could not refuse

**TonyB** · 2nd October 2006, 19:10

Over the last few months, I have been musing about which class I would want to race in alongside the bucket. Pre 82? Bears? F3? Motards? A big Euro dirt bike with a spare set of 17" wheels seemed the best option. However i'm not sure i could ever get used to riding one on the track.

Over the last few months I've walked in and out of Pit Lane Motorcycles buying bits and pieces off Don for my bucket racer. Don offered me a GSX1100 for $1500 as a pre-82race bike. I couldn't decide if I wanted it, and I suspected it would cost a fair amount to get it raceable. Little did I know that my next bike was already sitting there, seemingly unattainable...

With all the talk of the proposed F3 rules I became aware that air cooled, carburetted, two valve twins up to 750cc are eligable. "Crikey" thought I, remembering an indident years ago when a Ducati F1 slaughtered my old FZ400R in a drag. I discussed this with Mr Sensible after the BOB, who pointed out that the Monster M750 would also fit the rules "Geeze mate! That would be a tad expensive!" How throughly UN-sensible, I thought.

After the BOB I decided to do something about the shocks on the bucket. So on Wednesday last week I wandered into Dons shop again and quickly found a set of Konis for the bucket that seem to work well. Don charged me all of $50. They are on the Bucket now, and were tested at KOR round 1- they work pretty bloody well. Ahem- where was I...

As I was walking out I spyed a Ducati Monster. I walked over to it and behold! it was an M750, 1999 carburetted, aircooled & therefore eligable for F3 and BEARS. It was minus a few bits and bobs, and was a US or Canadian import with 8750 miles on the clock. I asked Don if it was for sale, which it was. Don madea me an offer I coulda nota refusea. Strangely I had to deliberate over it for a couple of days, but the decision was made on Friday night. As I was racing on Sat, I couldn't head in and buy it, so I made a nuisence of myself by faxing and ringing. I was sure someone else would get the same idea as me! Plus I was having difficulty with the mental image of an Italian bike of ANY kind sitting in my "shed".

So anyway, I went in and paid for it at lunch time, so I am now the somewhat startled owner of a Ducati M750. Now I'm trying to get it ready for the Greymouth street races...

**cowpoos** · 2nd October 2006, 19:25

awesome shit bro!!!

**pritch** · 2nd October 2006, 19:37

Best of luck with the new bike. In all respects: financial, competitive, and safety, whatever .... Here's to your success

**skelstar** · 2nd October 2006, 19:42

Good stuff Tony. Hope to see ya out there on the track some day.

**Monorail** · 2nd October 2006, 21:23

dont suppose you kid put up some pics could you

**onearmedbandit** · 2nd October 2006, 23:19

Awesome stuff Tony, best of luck with your new steed.

**James Deuce** · 3rd October 2006, 06:28

You've got a knack for turning things your way Tony. Good work man.

**ZeroIndex** · 3rd October 2006, 07:50

nice.. you got any pics of it?

**Rashika** · 3rd October 2006, 08:40

toldcha it was a goodun eh tony boy! It'd be my idea of a superb BEARS bike

I see you managed to talk MrsB round then huh?

**SDU** · 3rd October 2006, 15:03

Nothing wrong with having an Italian in the shed!

Hope you do well on it!

**AllanB** · 3rd October 2006, 17:25

It pays not to go in there - he always has some little thing or another worth purchasing.........

**miSTa** · 3rd October 2006, 19:20

Originally Posted by TonyB

...
With all the talk of the proposed F3 rules I became aware that air cooled, carburetted, two valve twins up to 750cc are eligable. "Crikey" thought I, remembering an indident years ago when a Ducati F1 slaughtered my old FZ400R in a drag. I discussed this with Mr Sensible after the BOB, who pointed out that the Monster M750 would also fit the rules "Geeze mate! That would be a tad expensive!" How throughly UN-sensible, I thought.

...

Ahh, but you listened...and have picked a great bike at a bargin price. Top man is our Don.

Best of luck with it Tony.

**TonyB** · 3rd October 2006, 20:16

Originally Posted by Jim2

You've got a knack for turning things your way Tony. Good work man.

Hadn't thought of it that way.... hmmmm ... maybe lately I guess.... definitely hasn't always been that way .... then again, using the theory of the glass being half full then the fact that I'm still alive might just prove you right

I bought the Monster home today- still feels weird having a Ducati in the shed- even if it is a bit beaten up. Mrs B was happy either way. We talked about it and realised that with painting the house this year, I'm not going to have the time to race AND ride on the road/ go to rallies etc. Mind you, when she saw it today she found it difficult to see how it could be worth what I paid NEW

Definitely MUCH easier to get in the van than the FZR- it's a sort and stumpy wee beast, seems a fair bit lighter too. It definitely needs some work before turning a wheel in anger. For a start it needs an ECU and coils. But being such a simple machine there's a whole lot less to actually work on in the first place.

EG: Change the spark plugs:
FZR- unbolt rear of tank
- lift it up a bit and turn the fuel tap off
- remove spring hose clamp from fuel line
- remove fuel line
- unbolt front of tank
- lift tank off
- undo air box cover
- remove air filter
- remove air box (from memory requires undoing four clamps for the carbs)
- unbolt and carefully extract the coils
- pull spark plug caps out
- blow out (or vacume) the plug recesses
- using a deep socket of exactly the right length (otherwise the frame gets in the way on cyclinders 1 and 4) undo and remove spark plug

Monster- pull off spark plug cap
- undo and remove spark plugs

Then again on the dyno the FZR makes double the Monsters claimed max power... I had some trouble with that concept for a while...

Pics attached. This would be its 'good' side, the tank has a couple of decent dents on the other side. I'll be getting the front mud guard soon, I have one set of scratched pipes and another set of good pipes will turn up soon (it originally had carbon pipes and mud guard, Don sold them on and the new owner will bring his ones as replacements)