Darmah - Otago or Canterbury

[Stan]

I'm thinking about buying a Darmah as some sort of sad, middle aged, nostalgia trip now that I've figured out that I'm too old for my RGV. My problem is that its in Auckland and I'm in Dunedin and its been 25 years since I last rode one so I'm wondering if I may have a slightly distorted view of what they're like to ride.

Does anyone own a reasonable Darmah in Otago/Canterbury that they'd be willing to let me have a squirt on so I can face reality?

[Clivoris]

Mate you must be old. That's such a sensible thing to do.

[scumdog]

Contact idb on this site, he's the Guru of Ducati in the South Island - even if his own ones give him a bit of gyp now and then.

[TLDV8]

I wouldn't touch any Beveldrive that hadn't had the crank done and a valve seat conversion for unleaded as a minimum.
You still wouldn't know what the rockers are like and how the hardening is,8 rockers and around $280 each and that was years ago.
The problem with Darmah's is a lot of chimp's owned them so there has been a steady supply of !@#$ed ones coming up for sale over the last 5 or 6 years.
$2000 will go nowhere on an engine even if you do the work yourself,think $5000 + for a rebuild.A good conrod kit would cost over a $1000 alone...Some parts have been unavailable for years and the dealers here are next to useless (up here anyway) when it comes to parts/support and work on them.
I source all my Ducati parts form oversea's,do all my own work and wouldn't let any shop touch them unless they had experianced personal which is rare now.Most wouldn't know what a beveldrive is.
The Darmah is still a great tourer but it has to be remembered these bikes are close to 30 years old with even a late one being around 1984.
The later the better with 1981 being close to the cut off for better gearbox's (3 dog) 38mm crank pins etc.As close to original the better,unfortunately most have been butchered.
Buy a dog and you will be sorry........Get a good one with Koni's and a little work on the forks and you will ok.The ride will still be a little hard but they will eat the km's once warmed up (around 60 miles)

[T.W.R]

Try ringing DG Engine services in Ashburton The owner has a minter that could be for sale for the right coin. mostly V2 internals etc

[miSTa]

Contact idb on this site, he's the Guru of Ducati in the South Island - even if his own ones give him a bit of gyp now and then.

Like the man said.

[Kickaha]

Try ringing DG Engine services in Ashburton The owner has a minter that could be for sale for the right coin. mostly V2 internals etc

I had a V2 crank in mine which shit itself due to the poor quality hardening on the pin, it was outside the warrenty period but they replaced it anyway and I had another 40,000km of troble free motoring on it before I sold it, including the Southern cross and two RNGC 1000 milers

I'd have another one tomorrow if I could afford it, the only thing thatever pissed me off about it was the crap fuel range with the 15 litre tank

[orangeback]

I'm thinking about buying a Darmah as some sort of sad, middle aged, nostalgia trip now that I've figured out that I'm too old for my RGV. My problem is that its in Auckland and I'm in Dunedin and its been 25 years since I last rode one so I'm wondering if I may have a slightly distorted view of what they're like to ride.

Does anyone own a reasonable Darmah in Otago/Canterbury that they'd be willing to let me have a squirt on so I can face reality?

Ive got one , hade it for 11 years and spent 21 g on it , over my time , so if you in chch contact me and ill let you take it for a spin , they are a love of labour , and deep pockets

[Stan]

Ive got one , hade it for 11 years and spent 21 g on it , over my time , so if you in chch contact me and ill let you take it for a spin , they are a love of labour , and deep pockets

Thanks for that Orangeback, I'll probably be in Christchurch in the next couple of weeks so I'll give you a yell.

BTW, nice Katana. I had one in 1981.

Also, I know it will probably be an expensive, heartbreaking pain-in-the-ass to own but I'll kid myself that I'll enjoy it ;-)

Then again, I rode a CB1300 the other day and it was very smooth, comfortable, fast and even handled pretty well. Hmmmm

[Big Dave]

Just a few well intentioned gangster slaps here:

Wonderful looking and sounding and a good handling bike even by today's standards....but....
Are you mad?
Take a somewhat 'finickey' bike to start with, assume someone has been cobbling it together for 20 years and then expect it to be anything but a trailer job when you take it out?

I know burning around on old shitters rocks some people's boats (and good on 'em) but man, after living with Meriden Triumphs for a while, I'd much rather something I can press the button to start and be reasonably confident of getting home on.

I completely hate sitting and waiting for a trailer. Get a modern retro and avoid the frustration if it's your everyday ride.

[Stan]

Just a few well intentioned gangster slaps here:

Wonderful looking and sounding and a good handling bike even by today's standards....but....
Are you mad?
Take a somewhat 'finickey' bike to start with, assume someone has been cobbling it together for 20 years and then expect it to be anything but a trailer job when you take it out?

I know burning around on old shitters rocks some people's boats (and good on 'em) but man, after living with Meriden Triumphs for a while, I'd much rather something I can press the button to start and be reasonably confident of getting home on.

I completely hate sitting and waiting for a trailer. Get a modern retro and avoid the frustration if it's your everyday ride.

Hi Dave

My head says you're right but there's some sick part of me that makes the Darmah seem like a good idea Maybe its the fact that I decided not to buy one in 1980 and bought a GS1000 instead. The GS1000 was a great bike but I kept looking longingly at various Ducatis as I rode past them, broken down on the side of the road

However, it may turn out alright; a ZRX1200 is currently calling to me pretty hard and maybe, once I've ridden a Darmah and faced reality, I'll turn away from the dark side.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I'd much rather something I can press the button to start and be reasonably confident of getting home on.

I completely hate sitting and waiting for a trailer. Get a modern retro and avoid the frustration if it's your everyday ride.

yarrrr.

hence my hard on for a Triumph Scrambler.

next year if the fucking tax man don't get all my money.

[idb]

Hi Stan
I've got a couple of Dukes including a Darmah.

The 888 has started falling to bits and has been a real challenge to keep on the road lately but I've owned the Darmah for about eight years and wouldn't part with it.

I've taken it around the South Island a couple of times and ridden it hither and thither and, indeed, here and there, and it has never let me down.
It's got somewhere around 50,000kms on it now.

It's currently going back together (cosmetic restoration) so I wouldn't be able to offer you a ride for a few weeks but with any luck I'll get to the Long Drop Rally or the KB ride on it.

The point about buying an old one with too many owners is well taken, however if basic maintenance is kept up they are acknowledged as a generally reliable ride.

They would have to be one of the easiest Dukes to keep on the road and if you like tinkering you should be able to keep it running without any problems.

I haven't had to do a re-build and hope I won't.
To that I end I do an oil change every 1,000kms or so with a filter every second change. Cheap insurance I reckon.

However I met a bloke at the Winchester Rally a few years ago from Christchurch who had one.
He treated it like shit and reckoned it had never been re-built after 117,000kms.
He changed the oil every 12,000kms or so and never warmed it up (I saw this myself the next morning).

They're a great ride and hustle along pretty well.
They tour well and can carry a pillion with ease, I took mine with a pillion and all our gear for three days to Hokitika this year.

I can only talk from experience but if I can help let me know.

Cheers

[Stan]

Hi idb

Thanks for the advice. Its the comfortable riding position / pillion thing that I'm looking for. The RGV is just too hard for me these days and a pillion is next to impossible.

Plus I just love the noise of a slow idling beveldrive Ducati with good pipes

Is that your tank and bits at Auto Refinishers in Dunedin?

[idb]

Is that your tank and bits at Auto Refinishers in Dunedin?

Great spotting Stan!
He got the parts last week but the decals yesterday.

I should have everything else together by the time he's finished with those.