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Back in the mid-to-late 60's my Grandfather was a Sheriffs Deputy. Another Deputy (who went on to be our Sheriff for a couple of decades and supposedly raced the 250) had this Ducati Monza for sale and that is where it entered this story.
Grandpa used to use it to herd sheep, believe it or not. Family lore has it that the sheep became unprofitable and hit the market, but I know for a fact the bike hit the garage (where Grandma kept her cats, yuck) and there it lurked on flat tires from approximately 1970 until 1993. I remember playing on this bike when I literally had to stand on tiptoe just to see the speedometer back in the mid-70's. It had been parked for several years at that time already, and I would have been about 5 years old. Got in a fair amount of trouble from Mom for climbing on it and trying to kick it over (she was convinced it might start by accident, HA!)
The decals were mesmerizing to me back then too. There was one on the front fender for sure, a pair on the tank and a pair on the toolboxes. Pretty sure there was one on the rear fender too, but my memory is fuzzy on what that one looked like. They are long gone by now, and I can't find any old photos with them showing in them, bummer.
About 1993 I had a week long bout with my appendix. It won and finally came out, and I was supposed to be taking it easy after getting home from the hospital. No lifting, etc, we've all heard the rules right? Ever listen to them? Me either. By the end of the second day I had completely emptied my Grandparents garage (which Gma had kept her cats in for 20 years, remember? Yeah, use your imagination. I even discovered there was a brick floor in 2 of the 3 stalls....literally had no idea there were bricks under there.)
Of course, Mom gave me heck for doing so much work when I was supposed to be taking it easy. I swore up and down that I never lifted anything (and I hadn't, scouts honor!) but rather employed a sophisticated system of levering and dragging (which was true) and of course some shoveling, which the doctor had never mentioned at all.
Anyways, I aired up the tires (which ironically and inexplicably have stayed aired up for the next 20 years all by themselves) rolled it out and over the course of the next several days actually got it running, much to Grandpa's surprise. When I went it late one night and asked him gleefully if he heard it, he thought I had lost my mind. Intrigued, he followed me out so I could convince him with with rumbly evidence, and his grin was so big I'll never forget it. We spent the off hours that summer taking it apart and blasting the frame, cleaning everything, polishing, coated the tank, repairing various small bits, and took it on a few short rides - very short and somewhat slow as it still sports what I believe to be the original tires. While talking to a Ducati guy out in some eastern seaboard state about getting a new starter gear the fellow made Grandpa a standing offer for the bike, sight unseen, and Grandpa strongly considered it. I politely asked if he did decide to sell it, if I could have first shot at it, as I would match whatever offer he had.
He ended up selling it to me, and I have stored it ever since. It is remarkably intact, and even the paperwork is all in order.
Remember this was all in 1993, and my life was just picking up steam of its own. Work, toys, more work, more toys, wife, kids, houses were all in the storm that commenced. The Ducati was treasured and tucked away all this time, and Grandpa passed on too. Miss him daily, we should all be so lucky to have at least one relative that actually "gets" us. We were lucky in that we "got" each other, enjoyed every minute. Thanks Grandpa.
Before the Ducati, I had picked up a '70-something Kawasaki 100 Enduro, fixed a bunch of stuff on it and took my test on it. The plan was to just get my license so I could legally borrow my cousin's extra bike to take on trips. I rode it to town for gas one day (60 mph tops baby!) and was approached by one of the pump-jockeys (this was before convience stores took over, and there were still service station garages in town) who like the Kawasaki and wanted to buy it. Sure thing man, I didn't have any plans to keep it anyways. Then he asked what about a trade, tossed me some keys and told me where his house was and to look by the back porch. Long story short, a '78 Suzuki GS 550 replaced the Kawasaki, and I rode the snot out of that bike, putting 25,000 miles on it in 3 years. I happened on a pretty and tweaked GS750 then and the 550 was sold shortly afterwards. I've ridden it off and on ever since, but lately the Ducati has been calling to me. I want to do it justice - would like it road-worthy but I also do not want to inadvertently violate its originality, so that is the path and challenge before me now.
The silver tank flashes were chrome, but back in '93 the chrome was nearly nonexistent from rust. It all came off just rubbing with fingers. So we painted the flash back on with silver paint, and the handlebars also. It was economical and did help preserve things.
Unfortunately the foil tag on the frame head was missing by then already. Maybe an angry sheep had its vengeance?
I'm trying to decide on the rims. I have a painter buddy.....thinking of going that way, painting the rims and spokes. I have a hard time with the thought of throwing a bunch of new non-original parts on it, like rims, after all it has made it this far long with all its bits intact. Heck, even the front tire is seems to be original......not sure on the rear. The pattern is different and it is not cracked as badly.
Actually the rubber footrest pieces that have "DUCATI" molded into them are the most bothersome at the moment. They are deteriorated badly. However today the internet makes finding replacement parts MUCH easier than in '93.
I'm looking through old photographs trying to see if I can find pictures of the original decals. Would like to get replacements of the correct decals too.
Its definitely a Monza, not a Diana or Mach1 or anything of that sort. Doesn't matter to me in the slightest....its perfect.
A few years ago Keith Turk stated I need to whittle on this. The time has come.
Grandpa used to use it to herd sheep, believe it or not. Family lore has it that the sheep became unprofitable and hit the market, but I know for a fact the bike hit the garage (where Grandma kept her cats, yuck) and there it lurked on flat tires from approximately 1970 until 1993. I remember playing on this bike when I literally had to stand on tiptoe just to see the speedometer back in the mid-70's. It had been parked for several years at that time already, and I would have been about 5 years old. Got in a fair amount of trouble from Mom for climbing on it and trying to kick it over (she was convinced it might start by accident, HA!)
The decals were mesmerizing to me back then too. There was one on the front fender for sure, a pair on the tank and a pair on the toolboxes. Pretty sure there was one on the rear fender too, but my memory is fuzzy on what that one looked like. They are long gone by now, and I can't find any old photos with them showing in them, bummer.
About 1993 I had a week long bout with my appendix. It won and finally came out, and I was supposed to be taking it easy after getting home from the hospital. No lifting, etc, we've all heard the rules right? Ever listen to them? Me either. By the end of the second day I had completely emptied my Grandparents garage (which Gma had kept her cats in for 20 years, remember? Yeah, use your imagination. I even discovered there was a brick floor in 2 of the 3 stalls....literally had no idea there were bricks under there.)
Of course, Mom gave me heck for doing so much work when I was supposed to be taking it easy. I swore up and down that I never lifted anything (and I hadn't, scouts honor!) but rather employed a sophisticated system of levering and dragging (which was true) and of course some shoveling, which the doctor had never mentioned at all.
Anyways, I aired up the tires (which ironically and inexplicably have stayed aired up for the next 20 years all by themselves) rolled it out and over the course of the next several days actually got it running, much to Grandpa's surprise. When I went it late one night and asked him gleefully if he heard it, he thought I had lost my mind. Intrigued, he followed me out so I could convince him with with rumbly evidence, and his grin was so big I'll never forget it. We spent the off hours that summer taking it apart and blasting the frame, cleaning everything, polishing, coated the tank, repairing various small bits, and took it on a few short rides - very short and somewhat slow as it still sports what I believe to be the original tires. While talking to a Ducati guy out in some eastern seaboard state about getting a new starter gear the fellow made Grandpa a standing offer for the bike, sight unseen, and Grandpa strongly considered it. I politely asked if he did decide to sell it, if I could have first shot at it, as I would match whatever offer he had.
He ended up selling it to me, and I have stored it ever since. It is remarkably intact, and even the paperwork is all in order.
Remember this was all in 1993, and my life was just picking up steam of its own. Work, toys, more work, more toys, wife, kids, houses were all in the storm that commenced. The Ducati was treasured and tucked away all this time, and Grandpa passed on too. Miss him daily, we should all be so lucky to have at least one relative that actually "gets" us. We were lucky in that we "got" each other, enjoyed every minute. Thanks Grandpa.
Before the Ducati, I had picked up a '70-something Kawasaki 100 Enduro, fixed a bunch of stuff on it and took my test on it. The plan was to just get my license so I could legally borrow my cousin's extra bike to take on trips. I rode it to town for gas one day (60 mph tops baby!) and was approached by one of the pump-jockeys (this was before convience stores took over, and there were still service station garages in town) who like the Kawasaki and wanted to buy it. Sure thing man, I didn't have any plans to keep it anyways. Then he asked what about a trade, tossed me some keys and told me where his house was and to look by the back porch. Long story short, a '78 Suzuki GS 550 replaced the Kawasaki, and I rode the snot out of that bike, putting 25,000 miles on it in 3 years. I happened on a pretty and tweaked GS750 then and the 550 was sold shortly afterwards. I've ridden it off and on ever since, but lately the Ducati has been calling to me. I want to do it justice - would like it road-worthy but I also do not want to inadvertently violate its originality, so that is the path and challenge before me now.
The silver tank flashes were chrome, but back in '93 the chrome was nearly nonexistent from rust. It all came off just rubbing with fingers. So we painted the flash back on with silver paint, and the handlebars also. It was economical and did help preserve things.
Unfortunately the foil tag on the frame head was missing by then already. Maybe an angry sheep had its vengeance?
I'm trying to decide on the rims. I have a painter buddy.....thinking of going that way, painting the rims and spokes. I have a hard time with the thought of throwing a bunch of new non-original parts on it, like rims, after all it has made it this far long with all its bits intact. Heck, even the front tire is seems to be original......not sure on the rear. The pattern is different and it is not cracked as badly.
Actually the rubber footrest pieces that have "DUCATI" molded into them are the most bothersome at the moment. They are deteriorated badly. However today the internet makes finding replacement parts MUCH easier than in '93.
I'm looking through old photographs trying to see if I can find pictures of the original decals. Would like to get replacements of the correct decals too.
Its definitely a Monza, not a Diana or Mach1 or anything of that sort. Doesn't matter to me in the slightest....its perfect.
A few years ago Keith Turk stated I need to whittle on this. The time has come.
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