il Bastardo - Ducati Monster big traillie

Definitely following this build with interest. I loved the terra mostro and tried to get a kit shipped to the UK but alas it never happened.

Well there may be good news for you in that respect.

James, who's doing the frame mods, intends to market a frame conversion / kit which would facilitate anyone planning similar conversions - my bike is a test of concept for that kit.
 
Strip-down date confirmed

I see some projects on this site making significant daily progress... this isn't one of them!

But next week will be quite a milestone - having signed off the frame mods on the 'mule', on the 20th we'll be stripping my bike to the frame, and the proper work will commence.

At the same time, the bits that come off can be sorted and sent for plating, powder coating or whatever.

Other bits (the entire front end, both wheels, probably the cans, handlebars, fairing) will be going on fleabay to help fund the ongoing work.

While we're on this topic, does anyone have experience of Andover Upholsterers? They are reasonably local to me so I'd be ken to use them for my seat mods.

CT has in the meantime come up with some wonderful ideas for paint schemes, so as soon as the moment arises, he'll be getting busy with his own particular dark art.:green gri

It feels like an eternity since I first explored this so it's great to be on the brink of commencing the big lumpy jobs. Hopefully activity will ramp up rapidly from this point.
 
How naked can a naked bike get?

Very, is the answer.

Yesterday I vanned the Monster across to CT in Kent, where over the course of numerous brews we stripped, bagged and tagged the Monster.

All went well - the bike clearly had not been apart before so we found very little in the way of butchered fasteners etc. Also, fair play to Ducati, there was almost no corrosion to the fasteners either so the vast majority came out smoothly.

A copious supply of freezer bags, paper labels and Tesco crates (I'll return them after the project's finished, honest) meant that it was possible to sort and store everything in appropriate piles.
 

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Having never removed an entire loom from a bike before, I was amazed at just how many connectors it had.

When the last connector was disconnected and the last of very many cable ties removed, Chris gently eased it out from the space between the front forks where the headlight had been, before holding it aloft and proudly proclaiming "it's a boy"! :D

So there we have it - we dropped the frame off with James at Essex Wheels for his reconstructive surgery, and Chris is busy organising the bits that need to be plated / painted / cleaned / reupholstered as necessary.

I thought the discussion around colour would be brief... seems there is more than just one shade of white (and green, and red.....)... who knew?

After much deliberation and conversations that ended with Chris saying "well, you could do that, and after all remember it's your bike"... I started to do less of the talking and more of the listening. I struggle to match a tie to a shirt, so I reckon sometimes you just have to know your limits and leave it to the experts!
 

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Like others am following this with interest.

Looks like a cracking project :thumb
 
Good show. Do you have an idea on what the suspension travel will be, front and rear? Also what's the projected ground clearance? And weight? So many questions..... :D
 
Just to clarify ..... Officially there are around 780 different shades of white! :D

I've now got 5 Tesco bread crates to sort through, parts to prep and clean, fixing hardware to have plated and most importantly bodywork to strip, prep and paint!
 
Good show. Do you have an idea on what the suspension travel will be, front and rear? Also what's the projected ground clearance? And weight? So many questions..... :D

Hi there.

Front travel is likely to be just over 200mm. I am not sure what the rear travel will be yet. We need to get the chassis mods completed, fit the front forks and then play around with shock length and suspension linkages to get the bike sitting flat. Only then will we know what kind of travel we have. I suspect it'll be somewhere between 180 and 200mm - we'll have to see.

It's a similar story with the clearance. We're re-routing the Monster headers (because the one from the front cylinder runs directly under the engine, no good for a trail bike) and then we need to fit a bash plate. Until the solution for that lot has been finalised, I won't know what the clearance will be. We're doing all we can, though, to maximise it.
 
More on the engineering solution

So, at the outset of this project I naively imagined bolting some long forks onto a Monster, and hey presto, instant traillie!

Fortunately I contacted Gavin Roberston who was able to...err...modify some of my ideas!

Gavin is well known in the Ducati and Cagiva fraternities; he has created some absolutely wonderful creations, typically combining Elefant chassis with all manner of tasty Ducati engines.

Gavin went to work and created an engineering solution that would address all of the issues a project like this generates.

He's best describing this in his own words, have a look at the 'il Bastardo' section of his website here:

http://www.companytroubleshooters.c...l&id=1428585995&archive=&start_from=&ucat=39&

While you're at it, it's well worth browsing to some of his other projects:

http://www.companytroubleshooters.co.uk/gavin944888/index.php

When you see the Il Bastrado challenge viewed through the eyes of a genuine engineer, it makes you realise just how much is involved in not just building this bike, but building it properly.

Once the designs for the modifications were completed, off we went to see James Rogers at Essex Wheels and Engineering. James spends his days building race-winning frames and wheels for grasstrack outfits and speedway bikes, so he knows a thing or two about the stresses in competition frames.

http://www.essexwheelsandeng.com/

The photos on Gavin's website show a 'mule' frame being used to design the prototype modifications.


Paul G
 
Quick update

Although I don't have many photos at present, there has been quite a bit of progress over the last 2 weeks.

The frame modifications have now been completed. Although the pic below shows the mule rather than my frame, this is the state of play with the headstock heavily modified and the swing arm bearing support plates in place.

As I enjoy taking my boys out for rides, Gavin has designed a solution where the rear footpegs will be demountable. They won't be fitted normally, keeping the lines of the bike really sweet, but can be easily added when required. Neat.

The exhaust was always going to be a challenge, but it turns out that Elefant headers can be made to fit the monster without too much hassle. Good news, that could have been quite a bit of work.

An adjustable link rod has been manufactured for the rear shock - hopefully that means we'll be able to get the whole plot sitting level and suspending as it should.

A new, longer stem was manufactured and pressed into place, so that the Elefant Yokes and massive bearings can now be fitted, along with matching forks and in fact much of the Elefant front end.

It's just the more detailed stuff now - positioning the speedo sensor, lengthening the side stand, manufacturing a 'rallye prop' to go opposite the stand to allow wheel changes, that kind of thing. Also, everywhere there are currently washers that were used to get things lined up, proper spacers need to be turned to fit.

At the same time, CT has commenced his paintshop wizardry. We agreed colours, but with his words "we don't want it to look like a sign outside a pizza shop, do we"? buzzing in my head, I've left CT to it. I'm hoping to head over to his place next week for the Grand Reveal. Can't wait.

In the first week of July I can collect the complete dry-built rolling chassis. I'll take that to CT where we'll dissemble everything, send bits in different directions for finishing, then I'll be wringing my hands waiting for it all to come back so we can do the final build.

Exciting? Oh yes.....:D
 
and the pics...

The frame mods and the footpeg solution.
 

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Are you able to visually lighten up that massive slab of plate with some holes, as in the first post pic?

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Are you able to visually lighten up that massive slab of plate with some holes, as in the first post pic?

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Perhaps, but certainly not as much as the one in your photo.

On my bike, its primary purpose is to support the bearings for a lengthened swinging arm spindle.

Ducati Monster swing arms pivot off the rear of the crank cases. Have a close look at your pic, you can see the swing arm end nut in its usual position, inside the metal plate.

For anything more than the very lightest off-roading, we think that the torque the swing arm will transfer to the crank case will be excessive for that kind of solution. We wanted something significantly more substantial, so that alloy plate on mine is not just holding the footpeg, it's a major structural part. So yes, it may be possible to lighted it visually, but we won't do it in any way that compromises its strength.

Paul
 
Perhaps, but certainly not as much as the one in your photo.

On my bike, its primary purpose is to support the bearings for a lengthened swinging arm spindle.

Ducati Monster swing arms pivot off the rear of the crank cases. Have a close look at your pic, you can see the swing arm end nut in its usual position, inside the metal plate.

For anything more than the very lightest off-roading, we think that the torque the swing arm will transfer to the crank case will be excessive for that kind of solution. We wanted something significantly more substantial, so that alloy plate on mine is not just holding the footpeg, it's a major structural part. So yes, it may be possible to lighted it visually, but we won't do it in any way that compromises its strength.

Paul

I think that a 2mm or 3mm alloy plate in a similar shape to the one on Terra Mostro bolted over would help significantly, it'll also act as a heel plate to protect the powder coat underneath.
 
I think that a 2mm or 3mm alloy plate in a similar shape to the one on Terra Mostro bolted over would help significantly, it'll also act as a heel plate to protect the powder coat underneath.

Yep, that'd work....or even a 2mm bright polished stainless steel plate with the ally plate under done in matt/satin black. :) EDIT....or even carbon fibre vinyl wrapped!
 
Yep, that'd work....or even a 2mm bright polished stainless steel plate with the ally plate under done in matt/satin black. :) EDIT....or even carbon fibre vinyl wrapped!

Don't over think it fella, A little piece of brushed alloy would look just right. Polished Stainless steel, chrome or fake carbon fibre have no place on this bike. ;)
 
Nosey git that I am, I rather enjoy a visit to Chris' workshop for a poke about and look over his latest project. I've seen most of Chris' work from Triple to WC's in motorrad colours and everything in between... loved them all

Have to say, the Ducati tank sat on the workbench is the loveliest piece of work of all for me. Catches your eye as soon as you walk in and I couldn't stop admiring it. It's simple and modern and classic and bloody lush all in one, someone's gonna be happy :D
 
I simply admire this project:bow ! Wish you all the best and I'm sure when you finish it it's gonna be amazing! Have time for people trying and realising their dreams and thinking outside the box. Nice one!

Greg
 
Have to say, the Ducati tank sat on the workbench is the loveliest piece of work of all for me. Catches your eye as soon as you walk in and I couldn't stop admiring it. It's simple and modern and classic and bloody lush all in one, someone's gonna be happy :D

Ha! I am counting down the days until Wednesday when I'm going across to Kent to trouble Chris for a while and take my first look. As previously mentioned, I left the design in his capable hands and so I have no idea what to expect. That mail just makes me even more excited!!

Just as long as there's no green on it, can't bloody stand green.... :D
 


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