GIRO DAY

Q Pure Ducati: Desmo
valve gear, taut handling
1957 DUCATI 175T
FUN AND RELIABLE IF SHIMMED UP CORRECTLY – AND YOU CAN GET PARTS!
Engine: Air-cooled, 174cc, sohc single Chassis: Steel, tubular open-cradle type The numbers: 11bhp, 68mph, 104kg (230lb), £5000
Chris Bushell has built his Ducati 175T to be ridden – and that’s
exactly what he’s done since he restored it over the winter of
2001-02. Chris was converted to Italian bikes in 1980 when he
bought a Morini 3½. “That was the thin end of the wedge,” he
smiles as he prepares to hand over his 175T to me. “I bought my
first Ducati in 1992 and since then I’ve only owned Ducatis.”
Chris has ridden nine Moto Giros on this bike, so I reckon it
will be well up to our ‘Mini Giro di Kent’ today. With the beveldrive
ohc engine blatting away healthily beneath me, first
impressions are good. The Ducati feels bigger than it is thanks to
the braced scrambles-type ’bars Chris has fitted to give a more
comfortable riding position for long days in the saddle.
Acceleration is lively enough to keep out of the way of modern
traffic on the backroads and the handling is taut and predictable.
After a winter layoff, the brakes could probably stand a little
fettling, but with a mere 104kg to haul up I’m sure they’ll be fine
after a little bedding in. Keeping the revs above 6000rpm liberates
the best of the power and, though I have to drop to third for a
couple of hills, it’s great fun keeping the motor spinning in its
sweet spot. By the time we’ve covered a few miles, I’m really
getting into it – sticking close to the bike in front, slipstreaming
and keeping the throttle pinned through bends, it’s hard to believe
just how much fun you can have at modest speeds.
So how did Chris turn a £490 autojumble buy into a Moto Giro
veteran? “It certainly sounds like a bargain now,” he admits.
“I had bought a 125 Sport and rode that in the first of the revived
Moto Giros in 2001. I was the only English rider there. I had a
great time, but the 125 really struggled on some of the hills and
I started to look for a 175. I spotted this one at Netley Marsh in
2001. It looked terrible, but amazingly it ran. I stripped it right
down and got the frame and all the tinware blasted and painted.
It wasn’t as bad as it looked and everything was repairable.”
Chris was pretty lucky with the engine, too, conceding: “It was
reasonable. I had to source new primary drive gears and I replaced
every bearing, seal and gasket. I also renewed the valve guides and
seats and rebored the barrel to suit an NOS piston and rings but,
like any Ducati, I spent most time shimming up the rebuilt engine.”
Shimming up Ducati engines is a mix of art and science,
according to Chris. “You get a feel for it after you’ve done it a few
times. You need the right tools – micrometer, vernier calipers,
vernier depth gauge – and a genuine manual. I buy any Ducati
manuals I see and, fortunately, I had an English language copy for
the 175T. It takes time and patience to set up the end float
accurately, but once you’ve got it right, the engine is super reliable.
The engine of this bike has only been apart once since 2001 – and
that was just to clean out the integral sump.”
Like many Giro riders, Chris has opted to stick with coil
ignition, valuing the ease of roadside repairs over an electronic
replacement. “I fit a new condensor before each Giro and carry
spares,” he says. “I got stuck in and the restoration took just four
months. The bike was ready for the 2001 Moto Giro and it made
the event so much easier and more enjoyable. Since then, it’s never
let me down and it’ll cruise all day at 55-60mph.If you steer clear
of dual carriageways and motorways, it’s a very usable bike.”
OWNING ONE: Good parts availability is one good reason to
go for a Ducati, says Chris. “There are a lot of common parts on
models built from 1957-68. I get most engine parts from Jonathan
White in the USA (provajon@gmail.com) or Road and Race in
Australia (roadandrace.com.au). Paul Klatkiewicz of Ducati
Technical Services (01924 860210) or Nigel Lacey (laceyducati.co.
uk) are very helpful. A project will cost at least £1500-1800.
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