Itch that needs to be scratched

**desmoboy** · 19 Aug 08, 05:10 PM

Hi
The desire for a single just will not leave me and i've not yet had any luck finding a good one.
Does anyone know of one for sale. I have some hens teeth and some rocking horse poo to swap if that helps.

**stevel** · 19 Aug 08, 05:20 PM

Singles.co.uk - 100% Free UK Social Dating

Any good? You're a bit upfront for some people's liking though

**desmoboy** · 19 Aug 08, 08:43 PM

I guess you don't have a desmo single 350 in your garage then steve.
Got money to spend here for the right bike

**Ventodue** · 23 Aug 08, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desmoboy

Hi
The desire for a single just will not leave me and i've not yet had any luck finding a good one.
Does anyone know of one for sale. I have some hens teeth and some rocking horse poo to swap if that helps.

Have you tried Brian Fox at Italian Vintage Motorcycles italianvintagemotorcycles.com?

Call him - ignore what he may or may not be showing on his web site ...

Ciao

Craig
450 SCR
350 Vento

**desmoboy** · 24 Aug 08, 10:25 AM

Thanks i will...

I have an offer of a 1968 350 D mk111 but i don't know what the styling is for this bike. Unfortunately the owner does not do the internerd thing so cannot provide electronic pictures of any kind.

**Ventodue** · 24 Aug 08, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desmoboy

Thanks i will...

I have an offer of a 1968 350 D mk111 but i don't know what the styling is for this bike. Unfortunately the owner does not do the internerd thing so cannot provide electronic pictures of any kind.

A Mark 3D, eh? Very nice bike, IMHO. Lots of photos on t'internet, including (even!) at ducati.com. Go, for example, Ducati.com &
VintageBike.co.uk - Picture of 1968 Ducati Mark 3 Desmo

And you can even read a bit about them here Illustrated Ducati Buyer's Guide: Ducati - Google Book Search. However, you should also check with a more recent guide such as Ian Falloon's "Standard Catalog of Ducati Motorcycles", while the definitive guide is probably Massimo Clarke's "Ducati Scrambler, Desmo e Mark 3" (getting hard to find these days, unfortunately).

If it has the twin tank fillers, buy it - or I will!

Ciao

Craig

**desmoboy** · 24 Aug 08, 03:41 PM

Hi Ventodue
Off to italy very soon, as i say i don't know yet exactly what it is. I had seen the vintagebike.co.uk picture and believe its close to this rather than the "yellow" classic Desmo version most people are familiar with.
This desire restarted recently because of seeing the MotoGiro and wanting to play.
If it is as well restored as i believe it might be how many Euros is a good price for it. Personally i was after the yellow peril cosmetics but i might not be able to resist a factory level restored 350 Desmo so you never know.
Regards
keith

**Ventodue** · 24 Aug 08, 04:55 PM

Hi Keith,

Yeh, a 350 would be a good bike for the Motogiro. (Personally, I like the earlier bikes at least as much as the later ones ... maybe even more.)

I never advise people on price - after all, only you know the relationship between the depth of your wallet vs. your aching desire to possess

... The main thing, IMHO, is to be confident about condition, by which I really mean, is it genuine? Buying a bike that some monkey has 'restored' with non-original, ill-fitting parts, or with significant parts missing, can lead to a lot of grief and expense. Go prepared, ideally with someone who knows the bikes (Tony Brancato offers an inspection service in the UK, btw- also, do join the DOCGB if you're not already a member); but, as a minimum, assemble as many photographic references as you can find. And don't be scared to ask to have covers taken off to see what's underneath - a genuine seller may be surprised, but shouldn't be offended.

(A guy we met on the Giro this year had a lovely 350 Mark 3, a blue one. He hadn't owned it long. Anyway, his clutch failed while he was out riding with us. We took the cover off on the side of the road to discover an absolute dog's dinner of clutch actuation rods. With a bit of fiddling, we got him going again, but his confidence was understandably pretty shot and he decided to sit the rest of the event out. Not what you want ...)

Buona fortuna in Italia, ma caveat emptor!

Ciao

Craig

**weeveetwin** · 24 Aug 08, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desmoboy

Hi
The desire for a single just will not leave me and i've not yet had any luck finding a good one.
Does anyone know of one for sale. I have some hens teeth and some rocking horse poo to swap if that helps.

I know of a couple of 250s. There's one here: Motori Di Marino - 1975 Ducati Mk3

...and the one shown below is here: Stock List

**desmoboy** · 24 Aug 08, 07:10 PM

Thanks again craig
The one i'm looking at is apparently " as though it left the factory yesterday" both cosmetically and internally. So,although as i said i wanted a bike in the style of the red one in the link from Wee Vee i might not be able to resist.
I had seen that red one but its not in good enough condition to warrant the price tag and its a 250. I think a 250 is too small for me as well.
The best one i have seen recently was at Venture Classics but its sold. Wonder if its the one you were with on the Giro