My Tank is Here

Brad did a phenomenal job on this tank. The pictures don't do it justice (but are included below, of course). I look forward to seeing it back on the bike soon. Note the retro (60's-70's era) logos and the Corse-style center stripe.

All the dents are gone and the paint looks so deep and glossy. The fairings are smooth and plastic damage has been repaired. I couldn't be happier with the job from Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks. Brad really did a fantastic job with my crashed tank.




Below are images of all three parts that Brad did for me:



Meanwhile, I have also received several parts to complete mods while the bike is in the shop. A little housekeeping is to be done and the DesmoTimes Case Saver Insert is to be installed soon. The rear ride height is going to be raised to quicken turn-in and to compensate for the increased lean angle at rest, a CycleCat sidestand that's a little over 1/2" longer will be used.




To clean up a large amount of tubing mess behind the motor, a Nichols Crankcase Breather and K&N Breather Filter are also going to be installed. As many of these mods have costly parts, the open clutch cover, a SpeedyMoto Flow Design, is going to have to be put off even further. Meanwhile, I have decided to slowly 'spruce' up the internals so when the open clutch cover is installed, there is already a considerable amount of "Bling" to show. To do this, I had already installed Stainless Steel Springs, but I now have Titanium Spring Retention Bolts and Red Billet CycleCat Spring Keepers.



The collection of new parts came from a number of different sources. The vendors include TPO Parts, CA-Cycleworks, and MotoWheels. An image below shows the collection of new parts that will be installed at the beginning of next week (hopefully.)

Parts are in, Tank on the way!

The K&N breather filter Kit, Nichols Crankcase Breather, CRG Mirror, Custom Xenon Headlight, CycleCat Billet Spring keepers & sidestand, DesmoTimes case saver insert, and the like have all arrived, no problems. Parts from MotoWheels, CA-Cycleworks, & TPO Parts. Looks like the full rebuild is a go.

I have CAD'ed up a license plate bracket and bought the sheet of aluminum, I only lack specific hole location measurements now before I start the tail chop process. I'll be ordering frame plugs from DesmoWorld.de, as their plugs have a unique design to them, and I'd like to do business with the guys at that shop. Should something arise and I find the STM plugs on a large discount I won't be hesitating to buy them as I also like the look of those, inasmuch I like any of the billet pieces, just not plastic plugs!

Recent phone call to Brad of Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks. The tank is shipped and billed, I should have it by the end of the week. He broke out the cost for me shown below, the total was $880.00:

• Tank Repair + Ducati 'Rosso' Red Paint - $440.00
• Tank Striping - White Center Stripe - $75.00
• Tank Decals - Retro Logo in White with Black Border - $40.00
• Seat Cowl Repair + Ducati 'Rosso' Red Paint - $135
  
• Headlight Fairing Repair + Ducati 'Rosso' Red Paint - $115
• Seat Cowl and Headlight Fairing Striping - White Center Stripe - $75.00

The $880.00 total (plus free t-shirt) is considered more than justifiable/reasonable to me. The tank had multiple dents, and I wanted a non-standard paint job. The logo's required a third color (black) as an outline on a red tank to make the white decals 'pop' out.

Brad was incredibly easy to work with and I would recommend him to anyone (and I will be recommending him!)

Pictures should be in by the end of the week.

Tank Repair & Painting

After a quick call from Brad Diez from Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks, I was informed that the tank had been successfully repaired without any problems and was about to be painted. He insured the design we had was as before, Red with White Center Striping, with old-style logos in white with black outlining. The conversation couldn't have gone any better and besides running a top-notch business, Brad was fun to talk to. The tank should be done and back to me in a matter of a few short weeks. Things are finally coming together for this rebuild process and I will be dropping off all of the parts for the bike to Corse Motorsports around Thanksgiving (one week away). Pictures to come soon!

Tank & Fairing Repair

Tank & Fairing repair is key for the rebuild. The tank will be repaired, removing all dents and dings and then repainted the stock Ducati Red color. The tank, headlight fairing, and seat cowl will also be striped white down the center and the tank logos will be changed to the old 60-70's era logo. The stock (original) Logo and the new 'Retro' Logo can be seen below. All tank & fairing repairs will be completed by Brad Diez of Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks. It should be noted that after millions of emails and responses to and from Brad, he has not gotten frustrated.

His commitment and level of customer service is beyond A+.

Original Logo

"Retro" Logo

And this is a cartoon representation of what the tank will look like. Thanks to fellow DML'ers for helping me photoshop the appropriate tank logos, color, striping and gas fill cap on a stock image. The tank is currently at Corse Motorsports for disassembly, draining and shipment to California.

Beginning after the Crash

EVERY GREAT PROJECT first begins with an idea. In my case, the idea was how do I repair this bike after a crash...My Monster 900 and I had a lack of traction experience traveling east of Memphis on a back road that resulted in a nasty tank dent, mangled handlebars, bent exhaust, scratches on both the headlight and seat cowl, and the destruction of my front brake master cylinder.

Needless to say, highsides suck.

This blog's purpose is to serve as an update of the rebuild process and what is going on the bike. This will include unbiased product and vendor reviews along the way. The primary companies I have chosen to deal with are shown below:

• Corse Motorsports - Nashville based local Ducati shop run by two great guys, Alain Ledgerwood & Andy York.
• Speedzone Paint & Bodyworks - Brad Diez defines great customer service, he will be responsible for the tank repair and painting. Located in California.
  
• MotoWheels - Also based in California, Motowheels has a phenomenal website with great inventory and some of the best pricing. The majority of replacement parts will come from them.
• Fast By Ferracci - Northeastern U.S. based company with racing heritage. Mixed reviews from several friends but the parts offered make them worth a shot.
• The DML - The Ducati Monster List: An invaluable resource for information, advice, and instructions.

Updates as they occur will be posted with opinions on transactions.

Pre-Crash Ducati:

On Its Trip Home from Ohio.