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1966 Ducati Monza Jr. Project

70K views 150 replies 40 participants last post by  HipsterSquid 
#1 ·


I did an overview of this bike in my intro, but thought I'd do a dedicated thread on it since I finally started working on it again.

The bike was pretty much complete when I bought it, but hadn't been stored very well so it was looking a bit ragged around the edges.



The squared off bodywork isn't considered to be all that attractive by most people. No worries, I planned on ditching most of it anyway. In fact the only things I'm not going to modify are the hubs, aside from a good cleaning and mild polishing.

I had to mod some of the tabs on the frame to use the newer (actually OLDER) parts. The rear fender I wanted to use hit the battery tray. so the stock one was cut off and a new one made up - it's a copy of the tray used on older bikes and larger bikes. Then I cut off the mounts for the sidecovers (actually airbox and tool box) and made up some new ones so I could mount some (fake) older style sidecovers.



I'm going to use rearsets, which means the kickstart will hit th ebrake pedal. I was mostly done making a lever with a foldable tip when a buddy of mine showed me his solution. Much easier... I took a torch and an old fork tube for leverage, put the kickstart in a vice, and did this to it. This is NOT the set up I'm going to use for the brake lever anymore though - turns out I may not need to use the bent kicker after all.




Stock wheels were 16" numbers that just weren't going to cut it. I found some NOS San Remo 17" flanged alloys and got some stainless spokes from Buchanan's to lace them up to the old hubs.





Here's an early mock up with a Sebring tank, valanced fender, new headlight, and some lower bars. I sold the tank to a buddy, got some clubmans for it, and a nicer looking chrome rim for the headlight.



Here's one with the 17" rims, new headlight rim, and the tank I plan on using.



Here's the rear fender I settled on Some pics have a different, non-valenced rear fender shown. Pay no attention to it...



A mock up with pretty much all the intended parts installed.



Jumping ahead quite a bit, here it is with the same fender painted, the new rim laced up, and the fork rebuilt (obviously).

 
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#2 ·
Here's a shot of one of the "toolboxes" painted and mounted. They;re actually fakes. Fiberglass copies of the originals that don't open. yeah, they're just there for looks. In fact, there are a few fake things on this bike. I usually don't like that kind of stuff but for whatever reason I'm going with them on this bike.



I also faked a tire pump. the real ones are ridiculously expensive so I cut down an el cheapo bicycle pump. It also shows the fake steering damper - stock 160 Monza Jrs didn't' have one.



I'm going to use the stock seat pan, but I didn't like how square it is so I modified it a bit.



The new shape:
 
#3 ·
Nice Job!

I have an original, unrestored 1964 Monza 160 jr I use as a Giro bike, and my buddy has a later model, like yours, that he has modified into a little cafe and ran that in the Spring Giro.

These bikes are lots of fun, and pretty perky. If you happen to have the knurled screw that holds the tool box door closed, I would be interested in buying it off you!

That Tank is gorgous! Is it from a 1575 elite?

I am jealous, but I think I will leave mine stock, complete with patina (thats french for rust and dirt..)
 
#4 ·
I'll have to check on the screw, I may have one around? I think that gas tank is from a 175 TS.

Here are a couple of the tanks I tried. First was from a Benelli Mojave:



Another shot of the Sebring tank:


An older style Monza tank;


And I almost forgot the best part. Since I did away with the airbox (actually it was missing) I had to come up with something to sub for it. I decided to go with a velocity stack. Gotta love a 160 single with a stack on it!
 
#6 ·
quote:Originally posted by JackC
Thinking back, I wonder if I bought, or bidded on, or was beat out by you on some parts on Ebay for the 160---maybe a lower end of a motor????? Memory is fuzzy here on this.
Nope, wasn't me. The only stuff I've bought off of eBay for it is a couple of the gas tanks. And I guess the rims. Otherwise it's all been retail or friends who've supplied the parts.
 
#7 ·
quote:Originally posted by DesmoDog
<snip> I sold the tank to a buddy, got some clubmans for it...
Wow... I was poking around the site more tonight and discovered that clubmans are a bit controversial in these parts. I never knew they were so widely despised!

FWIW - mine don't hit the tank... ;)

FWIW #2 - I do have bikes with clip-ons too...
 
#8 ·
I don't pay any attention to any of the azz on the shoulder rants about the clubmans

it's not like I see all these guys using clip ons whittling out at least a one off top tree sans bar clamps

come to think of it, seeing my marzocchi trees with bar clamps still in place but using clip ons almost made me puke until I mounted my tach with those four holes and covered it all up



and makes me not a bit of difference either way because I have a bad attitude maybe


















hadn't clad the lower portion yet while I was acting ugly on these
 
#11 ·
quote:Originally posted by champ
Great little bike!! And look, it has clubmans!!
And they look great!

In fact I'm surprised by how much better that bike looks with clubmans than with the tillers it had stock. Makes me think about how much time I could have saved just painting/polishing what I already had! :)

In other news, I'm hoping I have some progress pics to show after the long weekend. But I'm not promising anything!
 
#14 ·
I swore I'd have the tank on this thing painted this summer... I MAY have it done before winter...

It's not done yet, the black still has to go on. Hopefully this week I can take care of that. Ten if I can find the tank emblems it may even get cleared so I can get it striped and BE DONE with it!

 
#25 ·
Should be 1/8" red AND gold parallel striping! Looks great!
 
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