LOOKIN' GOOD VERN; BEVEL SPECIAL
I first met Tony Hannagan when he came over to pick up a set of Ducati Supermono handlebars he bought from me on Ebay. At this stage all I knew of Tony was he had been kicked off the Bevelheads Internet forum for his forthright comments on bevel-drive Ducatis and their owners. He then set up his own BevelTech forum. “I wanted a club more with Australian emphasis, where Australian bevel people could share their experiences,” says Tony. BevelTech is now an official Ducati Owners’ Club and Tony is Il Presidente. From this encounter I learnt that Tony was an expert machinist and he subsequently helped me as I bombarded him with a myriad of machining requests. His bevel project bike began to take shape alongside a restoration project I was undertaking.
Tony Hannagan is very forthright when it comes to the philosophy of building a Ducati special. “My first Ducati was a 750 Super Sport I bought new in 1975. And after that I think Ducati lost it. Their bikes became heavier, taller, and a lot uglier. The ugliest were the Darmahs and Pantahs. So with this bike I am trying to replicate the minimalist concept and keep the flavour of the old 750 SS, with modern suspension.” After the 750 SS was stolen Tony bought an 860 GT, “there were no SSs left in the country”, eventually transforming this into a racer by combining it with a 750 Sport. “Although the Sport engine was extremely difficult to rebuild it was rewarding to put together right. I became a Ducati addict, I like the feel, the engineering, and they are great to ride. Other bikes have tried to kill me but not a bevel-drive Ducati.”
The idea to create a Ducati bevel-drive special originated back in 1990. “I started collecting 851 parts. They were cheap and readily obtainable and it seemed a good idea at the time,” muses Tony. “As I started collecting parts I realised this bike needed a name, and I nicknamed it Vern.” Why Vern? That came from a Larsen The Far Side cartoon with two bulls blowing up an inflatable cow and one saying to the other, “Lookin’ good, Vern.” So Vern it became.
As time passed Tony accumulated parts. A set of desmo heads and 860 crankcases came from Bruce Sutherland in Canberra with the recommendation “heaps of kays left in these Tony,” while Allan Adamson in Perth donated an 860 GT frame. “I saved it from being turned into an engine stand. Apart from the cost factor, I like the eccentric adjustment for the swingarm as used on the 1973 factory Imola racers. This allows alteration of the ride height, squat, and head angle without affecting the chain adjustment.” Tony also wanted to modify the frame and this ruled out a genuine SS frame on the grounds, “You don’t want to chop an SS frame.” There is a lot of surplus tubing in a stock 860 frame and chopping the front downtubes and modifying the rear end for a monoshock resulted in the reduction of frame weight from 18.5 kg to only 10 kg. Not only did Tony want to reduce the weight, his engineering background and interest in motorcycles demanded more up to date steering geometry and weight distribution. “The engine was rotated 8mm rearwards in the frame at the top rear mount and new downtubes attached. This effectively tilts the engine back, allowing the front to tilt forward while the engine attitude (sump parallel to the ground) is maintained. This modification also steepened the steering head angle and reduced trail. Although not tested yet I have no reason to doubt this won’t work. Obtaining a harmony between steering, frame, and suspension is well known by now and not rocket science.” It is no coincidence that the wheelbase, rake, trail, and weight distribution are almost identical to a Ducati 916, one of Tony’s all time favourite motorcycles.
Although committed to the thirty year old bevel-drive engine, Tony wanted this bike to operate as a modern motorcycle and that dictated modern brakes and suspension. Fortunately Ducati retain some basic dimensions for decades and Eurobrit supplied a complete upside down 41mm Showa front end from a 2000 model 900 Supersport. “Unbelievably the Showa bolted straight in the 860 steering head, with the stock bearings and everything.” Offering full adjustment and with a pair of 851 320mm discs and four-piston Brembo brakes this has to be a huge improvement over the original 860’s 38mm Ceriani fork. An adjustable 851 Marzocchi shock absorber was found on Ebay and bolted to Tony’s own design swingarm. The rear disc and brake caliper was also from an 851.
A pair of 851 Corsa Marvic magnesium wheels came from Gowanloch, “I bought them years ago,” says Tony, “but couldn’t work out how to make them fit the fork with the brake discs. After machining a set of spacers and inserts I got them to fit and with tyres, they weigh less than spoked alloy wheels without tyres. It’s the old unsprung weight issue and it is not even worth comparing them to standard alloy wheels in terms of weight.”
Eventually the engine parts came together, mostly courtesy of Bob Brown and Phil Hitchcock, and this is basically a stock 900 Super Sport of 1975. “The emphasis with this bike has been reducing weight rather than making more power. A stock 900 SS has plenty of good useable power, especially if the weight is a lot less. I don’t believe in tuning the engine to make more power that is less useable when simply reducing weight achieves a similar result,” says Tony. The pistons are Cosworth 12:1 and the clutch lightened but other than that the engine is a stock 900 desmo. The crank has a 38mm stepped pin.
One of the most individual features is the exhaust system. “This was designed to completely eliminate each and every impractical aspect of all bevel exhaust pipes in the past. That means it won’t scrape, won't burn your legs and won't get trashed in a spill,” says Tony. The reverse cone muffler was machined from billet aluminium and includes adjustable baffles so it isn’t much louder than a normal Conti muffler.
In every respect “Vern” is a minimalist bike. There is nothing superfluous, and every component has been individually crafted. There is no headlight or turn signals. As far as the authorities are concerned this bike carries a 1975 engine and frame number and can be ridden on classic club registration. As Tony tells it, “The bike was built to be ridden, on the road. In terms of ancillary equipment, all it needs is a horn and stoplight, which it has. I won't be riding it at night anyway. As you are aware, night-time is for partying.” Such attention to minimalism has resulted in an 860 twin that weighs only 153 kg, half wet. “Vern” has been a long term project for Tony and the all up cost just over $5,000. “I wouldn’t want to work out how many hours of my time went into it though,” says Tony, “and of course, it would have been easier to just go out and buy a 1098.”
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Vincent Black Shadow
Issue 145
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Motorcycle Trader NZ
Nothing exemplifies the legend of classic motorcycles more
than the Vincent Black Shadow
When it was new the Black Shadow was the bike of dreams, and
although production ended more than 50 years ago, it remains so
for many enthusiasts. The Black Shadow possessed all the
criteria that define a classic. It was outrageously expensive,
provided unequalled performance, and looked mean and purposeful.
While other manufacturers were dipping their top models in
chrome to symbolise extravagance, Vincent went against
convention by painting the Black Shadow sinister black.
The Shadow’s mission was fast road work, and if anyone doubted it one glance at the 130mm, 150mph (240kph) Smiths speedometer sitting directly in front of the rider made its charter clear. And of all Vincents, the quintessential model is the Series C Black Shadow of 1948 through until 1954. Although the Shadow’s black engine looked menacing, the specification was not radically different from the touring Rapide. Both shared a 998cc overhead valve 50-degree V-twin, with a bore and stroke of 84x90mm. Inside the motor were slightly higher compression (7.3:1) pistons, and some internal polishing. The ports were polished and the cams selected from the production line for optimum timing. Stainless steel pushrods moved polished rocker arms, first gear was taller, but the unusual Vincent self-servo clutch was unchanged. The Amal carburettor size was increased to 28.6mm, and the carbs were mounted on special bronze flanges. These few modifications saw the power increase by ten horsepower, to 55 horsepower at 5,700rpm. This may not seem much by modern standards, but it was enough to propel the Black Shadow to a top speed of nearly 200kph. In the late 1940s only a handful of production motorcycles would reach the magic “ton” (161kph), and 200kph was unheard of. Designed for the open road, the Black Shadow was no round town runabout, as the factory recommended a minimum 20 kilometre warm-up for the engine. Ignition was by Lucas magneto and starting a Black Shadow required a hefty boot. The Vincent chassis was also unusual for the time as the engine was the primary chassis component. The rear suspension was a cantilever type, and the rear fork pivoted directly behind the gearbox. The steering head bolted directly to the front cylinder head, and while the early Black Shadow had a Brampton girder front fork, the Series C used a unique Girdraulic fork. The Girdraulic (Girder with Hydraulic damping) married the older link-type fork, with its well-braced legs, with the longer damped travel of the telescopic fork. It was another example of Irving and Vincent’s refusal to follow fashion. They were staunch believers in a rigid front end and saw inherent problems of tube flex and brake dive with the increasingly popular telescopic fork. For the Black Shadow the brakes were upgraded to cope with the extra performance, and while the twin brakes remained relatively small at 178mm, the Shadow gained ribbed cast-iron drum for improved heat dissipation. The wheels were a large diameter 20-inch front and 19-inch rear, while the dry weight was a moderate 208 kg. The handling was compromised by the limp dampers of the time, but the Black Shadow was more about top speed than race track prowess. Speed has always been fashionable, and when it came to speed the Series C Black Shadow was peerless.
1. The first Black Shadow was produced in 1948, inspired by a special racing HRD twin, nicknamed “Gunga Din”, developed by Phil Irving and George Brown during 1947. 2. Although Philip Vincent was enthusiastic about producing a performance version of the touring Rapide, the plan was initially vetoed by Vincent’s managing director Frank Walker. Against Walker’s decree, Irving and Brown clandestinely assembled a brace of Black Shadows, presenting him with a fait accompli. 3. Releasing the Black Shadow to the press, Philip Vincent announced “it would attain 125mph (200kph), but only machines in tip-top condition could attain it.” 4. Around 80 “B” Series Black Shadows were produced before the Series C Black Shadow was introduced late in 1948. These were initially badged “HRD”, before becoming “Vincent” late in 1949. 5. In 1952 the factory ran a modified Series C Black Shadow at Montlhery in France, setting a new 1000km speed record at 162kph.
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MODERN EXOTIC: DUCATI 85I TRICOLORE |
August 2007 |
DESMO DESTINY
IAN FALLOON from Motorcycle Trader magazine looks at the bike
which started Ducati down the path to dominance in world
superbike racing…
Ducati stunned the motorcycle world 21 years ago by unveiling a new liquid-cooled, four-valve, fuel-injected twin at the Bol d'Or 24-hour endurance race. Displacing 748cc to comply with FIM regulations the 748 set a new standard for ugliness, and only lasted 13 hours. Despite this inauspicious race debut the Desmoquattro (Desmodromic cams with four valves per cylinder) project was up and running. Ducati's great engineer Fabio Taglioni had favoured building a V-four but when the four-valve V-twin engine exceeded 100 horsepower on the factory dyno in 748cc form its future was assured. The Desmoquattro soon grew to 851cc then 888cc before evolving into the 916 and 996 versions and eventually the Testastretta. Over its twenty-one year history this has been one of the most successful motorcycle designs ever, both on and off the race track.
Compared to any other twin on the market in 1988 the 851 Strada was groundbreaking. It was the only motorcycle with an open-loop fully-mapped electronic fuel injection system. The Weber Marelli IAW system was originally developed for the Ferrari F40 sports car and Formula One and incorporated a computer with an EPROM (electronically programmable read only memory). This contained a map of fuel and ignition requirements derived from dyno tests. Although the first 851 Strada only produced a modest 102 horsepower at 9,000 rpm this was considerably more than any other twin available in 1988.
FIVE BORDIFUL THINGS ABOUT THE 851 2. Bordi was also a particular admirer of Cosworth, an English company created by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth, that produced some of the most successful ever Formula One car racing engines. 3. From September 1985 until January 1986 Bordi worked with Cosworth on the four-valve cylinder head design. Cosworth offered to develop and produce a prototype non-desmodromic engine for 1.5 billion Lire. As it had unsuccessfully experimented with desmodromics on its DFV/DFY V-eight it wouldn't commit to a desmo. 4. Bordi considered four-valve heads with conventional valve springs, five valves (as with the Yamaha), or six valves (Maserati) but finally decided on a four-valve desmo. Bordi wanted to call it the 850 but Gianluigi Mengoli persuaded Bordi to call it the 851, to avoid any association with the doomed Fiat 850 automobile. 5. In early 1986 Mengoli began initial engine drawings, completing these in April. The first design had straight ports inclined at 30 degrees, with very close rockers and side-mounted spark plugs but was soon revised to allow space for a central spark plug. Following Bordi's departure from Ducati in 2001 Mengoli has been technical director. WANT TO KNOW MORE? Buy the book: Check out the pictures on this site: The official Ducati site has limited information but nice
pictures: Get to know other owners here:
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As Ducati was a manufacturer
producing less than 50,000 motorcycles a year the homologation
requirements for the new World Superbike series required 200
units of the 851 to be built for 1988. This homologation machine
was the 851 Superbike Kit, a confused mixture of racer and
street bike. It was certainly the only racing bike that came
from the factory with Michelin racing slick tires, electric
start, headlight and taillight. Alongside the 851 Superbike Kit
was the first street series of 851, the 851 Strada. These were
limited production machines, with only 304 manufactured in April
1988. 
When it came to the frame
and suspension Ducati continued its tradition of evolution of
existing designs. The frame was based on the 750 F1, but with a
rising-rate rear end and the 16-inch Marvic/Akront composite
wheels (aluminium rims with magnesium spokes) from the limited
edition 750Montjuich. As it was a limited production item many
of the components were individually crafted, including the
20-litre aluminium fuel tank and rear-suspension rocker linkage.
Unfortunately, while the quality of execution was high the 1988
851 Strada was a flawed motorcycle. The performance was
disappointing considering the hype, and the claimed dry weight
of 185 kilograms was optimistic. Yet while the 851 Strada didn't
live up to every expectation it is important because this is
where the Desmoquattro story began. At the first World Superbike
race at Donington on April 3, 1988 Marco Lucchinelli rode the
factory 851 to overall victory. It was the beginning of nearly
twenty years of desmo domination that shows no sign of abating.
1. Ing. Massimo Bordi joined
Ducati in 1978 after completing an engineering thesis on an
air-cooled, four-valve, desmodromic cylinder head. He initially
worked on diesel engines before assisting Fabio Taglioni with
the bevel-drive Mille.