Editing Ducati 750F1

{{Infobox Motorcycle
|name             = [[Ducati]] 750F1
|image            = [[File:Ducati-750F1-87.jpg|frameless|Ducati 750F1]]
|aka              = 
|manufacturer     = Ducati
|parent_company   =
|production       = 1987
|model_year       =
|predecessor      =
|successor        =
|class            =
|engine           = Four stroke, 90°Ltwin cylinder, SOHC, desmodromic 2 valves per cylinder, belt driven
|bore_stroke      =
|compression      = 10.0:1
|top_speed        = 200 km/h / 124 mph
|power            =
|torque           =
|fuel_system      =
|ignition         = Kokusan electronic
|spark_plug       = Champion RA6YC
|battery          = Yuasa 12V 14Ah
|transmission     = 5 Speed
|frame            =
|suspension       =Front: 40 mm Forcella Italia fork <br>
Rear: Round section chrome-moly steel swingarm with adjustable (for preload) cantilever mono-shock, Marzocchi PVS 4
|brakes           =Front: 2 x 280mm Discs, single [[piston]] caliper. <br>Rear: Single 260 mm disc
|front_tire       = {{tire|120/80 V16}} 
|rear_tire   	  = {{tire|130/80 V18}} 
|rake_trail       =
|wheelbase        = 1400 mm / 55.1 in
|length           =
|width            =
|height           =
|seat_height      = 750 mm / 29.5 in
|dry_weight       = 175 kg / 386 lbs
|wet_weight       =
|fuel_capacity    = 18 L / 4.8 US gal / 4.0 Imp gal
|oil_capacity     =
|fuel_consumption =
|turning_radius   =
|related          =
|competition      =
}}

It could reach a top speed of 200 km/h / 124 mph.  

==Engine==
The engine featured a 10.0:1 [[compression ratio]].  

==Drive==
Power was moderated via the Wet, multiplate.  

==Chassis==
It came with a 120/80 V16 front [[tire]] and a 130/80 V18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2 x 280mm Discs, single piston caliper. in the front and a Single 260 mm disc in the rear. The front suspension was a  40 mm Forcella Italia fork while the rear was equipped with a Round section chrome-moly steel swingarm with adjustable (for preload) cantilever mono-shock, Marzocchi PVS 4. The 750F1 was fitted with a 18 L / 4.8 US gal / 4.0 Imp gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 175 kg / 386 lbs. The wheelbase was 1400 mm / 55.1 in long.  
== Photos ==
[[File:Ducati-750F1-87.jpg|600px|Ducati 750F1]]
[[File:Ducati-750F1-86--2.jpg|600px|Ducati 750F1]]

== Overview ==

Ducati 750F1 Desmo























Ducati 750F1 vs Bimota DB1
EVEN THE COPS WERE IMPRESSED. Hurtling round a bend or circulating a
roundabout repeatedly for a photographer invariably attracts the attentions of
the police. We'd obviously been spotted by the two occupants of the Range Rover
several tunes before they put in an appearance. These two guardians of the law
weren't about to write any tickets, they were far too interested in the
machinery we were on. But then you couldn't fail to be impressed by our choice
of machinery. Both the Ducati 750F1 and Bimota DB1 are exotic motorcycles in the
true sense. They both began life as an out-and-out racing exercise, supplies are
limited (Sports Racing, the Bimota importer, have an allocation of only 24 bikes
this year, while Moto Vecchia await their next batch of Fls to restore their
depleted stock) and they both look stunning.
Five minutes later we were riding for the benefit of the photographer again,
but this time we had a Police Range Rover stuck sideways on our tails as a
broadly grinning driver tried to swing its unwieldly bulk through the bends as
quickly as the bikes. It look a little while to get used to the idea of tilting
the bikes into each bend with your knee dragging across the tarmac and the
centrestand scraping away while under official scrutiny, you don't normally come
away from encounters like that with your licence intact. But riding the 750F1
and the DB1 it all somehow seemed rather appropriate.
Just look at them: these bikes have got class. The DB1 is so small and
itflows. The all-enveloping pearlescent bodywork sweeps foward and down from the
tail light, around the 750 Pantah engine's sump, then curves up to meet the
petite screen. Plenty of other bikes these days can boast the same sort of GRP
acreage, but the Bimota is the only one to really mould the constituent parts
into one complete package. The paintwork has the touch of genius, simple and
patriotic with four red and green stripes converging at the front. It's without
doubt the most beautiful motorcycle on the roads today.
The 750F1 is equally patriotic, it looks like someone has just draped the
Italian tricolor across its side. Three broad slashes of color leap out at
you. The whole bike has a slabby look, the tail unit extends downwards a long
way then stops short behind the rear carb, and the tall screen is reminscent of
a shopping bike. It looks more basic than the DBI; the chassis and the engine
are exposed to the elements. It is functional design at its most obvious.
Both bikes use the Ducati Pantah engine as their motive force. From its
introduction in 1977 the Pantah V-twin has grown in size from 500cc to 600 and
now 750. Even nine years after its launch it's unique in motorcycling  for
using toothed rubber belts to drive the camshafts. The 748cc has been achieved x
61.5mm from the original 74 x 58mm, and to cope with the extra power an oil
cooler pumps up the lubricant from the &9 litre sump. Neither machine makes any
outrageous horsepower claim, 75hp being the offlcal figure.
A nine-year-old engine design with air cooling can hardly compete with the
That combination of latest water- and oil-cooled Japanese color Hneand motors
no what still makes these engines ' desirable is their solid mid-range punch.
metal could only be Despite the fact that they both use the Italian same 36mm
Dellortos that appeared on the first 500 Pantah, once you hit three grand on the
tacho the flat powerband takes you where you want to go in a totally relaxed
manner - but fast. In all honesty these engines would be perfect for a touring
bike, there are no holes or leaps in their power delivery and they don't have
the frenetic feel of a four. But mounted in these bikes they offer an attractive
style of sporting performance for those who've progressed beyond the scream and
crackle of two strokes and the wail of multicylinder.
Basically, the engines in these bikes are identical, the only real
differences occur in the inlet and exhaust systems. The DBI sports Bimota's own
twin black silencers which are just that, bereft of the traditional Italian
bark. The 750F1 sounds more in tune with the bike's image as a race replica with
a two-into-one exiting on the left side of the bike leaving a noise signature
that no one with any soul could complain about.
On the inlet side the 750F1 draws in air, dust, rain and small mammals
through a pair of meshed bellmouths. There may not be any concessions made to
engine longevity but at least the vital oxygen doesn't have to follow the same
tortuous path as it does on the DB1. The single airbox is tucked behind the rear
cylinder between the frame rails. From there it's a relatively short distance
into the rear carb. But to reach the front pot a tortuous tract has to be
plumbed between the frame rails, electrics and the rear cylinder.
The chassis for both bikes follow the same basic principles using the engine
as a stressed member thanks to its very strong gravity diecast crankcases. The
Ducati frame is a fully triangulated chrome -moly trestle, a development of Ing
Taglioni's F2 design. The round section swingarm is pivoted in the rear of the
crankcases before coming up to meet the cantilever rear suspension. As you'd
expect, a Marzocchi shock resides here with screw adjusted preload and provision
for charging the damping oil with air via a Schraeder valve at the base of the
unit.
Five years at Ducati must have influenced Ing Martini, and he would have
found it hard to depart from the same general design brief. As it is he has
developed the theme somewhat. The Bimota chassis, while still a chrome-moly
trestle, is more compact and doesn't have to kink frame rails to clear the
engine as ontheFl.
As pioneers of the monoshock layout in the 70s it's no surprise that another
single Marzocchi spring and damper can be found buried deep within the machine.
As on the Fl, this uses a screw adjuster for the preload but with a remote
adjuster mounted on the swingarm for compression damping. And it's rising rate,
too. The swingarm differs as well, it's box-section steel and uses eccentric
adjusters to maintain chain tension. Again there are broad similarities between
the two bikes at the front end -Marzocchi forks, fully floating Brembo discs,
16-inch wheels - but there are detail differences. The DB1 uses the latest
41.7mm MIR forks with four-position rebound damping adjustment on the right leg
and a design that allows an infinite number of independent compression and
rebound damping set ups just by changing the oil in each fork leg. Left leg for
compression damping, right one for rebound.


The previous generation of 40mm Marzocchi forks appears on the Ducati with
five-position preload adjustment atop each leg and three-position rebound
damping on each leg alongside the spindle.
Both bikes carry 280mm floating discs up front wtflch rustle disconcertingly
on their dowels at low speeds, but the calipers are different. The four-piston
Goldlines on the DB1 pull you up every time without any sort of fade or drama,
but if you brake in a bend then they pull the whole bike upright with a
vengeance. You have to learn to keep the. pressure up on the inside bar if you
want to get round. The Fl has more simple dual-piston offerings. On the limit
they'll put you in front of the Bimota just when you don't want to be. A lack of
Goodridge nosing and inconsistent pad quality may be to blame.
Bimota specialise in exquisitely detailed machining work and the DB1 shows
it. The quality of milling on the top yoke and clip ons would gratify a Swiss
watchmaker, and turning alloy master cylinders into a fashion accessory by
mounting them on top of the fork legs shows an originality too often lacking in
motorcycle design.
The Duke has its moments with pleasingly flat alloy yokes and foam-mounted
instruments a la GSX-R750, but at an angle that makes them legible to the rider,
Crouched down on the DB1 it's hard to tell to within 500revs or lOkph what's
going on from the almost horizontal clocks.
Get close to a DB1 and size, or the lack of it, is what.will strike you most.
It's tiny, a good eight inches lower than the Ducati. But that doesn't mean
those over 5ft 7in will automatically have to buy the 750F1. Although Ing
Martini didn't make many concessions when he built this motorcycle, the tank
cutouts allow the longest legs to tuck out of the airstream while the rear of
the tank will support you and the petite screen allows the wind to take the
weight off your wrists. Admittedly there is an ideal size of rider, about 5ft
6in, who will suit every curve of the bodywork, but even taller pilots found
they could mould themselves into the DBFs lines to a certain extent.
Most motorcycles are time consuming to disassemble with sundry nuts and
bolts, which if not impossible to undo, always seem to be left over after the
rebuild. Not so with the Bimota. To remove the nose fairing undo two 5mm Allen
bolts, twist four Dzus fasteners a half turn, pull out the indicators'
connectors and, spreading the edges slightly, pull the section straight off.
Four more Dzus fasteners and the bellypan drops away. Then all that holds the
main seat/tank unit on is a quartet of 8mm Allen bolts, complete with
beautifully turned-up spacers for the front pair, and a bayonet fitting to the
rear light. Once you've removed the gas cap it just lifts away. Big Kawasakis
and BMWs can sometimes take almost an hour to lay  bare, the Bimota takes
five minutes.
Once the tank with its two vacuum taps and fuel warning sender has been
slipped off, the bikes compactness is even more obvious. The chassis is so
tight, not a fraction of space has been wasted within its perimeter. No
ancillaries have been allowed to protrude and spoil the lines, unlike the Fl
where the battery's location at the extreme rear of the frame necessitates a
heavy looking, angular tail section. On the DB1 the battery and the coils sit
above the front cylinder, while the top of the rear shock linkage and the airbox
are crammed into the remaining space behind the rear of the engine. The whole
concept looks good on paper and looks even better in real life...until you use
the engine seriously.
Nowadays, as well as dynoing our test bikes we also speed test them at the
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire, and it was there we headed with
high hopes and the Bimota. They were dashed after the first few runs; a mean top
speed of 116mph was hardly impressive for a sports 750. Try as we might we
couldn't squeeze any more out of the bike. In fact it got worse. After four or
five runs the bike wouldn't take full throttle and had to be nursed towards the
redline at 8500.
Obviously things weren't right, so the next trip was down to Motodd's rolling
road for a bit of investigation. The power figures after the first runs were
depressing; 51.1hp at 7500rpm wasn't going to set the world alight. The engine
was pinking around maximum torque at 4500 and misfiring at 5500. Touching the
electrics
gave us a clue - they were red hot - apart from being difficult to get at.
How long will the battery or coils last in that sort of heat? And how can the
engine produce any sort of power in that sort of heat?
Basic physics has it that the thermal efficency of an engine is improved the
greater the difference in temperature between the incoming charge and the
exhaust gases. Kawasaki went to the trouble of designing an airbox with intakes
beneath the headlight to make sure the GPZ1000RX always gets relatively cool
air, and that bike is the most powerful machine we've ever tested. So having a
tiny intake into the airbox at the back of a warm engine bay wasn't going to
help. To make matters worse, a hot engine breather exited into the bottom of the
filterless box.
So the engine was ingesting hot, sticky air; obviously the easiest mod was to
junk the air box. Rather than strip the entire bike or take a hacksaw to the
frame, we left the box in place and removed the trunking to each carb instead. A
pinking motorcycle on the dyno is a recipe for disaster so we squinted down the
plug holes at the piston crowns. The front pot was about right but rear was
dangerously pale with the dreaded 'death ash' deposits sprinkled around. Upping
the jet from 135 to 145 alleviated the situation.
Who'd have thought such simple mods would've so improved a bike? Breathing
straight into the carb throats, the DB1 now put out exactly 57hp at 7500 without
a trace of a misfire. We guessed that the mismatched inlet tracts between the
carbs had been affecting their pulsing in the mid-range causing the flat spot.
And the fact that the fuel flow on the previous test had remained constant after
7000rpm indicated that the airbox stifled the inlets giving more power at less
than full throttle. As it was, by bypassing the airbox and changing the jetting
we'd reaped a 12 per cent power increase improved torque spread.
After the Bimota's voyage of discovery on the dyno, the Ducati's test was
plain sailing. Six gee gees better, the Fl put out 63hp at the peak of a
luscious spread of power at 7500rpm. Another flat torque curve, staying close to
the 50.2ftlb maximum at 4500 revs, and a specific fuel consumption in the mid
50s indicated a nicely sorted engine with easy tuning potential, albeit at the
expense of flexibility.
Unlike the other importers, picking up a Bimota doesn't just involve the
usual tedious journey through London's suburbs, Steve Wynne's Sports Racing
concern resides in Bollington just outside Macclesfield. There are some great
roads across the Peak District in that part of the world and Julian claimed the
privilege of collecting the bike and bringing it down to London. When he arrived
the rest of the office showered him with questions about the bike's performance
and handling. We'd all suffered a little from the feverish excitement and
expectation for this bike that had gripped our editor's imagination over the
last few months. Strangely, his responses were rather subdued. Yes, it handled
okay, the engine was fine and the brakes good. Okay, fine? This wasn't what we
expected to hear, we're talking about a Bimota here.
My first ride on the bike was of necessity not in the most ideal of
conditions. An out-and-out sports bike can hardly be expected to show well in
London's city centre. But some of its traits were quite disconcerting. Below
50mph the DB1 refused to go in a straight line. It felt like it had ratchet head
bearings. A motorcycle actually follows a series of balance correcting curves as
we continually use the steering to follow a straight course. On the DB1 you
found yourself fighting the bars as the bike veered first one way then another.
When there's a solid wall of traffic a foot away on both sides this can be
unnerving to say the least. Investigation inside the fairing revealed a steering
damper wound up to maximum. Backing it right off solved the problem, but its
location tucked away inside the fairing means it's not possible to adjust on the
move.
But once out on to some relatively clear, open stretches some of the Bimota's
attributes began to shine through. It carries its weight low and feels even
lighter than my 250 Gamma racing bike. A wheelbase of 1380mm and a 25° rake
angle combine with this svelte form to give steering that above 70mph is so
quick but effortless. Attack fast sweeping bends with some forceful riding and
the Bimota will reward youlwithla fast, smooth'rhythm. Use the Goldlines hard
with just two fingers enough to elicit a stoppie, then tip straight into each
corner. The DB1 responds to this sort of treatment by sticking to the line every
time. But throw in the more usual bumps and holes along with a series of slow
bends and the DB1 begins to suffer.
For a start I don't know whether it's the tyres or the suspension but on slow
corners the DB1 feels incredibly unstable. I'd have been happier on a Goldwing
at times. Those 60-Series Pirellis which the Italian firm are claiming as
radials work very well at higher speeds, although they aren't perfectly matched
to the rims leaving the last 5mm of the tread unused on both tyres. But having
such a wide, low front makes the transition from straight ahead to canted over
very sudden at urban speeds. Come to a roundabout and you thru'penny bit round
it as the bike drops in then picks itself up again. I almost went for a trails
dab one time. The brakes are incredibly powerful without any sort of fade but
then you hit a bump and because you're travelling at less than the legal limit
the suspension totally fails to absorb the shock and the bike adds head shaking
to its repertoire. Ride the rear end over the same undulation and your backside
is kicked out of the seat by the Marzocchi's
harsh response se. Spring and damping rates were too stiff for the road. This
was with the lowest damping setting and preload wound as far back as the chewed
up C-rings would allow.
For two bikes so similar in many areas -engine, suspension, brakes - the Fl
and DB1 couldn't have handled much more differently. A DB1 owner will feel like
he's mounting a horse when he gets on the Fl. It's tall and thin and only
carries 5kg more weight than the Bimota.
When he arrives at the first corner he's in for some more surprises too.
Racing (remember this bike's an Fl replica) and fashion dictated a 16-inch front
wheel. But Ducati where loath to lose their traditional stability so they kicked
out the rake to 28° with a long 155mm of trail. Consequently our friend might
And himself missing the apex and running in to the dirt on that first bend. The
steering's much heavier than the Bimota's and needs a firm hand, but light
weight, a 16in wheel and some body English mean you can change direction just as
quickly once you've put in the initial effort. As it is the Duke needs the
steering damper hidden in among the fairing brackets and frame tubes when heavy
bumps set the front tire kicking. Position four is normally good enough. The
Ducati's behaviour is more consistent too; it'll behave in the same manner at 25
or 125mph. Pirelli's Phantoms help here. Their rounded profile make for a linear
steering feel, not the tuck and grab of the DB1.
Round two at Bruntingthorpe: The DB1 sailed past the lights at 124mph, an
eight miles per hour improvement, with it responding cleanly all the way into
the redline at 9l00rpm. Better, but the Fl trounced it with a best of 131 at
8500rpm. Hurtling up and down I got to appreciate the Duke's high screen that
leaves just you and the V-twin together in a bubble of still air. While you're
still pulled down onto clip-ons, the tank doesn't rise up into your solar plexus
like on the DB1 - and the seat's more comfortable. The aches don't get through,
but vibration does. Above 5500rpm the tingle from the footrests becomes
uncomfortable and even gets painful over long motorway hauls.
It may not be rising rate, but the Fl's suspension is more compliant than the
DBl's plus easier to fine tune at the front. You could ride this bike through
the bumps, not around them all the time. In short, it's more usable.
While the DB1 will appeal to the poseurs of this world and offers some great
times it's too single minded. It was obviously developed direct from race-track experience. Ing Martini believes 'Five races are worth 100,000km of road
testing.' But just as a circuit makes no concessions, neither does the Bimota.
You've got to be prepared to ride it hard and I suspect £7500 is too big a block
for most people's enthusiasm. It's still got the looks, but I'd only be willing
to pay an extra SI500 for them.
The Fl has some serious style of its own. Attention to detail is a lot better
than any previous Ducati. Cagiva are obviously taking a closer interest. Just
look at the beautiful engraved alloy filler cap and the quality of the
paintwork. This jewel isn't going to tarnish quickly. Add to that the fact that
this motorcycle's performance is usable and you've got a winner. To be honest I
much prefered the Ducati's handling to the Bimota's, so long the benchmark when
it came to bends.
The DB1 seems to have dominated this test but that's because we tested and
retested it as we solved some of its problems. The Ducati just performed well;
exciting at times, but always satisfying. It proved itself an all-round
motorcycle, and one that played on the emotions of the rider, just as the DB1
did before reality took over. The 750F1 is one of the few bikes on the road
today that allows the rider to at least subvert reality in a riot of noise,
color and speed.
Source  MOTORCYCLE International 1986



{|  class="wikitable"
|- 
!Make Model
|Ducati 750 F1 Desmo
|- 
!Year
|1987
|- 
!Engine Type
|Four stroke, 90°Ltwin cylinder, SOHC, desmodromic 2 valves per cylinder, belt driven
|- 
!Displacement
|748 cc / 45.6 cu in
|- 
!Bore X Stroke
|88 x 61.5 mm
|- 
!Compression
|10.0:1
|- 
!Induction
|2 x 36 mm Dell'Orto PHF36 carburetors
|- 
!Spark Plug
|Champion RA6YC
|- 
!Ignition
|Kokusan electronic
|- 
!Battery
|Yuasa 12V 14Ah
|- 
!Starting
|Electric
|- 
!Max Power
|55.2 kW / 75 hp @ 9000 rpm
|- 
!Max Torque
|70.6 Nm / 7.2 kgf-m / 52.1 ft-lb @ 7000 rpm
|- 
!Clutch
|Wet, multiplate
|- 
!Transmission
|5 Speed
|- 
!Primary Drive Ratio
|1.972:1 (36/71)
|- 
!Gear Ratios
|1st 2.500 / 2nd 1.714 / 3rd 1.333 / 4th 1.074 / 5th 0.966:1
|- 
!Final Drive Ratio
|2.666:1 (15/40)
|- 
!Final Drive
|Chain
|- 
!Front Suspension
|40 mm Forcella Italia fork
|- 
!Rear Suspension
|Round section chrome-moly steel swingarm with adjustable (for preload) cantilever mono-shock, Marzocchi PVS 4
|- 
!Front Brakes
|2 x 280mm Discs, single piston caliper.
|- 
!Rear Brakes
|Single 260 mm disc
|- 
!Front Tire
|120/80 V16
|- 
!Rear Tire
|130/80 V18
|- 
!Dimensions
|Length: 2110 mm / 83.1 in Width: 690 mm / 27.2 in Height: 1130 mm / 44.5 in
|- 
!Wheelbase
|1400 mm / 55.1 in
|- 
!Seat Height
|750 mm / 29.5 in
|- 
!Dry Weight
|175 kg / 386 lbs
|- 
!Fuel Capacity
|18 L / 4.8 US gal / 4.0 Imp gal
|- 
!Top Speed
|200 km/h / 124 mph
|- 
!Colours
|Red frame, red white and green
|- 
!Manual
|Bevelheaven.com
|- 
!Road Test
|Bike 1986 750Fi vs GSX-R750 Moto.Journal

|}
== Videos ==
{{#ev:youtube|https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Q5u5UI0TU|600|center}}
== External Links ==
* http://www.bevelheaven.com/manual-index.htm

[[Category:Ducati motorcycles]]