The secret handshake...

Buying parts and accessories for Ducatis is hard enough when you’re dealing with anything built after ’93, but try moving downward (chronologically speaking) into the realm of the Pantah-based stuff or even further into the Land of the Bevel Twin.

I mean, even owners of modern Ducatis generally accept the reality that buying stuff for their bikes more often than not requires more than just a quick call or visit to the local dealer.  Want something from Ducati Performance?  Your dealer might know what you’re talking about, and you might have to wait a while for the product.  One certainty is that you’ll pay through the nose.  (..Where did that saying come from anyway?  What a bizarre image..)  Want a replacement part?  Well, at least there’s a DNA part number for stuff going back to the early ‘90’s.  Want bling or performance stuff?  Surf the net, the boards and the lists, and you’ll find an array of stuff – but little information on fitment.  Try the aftermarket manufacturers’ sites and the products are generally described in English that’s been poorly translated from Italian.  If described at all…..  But it’s all part of the mystique, right?

Owners of the really old stuff need to know exactly what they’re looking for and even then, finding parts requires plenty of contacts and a certain amount of black magic to pull it all together.  Sourcing parts has been a huge part of the two bevel projects I’m involved in right now and surprisingly, after over a decade (in this life) in the game, it’s still an adventure.  I can’t say it’s a pain in the ass, ‘cause the process requires interaction – lots of it – with some pretty unique people.  It’s also interesting to note that not much has changed in the supply chain over the past 10 years, other than the welcome addition of Steve Allen (Bevel Heaven) and a few specialty jobbers out of Australia.  The traditional vendors still prevail:  Syd and Malcom Tunstall in Florida, Bob Miller in Connecticut, Phil and Gowanloch’s in Australia, Old Racing Spares in Italy and the folks at Accessory Mart (for the occasional NOS surprise).  I always wonder where they got the NOS stuff they sell and just how long the stocks will hold out.  With the recent resurgence in bevel twins interest, not much longer I fear.  While some of the restoration bits are being remanufactured and have become somewhat commoditized, the bulk of the things you need to build a spiffy bevel twin Hot Rod are still difficult to find and it ain’t likely to get any better.

Even in this day and age, Syd’s Cycles hang on as the poster child for neo-luddism in DucatiLand with their fax machine serving as the highest form of technology.  I’ll bet the phone’s a rotary-dial.  So, although you’ve gotta get personal and dial Syd up, it’s always a treat to chat with the old guy.  Syd’s been around forever and every time I call and introduce myself, I get the story (at varying lengths) of his race at Mosport in the 60’s.  Sometimes he has what I need, sometimes he has to call me back, and sometimes he forgets to…  But it’s always neat to connect with someone who’s such a long-time figure in the North American Ducati scene.  The bizarre thing is that you never know what any of these people might or might not have squirreled away.  One day, Phil’s the only guy in the world with clutch actuating arms, and a month later, Phil's out of 'em and Bob Miller’s got four.  There are other sources, sure – but I don’t know the right people who know the right people to hook me up with them.  I’m sure Keith Harte in Southern Ontario has a bunch of stuff, but he remains elusive.  Keith was pretty much ‘Mr. Ducati’ in central Canada in the 70’s and built some pretty hot race bikes in his day.  He’s reputedly returned to the scene, but people I know who have his phone number can’t give it to me ‘cause that’s the way it works with Keith these days.  I’ll have to wait for the mountain to come to Mohammed.  Same thing with the legendary Franco Romanelli - back in Montréal after his stint in the Northeastern US.  I know of someone who knows where he lives, but can’t get in touch with the guy I know of.

Will I become so inaccessible when I become an old, grey legend?  Probably.  I’m almost old and getting greyer by the day. And I find that the older I get the less… well, you know how that goes.  All I need is a cane so I can shake it in the air when I yell “Hey!  You kids!  Get offa’ my Goddamn lawn!”

And there’s the multi-vendor scenario required in order to get exactly what you want…  Buchanan Spoke and Rim do an excellent job of building shiny wheels and have all the stuff you need.  Except 3” shouldered Akront-style rims.  So the rims come from Central Wheel in the UK, where they meet up at Buchanan’s with the hubs you’ve lovingly restored.  …If you’re lucky.

When it comes to parts, the Bevelheads list community is what I consider the point of last resort.  When all traditional sources have failed, I’ve found that this group can magically produce the part that has remained so elusive.  eBay bids are freely discussed on the Bevelheads list and one can even call “dibs” on an item that one absolutely MUST HAVE.

There used to be some sort of unwritten code that unified bevel enthusiasts buying and selling through older boards like the Ducati Index.  eBay’s changed all that, I’m sorry to say.  I used to buy stuff “sight unseen” from the Index, but with eBay, my guard’s up.  I don’t know why, but the times have changed.

So for those of you modern Ducati owners who read this stuff and find yourselves frustrated beyond belief with the task of locating the part you want so badly, take solace in that fact that compared to the vintage folks, you've got it made.  And for those of us who run the old stuff, or coax it back into a new life – we know have something special.  We live in this incredible network of guys who know guys who know of guys that have heard of that guy that might have the part we need.  And eventually, we call him up and because we know the secret handshake, we’ve probably made a new friend.

.... By the way, if you are that guy, I'm still looking for a set of 38mmx508mm Cerianis, a clip-on style Marzocchi small offset 38mm top triple clamp and a side stand for a GT...