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Hi,

My name is Ralf and I joined this forum last week because of my new project. I have a 350 Scrambler which I would like to restore to original status as much as possible.
According to Ducati my bike was build between May or June 1969 based on my frame and engine number.

Now I am struggle a little bit regarding some points:
a) Which original colours were available in 1969 on an 350? Only orange? Orange together with a black stripe or without it?
b) Which Air filter is the right one? The big ugly black one or the smaller on connected direct to the carburettor?
c) Has the fuel tank silver-painted panels or was it chrome plated? Was the shape like a drop or does it had a recess in direction to the seat?
d) How were the instruments mounted? In two separate brackets or one for both?
e) in original condition the shocks had rubber guides. Correct?

Attached are some pictures of my bike. Feel free to mention even some more details which are not original at this bike.

Ralf

https://www.ducatibrochures.com/the-collection-per-type-or-year/bevel-singles-350-450/ is a page with a lot of brochures. Browse them, some might answer your question.
And here https://bevelheaven.com/brochure-index-singles.htm are even more.

Hans

Hi Ralf and Welcome to the Forum.

If you want to get back to the 1969 specification, I advise you to be careful. Most of what you see in the brochures is for later, 1970-on, bikes.

These 1970+ bikes are often referred to as the First Series (“Prima Serie”) of the wide-case Scrambler. In fact, this is incorrect because there were two (!) earlier models, both of which appeared in 1968.

Your problem is that 1969 was a transition year between these early bikes and the ‘Prima Serie’ bikes.

And I have to tell you that, to my eyes, your bike has many characteristics of a Prima Serie. You have a VHB carb, not a SSI. You also have the large air filter. The instrument mounts are Prima Serie, as are the black painted headlamp brackets and the paintwork on the tank. The mudguards are painted the same colour as the tank, as for Prima Serie. You have the short silencer … and so on.

Also be aware that US market bikes and European market bikes were slightly different.

Btw, your rear light mount is not what is normally seen on a Scrambler. It is normally seen on the RT, 1970+.

What I’m saying is that if you want to get back to a ‘1969’ specification, you are likely to have a lot of cosmetic changes to make. Nonetheless, I will try to reply as best I can to your questions

Ciao

Craig
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a) Which original colours were available in 1969 on an 350? Only orange? Orange together with a black stripe or without it?

Red seems to have also been an option, at least on the 250. From what I can discover, some bikes had the black pin-striping, some not.

b) Which air filter is the right one? The big ugly black one or the smaller one connected direct to the carburettor?

The Big One is correct for a VHB carb.

c) Has the fuel tank silver-painted panels or was it chrome plated? Was the shape like a drop or does it had a recess in direction to the seat?

Your bike appears to have the chrome plated panels of a Prima Serie. The tear drop shape is correct for a Prima Serie.

d) How were the instruments mounted? In two separate brackets or one for both?

Prima Serie, two mounts. Before that, there was only a speedo in the headlight, no rev counter.

e) In original condition the shocks had rubber guides. Correct?

Yes. And same for the front forks - and that even for the 1968, pre-Prima Series models!

Hi again Ralf.

1. You may find this link useful. It has photos of a 1969 US-market 350, the very same bike that features in Ian Falloon's "Ducati Overhead Camshaft Singles" book. The bike is cosmetically unrestored.

https://angus-dykman-hqkt.squarespace.c ... -scrambler

2. This is a US advert that is definitely for the 1969 350 model - you can see the advert date of April 1969 bottom left. (For some reason, the bike was called a SSS in the USA for that year ...)

upload images

rbier wrote: <snip> According to Ducati my bike was build between May or June 1969 based on my frame and engine number.

I am increasingly beginning to think that Ducati have told you wrong. This is not surprising - they often are .

What is your engine number?

Hi Ventodue,

thank's for helping me to find out what is original on my bike and what was changed perhaps from the previous owners (e.g. rear light mount)!

I've seen the link and advert too, but both couldn't answer me my questions complete.

If Ducati was wrong with their answer? Who knows?
My engine number is 08938

Hi Ralf

the very early widecase engines has the top rear motormount bolt 8 mm in diameter .

later on they changed to a 10 mm bolt .

is yours 8 or 10 mm ?

Eldert

Hi Ralf,

rbier wrote:My engine number is 08938

Ok, that helps - thanks. So ...

I suspect that the build date of May-June 1969 that the factory gave you is a little early. In addition to all the parts on your bike that are generally characteristic of the 1970 model bikes ...

1) Using Ian Falloon's figures, 1969 engine production should have ended somewhere around number 07700. Your number is 1,200 on from that number. That's quite a difference so, even allowing an amount of flexibilty on these numbers, 1970 appears more credible.

2) Your number fits within the engine numbers of the 4, 350 SCRs listed on the BevelHeaven register as 1970 bikes. I accept, however, that the date submitted is normally the date of registration, not of build.


If it were my bike, I'd probably re-build it to 1970 specification. Except for one thing: I'd keep the rear light bracket. The originals snapped ...

Have fun!

Ciao

Craig

Hi Eldert,

I've measured a 8 mm bolt.

Hi Craig,

maybe it was build in May-June 1969 as model year 1970. The automotive industry does it in the same manner.

Ralf