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I have a 250 Road 77, an I am wondering which dials would be the nearest to correct (if there is such a thing with Ducati singles) or most appropriate.
I have a choice of;





My bike came with the top instruments, but at least one of these isn't original - the tacho is dated 4/78.

The 250 Road hand book shows a 200km/h speedo but no tacho, and states the engine is good for 9000rpm

The second set are from a Forza. These look like what ought to be on the Road.
Yet the Forza handbook shows a tacho like the one in the top image, and a 160 km/h speedo, albeit with a different dial to the top image.

I know this is all a bit academic, and who cares what's fitted as long as it works, but it would be interesting to know. Maybe the y just fitted what they had in stock?

Hi Max,
The clocks you have fitted to your Road 77 are the correct type for the bike.
The speedometer with no trip function and the tachometer with the lower red line limit, despite what is written in the Spanish handbook.
Your original tachometer may well be a Road 77 item as that model was built until June/July 1978 when it was replaced by the widecase Strada.

As you are probably aware, those clocks are not the most accurate or reliable. The internal mechanism is the same as the smaller VDO instruments fitted to earlier Mototrans bikes, but with the larger diameter face and a longer needle, the return spring on the needle cannot cope very well with the extra weight of the needle, causing it to wave around a bit.

Jon

Thanks Jon, I knew somebody would have the answer!

Max,

I should have added that I think the pair of clocks that you think are from a Forza are more likely from a Spanish parallel twin.
Most Stradas and Forzas did not usually have the trip function on the speedometer, only the Vento and the parallel twins.
Also the twins had the yellow line on the tachometer at 8000 RPM with the red line at 8500 RPM.

Jon