Ducati 900SS and 750SS (bevel) servicing
1975 to 1982 · 864cc bevel-drive Desmo V-twin · Greenwich, London
Ray Petty Meccanica services, repairs and restores the bevel-drive Ducati 900SS and the square-case 750SS (1975 to 1982) at its independent Ducati workshop in Greenwich, London. These are kickstart-only Desmo twins that depend on accurate valve, carburettor and ignition set-up, and RPM prepared a silver and blue 1975 900SS for display at Salon Privé.
About the 900SS and 750SS
The square-case 900SS arrived for 1975, when Ducati put the 864cc (86 x 74.4mm) engine from the 860 GT, with Desmodromic heads, into the Super Sport chassis. A 750cc version was built alongside it in small numbers until 1979. Fewer than 250 900SSs were made in 1975, with unfiltered 40mm Dell'Orto carburettors, Conti silencers, a fibreglass tank and a right-foot gearchange. Later bikes gained a left-foot change, a steel tank and, in many markets, 32mm carburettors to meet noise rules. A stronger crank came in 1978, and ignition moved from Ducati Elettrotecnica to Bosch electronic units. Electric start never reached the 900SS. Around 6,100 were built before the S2 took over in 1982.
Servicing your 900SS and 750SS
Bevel shafts and gears drive a single overhead camshaft in each head, and the Desmodromic valve gear has separate opening and closing rockers, so a valve service on a 900SS means checking and setting both clearances on all four valves. The Dell'Ortos need balancing, with jetting to suit the silencers and filters fitted. Bikes built before 1978 have the smaller crankpin, which shortened big-end life, so any record of a bottom-end rebuild is worth having. With kickstart only, good ignition and carburation set-up makes starting far easier. RPM prepared the silver and blue 1975 900SS shown at Salon Privé 2020 next to the 1974 750SS it restored, and it keeps originality in mind on every bevel twin it works on.
Book your 900SS and 750SS (bevel) in
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