Ducati Scrambler 250, 350 and 450 (original) servicing
1968 to 1974 · 249cc, 340cc and 436cc bevel-drive singles · Greenwich, London
Ray Petty Meccanica services, repairs and restores the original Ducati Scrambler 250, 350 and 450 (1968 to 1974), along with the Desmo 450 R/T, at its independent Ducati workshop in Greenwich, London. These are bevel-drive overhead-cam singles, not to be confused with today's V-twin Scrambler, and RPM treats them as the classics they are.
About the original Scrambler
Ducati first built the Scrambler in 1962 for its American importer, Berliner. The switch to the stronger wide-case engine came in 1968, starting with the 350 (340cc) and followed a few weeks later by the 250 (249cc). The 450 (436cc) arrived in 1969 to take on BSA's 441 Victor and was sold in the US as the Jupiter. All three use a frame with a single downtube and the engine as a stressed member, and from late 1969 they wore yellow or orange tanks with chromed sides. The off-road 450 R/T of 1971 to 1974 added a Desmo head and yellow fibreglass bodywork; about 460 were built. The factory stopped making singles in 1974, though UK importer Coburn & Hughes sold the last ones into 1976.
Servicing your Scrambler
Unlike the R/T, the road Scramblers close their valves with hairpin springs, so a valve check has no Desmo closing rockers to set. Each has one Dell'Orto carburettor (the 450's is a 29mm VHB with a square slide) and a wet multiplate clutch. Starting is by kickstarter, with a decompressor lever on the bar to ease the engine over compression. Ignition was battery and coil until 1973, when the 250 and 450 gained electronic ignition. Originality can be tricky: some of the last 250 and 350 Scramblers used engines built under licence in Spain by MotoTrans. RPM can source parts for a Scrambler that has been off the road for years and keep it as close to how it left the factory as you want.
Book your Scrambler 250, 350 and 450 (original) in
Tell us what it needs, or how long it's been off the road, and we'll take it from there.
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