I guess I'm too old to share on fb the moment when I torqued a head or changed a lightbulb.
Don't need to ask on 3w why my bike won't start, I'll figure that out myself (as long as it's not computer-corrupted).
I respect the guys who put a lot of work in keeping the Ducati heritage alive, be it bikes, the men or the history of them.
Even thought of, after seeing piuma's posts, digging into the old scrapbooks for pics of TT's and F1's that were raced in Belgium.
This forum is by far the most used of the four I visit on a daily base, certainly with such rare bikes.
I certainly don't think this forum is dying just because other media are "more succesfull/more visited".
Just don't want to shift through too much collateral garbage to find info or interesting (to me) facts, when I can find them on a forum that is focused on the things I'm interested in.
Could be that I don't get to all the events, gatherings and interesting meetings 'cause they're only on fb. So be it.
Just my 5 lire.
And another post to add

ciao
beppi

Hello Lou,

What’s the story of the TT1 you posted a pic of ?

Graeme

Hey Graeme! Hope life is treating you well. I really like that picture. The history of that TT1 is very interesting. It was the 1985 Milan show bike on the NCR show stand pictured in one of Mick Walkers Ducati books. Allen Schuester from the USA bought the bike and requested the 38mm Marzocchi be replaced. with the then new, 41.7mm M1R's. He raced it a bit then had Russ Paulk, an American race it for him. It was then sold to Pablo Real, another racer who took her to a a number of podiums against faster machines. Then low and behold I owned her for enough time to clean her up a bit and then sold her to the late Jack Silverman. I'm not quite sure where she is now, I think somewhere in Colorado. I regret selling her so much, but I put myself in so much debt to buy her, I had no choice. There's a lot more to the story, maybe in another post! Lou

If I made the list then maybe this forum is truly in trouble? Still reading through the responses reflects that the participants here are hardcore non face book curmudgeons like me.
We all intended to contribute more but the time thieves seem to target my world! I will eventually escape there clutches and post more.
-Cranky-
PS-Nice pics of that bike Lou.

I think like you.
I have gone through several forums and here, very valuable things are contributed, I like it that way.

Thanx Lou....for kind words about my posting...now.....I gotta go find an Alazzurra to chop up so I have something to post about....or ride and break the F1 so you guyz can help me figure out how to fix it.....

Clay

Thanks Lou
Interesting story
You are very fortunate to have owned it.

Regards
Graeme

I have a back story on the #15 TT1. I joined this forum last year and this is my first post. It's been enjoyable to find out where bikes I last saw on the Daytona banking in the early /mid 80's ended up.

A couple weeks after the 1985 October CCS finals at Daytona several of us in Atlanta who raced CCS, BOTT, and later Pro Twins decided to go to the Milan bike show. Alan was a highly placed banker at Citicorp and used his banking contacts to set up the Milan logistics. Around 2 weeks later three of us were talking our way into the first day of the show, the dealer segment, using bluster and credentials from the bike shop some of us rode out of in Athens Ga, Cycle Specialties. The third day, when the general public is let in, we hired a car and interpreter to go to Bologna to visit DM and NCR and buy all we could for the next racing season. The principles of NCR were there and a package deal was worked out on bike, engine, and spares. The deal included a complete bike, complete engine, wheels, forks, gear sets, dry clutch kits, camshafts, valves, pistons and cylinders. We did a similar purchase at DM for multiple frames - TT1, Pantah, and swingarms. I remember the final tab being like 47 million Italian lira. The buys came into US customs over a 6 week period. It was like having Christmas extending to Feb.

Thru the interpreter Alan described to Rino and Giorgio what he wanted - a production framed FI with an NCR engine to qualify for BOTT modified production. Something was lost in translation and what arrived at Atlanta Hartsfield customs a month later was the Milan NCR TT1 show bike. Uncrating it was like unwrapping a Faberge egg, I kept the crate for years as wall art. When we started the TT1 in Alan's shop up it ran for about 60 seconds and locked up solid. Upon investigation we found no oil was getting to the crank. A flap of rubber was found clogging the braided oil line fitting at the nose oil cooler which prevented oil flow. Apparently the bike had never been started before. Anyway Alan contacted Eraldo Ferracci, thru whom he had obtained his first and identical TT1, and Eraldo refurbished the motor stateside on behalf of NCR. Alan rode it in club races a couple times before he moved from rider to patron. Russ, who at the time was competing in the AMA pro series, did weekend double duty and rode it in Pro Twins that season.

Looking back it was a great time to be racing.

I am a relatively new member as my F1 has sat in the back of the garage as a long term project but is now making it's way through the resto. process. Like many I am lurk on both FB and online forums. Based on recent experience I am winding back the FB element as I find the general rudeness is appalling and the number of people who hold themselves out as experts when they know jack about what they are talking about is disturbing. I would counter the stats with how many of the 366 members are actual owners vs. the 3600 FB watchers? With a bike like the F1 and TT we only have a small population in the first place. Yes it's nice to generate interest in our bikes but I would never act on advice derived from FB without verifying first. A simple story for example - I am also restoring a Yamaha YZF750R at the same time as my F1 (when one is waiting for stuff the other one continues - that's the theory). When it came time to restore the forks it was clear that nobody actually knew how to dismantle the bottom of the USD inner (the bit that hold the spindle and brakes). The suggestions from people online would have had me destroying the fork leg. Fortunately a conversation with the guys at Rad Hard Chroming put me on the right path and I will soon have a properly restored fork inner. The moral to the story, don't use FB for mechanical advice. I think FB really is only useful for finding parts in your chosen community now that EBay is becoming so expensive - but I would caveat that with it is an unregulated and uncontrolled environment as well. So while this is a relatively quiet community it is an informed and helpful one, and that I think means it is not dying, just sleepy.
Cheers
Paul

Wow Ducshtick! that was a great bit of inside information! A Faberge egg indeed. I lusted after that bike for 20 years. After Alan sold it to Pablo Real he raced what was left of her. I believe my TT1 is sporting the original forks that were on the Milan show bike, as Alan had them put on the then new M1R's. Here are a few more pictures of the old girl. Do you have any pictures, also are you still in contact with Alan? Is that Alan in the middle picture #43? Lou