It’s Sunday, September 10, 2023, and the replacement starter jet has arrived and been installed, along with its new gasket, in the rear Dell’orto carb. After many months of wrestling with carburettor settings, taking things out and screwing them back in again, it’s time to take the Ducati on the road and see how the latest permutation of jets and settings performs. In my limited experience, there are few occasions in classic bike fettling when you can ride away and within minutes it dawns on you that finally, magically, wonderfully, the bike’s actually running perfectly. Today is one of those days.
Things, and indeed the bike itself, looked very different 15 months ago. Back then it was a Cagiva Alazzurra 350, yet it was a true Pantah at heart, with its L-twin Ducati engine, trellis frame, Marzocchi shocks and Brembo brakes. However, it was dressed in typical 1980s ‘sports touring’ clothes, complete with half fairing, chunky tank and squashy seat. “Well, it’s been standing a while,” was
