Identification help please
 

Have recently purchased an 851 Tri Colour; is this a strada or superbike?

It has ZDM851S1 tag, Ali tank, twin injectors (4 total), silver or gray frame, gold bremo brakes, Ohlins rear shock, wheels are ali colour outer’s and gold spokes?

Hard to find anything much out about these so any other history, info greatly appreciated also...

Silver/Grey frame sounds an oddball. I thought these were all the matt gold colour? But I may be wrong.

Not to sure, seems to match with other pictures around but i do not know... Picture of colour

Or white even?

Looks very like this ONE
So its a superbike :)

Hi donwon61

The tri-colour was produced in two versions: The 'kit' which was intended for the race track, and the Strada (meaning Street) which was intended for... ahem!... the street.

The main differences between the two bikes were that the kit wore a 17" front wheel - rather than the 16" wheel of the Strada - and handled better for it. Check your wheel size, if it's 16" it's a Strada. (Often, the kit had no indicators or mirrors either).

All 851/888s are Superbikes - whether they're called Kit, Racing, Strada, SP, SPO or SPS. Your bike's chassis number just translates as: "Ducati 851 Superbike".

Steve

ps. Forgot to say.. Tri-colours were orignally fitted with Marzocchi forks & rear shock. Maybe yours has been replaced?

[Edited on 3-9-2005 by weeveetwin]

Thanks Steve / all :-)

Have checked all over the front forks and can find no marks to identify what they are, the front wheel (tyre at least) is a 16” :-(

Does the 17” make a noticeable improvement to the handling?

Fairing does not incorporate indicators or mirrors; the rear has some very aftermarket looking flashers screwed on.

Is there a site or book where I could lern more about these stunning machines?

Well you could head over to the Yahoo Ducati851 group HERE I,m afraid there isnt to much information online (as far as i have found)

The forks are M1R's, Strada's had 16 inch front and rear. Your calipers look gold and might be the GP1 "kit" calipers as RWG strada's had the same black Brembo calipers that came on 1989 (euro) and 1990 (usa) 851's.

Yes, the change to 17 inch wheels makes BIG diff. The bike will no longer "wheelbarrow" (meaning tuck the front wheel) when pushed into a tight slow corner. 16 inchers were famous for this. Bimota DB1's did this BIG TIME with 16's.

You have the "kit" non-blinker front fairing as strada's had blinkers built into the front of the mirror housings that looked much like the Paso built-in mirrors.

Your swingarm is the strada version as the "kit" was braced on the lower side. Strada gas capacity is 22 liters, while the "kit" is 21 liters.

The kit has 119 crank hp vs the strada's 100 crank hp, so there should be a big diff in performance if you compare it to stock 888 that has typically 100 rwhp w/open airbox and free flowing cans.

Right now I'd say you have a strada with the kit nose on it, if it's an original nose or a painted aftermarket nose to match.

Send me some detailed big kb photos and I'll tell you more.

Mike mrc.engr@verizon.net

Wow, thanks again all...

Some big photo's on the way Mike, appreciate the advice / help

Cheers

Josh