Bronco Mania

1961 Ducati 125 Bronco - $3995

Ducati Bronco 125 - Push Rod Motorcycles, these things are small, but very cool !!

Well I got the seat mounted, put some gas in the tank and got this bike going. With a 58 degree in update NY the day after Thanksgiving, I was thankful for the nice weather and a chance to take it for a spin one last time before the snow flies. I am happy with the way this bike turned our the clubman bars and Ducati 98 tank make this bike a contender for Moto Giros !

October 8, 2011

Bad A$$ Bronco ! I Got this Bronco 125 T tank from Italy - ebay and with a set of small clubman bars, and ashore Benelli seat, this bike looks a pretty cool IMHO. I know it is only 7.5 HP, so no speed deamon, but it's kind of unique and the tank makes it. I used "Evpo Rust" which did a great job removing the crud from the inside and I highly recommend this stuff.

Updated November14, 2010

I was inspired by the new HDT series "Cafe Racers" although I do not think these little Bronco's will ever to the Ton ! I am hoping to do the painting tomorrow and get these 2 bikes completed in time for winter - my timing is great isn't it ?

The one seat cover was redone by a local master upholstery person who makes the seat better than the original without loosing the look of the original seat. I have to put the rivots and rear badge on the redcovered seat.

Updated October 10, 2010

It runs ! I finally got the electrical sorted out with Bronco #2 and it kicked over and runs strong !

When I put the engine of Bronco #2 on the frame I had to pull off the flywheel to get to the points to clean and inspect. One thing I learned is that the flywheel are soft bronze and warp easily if using a hook-style gear puller. Save yourself the aggrivation and expense and get a real flywheel puller. I bought mine fromwww.mbsmfg.com for $15.00. Here is a pic of the puller:

Updated March 15, 2010 - Happy St Patrick's Day !

Final wheel assembly - NOS Barrani alloy 17 inch wheels, which are not the standard equipment, but I do not care - they look sooo cool !

I used the original hubs and had to drill out the holes due to the fact that I am using 3.5mm spokes. The original spokes were 145mm x 2.5 mm on the front and 145mm x 3.0 mm on the rear. I found a supplier with 155mm spokes, but they were 3.5mm (standard diameter for most Ducati singles). The Borrani NOS rims were source from Italy.

Here's pic of the polished hub and my spoke kit and the Borrani alloy very-cool rim

On the topic of spokes. The spokes I got were actually meant for a Honda CL/CB350. The spokes are straight, which presents a problem. The Ducati spokes have and inner and outer, each with a slight bend. Using a crescent wrench and a marker, I was absl to make a set of both inner and outer spokes

For tips on how to lace a wheel and how to round and true the wheels, I would highly recommend Tom Bailey's Ducati Singles First Person book.

Updated Jan 1, 2010 - Happy New Years !

January 1, 2020

Ok, things got a little out of hand this fall. It started last spring when I rescued a 125 Bronco from "dumb and dumber" and then I found another Bronco that was part of a package deal with some parts I wanted. Then, I got an email from a guy who had a Bronco that he was not interested in completing the restoration - how could I resist ? So, now I have 3 bikes, 2 of which I will complete and one for parts. I already have sold some parts and would like to sell the rest of the engine and frame as a package - stay tuned for more later...

Here are some pics of the frames and fenders.

Here are some pics of the engines, one has the case bead-blasted and the other is polished:

I went a little nuts and found some NOS Borrani 17 inch rims which I am going to use with a set of hubs I am polishing. The original rims on the Bronco 1962-1965 were 16 inch and chrome. I do not see any stamping on the original chrome rims, like the larger rims.

I think the one bike has a very large sprocket - here are the other 2, which are the same size. Not sure why the previous owner went with such a large sprocket???

This seat is in exceptational condition. I have 2 others, one if the bare frame with rusted springs and the other has good frame and springs, but poor recovering job

November 14 2009

This little thing is really cool and it actually runs ! I am thinking a complete tear-down and re-paint. I got a couple of NOS parts with it, inlcuding a nice shinny Silenitum muffler !

Rescued from "dumb and dumber" May 27, 2009

This I do not understand. This guy said his Dad bought this bike 40 years ago and they rode t around for awhile, then left it outside and there it sat. What a shame and how stupid. The good news is that it looks like it is fairly complete. The seat it shot and the cables are mostly gone, engine does not turn, but I am thinking of taking the ignition switch, tail light and brake switch and parting out the rest - although I hate to do this.

Not sure what to do with this one.....

contact me: tony@coolitalianbikes.com