1965 Ducati Brio 100

There is very little information available about these rare scooters made by Ducati in the early '60's. After stumbling through a basket case restoration of a '65 Ducati Brio 100 I learned a few things, and I'd like to put that information out on the web for posterity. I wish I could have found that info when I needed it.

I got lucky; my Brio had 955 miles on it when it developed a problem, and the former owner (nephew of a former Ducati dealer in Rochester, MN) completely disassembled it, thinking he would fix it all up. He didn't get far. So all my parts were pristine, and they were all there. So here's a warning: if you have a Brio that's missing any major Brio-specific parts, the possibility of finding them is close to zero. There are almost no parts sources, service info, or knowledgeable individuals when it comes to these. Parts that you DO find are going to be in such nasty condition that they are not even usable, and the sellers usually want a mint for them.

As an AMCA member I maintain and restore a number of antique motorcycles. Over time I became enamored with scooters; I have restored a few Vespa's and had a Lambretta in the works when this came to me. I bought it without knowing how scarce parts were; once I found out, I frantically started going through everything, using the parts book that came with it (as well as a title and a plate! I really did get lucky...) and it seemed to be all there. Moreover, I had crazy stuff, like the original tires and tubes - in great shape. It even had the original Italian CEV bulbs in the headlight and taillight. I'm guessing the parts were stored in the dark all those years. Body gaskets were in rough shape but they were there. I was missing only the legshield rubber and floorboard strips. Unfortunately, the parts were all mixed up, uncategorized, loose in boxes. The bolts and nuts were thrown in buckets. I spent a good deal of time studying the parts book and trying to figure out what was what.

So the first thing would be to get the engine back together. I figured out the assembly steps by trial & error and I'll share that on the "Ducati 2-stroke Service Info" page

This will be a work in progress. If you have any questions that DON'T start with "Where can I get parts" email me at spoon55432@gmail.com.