Maduko World Headquarters

Desmo Demystified

Ducati is considered by many to be the Ferrari of motorcycles. The comparison is well deserved. In addition to a long racing history, Ducatis are a joy to ride, expensive, beautiful and a pain in the ass to work on.

Let’s focus on that last one.

*A simple desmodromic valvetrain in action.*

Synonymous with the name Ducati is the term “Desmo,” short for desmodromic. A desmo valvetrain does not rely on springs to close the intake and exhaust valves. A cam lobe opens the valve, and another cam lobe closes the valve. This design has been used on almost all Ducati motorcycles since 1968.

While they did not invent it, Ducati are the only manufacturer to offer it to the public in significant numbers. The concept dates back to racing cars as early as 1914, but it was Ducati’s implementation on their 1956 125 Grand Prix racing bike that ushered in a new era. Back then it overcame the problems of stiff valve springs, metal fatigue or springs that weren’t able to close the valves quickly enough, a problem known as “valve float.” These problems the desmodromic valvetrain was designed to solve have pretty much been eliminated by modern metallurgy and more advanced valve actuation systems.

But I digress.

Would You Buy a Used Car from…

No one. The correct answer is: no one.
At least not right now. Used car prices are insane, and still climbing.

In the past year the price of used vehicles has climbed an astonishing 30%. The primary reason for this venture to the Upside Down is due to a shortage of microchips, which has bogged down new car production.

Continue reading Would You Buy a Used Car from…

Pennytech: Simple Lightbox

Snapping product photos for eBay or Facebook Marketplace just got a whole lot easier! Using this simple lightbox you can shoot on a blank “infinite” background to emphasize the item, instead of your surroundings.

Catch Some Air(table)

There’s no quicker way to suck the lifeforce out of a room— just mention this word: database.

Aeeiiiyyyy!

Unfortunately there are times when such evil things cannot be avoided. A recent project required keeping track of the ins and outs of certain items. Dates, amounts, notes, and sometime even photos would be recorded. A spreadsheet seemed adequate… until it wasn’t.

Cure for Sticky Calipers

Or An Ode to the Lowly Grease Gun

My latest project involves an Italian motorcycle from the Seventies (yes, apparently I do have too much time on my hands). It’s a 1978 Moto Guzzi V50 that I bought in relatively good condition with 14k miles. It’s very complete and pretty much unmolested– meaning the fenders haven’t been buzzed off or removed. Of course, it’s still over 40 years old so… well, there are issues.