I removed the rear wheel and noted that the rear sprocket was very loose. Is this normal on a neglected bike? On closer inspection I found that all five bolts holding the rear sprocket to the wheel had come so loose and that they had worn a groove of about 3 mm deep into the swing arm. I don't know how the pervious owner didn't notice this grinding noise but I don't think it would have been too long before they noticed as two of the five bolts were finger tight and the other three were almost at the end of their locking threads on the nuts.
Anyway, should I get the groove left from the bolt heads, filled with weld or should I try and source a new swing arm? Any suggestions??
Cheers

what? this one?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ducati-Paso-907-i ... dZViewItem

That is a 907 one.
No matter, it would be a great start for the 17" wheels conversion.
Now, it seems there is no Paso swingarm on eBay, even if sometimes they appear on it.
Ciao

Damaged swingarm, it´s only aluminium, shouldn´t be any broblem welding it. Only
if you can´t do it yourself let a good welser do it. Krakan 907 Red

A good craftsman will do it in a few minutes.
It's enough he fills the notchs with the aluminium.
Later you'll grind away the surplus, until you'll get the right shape to the swingarm.
I made the same thing, when I had the 906. After I fell down, the swingarm was notched by the bent of the footpegs.
Many Pasos have the same dents on the swingarm.
Ciao

...and also acid leak from battery breather pipe, when/if bike have fallen...

Mine is both dented and spotted...

Is there a way to remove that spots without polishing the aluminium?
Or better, since I don't like too much the polished aluminium, is there the way to have the aluminium surface satinized as the original finishing?
Some kind of brush?
Ciao

No! If surface have failed, only way is to make again that anodic/cathodic coating! You can polish stainless steel very easily, alumium little harder, but if its damaged, that cant fix by polishing anymore...

Anodizeid coating.
Like when you colour alu parts & other materials red, blue etc w a thin electro/chemical coating bath. You dip the parts in this and you get a thin protective surface in colour if you like.

I have welded my swing on my Monster w a similar swing.
Some 5 years ago now, no problemo.