Hey Bianchi, experts, what the heck is this?
 

Somebody threw this in the metal recycle bin the co-op uses for local bikes. It looks powder coated. Has a silly Ducati sticker on it. I don’t recognize the Bianchi cursive on top of the seats stay. No idea what metal this is or if it was built in Italy or Japan.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c0d9b8bd8.jpeg
Ducati?
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...887298e74.jpeg
Cursive writing
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1e53896d9.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...21f50a898.jpeg
Campagnolo
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c31cdc8c4.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6c092b47a.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6fb6e536a.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1f52ef85b.jpeg

I believe that may be an early X4. According to the following site, the early X4's had the normal, square brake bridge like yours. Excellent save! Now you need to find a fork.

The Bianchi X4 Code — Velo Aficionado

Wow!!
And someone thought it best to toss away.

This looks like the next bike to tear down, strip, paint and build up.

Curious as to why I don't see any numbers on the BB. The powder coating is thick, button thick.

I have a plain "B" panto on the crown fork bit not the special fork.

Sigh.

Oh yes!! I have an X4 stem. Never knew what it meant!!

I can barely see a "D" and a "4" on the non-drive side.

Good spot. I reckon there's a couple of other digits closer to the Bianchi motif. Looks like a 57 on the drive side, which i assume refers to the frame size.

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...G?format=2500w

The tricky question is, what colour to paint it...

Found the sticker's origin. Or at least where one could buy one.

https://shop.zengraphics.co.uk/ducat...-dyno-custom-p

Can't wait to tear into it and give it some powdercoat removal.

By the way, how does one remove powder coating? I'm worried there could be chrome underneath, so blasting is out.

"aircraft" paint stripper was the way before Methylene Chloride was purged.
today? Going to take much more elbow grease. i suggest wrapping any chemical stripper with saran wrap to limit evaporation.

Hey Rob, can you show the whole bike? I can't believe what people toss out, especially with those brakes.

I’m not there until next week

but, the whole thing is c-record except for the brakes which were probably deltas

Cranks look to be Chorus.

Brakes on the bike now are Chorus Monoplanar (sp?).

yes, yes of course. I meant to say this bike, gen one, would have originally come with Deltas.

I know what brakes are on there now.

I love the look of monoplanes.

Looks like I’m wicked late to the party. I think the frame is a top of the line Italian from ‘85ish, and the beautiful Chorus group, any pics of the RD?

I vaguely remember some Bianchi Ducati connection in the ‘90s but what this monstrosity is, is anyones guess.

Hi Rob, for powder coat removal I recall that people were using auto gasket remover.

FWIW, when I took my Cramerotti in to be powder coated, the shop said that they would have to try and score the chrome seat stays and chain stays to get the powder to adhere decently. I don't know if this is a industry-wide practice, but any chrome underneath might already be affected. Might want to ask around your area to get some additional professional opinions.
John

the stuff that some people throw away! Sheesh, it's like taking a thoroughbred to the glue factory cause "she's just not winning as many races as before"...
FWIW I have had okay results using the still available "safer" paint strippers (like Citra Strip) on PC but it does take longer than "older
unsafe formulas" when/if you can still find that stuff (not sold in California, but Nevada isn't so very far away...and I never said that!)
But as well as being polyethylene resin (or the even stronger epoxy resin if the OP paid extra for it) the coating is generally much thicker than common wet-applied paint, so expect longer time for results. Might get some help by shooting the area with heat gun to soften the PC before applying the stripper. but NOT after the stripper is on it!
They hate that...;)