Welcome to the Ducati FAQ, a compendium of factoids culled from the many musings and ramblings of knowledgeable individuals who have "been there," and some who just pose but happen to remember the best parts. While we believe this information to be correct, keep in mind that this is an "Everyman's Truth," gained by hearsay outside of official channels, and could be somewhat inaccurate. However, this information can be extremely useful...just take it for what it's worth and check your information with reliable sources before doing anything expensive or life-threatening. And when you find out more or different information, post it to the list so that everyone else can scam it.
No doubt there are gaps in the information provided, and some may now be out of date. Also, the information appears to favor the "rubberbandheads," belt-driven Ducatis of recent vintage. Again, this is not intentional but a by-product of the list's content. Send me other info, and I'll put it in.
This FAQ was originally built by the estimatible Jon Wright, in whose debt we all remain. Jon acknowledged his debt to the many who have helped with and contributed to this FAQ, giving particular thanks to Michael Nelson, Tom Dietrich, Godfrey DiGiorgi, Mike Lee, Brad Turner, Bob Koure, Sheri Coble, Ian Gunn, Ed Hackett, Beth "Wolverine" Dixon, TJ "Teej" Noto and Ed "Gooz" Guzman for their contributions and support. In addition, Niclas Cederlund and Vicki Smith have done a great deal for online Ducatisti. Michael Nelson converted the FAQ to HTML, and Niclas Cederlund has done work updating that HTML. And, of course, the Ducati List is the source of much wisdom.
The information in this FAQ is supplied "as is" without express or implied warranty. Parts of this work are Copyright (c) 1994 by Jon Wright, parts are Copyright (c) 1998 by Robert Robillard.
A new version of this document appears from time to time. It was last modified on August 5, 1999, and its travels may have taken it far from its original home on Usenet. It may now be out-of-date, particularly if you are looking at a printed copy or one retrieved from a tertiary archive site or CD-ROM.
This article was produced for free redistribution. You should not need to pay anyone for a copy of it. This FAQ may be freely distributed in its entirety provided that this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in commercial documents without the author's written permission. So there....
1. "My brakes squeal. Is there anything I can do to restore my dignity?"
2. "My brakes really suck; what can I do to improve their performance? Add-ons?"
3. "What's the best way to bed in my new brake pads?"
4. "Can my rotors be re-turned?"
5. "Should I use DOT 3, 4 or 5 brake fluid when replacing?"
6. "How do I remove that friggin' retaining pin out of my Brembo calipers to get the brake pad out?"
7. "Can I convert my 750ss' front disk arrangement to dual disks?"
8. "How long should the choke be engaged while warming up my Duck?"
10. "What kind of servicing is due at 12000 miles?"
11. "Do you have to read Italian to understand the shop manual?"
13. "What kind of chain should I use for my 900cc bike?"
14. "My Duck's dry clutch seems to moan and groan a lot. Should I opt for the Barnett or what?"
15. "Are dry clutches inherently finicky? If so, why did Ducati put them on their bikes?"
17. "Which oil is best for my Duck? Can I use car oils?"
18. "Should I worry about that white scum that seems to appear inside the oil sight glass?"
21. "Where can I get OEM and aftermarket Ducati parts and accessories?"
23. "Do I really need a steering damper on my Monster [M900]?"
28. "Is there anything I should know regarding touch-up paint application?"
30. "How do I remove my in-line filter that lives INSIDE my gas tank?"
31. "What is the 5mm Allen key trick that everyone talks about?"
37. "What kind of luggage can I get for my sport-tourer?"
40. "Can vertically challenged [re: short] people still ride Ducatis?"
41. "Where can I get neat Ducati pictures to drool over?"
42. If you can't afford a Ducati, but still have Duc-lust...
43. Shameless quickie product endorsements.
44. Nifty tricks, tips and mods every self-respecting Ducati owner ought to know about.
46. Where's the Ducati Newsgroup/Mailing List?
47. "Where can I get info on the Old Duc Singles"
48. "Any words of wisdom about leaky clutch slave cylinders and rebuilding them?"
49. "Can you find Neutral on your Duc?"
50. "Where can I get stickers?"
51. "So, is there a big long list of what non-standard parts you can use on your duck?"
If you can't find what you search for in the heading above, you might want to try searching the Ducati Mailinglist Archives:
1. "My brakes squeal. Is there anything I can do to restore my dignity?"
Squeal can be caused by the vibrating of some mass, in this case, hard or soft spots or hot/cold spots in the disk material, warped disks, or glazed pads. There can be other causes too numerous to mention. Two possible solutions to change the vibration frequency:
A) Damp the vibrating brake pad with a copper shim or some type of goo. This'll change the frequency enough that it will pass out of the annoying range (for you, maybe not for dogs and deer). The copper shim between the piston and pad back decouples the the high frequency vibration that is being transmitted as "squeal," the copper acting as a bearing surface.
B) Lubricate the BACK side of the pads; in theory this just lets them move more freely and go past the annoying range. Some folks have tried sanding the pads on a flat surface using 80-40 grit sandpaper to break the occasional glaze, chamfering the leading edge of the pad by about 15 degrees or so.
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2. "My brakes really suck; what can I do to improve their performance? Add-ons?"
(Thanks to Michael Nelson, nelson@seahunt.imat.com, and Julian Bond, julian@shockwav.demon.co.uk, for help on this one.)
Before you contemplate investing serious money in add-ons that may or may not make that much of a difference, start with the basics first; they're less expensive (usually) and can make all the difference in the world. The items you can try below assumes there aren't more serious maintenance issues like deteriorated seals, minor rust in the master cylinder or just plain crap in the lever pivot.
1) First, just bleed 'em and replace the fluid with some good DOT 4 stuff. Flush 'em out real good, and clean the dust and crap out of the caliper(s). Make sure when you bleed them that you get ALL the air out; often a bubble will get caught in fittings and in the "L" junction where it goes into the master cylinder. Removing the master cylinder from the bars and tapping on it with something like a plastic screwdriver handle while bleeding them will often dislodge such bubbles.
Bubbles often get caught at the junction with the M/C. One way to clear them is to go through the normal bleeding procedure and then bleed the brakes from the bottom up. You can do this by leaning the bike on its sidestand with the forks hard left. This gets the reservoir to the top of the system. Then gently pull the pads back, this forces fluid up the lines taking the bubbles with it. You can actually do this with the calipers in position with a mole wrench but use a bit of cloth over the caliper so you don't mark it. Its really easy to squirt fluid everywhere from the reservoir so don't fill it too full and put the cover on first.
Some people have had success leaving the bike overnight with a bungee cord round the brake lever which also seems to persuade the bubbles to move.
2) While you're at it, get some fine emery paper and lightly sand the rotor(s). The key word is LIGHTLY. You don't want to sand in some low spots; just get the glaze off of them. Make sure they aren't warped by inspecting them laid down on a perfectly flat surface, and that they are within the proper limits for thickness. Better yet, have someone make the inspection for you -- how many folks actually have something that's perfectly flat?
3) Check the pads. Make sure they aren't glazed, and if you didn't break them in properly (see Paul Thompson's excellent piece on breaking in new pads, included in this FAQ) put new ones in and break THEM in properly.
4) Lube the lever pivot points to make sure everything is moving freely. If, after all of the above, the lever still feels mushy, it could be a good excuse to ante up some money and swap your rubber brake lines for braided, stainless ones.
It seems that the stock Brembo pads aren't very good at dissipating heat. When they get hot, they get the brake fluid hot. When the brake fluid gets hot, the lines can get warm and spongy feeling. This can manifest itself as FADE. Riders have reported that the lever can, in fact, come all the way back to the bars over extended hard uses when the fluid temps get elevated. This is bad. Try different brands of pads -- EBC, Ferodo, SBS all make pads for the Brembo calipers.
The absolute last thing to try would be either replacing the rotors with cast iron ones, or replacing the master cylinder with a larger one. This is a last resort, and not for the weak of wallet. Definitely try all the other stuff first -- a complete set of lines including two for the front brake rotors, one for the rear and one for the clutch runs about $150 as of this writing, not counting installation. Opt for Kevlar if you can afford it.
If you've done all that and you've still got mushy brakes that drive you crazy, you can put on a racing Brembo or AP Master Cylinder, or a Nissin Master Cylinder, like the one from the Kawasaki ZX-7R. I hear this is actually the setup Doug Polen used in 1993 to win the World Superbike Championship on the 888.
The reason this works is likely because the Nissan master cyclinder has a larger piston (5/8") than the stock Brembo. Word is that up to '97 (98?) almost all Ducatis have had a M/C with too small a bore. The larger bore means the lever harder to pull, but it flows more hydralic fluid, which moves the calipers faster. Consequently, the lever doesn't need to move as much, which eliminates what we call "sponginess" and prevents the lever from coming all the way to the bar.
People have successfully used the master cylinder from the 1992 ZX-7R (not the ZX-7, but the ZX-7R, the race replica version), and from a 1994 ZX-7. I also heard that all the ZX-7 master cylinders with remote reservoirs are the same between 1992 and 1995, which seems likely. I even got a part number: 43015-1392.
The reservoir should be < $85 used. Two guys bought new ones from Crazy Caton's (a mail order parts place, 800-745-BIKE) for $135. Someone else used East Coast Warehouse (800-544-4814) and it came to $145, including the banjo bolt (see below).
This has been done on 888's, 916's and 900ss's. Someone also put a ZX6 master cylinder on a Monster. I've come to suspect that any good Japanese master cylinder would work on any Duc, but those are the ones I got reports on.
You need a new banjo bolt; the one on the Duc's Brembo master cylinder doesn't fit the Nissan. (The banjo bolt is the funky bolt that connects the brake lines to the master cylinder. It's hollow, and brake fluid flows through it). Lockhart Phillips has cool ones with a built-in bleeders for about $20. You also need a new brake lever; the Brembo lever doesn't fit.
You need to come up with a support for the remote reservoir; it doesn't come with one. People have done a number of things: used the support from a CBR900RR, adapted the Duc support, fabricated something, or re-used the remote reservoir from the Brembo system with the new Nissan caliper.
The actual work of replacing the cyclinder is pretty straightforward: take off all your body work (brake fluid eats paint, and you'll spill some), drain the Brembo, take it off, put the other one on, and bleed it 8 or 10 times. :-> On 916's, there's a little locating pin on the handlebar to position the cylinder, and keep it from rotating. A cavity in the ZX7 cylinder fits over the pin, but not firmly. One guy filled the cavity with expoxy to get a good fit.
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3. "What's the best way to bed in my new brake pads?"
(Reprinted from an article by Paul Thompson, Apple Computer.)
Here's what I do, with good results:
1) After mounting the new pads, ride around a bit and apply the brakes often but not too hard, to make sure they're in place correctly.
2) Now find a long, fairly straight section of road where you can safely travel about 35 MPH. Select a gear which is about halfway to redline. Drag your brake (do the front and rear separately) as you apply throttle. Keep doing this until you feel the brakes start to fade. You'll probably smell them about this time too.
3) Get off the brake, speed up to about 70, and then brake hard again using only that brake. Repeat one more time.
4) Continue riding without using that brake to allow it to cool completely.
What's this all about? I'm told that the process of getting the pads very hot (called "green-fading") bakes away the adhesives near the surface of the pad which interfere with full braking. As the pads wear, the adhesives will recede naturally after the initial baking. I've used this procedure every time I replace my pads, and have noticed vastly improved brakes each time.
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4. "Can my rotors be re-turned?"
Yes, bike rotors can be surface ground with a liquid cooled surface grinder so long as they aren't thinner than specified in the shop manual after your done. Surface grinding is more precise than turning. It will not, however cure warped disks, so if that's the case, don't screw around with your life and go get the new rotors. Note that if your rotors are vented, the vent holes must be re-chamfered after grinding. If this isn't done properly, you will have little hard spots around every hole. You'll feel this soon enough.
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5. "Should I use DOT 3, 4 or 5 brake fluid when replacing?"
(Thanks to Michael Ragsdale, from the race list, for some of this info.)
DOT 3 and DOT 4 are functionally very similar. 4 has a higher boiling point, but motorcycle brake systems don't generate the kind of pressure and temperatures that need it on the street, in general, although it certainly won't hurt your system to put it in.
DOT 5 is very different--it's silicone based, doesn't absorb water, isn't corrosive, is bad for some seals, is hard to bleed, and is not miscible with 3 or 4. Stay away from it--it needs a system designed for it. And it comes as stock item in Harley's, so it must be terrible. :->
DOT 5.1 is compatible with DOT 3 & DOT 4 (If I ever get hold of the bonehead who named DOT 5.1...)
Here's more detail than you really want:
More information can be obtained from the following standards documents:
If you are interested in obtaining copies of these standards documents, you may order them directly from SAE at http://www.sae.org/PRODSERV/STANDARD/gv/179.htm
According to DOT Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards specification 49CFR571.116 (which refers to SAE documents J1703, J1704, J1705), the minimum equilibrium reflux boiling point requirement in deg C for each is:
This shows that, all else remaining the same, DOT 5.1 has a significant advantage in heat capacity over DOT 4. Note that these specifications are for completely dry (no H2O content) brake fluid.
Of course, all else does not remain the same and other than boiling points and H2O content (which is very detailed in itself), most other properties were beyond the scope of testing/interest of my friend. Any other information should be gained from SAE, DOT or other authority.
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6. "How do I remove that friggin' retaining pin out of my Brembo calipers to get the brake pad out?"
Basically, you drive it out from the WHEEL side of the caliper using a punch. It has a spring collett on the outer end that fits into a recess on the caliper. Looks kinda like this:
/ \
===| |============= <---- drive it out from the INSIDE
===| |=============
\ / PIN
COLLETT
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7. "Can I convert my 750ss' front disk arrangement to dual disks?"
You can just install the second disk and caliper onto the 750ss but you might find that the lever travel becomes great enough to bottom into the bar. The 900ss master cylinder has a larger diameter and pushes more fluid, giving you a little less travel to achieve the same pressure and a firmer feel. Recommendations include switching to the one used on the 1994 750ss, which is factory-equipped with dual front disks and uses a remote reservoir master cylinder -- unfortunately not found in the States but possibly could be sourced.
When the second brake assembly and stainless lines are installed (you WILL install stainless steel lines with this, right?), be sure that they are bled very thoroughly. The recommendation from Pro Italia Motorsports and BTF Motors is to use a vacuum bleeder for the best results. The design of the brake caliper and double banjo union off of the master cylinder makes it easy to trap air bubbles, causing a terribly mushy feel. Slater Brothers sells a kit containing a second disc, caliper, and line for $595 as of this writing, which may be used on the 750ss. This price doesn't include the 16mm master cylinder, but you can purchase one from them for $150.
Slater Bros.
POB 1,
Mica, WA 99023
(509) 924-5131
If after reading the above you didn't want to go to all that trouble, you might think about just adding the stainless lines and 16mm master cylinder. There is as least one poster who is very happy with this.
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8. "How long should the choke be engaged while warming up my Duck?"
Generally, not very long, just enough until you can keep it going without it. This can be anywhere from a few seconds to one or two minutes, depending on the clime. You can feel the side of the cooling fins on air- cooled models for the beginnings of warmth. When you DO get it to sustain an idle, start riding but don't rev the motor until it's fully warmed up as the oil isn't really circulating in the mechanical bits yet, about 10 to 15 minutes or so. An engine will warm up more quickly when it's got a light load, as opposed to sitting idling away.
No engine should ever be run on enrichened mixtures longer than necessary, as this is a prescription for premature carbon deposits on your exhaust valves. Note that fuel-injected bikes have a fast-idle setup, which obviates worrying about the mixture; it turns off the cold start setup when its good and ready and you only have control of the fast idle.
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Yes. Recent service manuals have been updated to reflect a 4600 mi. interval, despite the continuance of the 3K figure in the owner's manual.
And even better: as of 1996, Ducati has changed the recommended valve check on 916 engines to 6,000 miles. there is no check at 600 miles any more, the first one is at 6,000. supposedly they are running the engines in at the factory and testing them before delivery.
The stability record of modern Duck valve clearances seems to be rather high. Many folks are noting that clearances are retained well into the 10K range. Keep in mind this all depends on usage -- racebikes can expect some deviations from this due to the number of engine-hours spent at redline, etc. However, pit crews ought to be checking this regularly, anyway, right? Note that it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to find one right off, however, so don't risk it. There's no guarantees that you'll be as lucky as the next person. If you're perceptive, you can hear them click or jangle if they get a little sloppy.
If you end up checking the valves yourself, there's a video made by Pro Italia Motorsports just for you. It's probably worth checking out, as the most important thing concerning valve clearances (and belts, too) is to keep on top of a potentially expensive situation before it gets by you. If you find that you, in fact, need to replace a shim upon inspection, the advice would be to leave it torn down and take the bike to a Ducati dealer you trust.
They have the replacements, and those don't come in all the incremental sizes so some grinding may be necessary to get the precise fit necessary. With the bodywork off, you might save a little labor expense. As an example, Dale at BTF Motors in Livermore charges $25 per shim for labor to install one, whereas you can probably count on five to six hours of labor if the nice expensive mechanic has to do the assembly/disassembly of really simple things. Unless, of course, you really like your mechanic....
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10. "What kind of servicing is due at 12000 miles?"
At 12000 miles you should:
It's probably also a really good idea to flush and bleed the brakes every year, and relube the steering head and suspension pivot bearings. The 851 runs the swing arm pivot in the cases like the 750ss/900ss series bikes, which don't need service, but you ought to lube the pivot bearings on the rear suspension yearly. Finish it with flushing/refilling the fork assembly, which is easier done pulling the fork legs off first (facilitating lubing the steering head).
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11. "Do you have to read Italian to understand the shop manual?" -- some anecdotes to amuse you.
From: Ian Gunn (gunn@watson.ibm.com)
How else can you understand the owner's and shop manuals, or the parts book? Certainly not by reading the purported English translation, with its references to 'pressostat', 'thermic group', 'drain tube', etc. Only by reading the Italian in the 851 manual was I able to discover that the instructions for 'removing the motor together with the frame', which I never wanted to do, were really instructions for removing the engine complete FROM the frame, which was what I was trying to do all along.
Michael Nelson (nelson@seahunt.imat.com)
One problem I've run into with the service manuals is that in spite of the fact that they have a very detailed chart in the back with torque settings, it can be a real challenge to find the item you're looking for in the chart due to the terminology. For instance, the torque for the intake and exhaust manifold bolts is listed under "suction and discharge flange stud bolts."
Mike Lee (mikel@ichips.intel.com)
Oh yeah, also: "The absence of a heat exchange element between thermic mass and radiant mass could cause an overheating in the piston-cylinder assemblies with consequent seizures and, worse, damage to the crank mechanism."
Oh, and does anyone have the correct torque setting for the six screws that hold the clutch plates to the drum/basket? I can't seem to find that in the torque listing sections or the clutch area. Or perhaps I didn't realize it was listed as the "thermic unit to final drive coupling rotational mass...." =8^)
and a final note from Julian Bond, julian@shockwav.demon.co.uk:
Highly recommended is the Haynes Manual for 600, 750, 900 2-valve twins '91 to '96. It's ISBN 1 85960 290 8. Details on http://www.haynes.com
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Probably not. This can happen from time to time on bikes (cars, too) with no oil consumption at all. Many Ducati owners have noticed this phenomenon, and it doesn't seem to correlate to any problem areas. As long as the electrodes and the insulators look good, you can postulate a more realistic picture of the health of the engine.
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13. "What kind of chain should I use for my 900cc bike?"
(Thanks to Godfrey DiGiorgi for some exhaustive research on this whilst recuperating.)
Ducati went to 520 size chains a few years ago to lighten the bikes and allow for a wider tire. A 520 chain on a high output 900 class machine is really a narrow, small chain for the application. Most older Duc twins have 530s. Consequently, if you're getting really good mileage out of your chain, like over 10K or so, it must be a pretty damn good chain in OEM specifications, right?
Ducati specs the DID brand 520VL for use with their big bikes -- SS, 851/888, 907, Monster. It's possible the 750's also use this chain as OEM.
This chain is a "special chain series" for DID, also including:
Model Plate Thickness Wear Resistance Tensile Stngth Wght
inner outer INDEX lbs. 100L
520VL .087 .087 2430 8100 3.88
520VM .079 .079 3140 8050 3.39
520ERV2 .079 .079 2820 8180 3.53
The VM is the X-Ring Gold premium chain and the ERV2 is for racing applications, also gold but without any type of warranty on it's life. All are only sold with press master link, by the way. From the DID data, we can surmise the OEM chain that Ducati uses is inexpensive and gets good tensile strength through thick link plates at the expense of some weight. A swap to the VM or ERV2 chains will give effectively the same strength and durability but will be lighter; of course, it'll also be more costly. According to RK literature, they do not have a chain that matches the DID specs in terms of tensile strength. While you can use one, keep in mind that it will probably not last as long. RK is not fond of the clip master link supplied with their GR520SO, the closest match, for the reason that it is still slightly under spec.
Tsubaki recommends only the 520 Omega, with only 7600 lbs. of tensile strength, again with a clip master link. The technical rep for Tsubaki said that a more reliable press fit link could be had on special order, and in fact would only make the recommendation with this link in mind. Tsubaki differentiates their chains by using sintered pins that are also somewhat larger than their competitors. For comparison purposes, the 530 Sigma chain made for bikes like the CBR900RR has a tensile strength of 10,300 lbs.
Tsubaki makes a point of noting that Scott Russell used a Tsubaki chain on his Kawasaki at Daytona this year, and Pascal Picotte, riding a Ducati, did not. Russell won, obviously an endorsement for chains, but note also that Picotte's broke in the melee, ending his race. Doug Polen used Tsubaki Omega's for both his World Superbike and AMA Superbike winning seasons.
One poster related that he had good results racing his 851 using the clip-style master links. There is a special tool that must be acquired to put the clip on, however, as it is an interference fit. He recommends that you clean the side plate and clip of the master link with lacquer thinner, followed by a drop of superglue, before you put it on. Once in place, he sticks some Permatex blue semi-hardening sealer over the clip and side plate. The blue Permatex makes it easy to spot the link with the clip when doing a pre-ride inspection, and the semi-hardening nature of the goop makes it easy to see if there has been any relative movement between the clip and the link. He has never had a problem with splitting links on his racebikes.
Regina recommends their 135 ORS model, which has gold external links and copper rollers. Link plates are .087" thick, both inner and outer, average tensile strength is rated at 7510 lbs, and weight is .75 lbs per foot length. Recommended fitment is with a press fit master link. They sell the proper tools to assemble and fit both the clip and press fit master links, should you choose.
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14. "My Duck's dry clutch seems to moan and groan a lot. Should I opt for the Barnett or what?"
You may just need the Ducati factory clutch update -- a factory upgrade to the clutch pack for all '91 and '92 dry clutch machines that was made standard on the '93s. The update kit is amusing: it's one plate, a special slightly convex one, and instructions on how to reorder the plates in the clutch pack. You take one out, you shuffle the deck and viola! smoother, quieter engagement is supposed to result.
The '91 and '92 904cc motors were equipped with a clutch which had flat pressure plates, dual sided friction plates, one convex pressure plate and one specially thick, single sided friction plate. Somewhere around late '92 or early '93, Ducati revised the clutch pack. The revision is to toss the thick friction plate, add another convex pressure plate, and shuffle the pack a little bit. This upgraded clutch pack is a warranty/ upgrade item and should be available free of charge from your dealer to my knowledge.
The new pack is installed thus:
(cover side -------> engine side) Pp - Fr - Fl - Fr - Sp> - Fr - Fl - ... - Fr - <Sp - Fr - Fl - Fl - Ba
where:
Pp - Pressure Plate
Fr - dual sided friction plate
Fl - Flat pressure plate
Ba - clutch basket/hub
Sp - convex or spring pressure plate. These plates are distinguishable by a single dot on one of the spline tangs, on one side only. The directional arrow ("Sp>" or "<Sp") indicates which direction the dot should face.
... - continue alternating however many Fr and Fl plates in between.
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15. "Are dry clutches inherently finicky? If so, why did Ducati put them on their bikes?"
(from a discussion by Godfrey DiGiorgi (ramarren@apple.com), with comments by Michael Nelson (nelson@seahunt.imat.com), and Tom Dietrich (txd@mkt.3com.com)
From: Godfrey DiGiorgi
"The 750SS has a wet-clutch -- much less "grabby" and sensitive (especially in traffic)."
I've heard this same myth over and over again, relating to more than just Ducatis, and I'd like to set the record straight.
A dry clutch is not more grabby or more sensitive than a dry clutch, nor can you slip a wet clutch more. The reason that race machines went to dry clutches was to *improve* disengagement, reduce the amount of clutch material infiltration into the lube system, and to allow cleaner, smoother engagement through better cooling and less inter-plate stiction. Clutch friction material is very abrasive and a major source of bearing wear if it gets around the filtration in the lube system, a major cause of worry in older engines without full flow filtration systems.
Wet clutches when slipped expand more because they can't shed heat as quickly, and the oil stiction masks the chattering of disk/plates as well as some characteristics of overheating. Just because you can't feel it doesn't mean it isn't happening. Typically, a wet clutch capable of equal power transmission at the limit requires more spring pressure to prevent slippage and longer travel to ensure disengagement.
"Ducati clutches are particularly grabby"
The old bevel driver wet clutches were great, until the 900SS which produced just enough more torque that there was inadequate spring pressure to keep them from slipping under hard (ab)usage and inadequate mechanical advantage to correct that without making them unbearably difficult to operate for long periods. The solution was to go with a dry clutch for the lighter spring pressure and cleaner disengagement; this was only done in racing aftermarket kits and special factory racing fitments, however.
Ducati's clutches since the Pantah have been both wet and dry. The dry style were typically fitted to the higher performance machines, the wet to the economy models (it costs more gaskets and housings to isolate the clutch). It's always been a light clutch for the power output of the engine, and handicapped by the nearly ideal sporting gearbox (closely spaced gears with a tall first) and the tall street gearing fitted (for noise reasons). The detail implementation of the clutches has always been problematic, both in actuation mechanism and in clutch pack design.
As such, none of them tolerate brutal slippage like an motocrosser well. Not that kind of design; an motocrosser doesn't have as large a set of power pulses to deal with, being a two stroke motor anyway. A clutch should NOT be slipped unnecessarily in any case: just enough to get off the line, just enough to get gears to mesh without strain or clashing. Slipping the clutch on any machine is throwing the engine's output away as heat which will affect some portion of the mechanical bits.
Small factors in the detail assembly of an individual clutch still make a big difference. The clutch in my bike was actually quite good as delivered, it would chatter only when oil wet and hot (failure of a small seal accounting for that) but had a slightly harsh final engagement. It was also quiet. The repair done to correct the oil seepage and the factory clutch pack upgrade has now improved the clutch action to perfect, as best as ever I've had on any bike. It does not chatter, even when abused through nasty traffic, lever pressure is slightly reduced, engagement is broad but secure. The downside is it's somewhat noisier. I spent probably 1.5 hours just examining the clutch plates and assembling the pack into place -- very small detail differences can make a big difference here. I spent a lot of time making sure it was right, according to factory spec and my experience as a mechanic. It works to my complete satisfaction.
Please, let's not propagate myth that dry clutches are finicky and wet clutches are not. Dry clutches, from an engineering design standpoint, have several advantages. Detail design implementation and individual assembly make for large variances in the quality of an individual unit. With modern materials and techniques available, you can design a clutch of either type to suit the needs of the application well. How well you implement the design, how well the assembly is completed will affect greatly the overall quality of the component.
I opine that a novice rider on a modern Ducati will notice no difference at all on a properly setup 900SS clutch vs the 750SS unit, it's just not a valid criteria of differentiation for selection of a new machine. The 750SS was the price leader in the '92-'93 range (now they have the 600SS in europe as well, but the US market has dictated the 900SS CR instead). The wet clutch was fitted as a cost-reducing measure, period: they already had the design from several previous generations of wet-clutch Pantah motors.
But Michael Nelson disagrees:
Even the Ducati World SuperBike riders such as Polen and Fallappa have trouble with THEIR Ducati dry clutches. I've read interviews with Polen where he blamed the dry clutch (which incidentally on HIS bike was a specially modified billet aluminum jobby.... the BEST one Ducati and Fast By Ferracci know how to make, and LOTS more expensive than the ones that come on the production bikes), for his consistently bad starts.
The Ducati dry clutches supplied on recent manufacture rubberband head motor bikes are NOTORIOUS among the motorcycle press and among a large percentage of owners as being quite funky in design and execution. While I agree that a proper multiplate dry clutch CAN be designed (all the 2 stroke 125/250/500cc bikes use them), Ducati has yet to do so. These dry clutches are especially silly on streetbikes.
Heck, all the Japanese manufacturers seem to be fully capable of designing and executing wet clutches that are capable of reliably withstanding LOTS more horsepower on MUCH heavier bikes (ie: the Kawasaki ZX-11, the Honda CBR900RR, the Suzuki GSX-R1100, ad nauseum). And they still provide smooth, progressive, easy to use operation with much less lever effort.
The Ducati dry clutch design is difficult to assemble correctly (even Ducati themselves can't seem to get it right, and they've even revised the design) , noisy, and it literally beats itself to death with all that rattling. I had to replace my friction disks at around 5,000 miles, not because the friction material was worn out but because the tangs on the edges of the plates were mushroomed and flattened out. As they rattle, they cause the mushrooming of the edges, that creates more clearance, which creates more vigorous rattling, which creates more clearance, and so on.
In effect, they beat the crap out of themselves, the steel clutch basket, and the aluminum clutch hub. You can't have all that rattling and banging going on without SOMETHING getting damaged in the long run. It's a poor implementation of a questionable design for a streetbike.
And Tom Dietrich chips in:
... the one point nearest and dearest to the hearts of race bike tuners everywhere. The beloved and much sought after horsepower. Not having the clutch spinning in that heavy oil frees up a couple of ponies for duty at the rear wheel that were previously lost in the oil. Free ponies! It's enough to make a grin come to the most stone faced tuner/builder.
Michael responds with:
True, and that's probably an advantage worth having on a racebike. Especially because most roadrace bikes only have to start from a dead stop once during a race, and they have the $$$ and time to tear the bike down after each race and correct whatever may be wrong with the clutch. However, I still maintain it's a silly feature for a streetbike, where reliability and smoothness are considered more important by most people than a couple extra ponies.
Finally, Godfrey rebuts:
... I didn't say that *Ducati's* clutch, any of them, was not finicky. I said that a dry clutch was not in and of itself any more finicky than a wet clutch, and that a properly installed and adjusted dry clutch was indistinguishable to a novice from a wet clutch.... By the way, I've had plenty of experience with blown and improperly assembled Honda, Kawi, Suzuki and other clutches. I was a parts manager and freelance mechanic on those machines for a total of about 3 years. They ain't poifect neither... ;) My VFR, Hawk, and CB750F clutches all needed 'clearing' first thing in the morning, just like the Norton, and I managed to get the Hawk clutch to slip a couple of times when I was being particularly abusive.
BMW, Guzzi and Morini are three other companies whose dry clutches I have owned that come to mind immediately. The older BMWs have a somewhat sudden engagement characteristic, the Guzzi a little less so, due to the high rotational speed and the mass of the pieces not the fact they are dry. The Morini I rode for about three weeks before I discovered it had a dry clutch.
It all depends upon the individual design. The 'finickiness' is not endemic to the type. With a proper design the action is indistinguishable. On the Ducati, the clutch design is light and somewhat weak. When properly fitted and adjusted, no novice can tell the difference. Again, I opine that a novice rider on a modern Ducati will notice no difference at all on a properly setup 900SS clutch vs the 750SS unit. It works like a clutch should work, at least in street use.
The myth is that "dry clutches are finicky and wet clutches are not." The fact that Pantah and later Ducati clutches, both wet and dry, are problematic does not contradict this. Nor does the fact that a wet clutch masks chattering and over-heating problem more effectively from the operator.
"The beloved and much sought after horsepower."
Tom raises the point that a wet clutch will absorb more horsepower from sloshing about in the oil. Again, this is a design detail problem, not an factor inherent in the type. On certain machines where the clutch was chain-driven from the crankshaft around the clutch basket, it was essential that the chain dip into the lubricant, and the oil sling would indeed cost some hp if you overfilled the lubricant. On most designs, this is not much of a factor (note that very few wet clutches really sit in an oil bath, they are just made such that oil splash necessary for lubrication to portions of the drive mechanism can be in with the friction components. A wet clutch will absorb horsepower but by adding heat to the oil more likely.
"My dry clutch has lasted practically forever"
Mikhail reports that his modified clutch is hanging in there for 15000 miles so far. I report my 750gt clutch in my original long distance traveler was in perfect condition condition at 60,000 miles (3mm acceptable wear limit, less than .5mm measured at that point), and the last I heard was that this same original 1975 clutch was still running strong at 100,000+ miles when last I heard from the bike's owner somewhere in 1988.
At 13,000 miles, the 907's clutch (all original pieces with the exception of one new spring plate for the update and one oil seal) is in as new condition with regard to wear: no warpage, no reduction in plate thickness, springs at spec, just a little bit of chatter marking on the center driven hub. I'll report how it fares over the next 13,000 miles. I use the bike pretty hard but I don't abuse the clutch unnecessarily.
"The Pantah I have has a wet clutch and has hardly been touched for more than 15K miles, while my 851's needed replacing after just 4K." A 40 hp engine using a clutch of essentially the same design as a 90 hp engine, and the 40 hp clutch doesn't wear out as quickly... sounds to me like the design was probably set up for the 40 hp engine, and the reduced longevity in the 90 hp case was a compromise result of wanting the same weight and layout in a similar motor...
Such is as it is. I don't consider these machines to be perfect in any way... if they were, why would I be looking forward to the next one? I expect continuous improvements as new designs come around. Hopefully they'll address the clutch someday soon and give the same perfect action that mine has now with a bit more longevity and perhaps a little quieter operation soon. Although I have little complain about, it'll appease those who do.
Beth W. Dixon sez it best: "I don't care what's happening as long as I like the feel (tm) of what's happening. A wet clutch may not be any better/worse than a dry one, but I really didn't want one more thing I wasn't used to when learning the Duc." I simply purport that if you have a properly setup clutch on any Duc, Beth would be unable to tell the difference.
Return to the Table of Contents
Opinions and lore abound on this issue, but the general consensus is that the key to engine longevity is sticking to frequent oil and filter changes using quality lubricants, petroleum or synthetic, roughly about every 2500 - 3000 miles. Another frequent tip that seems to be mentioned often is the concept of varying the load against RPM, and watching the heat, during the break-in. Vary the load on the engine, but be careful not to lug it. Take the motor through the full range of RPM's using less than full throttle.
Slowly feeding a load on it now and then to bring it up to 5500-6000 for a little bit, then backing off again is a good idea, as it helps the rings break in. These engines in general really want to be running at 3000-3500 rpm at the low end. At any rate, don't let your right wrist get the better of you -- there will be plenty of time to use full throttle once it's broken in. Let the bike heat up to full operating temperature and then let it quietly cool off. Do this often for the first 100 miles or so. Don't ride in traffic or other situation which will force the bike to idle for long periods of time -- MAJOR heat buildup!
Another frequent tip from the Net is to ignore the Slick 50.
Return to the Table of Contents
17. "Which oil is best for my Duck? Can I use car oils?"
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Motor Oil.
by Ed Hackett (edh@maxey.unr.edu)
(Editor's Note: before you read all this, you might want to consider the
short answer from Julian Bond
Choosing the best motor oil is a topic that comes up
frequently in discussions between motoheads, whether they are
talking about motorcycles or cars. The following article is
intended to help you make a choice based on more than the advertising
hype. Oil companies provide data on their oils most often referred
to as "typical inspection data". This is an average of
the actual physical and a few common chemical properties of their
oils. This information is available to the public through their
distributors or by writing or calling the company directly. I
have compiled a list of the most popular, premium oils so that a
ready comparison can be made. If your favorite oil is not on the
list get the data from the distributor and use what I have as a
data base. This article is going to look at six of the most
important properties of a motor oil readily available to the public:
viscosity, viscosity index (VI), flash point, pour point, %
sulfated ash, and % zinc. Viscosity is the measure of how thick
an oil is. This is the most important property for an engine. An
oil with too low a viscosity can shear and loose film strength at
high temperatures. An oil with too high a viscosity may not pump
to the proper parts at low temperatures and the film may tear at
high rpm. The weights given on oils are arbitrary numbers assigned by
the S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers). These numbers
correspond to "real" viscosity, as measured by several
accepted techniques. These measurements are taken at specific
temperatures. Oils that fall into a certain range are designated
5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 by the S.A.E. The W means the oil meets specifications for
viscosity at 0 F and is therefore suitable for Winter use. The following chart shows the relationship of "real"
viscosity to their S.A.E. assigned numbers. The relationship of
gear oils to engine oils is also shown. Multi viscosity oils work like this: Polymers are added to a
light base (5W, 10W, 20W), which prevent the oil from thinning as
much as it warms up. At cold temperatures the polymers are coiled up
and allow the oil to flow as their low numbers indicate. As the
oil warms up the polymers begin to unwind into long chains that
prevent the oil from thinning as much as it normally would. The result is
that at 100 degrees C the oil has thinned only as much as the
higher viscosity number indicates. Another way of looking at
multi-vis oils is to think of a 20W-50 as a 20 weight oil that
will not thin more than a 50 weight would when hot. Multi viscosity oils are one of the great improvements in
oils, but they should be chosen wisely. Always use a multi grade
with the narrowest span of viscosity that is appropriate for the temperatures
you are going to encounter. In the winter base your decision on
the lowest temperature you will encounter, in the summer, the highest
temperature you expect. The polymers can shear and burn forming deposits
that can cause ring sticking and other problems. 10W-40 and 5W-30 require
a lot of polymers (synthetics excluded) to achieve that range. This
has caused problems in diesel engines, but fewer polymers are
better for all engines. The wide viscosity range oils, in
general, are more prone to viscosity and thermal breakdown due to
the high polymer content. It is the oil that lubricates, not the additives.
Oils that can do their job with the fewest additives are the
best. Very few manufactures recommend 10W-40 any more, and some
threaten to void warranties if it is used. It was not included in
this article for that reason. 20W-50 is the same 30 point spread,
but because it starts with a heavier base it requires less
viscosity index improvers (polymers) to do the job. AMSOIL can formulate
their 10W-30 and 15W-40 with no viscosity index improvers but uses some
in the 10W-40 and 5W-30. Mobil 1 uses no viscosity improvers in
their 5W-30, and I assume the new 10W-30. Follow your manufacturer's recommendations
as to which weights are appropriate for your vehicle. Viscosity Index is an empirical number indicating the rate of
change in viscosity of an oil within a given temperature range.
Higher numbers indicate a low change, lower numbers indicate a relatively
large change. The higher the number the better. This is one major
property of an oil that keeps your bearings happy. These numbers
can only be compared within a viscosity range. It is not an indication
of how well the oil resists thermal breakdown. Flash point is the temperature at which an oil gives off
vapors that can be ignited with a flame held over the oil. The
lower the flash point the greater tendency for the oil to suffer
vaporization loss at high temperatures and to burn off on hot cylinder
walls and pistons. The flash point can be an indicator of the quality
of the base stock used. The higher the flash point the better.
400 F is the minimum to prevent possible high consumption. Flash
point is in degrees F. Pour point is 5 degrees F above the point at which a chilled
oil shows no movement at the surface for 5 seconds when inclined.
This measurement is especially important for oils used in the
winter. A borderline pumping temperature is given by some
manufacturers. This is the temperature at which the oil will pump and
maintain adequate oil pressure. This was not given by a lot of
the manufacturers, but seems to be about 20 degrees F above the
pour point. The lower the pour point the better. Pour point is in
degrees F. % sulfated ash is how much solid material is left when the oil
burns. A high ash content will tend to form more sludge and
deposits in the engine. Low ash content also seems to promote
long valve life. Look for oils with a low ash content. % zinc is the amount of zinc used as an extreme pressure,
anti-wear additive. The zinc is only used when there is actual
metal to metal contact in the engine. Hopefully the oil will do
its job and this will rarely occur, but if it does, the zinc compounds
react with the metal to prevent scuffing and wear. A level of
.11% is enough to protect an automobile engine for the extended
oil drain interval, under normal use. Those of you with high
revving, air cooled motorcycles or turbo charged cars or bikes
might want to look at the oils with the higher zinc content. More
doesn't give you better protection, it gives you longer
protection if the rate of metal to metal contact is abnormally
high. High zinc content can lead to deposit formation and plug
fouling. The Data: Listed alphabetically --- indicates the data was not available All of the oils above meet current SG/CD ratings and all
vehicle manufacturer's warranty requirements in the proper
viscosity. All are "good enough", but those with the
better numbers are icing on the cake. The synthetics offer the
only truly significant differences, due to their superior high
temperature oxidation resistance, high film strength, very low
tendency to form deposits, stable viscosity base, and low
temperature flow characteristics. Synthetics are superior
lubricants compared to traditional petroleum oils. You will have
to decide if their high cost is justified in your application. The extended oil drain intervals given by the vehicle
manufacturers (typically 7500 miles) and synthetic oil companies
(up to 25,000 miles) are for what is called normal service.
Normal service is defined as the engine at normal operating temperature,
at highway speeds, and in a dust free environment. Stop and go,
city driving, trips of less than 10 miles, or extreme heat or
cold puts the oil change interval into the severe service
category, which is 3000 miles for most vehicles. Synthetics can
be run two to three times the mileage of petroleum oils with no problems.
They do not react to combustion and combustion by-products to the extent
that the dead dinosaur juice does. The longer drain intervals
possible help take the bite out of the higher cost of the synthetics. If
your car or bike is still under warranty you will have to stick
to the recommended drain intervals. These are set for petroleum
oils and the manufacturers make no official allowance for the use
of synthetics. Oil additives should not be used. The oil companies have gone
to great lengths to develop an additive package that meets the
vehicle's requirements. Some of these additives are synergistic,
that is the effect of two additives together is greater than the
effect of each acting separately. If you add anything to the oil you
may upset this balance and prevent the oil from performing to
specification. The numbers above are not, by any means, all there is to
determining what makes a top quality oil. The exact base stock
used, the type, quality, and quantity of additives used are very
important. The given data combined with the manufacturer's
claims, your personal experience, and the reputation of the oil among
others who use it should help you make an informed choice. Return to the Table of Contents 18. "Should I worry about that white
scum that seems to appear inside the oil sight glass?" It's a little condensation, an emulsion of oil and water, the
byproduct of combustion. For every gallon of gas you burn, you'll
receive free of charge roughly one and a half times that back in
water, and unfortunately a little can make it into the oil supply
one way or another. It sort of goes away when you change your
oil, and then comes back again. The problem is that it is very noticeable
in the Duck's sight glass. You don't notice it the same way on a dipstick. This is why it's so important to ride for extended lengths,
particularly Ducatis as they seem to take a while to heat up
their oil. About ten miles or so at highway speeds is mentioned
as a figure. Some folks swap their oil after this just to be on the
safe side, but it may not be needed unless it's really excessive.
'Course you can always ride further and/or faster.... Return to the Table of Contents
Thanks to Julian Bond
Unless it's a lot of oil, no. If it IS a lot of oil, the
concern isn't that the breather is having a problem, rather that
there's excessive blow-by, say, from a damaged ring or similar
oil-retaining device. Most Ducs tend to mist from the breather a bit because
it's a small crankcase volume for the displacement -- translate:
high crankcase pumping action. California bikes get a more
proactive crankcase ventilation system so they tend to stay a
little drier.
Also, the seal between the breather assembly and the crankcase is not very
good as the breather is plastic and deforms easily. One thing to try is
to Unscrew it and carefully clean everything and then use instant gasket on
the breather and washer.
Return to the Table of Contents In Cagiva's divine wisdom and fear of bonehead lawsuits,
they've devised a universally-despised retraction system for the
sidestand that is sure to NOT be there when you really need it,
like when you want to avoid expensive damage to the pretty parts
of your new Ducati. Otherwise it's reliable as hell [sic]. Fortunately,
almost all dealers will, if asked, cut off the head of the Allen
screw that holds the spring or better yet, replace it with a bolt
supplied by
Pro Italia Motorsports
of Glendale, CA. You can always
drill it yourself, but do it ASAP or someone will sit on your
bike and then lean it back on the imaginary sidestand for you! Mike Pugh, pug@habu.gvg.tek.com
has his own answer -- your mileage may vary: "I have what I think is a unique solution, which is
reversible and not too difficult to implement. The basic issue is that the allen head screw in question
prevents the spring from going "over center". The
spring has a metal plate which extends from the top mount to
below the allen head and is what actually contacts the allen head "post". I
replaced the plate with another one made of aluminum which is
shaped like a sideways "U" with the same length between
centers for the holes the spring mounts in and the frame
connection, but an effective slot for where the allen head pin mounted.
It took a machinist about 10 min. to make it to my drawing, It
could be made with a hole saw and a drill but might take more
like 40 min." A very crude drawing to give you the Idea: Return to the Table of Contents 21. "Where can I get OEM and aftermarket
Ducati parts and accessories?" Three good sources are
Gio.Ca.Moto
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (954-524-5272, www.giocamoto.com,
email giocamot@bellsouth.net),
Fast By Ferracci,
near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (215-657-1276, www.ferracci.com), and
Pro Italia Motorsports
in Southern California,
(3518 North Verdugo Road, Glendale CA 91208, 818.249.5707, www.proitalia.com).
All of them have on-line catalogs, and you can get hardcopy, too, if you call.
Return to the Table of Contents European Cycle Specialties in Garden Grove, CA, and
Pro Italia Motorsports
of Glendale, CA, offer their versions
of what the well-dressed Monster should have.
Wilson's, of Fresno, CA,
sells a unit made of carbon fiber that doesn't require you to cut the frame rails.
Andy Birko (ayb@umdsun2.umd.umich.edu) offers his own solutions:
"On mine, I cut the tailpiece short just below where a
U.S. size tailplate is. I then abbreviated the plate holder and
relocated the reflectors so that they would not extend below the
plate. This setup looks much better than stock and also makes it
much easier to put the beast on a swingarm stand. "I've also seen another mod where the guy made three
simple brackets out of aluminum. Two were just 90 degree brackets
facing rearward to hold the plate. The other was like this: This bracket is used to hold the turn signals on. All three
brackets bolted to the rear two bolts (of four total) used to
keep the stock fender on. With a mod like this, it would be very
easy to change back." Return to the Table of Contents 23. "Do I really need a steering damper
on my Monster [M900]?" It's been observed that most riders who complain about Ducati
steering are in fact putting too much weight on the handlebars.
Bending your arms a little and settling back into your seat are
far cheaper than any steering damper, and will improve your
riding skills. With this said, the Monster seems to suffer from
over-sensitivity due to its combination of overly strong
springing and heavy compressions damping, in concert with the
stiff chassis derived from the 851, wide tubular handlebars and upright
riding position. This also makes for some impressive wheelies. It
uses the same fork as the 750ss, which means it isn't adjustable,
and has slightly longer trail figures as such with the same rake
as the 851/888. This is not a prescription for head shakes, but
if you're worried about it, a switch to lighter fork oil might alleviate
some of the compression damping that makes you think this. Try 7
wt. -- the factory is 10. Return to the Table of Contents Very little. The best application of the freer-flowing exhaust
is in conjunction with a jet kit and airbox modifications. By
itself the cans are estimated to be worth only 1 to 3 horsepower improvement
over stock, with little variation between designs. You could
possibly improve that figure using the "spaghetti" header designs
offered by some manufacturers, but that's another story. However, the canisters lighten the bike by a bit and sound
REALLY GOOD. For instance, the Staintune aluminum jobbies weigh
in at about 8 lbs. each, which is a 22 lb. weight savings compared
to the stock cans. You can expect a bigger savings with carbon
fiber. And we all know that carbon fiber is to the Ducati owner
what chrome is to the Harley-Davidson owner.... There are differences in sound between the various makes, so
you may want to listen to a set before you buy. The Staintunes,
being made of aluminum, tend to resonate with a "tinny"
sound and can be described as mellow (but this is not necessarily
quiet). The CarbonTechs (and Pro Italia's house brand, which are "unbranded"
CarbonTechs), tend to be rounder-sounding and have a "bark"
to them. Some say they sound louder, although the author has
compared the two on identical bikes side by side and is not
convinced. One 750ss owner recommends you purchase aftermarket
mounting brackets for the CarbonTechs application as they must be
shoe horned into the standard mount. Left for long, the carbon
fiber components can separate. They can be procured from
Pro Italia Motorsports.
Return to the Table of Contents The Ducati standard jetting in the US is somewhat lean to
accommodate emissions requirements, and the airbox is restrictive
for noise control. The Dynojet kit, in conjunction with a K & N air filter,
seems to be THE standard modification for carburetted Ducatis
that improves the tune of the motor all the way around. Less
restrictive exhaust cannisters at this point would be a tasty and
useful touch as well. After all, you bought the Duke for that
nice Ducati music, right?
Contact Dynojet (406-388-4993, FAX 406-388-4721) before
ordering a kit to make sure the kit you order or have installed
is appropriate for the altitudes you ride in. It does make a
difference. You get several sizes of jets to experiment with, and
weaker diaphragm springs so the slides rise faster, quickening
throttle response. Be prepared to play with the setting for a
time, following their guidelines. It used to be that you had to do some serious
cutting into your airbox if you decide to add the K & N kit,
but nowadays, K & N makes a filter specifically for our airboxes.
While you're at it, many owners spring for reduced gearing
with aftermarket sprockets. The general consensus seems to be 39
teeth for the 900ss and derivatives (including the 750ss), and 42
teeth for 907ie's. This is also to restore the European
performance levels, as only the Americans get unusually elevated gearing
for EPA reasons.
Julian Bond
If you're happy with the standard levels of noise, at least make sure
you're 900ss has the standard European jets. Replacement exhausts,
Dynojet or Factory kit, K&N and open airbox certainly work but can take
some fiddling and dyno time to get them to work properly. The airbox
gets seriously loud at some RPMs which you may not like.
The Euro jetting is:-
Return to the Table of Contents Thanks to Brad Turner (mbt@mkt.3com.com), Godfrey DiGiorgi
(ramarren@apple.com), and Michael Nelson, (nelson@seahunt.imat.com)
or research.
Why yes, it is. If you have a fuel-injected Duc, fear not
because you can achieve similar results to rejetting with a
better chip. Again, Cagiva leans the mixture out to pass
emissions in the States, but the European chip corrects this situation.
Even better, posters report the best improvements by using the enhanced
chip by Fuel Injected Motorcycles (available from
Pro Italia Motorsports
of Glendale, CA), which removes some mapping anomalies (you know, bugs) from
the factory chips. Combined with the aforementioned K & N air
filter mods a 907ie owner reports roughly 12 hp. more in the midrange
and possibly 6 to 8 hp. at the top end, as an example. Regardless,
it's worth it just for the full 9000 rpm redline instead of the
factory 8700 limit. Fast By Ferracci
also makes a chip that some
posters have used, but many have since switched to the FIM version. Apparently FBF uses the "some is good, more is
better" approach to engineering (if you call it that) their
EPROMS. On the Duc EFI systems the CPU basically does a series of
table lookups. On the 907's 6801 based processor these table lookups
produce an injector values from 0-255 to indicate how long to
open the injector -- for a richer mixture, they just spray for a
longer time, for leaner, a shorter time. According to Duane at
Fuel Injected Motorcycles, all that FBF did was to do an
across-the-board bump of all of the values in the table. He
claims that if you look at the table lookup outputs a lot of the
time under acceleration you'll see 0xff [maximum value] outputs
when that is really not appropriate based on an exhaust gas
analyzer. The upshot of this is that the bike tends to run richer and
mileage suffers. According to him he does his EPROM tables with a
brake dyno and EG analyzer setup. When running with the FBF chip,
too rich is what seemed to be happening. It wasn't uselessly too
rich but it was noticeable. Side effects of the too-rich
settings, however, are carbon build up in the exhaust and crappy
mileage. Note: some fuel-injection units use dual-capacity EPROMS to
independently map the two cylinders, combined with a faster CPU
for more precise metering. These can be found in the 888 series
Ducatis. Make sure you specify which model (SP1, SP2, SP3, etc.)
when you order. Return to the Table of Contents 907 owners using the older DR8ES spec jobbies are now using
DPR8EA-9, with reports of elimination of surging that seemed to
appear around 4100 rpm and more low rpm smoothness to boot. 851/888 owners used to the Champion A59GC are now using NGK
D9EV spec plugs with improvements. M900 (Monster) and 900ss' are switching to NGK DPR8EA-9 or NGK DPR8EV-9
from the Champions. Note: The Champion plug uses a 16mm drive and the NGKs use an
18mm socket, so you'll want to pick up a new on board plug wrench
if you make the switch.
Gordon Bunker tells us "BMW makes a sparkplug socket for the
K bike tool kit which is 18mm, part # 71112303416 for about $10.
It requires a 17mm spanner to turn it or a hole could easily be
drilled through the small end for using a cross bar."
For those of you who were wondering (and those of you who
weren't) here is the NGK Spark plug code straight from the book: Return to the Table of Contents 28. "Is there anything I should know
regarding touch-up paint application?" Believe it or not, Ducati uses slightly different shades of
that beautiful red (SFI Red, according to the wizened souls of
the Church of Ducati), so make sure you get the primer and paint
specific to your bike. It seems to vary by year. Note that the
undercoat is pink primer, not white, which explains why it's so damn
hard for the dealers to match original paints.
Shop wisely.
Jon Wright (jwright@pages.com) tells us that he
"was doing some research in my issues of M'cyclist and ran
across this tidbit for 750ss owners trying to match SFI Red:
"Plasti-Kote-Toyota 3223" is a perfect match for touch-up work."
Also, You might try
Color-Rite Distributing
(http://www.color-rite.com/). They have pens and spray cans to
match many of the factory colors.
colorritebh@earthlink.net
In fact, Don Sucher
When you finally find the perfect match, sand the afflicted
area very gently, just enough to get most of the big scrapes out.
A little filler might be useful here. Let it cure all the way,
then sand gently again. Wash thoroughly after each sanding. Lastly,
apply the paint in t-h-i-n coats and let each set well between
each layer. Finish with a clear coat. It will take longer if it's
cold in the garage. Don't be discouraged if it doesn't come out exactly right --
the secret seems to be the pink primer. Not all pieces use the
pink stuff, though, so check first. Return to the Table of Contents Yes, then a tiny bit of ether (aka: starting fluid) on a cloth
will take off the remaining glue. Return to the Table of Contents 30. "How do I remove my in-line filter
that lives INSIDE my gas tank?" How to remove your in-line filter -- 750ss & 900ss &
sl, 851 variants, 750 & 906 Pasos & 907ie, and assorted
unnamed rubberbandheads. by Michael Nelson, (nelson@seahunt.imat.com)
Predicament: "With my recent flaky engine response and poor idling, I
would like to look at the contents of my in-line gas filter. My
manual shows one INSIDE the gas tank. Anybody play with these
before? Any way to take it out for a look/replace?" Yes. If it's like the 851's, you have five or six 4mm allen
screws that hold the cap assembly in place. Remove them (only
three of them actually hold it in place... the ones at 12
o'clock, 4 o'clock, and 7 o'clock when viewed from the seat...
the others are dummies and don't need to be removed). Lift that
sucker off. BTW, I'd disconnect the battery (to avoid sparks)
before starting on this job, and do it in a well ventilated area
with no nearby flame sources (water heater pilot lights, etc.).
Around the perimeter of the aluminum casting that remains in the
tank, there are a series of 2mm or so Allens. Back each of them out
so you can see about 1/8" of threads. You don't need to remove
them completely, but if you do, stuff a rag in the hole first so
you don't drop the little buggers in the tank. When you get them all loosened, the aluminum fitting will be
held in by tension from the black rubber o-ring and the green
rubber o-ring lower on the fitting. Pull up firmly on it 'til it
comes out, and then underneath there will be a drain hose. Loosen
the clamp and pull it off. Remove the aluminum casting and set it aside. Now you just reach down into the tank and the gasoline and
feel around. There will be numerous rubber fuel lines in there.
Feel down toward the bottom of the tank near the seat. That's
where the fuel pump lives. The fuel pump can be identified by
feel because there are two wires going to it as well as a couple
of fuel lines. The fuel pump is mounted in a rubber collar and is
just a slip/tension fit in the collar and a bracket in the
tank... you can just pull it out. Once you pull the pump out, you'll
be able to pull the whole shebang including the lines and filters out
above the big hole in the tank where it is easy to loosen the
clamps on the fuel hoses. Nifty cost-saving tip: the BMW K-bike filter is the same as
the Duck one at a considerably lower price. Went over to the BMW
dealer in SF and picked one up... $12.00. And yes, it's the same
as the one Ducati sells for more than twice as much. It's BMW
part number Remove the old filter, plug in the new one, reconnect the
hoses and re-tighten the hose clamps. Push the fuel pump back
into its mounting, and reassemble everything in the reverse
order. It all sounds complicated but it's a lot harder to describe
the procedure than it is to actually do it. Return to the Table of Contents 31. "What is the 5mm Allen key trick
that everyone talks about?" -- the quick-and-dirty (and surprisingly accurate) method for
adjusting belt tension on two-valvers and four-valvers with
belt-driven cams. Surprisingly, this technique is taught at the Ducati Service
Mechanics school, even though Cagiva supplies a very-expensive
tool resembling a fish scale to complicate this simple task. Since there's very little actual tension applied to the belts
via the valve gear (remember, this is a desmo, although there are
retainer springs), the trick is to be able to pass a 5mm Allen
key between the idler pulley and the belt. If you can't fit
it in there, it's too tight; if the belt is loose enough to fit
anything bigger, it's loose. That's it.
While you're there, you might check the pulley bearings, as they
have been known to go away from time to time. If they rotate
roughly, or not at all, they go.
The adjusting process itself isn't particularly critical, but
what is critical is that you don't want the belt to be so loose
as to hop a tooth or flap around, nor so tight that the cylinder
and head expansion stresses the belts fibers and causes it to break.
Trust the Church's cumulative experience -- bad things, bad
things happen (to paraphrase Dennis Hopper). There is an
equivalent trick for four-valvers. Find the SHORT run of the belt
between the two pulleys: With the belt TIGHT, scribe a line on the head even with the
edge of the tight belt. The tension is correct when you can
depress the middle of that run 3mm (not 5mm, due to the shorter
run) with "moderate" thumb pressure. So adjust it, and then check it by putting a 3mm allen in the
middle on top of the belt, and depress the center of the run
until the TOP surface of the allen is now even with the scribed
line on the head, indicating 3 mm of depression. Credit Dale at
BTF Motors in Livermore for delivering unto us the more refined
"Otto Valvole" technique. DO NOT neglect checking the tension at 3,000 mile intervals --
although they usually retain tension well, they have been known
to need a tweak here and there. Remember, bad things.... Return to the Table of Contents (thanks to Godfrey DiGiorgi, (ramarren@apple.com)
for help on this one)
In order to remove the valve cover and check the adjustment on this
valve, you need to remove all four radiator bolts and pull the
radiator forward so you can get your hand and a cut-down allen key in
there. Unhooking the tach cable also helps. However, if you actually
need to adjust the intake valve shims, there's no room for the tools
or your fingers to work on it without removing the radiator. If you're
dextrous and determined, you could do it, but you'll save yourself
time, aggravation and skinned knuckles (and likely do a more accurate
job) if you just remove the radiator anyway. I'd consider removing the
radiator next time just for the clearance check: it's just a little
bit fussy to refill the system, but it makes the job so much easier to
do it's likely worth the extra time there.
Draining it is no problem, it's refilling the system and getting all
the air out that proves challenging. Adding a filling cap into the
hoses is probably not a good idea, as you'd have to cut through some
very expensive pieces to get to it, and it might also invalidate your
warranty. The hot setup for purging the system on refill is to pump
the left hand hose coming off the water pump as you slowly fill the
system. This pushes coolant through the rear cylinder and helps burp
the air bubbles out. I don't think it's all that difficult, just a
minor PITA.
Return to the Table of Contents Two-valve motors manufactured between 1990 and 1993 could have
been assembled with the dreaded soft valve guide material. This
mostly affects exhaust valves, but can also be a problem with
intakes. It's a random event -- some 2 valvers had 'em, some
didn't, and no 4-valvers ever got any as they use different longer
guides altogether. Ducati changed the guide material mid-'93. Basically, the
valves get loose, letting oil pass through and eventually out the exhaust, making
a nice blue smoke that smells just wonderful. Some gooey (not GUI) droplets
may also appear on your exhaust tips. The above symptoms may not necessarily
be evident, though, which means you oughta check 'em once just to be
sure. Piece of cake to check. Just pull the valve covers off (not
counting all the goodies that have to be removed/pushed aside to
get to them) and put the engine at TDC (the engine turning tool
helps here). Then try to rock the valve stem along the plane of
the engine. Any movement at all means you've got a case. And it's
easy to feel by hand -- remember, the desmo head only has a relatively weak
return spring just for damping effect, the closer just raising
the valve close to the seat. Gas pressure and pure inertia are
what closes the seal when running. If you discover you have them, RUN, don't walk to your nearest
dealer you can trust and get 'em replaced. If you're under
warranty so much the better. Return to the Table of Contents (thanks to Mike Lee of Team Banana Racing, (mikel@ichips.intel.com)
and the hotrod mailing list.) The most common ones are blue
and red. Blue comes in a little bottle. Red comes in a tube that
looks like a travel-size tooth paste tube. The blue stuff is most
commonly used, and doesn't do a great job at preventing stuff
from loosening. The red stuff is for things you will NEVER take apart
again =8^). The warning on the tube says "requires heat
and/or special tools for disassembly." They are not
kidding.... Return to the Table of Contents There seems to be much contentiousness between owners of the
fuel-injected machines and Cagiva, with the dealer either the
alibi or stuck in the middle, whichever you're inclined to
believe. There are some fundamental facts to keep in mind before
attempting to fix this "problem." The EFI models put more of a drain on the battery when running
because of the power required to run the electronics, and also
because they have a higher pressure fuel system. Because of this,
the fuel pump runs more often and draws more current. Since the
fuel pump is running so often, it becomes critical that there not
be any obstructions in the fuel system. Ducati puts an in-line
fuel filter inside the gas tank that seems to need frequent
attention. As it turns out, even with a properly functioning
charging system, a clogged fuel filter can cause the fuel pump to
draw excessive amounts of current. (See elsewhere in this FAQ for specific
procedures on removing and replacing the beast.) A telltale sign that
the filter is hogging the juice is if the fuel pump is drawing
more than normal current when the key is switched on. Hook up a
voltmeter/ammeter across the battery and measure how many amps
the pump draws -- with a clean fuel filter you should be drawing
about 2 amps, with a dirty one probably close to 10. Likewise,
with the voltmeter you shouldn't see a drop of more than .25
volts when the key is on, from about 12 volts. Another indicator of unusual drain (from a funky fuel filter)
is what RPM is needed to reach a balanced charge condition, ie.,
at what RPM do you actually start charging the bike? With your trusty
voltmeter hooked up, start up the bike -- when the amps read
zero, that's the place, somewhere between 2500 and 3500 RPM.
Below that and you're taking juice away from the battery to maintain the
bike's functions. You can actually drain the battery so low so quickly
the ignition may cause the bike to sputter and cough. This is why dealers
always want to know if you ride in a lot of stop & go
traffic, because you're certainly averaging less than the balance
point when you count idle time. Another source of charging problems is a bad regulator or
alternator that's not up to snuff. Look for wildly-fluctuating
voltage readings when you're revving the bike steadily through
the RPM range. Obviously this assumes the battery itself is charged and in
good working order, topped off and everything. During the summer
this can be easy to forget. Many posters swear by their Battery Tender
(tm) to keep their battery in top notch shape, particularly when
left sitting for a great while. If you're charging system is normal,
however, you shouldn't have to depend on this device to enjoy your bike. Take careful measurements of your voltage and current levels
and write them down for later reference should Cagiva or your
dealer give you a hassle. Eliminate the obvious sources of
irritation first, like a weak battery or a clogged fuel filter.
If that fails, whip out the numbers and hope for the best. If
it's a new bike under warranty, you could be looking at a whole
new regulator/rectifier, a new alternator or even a whole new
wiring harness (yes, it's been done, ask Jon Wright). If it's not under
warranty, best to proceed with the regulator swap first as the
most likely candidate. 907ie owners, don't let the dealer
convince you the "clock is hungry." Except for
long-duration sitting spells, this is a fallacy, and besides, now
you know better 'cuz you went out and bought a Battery Tender at your
local outlet. AND NOW FOR A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!: If you mess with your Duck's wiring harness, particularly if
you had a nice expensive alarm system installed to protect your
investment, Cagiva will invalidate your warranty. Ask them
yourself. You've been warned. Return to the Table of Contents Although different riding schools have different regulations
regarding bike prep (call them for exact info), in general you
ought to think about the following: When you go to the track, it might be wise to be reasonably
prepared for the simple catastrophes that may befall you. Bring
the rudiments of a tool kit, a pressure gauge you know to be
accurate, and some extra oil and chain lube. Some schools, like Team Suzuki Endurance's Track School,
emphasize competitive speed and skills as they are aimed
primarily at those individuals with an eventual interest in
racing. Many of their off-track sessions deal with safety and
sponsorship, for instance. You will learn advanced riding
techniques at these schools, however, so the non-racer need not
dismiss these out of hand. However, the overwhelming favorite
amongst non-racer enthusiasts seems to be Reg Pridmore's CLASS,
taught by former AMA Superbike champ Reg and his son Jason, who
is campaigning the series now. Reg's school is said to be popular primarily
because the emphasis is on developing smoothness at a non-threatening pace,
ie. not more than you can handle. Many people have come back from CLASS
surprised at just how fast (and smooth) they'd become by the end
of the sessions, and vow to return for more. The insider scoop
for CLASS is to opt for the trip 'round the track with Reg or
Jason on back of their Beemers. For a more detailed account of the various schools, there is a
comparison in the January '92 issue of Motorcyclist magazine. Return to the Table of Contents 37. "What kind of luggage can I get for
my sport-tourer?" There is a veritable plethora of tankbags, tailbags and
saddlebags you can get for your Ducati, and it is beyond the
scope of this FAQ to cover all of them. Two brands that seem to
receive special attention from the Ducati list, however, are RKA
and Marsee, possibly because these companies understand the lust
and paranoia associated with Ducatisti, understand their concern
for scratching rather fragile Italian paint, and cater to their
ilk. List denizens have extended their loyalty accordingly. This
is not an endorsement of the makes -- testimonials are merely given
for you to weigh. Whatever baggage you choose for your steed,
please carefully read and follow the installation instructions as unnecessary
movement against your precious paint may have you looking for touch-up
sooner than you expected! From: Beth Dixon, bethd@netcom.com, 750ss:
When buying luggage for my 750SS sport tourer I looked at both
RKA and Marsee. Both products are made well and both companies
have a customer service attitude. I chose the Marsee over the RKA
because I liked the mounting system better and ordering was as
easy as telling Dale what I wanted (Marsee sells through dealers
rather than directly). For those who want luggage for their Ducs,
Marsee is an alternative to RKA. I find it extremely easy to get the
luggage on and off the bike --takes no time at all. (Helpful
hint: When touring with a luggage loaded bike, do not keep the
registration paperwork under the seat. Especially when the
luggage is on both sides of and on top of the seat that needs to
be removed to get to the registration. And especially if you
might to anything that would encourage a friendly officer to
request to see that registration. (Don't ask how I know.) I have a set of Marsee saddlebags (large) and a large tailbag.
He makes a couple of sized of these, as well as two or three
sizes of tailbags. All are available with either
"Marsee" or "Ducati" embroidered in strategic
places and come in either red or black. ... My tailbag has a huge square of that nice reflective
material on the back (the side facing any vehicle approaching
from the rear of the bike). Not only does it make me more visible
to traffic, but it helps when camping. Set the tailbag next to the
tent with the reflective bit towards the gathering area. When its
time to go to bed, swing the flashlight in a arc towards the
general direction of the tent and its _very_ easy to find our
tent among all those other tents. Especially helpful when Jim
Broglio brings a large keg of very tasty homebrew to the Dryside Gather. From: Jon Wright, (jwright@pages.com), 907ie: I bought the [Marsee] non-magnetic 24 liter tank bag to use
for a commuter. I was really impressed with the big, big zippers
and the quality of workmanship they put into it. I think an improvement
would be for a net pocket on the inside to capture bits that seem
to roll around a lot in there, like my mini-Kryptonite. Different
bags have different features. After my recent dump, detailed elsewhere, I
had a small tear in the bag. I sent it to Rex Marsee (he's local
here in San Diego) and Rex put it back on the line and
disassembled it, putting new pieces in as if it were brand new.
All for very little. He usually answers the phone in a slow, steady
tone, and I found him very responsive and concerned that I took a
dump. Rex seems a very personable individual in the discussions I've
had with them. I promised myself I would go up and see the
beasties being made. He told me to not fall down as much in the future on my
receipt. I do whatever I'm told (except by my wife). I believe he rides a 750ss or something like that, but I'm not
sure. If you have a 907, be sure to order up an extra-long strap
at the tank/seat juncture, as the wide base the tank sits on
takes up all the slack. I needed another 8 to 10 inches. Oh yeah, the other cool things: it has a zippered pocket on
the top for sunglasses, and big swatches of reflective material
on the sides. Very useful, in my opinion. ... My Marsee definitely folds up and expands. Perhaps the
neatest feature I've seen in a tailpack/saddlebag combo is
Marsee's collapsing tail -- when you need to sit on it or put a
sleeping bag back there, it collapses totally flat. I almost bought
it just for that reason for my VFR, but clearances were such with my Honda
that I'd have to relocate my goofy turn signals. I later broke 'em
off, ending that controversy. From: Godfrey DiGiorgi, (ramarren@apple.com), 907ie:
Last summer when I was planning my first trip on the 907, I
acquired the RKA tailpack (yea, the sporty looking one).... I
went off on a 2800 mile trip, which included about 800 miles of
stinking, pouring rain.... The RKA tailpack ... was brilliant: it
leaked not a drop, stayed securely in place and didn't damage the bodywork
at all. ... I also decided that for longer trips, I wanted less on the
tank and panniers. Hard bags have never appealed to me due to the
weight and such, then I looked at RKA's bags. I bought them at the
USGP last year but didn't really have the chance to use them
until this past weekend. My first time installation had them on the bike and secure in
4 minutes. I tested them, lightly loaded, at the full range of
speeds the bike is capable of and found them to be secure, not
block the mirrors too much (907 mirrors are low mounted and easy
to occlude with passenger knees or bags), and unobtrusive. Once
the over-seat straps are in place, they come on and off in
seconds. And they do not damage the bodywork. Since my bike is Anthracite Black, I had them done in solid
black with "Desmo" embroidered on the sides. I also got
the liner bags for them. I'm planning to replace the Sport
tailpack with the squarer one... it holds more and is easier to get
in and out of ... if I find I need additional space. Overall, I like the bags a lot, they work very well and
Richard & Kathy have also provided me mounting straps that
fit well on my other bikes if I need to use them. From: Brad Turner, (mbt@mkt.3com.com), 907ie:
RKA (Richard and Kathy's Accessories, no shit!) has a full
compliment of soft bags which include a couple of different
models of tank bags, saddle bags and two different types of tail
bags. For the 907 I've got one of the tank bags, the saddlebags,
and the uglier square tail bag. Tom [900ss] and Godfrey [907ie] have
the sleeker (and lower capacity) tailbag. So far I've been really
pleased with the stuff. The only complaint I have is probably my
own fault. The saddle bags are a tiny bit faded, but I did not
follow the instructions that come with the products which suggest
using Scotchgard on the material, not only to improve water
resistance but also because it helps with UV protection as well.
On the SS bikes I'm not too sure how well my tank bag would work
due to the hump on the front of the tank where the vent hose is
located. I'd still call them up and ask, Richard has a brand new
900ss and Kathy rides nice blue 906 Paso. They use their own
bikes at shows and in their product literature. No busted seams or anything like that, I even [crashed] my
first 907 with the [RKA] tail and tank bags installed. The tail
bag picked up some road grease and a minor bit of abrasion, but
it held up just fine. The mounting system has never given me any
problems (even at 120+ blasts). The saddle bags are two years old and
going just fine. The tank and tail are 8 months old and no complaints. I'd speculate
the saddle bags have seen about 1/2 of the 16K miles I've put on
the 907's. The tank and tail bag less, because they are newer. From: Duke Robillard, 888:
I picked up one of the small, magnetic RKA tank bags for my 888.
It fits well, both collapsed and expanded, and it stays on well,
too. And it's got lots of cool inside pockets.
Return to the Table of Contents Don't neglect readjusting the clip-ons, footpegs and
clutch/brake controls to your particular dimensions. These can
make a big difference in how you perform with your new
acquisition. Ducati 900ss, sl, ss cr, ss sp, 750ss, 600ss. '91 to '94. Ducati 851/888SPO The K&N, chip, and pipes go on all at the same time
because they are designed to work together as a set. The reason
for the brake mods first is that stock, these bikes will GO just
fine, but they don't STOP just fine until these mods are made. Ducati 907ie Return to the Table of Contents The main problem with the fussy carburetion and concomitant
partial throttle response is poor fuel pressure from the
electrostatic pump used in these models. The Weber 44DCNF is a
variant of their automotive downdrafts which, although very
sophisticated, need sophisticated know-how of their multiple
circuits as well to get them to perform at their best. They were designed
to operate with 3 psi, give or take a half psi, at the float bowl
inlet, and the electrostatic pump of the Paso and Sport doesn't
maintain a steady enough pressure. In particular, too much fuel
pressure to the float valve overfills the float chamber, which
ends up soaking the cover gasket and enrichening the mixtures
across all the circuits. Once the cover gasket is soaked, the
float height setting increases, which made the mixture over-rich
all the more. This over-rich condition affects the idle and low
end of the midrange more than the top end, including accelerator
pump operation, which explains the traditional Paso problems of
bad off-idle and partial throttle flat spots. Motorcycle carbs, being designed
primarily for gravity feed, are typically a lot simpler than the Weber
and much less sensitive to fuel pressure variations and angle of installation.
The rotary pump of the later 907ie alleviates the inadequacies of
the electrostatic, but this doesn't help you out much, does it? The universal solution, barring a total carb swap, is to add a
fuel pressure regulator set to Weber's 3 psi. The typical
installation involves sticking it in-line, forming a Y-junction
between the delivery line, return line, and the carburetor. Using
the stock flow restricter on the return hose, you can adjust the
regulator to provide exactly 3.0 psi to the carb using an in-line
pressure gauge. A minor bit of jet fiddling wouldn't hurt as well to eliminate
a minor flat spot at 6000 rpm that still exists. A successful
tuner reports 155 mains (vs. 145 US spec, 150 Euro spec), 60
idlers (vs. 55 US, 57 Euro), and about 3.5 turns out on the idle
mixture screws did the trick for his 750 Sport. He also installed
a K & N filter kit and Fast By Ferracci
cannisters with appreciable
results, the only drawback to the jetting changes being somewhat
rich running in city riding and slightly harder starting. Posters recommend the Weber Tuning Book from Haynes as the
bible for these carbs. Syd's, in Florida at 813.522.3333 is
recognized as a dealer with good expertise on the Webers as well.
The manual might be cheaper.... If you're feeling really particularly performance-challenged,
one Paso owner decided to chuck the whole thing and get the
Mikuni flat-slides, which run about $500 as of this writing from
Fast By Ferracci.
Keep in mind the throttle cables are unusual in
this application -- a custom 1 into 2 split arrangement -- and
you will have to source the fuel line splitter, hoses and do all
this without any instructions. One carb is marked with an
"F" to designate it the forward one, which might be a
little important considering different angle mountings require different
float settings. However, the grin factor seems to make up for all
the skinned knuckles and headaches. There is a Dell' Orto kit available as well, but no one has
tried one on the list yet. These are available from Syd's. Return to the Table of Contents 40. "Can vertically challenged [re:
short] people still ride Ducatis?" (by Beth Dixon, (bethd@netcom.com); inspiration by Sheri Coble
(sbc@cvsd.cv.com).)
Lots of Ducatis fit smaller folks. I'm just under 5'4"
tall and 120 pounds. Sheri Coble is even smaller than I am
(somewhere around 5"). Both of us ride 750ss's with only
slight modification (ie. a seat with some of the foam cut out of it).
The 750SS has been discontinued for '94, but the 900ss SP or CR
are basically the same frame, seat, etc. It does weigh a tad
more, but isn't really any physically larger in dimensions. The
M900 [Monster] would be an excellent choice for a smaller person.
I fit it a tad wide around the seating area for me but that's
easily fixed. I found it seemed quite handle-able when dealer-showroom-test
sitting. Now, if you want something _really_ small, try an old (mid
1960s era) Ducati single. Teeeeny tiny leetle bikes. I can
straddle one with room leftover when the bike is on the
centerstand. A rare occurrence! I'd stay away from the mid-1970s to
late-1980s models. They are simply too tall. My feet are nowhere
even close to the ground and there is no padding on the oak-plank seats
those came with so removing seat foam isn't really an option. And
the 907ie is as wide as a whale for a person with short legs. Return to the Table of Contents 41. "Where can I get neat Ducati
pictures to drool over?" GIF and JPEG images of Ducatis and many others are available
on the ftp server that John Stafford has made available to us. If
you have FTP services, try: for a complete listing, just ftp in and get (in ascii mode) $dir-by-date.txt <- directory sorted by descending date,
ascending name. README and .txt files: you need to be in ASCII mode to
download, 'ascii' There's a software directory with mac, pc and unix viewing
software. If you hop up a directory (use CDUP here, not cd ..)
you will find a few hundred more of other manufacturers'. If you're in Europe, you can try ftp: Return to the Table of Contents Be sure to check out: (thanks to Niclas Cederlund, (epknice@kaepk.ericsson.se) for the info)
The Ducati Club of Sweden has made a CD with 23 tracks (1 is a
song by the former chairman, 2 is commercials) with Ducatis that
sing their bass through Contis and others. The contents are: 1. Let's go out and ride SEK 60:- within Sweden To: Svenska Ducati Klubben or pay to Swedish Postgiro, account number 604452-3 Ducati enthusiasts are welcome to become members of the club.
Membership costs SEK 200:-/year. Please pay to Postgiro, account
number 4771371-4, and inform us of your address, telephone
number, bike model, registration number, etc. You will receive
the bimonthly "Cucciolo" magazine (Swedish edition
only), and invitations to meetings and track sessions. Cover: Swedish summer sunset and a 900 MHR. All rights reserved Svenska Ducati Klubben Nico adds: "It's a ridiculous amount of money [ie., a
pittance once exchanged for American dollars -- Editor] so if you
want to support their work they don't mind you paying a bit more
for the CD (my own opinion)." Return to the Table of Contents 43. Shameless quickie product endorsements. From: Josh J Fielek, (jjf@inri.com)
Consumer's Reports (June 1988) says that Meguiar's Car
Cleaner, a paste wax, is the least abrasive wax with the best
gloss and durability ratings. They recommend it for a new car.
Good stuff. Get it. Use it. From: Ed Guzman (eguzman@nwpx12.nts.uswc.uswest.com)
I use the Meguiar's Glazing Polish. Make sure the scoot is
spotless, then Glaze, then wax. The glaze gives the shine and the
wax protects the shine. That and you get to run your hands over
that sexy Italian bodywork a coupla extra times! From: Jon Wright (jwright@pages.com)
I have the Motoport Atlas jacket and Ciano pants. The jacket
is very bulky and warm and makes an excellent commute suit. It's
got body armor, too. The only problem is I don't even wanna think about
packing it, so I'll be getting the Ciano jacket to match before
any big trips. From: Michael Nelson, (nelson@seahunt.imat.com)
If the battery gets severely discharged, a 45 minute blast on
the freeway won't recharge it more than superficially. IMHO, the
Battery Tender is the best solution, and others on this list who
use them on THEIR Ducks with puny charging systems will probably
testify in behalf of the Battery Tender. They're only $49.95, and
useful on ALL your batteries, both cars and bikes. From: Godfrey DiGiorgi, (ramarren@apple.com)
It pulls on easily over my leathers and other gear. It's red
white and blue for visibility. And I'm happy to report that it is
totally, utterly, completely waterproof. $100 well spent. The DriBika I obtained is an all synthetic, two-piece suit. I
had a waxed cotton suit in the past and it's too bulky and messy
for my needs. This is a light, rain skin only garment for pulling
over my regular leathers (along with totes and rain mittens or
waterproof gloves). One of the things I picked up at the track was the first tape
from Doug Polen's production company, Hyperformance
International, Inc. which features the '93 Superbike races at
Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta. Those watching the AMA Superbike
championship carefully last year might have noted that Doug's
bike was equipped with an on board camera for all the races, and that
none of the video coverage presented to date was taken from
Doug's bike... This is the first product of that effort, with
some additional inset footage supplied by the Burke-Despain production
crew's trackside cameras and Doug's commentary/narration for each
of the races. I've now had the pleasure of watching both races a couple of
times, seen from Doug's bike viewpoint. This is amazing stuff! I
highly recommend this tape to any roadrace enthusiasts. The video
quality is generally first rate, Doug's commentary is insightful
and amusing (even if he does repeat himself now and again... ;)
and the Laguna Seca race in particular is fantastic: he got off
to a mediocre start and worked his way through the field
methodically, then ran into some equipment trouble and finally
took the lead on the very last section of the last lap. The tape runs
about 55 minutes for both races. I'm sure the tapes will be available at the AMA Nationals race
concession stands and through the usual video distribution
channels shortly, but for those who want to find them more
quickly: Hyperformance International Inc. What I can add is that the number is 800.977.2323 (or
817.381.2300), that it is $29.95 plus $2.90 shipping/handling. Return to the Table of Contents From: Mike Lee (mikel@ichips.intel.com)
A neat trick for those who have upside-down forks (courtesy
Jim Brewer). The biggest problem servicing them is removing the
fork cap, which is secured with a locknut, which in turn is
sheathed by the preload spacer. The manual calls for a special tool ($260) to force the spacer
down, allowing access to the locknut. It seems almost impossible
without it. Well, a trick is to put a hook into each of the two holes
drilled into the preload spacer. Then run a tie-down through the
axle end to the hooks. Crank down on the tie-down, and viola, the
spring is compressed and reveals the locknut. I thought it was
pretty ingenious. Make sure to Loctite the studs on the cush drive when you
change sprockets. If you don't want to shell out mucho dinero for a genuine
Fiamm part, run down to the local auto parts store and pick up
either Purolator xx31153 or Fram CA3399. Both are meant for the
'77 Porsche 924 2.0. The Fram version fits perfectly, while
you'll need to trim the Purolator one a tad.
NOTE: Beware on this tip! One Duc owner reports:
The fram blocks the main air inlets from the pressurized air inlet as the
air filter "ruffles" are much higher than the stock '91 851 filter. I'm
throwing the Fram away, alas.
Carl Liebold (carl_liebold@engtwomac.SynOptics.COM)
I've always aligned my wheels the way I saw Rich Oliver do it
on his TZ250 years ago. I think this way is standard
"racer" practice. Put bike on service stand. Take about 15 feet of string
(elastic thread works best!). Tape center of string to back of
the rear wheel about 4" off the ground. Bring the ends of
the string to the front of the bike. Tie the ends of the string
to some movable objects (I use a pair of jack stands), at the same
height (4"). The idea is to set the strings so they are
parallel and "just" in contact to the front edge rear
tire by moving the jack stands. With the strings taped to the
back of the rear tire, and "just" touching the front
edge of the rear tire, they should make two parallel lines that
run forward, passing along either side of the front tire. Now the alignment
of the front and rear wheels can be easily observed by examining
the clearance of the front wheel and the string on either side.
Adjust the chain adjuster appropriately if necessary, and then
recheck. It's a pain to do the first time, but then it gets easy. Use
the thinnest, elastic thread you can find. Also, try rotating the
rear wheel to several points to make sure you aren't just
adjusting for uneven tire manufacture. And make sure the thread
isn't on some bump of "mold seam" rubber or in a tread
at the edge of the tire. This would screw up everything. Obviously, this method ignores how the chain and sprockets are
aligned, and focuses on how the wheels and tires are aligned. I
can imagine that having the sprockets and wheels aligned simultaneously
may not be possible, and I'd rather have the wheels lined up. When using this procedure on my '92 750SS, a quarter turn of
one of the chain adjusters is quite significant. When complete,
the adjusters appear to be at even marks at either side of the
bike, indicating adequate manufacturing. However, a quarter turns
seams to effect the alignment significantly, but is just about invisible in
relation to the adjuster marks. When Greg Starr's oil light refused to impart the correct
warnings (ie. it quit), Greg thought a real engine ought to have
a real gauge -- so he went to the local auto parts store and
bought a gauge with a flexible oil line and a "metric adapter." Ran
him about $23. He's very happy with it and notes that when warm,
the pressure's a little over 40 psi, and when ripping through
canyons or unsuspecting parking lots it gets around 70 psi. Godfrey DiGiorgi warns that if you perform this mod, you need
to keep a careful eye on leakage, either in the bourdon tube
assembly inside the gauge head or at any of the fittings or on
the tube. There are more points a mechanical gauge can fail it
than the idiot light, so it would be wise to keep some blanking plugs
around just in case. Rubber mount the gauge to be on the safe
side. From: Beth Dixon, bethd@netcom.com
Ducati fuse box covers pop off whenever the bikes (at least
the modern ones) go down on the left side. Of course, fuses
scatter all over the place and are more often than not munched
too badly to be reused. So, where does Ducati give you room to
carry extra fuses? That's right, just below the ones you need in
the same fuse box. Bzzzt. Without a 30 amp fuse (the master, the top one) and a 15 amp
fuse (for the fuel pump, second one down) the bike won't go
anywhere. If you don't travel with another Ducati so the downed
bike has a ready supply of still-in-place fuses, its probably a
good idea to carry at least a spare of each of these in the
toolkit or a pocket. Experiencing running on one cylinder on your 900ss? Has it
been wet there? Even heavy dew? The metal covers on the spark
plug wires can accumulate moisture and short out to the cylinder
head. The covers can be removed easily without damage to the
wires. From: Tom Dietrich (txd@mkt.3com.com)
Duc seems to breed air bubbles? If you have the screw turned
all the way in, as I do, you need to back it out a bit before
attempting to bleed the system. From: Ian Gunn (gunn@watson.ibm.com)
It's not direct from Weber, but it bypasses Cagiva N.A. and
the markup you pay for buying Weber commodities as Ducati parts.
They'll get a serious order (like 4 injectors) flown in from Weber
Italy. Weber USA are impossible to deal with, even for those like
TWM who are in the business. TWM Induction Ask for Gary Pollard Return to the Table of Contents Subject: Ohlins dampers Dear Most Valued Customer, This notice is sent to you in accordance with the requirements
of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Ohlins Racing AB in Sweden has determined that a defect which
relates to motor vehicle safety exists in the case of certain
steering dampers, marked by part number SD1001/1002 and SD2001/2002.
The steering dampers were manufactured from May 1993 to April
1994 and were sold during the same period. The steering dampers due for remedy can be identified since
they are marked with the product name (i.e. SD1001 together with
the product week:V321- V413). The marked date stands for the year
and week (for example, V334=1993 in week 34). Please note the
dates outside the period week 21 in 1993 to week 13 in 1994 are
not applicable for this recall. The steering dampers show an
unacceptable friction level, which influences the function of the
product. The result can cause very hard damping and an un-smooth
feeling in the function of the steering damper, and in a severe case
could cause loss of control. You should not ride your motorcycle
unnecessarily before the steering damper is dismantled from your
motorcycle. We will remedy the defect without charge. We will replace the
one-way valve, which cures the problem, and the service will take
less than half an hour to perform. Please send your steering damper
to Noleen Racing Inc., 16276 Koala Rd., Adelanto, CA 92301, or if
inconvenient, please contact us at phone number (619) 246-5000
for assistance. If we have failed or are unable to remedy this defect without
charge or within a reasonable amount of time, you may submit a
complaint to the Administrator of the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, 400 Seventh St., S.W. Washington, DC
20590, or call the toll-free Auto Safety Hotline at (800) 424-9393.
(Washington residents may call 366-0123.) Yours Sincerely, Clark Jones, President These are the ones with the aluminum rims and magnesium
centers. The centers are bolted to the rims using ultra-trick
bolts, instead of welded together. These bolts have to be torqued
EVERY SIX MONTHS according to the factory service manuals (not
the owner's manual). Apparently, this isn't often enough as posters
have had to have them covered under warranty. It seems that if they loosen,
they can shift around in their holes enough to bang the hole out
of round, ruining the wheel. If you have these wheels, find out what the proper torque for
these bolts are and check them on a regular basis. Although the
problem has only been reported on rears, check the fronts, too,
to be on the safe side. If they're loose, take your 900sl to a
dealer for inspection and possible warranty replacement. Return to the Table of Contents 46. "Where's the Ducati Newsgroup/Mailing List?" 47. "Where can I get info on the Old Duc Singles" Return to the Table of Contents 48. "Any words of wisdom about leaky clutch slave cylinders and rebuilding them?"
Compiled by Edward Hotchkiss
From: Chris Taylor
Make sure the inside of the cylinder is nice and smooth- polish it
with a really fine sandpaper or something. I put a new seal in mine and
it went together with no problem. Make sure the little rubber seal is
installed the right way around- look how the old one is on the piston.
From: chris in houston
My only advice is to change the fluid every 1,000 miles.
I know it sounds extreme, but the slave cyclinder gets very hot
and cooks the fluid. Keep an eye out for discoloration, rust spots, etc. on the
the inside lining of the cylinder body. If it looks bad replace it. Just
replacing the seal sometimes won't fix the leak.
From: Kevin Hawkins, klhawkins@attmail.com, '95 900CR
My experience in rebuilding my clutch slave cylinder. Piece o' cake!!
Place an oil drain pan under the bike. Remove the three hex bolts and
pull the slave unit off the bike (takes a little tugging). Holding the
slave unit in your hand with your palm read to catch the piston, give
the clutch handle a quick squeeze. Out pops the piston in your
hand. Pull the light spring off the back, remove the outer scraper
seal and remove the rubber dampener inside the piston. A very simple
mechanism!
Using 600 wet/dry sandpaper, then very very fine steel
wool, then your Dremel polish attachment, polish the inside bore of
the slave unit. It's roughness is what caused the scraper seal to
fail. Replace the scraper seal and inside dampener plug(I don't know
why you replace the inside dampener other than it comes with the kit
$13.95 Action Cycles). Reassemble and bleed using my "bottom up"
method and your good to go!!
From: David Harvey, (Secretary) Ducati Owners Club (GB), Surrey, England
Anyone concerned at clutch slave piston seal leakage might be
interested in up-grading the 'O'-ring with a seal from a specialist
seal supplier as the Ducati one does appear to be of a standard size.
I contacted the company listed below and they supplied me with one of
their 'Quad-rings'. They are double-lipped seals and in cross section
look like a four-pointed star, each point being very rounded of
course. The sealing principle is similar to DID's 'X'-Ring chain.
They are designed to fit into standard 'O' ring grooves. The cost is
slightly less than Ducati's own part but the only snag is that I
believe the company now has a minimum order quantity of 15. They are
still good value if you can share the cost with some fellow Ducati
owners.
I fitted one six years (and 40,000 miles ago) to my 1989 906 Paso and
its still fine. The 1989 Paso has the slave cylinder on the right hand
side of the engine where it also has to cope with clutch dust. The
part number is: Q.4210-559N and the company:
Return to the Table of Contents
49. "Can you find Neutral on your Duc?"
From: "Jeffrey E. Sussna"
Here's the secret for getting your Duc into neutral each and every time.
Return to the Table of Contents
50. "Where can I get stickers?
Stickers and Decals of many types can be found at the following locations.
Please be aware of the background color since some of them are clear and
therefore require a suitable background to be visible.
Return to the Table of Contents
Yes, there is. Check out
The Ducati parts interchangeability list,
(http://www.users.waitrose.com/~paso/parts.htm)
by David Harvey of the
Ducati Owners Club (GB)
(http://www.docgb.org)
Return to the Table of Contents
_____________________________________________________________
| |
| SAE Gear Viscosity Number |
| ________________________________________________________ |
| |75W |80W |85W| 90 | 140 | |
| |____|_____|___|______________|________________________| |
| |
| SAE Crank Case Viscosity Number |
| ____________________________ |
| |10| 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | |
| |__|_____|____|_____|______| |
|_____________________________________________________________|
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42
viscosity cSt @ 100 degrees C
Brand VI Flash Pour %ash %zinc
20W-50
AMSOIL 136 482 -38 <.5 ---
Castrol GTX 122 440 -15 .85 .12
Exxon High Performance 119 419 -13 .70 .11
Havoline Formula 3 125 465 -30 1.0 ---
Kendall GT-1 129 390 -25 1.0 .16
Pennzoil GT Perf. 120 460 -10 .9 ---
Quaker State Dlx. 155 430 -25 .9 ---
Red Line 150 503 -49 --- ---
Shell Truck Guard 130 450 -15 1.0 .15
Spectro Golden 4 174 440 -35 --- .15
Spectro Golden M.G. 174 440 -35 --- .13
Unocal 121 432 -11 .74 .12
Valvoline All Climate 125 430 -10 1.0 .11
Valvoline Turbo 140 440 -10 .99 .13
Valvoline Race 140 425 -10 1.2 .20
Valvoline Synthetic 146 465 -40 <1.5 .12
20W-40
Castrol Multi-Grade 110 440 -15 .85 .12
Quaker State 121 415 -15 .9 ---
15W-50
Chevron 204 415 -18 .96 .11
Mobil 1 170 470 -55 --- ---
Mystic JT8 144 420 -20 1.7 .15
Red Line 152 503 -49 --- ---
5W-50
Castrol Syntec 180 437 -45 1.2 .10
Quaker State Synquest 173 457 -76 --- ---
Pennzoil Performax 176 --- -69 --- ---
5W-40
Havoline 170 450 -40 1.4 ---
15W-40
AMSOIL 135 460 -38 <.5 ---
Castrol 134 415 -15 1.3 .14
Chevron Delo 400 136 421 -27 1.0 ---
Exxon XD3 --- 417 -11 .9 .14
Exxon XD3 Extra 135 399 -11 .95 .13
Kendall GT-1 135 410 -25 1.0 .16
Mystic JT8 142 440 -20 1.7 .15
Red Line 149 495 -40 --- ---
Shell Rotella w/XLA 146 410 -25 1.0 .13
Valvoline All Fleet 140 --- -10 1.0 .15
Valvoline Turbo 140 420 -10 .99 .13
10W-30
AMSOIL 142 480 -70 <.5 ---
Castrol GTX 140 415 -33 .85 .12
Chevron Supreme 150 401 -26 .96 .11
Exxon Superflo Hi Perf 135 392 -22 .70 .11
Exxon Superflo Supreme 133 400 -31 .85 .13
Havoline Formula 3 139 430 -30 1.0 ---
Kendall GT-1 139 390 -25 1.0 .16
Mobil 1 160 450 -65 --- ---
Pennzoil PLZ Turbo 140 410 -27 1.0 ---
Quaker State 156 410 -30 .9 ---
Red Line 139 475 -40 --- ---
Shell Fire and Ice 155 410 -35 .9 .12
Shell Super 2000 155 410 -35 1.0 .13
Shell Truck Guard 155 405 -35 1.0 .15
Spectro Golden M.G. 175 405 -40 --- ---
Unocal Super 153 428 -33 .92 .12
Valvoline All Climate 130 410 -26 1.0 .11
Valvoline Turbo 135 410 -26 .99 .13
Valvoline Race 130 410 -26 1.2 .20
Valvoline Synthetic 140 450 -40 <1.5 .12
5W-30
AMSOIL 168 480 -76 <.5 ---
Castrol GTX 156 400 -35 .80 .12
Chevron Supreme 202? 354 -46 .96 .11
Chevron Supreme Synth. 165 446 -72 1.1 .12
Exxon Superflow HP 148 392 -22 .70 .11
Havoline Formula 3 158 420 -40 1.0 ---
Mobil 1 165 445 -65 --- ---
Mystic JT8 161 390 -25 .95 .1
Quaker State 165 405 -35 .9 ---
Red Line 151 455 -49 --- ---
Shell Fire and Ice 167 405 -35 .9 .12
Unocal 151 414 -33 .81 .12
Valvoline All Climate 135 405 -40 1.0 .11
Valvoline Turbo 158 405 -40 .99 .13
Valvoline Synthetic 160 435 -40 <1.5 .12
| O | Mounts on pin on frame (or whatever)
\ \____
\___ \
\ \
__ / /
/ _ _ /
/ /
|_O_| Connect Spring here.
________________
| |
| |
Carb Mikuni 38-B67
Choke 38
Needle Valve Jet Y-2
Main Jet 140
Starting Jet 70
Idling Jet 42.5
Needle Jet 5C19, 4 pos from top
Air screws 4 turns out
Fuel Injected Motorcycles Fast by Ferracci
P.O. Box 851 1641 Easton Rd.
Apollo Bay, Victoria 3233 Willow Grove, PA 19090
AUSTRALIA 215.657.1276 phone
61 52 379 222 phone/fax www.ferraci.com
(sold by Pro Italia in
the States, 818.249.5707,
www.proitalia.com)
Example DPR8EA-9
prefix
D P R
Thread diameter construction Resistor
A : 18mm M compact type
B : 14mm P projected Insulator
C : 10mm U Surface Discharge
D : 12mm Z inductive Suppressor
E : 8mm
8 E A
Heat Range Reach Firing End Construction
2 Hot E: 19mm A: Special Design
H: 12.7mm B: Single Ground, Special alloy
L: 11.2mm C: Dual Ground, Spec. Alloy
F: Taper Seat G: Racing Type
Z: 21mm GV: Racing V-Type
Blank: L: Half Heat Range
18mm phi 12mm S: Standard Center Electrode
10 Cold 14mm phi 9.5mm V: Fine Wire Center Electrode
X: Booster Gap
Y: V-Grooved Center Electrode
The -9 at the end is a gap code, I believe it is a max gap of .9mm; eg., -
15 would be a max gap of 1.5mm
West Coast Sales Office:
11603 Groveland Ave.
Whittier, CA 90604
For Info-310-947-9796
Fax-310-902-8068
To ORDER CALL 800-736-7980 OR EMAIL US at colorritebh@earthlink.net
East Coast Sales Office:
123 Blaine St.
E. Bangor, PA
For Info-610-588-7350
Fax-610-588-1570
To ORDER CALL 800-358-1882 OR EMAIL US at colorritebh@earthlink.net
916 red #7500
900SL(93) yellow #7505
M900(94-97)
900CR,SP(97)
748
M900(94-97) black #7510
900CR,SP (94-97) light red #7525
M900(94-97)
750SS(91-94) red #7530
900SS(91-93)
"13 32 1 461 265"
this one, not the long one
|
v
______
(O O)
\ /
| |
Loctite Retaining Compounds
---------------------------
Notes:
* The gap fills are all *maximum*. The optimum gap is between 0.001" and
0.002" (0.002 to 0.004 diametral) for any of these adhesives;
* This table refers to the *retaining compounds*, not *thread lock
compounds*;
* The viscosity "Low/Med/High" is from the descriptions for each product;
* The '660' is referred to as 'Quick Metal', considered a non-running
product;
* If you're using another brand (is there any other ? :) you're on your
own;
* Cure Speed assumes no accelerator is used. Activators/accelerators may
improve the gap filling capabilities slightly as well as ensuring
proper/faster curing respectively. If you need to accelerate it, talk to
your dealer;
* Primers are useful on inactive surfaces such as aluminum, black oxide,
stainless steel and thermoset plastics;
* Remember... *CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN* !!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Compound No. 609 620 635 640 642 660 675 680
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Color Green Green Green Green Green Silver Green Green
*Maximum*
Gap Fill 0.005" 0.015" 0.010" 0.007" 0.012" 0.020" 0.005" 0.015"
(Diametral)
Viscosity V.Low High High Med. Med. !!!! Low Med.
(cP) 125 7000 2000 600 500 1200000 125 1250
Shear (psi) 3000 3000 4000 3000 3500 3000 3000 4000
Temp Range(F)
Low -65 -65 -65 -65 -65 -65 -65 -65
High 300 450 300 400 350 300 300 300
Cure Speed
Fixture (Min) 10 30 60 60 5 10 20 10
Full (Hrs) 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
Primer T or N T T T T or N N T T
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uses:
609: spindle bearings, lip seals, bearing races
620: engine cylinder liners, heat exchanger tubes
635: gears, pulleys, fans, collars, rotors, sprockets, cams and flywheels
to shafts.
640: bushings and sleeves, rotors to shafts
642: bushings in manual transmissions
660: worn shafts, worn housings, worn end bells, bearing spinouts, wallowed
key-ways, wallowed splines
675: oil impregnated bushings, drill bushings
680: gears, wheels, pulleys, cams, collars, flywheels, sprockets, and
rotors to shafts, replacement bearings in worn housings or on worn
shafts.
RKA Marsee Accessories
Richard Battles & Kathy Storin Rex Marsee
2175 B Bluebell Dr Box 2588
Santa Rosa, Caw 95403 Temecula, CA 92590
707.579.5045 909.694.9742
ftp vax2.winona.msus.edu
login: euro (no password)
ftp> cd ducati
ftp< dir >get a file listing>
'binary' will put you into binary mode for downloading .jpg or .gif files.
'get' will transfer files from the server to your workstation
'put' does the opposite
$dir-by-name.txt <- full directory sorted by dir/name
$whats-new.txt <- this is updated daily to show most recent 15
submissions.
ftp> goodbye (to log off the server)
jupiter.lfbs.rwth-aachen.de
cd /pub/.rec/graphics/pix/bikes.
2. 55/e '58 with open standard
3. 250 racer '65 with special
4. 350 Scrambler '71 with short Silentium
5. 350 XL Pantah '84 with modified Conti 2-1
6. Champion commercial
7. 450 racer '70 (Desmo) with special (Total winner of the
Swedish National Classics '93.
8. 550 Supermono '93 with Termignoni dual outlet
9. 600 Pantah '83 with 2-1
10. 750 F1 '86 with Montjuich 2-1 (lovely bike!!!)
11. 750 Paso '90 with Aluminum 2-2
12. Pirelli Commercial
13. 851 Strada '90 with Modified standard 2-2
14. 900 Darmah '79 with 2-1
15. 900 "HPD" '78 with 2-2
16. 900 MHR '81 with NCR 2-1
17. 900SS x 2 '80/'90 with Conti 2-2/standard 2-1
18. Ducati Power (M. Werkelin) by Micke and The Desmos
19. 888 SP5 '93 with Termignoni carbon 2-2
20. M900 Monster '93 with Termignoni carbon 2-2
21. 907ie '92 with 2-2
22. 926 racer '93 with Termignoni special 2-2
23. Coming home
All this on a good looking CD (it's all black with one of Dr. T's
first drawings on the L-twin printed in gold. Printed inside the
folder: "This record can be ordered from the Ducati Club of
Sweden. Please send the equivalent of:
SEK 70:- within Europe
SEK 80:- worldwide
c/o Peter Lindquist
Lofotengatan 20, 5 tr
S-164 33 KISTA
SWEDEN
Meguiar's products to clean your Duck.
Motoport raingear
Battery Tender(tm)
Belstaff Dri Bika rain skin
"On Board at Laguna Seca & Road Atlanta"
P.O. Box 50237
Denton, Texas 76206
removing fork caps on upside-down forks
Studs on your cush drive
replacement air filter for 851
yet another way to check the alignment of your rear wheel
while adjusting your chain
oil pressure gauge for air-cooled rubberbandheads
keep spare fuses somewhere other than the fuse box
Moisture on the covers of your spark plug covers
bleeding the system of those infernal air bubbles
Alternate source for Weber/Marelli ignition and injection components
325D Rutherford St.
Goleta, CA 93117.
(805) 967-9478.
** Ohlins steering dampers
Noleen Racing Inc.
Adelanto, CA** Two-piece Marvic wheels on Ducati 900sl's (Superlights)
Wills Engineered Polymers Ltd of Dunball Park,
Dunball, Bridgewater, Somerset TA6 4TP, England
phone: 01278 684888 fax: 01278 685051 Telex: 46207