Section 1 of 3 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3

Archive-name: motorcycles/QuackFAQ
Posting-Frequency: monthly, near the 18th
Last-modified: 1997/9/18
Version: 2.10
Expires: Fri, 7 Nov 1997 00:00:00 GMT

      QuackFAQ -- Frequently Asked Questions about Ducati Motorcycles

                                Version 2.1

                             18 September 1997

                       Copyright 1994 (C) Jon Wright

                    Copyright 1997 (C) Robert Robillard

Hit count since 3 September 1997:

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out of date. Please send new information to the the Ducati List or to Duke
Robillard, duke@io.com (that's me!). 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.

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) 1997 by Robert Robillard.

A new version of this document usually appears monthly, sometime around the
18th. It was last modified on September 18, 1997, 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. You can always obtain the most up-to-date
copy on the WWW at http://www.io.com/~duke/QuackFAQ.htm. There is also a
copy on Niclas Cederlund's Site, http://www.micapeak.com/Ducati/ Lastly, A
draft of the next version is usually on
http://www.io.com/~duke/QuackFAQ-beta.htm. This is the "Beta"
version...it's got stuff I'm working on and it could very well be broken at
any given time.

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....

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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?"

9. "I've been told recently that the previous 3000 mi. interval between
valve adjustments has just been upped by Cagiva to 5000 mi. Is this true?"

10. "What kind of servicing is due at 12000 miles?"

11. "Do you have to read Italian to understand the shop manual?"

12. "I pulled my plugs recently and while the tips were dry and dark with
the porcelain a brownish color, both had this oily film on the threads.
Should I be worried?"

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?"

16. "What is the best way to break in my new bike's motor? I've heard that
a petroleum-based oil is best for the break-in period, but then I should
switch to a synthetic oil. Is this true?"

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?"

19. "Should I be worried about my crankcase breather seeping, specifically
a light mist on the back side of the engine case, between the right
swingarm pivot and the clutch cover?"

20. "Do most of you guys have the European kickstand that automatically
flicks up when the bike is straightened up?"

21. "Where can I get OEM and aftermarket Ducati parts and accessories?"

22. "Which tailpieces are most commonly used by other Monster [M900] riders
and how were they set up?"

23. "Do I really need a steering damper on my Monster [M900]?"

24. "What kind of performance increase can be expected from going to the
Ferracci/Staintune/Termignoni/CarbonTech/etc. exhaust canisters?"

25. "The shop is recommending Dynojetting and changing the pipes. How much
performance will this buy me? Are there other things I can do?"

26. "My fuel-injected Ducati seems to pop a lot when I'm accelerating; no
smoke, just noise. Is it too lean? What is the equivalent of rejetting the
carburetors for highly-evolved steed?"

27. "I hear there are better plugs than the factory recommends, some type
of extended nose plugs. True?"

28. "Is there anything I should know regarding touch-up paint application?"

29. "To remove the unneeded stickers on the tank and other places, is the
best way to warm them with a hair dryer and peel gently?"

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?"

32. "Do I really have to remove the radiator on my water-cooled Ducati to
adjust the horizontal cylinder's valves?"

33. "I just noticed that greyish smoke is coming out of my exhaust pipes
when I close the throttle. I heard there was a problem with valve guides
wearing prematurely on later Ducatis. Is this the cause? How can I tell on
mine if it doesn't smoke?"

34. "Loctite comes in so many different colors (strengths). Which color do
I use for my particular application?"

35. "I seem to have a charging problem on my fuel-injected Ducati
(907ie/851/888 etc.). Even when ridden daily, the battery seems to need a
charge every few days or so. Is this common, and what can I do about it?"

36. "I signed up for Reg Pridmore's CLASS, a high-performance school. What
kind of prepping do I need to do to my bike before I get there? What can I
expect?"

37. "What kind of luggage can I get for my sport-tourer?"

38. SUMMARY -- Favorite Modifications and Changes Seen on the Ducati List,
by Model and more or less in Order of Importance.

39. "I have one of the Weber-carburetted Ducatis (Paso 750/906, 750 Sport)
and it's driving me crazy trying to keep it in tune. Is there any hope?"

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.

45. PRODUCT WARNINGS!

46. Where's the Ducati Newsgroup/Mailing List?

47. "What would you do for a 916?"

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?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARCHIVES

If you can't find what you search for in the heading above, you might want
to try searching the Ducati Mailinglist Archives:

 SENDER   Enter the sender or subject or text you
SUBJECT   wish to look for. Help available.
   BODY



---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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:

     DOT3 is an aliphatic polyether.
     DOT4 is borate ester based.
     DOT5 is polydimethylsiloxane (silicone based).
     DOT5.1 is borate ester based, thus its compatibility with DOT3 and
     DOT4.

More information can be obtained from the following standards documents:

     DOT3: SAE J1703
     DOT4: FMVSS 116; proposed SAE standard J1704
     DOT5: SAE J1705
     DOT5.1: No SAE spec

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:

     DOT 3 205
     DOT 4 230
     DOT 5 260
     DOT 5.1 260

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 PI 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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. "I've been told recently that the previous 3000 mi. interval between
valve adjustments has just been upped by Cagiva to 5000 mi. Is this true?"

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 PI
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....

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. "What kind of servicing is due at 12000 miles?"

At 12000 miles you should:

   * change oil and filter
   * check and adjust valves as necessary
   * install new plugs
   * re-trim EFI if necessary, including re-balance
   * service fuel filter/air filter as required
   * replace and set tensions on the cam drive belts
   * lube and inspect all cables, bulbs, connections, etc....

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).

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

12. "I pulled my plugs recently and while the tips were dry and dark with
the porcelain a brownish color, both had this oily film on the threads.
Should I be worried?"

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.

Return to the Table of Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Section 1 of 3 - Prev - Next
All sections - 1 - 2 - 3

© allanswers.org | Terms of use