The Ballad of Ducati Ownership

"Peter Monshizadeh" (practicalenthusiast) 03/22/2016 at 10:50 • Filed to: Ducati, Lanesplitter, Used Bike, 996, Superbike, Garage, Maintenance, Desmodromo, Desmodromic

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Owning a Ducati is a terrible experience. That’s why it’s so special.

Experience may not be the right word; lifestyle might be a better fit. A Japanese motorcycle, on one hand, affords the owner of drama-less starts and carefree rides that can stick to a schedule. There are no worrisome noises originating from in and around the engine, and you can essentially be the same person you were before owning the bike.

A Ducati, on the other hand, will throw your daily schedule and expectations out the window and replace them with its own. The bike is a moving work of art but it’s also a prissy attention seeker. It will soon teach you why you are the only “Duc” rider in the area.

Now, to clarify, I’m not speaking about the new-ish Ducatis that are being cranked out of Bologna in droves. No – it appears that those have gone through a mechanical testing regimen that rivals those of the Japanese competition. Overall, these are well-wearing machines that predominantly run like clockwork. The troublemaker Ducatis I’m referring to are the now-affordable and forever gorgeous 916 era bikes. This includes the 916, 748, 996, and in some cases the 998. These are the machines that really nailed down the high-maintenance and expensive-to-operate Italian motorcycle mentality. But oh, are they ever beautiful.

I have owned a 2001 Ducati 996 Biposto for about a year now. In that time frame I have put 1,100 miles on the bike and spent around $700 in maintenance-related repairs. Yes that’s right; almost 64 cents a mile. That sounds bad. Ok it is bad. Keep in mind that I do all of my own mechanic work, so that dollar amount is strictly the parts cost. I’d be in significantly deeper hole had I taken the bike to a reputable mechanic to be worked on.

The truth is that $700 is the bottom end of the “expected” maintenance expense for a Ducati of this age. If you buy a Ducati from this era you have to assume the responsibility of changing the timing belts and adjusting the valves at a minimum. Unless of course, in a rare turn of events, you have paid book value for the bike and the previous owner has meticulous maintenance records and has also recently had all of this work performed. Again, that is a very uncommon scenario. Usually when these beauties come up for sale the seller just wants them out of their life, no strings attached.

Even so, those maintenance items still don’t add up to $700 in parts. No, there happens to be a lesser-known and fairly expensive maintenance issue that can creep up on you. An issue that most manufacturers would consider a serious defect. An issue that only presents itself when you go to perform a routine oil change. An issue that will make your heart sink.

Flaking rocker arms.

Add another point under the column Things That Honda Motorcycle Owners Do Not Have to Worry About .

School Is In Session

Ah, the Desmoquattro engine. Residing within this mechanical ball of frustration is the desmodromic valve train which is a staple of Ducati engines. There are no springs that pin the valves closed like in a conventional engine. Instead, there is an opening rocker arm and a closing rocker arm for each valve. The camshaft has two opposing lobes for each valve, one operates the closing rocker, and the other lobe operates the opening rocker. Getting into the details of how this system operates is a story in itself, so the picture below will have to suffice for the scope of this post.

Basically, this means there are 16 rocker arms because there are 8 valves in this engine. Each of those rockers has chrome plating in the locations that ride on the camshaft. Over time, this chrome plating begins to let go in little bits and pieces. Many a forum thesis has been written on the topic of why this happens. Some blame it on inferior chrome plating done by a third party company that Ducati contracted with at the time. Others say it’s due to not providing sufficient time for oil to get to the cylinder head on a cold start. Others attribute it to a dissimilar material hardness between the camshaft and the chrome plating. Regardless of its origins, it is an issue that can’t be ignored.

There are a few issues that can to develop if you do not replace flaking rockers:

Small metal flakes clog the filters and oil galleries leading to horrific engine death.

Valve tolerances will loosen significantly causing rough running.

Camshafts will begin to wear due to degrading and uneven rocker arm surface.

General chaos and regret that an Italian machine typically provides will commence.

When you drain the oil and pull out the primary mesh filter screen you will know immediately if you have flaking rockers. Unless you recall that you intentionally added glitter flake to the oil for that extra ‘bling’ many riders go for these days, these shiny slivers mean that the rocker arms in the cylinder heads are starting to let go. Out of the 16 rocker arms in the engine, all you know at this point is that at least one needs replaced. At about $65 a pop for re-manufactured better-than-new rockers, you cross your fingers and hope for the best.

When this inevitably happened to me, there was only one logical course of action: Strip it down and brace for the financial unknown.

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Taking it Apart is Easy…

Getting down to the innards of one of these bikes isn’t too difficult once you’ve done it a few times, which you will have done, if you end up owning one. Everything is held in place with the minimum number of fasteners to keep pieces in place while still providing the right amount of fragility you would expect from an Italian vehicle. For example, these two plastic pins, which are held together with a rubber strand, are practically all that secures the tail fairing to the frame. How innovative!

After yanking out the gas tank, air box, fairings, and battery, you eventually will expose the timing belts of the engine and the accompanying rat’s nest of factory wiring.

With the timing belts removed, it’s time to start digging into the valve train.

Desmoquattro engines have cute little valve covers that provide you with borderline-insufficient access to see or feel what is going on inside of the cylinder head. Thankfully Ducati remedied this with Testastretta engine found in the 998 and later machines by fitting valve covers that, when removed, actually provide a complete view of the valve train so that a normal human being can work on it. Mechanical convenience seems to evolve at a geologic pace at Ducati, so if you’re a 916/748/996 owner, you’ll have to learn to see with your fingers. Here is the exhaust cam cover on the forward cylinder removed. You can see the camshaft and the opening and closing rockers for this pair of exhaust valves. There is a bunch of stuff going on in a fairly small amount of space.

With the camshaft and opening rockers removed, you can now see the closing rockers and inspect their chrome plating. These rockers, while worn, are still in serviceable shape.

The Culprits

Since this is an abridged version of the rocker replacement, I’m just going to skip ahead to the carnage.

In all, I found four opening rockers that had chrome plating chipped away. The camshaft lobes were all in good condition and all closing rockers were serviceable. Here is a close up of some of the rocker flaking.

Upon close inspection you can see that chunks are missing from the opening rockers. Knowing the extent of the damage, I could now order the four new rockers I needed. Within a few days of ordering, the new rockers showed up and it was time to get them installed.

Here’s one of the new opening rockers going in.

More than halfway through the project and I find myself burning that midnight oil. The longer a project is in pieces, the easier it becomes to forget how it goes back together. Sometimes it’s best to sacrifice some sleep to get it done.

Making Some Adjustments

Unfortunately you can’t simply slam new rockers back into the engine and call it a day. Because you are installing new chunks of metal, they will have not worn like the ones you have just removed. This means that valve clearances will most likely be way off on the valves that were fitted with new rockers. Due to this engine having two rockers per valve, it means that you have two shims per valve to check the clearance on.

This can be a somewhat time consuming process, especially the first time you go through it. It isn’t necessarily difficult but it does require a bit of precision as you are measuring the difference between hundredths of millimeters. You will probably discover multiple valves needing adjustment after you have taken your valve shim clearance measurements. To make these shim adjustments, out must come the camshaft and opening rockers.

Opening shims are really simple to replace. You just take them right off the top of the valve stem and plop a new one back on. When doing the valves on a Ducati, you just pray that the closer shims don’t need changed.

However, this is reality, and usually a few closer shims need changed out too. Removing these shims requires a little finesse paying careful attention to not lose small pieces. With the opening shim removed, you must depress the closing rocker downward to expose two microscopic half rings that secure the closer shim to the valve itself.

Here’s what it looks like when the closer shim is removed. You can see the channels in the valve stem that the half rings slot into. At this stage, the valve is completely free-hanging in the cylinder head. If the piston for the cylinder that you are working on is not at the top of its stroke, the valve will fall into the cylinder. Talk about an instant work multiplier! Top tip: Don’t let the valve drop into the cylinder. Make sure the piston is at TDC.

With the new closer shim fitted onto the valve and the half rings nestled back into their grove, you can now put the opener shim back on top. One valve done, seven more to go!

Before I knew it, it was morning and all rockers and camshafts were back in place, valves were adjusted and valve covers were refitted. The strenuous neck craning and eyeball squinting was finally over.

Next, it was time to throw on some new timing belts and tension them up to spec.

Seizing the Moment

When you have everything disassembled like this, you have to take the opportunity to replace parts that are known to go out without warning. One of the many Achilles heels on these bikes is the coolant reservoir. The plastic will degrade, become brittle, and then spring a leak from a hairline crack when you least expect it. Listing at less than $50, it’s a good idea to fit a new one while you’re in there.

Ten minutes later and the new reservoir is nestled back into its otherwise completely inaccessible recess within the frame.

Another while-you’re-at-it item to fix is the electrical connector for the voltage rectifier. It tends to melt over time which could potentially lead to fiery death. I’m surprised this bike was able to keep a charge with the connector looking like it did. It’s cheap and easy insurance to replace it now.

After the connectors were changed out, I then fitted the timing belt covers and routed the wiring harness.

Next it’s time fill up the cooling system and change the oil – the job is nearly complete.

Finally we’re all buttoned up and ready to embrace another 50 trouble free miles! Hooray!

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It’s Worth It in the End

The engine sounded like it had more bark and a crisper throttle response when starting the bike for the first time after the rocker replacement and valve adjustment. I was probably just searching for some sort of justification regarding the two weeks and $700 I had just spent fixing it. Who knows, maybe it ran no differently than before. All that really matters is that now I can rest assured that it is good to go for a few thousand more miles.

Adopting a 916-era Ducati can certainly get off to a rough start if you aren’t prepared for the quirks and nuances that are bound to be present. A little hands-on mechanic work can go a long way in keeping the maintenance costs down and making the ownership experience a more enjoyable one.

I’ve found the character that these bikes exude makes up for their occasional inconveniences. In the end, you’ll thoroughly enjoy having one around. Just make sure you also have a Honda.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 11:13

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I particularly like long tech articles on very specific items, because not only does it bring new and obscure knowledge to the fore, it has the chance of dragging someone into Oppo from outside. I also have some idea of the effort involved, having done one or two half-assed ones myself, so it’s appreciated.

Peter Monshizadeh > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 03/22/2016 at 11:29

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I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it. Ducatis are surrounded in a legend that they are expensive to maintain and difficult to work on. This post hopefully gives some insight into that, and you can be the judge of whether that legend is true or not.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 11:31

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The one I did was on rebuilding Jag diffs, but my pictures were garbage and the writing was waaaay more ADD and badly organized. Similar aim, though - “put a Jag diff in your hot rod! I promise it’s only sort of a horrible idea”

bob and john > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 11:46

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fan-fucking-TASTIC article man.

*makes not to never had a 916 ear duck in the garage*
*goes outside to the SV and pats it and thanks it for being reliable*

Peter Monshizadeh > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 11:49

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Thank you sir! C’mon, your SV needs a pet...A Duc.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 11:50

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Here to hoping my 06' Monster turns out more reliable than these bikes. I did the valve check this winter and thankfully they were still within spec so I didn’t have to do anything. Dodged a bullet there.

Peter Monshizadeh > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 03/22/2016 at 11:51

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What flavor of Monster have you adopted?

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 11:53

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Adopted an 04' 620 about a year and half ago. I don’t know why I said ‘06 above. . . I had the tank repaired, and while I had that off I decided to check the valves and do the timing belts while I had access. The belts were surprisingly simple to do.

Peter Monshizadeh > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 03/22/2016 at 11:59

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I think you’ll be alright. If I remember right those were some of the more robust and trouble free engines.

Tripper > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:04

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PA guy? I recognize the Fast by Ferracci badge.

Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:06

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They same to be pretty straight forward and reliable. Problem is, I want to upgrade to an S2r for some 1000cc air cooled glory or an 848. I haven’t done a ton of research but I don’t think those are as problem free.

Peter Monshizadeh > Tripper 03/22/2016 at 12:08

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Nope - Kansas. Ferracci has quite the market share for Ducati exhausts. They are great quality!

BobintheMtns > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:11

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Nice article and gorgeous 996.. Love the yellow Ducati’s... I'd love to have a yellow superlight in my garage...

And reading through this just makes me love my 2v desmo that much more... How many miles on your bike?

osucycler > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:19

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Almost got one of the 996 or 998 varieties just before I purchased my 2004 R1. I still REALLY like the looks and sounds of the Ducs but reading this article makes me happy that my R1 was as mechanically as trouble free as it was.

Peter Monshizadeh > BobintheMtns 03/22/2016 at 12:24

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It has around 21k miles on it. Somewhat high miles, but honestly, I feel a higher mileage one is the way to go now. I knew someone with one that had less than 8k on it and it had all kinds of issues, mainly due to it sitting so much.

Peter Monshizadeh > osucycler 03/22/2016 at 12:26

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You probably made a good choice going with the R1, but when you have the itch for a Duc, you have to scratch it!

fintail > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:41

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I think I have seen these turn of the century era models being called Ducati’s “malaise era”. That seems to fit. They still look good though, that frame design is timeless.

TwoWheelsDC > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:44

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I admire people who can deal with this degree of care and maintenance. I also lust for bikes of this vintage. But when it comes to allocating my money and time, I'll choose a modern machine that I can spend my free time riding and not tearing apart. Maybe if I were more mechanically inclined that'd be a different story.

velyse > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:45

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you lost me at timing belt.

BobintheMtns > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:46

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Well hell— 21K... you should be done with valve adjustments anyway at this point... and here you’re telling everyone about how troublesome duc’s are!! Haha...

But really 21K ain’t that high.... there’s a guy in one my Elefant groups that’s got over 300K miles(!!) on his 2v 900— Said he’s only had to do the rings twice in that 300....

jimz > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:48

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changing the timing belts

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SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:48

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I did all of that on my yellow 748 2 years ago. I had to replace only 2 opening rockers and none of my valves needed adjustment.

Timing belt this year

SirPoopyPants > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:48

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The newer ones are less bad on maintenance. I mean anything from the 999/749 era and forward.

The current-ish 1100 motor in my Hyper (which is going bye bye due to me never keeping things very long) has been almost as reliable as a UJM and certainly sounds awesome.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:49

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I have Feracci clipons!

SirPoopyPants > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 03/22/2016 at 12:49

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The 2V motors are pretty solid.

ale.marelli > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:50

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Just one thing.....Bravo!

BobintheMtns > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:50

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There’s something about that Italian passion that’s hard to find elsewhere... Yeah, a honda accord may be far more trouble free than a Ferrari Testarossa, but come on, which one’s gonna give you a boner when you hear it?

BobintheMtns > SirPoopyPants 03/22/2016 at 12:51

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Was gonna say, go find a 2v 900 Monster (for cheap nowadays!) and yeah, rock solid.

TheChafing > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:52

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Hold up. You mean this thing requires this level of maintenance every fifty miles? Seriously?

You probably do better just running everywhere.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:53

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Love the detail here! Looks like the Italian bikes have similar mechanical quirks to Italian cars (I’m of the four-wheeled domain).

So, are the new rockers better finished such that you don’t expect it to chip again?

Rockburner > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:55

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Should try an even earlier Duc - I had a 600TL (A Pantah in civvies). Fantastic bike to ride, but hell to work on.

Goodeveningofficer > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:55

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Where are you? Can you come by and help me do this? My 748 has been sitting under a tarp for 2 years. Instead of ponying up another 1200-1800 for the 18k tune up the money went to buy a new Z1000 Kawi.

lone_liberal > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 12:56

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I’m not a motorcycle person but I love in-depth mechanical stuff like this. Well done!

Peter Monshizadeh > Goodeveningofficer 03/22/2016 at 12:58

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I’m in the Kansas City area.

Peter Monshizadeh > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/22/2016 at 12:59

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Awesome man! Good looking bike.

Peter Monshizadeh > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever 03/22/2016 at 13:00

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Thanks! The new rockers are supposedly replated using a superior method of chroming than original. I guess we’ll see...

Tripper > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:00

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Ha, didn’t know that. Their showroom is a few miles from my house, a friend bought his hypermotard there.

Peter Monshizadeh > Rockburner 03/22/2016 at 13:01

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I’m not about to doubt that!

Gary Yogurt > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:02

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This should not only be on Lanesplitter it should BE Lanesplitter.

Peter Monshizadeh > TheChafing 03/22/2016 at 13:03

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Nah, that was just sarcasm. But oil changes come every 2k miles at least, which at that point you may learn you have to tear the bike down for some reason or another.

Peter Monshizadeh > BobintheMtns 03/22/2016 at 13:05

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Holy crap!! That is seriously impressive. I would love to see how the rest of the bike looks.

tsy1987 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:06

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LOL, I sold my Monster s2r800 before the next valve adjustment was due (the buyer knew this). I did it myself the first time but had no interest in doing it again.

Loved the bike, something about the sound Ducatis make is just intoxicating.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:08

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to prevent the coolant reservoir breaking, I remember shaving the rubber pad at its center by about 1/4" to reduce the pressure put on it by the ignition switch

The-Ever-Socially-Apathetic TBAL > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:08

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I have a buddy who owns one of these. He’s put on over 3000km without a single issue in the past year.

I think you just own a lemon bro.

Plus yours kind of looks like a lemon. lol.

ament001 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:09

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And this is why I would only own a 2V. Simple and reliable.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:10

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You know it, right back atcha!

Dslay04 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:11

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Sounds like Ducati is blending in well with Audi

Cory Stansbury > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:16

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Awesome article. I have always been fascinated by the Desmo valve control, but haven’t seen much on it. This was great.

Vintage1982Benz > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:17

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I was just watching Trinity haul ass on a 996 this past weekend and thinking what a great looking bike it was.

RossW > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:21

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They really aren’t that bad. Sure you got unlucky and got bit by the chrome flaking issue but I love that everyone always assumes that everything else about the bike is unreliable shit. It’s an Italian superbike, not a Honda Civic.

I put 2k trouble-free miles on my 748 last year and look forward to another 2k+ this year. Total expenditure so far: $7 for a can of chain lube and $50 for oil and filter for my oil change this spring. I paid $3000 for a bike with a maintenance history so I know my valves and belts are good for another year or so. The biggest mistake people make with Ducatis is going my mileage instead of time on the maintenance. The mileage intervals are pretty crazy long (12k for belts, 6k for oil) but the time intervals are much more conservative (2 years for belts, annual for oil).

19k miles and mine doesn’t burn or leak a drop of anything. Starts easy on 35 degree autumn mornings and 100 degree summer afternoons.

drdude > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:22

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I put over 48,000 miles on a 749... She was a prissy little italian bitch.

Pretty. Nice to ride. Felt good. Looked good.. but maintenance was terrible.
Always the strangest issues. I once had a spark plug shoot out of her. I had to replace steering head bearings practically every other oil change. etc.

Woozer > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:22

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I had an equally maintenance-intensive, but comparatively reliable, mid-90s 900SS. I expected and accepted the extremely high routine maintenance costs as part of the I-own-a-Ducati ethos. The endless, niggling, everything elses are what made me a refugee from the Ducati regime. The final straw was one of the bolts holding the gearshift return springs fractured and the spring broke, thus no gearshifting. $100 tow + $5 spring + $10 helicoil + $500 labor and I was done. If you ever had one of those hysterical, screaming, plate-throwing, crazy make-up sex relationships and when it was over you sort of missed it from time to time but really not at all? It was like that.

maddy42 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:23

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What timing of your article. I have a used 09 696 Monster and it started having starting issues recently. Had a year and half of trouble free ownership with the exception of a dead battery costing $120. The recent starter issues and oil change costed me $180 including towing(poor man without a pickup truck). Mods i made costed $380. Total cost of ownership on 3000 miles is $680 at 22 cents a mile without gas and registration.

Do i love it? Heck Yeahhhhhhh. I only wished i was more handy and could fix this myself than running to a shop frequently. Thankfully i have a local shop which does work at a affordable price unlike a dealership.

Maddy

tonered > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:23

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I’ve commuted on my 01 ST4 more or less daily since 2008. The first maint was expensive, but that included many tools and a shim kit. Afterward, I was plunking down a max of about $200 every 6k. Much less when I wasn’t tossing out the belts.

I did snap a belt at 78k. With everything settled in, I was trying for a 10k service interval. At 82k, the con rod bearings gave up the ghost. It was easier and cheaper to buy an engine with only 9k on it than buy a crank and con rods.

Being an 01, I was in the sweet spot for rocker flaking but have yet to swap one out on either engine. Don’t worry about warming it up, but do keep the clearances tight. 0.004in all around.

southernscrew > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:24

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I like your style and thinking of, "while I'm in there might as well get a few other gremlins out of the way". I picked up a nice "clean" running '89 5.0 LX Notch that has some serious redneckary done to it. The more I get into it and change little items the more I find, so I've adopted your way of thinking on this thing and actually really enjoy doing it. The wife loves it when I come back in and give here the latest status report on what was just going to be a $25 dollar and two hour maintenance repair is now a half day $227.89 fix. Keep up the good work and great articles...I really enjoy them.

wheelies and skids > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:25

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Solid write up! That bond you create with a motorcycle (or any thing you work on) is only strengthened by each turn of the oily socket wrench, loudly ratcheting in your hand. The satisfaction that you know what causes each chirp, rumble, or rattle behind those plastics can’t be attained from slapping a pipe, or tail tidy, on some show room new bike. No, only when you have black grease embedded deep under your fingernails for days after you have the bike running again, and you are able to feel the smooth vibrations of the engine as the revs build on that first “test” ride out, only then you fully realize the depth of the bond and commitment you have with this wild machine. A smile will work its way into a stupid grin underneath your helmet; a true moment of pride as you flow through city streets, parading your beautiful, thundering, beast past the potent jealous stares of “sensible”, reliable, motorcycle owners. Then in the garage at night, you stare, with a lovingly gaze, clutching those last few perfect moments before you hit the lights, where everything worked exactly as it’s designers and engineers dreamed it would. You ponder how such an object an evoke such deep emotions as you close the door, finally its done.....

Until a week later the electronics decide they want to get along with the buttons anymore, yet they love to light up the warning lights on your display, bolts seem to just fall off the frame, as if they no longer wish to be attached to this disaster, and all you want to to is PUSH THAT BIKE OFF A F&%*ING CLIFF.

Such is the ebb and flow of working on your own, used, motorcycle.

BobintheMtns > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:28

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It looks surprisingly pretty good... buy you know... old beater dirtbikes and all..... but yeah, my jaw dropped when he told me the mileage too....

Zilch > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:30

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If you want a gorgeous Italian machine but you DONT want to go through the inevitable servicing / maintenance hell, heres a secret.....

Just buy an Aprilia for gods sake!

move-over-peasant-I-have-an-M5-in-the-shop > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:33

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I'll never complain about working on the Monster again.

Bob > TheChafing 03/22/2016 at 13:35

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Figure $1000-$1500 every 6K miles if you pay somebody.

ducalopnik > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:35

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My former 748 biposto. A love/hate relationship the entire duration of ownership. Sold it for an engagement ring... now I can’t remember if it required more or less maintenance than my wife :/

racingsnake > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:36

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But so much PASSION!!!

PS Triumphs are no different except they just spew oil from the orifice with the least resistance.

vtcdiz > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:36

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Ahh someone else sharing the same love/hate relationship with their Ducati. Luckily my 796 is new enough to not be too much of a pain to work on, but every single season I ride enough for another expensive valve check before riding again the following year. I wouldn’t change it for anything though.

Peter Monshizadeh > ducalopnik 03/22/2016 at 13:36

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Haha, when you figure that out please let me know!

juggaho > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:38

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Seems like quite the headache. Nice bike though...the XR.

Peter Monshizadeh > Zilch 03/22/2016 at 13:38

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You bring up a good point! But that single-sided swingarm is just so beautiful...

Driver > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:38

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I had a 1996 996 and it was a great bike. Only problem it ever had was the flaky rockers. Ducati offered to comp the repair if I signed something saying I wouldn’t tell anyone! I don’t feel bad mentioning it now, it was a long time ago and that issue is dead.

Peter Monshizadeh > juggaho 03/22/2016 at 13:38

2

Haha. Gotta have something that won’t let you down hanging around the garage.

Bob > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:40

5

Its a lot easier to do the belts and change the Rockers and Adjust the valves if you pull the motor. Which gives you a reason to look at the 15-20 year old Italian Wiring. I had a 1998 748. I replaced most of the opening rockers twice on mine. Dealer that will not be named refused to put in aftermarket rockers and replaced them with OEM which failed again. I swore never to take it back to a dealer again.

CelicaGTFOUR > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:40

16

You have to own at least one car or bike that break constantly, if you don’t takes away from what it means to be alive.

barreto > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:40

0

I just picked this up for $250. ‘67 350.

Peter Monshizadeh > wheelies and skids 03/22/2016 at 13:40

1

It sounds as if you have owned an Italian machine in the past?

barreto > Rockburner 03/22/2016 at 13:41

2

I just turned mine into this.

WilliamsSW > lone_liberal 03/22/2016 at 13:41

1

Same here - I don't even ride, but I really love reading articles like this. Great work on the bike, and a great, detailed, well-written article, too!

Pending Approval > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:42

1

As always, Pretty = Pretty Expensive.

I sold mine last year, God I miss riding, but I don’t miss the bike, I think i was about in the same ball park when I got mine, put $2k into it, and probably came out to about 25-50 cents a mile before I let it go.

Goodeveningofficer > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:43

0

Since you already had that bitch in pieces you should have installed a big bore kit/forged pistons/honed crank shaft/etc...

Peter Monshizadeh > Bob 03/22/2016 at 13:44

0

Ouch.

schwartz > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:44

0

I was just looking at used Ducati’s of this era last night. I have to many projects, and just enjoy riding. So thanks for ruling those out. Just have to drool over the newer ones.

Peter Monshizadeh > CelicaGTFOUR 03/22/2016 at 13:45

16

And then once you have learned your lesson, turn it over to another unsuspecting soul!

Bob > ducalopnik 03/22/2016 at 13:46

1

Mine right before I parted it out.

ellomdian > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:48

1

I’m pretty sure that the Italians in general have kind of a national Engineering-Penis-Envy complex with the Germans. In the 60's and 70's, the materials and tolerances were so bad that everyone just though it was crap, but it was good looking crap. The problem is that in the 80's and 90's, they starting making some truly lust-worthy machinery, and it held together JUST long enough that you could justify buying it.

I suppose the good news is that in the 00's, there were so many financial problems that most of the good Italians are owned and build by Germans now. The downside is that how are people supposed to learn their Zen without Motorcycle Maintenance?

TheChafing > Bob 03/22/2016 at 13:48

0

I know all about the maintenance interval with the valve adjustments and so forth, but he specifically talks about how this bought him another 50 miles of riding, as if he’ll have to do it again in 50 miles, or something.

It seems like he was just being facetious, but he did just write a whole article about how much of a pain this thing is to deal with...

crash red hot > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:50

0

I couldn’t count how many times I’ve thought that I should just get a Japanese bike. There’s always something with my 2000 Monster. Then again, there’s just something about my 2000 Monster.
I don’t have the acumen or the courage to do a valve adjustment, but it would probably do a world of good. Thanks for the enjoyable write up.

ronmler3 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:51

1

“Talk about an instant work multiplier!”

LOL!!

CelicaGTFOUR > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:53

2

Oh yeah, for sure! Any real car/bike enthusiast has to experience that frustration and despair before they can really appreciate how good life is with a reliable and easy to repair car/bike.

El_Bombastico > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:54

1

Well, at least they’re comfortable to ride... oh wait!

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:55

0

I’ve always wanted a Duc from that time period, but it always seems that my money is needed elsewhere. Le sigh...

Also congrats on the front page share!

jerseyracer > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:55

0

why would you go through all that trouble and not replace all the rockers? all the original ones are gonna fail, most likely. I would have replaced all of them while I had the engine open.

GT4Guy > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 13:56

1

I feel your pain brother. I love complicated Itailian things, as you can tell by my screen name. At least I have less valves!!!! I have the old school Fast By Ferracci carbon mufflers from 1992.

juggaho > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:01

0

Just messing around. Your Ducati is pretty sweet too.

bob and john > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:06

2

she already has company with the BMW and occasionally, a grom :P

Equana > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:07

0

Owning a Ducati is like dating her; expensive, difficult and painful but worth the occasional ride.....

NWDUC82 > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:07

2

Aww come on Duc’s are not nearly as hard to own as you make it out to be. Yes they require more maintenance but they ride so nice, I've owned a few and if you do your own labor it's not terribly expensive. The newer rocker arms are also much more reliable and are less likely to flake, unfortunately the Italians don't do chrome well. If you don't want to deal with 8 rocker arms you can always buy a Desmodue bike.

ekimyllek > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:07

0

boom.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > bob and john 03/22/2016 at 14:09

4

The SV is sweet, but it lacks the soul and seething hatred and passion a Duc stirs in you.

You really need to experience and unreliable bike to truly enjoy a reliable/durable one

S2R800 > Biggus Dickus (RevsBro) 03/22/2016 at 14:11

1

I own 06' Monster S2R 800 for over 5 years now - just clocked 25k miles and I had less problems with this bike than with my other, newer 13' Kawasaki Concours 14(purchased less than 1 year ago with 4500miles on it). The problem with Ducatis is that some people skip maintenance or don’t do any maintenance.

Peter Monshizadeh > NWDUC82 03/22/2016 at 14:11

3

You’re right, they actually aren’t bad to work on at all, as long as you like to work on things. It’s just important to not let the maintenance slide.

Peter Monshizadeh > ekimyllek 03/22/2016 at 14:12

1

If we’re going sport touring I will promote the VFR until the end of days.

greenagain > Peter Monshizadeh 03/22/2016 at 14:12

0

Yes, its beautiful, and I’m sure its a blast to ride, but I’ll stick to Jap bikes.

That looked like quite a job.

Did you order the other 4 rockers, cause you KNOW they’re going to go too

bob and john > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman 03/22/2016 at 14:13

1

I did. By old buell blast.

explain to me how the f*ck, in 3000 miles from new, I had to replace the wiring harness, a set of front brake pads, and the carb fell off twice?