Ducati Monster Forum

Hey guys, this is my first post. I used to be over on the old monster forums but haven't been active anywhere since everyone left. I've got an 06 S4R with a full Termi system from DP. Sounds great, looks even better, couldn't be happier. Went to change my oil, and come to find out, the pipe from the front comes back directly under the oil drain plug, I mean, it's so tight against the bottom of the motor I can't even get a finger between them, I unhooked two of the mounting points and the header that connects to the front of the motor to try and finagle my way in and still without someone to pull down on the pipe I can't get in there. I've searched a couple places and all I can find is people acknowledging that this has been a problem for some, but no one has said anything about fixing it. I'm sure with a little help I can change my oil, but I can't keep unbolting my whole exhaust every 3k miles. Anyone have any advice as to how I can facilitate future oil changes?

The #1 reason I chose to go with Arrows. AFAIK there is no fix.

2 fixes

1: cut, buy pipe, bend it all,  weld back
2: remove and sell

You'd think they would do a little R&D before charging people 1800 bucks for an exhaust, sort of ridiculous. The worst part is, a Ducati dealership installed them. You'd think during the install they'd be like "oh hey, there's no way to get the drain plug out." Definitely no good. Oh well, thanks for the quick replies guys. 

Zard, previously Termi employees  [thumbsup]
Or cannibalize under seat mount (high pipes) from an S2R 800/1000 and buy a Marvin mid pipe and vuala.....that's what I did.  ;D

I feel your pain on this one.  When I bought my S4R the previous owner had installed Sil Motor exhaust. A full system.  It also runs right under the oil drain plug.  Very irritating.  I will be purchasing a full Zard carbon system soon.  I think the Zards clear the plug fine which will be a side benefit to the main reason I am switching. (love the way the zards look)

or maybe they thought you did research before dropping 1800$ on an exhaust? this is a known issue with these parts. did you ask them if there was any issue before you asked them to install the part YOU chose?

Wasn't one solution to put foil on the pipe during an oil change then take it off afterwards?  OR was that just the S2R800 pipe solution?

The problem is the oil plug will not clear the pipe.  I have to drop my exhaust to change my oil. Pain in the ass!

Oh so you can't even get the plug out.  ouch..

If you really:

1) Want to change your own oil for 1 reason  or another,

and

2) Don't want to make the beast with two backs with the exhaust every time you want to complete #1,

Pump the oil out.


Me on the other hand, I'd get a new exhaust.

Why not just pull the sump screen and tip the bike to the right a bit?

Yeah, because I walked into my dealership and said "hey what problems will i have with this?" and they said "oh well, it sounds great, and it makes it physically impossible to remove your oil plug" your kidding right? Who's going to expect there is going to be a MAJOR issue with an exhaust specifically made and sold in a kit BY Ducati FOR a Ducati and installed AT Ducati? R&D is not the consumers job, it's the suppliers job, any other supplier on the market would have to fix this, or take it back, and if the Ducati dealership I had bought it from still existed, they'd be doing one of those.

I've thought about pumping the oil out and I've thought about just taking out the sump screen, but while i have the exhaust off it just seems most practical to fix the problem with a little bending.

If you decide to sell the termi's, I would suggest NOT mentioning this fun little fact to the guy buying em... just saying  [thumbsup]

Guess you discovered the beauty of Italian product development, the hard way.

Coulda woulda shoulda. I can't see how a glaring problem like oil filter/drain plug access could get past anybody but maybe they didn't have a bike with that system on it for you to scrutinize before purchase. I like to examine and do some research before I plunk down $2k+ for anything. Didn't you bother? Well you have now learned a lesson.

It's Termignoni's fault for having their heads up their asses in the first place, Ducati's fault for selling badly designed factory authorized product in the second place, and your fault for buying it in the third place. Nobody ever said the Italians were like the Germans or Japanese. They get drunk on their lunch breaks and wouldn't ever think of committing harakiri if they made a mistake. To them, it's on you for buying their ill conceptions. They sleep at night just fine. Your experience is just a minor reason why I wouldn't consider Termignoni. Everybody else makes a better product that doesn't cost as much.
At any rate you're screwed unless you roll up your sleeves and do some work, either replace with something else or modify what you've got. I hope you fix it and post up when you're finished.

thats a tad harsh, as the op said you'd reckon that a product that is an official accessory for a duc wouldn't present an issue like this

Frustrating for sure.  But then again is it really that much of a big deal?  M1100 Termi Full System is the same, runs directly under the oil drain plug, when with just a little thought it could have been made to not cause any obstruction.  Its... stupidly inconvenient, but IMO not entirely unexpected either, another flaw I can live with  [laugh].  You want logical, well considered engineering? Buy a Honda  :).

[roll]^^ Some helpful, empathetic advice there from one who apparently overlooks nothing  [thumbsup].  

Hey now, you read it wrong - I wasn't trying to be harsh, but realistic. And 'Buy a Honda' is a copout and you know it. People have a right to some degree of thoughtful engineering especially at the prices Ducati charges. Hondas will eat Ducs for lunch anyway, pound for pound and dollar for dollar. People buy Ducs because they have a true passion for the bike, and that passion is rewarded all too often with issues of this ilk. It's a slap in the face. But you can't rely on the dealer to protect your best interests either. The dealer protects their best interests, which amount to selling Termis whether they fit right or not. To assume they would warn you about a product they are trying to move off the shelf is naive at best. At the end of the day the consumer is responsible for protecting themselves. Thusly, do your research.

The Termi system for my '90s carbie SS is similar.  I can't remove the oil filter with it in place, and have to drain the oil across the pipe if I leave it on the bike...which I don't do because what's the good of changing the oil but not the filter?

The good news is there's a joint where the pipe meets the "crossover" where the horizontal and vertical pipes are blended together, so I just have to pull the collector at the horizontal cylinder, remove a spring, and slide the offending pipe forward slightly to remove it from the bike.  All in all it adds 15 or 20 minutes to the job.  A small price to pay for the extra ground clearance afforded by this system.

Oh...and it fits poorly, too!  Viva Termignoni!  (or not)

AFAIK, this was a known issue with the 1st generation of Termi full systems for the S*R motors.  I have the full system for my s2r, but I waited until the 2nd generation came out.  I can change my oil w/o any clearence issues  ;D

the idea that this would be a joke to you is your problem. You should be asking this for every single thing you do to the bike. This is not a MAJOR ISSUE, its not like the exhaust doesn't fit, or that its causing poor runability or even that the dealer lied and told you that it would be fine. all it means is that it will take you what, 30 minutes more at most to do an oil change which happens maybe two or three times a year at most?

is it an inconvenient, stupid design? absolutely.
is it anyones fault but your own that that exhaust is on your bike? no.

for the price of Termi's it's a BIG issue IMO and is the second reason I chose a Marvin mid-pipe.  And for the record some of us on this board change the oil more than two to three times a year.  I'm not entirely sure he said it was someone's fault but he makes a valid point that most of us overlook.