Ducati Monster Forum

So yesterday while cruising home on the 210 FWY, i lost a fuel pump in the duc at around 115 mph, blah it sucked, but eh its fixed now so every things good. So when AAA dispatched a driver to tow the bike home, it happened to be a fellow Duc owner(multistrada 1000ds). We get to chatting on the way home, and he stated that his valves have not been done since the first scheduled maintenance on the bike, ue to them being within spec. Now normally id just think, well another due owner who has no idea what he's doing when it comes to his bike, but i started throwing some technical questions his way, in which he answered perfectly. So my question is, is it possible to for the valves on the duc to not be adjusted for over 60,000 miles? Just a question i think should be asked.

not in my experience

MultiStrada at 4-5k revs, good oil and a bit of luck - maybe?

I wouldn't put money on the valves being within spec now though [cheeky]

hes an old man and from what i could tell he babied the heck out of the thing. But babying it for 66.000 seems unlikely.

Old guys forget things ;)

 [laugh] [clap]

you'd know.... ;D

I just did a service to an M900 that has 32,000 miles on it now. The valves haven't changed clearances since 7,000 miles except for a slight extra play on the vertical exhaust closer but not enough to warrant changing the shim.

That many miles and no shims changed because the valve clearances are in spec?
From all the bikes I've seen, that's hogwash.

I did a 24k service on a 620, I'm sure it was the first time the valve covers were off.
Closers were .008, .014, .016, .018.
Half rings were worn halfway through.

Did a 24k service on an ST3 that looked as if the engine had never been touched.
Closers were .012 -.021.
All of the intake openers were at *zero*.
3 of the 6 opener rockers were ravaged, chrome gone.
Cams were pretty scruffy on those 3 lobes.
$650 for 3 new rockers.

Dude with the untouched 60k Multi isn't gonna be happy when the half-rings give up and his engine swallows a valve.

im at 13,000 miles past the last service. bike runs more like crap each day. though that might be because i havent had my TBs sync since  18,000 miles ago.... shit happens.
im just waiting for it to grenade it self so i can muster up the balls to go for a 848 motor. or find an excuse to buy another bike. :P

I'm not saying they don't need checking. They do. Without question. They may not need changing though. BTW, on the 32,000 mile bike the half rings didn't show wear but I put new ones in on the one slightly loose closer just to get a bit better spec.

60K plus miles without any adjustment...... that might be pushing things a bit.

I can understand getting your interval extended and not needing adjustment as much after installing MBP Collets...but 60K with nothing seems like a recipe for disaster.....

The way I read the first post, they had been done once: at the first scheduled maintenance.

However they had not been done since (allegedly).

So it seems possible they were set very accurately at first maint and since then have been in spec at every check.

Not saying it is likely. Just that big clearances on motors that were never checked does not rule it out.

Sorry, MacDuck, I was responding to the OP's 60k+ bike.
Still, I'm surprised at that many miles on an M900 and no change in clearance.
I've not seen that on any Duc valve service in that mileage range.

That 60k+ Multi has big valves with skinny 7mm stems.
Even if it's an '03, that's ~7000 miles per year.
Most folks in SoCal that do that yearly mileage are commuters.
Tough to baby a bike commuting.

No worries.  Yep, I was pretty surprised too but pleasantly surprised none the less. I had enough new half rings to do all of the closers but having to do just one was enough.  What a b..ch!

well i guess the icing for this cake is his car was being used by his wife so he rode the bike to work, putting 10,000 miles on it in two months

Mine haven't needed adjustment since the 12K mark.  Currently I'm coming up on the 36,000 service.  I'll see what the feeler gauges tell me this time.

JM

I believe that.

How many adjustments in the first 12K?

Unsure.  No service record (risky, I know) but I'm a tinkerer.  However, the shop seemed to think it might have not even had the 12K service.  So who knows what was done at the 600 and 6K service.

JM

After servicing a ton of 'em and owning a few, I sincerely believe the liklihood of misadjusted valves has everything to do with how the bike is ridden.  I've serviced bikes that I know are ridden gingerly and once the half rings are "beaten into shape" the valves tend to stay pretty close to spec for an extended period of time.  I've owned bikes that I know are ridden anything BUT gingerly and it does't matter if the half rings are new or old, there are always a few valves out of adjustment at every check and often a few half rings broken.

That would be right.

What is a '67 900 CR TT?

I am betting it is supposed to be '97...

Princess Bride ( Inconceivable [ Montage ] ) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3sLhnDJJn0#)

I'm betting Stuart (Duck-Stew) has been fiddling with my signature, again.  He's funny like that.

I own a '67 Aermacchi/HD SS250 that is working really hard at becoming a CRTT, a '95 900SS, and a '02 MH900e.....for what that's worth.