(696 owners unite!!)

[696DCRider]

What years were included?

depends on the year.

[junior varsity]

not the most recent, i don't have the information - your local dealer will be able to help. there's a kit you can get with the 2 bolts, plate, and spring - this is internal to the motor again (inside alternator crankcase cover)

[DevildogFF]

exhaust piece? 

no, it is not adviseable. you can change its color with rattle-can barbeque paint (or higher quality painting systems from VHT i believe)

Spray barbeque paint? Doesn't sound pretty. I'll just leave them as is, I guess.

[junior varsity]

You'd be surprised.


Wait till winter and send it off to be ceramic coated.   The front part of the muffler will require dissassembly of the muffler, and that's pretty straightforward but can make you nervous if you haven't done it before.

[DevildogFF]

I installed them, so I should be able to take them off....

Good idea on waiting til Winter, though.

[DoWorkSon]

I had mine ceramic coated. Cost $145 to have the entire exhaust coated inside and out. Expected to drop heat by 50 degrees.... Looks good too.

They do chip easy, especially at first because the coating has not cured yet. You have to run the bike a few times to get it hardened.

[DevildogFF]

Someone asked me a good question today, that I didn't know the answer to. Does any of these mods void out the warranty? If my friend has Termis on his Ducati, does that void the warranty. I don't see why it would, but it's possible. Can anyone shed light on that?

[tiger_one]

My wife bought this monster 696 last week.  Used 09 and 385 miles.  My task:  Lower to 27" make the suspension compliant for her weight (I'm 180 lbs and it is way too firm for me).  Shock spring ordered 70nm.  848 forks coming, but I will take a look at the OEM forks before I put them on the back shelf. Anyone know of better springs for the OEM forks?

Shaved the seat 1" (took 3 trys, still need to make it narrower in front).  Anyway, really like this bike, motor is super!

[DucatiTorrey]

good purchase, (correct me if im wrong, only rephrasing what ive learned here) they do make a low seat, the front forks are tough, not many options for new springs, the springs are different from each other and only one side has a damper.

where id you get your rear spring? ohlins dealer?

[DoWorkSon]

Someone asked me a good question today, that I didn't know the answer to. Does any of these mods void out the warranty? If my friend has Termis on his Ducati, does that void the warranty. I don't see why it would, but it's possible. Can anyone shed light on that?

I believe in order for a warranty to be void, they have to show that the modification you did caused the mechanical issue on the bike. So a new exhaust cannot void the warranty if you had an issue with say, the instrument panel. If you were to install a new set of brake calipers, and suddenly you lose all your braking ability, then maybe they can show that the new calipers caused the malfunction.

I had an low oil pressure light click on about a year ago... I was worried that installing the oil cooler had something to do with it, and it would void the warranty. However, the sensor wire had worn through and I guess it was a common replacement part... They covered it no questions asked. They would of had to shown that the oil cooler caused the problem.

A new pic of bike...

Just done:
Ceramic coated exhaust.
Wheel Pin striping
Painted Calipers.
Velocity Stacks

Coming soon:
Ohlins rear shock(spring being powdercoated black as we speak)
New Lower triple
New headlight
PCV tune next weekend
Suspension setup

[696DCRider]

That looks really nice DoWorkSon.  Looks like you painted the mesh black.  Nice touch.

[tiger_one]

good purchase, (correct me if im wrong, only rephrasing what ive learned here) they do make a low seat, the front forks are tough, not many options for new springs, the springs are different from each other and only one side has a damper.

where id you get your rear spring? ohlins dealer?

Yes, ohlins dealer.

I ordered a low seat, but no idea when it will come in, so purchased a spare OEM seat to play with so we could get her on the bike sooner.

I used RaceTech spring calculator for 848 (they do not have the 696 listed) rider weight and bike weight of the 696. Got to start some place.  I pulled the forks apart and cut the stock springs to add a piece to some Tiger 1050 (270mm .6kg/mm) springs to make the correct length, much much better.  I just missed the preload so will go back in and add about 3/8" more preload with the topcap locknut on the preload rod (left fork).

Left spring is 485mm the right is 402mm, no biggie, it does not work so I can't mess it up.

This is the left fork.  Spring on top is 696 (485mm), next to it is the Tiger 1050 spring.  I cut about 3/8" longer piece to make the Tiger spring long enough.  I am 185 lbs, does not bottom out even on big bumps hit hard.


update:  Static sag = 20mm (probably could use some preload, cut the spring longer by 1/4" or more)
             Rider sag = 35mm  (me @ 185 lbs)  30mm (wife at 135 lbs)  Almost perfect and since I am trying to lower the bike, will not worry about the static sag being on the low side.

[junior varsity]

I believe in order for a warranty to be void, they have to show that the modification you did caused the mechanical issue on the bike. So a new exhaust cannot void the warranty if you had an issue with say, the instrument panel. If you were to install a new set of brake calipers, and suddenly you lose all your braking ability, then maybe they can show that the new calipers caused the malfunction.

I had an low oil pressure light click on about a year ago... I was worried that installing the oil cooler had something to do with it, and it would void the warranty. However, the sensor wire had worn through and I guess it was a common replacement part... They covered it no questions asked. They would of had to shown that the oil cooler caused the problem.

Yes and no.   They do not have to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt or anything, just show causal relation - you replaced front calipers or front master and the front brakes go out, they only have to show a fair likelihood of your outside changes causing the failure, and thats a pretty low threshold.  The proof can simply be the relationship of the two items - the one that has failed, and the non-original piece.  Your oil cooler example is 'close' in relationship, but arguably distinct systems - an electronic pressure switch that is related to, but not a part of, the cooling system.   But just because two parts belong to seemingly unrelated systems, if a modification to some system had it operating outside of the design parameters, resulting in other systems attempting to compensate and withstanding additional stress, it could lead to an "unrelated"-looking failure.   

Magnuson-Moss isn't a "free parking" monopoly card for modifying without voiding a warranty. It does not require a manufacturer to prove with conclusive math the exact reason a failure occurred as there are far too many variables in a dynamic system for that to be fair.  Loose relationships are all that is necessary to comply - if a main bearing fails and a person has modified their oil system with a different oil cooler, it will void the warranty for the bearing's replacement as improper cooling would connect the modified oil cooler to the bearing - the owner could then argue that the oil cooler was interchangeable with the original, but would be met with the manufacturer saying "no, its got different specs, even if arguably superior, still different from the as-designed system".  While more and more back-and-forth could result in the modifier being the victor, they'd have lost far more time and money than the outcome could ever be worth. If you do this mod and a wheel bearing freaks out, or a brake caliper cooks itself, its so unrelated they'd be unable to show the relationship as to avoid warranty of the failed part.



Moral of the story is its up to the individual owner to decide how much risk they want to deal with associated with a certain modification. Most modifications won't void warranties, but its also about the relatedness - people mod their mirrors all the time without fear for their warranty - its not going to affect the warranty as it relates to the rest of the bike.

[junior varsity]

I'm 180 lbs and it is way too firm for me.

say what?   for her, sure; for you? should be about right - its not supposed to be a barcalounger afterall, and it aint supposed to bottom out on a big bump or else it'd have no place to further compress if on the brakes at the same time and hitting subsequent bumps...

[tiger_one]

I knew I was gonna get some flak on that statement.  But, really running 31 psi front and 33 psi rear, I would think the forks would be sorta compliant.  I do live in Louisiana, and our roads would not qualify as track quality.

I backed the preload completely off on the shock, then removed the lock ring to go back another 3/16", better, but still very stiff and will unseat you on bumps at speed.  Tried the dampening harder 6 clicks, then softer 12 clicks.

Well, the forks are pretty close, but no good on bumps (could be the rear effecting the feel). 

I realize I may be trying to tame a racehorse sorta for my wife, but I never expected it to be so firm even for me.