Gripe about Monster 696's Ambient Temperature Reading

[Kopfjäger]

This may seem to be an inappropriate question, but how important is it for a motorcycle to tell you how hot, or cold it is?

Don't you guys sweat...

or shiver?

[Duckintime]

This may seem to be an inappropriate question, but how important is it for a motorcycle to tell you how hot, or cold it is?

Don't you guys sweat...

or shiver?

I think the underlying issue is x amount of dollars= a bike that should have correct instrumentation.

[ducpainter]

I think the underlying issue is x amount of dollars= a bike that should have correct instrumentation.

OK....

why is it even included in 'instrumentation? It doesn't make the bike run does it?

My monster has a speedometer, an added tach and a few idiot lights that really don't amount to much.

It is a monster.

If I wanted to know the temp I'd ask my...

Focus?

Nah....

[ungeheuer]

why is it even included in 'instrumentation?

It's not fitted to my '09 M1100s.... although my '08 M696 did have it.  Consequently I now never know if its warm enough to go out riding or not  

[1KDS]

My R6 had a read out that seemed to be accurate, it was in the intake track but a very different set up.  I liked that feature but never really missed it on the mostro.

[Bladecutter]

I think the underlying issue is x amount of dollars= a bike that should have correct instrumentation.

Yes, that's the primary issue.

The secondary issue is that if the sensor is giving off bs numbers that aren't realistic, is the computer using those same bs numbers, and causing damage to the engine via the incorrect fueling?

Ducati refuses to answer that question every time I directly ask them about it.

Ducpainter,
Just because you and I could care less about the air temperature, doesn't mean that the bike doesn't need to correctly know what the air temp is.

BC.

[mstevens]

I think the underlying issue is x amount of dollars= a bike that should have correct instrumentation.

If that's the issue, why aren't we fussing about the inaccurate speedometers or nonexistent fuel gauges?

[Triple J]

This may seem to be an inappropriate question, but how important is it for a motorcycle to tell you how hot, or cold it is?

+1

Ambient temp. gauges only tell you how hot it really is when you're sweating your ass off...or how cold it really is when you're freezing it off. Who cares...ignorance is bliss as far as I'm concerned. I don't need a read-out to remind me that my dumb ass decided to ride when it was 39 degrees out!  

As far as the fueling goes...damn, you guys worry too much! Does your bike run OK? Then ride it and quit worrying about every little thing. It is probably OK if it seemingly runs well.

[dtsduc]

Well, for one, some people may be more anal retentive (me) than others! 

Do I must have it in order to ride it? No. I've done fine without it on my other bikes and the M696 is my wife's ride. However, if Ducati put it out there as a function then it'd better work, otherwise why even put it out there in the 1st place?  Since the temp reading on my 1098 works very well, I naturally expected substantially the same from the M696 and am disappointed when it doesn't work nearly as well. I have more annoying problems on my MV Agusta but that's another story for another day/forum...

[Popeye the Sailor]

However, if Ducati put it out there as a function then it'd better work, otherwise why even put it out there in the 1st place? 

Because no one would buy the S2R1K without the motor in it?

[mstevens]

I must say I'm always pleasantly surprised when Italian machinery actually works. Perhaps that's prejudiced of me, but my experience would lead me to be upset if the temperature gauge on a BMW were off by a few degrees and elated when the Ducati instruments even turn on.

By comparison, on my modern Vespa there is a fuel gauge but it's connected to some alternate reality. Its digital clock loses several minutes per week, and the charging system is so poor that the battery will run down to nothing with the engine running with the scooter on the centerstand. This is an Italian-made 150cc scooter with an MSRP of $4,299 so one might expect the electricals to work better than a $1,200 plastic Chinese import, but one would be mistaken. Don't even get me started on my friend's Maserati (or just about anyone's Alfa).

As others have pointed out, the engines on 696's seem to function just fine irrespective of what's going on with the temperature gauge. I'm about as obsessive-compulsive as it's possible to be without actually meeting diagnostic criteria and it's just not something I've managed to get too fussed about.

[Bladecutter]

As others have pointed out, the engines on 696's seem to function just fine irrespective of what's going on with the temperature gauge. I'm about as obsessive-compulsive as it's possible to be without actually meeting diagnostic criteria and it's just not something I've managed to get too fussed about.

Well, I guess you didn't see the thread I created about my gf's 696 having its check engine light on from the beginning of the season until September when they replaced everything electronic on the engine, including the throttle bodies.

So, no, the bike wasn't running right, and that air temp sensor was the first thing I noticed that was out of synch with reality.

Anyway, the bike ran great when she first bought it.
I ran great when the CEL was on.
But now that everything has been replaced, adjusted and fixed, it actually runs better.

So who knows?
Where's Ducati with an answer?

BC.

[mstevens]

Well, I guess you didn't see the thread I created about my gf's 696 having its check engine light on from the beginning of the season until September when they replaced everything electronic on the engine, including the throttle bodies.

Yep, I did. However, you point out that the engine actually ran great at the time. As far as I can tell, the OP for this thread isn't even complaining about poor perfomance or a CEL, just that the temperature readout is inaccurate.

[Scissors]

Yes, that's the primary issue.

The secondary issue is that if the sensor is giving off bs numbers that aren't realistic, is the computer using those same bs numbers, and causing damage to the engine via the incorrect fueling?

Ducati refuses to answer that question every time I directly ask them about it.

The only air temperature that matters as far as the engine is concerned is the actual temperature of the air before it enters the engine.  That's why the optimal location for the temperature sensore is just before the throttle body.

Air temperature is not used to calculate fueling for startup, so it doesn't matter that it sits above a warm engine and reads a bit high while it's off.

Air temperature under normal circumstances only results in changes to fueling trim, so even if the sensor completely fails or reads incredibly high or low (within its range), engine damage will not result.

[ducpainter]

<snip>

Ducpainter,
Just because you and I could care less about the air temperature, doesn't mean that the bike doesn't need to correctly know what the air temp is.

BC.

Of course it does...

no one said the bike wasn't running correctly.

If the bike is running like crap and the dash temp is wildly inaccurate, and the same sensor is used to provide readings to both then the gripe is valid.

Unless my reading comprehension is really bad no one can even say for sure if they're the same sensor.

All this is why I own old Ducs