Ducati Engines... are f'd up

[Rossi]

zzr's are good track bikes? i thought they were more a sport tourer.

Obviously another young'un
The ZZR 600 was THE fastest production 600 when first released

[MrStompy]

...either way i didnt say i hated ducatis, infact i thought it was mighty cool, but it sounded like ass idling...scary ass

your words in your original post were

...there was a few ducati's there, and i must say i think theyre fucked

sounds like you hate ducatis to me....

anyway - i must admit i didnt used to think much of ducatis when i first started riding but as i get older i am really starting to like them.
obviously i will need a good pay raise to afford one. but one day...

[Neka79]

just for a giggle..if u like to "play dumb"..next time a duke fires up point at it and yell "i think u need to oil ya clutch mate, its a bit rattly"...it gets em every time...

[Smitty]

this one starts up and its just idling, and sounds like a diesel truck running rough, with pre-detonation and being hit with metal bars very very horrid idle noise... but then lovely running note.
.

Duc engines make noise from 3 sources
unusual to us normal riders

as mentioned...dry clutches
and cam chains (although some now use belts to shut 'em up)
and the source of most noise is...
the valve train

they use desmodromic valve trains
which use a mechanical action to open AND CLOSE
the valves


hth

cheers

[Pabs]

Love the sound of the Duke's
but then a like a lot of other sounds

[WRT_GPX]

open and close it? what does that accomplish over using springs?


and mr stompy i love them and hate them at the same time
... well... kinda love, doesnt take over the fact that theyre scary at idle.

[ross79]

It was definiitley the dry clutch.
Duc's kick ars, but then anything costs twice as much should.

Tend to break down a bit too!!

Ducatis require a service every 10,000km while your Kawasaki requires it every 6,000km - Ducatis are unreliable?
some people hear of things from a long time ago and take it as gospel! let me guess ... you don't Drive a Japanese car 'cos they are "Jap Crap"?
I've done 25,000km on my 749 now and have just had to change my Low Beam Headlight 'cos it blew! Oh My God! that is so unreliable I think I'll sell the Duck and buy something reliable like a Kawasaki that apparently NEVER has issues!
and YES I am sick of hearing jealous people waffle on and on about Ducatis breaking down and the cost of working on them!

If maintained properly a ducati is reliable. Still I would never compare the service of a Ducati to a jap bike! Even if you do service your ducati every 10K, which imo is a bit long for any bike (oil changes should be done every 5k) I bet you could service a jap bike 10 times for the cost of one of yours Especially with the desmo valves that can only be adjusted by a ducati specialist and I think your timing belts need replacing every 30k which aint cheap either.
That said, I don't think kwakas are the most reliable bikes either, but after 30K on mine, the only thing I've had to replace is oil & tyres.

[Neilp]

Duc engines make noise from 3 sources
unusual to us normal riders

and cam chains (although some now use belts to shut 'em up)
and the source of most noise is...
the valve train

cheers

Please too enlighten me, what V twin Ducati in modern times has or had a cam chain. I don"t remember one!!! Maybe one of their early parallel twins.
And as to a noisy valve train, when was the last time riding/driving down the road you thought to yourself that passing Ducati has a noisy valve train???


Neil


Neil

[bonester]

open and close it? what does that accomplish over using springs?

In a 'normal' engine, the valves follow the contour of the cams because they are held against the cam surface (either directly or via a rocker) by the tension of the valve springs. The Ducati uses one arm to open the valve and another to close the valve. The advantage is that the cam timing is more precise coz it follows the profile of the cam better and the upper rev limit is not limited by 'valve bounce' which is caused by harmonics in the spring of a normal engine. Good system but a bitch to maintain. Guess that is why I would prefer a Guzzi if buying italian! (Easiest bike to adjust valves- cylinders are out in the open...like a R series BMW and CX500 too I guess)

[Smitty]

Please too enlighten me, what V twin Ducati in modern times has or had a cam chain. I don"t remember one!!! Maybe one of their early parallel twins.
And as to a noisy valve train, when was the last time riding/driving down the road you thought to yourself that passing Ducati has a noisy valve train???


Neil

sorry..its been a long day
(6hrs in the cage to get home)

I meant...bevel drive
and yes...its noisy
listen to one at idle

down low...the dry clutch is rattling
and up top the valve train is rattling too

hth

[FrogZ]

Thanks for the heads up Smitty, might have to get the Darmah serviced as its top end doesnt make any noise. But then it is adjusted right too.

I dont think Desmos make any more noise than springed valves.
My mates Duc is a spring head and mine is desmo and they sound exactly the same. ANY rev. And in fact if we ride together they get into a "sync" that sounds like white noise (ie cancel each otehr out)
Dont know how else to explain it, wierd, the revs have to be the same which coincidentaly is 110k top in mine, 110, one below top gear on his.

(Get well soon Gav)

[ducati_paul]

If maintained properly a ducati is reliable. Still I would never compare the service of a Ducati to a jap bike! Even if you do service your ducati every 10K, which imo is a bit long for any bike (oil changes should be done every 5k) I bet you could service a jap bike 10 times for the cost of one of yours Especially with the desmo valves that can only be adjusted by a ducati specialist and I think your timing belts need replacing every 30k which aint cheap either.
That said, I don't think kwakas are the most reliable bikes either, but after 30K on mine, the only thing I've had to replace is oil & tyres.

See I wouldn't call an oil change a service, Yes I change my Oil (and Filter) every 5,000km and the Belts need replacing every 20,000km not 30 like you'd guessed, but my 20k service cost me $800 which included the belts now keeping in mind that's the most expensive service and

I bet you could service a jap bike 10 times for the cost of one of yours

Could you please tell me where I can get a complete service for my ZZR for $80 (Oil, Filter, Labour, Timing Chain etc.)
Thanks

[rocketrod]

So you have done 25k on the duke without a problem.Big deal,come back and tell us how its going when its done over 100k.I have had plenty of jap bikes with over that on then,no probs.Stop tring to justify your expensive piece of italian crap.

[Neilp]

So you have done 25k on the duke without a problem.Big deal,come back and tell us how its going when its done over 100k.I have had plenty of jap bikes with over that on then,no probs.Stop tring to justify your expensive piece of italian crap.

I have, and no major problems a rectifier and a water pump seal. And regular servicing. Just setting the record straight, as there are a lot of misconceptions about Dukes out there.
You say its Italian Crap, have you ever owned one???


Neil

[ducati_paul]

So you have done 25k on the duke without a problem.Big deal,come back and tell us how its going when its done over 100k.I have had plenty of jap bikes with over that on then,no probs.Stop tring to justify your expensive piece of italian crap.

I'm not justifying anything rather pointing out that people always complain about the prices of Ducati servicing without ever actually knowing what the costs are!
I know of two members here who have had problems with there ZX6R's with A LOT less K's than what my Duke has done! Jealous People just like hearing about problems with expensive things .... who wouldn't laugh at the sight of a Ferrari parked on the side of the road with a smoking engine!
And who do you reckon would have more 30 year old bikes on the road Ducati or Kawasaki?