Hi all, As the colder weather kicks in, my bike seems to have developed a little bit of an idle issue. it seams that it runs fine while riding, and letting off the throttle completely while slowing down is fine, however when coming to a red light and letting it idle, it seems to be running very low on revs (sounds like it too) and then dies. I can turn it on again no problem, but it will just die again unless i give it a little throttle. It continues to do this till about a good 15-20 minutes into the ride. After that it still runs slow it feels and a little iffy whether it will or will not die at idle, but usually it does not after that. Can this be caused by increased humidity due to season, or cold air? or does it sound like it needs some adjustment? 2nd issue: somewhat brought up a while ago, it has an interesting way of starting, when warm out and i can start without the fast-idle lever, no problem starting, but when it's colder and i have to use the lever, if i crank it all the way before pressing the start button, it will turn once and then a 'click' is heard and clocks turn off, the time on the clock is reset to 0:00. I can then try again and it starts. To avoid this, I have to click the start button first, let it turn about 1/2 a cycle and then crank the lever about 1/2 way in, then it starts ok. once it started i can crank the fast idle all the way and no problems. Once bike is warm no such issues. Also sometimes when this happens the right bottom part of the clock gets stuck on the 'ohms' mode (no idea what that shows), not allowing me to change it (press the right button and nothing happens) back to showing voltage, until i turn off ignition and back on. I was advised that it could be a battery issue, due to battery being crap / weak. I bought a new one, still same issue. although I think partly it is related to battery as on really cold days i have to plug the bike to my charger night before, if battery is not charged to top, it will have hard time starting. I think the battery on these is just weak and small, but could there be another reason? Last issue - clutch related: about 2 months ago my clutch went limp one day and seems to have lost pressure. reading some forums i was advised (as there was no leakage, full of fluid) to bleed it, as could be caused by air bubbles. I have used a syringe and bled it a couple times. this fixed the issue immediately. about 2 weeks later (this is all during winter UK months), same thing again, where it would just go a bit less pressurised and the next day completely no pressure. Again pulled the syringe through once and all back to normal. Next time a couple weeks later this happened, just to test it, I found that squeezing the clutch lever fast about 10 times would restore the pressure and be ok for another while. It's a bit odd as there is no fluid loss, and clutch seems to function fine. any ideas? I have also last time i bled it, cleaned the bottom of the reservoir as it seemed there was a little bit of some blackish (darkish) buildup there, thought maybe it's just getting clogged with leftover old fluid.. I wonder if all my issues above are just cold, moist weather related, as this is my first winter with this bike. For reference my bike is a 2005 999 with the 1/2 termi exhaust system. Only other mod on the bike is a couple carbon bits, purely cosmetic, and I have installed and replaced the OEM ECU with the DP one that came with the Termis. I have not had the bike dyno'd or anything like that, no power commander or anything. Let me know any suggestions. Otherwise, while I'm on the bike and going it does very well, no issues there. Thanks in advance.
... i wonder if there is maybe some issue with the DP ECU... could there be? worth trying to put back the OEM one? the guy i bought it from had the termi system installed but just gave me the DP ECU said he hadn't had time to install it.
Hi Salmore, The first issue you describe is a common problem with the **9 series of Ducati's. A good independent or dealer should be able to sort this for you with adjustment to the idle and timing or a remap. Not sure where you are in the UK, I use Louigi Moto and CJS racing for all my servicing/tuning. My first 749 had this very issue and it was resolved by them very easy. The second issue sounds battery related, the V twin needs a good kick to turn it over and if the battery is feeling a little under the weather it's not going to get the job done. That coupled with the issue about and the bike will be a little reluctant to start. Again my first 749 had the same problem, after buying a good quality battery and keeping it on a optimiser it solved the problem. Hope I have helped.
Hi. For the 1st issue I'd just turn the idle speed up a little and not worry about it. Sure a strip and throttle body/tps sync would be ideal but if it's running ok I'd wait till service time for that. 2nd issue is voltage related. If the battery is new and known good, try the ground cable to the engine. Just remove it clean up the surfaces and refit. They do need a fair old kick to get them going. My 996 does the same. If the voltage drops too low cranking it firstly the fuel injectors stop firing. They need 10.5V to work from what I remember. And if the battery dips too low my digital dash loses it's memory and I to set it all again. As for the clutch, it's definitely getting air in if you pump the lever to get pressure back. Only needs a bit to ruin the feel. I'd take the slave cylinder off and check/replace the seals. That's the usual place to fail first.
Issue 1 could be sorted by just a TPS reset (if you didn't do this when you swapped ECU's). A throttle body balance/CO set up/TPS reset would be my next step. Issue 2 is a common problem and can be sorted by running an auxillary earth lead from the battery -ve to the starter motor bolt towards the middle of the engine (from battery side) The clutch problem could be just air in the system (search bleeding clutch on forum) or a seal problem on the slave. If the slave is leaking then it is not always apparent as you tend to think the fluid is from the front sprocket. Some other things you might want to consider. 1. Change the fuel pump/injector/Coil relay. This is behind the heat shield on the back of the battery box, below the starter motor relay. 2. If you are running Iridium plugs, swap back to stock.
Thanks all. I will be taking the a old bike apart next week and checking all wires and cleaning it as I'll he installing an hid kit. Regarding the electrons issue I think the battery is what is causing it... But there seems no resolution. I tried running a second ground wire but that had no effect. I got a new coach battery and same issue. Then I as advised that two based batteries have better crank. Got a new one of those and it does still turn even at liver volts but same issues are still present. The clutch issues does seem like air related as there is no leaks as the fluid level has been the same all along. I will have to try replace the seals as suggested but as I've never done it before I'm a bit reluctant... I thought about referring tps. On my old bike it had a power commander so I did the tps resets myself. Can I do this myself on the dp ecu?
Alright, i managed to sort most of the issues here, thought I'd report back should any of you have similar issues. issue 1: slow idle / stalling still not fully fixed however, i've found I had some issues with the regulator / rectifier on the bike, as the voltages after 10-15 mins of riding went up to about 15V and then changed to 'hi'. I've replaced with a new unit and now the slow idle / stalling has become a little bit less of an issue, still idles very slowly it seems, but havent had it stall yet (the weather is warmer now... so not sure what to acredit this to). issue 2: starting issue / dash freezing in 'cons' difficult starting is normal on 999/749. the twin engine needs a LOT of crank to get it going. I've talked to numerous ducati dealers and services around, they all say that's normal. Advised to press start button once bike begins to turn the engine and you can hear it starting, then move the fast idle slightly up, do NOT turn the fast idle up before pressing the start button, otherwise the extra fuel in the engine will make it even harder for it to turn and bike will not start / electrics will reset. the dash freezing in cons... this was just a lack of knowledge on my part... and lack of non-italian instruction manual haha... apparently moment the reserve light comes on the bike switches automatically to 'cons' which means 'fuel consumption' showing you your current consumption, and thus allowing you to ride 'more economically' to make sure you make it to a petrol station smart smart issue 3: clutch keeps loosing pressure every month or so, have to rebleed it. again, this was a learning experience for me, i have found that i was only bleeding the bottom nipples and didn't realize the top ones are located inside the top liquid level compartments... simply fill up the compartments full to cover the black bit sticking out, undo the black bit slightly, squeeze the brake/clutch and you'll see bubbles come out. once only liquid and no air is coming out, just tighten the black screw back up. make sure you dont do it too hard! issue gone, been on the bike for over 3 months now without this issue again.
Very interesting salmore. My 06 749 has very similar starting problems which seems to come and go. I often have to reset my clock when starting her up. Mine too would turn over only half a turn then stop and the fuel pump would buzz and clock would read zero. On restarting it would then fire up no problem but I always had the fast idle lever on full and would turn it back whilst engine is running.Maybe I try leaving it off until it's fired up then then turning it half way. Good advice that. Cheers.
after a while you get used to the exact right moment to pull the fast idle down and how much to pull it down. i have not had the clock reset for a good few months now just one of the things you get to know about ducati's and their electrics. on a good note, anyone trying to steal a 749/999 unless they know what they're doing they will not start your bike, might as well leave the keys in the ignition when leaving the bike
My method of starting is to crank the engine with the fast idle closed then when it catches slowly open it until a steady idle is achieved. Just to be clear this is an 03 model without servo start.
Had same problem when starting, yesterday my clock turned off too...reset the clock and all good today. I have to leave the cold start on while running a couple of miles to get it at good running temp.. Otherwise it stalls all the time....having a full service in May so maybe be able to speed the tickover up.. Mine is ticking over around 8-900 revs...which is very low... Seems to start Easyer if you leave the cold start off turn the engine when it's fires pull cold start on.. After I'd reset the clock I was keeping an eye on it this morning on my way to work At 7:49 I laughed and said ducati time......yeah I know, sad...made me smile though..
Just a note, the 999 / 749 are meant to idle at 1,250 RPM anything lower than that something is off. Mine idles at about 1k exactly, which is low and I do also have it stall sometimes at red lights. One thing I've realized is that my exhaust prior to me purchasing it has been replaced with a Termi half system, however I dont believe the air filter has been replaced at all for a high flow one. This is something people miss a lot, put new louder free flowing pipes on, but never do anything with the intake. This means that the the engine can breath out easier and faster, but it still cannot breath in well. Kind of an Asthma effect on the bike. This can cause the bike to have a harder time breathing and thus slow the idle. Might be worth a look. Also if you've had the pipes replaced might be worth to make sure you have had the TPS (throttle position) reset, otherwise the bike might think when you're idling, it might think that the throttle is twisted say 10% and thus add too much fuel to the engine and thus cause it not to work properly. Also ensure that the CO2 levels have been reset. hope this helps.
Thanks all above, I have a very similar starting problem with my 749 the clock zeros itself quite offten on start up, I'm just glad it's a common problem, I will try and get into a good routine of starting it up frist time without stalling it. Guvs.
Adding a secondary earthing lead from the battery -ve to the starter motor bolt towards the middle of the engine should cure this problem.
I've done the above, it does help... however, this just means that the original earth lead is corroded or not working properly, thus cleaning or replacing the original lead would do the same thing (for lazy ones of us, just add a secondary one). Either way, it helped, but didn't remove this 'characteristic' of this bike completely.
