I love my duc, don't get me wrong. But at times, especially when just pottering along in the low gears at say 30mph, it just sounds a bit clattery and can feel a bit 'jerky'. To be fair, it's always been like this. It has fresh oil, recent chain and sprockets etc. Shims haven't been done in a while. What is the cause?
Its a 900 Super Sport.....not meant to be ridden at 30 mph......In fact I don't think there is a Ducati made that is meant to be ridden at those speeds its just a stepping stone to a higher place
To be fair the OP may live in an area like mine where you've no choice but to deal with a lot of low speed riding. It may be worth trying a smaller front sprocket or a back sprocket with a couple of extra teeth. I find that overtaking everything at all times also works...
RSPCD (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ducati's) says you should get a different bike and give your Ducati a new home where it can stretch its legs and get all the exercise it needs :wink:
It'll do as its told, like a good little fuglystrada, or it'll get stripped for parts. I think we have an understanding:wink:
"Pottering"?? "30mph" ?? Good grief. Right... Clutch basket and/or rear cush drives can wear, causing clunking/lumpiness on and off the throttle, there is a on/off spot on the ignition at around 3k which will cause the same (I think where it advances a huge amount in very little revs? An aftermarket ignition will take out the steps) The throttle slides will wear in their runners causing the needles to wear the emulsion tubes oval, meaning over-rich fuelling at certain revs. Slip the clutch - but keep it more engaged than unengaged, or it will melt. Put it in neutral at lights. This will give the clutch an easier time, and also give everyone fair warning you are about to move off when you THUNK it back into first. :biggrin: Lower your gearing? Try a 15/41 combo, their is also the option of fitting a 14t front sprocket? Be assertive with your filtering. Come in at high revs on the overrun, they will think a Chinook helicopter is about to squash them and get the fk out of the way. In all - your bike is at +/- 17 years old, a bit wanked by now and needs some new parts/a bit of fettling. Get busy, get buying. :wink:
I love clattery Jerky Ducati's I remember all those years ago when I bought my first SS. I got it from London and the first hour of riding it to get to the M11 I seriously thought 'what have i done?' It was a bag of shite! Of course the roads opened up and the traffic thinned out and then it all made sense. As mentioned before, if you live somewhere you cant use it think about another bike. That is the reason the original owner of mine sold it, he just couldnt use it. And thatTHUNK you gotta love it lol
The 900-1100 2valve engines are just quite lumpy, particularly at low revs . A jap rider sneered agricultural at me once and he is partly right but for lots of us it is why we love them.
If i had a pound for every time another rider told me i was riding tractor....i'd be able to buy a Multistrada with the cash.!
+1 Make a better A-road bike than a town bike? Take a LOT of effort in slow/stop-go traffic... Wanted to let my CBR-riding mate have a blat, but would have to get out of town first to show him the full benefits of having a lumpy bike and little steering lock...
@470four When I say pottering and 30, it's unavoidable at times What causes that THUNK into first exactly? "Come in at high revs on the overrun, they will think a Chinook helicopter is about to squash them and get the fk out of the way." - Ha ha! In all - your bike is at +/- 17 years old, a bit wanked by now and needs some new parts/a bit of fettling. - If I had the time, I would take it to bits and rebuild like new - mainly because the bike deserves some [malkovich on] goddam respect [malkovich off] It was just a question to other owners about their experience, I will always love this bike. Thanks for the useful tips though I will try the paddock stand procedure...
We all have to endure town riding, it is remarkably tedious. The THUNKing? A dry clutch and a tractor gearbox. :biggrin: I could replace all the worn, tatty bits on mine but - given the age - would probably end up with a brand new bike? Its all part of the experience... Get on ebay for a REALLY worn clutch drum and plates, that should help your filtering? Like a cowbell. :biggrin:
On carb'd bikes, fit Dynatek coils and open up plug gaps and it'll pull smoothly from tickover (...but agree, it was 'lumpy' up to 3k prior to fitting them) ....
on mine a new set of platinum spark plugs smoothed the engine out immensely. but yeah, 30 mph is in reality a 2nd gear proposition, 3rd tops. you may find it gets a little warm after an extended period of 2nd gear riding, so dropping to a 14t front sprocket and using third smoothes things out. avoid any engine speed under 3000 rpm, as the snatching is very hard on the whole drive line. I have to admit, [heresy alert] Triumph were onto something with the triple, most of the character of a twin with most of the smoothness of a four - especially in the early 900 Daytonas and speed triples it makes for a very good road engine [/heresy alert]
:biggrin: My thoughts exactly tbh? Never rode a triple but am intreged as to the feel & usability for road use?
