New Owner Questions- by Michael Moore on January 20, 2004

Index of Topics

Checking and adding oil
The main thing in checking and adding oil to your monster is to keep the bike completely vertical. If you check the oil with it on its sidestand you'll end up overfilling it.

"Milk" in the oil sight glass
You may notice the oil sight glass (on the right side of the bike) seems to have a milky fluid in it. This is especially noticable if the bike has been sitting a while and if the weather's cool. It is water vapor condensation and it is perfectly normal. If you take the bike for a long ride and get it warm the milkiness will go away. Some people install shutoff valves to their oil coolers so the bike gets hotter in cool weather, or fashion oil covers to reduce airflow, but most people just go for a long ride instead.

Mini hockey-pucks
When your bike is new you may notice what looks like small hockey pucks (about an inch in diameter) appearing mysteriously on your garage floor some mornings. These little dohickeys are actually vibration dampers that sit between the fins on air cooled Ducatis, and are intended to cut down on engine noise. As they get old and stiff they shrink and fall to your floor, causing bewilderment.

Tires
Tires should be checked when cool. Set the pressure to the amount shown on the frame sticker. If you don't have the frame sticker a good pressure to use is betwen 30/33 and 33/35 psi. Some folks use the lower pressure in winter. Also, when tires are new they have a release compound residue that needs to be gradually scrubbed off with riding wear. It is slippery so if you ride really hard on new tires you might do some sliding.

Fuel tank rubber cone
Many owners have wondered, "what the heck is that rubber cone in my tank, why does it keep falling off, and should I replace it?" Well, some theories are that it keeps you from overfilling the tank. If you promise to not overfill then you have permission to toss it (or leave it rolling around in the bottom of your tank.)

Clutch noise
Ducati monsters have either a "wet" or "dry" clutch. Wet clutches are bathed in oil, while dry clutches are, well, dry. Dry clutches tend to be noiser, and if the clutch cover has been ventilated they clatter quite a bit. This is all normal, and for die-hard type, desireable. For more info on clutch noise, check the FAQ.

Maintenance indicator reset
On late model monsters, press and hold the Left function button, THEN turn on the key.

Underseat mystery plug
On some monsters there is an electronic connector under the seat that is capped off. It is for hooking up to the bike's ECU (electronic control unit).

Shop manual
If you don't want to fork out huge $$ for a factory manual (and they are also practically impossible to get), most folks like the Haynes manual (ISBN: 1859602908) even though it covers 1991 to 1996 Monsters and Supersports. Available at www.ca-cycleworks.com (a DML sponsor).

Leaking battery
Some owners of newer monsters have reported problems with leaking batteries. The acid can damage the engine finish and other parts it comes into contact with. This can happen within the first 600 miles. Changing to a Yuasa battery (from a GS) seems to solve the problem, but for the full story read this thread. It seems like Ducati North America (DNA) is finally starting to address the issue, and the battery swap may be covered by your dealer.
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