Spring Service - Timing Belt and Valve Adjustment

[Hailander]

I've been reviewing the videos that Chris at Cycleworks had kindly provided. Anyways, I think I'm comfortable trying it, but I was wondering if anyone else here is going to be doing this also this spring? Perhaps we can do yours and than do mine? I'm just a tad leary about doing it myself the first time. We can use my Garage and I'll be looking at the tools needed to make sure I have everything. And if anyone else just want to come over and watch and have a few brews, that's cool too. I live in Eagan.

[tcspeedfreak]

when were you thinking of doing it? ive been needing to do mine as well, i live in detroit lakes but thats not a huge issue. ive never done it either but im very mechanical so i should be able to figure it out,

[Hailander]

I was thinking sometime this spring. I'm pretty flexible as my bike is just at the 2 year window. Detroit Lakes? This a long ride brother to do this since I imagine it make take more than one day if we have to wait for the parts. The timing belt thing should be easy though.

[tcspeedfreak]

i think that i just need to check my valves, belts looked ok, do you have a shim kit or were you just planning on getting them from silverback ect. when you know what ones you need? if thats the case then i probabaly wouldnt work out because of the fact that i only would really be able to make it down for a weekend ive found that its kinda hard to find parts late on a saturday afternoon.

[Hailander]

I believe Motoprimo has a shim exchange program so I was banking on that...does anyone know?

[MarkJJ]

You know several months ago in the motorcyclist magazine a reader wrote in and part of what he said was that when he learnt of the service "requirements" for Ducatis he decided he wouldn't buy one. You know he kindof has a point doesn't he? If Ducati's are supposed to be such great machines why the need for, seemingly, frequent servicing?

[crash13]

I think Ducati is just more honest about the service requirements of their machine. I do valve adjustments on all my bikes between 6 and 8 thousand miles.

If you do service when it is scheduled they will literally out live you.

if yo do the first service on time (this is when the valves do most of their pounding) the valves tend to stabilize and move alot less, so future services actually go quite quick with the need to only change one or two shims.

Ducatis are built by passionate people for pasionate people, and if you have passion the service interval is a small price to pay.

[gme620]

I don't mind it being that it is good to make sure that it's working right and not leting things slip until they are too late and you are royaly f'd. It's good to stay safe being that there is not much room for error when you are flyin' down the road at 70 and there is such potential for dasater if something went array. It's motorbike love, like a relationship sometimes you got to put work into it to make it work out the best. [thumbsup]

[cavscout31]

I did mine last year with Rob and it was really pretty easy. Let me know if you need help. I am also now an expert on the dry clutch. Ha! ???

[Gmoney]

'Primo claims they have a shim exchange program, but when I tried to do it last year the service guy was such a pain to work with that I just took them home and ordered a shim kit. I got one on here for around $250, and it was worth every penny.

If I were to do it again I'd still go with the shim kit. If that wasn't an option, I'd probably call Silverback first, they said they also have an exchange program.

As for the "exchange" both places charge something like $10-20 for an exchange. You turn in your shim and they give you the new one, but you still have to pay for it. Personally, if you have the down time (which if you do it now you probably do) I'd order the new one from the internet, keep the old one and slowly build your own shim kit. It honestly costs about the same, the only difference is you get to keep the shim and you have to wait a few days for shipping.