[lucky_duck]

Hello everyone. My name is Nick, I am FINALLY a ducati owner ;D although its not the one I dream of, but its still a beautiful and awesome looking bike, and I LOVE it. 2 days ago I bought a 2003 620 ie dark at an auto auction for $3,000, it only has a couple hundred miles on it, it was wrecked the same month the guy bought it. Only thing that is wrong with it is the run/stop switch doesnt work and no gauges. Well my question is this....Does anybody know if a 2002 620 ie gauge cluster will hook up to a 2003 620 ie dark? Because there is a gauge cluster from a 02 620 on ebay for 100 bucks (reserve not met) and the price for a new one from ducati is about 800 bucks Oh yeah one more question.... I always hear/read that ducatis are not reliable and that the vavles need to be readjusted every couple thousand miles. Is that true? and how hard is it to adjust the valves yourself? I saw a video somewhere that walks you through adjusting the vavles, can't be that hard.....or can it? ??? Whats about the average price for a vavle adjustment? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for the help

 

[ducman851]

Here we go again. First things first, do you have keys? More importantly the Red Coding key? The way the 620 immobilizer system works is it marries the gauges, the ecu and the keys together so that you cannot take the gauges, ecu or keys from one

 

[ScottRNelson]

Valve adjustment is every 6000 miles.

Most of the (un)reliability talk regarding Ducatis is from people who have never owned one. I made it 19,600 miles on my Monster with no unscheduled maintenance whatsoever. It was 100% reliable. (I managed to crash it, so that's as far as it will be going. :'()

You'll either want to buy the video or get the Haynes manual for valve adjustment. Those who do it regularly say it isn't too hard, but it seems to be pretty tricky the first time (I've never done it).

Around here, there are several shops that will do the 6000 mile service (and 18,000) for around $300, which includes the valve adjustment.

 

[lucky_duck]

Hey thank you for everyones help 8). And ducman851, yes I do have the key, not sure if its the red coding key.......i am guessing the key is red, if it is red then no I dont have that one. The guages that are coming from the 2002 are brand new from what I believe. Are the guages nessecary (sp??) for the bike to start? Because what I was thinking was to just get a really good digital bicycle speedometer and just use that for now and later on when I have some extra money buy the real guages. Thank you for your help ;D

 

[ducman851]

Yes the gauges are required, unless you have a new and not programmed ECU. The RED key is just that, a key that has a RED cover on the end rather than a black one. If the gauges are new and unprogrammed and you do have the RED (programming key) then by all means get them. If you dont have the programming key then you may be in costly trouble. Did you get a small card about the size of a credit card with the owners manual? This has 2 #s on it a mechanical key code and the electronic code. If not then you may end up either buying everything (keys, ECU, Gauges) unless Ducati has changed this, but I went through the same thing when I bought my 620. I just bought the FIM unit and a nice SPA tach.

 

[lucky_duck]

Well I did not get the red key with it and I did not get that credit card thing with the manual, hell I didnt even get a manual. I went to the ducati dealership today and of course they had no answers for me and no manuals I could buy. Sounds like it would be easiest if I went the way you did. Can you go into detail of how you did it? And maybe some links where I can get a FIM unit? If you want you can e-mail it to me [email protected] Thanks ALOT....you have been VERY helpful

 

[ducman851]

I got mine thru Manley Cycle in Minneapolis
www.manleycycle.com
612-822-7377

Ask for Tony or Tom

 

[Duc_N_Har]

FBF just told me Saturday, that if you don't have the red key that goes with that dash cluster and ECU, then you gotta cough up $1500 for a new one??
They told me over and over.... DON"T LOOSE THE RED KEY!!!
So if you are buying a used bike make sure it has the RED KEY!!!

 

[lucky_duck]

I just talked to the guy who bought it after it was wrecked, Sam, which is the guy who donated it to the auction. He said he DOES have the RED key, so I am gonna be picking that up tomorrow. So which way would be cheaper buying ducati gauges or do what ducman851 did? BTW Sam ordered guages from Ducati before he donated it, and had to pay 50% of the price something like $417.00, so I would have to pay the other 50% to get the guages. Or would it be cheaper going the way ducman851 did it, new FIM unit and a tach. Oh yeah is that credit card thing needed even if you have the RED key? Because he said he didn't have that. Thanks A LOT everyone, you have been a GREAT help.