Greetings,
In the process of buying my first Ducati - a 1999 M750. Buying from a friend up in Michigan but I'm still fresh off of a corporate relocation so logistics aren't working in my favor for a quick delivery.
Anyhow, I come from a long line of Honda's (F2, F3, F4 600's, 929) and sold my beloved Aprilia Futura back in November of last year. Now that I'm on the doorstep of riding nirvana that is the Blue Ridge Mountains, my bike search found me looking at a mount that would be both a capable commuter and a weekend mountain trekker. So here I am.
Looking forward to tech tips, etc.
Welcome -
First tech tip - find out abut the age of the cam belts. They are a 2 year OR 12k mile replacement item. So if they are older than two years or been run more than mileage in two years, it's time for new ones. Good news is that if you're a DIYer it's a simple job needing a minimum of tools and $80 for a set of belts.
If you're not a DIYer the labor cost at a shop shouldn't be bad. It's a pretty easy job - just takes some fussing.
Good info about the belt. For better or worse, I'm an aircraft technician by trade so I may get myself in deeper than intended with regards to maintenance, mods, etc. :)
Buying from a known party gives me better peace of mind with regards to service history, as well.
That will definitely be the first thing on my list to replace - probably whether it needs it or not.
[thumbsup]
If you fix up planes - this is an easy job. There's even a video on youtube walking through it.
Basically its:
Pull covers
Pull plugs
rotate engine to align marks on pulleys and engine case
Remove old belts
Replace with new - just watch the vertical cam pully as it will move on you as with the marks in the right spot, a lobe of the cam is pressing on a rocker with a helper spring
Tension belts with the 5mm allen method.
Hand turn engine to check for issues and ensure alignment.
Replace plugs and covers.
Ride!
Other fun things you should probably do:
Flush brakes and clutch with new DOT 4 or 5.1 fluid
Once it gets chilly, have the shock out and send it for service. Or leave it in and find something better. The stock suspension on the 750 wasn't so hot
Replace fork oil. It does go off over time. And maybe hunt down some better forks.
Some fuel system cleaner couldn't hurt.
Take off the reflectors if they are still there...
Lots of "while you're there's"...
Looks like I found the right place!
Oh the 'While you're there' outlet is the pandoras box of the bike world. While you've got the seat off and the tank up, why don't you pull out the wiring, make a custom harness, re-route it and put it back... while you're in there of course.
Unh-huh
A 99 is going to need some TLC of course un less your buddy was super on it. Even so, some folks just don't think about servicing the shock until it starts playing up. I didn't, and I'm pretty OCD about keeping on other maintenance items. And there's just the age factor. Stuff gets old - carb diaphragms get stiff or brittle etc etc.
There's plenty of info here on how to so just about anything to the bike... and then some. Look for a user who goes by Suzyj. Shes an electrical engineer or something similar and has ripped apart her 695 and gone to town on it. DIY anodizing, port and polishing the heads, replacing the fusebox with a MOSFET board and on and on. PLenty of other custom work documented - and then there's the folks like me 'Competent amateurs' who can do most of the work themselves... most.