Riddle me this, Batman. I'm a ducati newbie

[DrNo08]

Got my 695 a week ago and it's the first Duc I've owned so I'm not real sure how it's supposed to run.

When I'm cruising around town if I'm not giving it more and more gas and just trying to keep a steady pace with the throttle held stable it kinda bubbles as if it needs more power.  If I give it more power it clears up until my new faster speed steadys again.  It does this constantly unless I'm on the highway doing 55 mph and up.  Just not sure why it hiccups like it does.  It won't let me cruise at a constant speed below 4,000 rpm it seems, atleast below 50 mph or so.

I've already got in my posession a 14t front sprocket that I haven't installed yet so I'm not sure if that will fix that.

Normal? 

[Jarvicious]

By burble to you mean a recurring surge in the power?  My bike was doing this by the end of the last 20X miler I went on.  I figured it was a clogged intake/fuel filter or something of that nature, but it turns out my chain was causing it.  It may be a wierd coincidence but as soon as I got a new chain on there and snugged it up, the thing runs like a kitten.  A very fast one.  It happened on my bike anywhere from 3400 or so up to around 4200, but seemed to cease when I accelerated a little harder.  Mine would even do it at 60+ mph ranges, just so long as the throttle was in the same position.  Was the bike used when you got it?  You may check the chain.  I still have no logical explanation for it, but what's it going to hurt?

[DrNo08]

By burble to you mean a recurring surge in the power?  My bike was doing this by the end of the last 20X miler I went on.  I figured it was a clogged intake/fuel filter or something of that nature, but it turns out my chain was causing it.  It may be a wierd coincidence but as soon as I got a new chain on there and snugged it up, the thing runs like a kitten.  A very fast one.  It happened on my bike anywhere from 3400 or so up to around 4200, but seemed to cease when I accelerated a little harder.  Mine would even do it at 60+ mph ranges, just so long as the throttle was in the same position.  Was the bike used when you got it?  You may check the chain.  I still have no logical explanation for it, but what's it going to hurt?

- It is used w/ 2,400 miles.  It has the termi package w/ no baffles if that matters.  It doesn't really happen in 1st gear b/c you have to change into 2nd pretty quick b/c 1st gear doesn't provide for enough speed for city.  For instance, If I'm at 3,000 rpm in 3rd at about 35mph and i'm holding the throttle in a fixed position, it starts to kind of do this jerky thing if I'm trying to just maintain that speed.  It's literally like it's telling me "let's go!" when all I want to do is relax at 3,000 rpm.  It's as if it's not happy if I'm not running at 4,000 rpm or higher.  At 4 and above rpm it really sings and it's clean but anything below that it's kinda jerky UNLESS i'm building speed.

[mmakay]

It's as if it's not happy if I'm not running at 4,000 rpm or higher.

That's because it's not happy if you aren't running at 4k rpm or higher!  Rev the damn thing.  It's not a Harley. 

[Hedgehog]

Twins are known for being difficult at the lower RPMs; especially those with stock carburetion/fuel injection.  I believe it's because they have to run them too lean in those RPM ranges in order to pass emissions tests.

[Big Troubled Bear]

It`s normal 

[Wanwo]

I say put the 14t on and get back to us. It does have the effect of making the bike better behaved at lower speeds and so may solve your issue.

[DrNo08]

I say put the 14t on and get back to us. It does have the effect of making the bike better behaved at lower speeds and so may solve your issue.

- I'll do that one day this week and see what happens. 

[metallimonster]

That's because it's not happy if you aren't running at 4k rpm or higher!  Rev the damn thing.  It's not a Harley. 

I agree with mmakay, you need to keep it above 4k as much as possible.  When I first got mine it freaked me out too but once I started driving in the 5k-6k range the bike (and me) was much happier. 

[Slide Panda]

Wjat you described is perfectly normal for a 6xx displacement Duc at those RPMs  You're below the real power of the engine and at lower speeds, there isn't the level of inertia to help smooth things out combined with the gearing at high speeds to mitigate the feelign of any engine burbles.

Changing your gearing, aka the 14t will help this.  In the mean time, yeah, give it some gas. 

[Raux]

maybe it's me or the 696, but i'm not having any problems at low RPMs
I can cruise around at 2500-4000 and twist the throttle and have power when i need it, not neck snapping power, but usable. No issues.
I only have issues on 1st gear from stops. I'm trying to too?? gentle on the throttle and get hesitation.

[Wanwo]

Likewise. No trouble down low. Clutch/throttle control FTW. The engine is almost konking out and I can still pull away smoothly. [moto]

[dlearl476]

That's because it's not happy if you aren't running at 4k rpm or higher!  Rev the damn thing.  It's not a Harley. 

+1

What MY is it?  I ask because I recently bought a '99 with 3700 miles on it, so if it's been sitting a while it might need a good ole "Italian Tune-up."
http://headwindblows.wordpress.com/2007/01/21/italian-tune-ups/

Check your chain first and by check it I mean do the hard version:  Measure 10 links 3 or 4 places around the circumference as differences here will cause the surging, more so than simple out of adjustments.  Although I have to say I don't think the even I could bin a chain in 2400 miles.

Then gets youse a fresh tank of gas and put some FI cleaner in it.  Seafoam, Techron, BG 44K or something and take it for a nice ride.

One last thing.  IME, motors can be really tight until about 8-10K miles.  Having never broken in a Duc from new, I can't say.  But every other bike I've bought new loosened up dramatically about that time and was infinitely more docile at low revs.

[WestonWith2]

I have a 695 also and mine doesn't run that smooth below 4k either. I would describe mine as a sort of "crackle". Now it does still have plenty of power from that rev range when I give it gas, but as you say, cruising at that rpm does feel kind of weird. The little devil really does sing once it gets above 5k and when she gets past 7 its almost perfection.

[VeryMetal]

I was just thinking, not very hard but thinking none the less. I can see how it could be caused by a tight spot in the chain or even chain slippage (which would probably only occur if your chain was so loose it was practically dragging on the ground) but wouldn't it be consistent? It wouldn't go away, no matter the speed, maybe it would get so fast around 60 or 70 mph that you wouldn't notice it. I don't know, my logic is probably flawed, can someone clear that up for me?

Also, my bike does that same thing really just around 4k rpms, but when running it faster (I try to keep it at about 45k around town and it runs fine) I find that lower than about 4k feels like I'm dragging the engine down a cobbled street. It definitely doesn't feel happy under about 4. I was thinking that this might be an ecu problem?

Also, just out of interest - what rev range do you guys run your ducs within? Mines an 02 750 monster ie dark, I tend to keep it within 4000 to 5500. Am I going to torture the bike going any higher? I assume not but I just want to see what others think.