This reminds me I have a bunch more pics to post.
BTW, the bike has been running like a champ.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Ducati swing set
Found this pic while digging through my photobucket account. This was taken around September 2008. Repainting swingarm flat black and installing Gilles chain adjusters. Note the virgin Michelin 2CT in the background.
This reminds me I have a bunch more pics to post.
BTW, the bike has been running like a champ.
This reminds me I have a bunch more pics to post.
BTW, the bike has been running like a champ.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
White flag
Haven't felt like posting much lately. I surrender. I admit defeat.
The last time I saw my bike, it had two problems. First is the starting problem. It would crank and not fire, blah blah, I detailed the problem on my web page. The second problem, which appears to have precipitated from the original starting problem, is that something shredded itself. There was a grinding sound and the starter would spin freely. I surmised it was either the starter motor spindle, starter motor gear, intermediate gear, timing gear, or (most likely) the starter clutch (aka sprag).
November 3 - I threw the bike in the back of my friend's truck and we tossed it out at the dealer.
Dealer called me a few days later. Diagnosis #1: He said TPS was way off. I had followed the correct procedure in resetting it, so I attribute the error in my laptop to ECU connection.
Pre-999 models had a movable TPS. You could loosen the screw and rotate it by hand, and get the voltage reading directly at the TPS. From the 999 on, the TPS is fixed, and can only be software reset. This necessitates the use of a laptop and VDST software (or a multi-trillion dollar DDS/Mathesis computer like the dealer has). That in itself isn't a problem, because I did buy the VDST software. But guess what. The bike's connector is serial. No modern laptop comes with a serial port. You must depend on a USB-serial adapter. So I bought the USB adapter specifically named by the VDST manufacturer (this is an absolute must because different brands have different degrees of compatibility; USB-serial adapters are very finicky). To make a long story short, connectivity still wasn't 100%, and even during the realtime diagnostics, connection was flaky. Although the baud & Hz can be software configured (yes, I did set it to the recommended values), the USB adapter still can't match the bizzare specs of a genuine serial port. I learned this the hard way. Fuck. Now if I ever want to use my VDST software, I basically have to lug my goddamn desktop PC (which does have a serial port) into the garage.
Anyway, about the dealer call. Diagnosis #2: The sprag was shredded, metal bits everywhere. He said they'd also remove the oil pan and flush the engine to get the shards out. All in all not too bad. Ultimately it's something a DIY brokanic like me could do, but you need a special tool to get the flywheel out. And I wasn't about to start improvising in my current state of mind.
But how could a "hard starting" problem lead to a sprag failure? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
No. Hard starting was ailment #1. Repeated failed start attempts resulted in the failed sprag, ailment #2.
But aren't starter clutches made to withstand many years of start cycles?
YES. But there's a catch. Straight from the factory manual, it says the starter clutch is lubricated with ENGINE OIL, not grease. What this means is that when everything is working fine, the bike should start on the first (or maybe second) attempt; the sprag then naturally gets lubed with the engine oil via mechanical action, no harm done. But with repeated failed attempts, the starter clutch is subjected to repeated start cycles WITH NO LUBRICATION. You know what happens next, and I learned this the hard way.
The last time I saw my bike, it had two problems. First is the starting problem. It would crank and not fire, blah blah, I detailed the problem on my web page. The second problem, which appears to have precipitated from the original starting problem, is that something shredded itself. There was a grinding sound and the starter would spin freely. I surmised it was either the starter motor spindle, starter motor gear, intermediate gear, timing gear, or (most likely) the starter clutch (aka sprag).
November 3 - I threw the bike in the back of my friend's truck and we tossed it out at the dealer.
Dealer called me a few days later. Diagnosis #1: He said TPS was way off. I had followed the correct procedure in resetting it, so I attribute the error in my laptop to ECU connection.
Pre-999 models had a movable TPS. You could loosen the screw and rotate it by hand, and get the voltage reading directly at the TPS. From the 999 on, the TPS is fixed, and can only be software reset. This necessitates the use of a laptop and VDST software (or a multi-trillion dollar DDS/Mathesis computer like the dealer has). That in itself isn't a problem, because I did buy the VDST software. But guess what. The bike's connector is serial. No modern laptop comes with a serial port. You must depend on a USB-serial adapter. So I bought the USB adapter specifically named by the VDST manufacturer (this is an absolute must because different brands have different degrees of compatibility; USB-serial adapters are very finicky). To make a long story short, connectivity still wasn't 100%, and even during the realtime diagnostics, connection was flaky. Although the baud & Hz can be software configured (yes, I did set it to the recommended values), the USB adapter still can't match the bizzare specs of a genuine serial port. I learned this the hard way. Fuck. Now if I ever want to use my VDST software, I basically have to lug my goddamn desktop PC (which does have a serial port) into the garage.
Anyway, about the dealer call. Diagnosis #2: The sprag was shredded, metal bits everywhere. He said they'd also remove the oil pan and flush the engine to get the shards out. All in all not too bad. Ultimately it's something a DIY brokanic like me could do, but you need a special tool to get the flywheel out. And I wasn't about to start improvising in my current state of mind.
But how could a "hard starting" problem lead to a sprag failure? Shouldn't it be the other way around?
No. Hard starting was ailment #1. Repeated failed start attempts resulted in the failed sprag, ailment #2.
But aren't starter clutches made to withstand many years of start cycles?
YES. But there's a catch. Straight from the factory manual, it says the starter clutch is lubricated with ENGINE OIL, not grease. What this means is that when everything is working fine, the bike should start on the first (or maybe second) attempt; the sprag then naturally gets lubed with the engine oil via mechanical action, no harm done. But with repeated failed attempts, the starter clutch is subjected to repeated start cycles WITH NO LUBRICATION. You know what happens next, and I learned this the hard way.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Not ignition gap
In order to get to the plug which allows you to check the ignition pickup/sensor gap, you have to remove the coolant manifold that connects to the horizontal head. Which basically means disassembly of the cooling system. Great. So that's what I spent the day doing.
And guess what. The fucking gap was fine.
I figured since I went through all that trouble, I'm going to narrow the gap to the lower limit anyway. That involved sanding the pickup sensor shim.
Put everything back together. No improvement. Wasted the whole day.
I hate this bike.
And guess what. The fucking gap was fine.
I figured since I went through all that trouble, I'm going to narrow the gap to the lower limit anyway. That involved sanding the pickup sensor shim.
Put everything back together. No improvement. Wasted the whole day.
I hate this bike.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Okay I've had several drinks and some time to coool off. it's a miracle i awas aable to login even.
a recap of what's been going on. still troubleshooting the hard starting problem. i ruled out most of the ususal suspects. on my webpage [see the sept 25 post] i had tentatively concluded it was a compression or ecu problemg.
my compression gauge finally came in, got 181 psi on the horizontal, 179 on vertical cylinder. this is about 20 psi above the max factory recommended pressure, but i've been told by many knowledgeable sourdces [including Doug Lofgren] that this should be okay. which brings me to the ecu.
i sought help for my starting problem on the ducati.ms forum and the ducati.net maling list. i alsos contacted BCM ducati, as well as noted Aussie tuner Brad Black.
i got several responses. i got a few differing opiinions on the ecu, fso for now i iwll hold off on pursuing that route.
but one common ppoint among manyh of the respnses was to check the ignition pickup gap. so this will ebe the next thing i'll do. but i'm not holding mybreath, the way things have been going.
i was 0planning on starting work on the ignitiong gap tonite, but becusae my gf insists on carpooling now i can't get to it [got home too fucking goddammm late] so i'm kninda irate, thus the many long island icedg teeas. shti i am running out of tequillat
PHILOSOPHICAL RANT...
one thing that gets me is when i go riding with fellow riders, they see mybike having a hard time starting/. they gather around, stare, then nod at each other and go "yup, ducati." wtf is up with that shit? i've owned kawaaskai , yamaha, suzuki, honda. and this is my 3rd ducati. thi is the first one that has really given me problems. i've had 3 kawasakis. TWO of them had problems, one kawi also had a chronic starting problem (which was never solved btw), BOTTOM LINE: PEOPLE JUST litke to pick on ducati. sthi iam so fucked up ritenow.i ope it dont erase thig sits is at h pe i keept a record of this chronicle this stupid startignproblem.
a recap of what's been going on. still troubleshooting the hard starting problem. i ruled out most of the ususal suspects. on my webpage [see the sept 25 post] i had tentatively concluded it was a compression or ecu problemg.
my compression gauge finally came in, got 181 psi on the horizontal, 179 on vertical cylinder. this is about 20 psi above the max factory recommended pressure, but i've been told by many knowledgeable sourdces [including Doug Lofgren] that this should be okay. which brings me to the ecu.
i sought help for my starting problem on the ducati.ms forum and the ducati.net maling list. i alsos contacted BCM ducati, as well as noted Aussie tuner Brad Black.
i got several responses. i got a few differing opiinions on the ecu, fso for now i iwll hold off on pursuing that route.
but one common ppoint among manyh of the respnses was to check the ignition pickup gap. so this will ebe the next thing i'll do. but i'm not holding mybreath, the way things have been going.
i was 0planning on starting work on the ignitiong gap tonite, but becusae my gf insists on carpooling now i can't get to it [got home too fucking goddammm late] so i'm kninda irate, thus the many long island icedg teeas. shti i am running out of tequillat
PHILOSOPHICAL RANT...
one thing that gets me is when i go riding with fellow riders, they see mybike having a hard time starting/. they gather around, stare, then nod at each other and go "yup, ducati." wtf is up with that shit? i've owned kawaaskai , yamaha, suzuki, honda. and this is my 3rd ducati. thi is the first one that has really given me problems. i've had 3 kawasakis. TWO of them had problems, one kawi also had a chronic starting problem (which was never solved btw), BOTTOM LINE: PEOPLE JUST litke to pick on ducati. sthi iam so fucked up ritenow.i ope it dont erase thig sits is at h pe i keept a record of this chronicle this stupid startignproblem.
asdfsd;flakdm#$)@*(#$)@^
A month since my last entry!
This stupid bike left me stranded. AGAIN. Two days ago. Because it refused to start once I got to my destination. I have since mothballed it. No more riding until I fix the problem, or the day comes when I take it to the dealer (on a truck) to trade it in. This thing is a waste of money. Why am I paying insurance & taxes on something I can't even use?
Fuck this bike.
I'll continue this later...
This stupid bike left me stranded. AGAIN. Two days ago. Because it refused to start once I got to my destination. I have since mothballed it. No more riding until I fix the problem, or the day comes when I take it to the dealer (on a truck) to trade it in. This thing is a waste of money. Why am I paying insurance & taxes on something I can't even use?
Fuck this bike.
I'll continue this later...
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
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