Front fork seals replace and how to fit back

The front fork seals have started to leak so I am in the process of taking the forks off so that my friend Pat can replace the seals and renew the fork oil. Before taking off I took two pictures of how they locate in the head stock so that I can put them back the same way or find out if they need to be adjusted.

Ducati starter problem nipon denso stator full of oil

Went to press the starter button and nothing happened. It wheezed and would not turn over fast. On further investigation found the starter insulation under the 10mm nut was worn and the starter full of oil. So have had to strip the casing down to take off the starter motor. As you can see the starter is not fitted for ease of replacement. The engine oil has to be drained and the side casing removed so that you can reach the three allen screws that hold the starter in place.

Ducati 916 bp starting problem caused by oil in brushes

Above is the issue why the bike would not start. Inside the oil leaked into the brush and stator area. This stopped the starter from spinning over. I had another starter and made one good one out of all the bits. Thanks to Harry for helping me and the ducatisti forum which helped me pinpoint the faults. Underneath the 10mm nut is a plastic washer that protects the voltage from shorting out. This had worn but as I had a spare one that was in good condition, replaced.

Now it spins over with ease.

Vinny

Ducati 916 charging problems regulator rectifiter

Below is the regulator rectifier that caused so many issues on my bike. It started off with the temperature guage not reading correctly and the front bulb blowing then battery levels dropping.
Now with a replacement Suzuki regulator rectifier and a new battery that has been charged up. The bike is running as it should.
I am not happy that the RR52 regulator rectifier that I bought from electrexworld did not last very long. There are so many bad reports about the electrical system on Italian bikes but when the components fail or are made elsewhere, the brand gets a bad reputation....
Vinny

Where should I put the ducati corse tank sticker

I have attached a couple of pictures of the tank sticker that I have bought for my bike. The first was a carbon sticker which was big enough to touch the lip of the fuel filler to the seat.
The new one is specific for the 916 but is clear and smaller.
Which place is right?
Vinny

This picture shows the sticker in a lower position

Temperture needle behaving erratic Ducati 916 bp

After a weekend away with the bike I noticed the front headlight bulb had blown. When I returned home and on the way to work I noticed the temp gauge behaving abnormal. The gauge would normally settle above 140 when warm and rise. On the way to work, I noticed the gauge drop below 140 after it was warm and stay down nearly returning to cold, yet the bike was at normal temperature as I had covered some 10 miles of motorway.
Later I took the panels off and cleaned the bike. I noticed the battery levels were low again, having been topped up only a couple of weeks previous. I then thought there might be a regulator rectifier issue. I Posted on the ducatisti forum and with some suggestions and thinking again. Decided to disconnect the connector to the rectifier. Below you can see that under the plastic connector there has been a build up, indicating a dirty connection. I cleaned the connector and recharged the battery. The battery was registering 12v1 and thought this was a bit low. I replaced the front headlight bulb and rear brake light switch that was faulty. The brake light switch could have been draining the battery. This did not cure the issue
so i took apart all the connectors in the headlamp and removed the clocks. I have now found out that the regulator rectifier was faulty as it was cooking the battery. I noticed readings of 17volts which was too much for the battery. I have fitted another one of another bike which has three wires on the connecter. Although still working as it should regulating the voltage.

Now the bike seems to be behaving correctly. The temp gauge moves in a normal fashion.

Le Touqet France for gbriders dday drive out 12 13 June 2010