Ducati 916 bp adjust the valve clearences (shims) part 2

Another video with Arcadio directing

Ducati 916 bp adjust the valve clearences (shims)

Three videos of me and Arcadio (directing as he is from Hollywood USA).
Hopefully to help you in seeing how to check the valve clearances. The rear top cylinder intake valves are checked. 

The tolerance on the 916 for the inlet is in the manual is  0.10 to 0.12 mm. For the exhaust it is 0.15 to 0.17mm. 

Vinnychoff

Back pain Are you sitting comftable or

Back and wrist pain have to be one of the most common discussions I hear about sports motorcycles or race type bikes (R1, CBR, GSXR, RSV and Ducati 1098, 1198 to name a few) using them regular.
I have been using my motorbike (916bp) to travel to work for the last  five years and there has never been any strain on the wrists or back ache. Apart from the early days but....
For me it has to be that all the time you sit on the bike you concentrate on the stance. If you look into the reason for any aches or pains then the weight of the body is in a uncomftable position with all the weight possibly on the handle bars and arched. Understanding the information that is out on the net is difficult with so much information out there. Talking to experienced riders you will hear the correct stance is to straighten your back so the top part of the torso is straight and the lower hip is in a s position with the lower spine less of a curve. Similar discussions are out there talking about chairs and the correct seating position.
There should be no weight on the handle bars as when I drive I can feel I have no pressure placed on the grips. I can feel the handlebars light and am able to move easier around corners using my body and pushing opposite on the handle bars. The other benefit I found recently when I had a session with a personal trainer on exercising. I had complained some of the exercises that i was working on seemed to cause pain in my lower back. It Did not make sense to exercise and have pain in the lower back. After being told how to hold my back and spine in the correct position. This helped me in my seating on the bike and comfort.
Also on my bike if i curve my lower spine too much i can feel myself moving further up the tank away from the end of the seat.
Even now after five years I have found another improvement in posture. After a session with a personal trainer to check my posture in excercises i found that i was arching my lower back too much. when sitting on the bike if found i was sitting very near the tank. When i corrected my posture i found my contact was further back on the seat which also made sense.
Vinny

Oil leak fixed I hope

Above you can see the donor engine with all the parts off. The leak was inside the basket area where the clutch plates are located. Behind this is the shaft that you can see above a large gear and then two seals. The leak from the oil seals. Both have been replaced and as my donor engine parts were from a lower mileage engine I used those parts also. The cover was removed and ring gear was changed. From putting all the parts back, the clutch plates was cleaned by Harry and reassmbled. New plugs fitted and gapped at .6mm. New oil and engine oil filter fitted as well. I am hoping I have a clean patio when i park now.
Vinny

Ducati 916 oil leak hard to find

With modern machines it is unusual to have a oil leak so when my Duke developed a leak I have been trying to find where it is coming from and took the bike apart. If you look at the pictures below, I have taken off the fairings which had oil inside the fairing, There is oil under the clutch slave cylinder and on the other side of the bike with the clutch cover off. There is oil contained and dripping from the bottom of this compartment that holds the clutch plates and clutch basket.

 The drops of oil are pointed out above

 Ready for service

The clutch slave side where there is a trail of oil from the lower of the three allen screws which hold the clutch slave cyclinder on. This tracks down under the side cover and ends up on the exhaust and fairing below.

Ducati 916 service time belts and oils

Once a year I service my Ducati 916bp. As last year I changed the belts, then this was a minor service. I checked all the cycle items steering, swinging arm for any play. And the amount of pad material on the pads front and back. Changed the brake fluid for the clutch and front brake as the fluid was dark. This also helped to increase the feel of the brake. Now it does not flex as much. I carried out a change of the engine oil and replaced the oil filter, draining the oil after the engine had reached operating temperature. Took out the gauze filter and cleaned the odd gasket glue off. Took out the air filters and cleaned the sponge in petrol then when they dried out, re soaked them in air filter oil. Now at 35000 miles the bike starts within a few turns of the starter motor and is returning around 45mpg. A good sign that the bike is working as it should.
Vinny

Ducati 916 bp would not start

It is not a nice situation but when you press the starter button and nothing happens. The first thought is that the electrics have failed but in this case it was the charger. I have a trickle charger connected all the time and the halfords charger gave up. It stopped charging and the battery was low as the alarm drains voltage from the bike. Changing the charger and connecting up the battery within a few hours a press of the starter and the bike fired up....
Vinny