As a long-time owner/rider/racer of the Ducati 748/916/996 I'm often asked by new owners or those considering buying one what they should look out for. Here's my list of problem areas for these bikes. Keep in mind that these problems have been identified after riding over 50,000 miles on a number of different bikes and they should not be considered typical of every bike! Note that the newer bikes are very reliable and trouble free compared to the '96 and earlier ones when Ducati was having money problems. 1.Fuel tank mounting bolts: There are 2 bolts that hold the mounting pin on the bottom of the fuel tanks. I once destroyed half an engine when one of these fell into the front intake on a brand-new 748. I recommend that you remove & locktight these, or even better - safety wire them. 2.Fuel filters: These tend to get clogged - especially if you've had any water in your gas. When they get clogged, the fuel pump runs overtime which tends to cook the alternator wiring and the voltage regulator. Change these often. To save $, you can use a substitute replacements from any auto parts store instead of the expensive Ducati filter. I use a Deutsch FF424, which is available at AutoZone for <$3. 3.Fuel lines: The stock fuel lines in the fuel tank are crap, and will blow-up at the worst possible time. If you ever experience rough running or a sudden loss of power, you should suspect the fuel lines. At your first tune-up, change them with the best quality rubber you can find, or even better, get some stainless braided hose from your local Harley shop and use it instead. 4.Tank & fuel o-rings: Always carry a few spares - if you need to get in the tank or remove it, you'll probably need to replace at least one of these. Be especially careful replacing the QD fittings when replacing the tank as it's quite easy to nick the o- rings, and they'll leak fuel all over the top of the rear cylinder. A little grease on the o-rings helps reduce nicks 5.Clutch slave: Always carry a spare seal. You can always find replacement brake fluid on the road, but the seals can be a bit hard to come by. These can also go anytime, and it's a real pain to downshift without a clutch! Watch for fluid stains on the side stand - it's often the first sign of a leak, and monitor the reservoir level if you see any. Better yet, replace it with one of the after-market units from Yoyodyne, Nichols, of Evolucion 6.Cam belts: These are the weakest point on the engine and there's no such thing as a minor belt failure. Check the tension and condition of your belts often - especially on brand-new bikes as the factory has a tendency to set them too tight. Search this site for tips on how to adjust them and remember that a little too loose is a lot better than a little too tight. Replace them every 5-7,000 miles or at the first sign of wear. 7.Rocker Arms: I've been lucky not to have any problems with these, but if you read this site you'll know that there are a lot of problems with flaking chrome on these babies. Make sure they get inspected every time you have the valves set. If they show any signs of flaking, get your dealer to replace them under warrenty. 8.Cush drives: The rubber cush drives on the rear sprocket carrier have a tendency to back out and grind down the rear axle eccentric. Supposedly this was fixed in '99, but I had 2 go on my '99 748. The first sign of trouble will be aluminum shavings on the rear wheel. Check these often, and at the first sign of trouble, get your dealer to replace all 5 under warranty. Or, if you've got some extra $ to spend, get the cool titanium replacements from European Cycle Specialties. Some of the after-market quick-change sprocket carriers have a small lip on them that keeps them from backing out. 9.Coolant reservoir tank: This sits under the front of the fuel tank and has a tendency to crack. Watch for any signs of coolant spray around the headstock area and get it replaced right away if you detect any leakage. Be especially careful of any spray getting on the faces of the gauges, as it will ruin the plastic lenses (brake fluid kills them too!). BTW, if you want to be able to add coolant without removing the fuel tank, replace the street bike tank with the Corse tank. It mounts to the right of the steering head and the cap can be removed with the tank on. The only downside I know of is that it covers up the VIN # and doesn't provide any place to mount the air pressure sensor, but if you're creative, you'll find a way! It's part #585.1.011.1A. 10.Head gasket leaks: For some reason, I've seen several bikes with rear head gasket leaks. In fact one of my buddies has had his replaced 3 times. Watch for blue/green coolant stains on the rear of the engine. 11.Well nuts: Ducati, like Harley, uses well nuts in several places on the bike. These things suck and have a tendency to fail at the worst possible time when the threaded brass insert pulls free of the rubber body. I once had the license place holder fall off and get jammed in my rear wheel while at a track day when all three failed. Check these often and replace any that look suspect. If anyone finds a source of cheap metric Well nuts please let me know as I'm getting tired of paying Ducati dealer prices for these. 12.Loose screws: I've lost dozens of screws & bolts off my bikes. Whenever you get some spare time, grab a beer, a torque wrench and some locktight and got to town! Especially watch the clutch cover bolts as for some reason no matter how often I check them, I always find one loose. There was also a posting warning about the side stand bolts coming loose though I've never been able to get mine out without standing on the breaker bar! 13.Just a comment: Lots of guys replace the clutch cover with a CF or open cover. This is a bad idea! Even though we all like to show off the unique look and sound of Ducat's dry clutch, if you ever lay the bike down on it's right side without a good clutch cover, you'll trash the clutch which costs many $'s to replace. If you want to increase cooling and love the sound of the clutch, consider removing the gasket under the cover, but leave the brass spacers in place. This will enhance the Ducati clutch experience while keeping it protected. Also, despite all the bad press these clutches receive, they're not anywhere as delicate as people claim. I've gotten as many as 10,000 miles on a stock clutch pack without any problems, and I'll do as many as 40-50 races each season before I replace the clutch on my race bike - and that's with a slipper clutch which slips the clutch every time I downshift. I've noticed that the guys who have the most trouble are those who slip the clutch a lot when taking off. If you drop the gearing on a 916/996 to 15/38, you'll never need to slip the clutch again, and you'll still have plenty of top-end left. 14.Oil cooler & lines: The stock oil cooler lines are extremely sensitive to overtightening. In fact, they'll crack for no reason when you're at the furthest possible point from a Ducati dealer. Tighten these just enough to keep them from leaking or loosening. Any tighter & they're likely to crack. Also, watch your oil cooler for signs of leackage. I've had 2 of these high quality Japanese (note the sarcasm...) units fail. If you do have any oil cooler or radiator problems, send them to Mylers in Utah - the guy in incredible, fast, & cheap! 15.Oxygen sensor plugs in exhaust pipes: These $14 brass plugs love to fall out. I cut a small groove in them with a hacksaw and wrap a twist of safety wire around the pipe to keep them in place 16.Crank galley plugs: Ducs have along history of the crank journal plugs backing out and doing serious damage to the insides of the engine cases. Watch for aluminum swarf in your oil screen and have them checked anytime you have the cylinders off the engine 17.Alternator nut: These have a habit of coming loose. Liston for funny noises from the left side of the engine. It's a good idea to have it re-torqued & locktighted at your major services. This also gives you an excuse to have that lightweight flywheel installed while the engine cover is off....... Wheels The front wheels from these models are (should be?) interchangeable: `94 to `98 900SS, all pre `99 750SS, all M750, all 851 & 888 These rear wheels are interchangeable with details noted below: All `91 and up 900SS, all 750SS, all Monsters (and presumably all ST, too) 5.5" rear: `94 to `98 900SS, all 851 & 888 5.5" rear with 916 styled outer hoop (still fits): M900is, all SSie, ST 4.5" rears: 900CR, all 750s (though not sure about 750SSie) These fronts are all "916 style" with the huge axle: `94 and up Ducati superbikes (748/9x6), M900ie, SSie, ST A footnote to your documentation. Your right in that the wheels are interchangeable, but the axles are not. 1988-1993 851/888 have 17mm front axles. 19??-1993 900SS have 17mm front axles. 1994 888 have 19mm axles. 1994-199? 900SS have 19mm axles. 888/996 Info The "factory"........and even the Ducati Service Manuals have never been notorious for accuracy or consistency. I can show you 3 different hp figures for the 93 and 94 888's................all "official" Ducati statements. Both of the SPO's (93 and 94) engines are identical in every respect........including hp. The real difference is in production numbers (both incredibly small). First you have to remember that only the USA got the SPO or SPO LTD. They were the homologation examples used by Ferracci for AMA racing and I suspect that he is the reason we got this special machine and the rest of the world got the 888S (Strada). 200 of the 1993 SPO's were produced, imported and sold in the USA 100 of the 1994 SPO LTD's were produced and imported into the USA....but 25 were pulled back by Ducati N.A. were shipped back to Italy, when the 916 hit the U.S. market in 1994. 888 Production 200 1993 SPO's (USA only) 190 1994 SPO/LTD (USA only) (115 94's sent back due to 916 introduction in 1994) SPO refers to Sport Production Omlogato (Homaligation) done for the USA market only. SP2 thru SP5 refers to Sport Production. 1989 #1, 1990 #2, 1991 #3, 1992 #4 (and SP4S), 1993 SP5. These SP's (Sport Production) are what the SS's were in the Bevel drive era. Back then they had 3 levels of bikes. GT, Sport and Super Sport (SS). Mild tune, medium tune and hot tuned bikes. In the "rubber band" (belt drive) era, Ducati went to Super Sport (2 valves), Strada (4 valves street) and Sport Producation...........in that order of performance. The SP's were the healthiest, highest performance bikes of the 851/88 generation. The SP4S (aka SPS) was the absolute top of the 888 heap with 122 rwhp from 888cc's and was the hottest tuned Ducati ever put on the road until the present SPS. The SP4S was also the lightest SP with CF gas tank and other CF pieces. The SP5, while heavier due to the steel gas tank, shared the SP4S engine and only a few mph slower. SPO's and SP5 are identical except: 1. Engine. The SPO has the Euro Strada engine (100rwhp) with 2 injectors and strada cams, 45mm tube Farne exhaust. The SP5 has the SP4S (aka SPS) engine has 4 injectors, "G" cams, 1mm larger valves, 50mm exhaust, 122 rwhp. 2. Suspension: SPO has Typical strada Showa forks. SP5 has top of the line Showa'a (not Ohlins like SP1-4 series). Pretty much everything else the SPO and the SP5 share. The frames are identical and only difference is that the SP5 has a riveted plate on the left front with "DZM888S" on it. This plate is omitted on the USA-only version........ the SPO. most of the SPx differences are under the skin, but some obvious visual ones include ... Ohlins forks on the 2, 3 & 4 and full Farne-style Termignoni exhaust systems using aluminum mufflers, till the 5, which had cf muffs. A '91 SP3 will look like an 851, but with a white number plate on a solo tail piece with 851 in it, despite the 888cc engine. The '92 SP4 had the white plate on its fairing sides with #1 in it and was the also first to be outwardly labeled as an 888. SP2s, 3s & 4s came with Agip decals on their fairings and as far as I know, they all came with Michelin decals on their swingarms. The SP5 had its number plate back up on the tail with a #1, came with a Showa fork and the motor from the '92 888 SP4S, or SPS. Basically we're talking about the slightly more powerful '91 spec Corsa motor. A bit of a pain in the arse on the street with it's fat cams and on the SPS at least, non-fan cooled radiator. Not sure if the 5 had a fan or not. None of the numbered (2, 3, 4, 5) Sport Production bikes were ever legal here in the States (or in many other countries for that matter). Kinda like the 916/996SPS series (and I love 'em) except far less common since the bikes weren't trendy-trinkets back then and very few jumped through the hoops of bringing 'em in. Having looked extensively, I'd be willing to bet that you could count the 4s & 5s over here on one hand. For some reason, I've heard about various 3s coming available over the years though. Not sure why more of those sneaked in or at least seem to change hands more often. I'd love to have one of each, and an LTD. The differences and various models are well covered in various books, two of which are ... Mick Walker's "Ducati 4-Valve Twins, The Complete Story" and Paulo Conti's "Ducati Superbikes: 851, 888, 916". They're available wherever great gearhead books are sold. Production figures for 916 SPS 1997 - 50 1998 - 50 996 SPS 1999 - 56 2000 - 80 That's it! I can comment from personal experience on these hp numbers & USA Ducati models type: rearwheelpower: weight: 851strada(87-91)91bhp 197kg 851 Strada (90) --- 78 rwhp 851 Strada (90) /w open airbox, chip & Conti reverse cone mufflers-----92rwhp 888strada 100bhp 202kg 888 SPO ----------93rwhp 888 SPO w/chip, open airbox & Conti reverse cone mufflers----103rwhp 888SP4 116bhp 188kg Everything I've read on the SP4 gives 106rwhp 888SP4s 134bhp 183kg 888SPS ('92) 120bhp 185kg Again, everything I've read and have on file (13 books and 6 motorcycle mag articles) The SP4S and the SPS are the same motorcycle. 888 SPS (92) w/1991 Corsa specification engine------116 rwhp 888SPS 126bhp 185kg This rwhp number has to be crank hp. 888SP5 118bhp 188kg SP5 had the identicle motor from the SP4S (SPS) 116rwhp Some have an aluminium gastanks, other have carbon fibre tanks. 851 90 had aluminum (USA) 851 91 had aluminum (USA) 851 92 had steel (USA) 888 SPO 93-94 had steel (USA only model) 888 SP4S (SPS) had CF tank 888 SP5 had steel tank All the SP(s) have Ohlins suspension, only the SP5 is fitted with a special Showa front-suspension. SP5 had the top of the line Showa and can be distinuished by it's bronze colored end caps on the lower legs. I have a set. Better than normal Showa's but not as supple/controlled as Ohlins. Since the Ohlins cost another $2000, they should be better. Most of them have a normal fairing, others have a carbon fibre fairing. Only the SP4S (SPS) has CF fairing, fenders, gastank as original. The SP 1,2,3 have the P5 computer and the rest have the P7 computer or a special one (with special mapping) SPO 93-94 have the P8 computer. There are different intakediameters but one of the largest is the SPS that had a 50mm bore and that had larger valves. I assume you mean the Fuel Injection throttle body bores. 851 1990 has 50mm bore 888 1993-94 has 50mm bore 926 1993 Corsa has 50mm bore Almost all the engines have a 1:11 compression; only the SP4s,SPS and 'racing' have a 1:12 compression. (putting massive pressure on the crankcases) My SP4S and SP5 factory service manuals show 11:5 compression. The values are factory measurements so dynoyet will probebly measure a few bhp below this........ Perhaps you can fill me in on the types that i don't know about. thanks!! Peter That's what the past 11 years of study has shown me. I do know that there is a alot of inconsitancies within the many articles, service manuals and spec sheets. But I have gone over and over and over many of them over the years and have begun to see realistic patterns in many of them. As always, Italian translations into English leaves much to be desired, but I have learned to almost read between the lines of information to put this incredible puzzle together. Thank you for acknowledging the facts above. Yes........all the SP versions are 30lbs lighter than the Strada versions. And...........the 1993/1994 888 SPO's are the same as SP1-SP5 because the SPO & SP5 is the very same motorcycle. Weights- 851: 90: 424lbs 91: 440 92: 446 All of the above weights are "dry". Not "curb". The 1990 is the same weight as the 91/92. MC 888: 93-94: 446 This is a "wet" weight. MC Motorcyclist magazine, with full tank of gas: 851: 90: 482 91: 484 92: 491 All of these weights are "wet" weights. MC 888SPO: 482 This is 20lbs more than actual "wet" weight. According to "The Ducati Story" by Ian Falloon, the 9/89 issue of Cycle declared the 851 to be the fastest two-cylinder bike they had ever tested, covering the quarter mile in 11.61 seconds at 116.28 mph. That is indeed a pretty strong twin for 1989. The book goes on to mention that the '90 851 as tested by Cycle World weighed in at 506 lbs (heavier subframe), covered the quarter in 11.26 seconds at 121.29 mph and touched 150 on top. The numbers for the '91 851 were almost identical, so not worth mentioning. Ditto for the '92's times (which were actually a tad slower) and amazingly, Cycle World's test of the '93 888 saw that bike churn out similar performance numbers as well. Excepting the various SP variants of course (see above), it wasn't until it's last year that the bike made a significant leap ... Cycle World's test of the '94 888 LTD saw that bike cover the quarter in 10.81 seconds at 128.02 mph while on its way to a 157 mph big end. Exhaust- I would suggest the following are the maximum sizes for any road use that includes the need for the ability to carburet cleanly below 5000 rpm 748Bip 45mm full system 748SP/SPS/R/853bip 45mm front (ie std) 50mm rear section 916Bip/853sps/853R 50mm full length 916SP 50 mm full length 996 Bip 50mm full length 996SPS 54mm full length.... Sigma Performance Limited Tune up- Hey all, and thanks once again for all the help with my valve adjust questions. I learned a LOT of stuff doing this job, and here I am going to mention a couple. I did not have a digital camera (left with the woman) so I am not putting up a web site until the next time I do this. 1. Check the rockers, check the rockers, check the rockers. I had two bad ones. They were fine on the surface where the cam lobe rode, but off to the side they both had a small chip out of the chrome that is indicative of the failing rocker problem. The guys at Monroe Motors were nice in getting them covered under good will warranty (YMMV). 2. Changing the belts is easy. Following the directions on Chris Kelly's site made the job a snap. In truth ALL THE MARKINGS ARE ALREADY THERE (at least on my '95). Just look closely and you will find them. Marking the new belts makes it even easier (but you don't even HAVE to do that). I had the luck of changing my belts before something bad happened, but these were the ORIGINAL BELTS! Yikes! I set both belts to a 5mm deflection with moderate thumb pressure. This may seem loose to some who recommended 3mm, but it is close to what the old belts were, and was close to the adjustment rec'd. by others. 3. The easiest puller to use to get those little rocker shafts out of the engine has got to be the $9. bondo dent puller with appropriate size screw in the tip. Easy and fast. I appreciate the design using the deep socket and bolt, but as far as I can tell the puller is the way to go. 4. If the valve is out of adjustment, change the half-rings first, then re-measure. I was amazed at how one of the two valves that was out came right into spec. with just a little ring change. This is standard fare for Ducati mechanics. Also filing off any of the little burrs on those cheap little half rings helps get an accurate measure (the quality control on those little pieces of crap is really bad). Truth is after seeing how those little half rings affect the valve clearance I am sold on replacing them with those special half ring replacements by MPB (?). Also if you didn't know, each single half ring cost $4. (ie. $8 per valve) at the dealer. I still have to synch the throttle bodies, and replace the fuel filter, but the bike is together finally and I am happily revving it around SF. I forgot how many looks I get riding this beauty instead of my ST1100!