[Shazaam!]

If you don’t follow the proper installation sequence, you can incorrectly align the front axle in the forks. Also, be particularly careful when you tighten the pinch bolts - the Ducati axle is thin-walled and will ovalize if these bolts are over-torqued.

You can use a dowel inserted from the left side to hold the wheel in position. Put anti-seize or grease on the axle and then insert it from the right side (of the bike). To avoid damaging the thin-walled axle, tap it in gently and rotate it using the special tool from your Ducati tool kit. Once it is in, line up the holes in the axle with the holes in the axle clamps so that the through-holes allow screwdriver access to the compression valve adjusters. The common mistake made here is to just tighten everything up at this point. Instead, here’s the proper sequence to assure that the forks are aligned.

Temporally tighten-up the two RIGHT side axle clamp bolts so you can torque the axle nut.

Put on the (left side) 28mm axle nut and torque it (63Nm.)

Then torque the two LEFT side clamp bolts (19Nm.)

Now, put the brake calipers back on using the proper torque setting (43 Nm.)

Then, loosen the two RIGHT side clamp bolts.

Take the bike off the paddock stand, and bounce the suspension up and down till you are sure that the right side fork has moved to the proper (neutral) position along the axle. (It makes it easier to compress the suspension if you hold the front brake on when rocking the bike forward.)

Once this is done, torque the two RIGHT side clamp bolts to 19Nm, reconnect the speedometer cable, and you’re done.