Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 suspension settings/alarm. setup help please

[zhed44]

hi all.

wahay!!!! i've just returned to ducati ownership after my last one got pinched as yesterday i took possession of a black 748 BP. i would be very, very grateful for a bit of advice on 2 issues:

1) i'd like to change the suspension settings in order to make the steering a bit quicker and to generally make the suspension a bit softer. i know where all the relevant adjusters are located, but want to pick your brains to see if anyone can recommend a starting point for such a setup. it's a 1998 bike and i'm about 11 stone btw. also, i don't want to jack up the rear ride height as i feel this would place too much weight over the front, and i don't want to buy any extra parts, so if possible i'd like to achieve the results through altering the steering head angle and making changes to damping rates etc.

2) the bike is fitted with a ducati security system (spyball). after arming the alarm, it goes off by itself. the dealer declared this fault before i bought the bike, so it's not a big issue, but before i shell out for a new alarm i just want to know if there is any way of repairing or at least working around this fault.

any advice gratefully received.

cheers and "hi" to anyone who knows me from visordown!

[Mr_S]

Sounds like you're similar weight to me, and on a similar bike ,what I found made the bike on standard suspension a little more comfortable for the road was to set everything to standard settings, then wind back front and rear compression 3-4 clicks and the rebound 1-2.

Preload / Sag set to give 30mm loaded sag (10 mm unloaded all round)
Ride Height - Factory setting (rod length 265mm IIRC)

Sag & Ride height set your geometry, so it's important that these are correct, otherwise it'll turn like a barge. A ride height tools useful here, and not to expensive if you talk to Harv748.

Damping's a personal preference and would depend on what makes you feel comfortable. What suits me on the road is different to what suits me on the track, and probably different to another rider. But it may help as a start point.

I should also point out that I'm not exactly fast, but I am comfortable

[Harv748]

Hi Zhed

I guess if ts the turn in that you want, then its really down to either the head angle or the rear ride height.

I played with both on my old 748...and my recommendation would be that you just try them yourself and see what you prefer.

The head angle adjustment was something I did as an experiment one Sunny Sunday, just to see what effect it had...and it was such a difference I never put it back! I rode with it like this for about 18 months both on track and road before I played with the rear ride height also.

After setting up the rear of the bike as it should be (eccentric hub in the correct position, correct chain length/tension, correct ride height) and putting the steering head back to standard I would say the transformation was about the same...the difference being that the bike was dramatically more stable both in a straight line and during corners.

Some people will say that you should never adjust the head angle, as you never see any race teams taking this approach etc...and this is true...but then they get around the problem by having all kinds of other trick parts (mag swing arms, v.high ride height etc).

I would say try the head angle at the steeper position, if you don't like it, you can always change it back. Once you get your head around what you are doing, it takes about 30 mins.

However...my reccomendation would be to leave it at the road position and set up the rest of the bike correctly first (front sag, rear sag, ride height etc). If you don't like it after these changes then go for the front change after.

If you need any advice about changing the steering head angle...let me know...it can be a bit of a bugger!

[zhed44]

thanks for the info - v useful. after my my exams finish the week after next, i'll have a bit of a play around.

btw: i know i read a magazine article on the subject, and so probably still have the magazine buried in the pile of bike mags i fall over every morning, but i'd like to know how to measure the ride height precisely. is it just a case of finding some level ground, picking a spot at each end of the bike and measuring the distance from the mark to the ground? or is it more complex than that?

thanks again

[Totto]

Ride height is best done with a guage ,lots of members have em ,including me but unless youre in N ireland i cant loan you mine

Best do a search on ride height its been well covered ,then any Q after that just ask away

[Harv748]

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/xm...0201#pid188355

£35 +£5 pap for DSC members.