Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Beauty and the Beast.... A seasonal rant on the cleaning of a 916...

[weeksy2]

Day 1:
Well had a check over of the bike last night and apart from being covered in shite, it's pretty decent.... Chain is looking fairly suspect and may need swapping, will know more after a good clean.

Bought a bolt kit, so everything that's holding something in will be getting swapped out for a nice new bolt.

Wheels and disks are coming off tonight and they are the first to be cleaned and prepped. Bodywork tomorrow for cleaning, and then most of the stickers removed and a good polish.

thurs will be draining the fuel system, removing the battery and changing the coolant....

Then back after Xmas to crack on with swingarm/exhaust/frame/engine cleaning and getting ready.

Given a couple of weeks the old thing should be transformed before going up to Cornerspeed to have the bling thrown on and will then be ready for play time

day 2:
i found nothing particularly bad when strippping it... Spindle was stuck on front a bit.... all the bolts in the calipers will need replacing along with the others i'm swapping. But all came apart pretty sweetly.

Not removed the battery yet due to not having read alarm booklet for the Spyball and left the fuel tank on because of lack of space in the car

day 2 pm:
Well we're getting there... bodywork was cleaned, stripped, then cleaned inside and out then polished.... looks 100% better already.... Discs came up lovely as did the wheels.... so they're all ready to go back on.

Task today is to give the swingarm, chain and sprockets a clean over lunchtime and then the front end of bike this evening. Re-fit all the bits.... and forget about it till after Xmas

day 3:
Well **** me that was a bad plan......

I can actually see the swingarm, the forks and the rear caliper now
Took off the front sprocket cover and it's just ridiculous in there... Sooooo much crap in the area you wouldn't believe it... i'm beginning towonder if Dave used a spade to put chain lube on. My bolt kit arrived but there's no chance of getting that done yet. Sidestand is off to get better access to the area around front sprocket.

Rear shock is a disgrace so that's getting whipped off, but i have a much nicer one already waiting to go on, thanks to the previous owner . I'm actually disgusted anyone could let a bike get this covered in dirt though.

I was believe it or not hoping to get the bodywork back on it tonight... but there's no chance of that... i've got to clean the radiator and oil cooler first, the front calipers and the clutch side of the engine...

Damn it's tough.

[Edited on 21-12-2005 by weeksy2]