Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > Classic > Darmah 900

[didge]

My mate has just bought a 20 year old Darmah (that looks like it's just left the factory), and needs to know about the oil.
He runs a monograde in it, but wants to know if it should be a detergent oil or non-detergent.
I personnaly think it should be a detergent oil, but I could be wrong.
Ta!

[ducv2]

I used detergent in my SS but watch out for friction reducing additives as clutches are poor and need all the help they can get

[kfz2]

woah, you need tobe real carefull here.

How many mileso n the bike, anyway it s 20 tyears old so you need to be very carefull. If its been run on low detergent oil and then you go and fill it with modern high detergent oil you will wash all the shite thru the mains. Ok Dukes are more resiliant to this than ost bikes with their roller mains and big ends but its still not a good idea. You need to find out the history of what its been run on before.

Secondly. The beval have very fragile crankshafts, if i remeber right the Diremah had a sronger version than the old SS's but modern multigrades are apprently not that good. I recomend you seak professional advice here from someone how knows what their doing like Mick Wlaker or Italsport in Bury. Yagain you need ot bare in mind the bikes prior history.

Good luck.

Kev@eddnet.com

[rcgbob44]

Didge

be careful with the bevel drive dukes! I used to run a 75 750Sport and found that in winter a straight 40 grade oil to be the best and in summer I used Castrol GP50.

The old dukes were better being run on a monograde oil, do not use a multigrade. GP50 is still redilly available and i would strongly recommend to tell you friend to use it.

[Ron66]

Valvoline Racing 20W40 is recomended by our local specialist who worked with beveldrive Dukes since beginning of the 70-s