Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 851 / 888 > S*** Night - Advice please

[alan_db]

Decided to take the 888 out for a little jaunt tonight and after about 5 miles I pulled up at a set of lights and it just died.
Bike turns over and fires but cuts out immediately once it starts. Any ideas.........?
Have had to push bike to a mates and leave it there.

PS - its the first time bike has run in about a month but its been away in garage under covers hooked up to a optimate.

To make matters worse when I eventually got home and locked up garage I managed to break the bloody garage door!!!!

[phoenix n max]

Sounds like Fuel to me too - a mate had the same prob with his 900 monster last week. Would fire, then nowt. Fixed now, just refilled the carbs with fuel.

[alan_db]

Old fuel was one of my thoughts too although its not been in the bike for long.

Suppose the cold / colder / less cold weather up here could be fouling the fuel up quicker than norm.

Once i get bike back home tomorrow I'll have a go at carbs and hopefully that'll sort it

Thanks for replies

Alan...

[Jools]

You could have a go at the carbs...if you can find them, but you'll have more joy looking for the fuel injection.

It could be dodgy fuel, but if you did 5 miles before the thing died it's more likely to be something silly like a trapped breather pipe. If the breather pipe is blocked or trapped somewhere then the tank will gradually build up more vacuum until the fuel pump won't be able to suck any more fuel out. Try opening the filler cap, if there's a big "phhhhhhht" of air when you lift it, that might be your problem.

Shouldn't think it's electrics otherwise it wouldn't fire then die - but you never know, could be a sensor connector or relay that's only just making contact and breaks contact with the vibes from the engine.

Sounds more like fuel starvation to me though

[Edited on 16-3-2006 by Jools]

[KeefyB]

My old 851 had the same symptoms,cut out at a level crossing,...then would only run for a few seconds.
It was a blocked fuel filter.

[Jasper]

Definately fuel.As stated,check the breather on the tank and that both fuel lines are not trapped where they leave the tank.

[t5mission]

does the 888 have a fuel pump?

[851neil]

yup - the 851 and 888 have a fuel pump mounted in the fuel tank, along with filter and some with de-gasser.

[alan_db]

Thanks guys, course the 888 has fuel injection. Just went down school of thought like my old 750ss which had similar in winter, carb icing. It need drained and cleaned out occasionally.

Will check breather, hoses and filter later today.

Alan...

[t5mission]

It will do if its fuel injected.