Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 clutch problem

[m1keyp]

Hi and welcome Adnams please

If you have an original cover the clutch is as other have said dirty/full of grit.

Strip it clean it and fit an open cover.

Have you changed the invisible indicators yet?

[marcabbott]

Dusty clutch, cush drives... I never knew my Duke could go wrong in so many ways! I'll get both of the above looked at.
Talking of going to the bar – if any of you helpful guys are going to the MCN Butlins Skeggie event next month, I'll get the drinks in there!

m1keyp – the indicators are still on there. It's passed an MoT in the past two months, so I never got round to changing them. They're pretty poor, though, I'll grant you.

Oh, and 748s should only ever be yellow!

I'll make sure I get a plug for the website in the paper soon.

[misterpink]

Y'know marc ducati's don't go wrong - as my mate swisstony used to say......"Mmmm a ducati is like a woman.....she wants to keep you interested, wants you to play with her, take interest in her things - to be pampered then taken out and given a good......." oh well better stop now.

[GsxrAge]

Ducatis are reliable marc I had an 97 916 sold it with 20,000 on the clock never had a prob with it it was ridden rain or shine.

My current duke has all but got 10,000 miles on her and apart from a faulty jap chain that broke within 6 months and smashed a hole in the crank case, she has run so sweet. all they need is a bit of TLC and they treat you right.

Ps they are like women but with Ducati's you can ride them as hard as you like and they don't complain.

[m1keyp]

16,000 miles here, broke at 4,300 rebuilt engine (under warranty) perfect since

[Clippy]

For my money it'll be cush drives - the 'clonk' is the hub moving due to the circlip groove being worn and introducing some play into the set-up.

Check if this is the case by pushing the bike backwards when you get back from a ride - both times this has happened to me (748BP and 996SPS) you can feel the clunk more pushing it backwards - with the engine off you can eliminat ethe clutch.

The next phase of this little failure will be the cush drives backing out of the hub and chewing the hub adjuster, so best get it sorted. Best solution is a later (998S onwards I think) hub assembly that does away with the circlip altogether and puts a spacer in there instead to keep everything tight and functioning as it should.

On the whole Duc's aren't that unreliable, it's just that everyone's used to soft and soggy Jap bikes that are built to be maintenance free rather than to be providing top handling and feedback like Duc's - there's an extra degree of maintenance and wear to be accepted with the extra precision and feel you get on these bikes.
Cheers

Giles

PS. I'll have a Nastro if you're at the bar...

[t5mission]

Originally posted by AGE996
Ps they are like women but with Ducati's you can ride them as hard as you like and they don't complain.

Or if you ride another one.

A