Picking up my 748 this Friday, my 1st Duke, can anyone give me some pointers on any general things to check on her each week or whatever?? do they get thhrough oil, does the chain need adjusting much etc?? any pointers on this or any other little tweaks would be great, just to keep her running nicely!!!
Find a decent ducati mechanic and maintain the service schedule.
Travel the world if neccessary, but find a mechanic who'll love your bike as much as you. I'll be taking mine to cornerspeed in nottingham, and I live on the south coast... for example, but I'm sure someone'll be along soon with a recommendation a bit closer to you.
They don't generally use much oil or owt like that. Couple of things I'd say:
1.Remove the front sprocket cover from time to time, and try to keep that area fairly clean, Chain gunk collects there. Examine the sprocket retaining plate regularly for signs of wear.
2. Don't run the chain too tight. It shouldn't need frequent adjustment.
3. Check the tightness of the rear sub-frame bolts from time to time.
4. The shear bolts that hold on the mirrors are a good idea, but get a spare screw and carry it in your tool-kit. If the mirror gets caught by a car, it'll almost certainly break off, but usually they're undamaged (apart from a few scratches), and can be re-bolted on if you have the screw.
if it does not have a rear hugger (preferred) or shock protector, buy one. Will reduce your maintenrnace (cleaning crap off the rear shock and rear of the bike. Keeps it in much better shape.