Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Guess what, my 748 wont start (help please)

[madmav]

Keefer !! i'm not knocking you mate as i can see you were only trying to help.

and it's great to see the members helping !!

but in truth a little knowledge is dangerous , as you can see from his post he is not competant.

me , nelly Jhp and the rest of the traders on here all have public liabilty insurance wich covers our arse !!

but even we have to be carfull what we say and how we put things on here ! when it comes down to it (commercialy))

hope you havn't taken offence KEEFER!! regards mav

[andyb]

Could be a nice little warranty or insurance job though..if it frustrates you that much?

[gasmanrus]

chris

haynes manuals have given me the confidence to do loads on my bike
including replacing a mashed valve and busted valve closer

their worth their wieght in carbonfibre mate

[chris99]

Originally posted by madmav
Keefer !!
but in truth a little knowledge is dangerous , as you can see from his post he is not competant.

Ouch mate that hurts

I pride hyself on being the sort of person who picks things up and is willing to give it a go. I may not be as skilled as some of you but if i never try then i never will be will i? I understand some of you make a living out of people who cant / cant be bothered to do it for themselves but all i want to do is learn for myself.

Im 22 and already have more skills then most people i know. Before Xmas i fitted a kitchen for my girlfriend having never tried before. I also changed a shagged CV joint on her car without even having a manual or even knowing what a cv joint was.

I understand that a Ducati is a funny machine with lots of stupid things that can go wrong on it so if i can sort some of the minor stuff myself then it means i get to spend more time actually riding it (which is why i got the dam thing in the first place)

IMO its better for me to ask a stupid question on here then make a stupid mistake and wish i had asked.

[rockhopper]

I've welded a spanner to the car battery terminals a number of times!

[ducv2]

[[Ouch mate that hurts

I pride hyself on being the sort of person who picks things up and is willing to give it a go. I may not be as skilled as some of you but if i never try then i never will be will i? I understand some of you make a living out of people who cant / cant be bothered to do it for themselves but all i want to do is learn for myself.

Im 22 and already have more skills then most people i know. Before Xmas i fitted a kitchen for my girlfriend having never tried before. I also changed a shagged CV joint on her car without even having a manual or even knowing what a cv joint was.

I understand that a Ducati is a funny machine with lots of stupid things that can go wrong on it so if i can sort some of the minor stuff myself then it means i get to spend more time actually riding it (which is why i got the dam thing in the first place)

IMO its better for me to ask a stupid question on here then make a stupid mistake and wish i had asked.]]


If you never try, you never learn. But sometimes it is an expensive experience. Get a good set of manuals and tools and give it a go

[phil_h]

This is getting a fun thread !
Right - chris99 - my judgement as a qualified electronics engineer is that you are obviously interested enough in fixing something like this yourself to go and buy yourself a nice little multimeter.
What that will give you is hard information ... (note that lots of guys have been quoting voltages) and then you can judge whether what you are seeing makes sense from the NUMBERS.
Just remember what I said about poor connections - they can be anywhere a bolt is or a connector is or a crimp ... and they can all add up in a small way to stop something working how you expect.
Lotsa 'big' problems are caused by lotsa small problems added together, and you really really dont want to pay the guys in garages to find a dodgy crimped connection !
When you have a multimeter you can also compare voltages with something that IS working ok - like a mates bike or your car !
(If you were closer I'd come over and put you out of your misery !)
</rant>

[chris99]

Well i did the screw driver thing and it started to turn over a bit but the battery is definatley duff. I called Ducati in Leeds who quoted £90 for a ducati battery. £60 for a gel one (YT12B-4) or £50 for a liquid one (YB16AL-A2). I assume i can get these cheaper from other bike shops or even halfrauds?? Do i just look for the same numbers as above or are they different for different makes?

I think the gel option sounds the best so i dont have to check acid levels on that.

Thanks again for all help given! You are all being very patient with me

Cheers
Chris

[andyb]

Hi, Have you checked the battery with a multimeter?
This is the only way to truly know the state of the battery. Just because the engine turns over slowly or not at all, doesnt mean the battery is u/s.

Read Phil_h's and Nelly's responses again.

[TopiToo]

Hello

Chris99

maybe of some help

http://www.mandp.co.uk/list.aspx?sea...&t ier3=Yuasa

I am hoping to go to the Alley Pally I don't mind looking there for you, not sure how to get it to Hull though.

regards

TopiToo

[Edited on 15-07-1968 by TopiToo]