So I was due to pick up the 900SL from protwins today but unknown to us all was the fact that the tank was full of, well, water and sludge. So much that Pete had never seen the likes of it before.
We feared the worse but fortunately, a tank drain and clean plus a carb dismantel and she was able to fire up. The tank was generally ok and I think we were expecting a replacement or repair at best, but all seems ok. Might need some more work after a test
The high was that, as I suspected when I looked at it and saw the blue trumpets from the carbs, that it does have the FCR41 Keihin flat-sides on it. Not that I'd notice the difference as I have not even riden it yet.
Anyone know how on earth it could have so much crap in the tank and how it got there? The fuel filter was black as your hat.
So that was 2 runs one with FCR41s and one with FCR41s with something else. What was the something else? Jetting and fettling? And what was the without FCR41s run like bhp wise? Could you feel the difference?
It was mentioned that the petrol cap was bolted on the wrong way round - could that have caused it. Ok maybe water but all this sludge? Where's it come from?
Both with FCRs (I put them on before giving them the bike), the first is when they got her, the second when they finished.
The throttle response if miles better than the original mikunis, mostly due to the the injector pumps. The idle on mine is still a bit ropey, but I'm assured they can be set up to be no worse than the CVs with a little fine tuning.
Not sure what she was making before, but I'd be reckoning about 73bhp. Yours may also have a lightened flywheel as it's easy was to get the engine spinning freely.
No idea where the tank sludge could've come from. Wash it out with petrol and change the fuel filter a few times this summer. FCRs are notoriously bad for running rough when they get crap in them, so if she'd feeling a bit lumpy drop the bottoms off the carbs and give em a good clean.
thanks frank. I did find that one earlier today. The bike had not been used for a very long time (maybe 3 years) and was just in a garage so condensation could have been the cause.
BTW - I sent my details to Ducati UK with frame/engine numbers to confirm the bike. They did indeed confirm the bike as a genuine superlight Mk V but the machine was never intended for UK - it was supposed to be in Japan. I don't know how it found it's way here but it was sold as a new bike from Aye Gee (Kent?). All these very interesting and Ducati-esq anomolies cetainly make life a bit more interesting.
As Ali says - a few filter changes and I imagine she'll be fine, speaking of which - I know the Mikuni's have extra filters on the inlets of the carb bodies, is there any thing similar on the FCR's to look out for I wonder???
One way the water gets in is due to a blcoked or crimped drain. There's a drain under the top tank surface of the cap but above the actual rubber seal. This drain runs down to towards the back of the engine to drain anywater that gets in there, ie when washing or parked in the rain. This can get crimped, hinging the tank up pulls the pipe up slightly but when it the tank goes back down it can crimp the drain. Water then sits under the cap (but above the rubber seal), until that is when you open the tank and then it goes into the tanks, water is heavier than fuel so sits at the bottom and rusts your tank! Easily cured by making sure the drain hose is pulled down once you put the tank down to it's running position
04-Feb-2006, 23:33 
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