Droping forks
 

I asked a simler question on the old board and some one replyed the best setting is 268mm from the bottom edge of the bottom yoke to the top of the fork tube. (not up to the ajusting nuts)
Not tride it yet but if you drop them to much I think the bike will become twitchy and unstable.

268mm is actually the factory recommended setting for the older 'ss' series.

'Popular' consensus seem to run along dropping the forks 2mm to 5mm is most you would want to do.

Frank

Its preety hard to get a duke to beocme twitchy and horrible. To tel lyou the truth i cant see 2mm making a whole load of difference really.

If your finding the bike a slow turning then welcome to ducati ownership. ;)

dropping/raising forks
 

Do all 900ss only have a sidestand? If so how do you lift front end to be able to adjust forks height in clamps? Only safe way I can see is put rear on paddock stand and then lift and suspend front end on a strap round the frame tubes behind headstock from a strong beam or something in garage... but mine does'nt have strong beams just spindly rusty iron ones. Any ideas gratefully received :(

Hee Hee, welcome on-board - yep using the strap method id exactly the one I preferred to employ for changing my steering head bearings. Using the type with rachets built-in makes the job much easier.

Failing that - the front end can be lifted by VERY CAREFULLY putting a bottle or trolley jack under the front exhaust but I would only recommend this for emergency checking of head bearings.

I guess ultimately to do the job safely there are the quite expensive heavy duty stands that mount to the side of the bike and lift BOTH wheel off at once but the cheapest I've seen are around the £120 mark for a universal one.

Good Luck - Frank

Ta for confirming that Frank. I did toy with the idea of trolley jacking under the sloping edge of sump with a wedge to level it up and the missus taking the weight if it slipped off :o but then no. I spose an engine hoist might work and at least you can hire one .
Paul

..if you read the right mags you can hire a missus too......

Hiring a missus
 

Surely ones enoegh for anyone. But bikes, thats different. How can you have too many ?
You need an old one a new one a fast one an old plonker and then theres the bikes.
P.