Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 1198 / 1098 / 848 > Low speed control (plus MPG)

[antonye]

The clutch and low speed control are two of the most often talked about things with Ducatis!

Yes the clutch is heavy, and if poorly adjusted (or excessively worn) then it will give you problems selecting gears. I've even found that a badly adjusted chain can make things worse. You will also learn to get used to the clutch. If you've come from pansy-ass cable clutches then you're just missing the necessary muscles, so a few hundred miles in the saddle will see you right.

If you're find it is not running perfectly, ie prone to stalling, then taking it to a knowledgeable specialist and getting it checked over and setup correctly can make the world of difference. It's usually down to the TPS/idle/balance setup that needs to be done *properly* and sometimes isn't even done right when they leave the factory! It may also explain the poor fuel economy if the fuelling trim is not setup right.

As for the low speed control - it's not meant to go slow
But yes, that does happen so a common change is to drop the front sprocket by one tooth (15t > 14t) which moves the speed/rev range to make it far more easier to ride around at low speed, at the expense of top speed.
It's a very cheap (and easy) mode to do, around £20 for the sprocket.