still being a newbie to this ducati lark and having had a new clutch recently can anyone advise the best way to start these things and to pull away from a standstill first start of the day??? i got the friction plates and basket of the original clutch and i cannot believe that they are so shagged for a bike with less than 10k miles so i want to avoid the same fate as well as minimising the accelerated wear on the rockers on cold starts etc my first to second change is very notchy and starting the machine seems like an artform.... geoff baines tells me to flick the fast idle switch if needed, not to blip the throttle and then to make a move once its been idling for a while for all the reasons we already know about...he suggested to adjust the throttle cable if needed to avoid the engine hanging whilst it was idling and to take up any slack whilst the fast idle switch was deployed i know the slipper in the R is a bit agricultural and i want to treat the bike with as much mechanical sympathy as i can so keen to hear your thoughts esp those with dry slipper clutches and Rs it should be noted i am running standard HT leads and a single electrode plug not surface discharge and i have a yellow bike which necessarily means its that extra bit faster and special you know.. i am also now in manchester so if there are any mancunian types around the oxford st area before 4pm pls shout if you want to catch up over coffee and help bridge that north south divide!!
RC1, cold start for me has always been fast idle button in (whatever the weather), push start button - don't touch the throttle. It always fires immediately if the battery is in good nick then runs at fast idle around 1500 rpm, plugs are standard spec. If you think about it any engine with an accurately set up fuel air ratio when hot will need something to compensate for the cold start condition, my 748 has been remapped by CJS so it is much more accurately set up than Ducati (or than with an approx. chip for the pipe). I leave it ticking over for while whilst inserting ear plugs, putting helmet on and getting on and try to let it move the temp gauge up to 40 before driving it. I never give it any beans until it is properly warm (maybe three miles or so). I am still on a full set of original rockers at 38k with no wear concerns at its last inspection at 34k. For the clutch, I have the normal one, replaced the badly notched OEM steel basket with a Barnett alloy/stainless one at 14k miles, the bike now has 38k on the clock and the Barnett basket is not in any way notched. Always use alloy friction plates and have tried three types, Newfren are cheapest and last the shortest time due to the absence of tab thickening you get on OEM or top quality plates (they also have a habit of sticking if left for a while over winter or after a wash), Barnett are OK but none last as well as OEM, friction material wear has never been a reason for replacing them it has always been the tang/basket clearance and excessive clatter which has driven the plate replacement. Have to say the clutch noise is better on the 748 than it is on my much newer 999 which is as it left the factory and only 8k miles, but riding either without ear plugs is not to my taste. I would rather a quiet clutch rattle than the cacophony they tend to make after just a few k of miles.
