Hi all, I'm recommissioning my '95 M900 Monster (carb model) although I replaced the cam belts only 1000 miles ago, it's done 11,000 now so well within the cam service time. The '95 service interval is 18500 miles. It's been off the road for a number of years. And not started for about a year when I rebuilt the fuel pump and started it on a remote tank. The question is; do I replace the belts now? If I do, I'd like to replace the tensioner and idler bearings. Is there a 1995 parts book available? The only one I can find is for the 400. I have suppliers for top quality bearings, so if I can identify them I can probably source them. Thanks, sorry about the long post but more info is better. Lol.
The tensioner and idler bearings are different to each other; one of them uses 2 x 6201-2RS/C3 bearings side-by-side whilst the other is (I believe) a Ducati specific 'long' bearing. The long bearings last well and so are probably OK but you would likely need to get them from Ducati whilst the others are a standard bearing, available at any bearing supplier - I had a situation where one of these was a little 'wobbly' and it caused the belt to lightly rub, witnessed by a build-up of rubber dust inside the cover. I use exact-fit belts; https://www.ducati.tech/ and they can supply the bearings along with the belts if required (tip - sign up as a member/paid subscription on 'another' Ducati forum for a discount which will save you more than the subscription fee). Parts manual should be around somewhere online, I've got one from a 2001 M900 which, although fuel injected the belts etc. are the same. I'm also fairly certain that the smaller engined Monsters 400/600/750 use the same bearings although the belts are different.
The service interval for the belts on your bike is 12,000 miles or 2 years, whatever comes first. You don't say how long the since the belts were changed but if more than a couple of years ago I'd change the belts, if less than 2 years it should be OK for another year. I previously owned a 907ie, the handbook only specified 12,000 miles with no mention of time: I bought the bike at 20 years old with 27,000 miles on it, the previous owners had only had the belts changed twice! It had survived belt changes at 12,000 miles but about 8 or 9 years apart. The engine for your bike is the same as the 91-97 900SS, parts list for which are readily available online. If you can't find a copy message me and I'll send you one. at only 11,000 miles the cam belt tensioner rollers should still be good unless the bike has been stored in a damp environment. With the belts off check to see that the roll freely. If they do leave well alone. In theory the bearings on the movable tensioner can be replaced although I've never managed get them off the tensioner arm. Those on the fixed roller are integral with the roller assembly. So replacing the bearings gets quite expensive at £50 a pop for the fixed rollers. I've attached copy of the service schedule for your bike.
Get them off by force if required, a pulley extractor should do the job and it doesn't matter if you damage them as long as the arm/shaft is kept nice. As for fitting the new ones; freeze the shaft in your freezer and heat up the bearings and they'll drop on nicely without any force required.
Thanks, I've checked out Exact Fit and the kit comes with SKF bearings for about 1/2 the price I've seen elsewhere. So I'll go with those.
