Ducati Desmoquattro Superbike FAQ

I wrote the Ducati Desmoquattro Superbike FAQ a few years ago based on my own research when I was looking for my personal 916. I've since updated it with corrected info and personal experience with my intemperate Italian bitch. If you want to buy a 748-916-996, this is where you should start.

What’s good about them?

Well, many things. Most people tend to agree that the 916 series is a ground breaking model and will remain a classic motorbike for years to come. This ensures decent resale and means you’ll always know you bought a motorbike with genuine heritage and prestige. They are beautiful machines, inside and out, from the small details up to the bike au complet. The Italians are particularly good at making the machine as a whole seem like an intricate piece of art, with individual parts being beautiful on their own merit as well as bolted together. Beyond the good looks, these bikes are great to ride too. Handling is very manageable and confidence inspiring, not to mention very stable. These bikes are very responsive to suspension setup and mild performance tuning, turning a great bike into a fantastic one. And few will argue against the cachet and head turning potential of these machines.

What’s bad about them?

Many things. They cannot be neglected or abused – they require frequent maintenance and careful servicing, otherwise they will suffer serious mechanical failures. They need to be used regularly or they will suffer a whole other set of problems. The electrical system is inadequate on early models, without exception. They are dogs to ride at low speeds, they are uncomfortable, and they are utterly uncompromising machines. They were designed as race bikes first and street bikes second – remember that and it won’t seem so bad when you are stalling and cooking yourself in traffic.

As I will explain, there are many areas that need attention, and many things that can go wrong. But if you are a patient tinkerer with decent mechanical ability, or someone with a fat wallet and a helpful dealership, then you can keep them running well forever. And most of the faults are relatively straightforward and easy to rectify given adequate patience and a careful hand.

How to Adjust Ducati Desmo Valves

This was an introductory guide I wrote a few years ago about adjusting 4V (specifically, Desmoquattro) valves on a Ducati.

Often demonized and rarely understood, desmo valve adjustment is becoming a bit of a lost art as people are discouraged from touching their own machines because of the supposedly frightening complexity of desmodromic valves and the need for “special tools” to do the job. That and the fact that current generations of Ducatis have 15 000 mile plus valve adjustment intervals (which, by the way, was not dictated by any great leap forward in technology - they simply arbitrarily raised the intervals to alleviate the stigma of frequent servicing. The system remains more or less unchanged from before.) Be afraid, the ignorant man says - Desmo valves are witchcraft that are not to be understood by mortals.

But the truth is desmo valves are no harder to adjust than traditional valves, the only difference being that there is twice the number of… everything. Double the shims, double the measurements, double the rockers, etc. But with a little patience and the right techniques it’s all very straightforward and not as mind boggling as some people would want you to think.

Masochism and the Modern Mechanic

I am a mechanical masochist, a man who enjoys the otherwise unpleasant task of fixing things that are broken. I am an amateur of the arts of repair, maintenance, modification and tuning, those mystifying tasks that befuddle the average commuter. Some days, including today. I wonder what drives me to subject myself to such endless tinkering. It is avoidable. It can be excruciating and unfathomably frustrating. But I still crave it - and I tend to gravitate towards machines that require constant care to keep on the road, a peculiar trait that most people find hard to understand. So in the spirit of self-discovery and towards the wiling away of some hours while I battle this evening’s insomnia, here are my thoughts on this, my cult of vehicular masochism.