cold start issues m796

[EZrider]

Hi guys im very new to bikes, im finding during cold starts the bike wont hold the rpm and stalls , i have to keep revving until it warms up then it will start to hold.and during riding it idles just above 1k is this normal? The bike has5.5 k miles on it and just had belts change and new spark plug fitted.

[slob]

Idling just above 1K is normal.
It should start and idle easily, I'd wait a minute for it to warm up a bit before actually riding it.
Otherwise I'd take it to whoever did the last service and ask them to check the settings.

[SunEye]

When my valve clearances needed adjusting what you have described is what my bike would do. That's not to say it couldn't be something else causing the problem.

[EZrider]

Thanks for replying the bike has only done 5.5k miles would the valves already need to be adjusted?

[SunEye]

Mine starting having noticeable problems after about 5,000 miles. By about 7,000 miles it was really tricky to start. According to Pro Twins who service my bike it's not uncommon.

The valve clearances needed adjusting again this year at the 15,000 mile service. It wasn't so bad that I had problems starting the bike, but apparently the exhaust valves needed a fair bit of adjusting.

[utopia]

I've heard it said (and it sounds likely) that most of the bedding in of the valve train components occurs during the first few thousand miles.
Once that's happened, and they have been subsequently adjusted, the clearances remain more constant.
I don't have enough experience to confirm this myself, but so far my own bike (M750) has behaved that way.
Not that valve clearances are necessarily your issue, but yes, they could perhaps need adjustment after 5.5k miles.

[Dirty]

Strange that Riders, being a Ducati dealer, didn't suggest checking the valves whilst doing the belts!

[Flip]

The 'old' clearance check intervals went from every 1860 miles in 1991 to 3000 in 1997 (my bikes vintage) before being stretched further to 6000 and they almost always needed adjustment to keep them in spec- it was one of the reasons Ducati's were so expensive to own.

All they did to make them cheaper to service was to extend the intervals by widening the permissible tolerances hence so many two valvers running like poo at low revs.

Here's an eye opening read for those that care how their motors 'should' run...

http://www.sigmaperformance.com/service-interval.html

[EZrider]

I did ask them regarding the valve but they said do it at 7500 as unlikeky at 5500 it will be off. In regards of valve clearance and adjustments what kind of price would be i looking at ? As already spent a few quid in doing the belts at riders. Thanks

[jerry]

New ducatis all suffer from fast valve adjustment in first 6000 miles 4v or 2v consequent services at 12000 , 18000 miles will need some valve shimming , but by 24000 the valve adjustment will be minute if any needed at all ..

riders do not have a good reputation as a ducati service agent ,,,,also tickover is also very dependent on accurate setting of TPS after valves checked and finally a balance of the injectors ,, tick over should be 1100-1300rpm

[holty]

If I can add my thoughts; my 1100 has had the valves clearances checked twice in 17k miles and never needed any shims, and at the last inspection every clearance was well within tolerance. A contributory factor might be that I change the oil twice a year regardless of mileage.
I cannot offer any advice about the poor tick-over but it might not be the valve clearances based on my own experience.

I have always found Riders of Bridgwater ok, but prefer to use Louigi Moto near Bristol