Well it's been a while so I thought I'd better let ya all know that I
haven't sold it yet. <g> Grab yourselves a drink while I update you on the
latest.
I dropped the bike off at the dealer for the first time since getting it,
not because of any particular problem but because it needed new rubber up
from and a safety inspection, and because I fiddled with the carbs and ended
up throwing them off a bit. Since I was headed out of town for a week I
thought it would be a good chance to get all that straightened away.
I got the bike back last Tuesday and noticed right away that it sounded like
it was running a bit rich compared to how it was when I dropped it off. On
lower RPMs it seemed to bog down ever so slightly when I came onto the
throttle, but once I got the RPMs up it ran great. I had put new jets in
previously, but ran it for at least a week with the new jets and didn't
notice anything, so I didn't suspect that those were the problem. About an
hour after picking up the bike I got an e-mail from the dealer saying that
he forgot to mention that he raised the needles a couple millimeters and he
was wondering how the bike was running. I told him that I thought it was
bogging slightly at the lower RPMs. He got back to me and indicated that
the raised needles should make the bike run better at higher RPMs, and since
he knows that I mostly use this for commuting to and from work on the
highway, he thought that this should keep the bike from running too lean at
the higher RPMs. The bogging down feeling isn't significant and as long as
the bike is running strong on the highway, which it is, I think I'll leave
the needles where they are. I can get used to the bike's new sound at the
lower RPMs and it's not "lugging" the engine. If I do any amount of city
driving I'll check the plugs to make sure I'm not going to foul them.
Anyway, that was last week.
Yesterday we got hit with some rain and the moisture brought back the
problem with the bike running rough. I got the RPMs up alright and got on
the highway for my short commute home when I hit a construction site right
before a big uphill run. I had to slow down and the bike didn't like it.
One of the cylinders stopped firing and I hobbled down the highway on one
jug. I got it home safely and parked it for the night. This morning it
seemed to run OK but only for about a block, then the right cylinder quit
firing again. I pulled out the tools and pulled the timing cover off. Sure
enough, the right side of the coil was shorting out, preventing the plug
from sparking. I grabbed a rag and wiped down the inside, including the
post that the coil was shorting to, and then fired the bike up. Problem
solved, until the next time.
The '07's come with a new Ducati ignition system, I may have to look into
the cost of switching over one of these days, provided I hear back from some
people that run in the heavy rain to see if things work any better for them.
--
Tud
SENS BS#111 LFS#32 FLF MISFIT Vermort AH#115
http://ah115.com
Sisyphus rides a Triumph
>Doug wrote:
>> Tud sezz:
>> <SNIP>Sure enough,
>>> the right side of the coil was shorting out, preventing the plug from
>>> sparking. I grabbed a rag and wiped down the inside, including the
>>> post that the coil was shorting to, and then fired the bike up.
>>> Problem solved, until the next time.
>>
>> I know it would be a bit of a mess if you had to get back in there
>> frequently - butt, have you thought about filling the area that
>> collects moisture with dielectric grease? For insulating HV
>> connections we use anderol 757.
>I've thought of it, but I'm hesitant to do it. It's a pretty big cavity to
>fill, but more of a concern is that it will prevent the coils from shorting
>out to the grounding post. I know I know, that's what I want to prevent,
>but the arching to the grounding post seems to be more of a symptom than the
>problem. They must be arching for a reason, rather than the electricity
>running down to the plugs. Also, if there is a problem that's causing them
>to arch when a little moisture gets in there, what is going to happen to
>that problem when there's no where to short out to? The grounding posts, as
>I understand it, are there to give the current somewhere to go in the event
>that there's a problem. Dielectric grease will remove this safe guard.
>Having said all that, if my current fix is to wipe them off, then I haven't
>fixed anything, I've just made it harder for the current to jump to the
>ground post. This takes me back to the plug wires (no, I haven't replaced
>them yet, what can I say). I suspect the current is making it's way to the
>plugs when the system is dry, but it's just on the edge of arching to the
>grounding post. Add a little moisture and all of a sudden it's slightly
>easier (less resistance) to jump to the post rather than travel to the
>plugs. Better plugs are likely the solution, I've assumed this for a while
>and have yet to get off my ass to do anything about it.
Tud, I'm not into rocket science but do hold an A & P ticket.
Just a couple of thoughts. Plugs, resistor type or regular? If
resistor replace 'em.
Plug wires, make up a set with copper cores.
Gotta get them electrons going down the right road.
RB
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>> Tud sezz:
>> <SNIP>Sure enough,
>>> the right side of the coil was shorting out, preventing the plug from
>>> sparking. I grabbed a rag and wiped down the inside, including the
>>> post that the coil was shorting to, and then fired the bike up.
>>> Problem solved, until the next time.
>>
>> I know it would be a bit of a mess if you had to get back in there
>> frequently - butt, have you thought about filling the area that
>> collects moisture with dielectric grease? For insulating HV
>> connections we use anderol 757.
>I've thought of it, but I'm hesitant to do it. It's a pretty big cavity to
>fill, but more of a concern is that it will prevent the coils from shorting
>out to the grounding post. I know I know, that's what I want to prevent,
>but the arching to the grounding post seems to be more of a symptom than the
>problem. They must be arching for a reason, rather than the electricity
>running down to the plugs. Also, if there is a problem that's causing them
>to arch when a little moisture gets in there, what is going to happen to
>that problem when there's no where to short out to? The grounding posts, as
>I understand it, are there to give the current somewhere to go in the event
>that there's a problem. Dielectric grease will remove this safe guard.
>Having said all that, if my current fix is to wipe them off, then I haven't
>fixed anything, I've just made it harder for the current to jump to the
>ground post. This takes me back to the plug wires (no, I haven't replaced
>them yet, what can I say). I suspect the current is making it's way to the
>plugs when the system is dry, but it's just on the edge of arching to the
>grounding post. Add a little moisture and all of a sudden it's slightly
>easier (less resistance) to jump to the post rather than travel to the
>plugs. Better plugs are likely the solution, I've assumed this for a while
>and have yet to get off my ass to do anything about it.