Miscellaneous Any Ducatisti here?

[DaveT]

I've just bought a new Ducati Scrambler Icon, delivery due next week.
Looking up how you check the cam belt tension you are supposed to use an expensive frequency measuring device. Twang the belt and measure the frequency...
Hmm. I've got a frequency meter for showing me how out of tune I am when playing my soprano, soooo, have any of you tried your frequency meter on the cam belt?
I won't be attempting it until the bike is out of warranty, but it would be nice to know.

My 2000 Harley Sportster Sport will be up for sale in a few weeks if anyone fancies it. It has history, used to belong to Steve Harris of Harris Performance.

 

[Jeanette]

My 2000 Harley Sportster Sport will be up for sale in a few weeks if anyone fancies it. It has history, used to belong to Steve Harris of Harris Performance.

Please put advert in yardsale 😄

 

[Targa]

Sounds like they wrote the manual on April 1st.
Why not measure the current deflection with a tape measure or something incredibly complicated like calipers.

 

[DaveT]

Sounds like they wrote the manual on April 1st.
Why not measure the current deflection with a tape measure or something incredibly complicated like calipers.

That is NOT how Ducati do things!
I must admit I was surprised.
"Usually" you would apply a known force and measure the deflection, but things are a bit tight in the cam belt area so 'the twang" it is!
While we are on belts, for the rear belt drive on a Harley you try and twist the belt through 45 degrees. Can't do it? The belt is too tight. Goes further than 45 degrees? The belt is too slack. And that info came from the bloke that designed the belts for Harley and he rides (rode perhaps?) Harleys too.

 

[jonf]

My bike has a chain for the cam and a shaft for final drive, but I did change the alternator belt recently. Technique I used for setting the tension was to slacken off the alternator until the belt slipped on. Then tightened up the alternator until the belt felt sufficiently tensioned then locked off the alternator. Job done.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Ducatis, Harleys and saxophones. Wow! A glutton for punishment. 🤗

 

[Ivan]

Ducatis, Harleys and saxophones. Wow! A glutton for punishment. 🤗

Did you have any belt tensioning challenges during your intra-kitchen bike maintenance epoc?

 

[Colin the Bear]

Did you have any belt tensioning challenges during your intra-kitchen bike maintenance epoc?

All Japanese me, and it's in the living room behind the sofa.

 

[Ivan]

All Japanese me, and it's in the living room behind the sofa.

One can only admire your knowledge of Feng Shui

 

[Dr G]

My bike has a chain for the cam and a shaft for final drive, but I did change the alternator belt recently. Technique I used for setting the tension was to slacken off the alternator until the belt slipped on. Then tightened up the alternator until the belt felt sufficiently tensioned then locked off the alternator. Job done.

Consequences are higher for a cam drive. The rubberband slipped on my ‘74 Fiat 124 and I was pulling bits of piston out of the intake manifold. I had to replace heads and pistons on that one. I don’t care how fast your reflexes are when the rpms are up and The Noise happens. It’s done.

 

[mizmar]

I don’t care how fast your reflexes are when the rpms are up and The Noise happens. It’s done

I feel much the same about 200bpm+ Bebop.

My reflexes are slow, but I don't want to be pulling bits of key-leaver out of the neck...

 

[Dr G]

I feel much the same about 200bpm+ Bebop.

My reflexes are slow, but I don't want to be pulling bits of key-leaver out of the neck...

200+ is my preferred tempo for long tones.

 

[stefank]

Japanese tenor(s) and bike for me. They work!

 

[Colin the Bear]

...and work and work.