[marsheng]

I bought a 2004 1000 DS of a local auction site. Bike is in very good condition and 28K on the clock.

The bike is quite rough below 4K when cold, but once warmed up, it improves but still not smooth. It really feels like my old BMW F650 below 4 k.

Just wondering of this is normal or possibly the intakes are not synchronised. It does have 2 cables from the throttle and I'm not sure if it is dual throttle or push pull as it is so difficult to see anything under the tank.

I have about 8 mm of free play in the throttle rotation as well !!

Any suggestions ?

 

[belter]

push/pull. attend to the basics, then go looking for a problem if it's still not right.

 

[duc96cr]

Not trying to be a smart ass, right off the top. Many new Ducati owners think their bike runs rough below 4000rpm. It’s a twin, and it isn’t counter balanced or rubber mounted, that’s part of it. For an engine tuned for a high rpm capability, below 4000 rpm is not where it wants to be, and it’s gently telling you so. BUT, it’s maintenance record is probably unknown ? Engines run smoother when in good tune. Little things can go out of adjustment over time , like synchronization of throttle bodies, valve adjustment, timing, chain adjustment. These can effect how smoothly the engine runs. Chains can wear, causing vibration. Spark plugs can get dirty. Address all these things, put the bike back in good condition, maintenance wise. Then see how much it vibrates. Many owners drop a tooth on the front sprocket so the engine revs into the smoother range quicker. You might try that. Or change to a bigger rear sprocket if the chain needs replacement. The basic thing is don’t ride around under 4000rpm when you can help it. Good luck.

 

[marsheng]

I have (still in storage) a 1980 SSD 900 and I remember it being quite smooth below 4k. Problem here in NZ is the town speed limit is 50km and highway 100km so hard to get above 4k when tootling around.

It is a twin but my BMW single seemed smoother below 4k.

I'll start checking all the bits.

 

[belter]

it's an open loop ecu, i would expect it to be fine from 2,000 rpm upwards if it's set up right.

 

[Monster4Lee]

Probably could use a complete going over and service.

 

[mandel]

My 2016 Multistrada doesn't really hit its stride until 4000 rpm. I always keep the rpms at or above 4k. I think this is common and nothing to be concerned about.

 

[Sq51lacfd]

yup, welcome to it....

Not trying to be a smart ass, right off the top. Many new Ducati owners think their bike runs rough below 4000rpm. It’s a twin, and it isn’t counter balanced or rubber mounted, that’s part of it. For an engine tuned for a high rpm capability, below 4000 rpm is not where it wants to be, and it’s gently telling you so. BUT, it’s maintenance record is probably unknown ? Engines run smoother when in good tune. Little things can go out of adjustment over time , like synchronization of throttle bodies, valve adjustment, timing, chain adjustment. These can effect how smoothly the engine runs. Chains can wear, causing vibration. Spark plugs can get dirty. Address all these things, put the bike back in good condition, maintenance wise. Then see how much it vibrates. Many owners drop a tooth on the front sprocket so the engine revs into the smoother range quicker. You might try that. Or change to a bigger rear sprocket if the chain needs replacement. The basic thing is don’t ride around under 4000rpm when you can help it. Good luck.

Coming from a Harley 96" twin cam, I can say that there was no getting used to that for me. However, like any differences in engine type, there are vast differences in powerband or smooth, hard acceleration. Anyone who has ridden an in-line 4 cl. Japanese bike will get on a Ducati and say "Hay man, this thing is f-ed up"

 

[duc96cr]

I cured the low speed surging on my carby because at the time I had to ride through RV parks with a 10 mph speed limit. Using non ethanol fuel will smooth them out a lot. Put the engine in a good state of tune and play with the carbs if you have them. I use aftermarket coils and wires. I used a Factory Pro carb kit with titanium needles and nickel plated emulsion tubes because wear is a factor once you get the tune where you like it. If you must run ethanol fuel you’re probably not going to be able to make the bike run really smooth. I also use SeaFoam to keep things from plugging up in the carbs.

 

[dspear99ca]

It’s a twin, and it isn’t counter balanced or rubber mounted, that’s part of it. For an engine tuned for a high rpm capability, below 4000 rpm is not where it wants to be, and it’s gently telling you so.

I came from a dry clutch carby SS, so the 1100 MTS felt incredibly refined and smooth in spite of any adjustments that needed to be made. If I was coming from a BMW GS or a Japanese I4 I may have had a different impression.

As others have noted, eliminate the potential maintenance issues and see if it improves. I went through my 1100 when I got it a couple of years back so I could get a baseline when the valves, timing, TB sync, etc. were all as close to perfect as I could get them. FWIW, when I bought my bike the chain was WAY too tight which definitely gave it a rough and jerky ride.

I find that I can lug around comfortably around town at around 3K, even a bit below, maybe 2500 rpms if I don't make any demands of the bike, i.e. as long as i don't move the throttle. If you want to have the bike's potential on-tap when you twist your wrist, you're just going to have to keep it >3500 rpms or so.

The cool thing about these bikes is that even though it does lug at low rpms, there is some power there down low and power comes on quickly - very quickly - once you're up over 3K... with an I4 the power band is higher and narrower and you have to do a lot more shifting... when you're in too high of a gear it just bogs and, well, stays there until you downshift.

 

[duc96cr]

I purposely rode around below 4000 rpm for a while. Short shifting , putting along between 2-4000. Yes, your right, it’s not happy. But it does it in a subdued way, just kind of letting you know you’re not riding it correctly. I don’t mind it, it’s just a characteristic. It makes my Ducati different than my Triumph, or my SuperGlide, or my Busa. If they were all butter smooth from idle to redline they’d have no personality, they’d be boring.

 

[rowens816]

06 MTS S DS ---> stumbles somewhat below 4K RPM. I have always felt that it is the nature of the beast. My bike is definitely a cold natured beast, but it does smooth out when the engine is above 180-degrees.