Cam belts
Thanks for the help i will go and order a set today. as i have just bought the paso and have decided to renew the belts even though i was told that the belts had been renewed before i bought it.. so it's for my own piece of mind as the consequences of not changing the belts do not bear thinking about .. also i am going to change the oil and filter so what oil is best for the ducati ?.
Dave
Dave
- jcslocum
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 1714
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1988
- Location: Eastern Shore, MD
- Contact:
You will find the belt change a breeze. Here's are some instructions: http://www.ducatisuite.com/beltchange.html
Ahhh the perpetual oil question! I run Mobil1 10-40 MXT-4 Full Synthetic. Just my .002
Ahhh the perpetual oil question! I run Mobil1 10-40 MXT-4 Full Synthetic. Just my .002
- Desmo_Demon
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 869
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: Easley, SC
- Contact:
I answered in that other thread about the belts being the same as the 90's Monster 750 and SS750. If I hadn't thrown away the boxes, I could give a part number, but you can get any local dealer to look them up for you.
I'm getting ready to switch my ST2 and 748 over to the cheaper Mobil 1 automotive synthetic oil. I figure with the dry clutches and the bike's mileage at the next oil changes (27k for the ST2 and 12k for the 748) it shouldn't hurt anything to switch oils......Typically, I change synthetic oils every 3k miles and dino oil every 2k miles.
Oil is like tires....everyone has their favorite and their own reasoning for running it.
That's what I run in my ST2 and my 748 and I relaly like it (running it in my wife's 2000 Yamaha R1, also). With the Paso having 29k miles and a dry clutch, I'm just going to run regular, cheap, dino oil and change the oil every 2k miles or so.jcslocum wrote:Ahhh the perpetual oil question! I run Mobil1 10-40 MXT-4 Full Synthetic. Just my .002
I'm getting ready to switch my ST2 and 748 over to the cheaper Mobil 1 automotive synthetic oil. I figure with the dry clutches and the bike's mileage at the next oil changes (27k for the ST2 and 12k for the 748) it shouldn't hurt anything to switch oils......Typically, I change synthetic oils every 3k miles and dino oil every 2k miles.
Oil is like tires....everyone has their favorite and their own reasoning for running it.
2002 Ducati 748 monoposto
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
-
- Posts: 373
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:00 am
- model: 907 I.E.
- year: 1993
- Location: Northampton UK
I think its a little wider topic in the states as just about every brand is available in every weight and viscosity. In the UK it can be really difficult to find some Brands in some Viscosities.
In 10W 40 the only couple of Brands I can regularly find (synthetics) are Castrol and Shell. Mobil 1 is rare as rocking horse poo in 10W 40. (It is where I've lived in the UK)
Plutoline oils seem to be being pushed very hard in the UK at the moment and SIlkolene is pretty easy to get ordered in in some weights.
SO I guess for me Castol or Shell
In 10W 40 the only couple of Brands I can regularly find (synthetics) are Castrol and Shell. Mobil 1 is rare as rocking horse poo in 10W 40. (It is where I've lived in the UK)
Plutoline oils seem to be being pushed very hard in the UK at the moment and SIlkolene is pretty easy to get ordered in in some weights.
SO I guess for me Castol or Shell
- Desmo_Demon
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 869
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: Easley, SC
- Contact:
I've always found this interesting, as I'm not too sure what the differences are in the transmissions gears and overall design, but......jcslocum wrote:The automotive oils do not have as much zinc in them for the transmission, so I would reccomend that you stick with the moto specific oils... Just my .002
My '95 Honda Civic came from the factory with 10w-40 engine oil in it's 5-speed, and that's all I've put in it since I bought it new....it now has 223,000 miles and has never had any issues.....but, I'm still on the original clutch, too.

You'd probably hate to have seen some of the stuff I 've run through my 89,000-mile Harley. :laugh:
2002 Ducati 748 monoposto
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
- jcslocum
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 1714
- Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2004 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1988
- Location: Eastern Shore, MD
- Contact:
Caution!! Boring engineering content...Desmo_Demon wrote:I've always found this interesting, as I'm not too sure what the differences are in the transmissions gears and overall design, but...
The major difference is that your trans in the car runs in a seperate case from the engine oil. It also runs a specific gear oil Usually something like a 90W that has very high shear additives. Your Duc has it's transmission in the engine crankcase and shares the engine oil with the engine components.
The way that gears mesh and work when rotating is a sliding motion across each face of the gear. This sliding motion creates a very high shear moment for the oil, like scissors. The additives in moto oil have been formulated to handle this and not break down.
Depending on the model, the Harley could have a seperate gear box from the engine as well. We've all seen the OCC clowns putting on that HUGE belt from the crank to the gearbox that sits back behind the engine.
I hope this helps. Still, you should do what makes you happy!
- Desmo_Demon
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 869
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: Easley, SC
- Contact:
Yes, I'm quite aware of the differences in the engine/tranny sharing the oil, but it baffled me when I went to change the fluid in the 5-speed of the car and saw that it listed standard, automotive, 10w-40 engine oil. I'm just so used to the 85w+ that is typically used in transmissions and gear differentials. To this day, I still find it extremely strange.jcslocum wrote:The major difference is that your trans in the car runs in a seperate case from the engine oil. It also runs a specific gear oil Usually something like a 90W that has very high shear additives. Your Duc has it's transmission in the engine crankcase and shares the engine oil with the engine components.
I am curious if there is a difference in the way the gears are cut or engage that allows the use of regular engine oil of a much lower weight than is "normal" for a transmission. I figure it must be taken from their motorcycle engineering, since motorcycles use the lower weight oils, as they share it with the engine. It would be interesting to know why they speccified 10w-40 for a transmission.
My Harley is a "Big Twin" where the engine/tranny/wet clutch are all separate fluids. I've sat through a Harley seminar on oils and the additives and why each additive was beneficial. It was all good information, but sometimes you have to determine what is best for you and your application.jcslocum wrote:Depending on the model, the Harley could have a seperate gear box from the engine as well.
In some cases, I'd rather run the el cheapo, $2/qt oils and change it every 2000 miles, instead of spending $12 a qt and changing it every 5000-6000 miles (or sooner). I change my oils every 2k-3k miles (with a filter), and unless I get a good deal on the synthetic, it's difficult to want to dump $50 in oil every 3k miles......I usually can get Mobil 1 at Auto Zone for $8.99/qt and Cycle Gear ran a sale on it at $7.99/qt, so I stocked up.

Now, to change the subject to tires, Pirelli makes the best.

2002 Ducati 748 monoposto
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
- Desmo_Demon
- paso grand pooh-bah
- Posts: 869
- Joined: Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:00 am
- model: 750 Paso
- year: 1987
- Location: Easley, SC
- Contact:
For anyone interested in decent pricing on fully-synthetic oil for their bikes, I just ran across these sales on Cycle Gear's website...
Mobile 1 10w-40 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=52 ... UC_53-3101
Mobile 1 20w-50 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... UC_53-3100
Castrol R4 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... AN_57-4782
Mobile 1 10w-40 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=52 ... UC_53-3101
Mobile 1 20w-50 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... UC_53-3100
Castrol R4 ($7.99/qt):
http://www.cyclegear.com/spgm.cfm?L1=&L ... AN_57-4782
2002 Ducati 748 monoposto
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2
1996 Suzuki GSXR-1100
1994 Bimota DB2
1988 MegaPaso 916 project
1987 Ducati Paso 750
1985 Harley FXEF
2001 Ducati M900ie (wife's)
2000 Yamaha YZF-R1 (wife's)
1998 Ducati ST2 (wife's)
1994 Suzuki GSX-750R (wife's)


so thanks again for all the advice.
Dave.