Just bought a 1992 907ie... now it won't start

[paso750]

Before I slow down for a stop should I hold the clutch in and brake and keep the clutch held in, while I wait? My left hand got tired fast.

I guess how you stop depends on the situation and personal preference , meaning that if you`re far enough from your stop you can switch down gear by gear to use the engine brake additionally to the brakes. While rolling the last bit to your stop I keep the clutch held in (disengaged) and shift down to neutral. That`s easier than doing it while standing. Hence it`s not required to hold the clutch in all the time while waiting.

-There is a barnett clutch and I'm also not sure what to do going downhill, should the clutch and brakes be on or just brakes?

When going downhill use the engine brake. Depending how steep the mountain is you`ll get too fast riding in 4th or 5th gear so ride in a lower and be careful on the brakes. Do not disengage the clutch that`s one of the worst things to do downhill.

When I put it into first, it shoots off pretty fast it feels like with a tiny bit of throttle.

No wonder with that high idle

-When I am going very slow and press in the brake the font dips down, is that normal? If I just press lightly than it will not, especially when I'm going faster.

I guess another thing to ask the last owner is when the fork was serviced. Maybe you`ll need to change the oil or check the oil level. (how do the dust seals of the fork look, are they full or cracks ? Also when you compress and decompress the fork a few times, is there oil on the stanchion (the chromed) tubes ? Of course a fork needs to dive in a bit during brakeing. If it wouldn`t the front tire would start slipping.

I only rode for about 30 min. I unhooked the battery when I got off, will that save the charge? I am waiting for a couple days until my battery tender arrives.

The clock is the only thing using the battery while parked and it will not suck the battery dry in a day or two. The problem when doing short trips is rather that the cranking takes more energy than the generator can recharge in that short time. Imho the clock is the least problem.

Actually, when the engine warmed up it stayed at 4000 and almost sounds like it is racing when I have the clutch in and no throttle. I have to hold the brakes in or it will keep going, like on my old car going in reverse. Is this bad?

That`s not good. Seems that idle is almost 4x as high as it should be. Also the clutch not completely disengaging shows something is not totally right. I wonder if the past owner swapped the clutch springs with stronger ones. Is the engine pulling also in idle or only when in gear and the clutch is held in ? If it`s the later it may just be air in the clutch line.

The gauge keeps going up and down as I drive, like when I slow down the needle goes down and stuff. Is this a big issue or can I just check inside to see gas level?

On some bikes the fuel gauge works on some it`s rather jumpy. I used to remove the gas cap and take a look when waiting at a traffic light.

-Why is the dent in the side bad? What will that affect?

It depends on how bad it is. There`s a lot of air going through your engine. If the exhaust is badly dented the flow of the exhaust gas is restricted which can impact the whole carburation on that cylinder. Simply spoken.

[900streetfighter]

Reading your last post scares me a bit, personally I feel you should do a few miles on a less powerful, well maintained, lighter bike before you damage yourself or the bike. Or at least have someone experienced with you to give advice as you learn. You can break bones at 5 mph and you won't get bits for that bike off the shelf.
Sermon over.

Have you tried moving the choke on and off, does it make any difference to the engine speed? If not then the cable has stuck. Try wiggling it about a bit, also try wiggling the throttle cable to see if thats snagged. With the choke right off the motor should tick over at 1000-1100 rpm. The choke lever is 3 position, is it fully off? Check the outer cables are seated in the pockets of the choke lever housing and also the throttle.

The clutches on ducati's are heavy, You can lighten the feel by removing 2 clutch springs. Providing the clutch is in good condition it won't slip. Easyish job to do, Right hand fairing off, clutch cover off, unscrew 2 spring bolts opposite each other and take the springs out.

Cheers, Keith.

[907ie]

If I move the choke/fast idle down towards me, I think that will lower the rpm, if I leave it there is it bad for the bike like a carb enging is supposed to be, or is it fine?

When in neutral rpm stays at 3000, when engaged in first and the clutch is disengaged it goes up to 4000 and sounds like it is racing. So this is air in the clutch line? How can I fix that?

One other thing is that the front brake doesnt engage the first time, but after the first time you pull in it will engage no problem, does this just mean it needs to be bled?

Thanks again. I haven't been on the bike since last time, I'm taking the course next weekend, and I need to replace the chain and sprockets whenever they come in the mail. (when I put chain on, about how many inches of slack should it go up around rear sprocket?)

[englishstiv]

Total respect to you 907ie..........and power to your right hand for choosing a 907ie......but after following this post for a while I gotta say............O.M.G !!!!

I appreciate you are going on a course and those roads in LA are meant to be pretty wide compared to our little lanes here in the Uk but do you have someone ....maybe a workmate or neighbour? That you could possibly give you some personal assistance and guidance before you hop on that bike again..............?

A little mechanical knowledge will also go along way when riding a Ducati especially when fitting a new drive chain.

Stay Safe mate...........

Keep posting I think a few of us will be keen to see you staying in touch for a while longer

[907pasonut]

hi 907ie...congratulations on your purchase, but perhaps not the right choice for a novice rider, these bikes need a fair bit of mechanical maintenance and TLC.
that fast idle is a common problem on the 907, caused by the radiator hose (on the L/H side of motor) fouling the accellerator cable pulley, remove the fairing and tie the r/hose with cable ties to the frame away from accellerator linkage, I had this happen to my bike, easy fix...good luck with the rest

[900streetfighter]

You need to find a friendly local biker to help you sort your bike out a bit. The new chain will need to be rivited at the join unless you have the clip type and they MUST be put on the correct direction. You will need to set the chain slack and LINE THE BACK WHEEL UP which is simple enough after a couple of goes but needs to be right.
I still think the choke cable might be caught or you haven't returned the lever fully back. If the guy you bought it from rode it round the block there can't be a lot wrong with it.

[ducinthebay]

Start with some beer drinking and bench racing before you do too many more miles. There will be more than a few guys that will help you out if you look around. Here's a quick search in your area. Or post on Craigslist for a mentor.
http://ducati.meetup.com/cities/us/ca/los_angeles/
http://www.ducati.com/club/la_doc__los_ ... _/index.do

Get a few guys to ride with on weekends will increase your ability incredibly quickly. And take the Streetmasters class as soon as you can.

Cheers, Phil

[paso750]

I totally agree with everyone here. The 907ie is a good bike. How good it is for a beginner always depends on riding skills and talent. A lighter bike and one to sit on upright is for sure better. Some of the questions make me wonder what they teach in US driving schools.
What concerns me more is the technical condition the bike seems to be in. A clutch not properly disengaging and the high idle can also get a more experienced rider into trouble. The bike should be technically safe and sound before you continue to collect riding experiences on it.

Your front brake seems to have air in it but the question also is how old the fluid is. It´s not a difficult task fixing this but as mentioned have it done by someone who knows and watch and learn instead of trying yourself.

Not sure what it is with your clutch. If it´s at 3000rpm in neutral and goes up to 4000 when disengaged it means that it is dragging in neutral. I did have problems once when trying different clutch springs. It could be the wrong clutch pack, incorrect assembly. Hard to say.

Regarding chain buying the parts and having it done is for sure the best you can do. Take a chain which is riveted as clip locks sometimes open.
A correctly setup chain has about no slack when the front sprocket, swingarm axle and rear sprocket are in one line. At this point front and rear sprocket are the farthest apart. This corresponds to a slack of x cm when the bike is parked (as indicated on the swingarm decal and manual).
The most common problem is that chains have too little slack which puts stress on all parts and wears them a lot faster.

If you have the rear wheel removed make sure the conical spacer on the sprocket side is mounted with the wider side towards the swingarm. Another common problem is that it`s reversed which will cause some damage on your swingarm as the bearing in the sprocket carrier is locked which will shift the wheel.

G.

[streetsurfer]

Re-iterating what's been said....

It sounds to me as though the clutch cover's throwout bearing/piston bore has some corrosion in it, or the oring seal is compromised. That may be a D-ring, I forget. Any corrosion of debris in there can prevent the piston from retracting or pushing in fully to disengage/engage the clutch properly.

Do yourself a big favor and study this bike, reading all the repair literature you can here and/or elsewhere. Motorcycle Consumer News (if there are online archives) often had repair articles on the bike, as I think an editor there owned a version of the 750.

In the meantime find a 650 or smaller single cylinder bike of a lighter nature and learn to ride on it. An enduro would be ideal for their lighter weight and nimbleness. A motard even more fun. This is not a bike you can afford to crash out on as a beginner. Even a drop in the parking lot due to the retracting kickstand or due to it's low center of gravity and close in bars and controls, by someone unaware (should a friend or stranger attempt to straddle it in your absence), can be cost prohibitive. Some fairly Unobtanium parts make it all the worse.

[907ie]

Hey, I just got done riding it again, and still, when the fast idle/choke is pulled toward me and I stop, the engine will shut off with the clutch in. I never tried the middle but I have to start with it towards the front of the bike and pulling it in will bring the rpm down to 1, but then the engine shuts off.

I'll look into fixing the clutch and brake as soon as possible, I just need to make 2 more rides to the motorcycle class before I do. My front brake is messing up even more now, every time I pull it it does nothing the first time, but the second time it works fine. It will however work some the first time if I pull all the way in, and then after I let go and pull again it will engage.


Is there an exact inches/cm that I should have the chain slack be when parked? Now it feels so loose, like 2+ inches, that is why the seller ordered me a new chain, he said the tire in the back was too large and it rubbed against it.

[paso750]

Is there an exact inches/cm that I should have the chain slack be when parked?

You said you had download all manuals. All info is in there.

I'll look into fixing the clutch and brake as soon as possible, I just need to make 2 more rides to the motorcycle class before I do.

Sorry, that`s plain stupid and irresponsible unless you ride there with another bike. Do not ride the 907ie until it`s fixed !!!

G.

[ducinthebay]

it sounds as though the choke works just fine, and the engine will idle at 1,000 rpm if the lever is in the correct position. ( as best I can tell)

But it also sounds as though both the clutch and front brake needs to be to be bled to get air out of the system. This is a very dangerous condition to ride the bike. Even a very experienced rider will find it difficult to ride the bike in this condition. Take it to a shop, any shop, as soon as possible to get those things sorted out. Don't ride a bike in this condition. You will get hurt, or crash the bike, or hurt someone else, or all of the above. No good reason to take a chance like that. You can not learn to ride on a bike that doesn't work right.

I hope that you are riding in full gear. Full face Helmet, jacket with armor, gloves, pants with armor, and boots. All the gear, all the time. Never leave home without it.

In case you haven't noticed, you make many of us cringe. We would hate to see you hurt and the 907 damaged.

[907ie]

alright, i'll get the brakes and clutch bled as soon as possible.

How dangerous is it to ride with the chain for just a while loose like that? I am not going on the highway, probably won't exceed 35 mph ever. It seems easy to ride a bike so far, except it feels like the bike will fall apart any second haha.

[ducinthebay]

Can you describe how loose the chain is, and what gives you the impression that you need to replace the chain and the sprockets?

All chains need some amount of slack, and that is adjusted by loosening the rear axle, and rotating the concentric to get the right amount of tension. Refer to the manual for the proper amount of slack. (every bike is a little different, but a inch of slack is about right)

Cheers

[907ie]

Can you describe how loose the chain is, and what gives you the impression that you need to replace the chain and the sprockets?
Cheers

That is what the seller told me. Part of the chain was tight, and part was very loose, the tire was really big and almost rubbed up against the chain, and the sprockets are old so he was just going to get another pair at the same time.
I'm not sure how much slack should be there, but it seems really loose, like 2 inches if you hold up behind the rear sprocket.