We have two very exciting things happening at Salt Lake Motorsports in July.   First is our Track Experience taking place on Saturday July 17th.  Space is limited to 25 people come in to sign up.

Second we are offering Proformance Motorcycle Dyno Custom Turning, normally $250.00 for the month of July only $199.00.  So call and schedule an appointment to Drastically improve the speed and performance of your street bike.

(801) 478-4000

If your house looks like this…spring is finally coming and our thoughts turn once again to riding our Ducati’s. This image is one I took of my Ducati Hypermotard by my house. Shortly after, all the snow was gone and riding season was upon us once again.

With winter finally ending here in Utah; here are a few simple things you should do before your first ride on your Ducati. The following suggestions are for those of us who “winterize” our bikes for extended storage of three or more months. Hopefully when you first stored your bike you did so with a full tank of fuel and a fuel stabilizer added to the fuel. This helps stop the fuel from chemically changing over time into what resembles varnish in you fuel tank and fuel system. At this point you have two options; run the fuel/stabilizer that is in the bike-which is acceptable if you did use the fuel stabilizer or the other option is to drain the tank and use fresh fuel. A clogged injector or carburator is a not what you want to have right at the beginning of the riding season. You can also add a fuel system treatment like Red Line SI-1 complete fuel system cleaner.

You also should have adjusted the air pressure of your tires to thier normal pressures before storage. Since they have sat for some time you should again check the pressure because tires tend to loose air over time even if there is no “leak”. At this time check the tires condition. Old tires can “weather check” which looks like cracks in the rubber of the side wall of the tire. Tires this old should be replaced. Also take a look at the remaining tread of the tire. Most modern tires have a wear indicator that help you see when the tire is getting close to the end of its normal service life. Another common method to gauge tread depth is to use a penny and stick it in the lowest part of the tread. Hold the penny with Lincolns head facing you and stick the top of his head in the tread groove. If the tread depth is such that you can see space above Lincolns hair line, the tire should be replaced. This is a general check and should only be used as a reference. If you have a question of your tires condition we can always check them for you at the shop.

The controls of your motorcycle are also in need of checking before your first ride. You want to make sure your handle bars move freely from side to side with no grinding or binding. Clutch, brake, throttle, gear selector along with all parts of your bike should operate normally. Check your lights, turn signals, horn and all electrical components of your bike as well. I lubricate and maintain all controls upon storage so I don’t have to do this simple maintenance when I get ready for the riding season. I just need to confirm the components proper function. Even though it may be considered over-kill, I also do another oil & filter change at this time even though I did this service when I stored the bike. Oil can also be affected by time. Your choice on this one.

If you are satisfied your bike is ready for its first ride of the year. Take some time to make sure you too are ready for your first ride. Remember if you don’t ride year round some of your skills have surely perished. Motorcycling is a learned skill that if not practiced regularly can fade with time. Start slow, think about what you are doing….relearn those lost or dulled skills. Review material or lessons from your MSF course like the one taught by Utah Rider Education or if you have attended one of the track schools I have taught at,  recall what you’ve learned there.

Salt Lake Motorsports wishes you a safe and fulfilling motorcycling season. Come by the shop if you have any questions regarding spring maintenance or if you desire let our service department take a look at your Ducati for you. This short blog is just a synopsis of some of the most important tips for starting the riding season. You can always e-mail me if you have a specific question. Next week, I hope to discuss in detail the new dyno tuning service available from our shop.

Thorsten

thorsten@saltlakemotorsports.com

On any given day we receive several phone calls and in person questions regarding motor oil in our Ducati’s. This subject will be my first tip in this blog. Historically there have been heated debates about oil; what kind, how much etc. I won’t in this forum get involved in any part of that debate. What I will do is provide facts and information as recommended by Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. and our certified Ducati Technician(s).

All new Ducati’s come with Shell Advance Ultra 4 fully synthetic motor oil in the engine. As I’m sure you know, that specific brand is not readily available here in the US. So what do you use? Any quality full-synthetic motor oil will work fine and the use of any of these motor oils will not affect your warranty. At Salt Lake Motorsports, we use exclusively Red Line Lubricants and recommend them to our customers.

So now you know all Ducati’s should use only a quality full-synthetic motor oil. But which viscosity (weight) is right for your Ducati. Your owners manual will provide general viscosity ranges and will allow for various viscosity’s based on temperatures in your location. Our recommendations for our location in Utah are as follows:

All dry clutch Ducati’s-     20W50 Red Line High Performance All-Synthetic Formula

All wet clutch Ducati’s-     10W40 Red Line High Performance All-Synthetic Formula

For [all] race engines-     40 weight Red Line All-Synthetic which is actually a 15W40 non-detergent fully synthetic motor oil our master mechanic uses due to its non-foaming properties.

One of the most frequent follow up questions to what oil should I use is how do I check my oil level. The owners manuals for all Ducati’s describes this procedure but here is a breif  run down on how to do it. As your owners manual suggests, check the oil level when the engine is “cold” and only after is has sat (not running) for at least 15 minutes which allows for the oil to return to the sump from all parts of the engine and providing a consistent reliable reading.

To check your oil level either support the bike yourself or have a helper support it for you in a completely vertical position. Look at the oil sight glass on the left side of the engine case [right side for a Ducati Monster 696]. The oil level should be between the minimum and maximum marks on the case. Generally, the total oil volume for a Ducati is approximately 3.5 quarts. Noted in your owners manual could be various capacities of 3.7, 3.5 or even 3.1 Liters depending on your specific model.

If you want to know your bikes specific capacities check your owners manual. If you don’t have an owners manual check out the Ducati Owner’s Manual site to find an owners manual in pdf format for your bike. Remember, when it comes to oil in your Ducati, more is not better. You must never over-fill the crank case. For example, in our Ducati racing engines we fill them only to the “low” level in the oil sight glass window. That amount is approximately 3.0 quarts and  is plenty to run on the track at a race pace.

We usually change the oil in a race engine after each race so the oil level is always scrutinized and re-checked. So when you change your oil and filter, fill the crank case straight away with three quarts of oil and then fill to the appropriate level using the sight glass window and associated marks on the engine case. This simple tip will keep both you and your Ducati happy. Of course if you prefer, we are a certified Ducati service center and we would be very happy to take care of all of your maintenance needs.

As always, you can reach me at thorsten@saltlakemotorsports.com if you have a topic you’d like to read about or a  question.

Thorsten