I have to say you just saved my ass, put my bike away for winter it was fine. went to get it ready to ride and noticed the clutch handle was to soft and when put into gear with the clutch engaged it would not roll. Looked up how to an found this video, 25 mins later my clutch was back! Thanks
I just watched your follow up video on changing out the clutch fluid on a 1098, basically, the same process and that video answered my questions below, so no need to respond. Thanks again for the fine video.
Mike, thanks for this. The first service after I bought my Ducati was done by a mechanic, but I had wanted from before buying the bike to do the basic maintenance myself. With the information from your video I successfully flushed and bled my clutch over the weekend. Worked perfectly. My bike's slave and pushrod are slightly different from yours, but basically the same thing. It was very rewarding to do bike maintenance again, haven't done it for many years and didn't realize that I actually missed it. So thanks again.
Great video Sir! Just to let everybody know it didn’t work at first but I removed the slave cylinder again and inserted the round tip 5mm T wrench and compressed the slave piston a few times to really free it up then cleaned it and it finally worked.
hehee- I totally got your joke and had to go along with it. I can totally relate, so you got a laugh out of me on that one- cheers! These bikes were designed to ride hard and get pushed. I'm actually having a problem changing gears after a pushing a turn too hard out in the canyons a few weeks ago, so I really needed to watch someone go through this process. Thanks so much for the great walk-through.
After bleeding, the clutch lever bite location was not where it was originally, and the pushrod between the lever and the master cylinder is already maxed out. The lever bite was way too far out (away from grip). I prefer it more in the middle of travel. I ended up shaving about 4mm off of the lever pushrod threaded end, and this made all of the difference. It was very difficult to get used to the "out" position the lever was biting after the bleed. It felt very unnatural when the clutch bit as soon as you touch the lever. Has anyone else experienced this? Thanks again for the great vid you do. You have probably saved me hundred$ in the past year. Keep it up!
Thank you for this video! Before, my clutch lever needed to be squeezed all the way to the grip before it engaged/disengaged. With your instruction, this turned out to be a very simple task and it works like a champ now. However, I could not pull the clutch push-rod out, and I was afraid to force it harder than I already was. The rod would spin freely in place, it just didn't want to be pulled out even with vice grips and a lot of yanking! My fluid was dark and watery with chunks. The mighty vac worked very well and all the fluids have been changed out. Thanks again! 2008 Ducati 1098S
Thanks definitely. Just ran into issues bleeding my Ducati 916 Clutch master and slave last night now I think I know whats wrong. Thanks to you and the guy who made the video. Awesome
Hey bro, you've just killed me with the part... "let your girl friend to pick you up in the Prium cause you're not man enough to have a Ducati..." LOL !!! ... :-) By the way very handy video
You will need to start at the master and bleed it first. Then doe the slave. You could also try pushing the fluid from the slave to the master. Fill your MityVac with clean fluid and attach the hose to the top fitting of the MityVac. With the reservoir empty fill it half way up. This is similar to how I swap out fluid in BMW LT ABS Pumps.
Mighty vac has suction. Also pumped out all the fluid in the lines using the lever. It won't pull anything out of the reservoir though. Checked the lines for debris and such and they are clean.
I am sure your clutch is fine. I have an 08 with 45K miles and other than a regular flush of fluid it is still perfect. If you have oil leaking, dirt has destroyed the O-ring on the push rod in the engine. It is always a good idea to clean and service the slave and push rod regularly.
Thanks for taking the time to make this informative video. Just one question. The first step is to attach the MittyVac tube to the slave bleed nipple and pump all the fluid out of the system, which includes the clutch reservoir. I take it you don't worry about fluid going below the minimum line in the reservoir on this step, correct? It's only when you are refilling that you keep the reservoir fluid level above the minimum line at all times during that phase of the process?
Thank you for the video. How much oil usually comes out when you pull the pushrod out? I slightly overfilled the oil when changed it last and I have a leak now. Drained a little. When bike is cold it's at the top mark, but leak persists. Should I change o rings on the pushrod and drain more oil to make it cold level middle? Thank you!
Thanks for the DIY video. I think these methods should apply my 99 Ducati M750? I noticed the other day while in the storage that the clutch was very mushy (hitting the back of the handle) I guess storing close to a year will do this.
Hi, thank you for the video, very informative I rode my 848 today and the clutch started to act like was always slipping making it very hard to get moving, almost stalling from the stop. Do you think I should bleed/clean the clutch? Its 08 with 8k miles. Also, will any oil bleed when I pull the push rod out? Thank you.
awesome video i just got an '11 M796ABS the power just isn't really there and when i take off in first it stumbles and acts like i am not giving enough gas. also when on the hwy in 5th or 6th gear it just doesn't really have power to take off and leave traffic. could this be air in my clutch line? i noticed my lower back reservoir was open the other day after i got it home from the dealership. just a side note. i am a newb and any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
I have had complaints from Ducati owners who said I didn't explain how to adjust the chain enough in one of my videos... So now I have to get my digs in every chance I get to those Ducati owners who feel their Ducati looks better parked at a Starbucks rather than riding on the roads. For the record, there is not a Starbucks for sixty miles in the mountains where I live and ride. :) I hope you found the video helpful.
Where do you live and ride Mike? Thanks for the vids! I've used your videos to work on my 98 ss900 and now I'm refreshing to change the slave cylinder out on my 2011 848... I'm in Pennsylvania, cheers!
Mike, I followed your steps to the T and I've done this before. However this time even with the mighty vac on the slave bleed nipple I can't get any fluid to flow from the reservoir. I tried to attach the mighty to the bleed nipple at the master and didn't make a difference. I can not get any fluid to flow out of the reservoir. I pulled the lines and checked for debris and no issues. Pulled the banjo of the slave and operated the lever and I can feel suction so I know the master is good
Thumbed up. I've got a '97 Monster M750. Yesterday after a 100 mile ride, the clutch went soft all of a sudden. After I let it cool off, some resistance came back to the line. But, after I started the bike, even with resistance, the clutch wouldn't disengage (I had to slam it into gear and the bike immediately took off). ...
I have had Teflon liner in the clutch line degrade and clog the slave making the clutch useless. If you roll the bike and pop it into second gear, it is safer for the bike than slamming it into first then taking off. Bleeding the system usually helps.
With the rod out oil will leak. I suggest you drain the oil down to the proper level. Next clean the rod. The o- ring is likely still servicable. Then take the bike for a test run of about twenty miles and check for leaking. My guess is that you will be fine.
just curious, i broke my after market rear set shift, the entire piece..do you know where i can find one maybe OEM? aside from ordering directly through ducati?
...So, I limped it home, and the clutch was completely soft again when I got there. However, even after cooling down, no pressure came back this time. I opened the reservoir, and everything looked normal. I'm gonna try all of this tomorrow. Any suggestions if that doesn't work?
I followed all your vids for the brakes. I really appreciate it man. Any idea off hand the length of those M5's? Gonna grab the stp cleaner, grease, and them in one go. Also what pitbull stand is that in the front? On their site it says it wont fit the front on an 848 (my bike)
+Evan Hammac Lowes has the M5 hex. I use the regular Pitbull front stands. They work with every bike. I like the one with the small rubber best. Only the rear stand is Ducati specific.
I am having some trouble getting into neutral and the clutch makes a small amount of friction sound when in neutral... Additionally there is a clunk when shifting into first gear before I even release the clutch. think I have air in my line or is it something else?
Hi Mike, thanks to share these videos with us! I have a Monster 695 and it has a little leakage on the clutch that you show in your video (The motor oil is leaking from the screw). Do you have some tips to make this maintenance by myself?
What cycle is that you are working on please? I've got a 2003 749s, Thanks for sharing what the fluid is your using Hope you reply🙏 thanks have a great life
It is the same procedure for most bikes. The goal is to get the old fluid out of the system and new fluid in. The type of fluid to use is on the cap of the reservoir. Most motorcycles take DOT4.
Hi, Great video and thanks for posting this! One question please… LOL, i used the Mityvac like 10 times on the slave and five times on the master, because I thought I should get a constant stream of only fluid coming through the tube! I watched your video again and am I now correctly understanding that you will really never get constant fluid coming through the tube....and it will always be some amount of fluid but not like just the fluid taking up the whole entire tube???? I kept on repeating it and repeating it because I thought at some point I would just get like a constant stream of only fluid coming from the bleeder valve. Thanks!
Typically the MityVac will pull air through the threads of the bleeder valve when you have it open. This air is not from inside the system. Best is to go by feel. If your lever feels good, then you have done a GREAT JOB!
Funny.... I just replaced my Ducati 1098s clutch pack and apparently the slave cylinder seized during the week long downtime! Hahaha, the slave cylinder worked fine before I pulled the worn out clutch pack and then when I installed the new clutch pack and I was pulling in the clutch lever I noticed it get really stiff and then it just would not pull in at all. So I removed the pressure plate and the clutch lever still didn't pull, loosened the slave bleed valve and presto...... the clutch lever pulled to the grip so that told me it was the slave cylinder that had seized up! It also had coffee colored fluid! So my guess is the dirt/rust jammed up the slave cylinder piston. I found a used "in good condition and working" slave cylinder on Ebay and hopefully that works or I'll buy a new upgraded slave cylinder. Which one do you recommend?
Flush out the system a couple of times. You might find that it will work like you remember it again. Don't throw money at a new slave just yet. I have had the lining fail on a M900 and really jam up the slave. That was a fun trip back home. Also, a small dab of marine grease in the bearing of the pressure plate will help protect the end of the push rod. I think I did a video of a 1198 clutch replace. Also this same process on an 1198. Good Luck. Wal-Mart Prestone DOT4 works just fine. Don't waste the money on the high temp. It will turn brown just as quick as the cheap stuff.
Hi Mike if I replace the pushrod seals on my Ducati Paul smart as it’s leaking oil, do I need to bleed the clutch too. I know you did it to replace the fluid but is it necessary to return the clutch to full operation.
Hi Mike, I just bought a Ducati ST3 yesterday and on the ride home the clutch became really heavy. Any idea why and what to do about it? Liked and subscribed.
It can't hurt. The slave needs a lot of attention. If you clean and lube everything and still have problems, you may want your dealers mechanic to check it out.
Nice video. One question ever had the shift pedal get stuck in the down position? Had this yesterday on a ride was downshifting from 3rd to 2nd and the shift pedal got stuck in the down position. My dealer told me it's common with the 848 and his bigger brother.
I have never heard of this. Getting caught between gears, getting stuck on one gear, not being able to get into gear, yes. Have you flushed your fluid? Absolutely clean the push rod and clean out the slot inside the slave. Your clutch and transmission should flow smoothly after that.
Wel the dealer told me that the shifting fork in the gearbox was out of alignment which can cause it to jam in to place when down shifting. it was a quick fix he told me. Here they talk about the problem www.ducati.ms/forums/56-superbikes/148455-1198-1098-gearbox-drum-control-fork.html
So I watched your video ounce before and completed the whole operation on my 2011 848 now I have a new 2013 and am trying to flush and swap out my fluid and it's just not happening. Mitty vac works but for some reason no fluid is draining down to the banjo. I've tried at the master and still can't get a suction. What could be wrong if you don't mind? Thanks!
My first thought would be debris in the bleeder. Pull off the valve and run a pipe cleaner through it. Be sure to put rags around and drain the Res first. All the fluid will rush out when the bleeder is removed. I do feel that you have blockage. It is odd that this would happen on a 2013. I am thinking, something has been in there from the factory.
Thanks for the vid. I have a 2008 1098, 11000 miles, stock. I recently lost clutch pressure, over 20 miles of riding, but was able to get home.I bled the slave and master, getting the air out, and got the clutch working fine for a couple days, before pressure was lost again. I can't see any obvious leak. Any idea?
Flush out the whole system again. When you pull the system dry from the bleeder on the slave, notice how dark the fluid is already. The clutch line runs too close to the engine. The fluid gets burnt quickly, especially if there were still contaminants in the system. I always tell the guys who I do work for, to plan on flushing the clutch every 6 months. Once you get the system flushed again, ride it and flush it once more when you get home. It should buy you enough time to make it the next 6 month schedule. If you can route the clutch line a little farther from heat, it will buy you some time. Good Luck.
Thanks. I appreciate it! After I sent the above message, I took off the slave and found a damaged o-ring. I replaced it and flushed the system. Hopefully it'll hold up.
Thanks for this awesome video. I just bought an 08 ducati 848 with 6500 miles. I do think it's been ridden in years. I was going to pay a local dealership to service it but they wanted almost $1200 to do everything. It's not under warranty so I decided to do it myself and these videos hella help. My question is will any dot 4 stuff work? My local auto parts store doesn't carry carquest. Is it all the same stuff?
MikeE RideWNC I'm also going to do maintenance on that long silver rod behind the clutch slave cylinder and was wondering what type of grease I should use after wiping it down? Thanks a bunch!
MikeE RideWNC I did this over the weekend and my bike still shift's into first gear pretty hard. It seems to worsen after I ride it for about 15 minutes or so. I also noticed that when it's in neutral and when I let go of the clutch it sounds like a machine gun. haha is this normal? My bike is an 08 848 with around 7,400 miles.
Charlie Foster Don't fill the Res to the full line. Let the bike sit over night with a Zip-Tie tightly wrapped around the clutch lever and bar. This will get any remaining air out. Also, did you use DOT4 from a sealed container. If the container was previously opened, it may have gotten moisture in it.
MikeE RideWNC I did use dot 4 (brand new) from a sealed container. I still think i have some air in the clutch lines. I bled the thing so many times and tired the zip tie thing but only left it on for an hour. I'll try to do the zip tie thing over night tonight. My question is how do you know if you got all the air out? I'm thinking about using an aftermarket Slave Cylinder. FYI, feels good to know that I can do all my own work on my ducati. Thank you for that!
Hello, I have a problem on my hypermotar 796 2010. I figure, if I leave my bike outside on a hot sunny day, the clutch begin slipping. In the mornig, when the temperature is lower, the clutch works fine. I was a fool and bought new clutch plates, it didn't save the problem so I think the problem is in those cylinders. Do you think there is air in the system? Thank you for your answer.
Matic Medved Flush the system then when you fill it back up stay below the full line. This will give the fluid more room to expand. Ducati's hate HEAT! Right now it sounds like the fluid is expanding and pushing the clutch rod in. Moisture in the fluid will do this.
i have a psr slave, i noticed a slight drip of dot4 i removed and cleaned after putting in all back i pull the clutch lever in and a squirt of fuild comes out the breather on the slave, is this an indication the slave is toast. videos are awsome great work
MikeE RideWNC on the back of the psr slave is a tiny hole just below where the shaft inserts. if i have the slave off it retains its pressure in the line if i pull in the clutch lever while the slave is off alot of dot 4 runs out of the slave where the shaft inserts. when i install the slave and pull the clutch lever in the fuild runs out the back of the slave via that tiny hole and runs down just beside the chain. i can only figure that something is wrong internally with the psr slave.
Hi Mike. I ride a 2005 999. Recently , I have noticed that when clutch handle is in, rear wheel still rolling a bit and not completely stopped (discovered while on its rear wheel stand). Perhaps time for clutch fluid maintenance, huh? I don't ride it as much as I should..lol.. Thanks for any help you can provide...
MikeE RideWNC Thanks for the reply...you are probably right ....perhaps I did not really noticed before so perhaps just got a wee bit spooked. Fluid maint. is in order though. Your videos make things appear quite simple. Thanks again!
I noticed my 999's clutch was slipping after a few track sessions. I suspect it's old dirty fluid and the push rod must be coming out because I have changed the pressure plate to a different one and the push rod fully came out when I changed it. When taking out the slave cylinder and the push rod, do i need to grease the whole push rod or only the part with the o-rings? Thanks. Also I plan to do all the service myself. Belts seem easy enough with a video tutorial for the 999 I found on youtube. How easy is it to check the valves?
+MichaelV The valves on your bike are a little more difficult than the newer engines. I am sure you can do it successfully. Just grease to the o-ring. The inside of the o-ring will be engine oil. Only use a light coat of grease as a protectant. Contaminated DOT4 will force the push rod into the clutch which won't allow your plates to fully engage. Pretty sure that is the slipping you felt. It would be most noticeable at high RPMs or take-offs.
I have a 1997 M900 Monster and I can't seem to pull the pushrod out. I don't want to damage it. Do these bikes use a different system or is it just being a stubborn SOB? Also, the master on this bike is the rectangular style w/o a bleed nipple. Am I stuck bleeding it all through the slave?
M900 has a dry clutch. The push rod is probably stuck in the bearing in the Clutch pressure plate on the other side of the bike. The debris from the clutch get in the bearing and cement the rod to the inner bearing. Pull the fluid through the slave. A lot of bikes don't have the bleeder on the master.
MikeE RideWNC Just finished bleeding the clutch - much easier than it sounds. Although at this time, I did not clean the slave push rod. I will do that next time.
Good Question. If you have a bleeder valve at the master, then you want to bleed the Slave first. This will get new fluid into the whole system. Once you have clean fluid flowing out of the slave top off the res and then bleed the master. There always seems to be air stuck in the master after you flush the system. This will give you back the wonderful clutch feel like when the bike was new.
Hey I'm about to try this myself. I have a monster 1200s and I just bought a mityvac and some dot4. I noticed that you never pull in the clutch, does that have to do with using the mityvac instead of pumping the lever itself?
The only time you would need to grab the lever using a MityVac is when you are done, just to make sure you have clutch or brake feel. The MityVac does all the work for you. The 40.00 MityVac from Harbor Freight is the best tool you will ever own. Having a Ducati, a MityVac will save you thousands of dollars during your Ducati ownership. Just ask your dealer how much they charge to flush and replace all of the DOT4 in your bike. Sometimes the clutch needs it twice a year. I wish MityVac would give me a kickback. I know I have boosted their sales over the years.
MikeE RideWNC Yeah a fluid change is expensive as hell, thats why I want to give it a try. The thing is actually I dont have any pressure on the clutch lever (at least I think). Should I still proceed as in the video?
Absolutely! Suck all for the fluid out of the Reservoir, then wipe it dry. Then pull all of the fluid out of the system from the Slave. Fill the Reservoir with new DOT4 and bleed from the slave until the Reservoir is down to the low mark and fill it back up. Then bleed the valve on the master. You will now have clutch feel back. ( Don't squeeze the clutch lever fast. You will squirt DOT4 everywhere.) Now fill the Reservoir and pull from the slave until the Reservoir is to low again and refill the Reservoir. This will help assure you have the most clean fluid in the system.
Worked like a charm! Made a rookie mistake with the reservoir. I got the ducati performance reservoirs which have a rubber seal under de cap. It sucked in when I drained the fluid, but as I was working in my garage I couldnt see. Anyway pulled it off and runs like new. Thanks again for all the helpful tips. Cheers
Sir my clutch doesn't work, everytime I put on 1st gear , the engine automatically turns off because my clutch doenst function. Do I also need to clean it like the video that u shared? Its a ducati streetfighter.
Hey man… question, I did this on my Ducati Panigale and now I hear a wet bubbly/straw slurping like sound by the slave cylinder when I engage/pull in the clutch. I tried flushing clean fluid a few times but still the same sound occurs by the slave cylinder area :(
They were working on the bikes before they were crashed... I buy from cycle salvagers... I am not sure I would trust a private seller to sell me a functioning slave. A salvage recycler is a business and will make it right if the part is damaged.
Im a little concerned about my 748. I replaced the slave... bled the system. 3 days later after going for a really long ride the clutch loses pressure and she limps home. I get back to the garage, bleed her again... the fluid is black (after a few days)... She seems to be ok for now. fingers crossed.
916, 996, 998 and 748 were very finicky bikes. One of the best days of my life was the day I sold my 996M. What a POS. Right up there with the Concours 14. You had everything apart, did you route the clutch line away from the engine? That is one problem I see is the line is to close to the engine heat and the degrades the fluid. What you describe sounds more like there was still some air in the line. After you rode that air made it up to the master. Reagan Shaw (RIP) gave me this trick which I try to spread often, is when ever you do a brake or clutch bleed, put a zip-tie around the lever and grip then pull it tight. Let it sit over night and your lever feel and feedback will be amazing when you cut the zip-tie off...
MikeE RideWNC Thanks m8! I will try those options. Just to clarify: When you leave the lever pulled over night, the following morning after I should do the usual 'loosen the bleed nipple' in that state then 'tighten up the bleed nipple' before cutting the zip tie?
MikeE I need your help sir I just bought a 2006 ducati 1000 ds it's been sitting in a guys storage for over 10 years fired right up after I put a new battery tried to add some oil and thought I was going to drive it home but say less I ended up calling a tow truck then called my closet ducati an boutique everything to do oil change did it then drove for a sec them when I turned off an it wouldn't go into N . And it dranded a brand new battery
Did you try rocking it back and forth then shift to N? I personally won't ride a used bike until I have gone through it. You should not be on the ten year old tires. All the fluids should be replaced.
I'm just learning motorcycles to be 100% honest I'm a fast learner and learnd everything I know about cars on my own I just need some 1 to tell me the proper steps to take so I don't hurt myself or the ducati I just spent my whole life saving on
@@gianonegang6075 This video shows you how to replace the fluid. This bike sitting for ten years, the fluid is definately bad. I would also think that could be fluid leaking at the slave. Batteries suck on all Ducati's. It takes a lot to crank a Ducati engine. If the bike doesn't start immediately the battery will use up the charge quickly.
I’m having trouble getting it to bleed at all. Very little fluid coming from the slave cylinder whatsoever. I’ve gotten some of the clean fluid to it but I’ve been working at it for close to an hour and still no clutch pressure at all
Bleed the master. If you have new fluid at the slave, then once you bleed the master at the lever, your clutch will be good. It is the 11mm bleeder valve. 10:50 in the video.
@@SigmaParticles Ten Minutes. Bleed the slave. Fill the reservoir. Bleed the master. Fill the reservoir. You should have plenty of resistance when you pull the lever.
@@SigmaParticles You are watching 848 video here. This is my 2009 Monster M1100 bleed. It should look like yours. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0WDSRmIfqIw.html
