I bought my first Ducati, a 2018 V4S, in a country where I don't even speak the language, and a dealer is 6 hours away :)

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trademarked

trademarked

Joined
May 31, 2021
Messages
37
Location
Thailand
Greetings from the mountains of northern Thailand! (I'm not Thai). I just bought my first Ducati, a 2018 V4S with 8000km (5000mi). I just put new tires on yesterday and haven't had a chance to take the bike out to the mountains where it will spend all its time, but a few quick rides and it was clear that it's quicker than my MT-10, and going to make my street triple 675 obsolete!

I read the whole 330 page manual, and I have a few V4 specific questions:

1) The clutch friction point is very far out on the lever, even adjusted full inward. Can this be adjusted? I like it close to the grip.

2) Starting off, I have to rev to around 2500rpm to engage the clutch or it seems to bog down. I look like a new rider struggling lol. Is this normal, or is it something I should look at more closely?

3) How long is the life of the lithium battery? It showed as low when I got the bike, but it hadn't been ridden in months. It stilll started fine. After a few rides for tires and errands there is no more light, so it may have recharged, but I've always gone by the 3 year rule, but I've also not had lithium ion's. Should I replace it? If I do, am I going to get a bunch of codes that I can't clear without Ducati service tools? We have a crumbling Ducati service network here that is being replaced by an Audi owned franchise network, but that will be some time until it's established.

4) Love the trunk, spacious :)

Thank you!

2021-07-10 23.15.56.jpg
 
1) I haven't looked into it.
2) normal - the clutch contact distance on the lever is really short from other bikes I have. It took a bit to get used to but, ya for a bike that has a rev range way past 10,000, 2,500rpm is just a little feathering of the gas. Riding hard I really like it when not qucik-shifting. Seems perfect eg. down shifting.
Sometimes I still feel like a n00b when there's been 13 teenager that gathered around the bike while I went into a shop and they all want to see some Hollywood stunt riding off and hear the amazingness of it. Then I go and cock it up trying NOT to play into the spectacle of it and make a n00b show instead. RRREeeeeuuhhhRAAARRrrruuuuRrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnaaaaAAAAAAA...
3) ? No idea - I was up until 3:AM because* Italy just won the EuroCup 2020 and they partied in the streets all night dancing in fountains and blowing horns all - freaking - night
I have mine on a trickle charger that costs $50 because - I don't know - *see above statement. It doesn't ever seem to need a charge except when I did the electronic suspension set up and had it ON-not running engine- for :45min - but I got mine new - no idea what your previous owner did. Some say, trickle chargers will extend the life quite a bit.
4) I've got documents there after being scolded by the PoPo (IT) for only having PDF versions of them on my phone. If you let them rant, which is the reason the became popo, they live to frgin' rant, they don't give you a ticket I've discovered. I day dream about filling it with contraband and mulling that to Austria - I'm looking for suggestions on what could be interesting. Truffles? I don't know. Something that needs baking. Ha, maybe I should put breakfast in there, have it bake on the ride. Muffins? Burrito?

btw, very congrats on the acquisition. Very pretty bike. Congrats on the lifestyle choice. Thailand as well as the Thai people is/are one of the most lovely on earth to be sure. I really hope you post some vids when you're up to it. I'm dying to see what riding up there is like. Say hi to everyone for me.
 
Ya, when I needed to bleed my clutch the friction point went further out. I didn't really care because I have been using the quick shifter.
But you going to have to rev the bike passed 2500, 13000 rpm feels good to me.
 
On my V2 there’s a tiny bolt at the clutch handle pivot that can adjust where the friction point is in the throw of the clutch. I think it’s a 7mm bolt, and it’s nestled up in the dust cover. Maybe the V4 has the same thing.
 
Vbreeze said:
1) I haven't looked into it.
2) normal - the clutch contact distance on the lever is really short from other bikes I have. It took a bit to get used to but, ya for a bike that has a rev range way past 10,000, 2,500rpm is just a little feathering of the gas. Riding hard I really like it when not qucik-shifting. Seems perfect eg. down shifting.
Sometimes I still feel like a n00b when there's been 13 teenager that gathered around the bike while I went into a shop and they all want to see some Hollywood stunt riding off and hear the amazingness of it. Then I go and cock it up trying NOT to play into the spectacle of it and make a n00b show instead. RRREeeeeuuhhhRAAARRrrruuuuRrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnaaaaAAAAAAA...
3) ? No idea - I was up until 3:AM because* Italy just won the EuroCup 2020 and they partied in the streets all night dancing in fountains and blowing horns all - freaking - night
I have mine on a trickle charger that costs $50 because - I don't know - *see above statement. It doesn't ever seem to need a charge except when I did the electronic suspension set up and had it ON-not running engine- for :45min - but I got mine new - no idea what your previous owner did. Some say, trickle chargers will extend the life quite a bit.
4) I've got documents there after being scolded by the PoPo (IT) for only having PDF versions of them on my phone. If you let them rant, which is the reason the became popo, they live to frgin' rant, they don't give you a ticket I've discovered. I day dream about filling it with contraband and mulling that to Austria - I'm looking for suggestions on what could be interesting. Truffles? I don't know. Something that needs baking. Ha, maybe I should put breakfast in there, have it bake on the ride. Muffins? Burrito?


btw, very congrats on the acquisition. Very pretty bike. Congrats on the lifestyle choice. Thailand as well as the Thai people is/are one of the most lovely on earth to be sure. I really hope you post some vids when you're up to it. I'm dying to see what riding up there is like. Say hi to everyone for me.
Click to expand...

In Thailand I think you may be allowed to have it on the phone, but im not positive. Being a foreigner comes with a unique set of rules that extend beyond the law haha. The fines are small though. I likely won't even use a number plate. I do have a lot of videos, but from other bikes, and TBH the quality sucks because I'm using a helmet cam and it looks so slow, and the sound is either all wind or if I am not lazy and connect a mic, just the engine, but on this bike I can't access a windless location for engine sound (at least not that I know of yet). I've ridden all over the country and it's beautiful. I've also ridden across Laos and Vietnam in the far north with the epic mountains.

Superquadro 1299 said:
Ya, when I needed to bleed my clutch the friction point went further out. I didn't really care because I have been using the quick shifter.
But you going to have to rev the bike passed 2500, 13000 rpm feels good to me.
Click to expand...

13,000 feels good to me too haha, but for the moment I'm keeping it in street/medium power mode to ensure my behavior. Once I have a better feel for the bike I'll put it on sport mode and adjust the traction/wheelie settings slightly lower bit by bit until I find the spot at which I feel comfortable.

JDJ said:
On my V2 there’s a tiny bolt at the clutch handle pivot that can adjust where the friction point is in the throw of the clutch. I think it’s a 7mm bolt, and it’s nestled up in the dust cover. Maybe the V4 has the same thing.
Click to expand...

Interesting, there very well might be. I'll have a look!


I burned my left inner thigh yesterday doing some mountain riding so now my top priority is heat management. Also throttle spacers.
 
Vbreeze said:
I used shrink tubes for electronics instead of ordering the $40 rubber bands and waiting for shipping. Works great. I posted it somewhere. <--THERE found it
Makes SUCH a difference.
Click to expand...

Cool. You have more effort than I lol. I used to work on my own vehicles all my life, but I'm at a stage where I no longer want to. For one, I have four motorcycles, so it would be pretty time consuming, but also I'm in a country where labor is cheap. I bought the heat shield and spacers, and probably they could be done much cheaper on my own, but there is also something to be said for the value of ones time. I have a PS5 I can be playing :p
 
Ya, exactly. haha It was going to be weeks to get the parts so I just knocked it out one night. I couldn't stand it any more and I wanted to ride.

trademarked said:
Cool. You have more effort than I lol. I used to work on my own vehicles all my life, but I'm at a stage where I no longer want to. For one, I have four motorcycles, so it would be pretty time consuming, but also I'm in a country where labor is cheap. I bought the heat shield and spacers, and probably they could be done much cheaper on my own, but there is also something to be said for the value of ones time. I have a PS5 I can be playing :p
Click to expand...
 
If I be of any help let me know , I’m in chiang rai , I’m a native Thai and speak fluent English
 

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