My first Ducati

So I've been lusting for a V4 for a while now and finally caved. I picked up my new bike yesterday. What can I say... I'm in love!

Beautiful!

Velkommen, nice bike!

Thanks guys! Can't wait to get it on track. I'm coming from a 17 S1000RR and can already tell it's a completely different animal. Will be a lot of fun to explore it's character around the track.

For my needs and preferences there's not really a lot to go crazy with in regards to modifications, but I've ordered some basic stuff. In addition to the goodies already on the bike, it now has:

DP carbon tank pad
DP/Rizoma LED rear indicators
DP/Rizoma front axle protector

I've also ordered:
R&G black tank grips
R&G boot protector kit
Evotech-Performance radiator guards
Evotech-Performance tail tidy

And will also order a Speedo Angels screen protector. Anyone try the nano glass version? Sounds good, but I also like the idea of the regular anti-glare version. What do the people recommend?

Congrats man! I just got my first Ducati as well. A V2! Im coming from nothing because its my first bike. It was scary at first, but now i cant stop riding it.

Thanks, man! Congrats to you too If it's your first bike, my advice is make sure to get some proper training. That bike is no joke as a first. You may already have done so, but make sure to take some courses or go to the track with an instructor. You may feel like you're in control and want to push a little more, but that's when you can make some really big mistakes. Keep taking it easy and practicing technique And enjoy

I took the course you need to do to get your endorsement on a GROM lol. My buddy let me ride his R1 a couple times a month after i got the endorsement and thats all the experience i had. Im picking it up pretty quick. slow turning is still an issue for me but ive been practicing alot in the morning. I ride it to work a few times a week as well. I plan on taking an intermediate course and doing some track days with an instructor in the summer like you said. I only had one heart stopping moment when i stalled it mid lean turning right from a stop. Got my foot down in time though. Almost .... myself.

I think i may be ducati guy for life. I dont know anything else really. Although the sound of an RSV4 with a full exhaust is one of the nastiest sounds ive ever heard. That could be my second bike down the line once i have a year or two under my belt. We'll see.

Taz said:

So I've been lusting for a V4 for a while now and finally caved. I picked up my new bike yesterday. What can I say... I'm in love!
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Congrats. I can’t wait for mine to arrive. I was supposed to be getting it in March now they’re June, but I suspect it might be July before I take delivery.The wait is killing me.

Truth be told, I think the clutch on the Ducati isn't the easiest to operate. Coming from a cable clutch it will take some time to get comfortable with. It feels a bit heavy to me. I actually stalled once today.. Can't remember the last time that happened I'm also having a hard time adjusting the clutch lever out far enough. The little adjustment knob seems to be stuck and I don't want to force it and break anything. Anyone else have a hard time turning it?

I've never been a one brand only kind of guy. Doesn't matter if it's a Ducati or a Suzuki, as long as it gets my heart going Also considered the RSV4 myself, as they sound particularly awesome with the Akrapovic system! However the ergos and controls weren't for me. Also prefer the looks of the V4 waaay more than the Ape

hdavidson said:

Congrats. I can’t wait for mine to arrive. I was supposed to be getting it in March now they’re June, but I suspect it might be July before I take delivery.The wait is killing me.

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That sucks that it's delayed for you. Hope you get it sooner rather than later, man. It's a fantastic machine!

Taz said:

I'm also having a hard time adjusting the clutch lever out far enough. The little adjustment knob seems to be stuck and I don't want to force it and break anything. Anyone else have a hard time turning it?

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Pull the lever out with one hand and with the other turn the adjustment knob.

bp_SFV4 said:

Pull the lever out with one hand and with the other turn the adjustment knob.

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Yup, did that and it still wouldn't move. I'll try again using a silicon grip.

Hi congrats on your first Ducati!
Regarding the clutch, no tools are needed to adjust the lever distance.
If there's an issue, it may very well be that your clutch needs bleeding, even if the bike is brand new.
A little air in that hydraulic system will cause the lever to be mushy and useless and you'll never be able to adjust it far enough out.

Crack open the bleeder screw 1/4 turn.
Put on your reading glasses and ensure adequate light to see into the bleeder nipple.
Slowly, very slowly, depress the clutch lever until you see the first glimmer of fluid inside the nipple.
Keep the lever depressed and tighten the bleeder screw (but not too tight).
Use paper towel strips rolled up thin to soak up the fluid inside the bleeder nipple.
Enjoy a nice firm clutch lever!
(I do this procedure all the time on my V4. There are fixes for this but for some reason I either don't have them or they are not perfectly effective.)

Fry said:

Hi congrats on your first Ducati!
Regarding the clutch, no tools are needed to adjust the lever distance.
If there's an issue, it may very well be that your clutch needs bleeding, even if the bike is brand new.
A little air in that hydraulic system will cause the lever to be mushy and useless and you'll never be able to adjust it far enough out.

Crack open the bleeder screw 1/4 turn.
Put on your reading glasses and ensure adequate light to see into the bleeder nipple.
Slowly, very slowly, depress the clutch lever until you see the first glimmer of fluid inside the nipple.
Keep the lever depressed and tighten the bleeder screw (but not too tight).
Use paper towel strips rolled up thin to soak up the fluid inside the bleeder nipple.
Enjoy a nice firm clutch lever!
(I do this procedure all the time on my V4. There are fixes for this but for some reason I either don't have them or they are not perfectly effective.)

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Thanks for the tips, but the clutch works fine. It's just that I have quite large hands and would prefer the lever to be further from the grip.

I want to eliminate the reflectors that are mounted to the calipers, and it looks like I just need another spacer like the one for the bottom caliper bolt to replace the reflector bracket. Can someone confirm?

confirmed...many people sell them in various colors and materials.

Also highly reccomend the throttle spacers to eliminate the slip in the throttle
https://ducatispacers.com

A016738 said:

confirmed...many people sell them in various colors and materials.

Also highly reccomend the throttle spacers to eliminate the slip in the throttle
https://ducatispacers.com

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Thanks! I actually find the throttle quite nice on this bike. I remember it feeling a little sloppy on the '19 I tried a couple of years ago so maybe they've made some changes?

Possibly…mine’s a ‘20 and had the slop in it. Perhaps they've corrected for 21. Good news!

Beautiful bike - enjoy!


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I got a few things delivered that I was going to install today: The R&G tank grips and the Peter Lieb lower tank cover. I ran into a couple of snags though that I figured I would share as a heads up for those who might be considering getting the same parts. No big deal, just things that might be nice to be aware of.

1. Lower tank cover:
Because of the new exhaust routing for the '21 euro 5 model, the connectors for the rear shock have been moved up right in front of the exposed portion of the underside of the tank. Also the exhaust and respective cover is a lot closer to the tank. This leaves very little clearance and makes it impossible to slide the tank cover in while also getting the cables and zip ties on the left side out of the way. I managed to wiggle the cover in slightly but it would get caught on the zip ties on the left side. You can see what it's about at about 2:40 into this video:
Anyway, to get enough room to get it installed I'll have to lift the tank up a little, which requires removing some panels and such. A bit more tedious than I was hoping for just to get that cover installed, but shouldn't be too bad as long as I find the time to actually do it

2. The R&G tank grips:
Should be an easy install, but before getting started I found that the lower piece of the tank grip would end up partly covering the red stripe going along the tank on either side. IMO that will mess up the look a little bit, so I will trim those pieces down so they don't end up covering the stripes.

Didn't have the time to deal with these issues atm so hopefully I'll have the time to get it done this weekend. For anyone interested I'll post some pictures afterwards.