Scud

Ha - well it's not supposed to break if it's not over-extended. But still, you'd think it was over-extended for a while - before the groove got cut in.

That was my youngest daughter. She loved it. Says it's more comfortable than the V11. The pillion seat is flat on the ST3, so she doesn't slide into me - which is also easier on me.

Well, the Duck was great for the holiday weekend and it ate up the long stretches of freeway from San Diego to North of Los Angeles. Rode the Greenie to work today - so I could regain my footing on the slippery slope...

How about: "Re-engineering the Shift Spring" Or whatever other title you like... the topic has certainly moved beyond the original title.

Here are some motorcycle-highlights of my Thanksgiving weekend trip to Paso Robles, CA. It was a family + a friend trip... which means we had 6 people for a 5-seater car. What to do? How about I take back roads between destinations and y'all drive the slab? Done. Warning... I've been "cheating" on the Guzzis with a silver Ducati.

Well, hopefully the one that went in the LeMans is the same and it will be trouble-free for the new owner. Does it even show signs of fatigue? Each spring I have replaced had relaxed/deformed a bit - making it look like about 1.6 coils instead of 1.5. I bought a few springs from various sources. I wish now I could say which spring was from which source - but I didn't keep track. And not all springs break, right? Some people have plenty of miles with no failures. Part of the issue could be defects in materials and/or workmanship (such a tool mark at the bend). It still seems that we have identified a flaw with the over-extension of the spring, which is worth correcting. If memory serves me, I have broken three of these with only about 30,000 miles on V11s. Those aren't good odds for a crippling and inconvenient failure.

Were you testing one of the new springs with 2.5 +/- coils? I'll guess the original spring breaks at 15,000 shifts. Total WAG. And I bet the ones with thinner wire and 2.5 coils will go beyond 75,000 shifts. Again, total WAG... but thought I'd throw something out there for entertainment value. That, and bumbling along until Chuck couldn't stand it anymore and decided to take over are my two primary contributions.

12 x 1.5. You can use a 12 x 1.5 to NPT adapter so you can fit all kinds of standard stuff after that.

Oh - so you're just going to move the arm, not whole mechanism. Makes sense. I'll wait for pics.

Same as one weekend in the Santa Monica Mountains, right? Seriously, that's a whole lot of shifting. Hopefully the rest of the pre-selector is up for the abuse - but I don't mind if you kill it. I'll just have a spare tranny with a dead pre-selector. All in the name of science.

The ST3 is a bit more upright than a V11 with clipons. I think it's a reasonable compromise between pure Sport and pure Touring positions. Building GuzziMoto's earlier comments... If I had to sell, the Scura would be the last street bike in the garage, next to my Husqvarna dirt bike. And if push came to shove, the Husky would go too. But which bike to ride 350 miles to Paso Robles tomorrow? It'll be the Duck. Why? Partly the newness of it, but more importantly, it's a better 2-up bike than the V11, and if we go wine-tasting over the weekend, I can fit several bottles in the side cases.

Thanks brubache - I've asked for (and received) some good advice over at ducati.ms. I think the ST3 might have slightly better low-speed manners than the ST2. I rode an ST2 a long time ago, so it's hard to make a fair comparison. But I remember it being miserable, while the ST3 is merely unpleasant. I understand that changing the gearing also makes it a wheelie monster and increases RPMs (and assumably reduces fuel efficiency) at cruising speeds - so I'm gonna leave it. Like the V11, you put up with some BS to enjoy the rest. Is that the definition of character?

The Duck is a different feeling... not necessarily more or less feeling. Tame by comparison? My BMW K75s is. The Duck is a box of rocks at idle. I think that's cool. Crunchy, grabby clutch from a standing start, also cool. Hates going less than 15MPH, so what? Rear brake almost worthless, who cares? I think it was Chuck who said that for him, buying a motorcycle is all about the motor. The 3-valve 992cc engine is unique to the ST3 - no other Ducati has it. I've ridden only a few Ducatis, but from my limited sample, this "orphaned 3 valver" is my favorite. Rated 102hp @ 8750RPMs... haven't tapped that yet. 63 lb-ft torque at 7250.. that's about where I've been hanging out. For "Rivalry" purposes: The V11 makes 11 less HP at 7800, but 6 lb-ft more torque at 6000). Pretty comparable numbers, but I think the Ducati is geared taller and it seems to rev quicker. I don't know if I'll ever ride without the bags. They weigh next to nothing and they're quite narrow. I split lanes with ease. Metal gas tank - just picked up a little magnetic tank bag. How nice is that? Anybody want a commuter K-bike?

I used the Shindy on my LeMans for a while. It lives on the Greenie now. Same type of back and forth play. It should be tight side to side. Got the part number from a past post of Docc's. @Docc - if you feel motivated, maybe you could add that damper to our encyclopedia of compatible parts. I recall it being only about $120.00.

That diagram is for a 2002 model, which has an external pump. It's the same hose for all models - even the red frame. Maybe some heat shield on the breather hose would be a good idea. It's pretty thin rubber and not heavily reinforced (like a fuel injection line would be).

Yeah. Super solid guy. He took good care of the Ducati too. As we were comparing notes and giving each other the "tours" of the bikes' features and quirks, he remarked that I am more anal than him. I *think* that was a compliment. It's nice to do a full-disclosure trade with somebody you trust.

That was a high-risk environment. I think I might have got in trouble if I went to something like that. I sure like both of those 1980s LeMans.

Wow. I didn't know that was a "new" bike. Probably went to the dealer with 13 miles - or it got pushed around for a cumulative 13 miles. Your friend is STOKED!

Just out for a romp today, because we needed a frozen peach-apple pie for thanksgiving, and they are only available from a little shop at the end of a twisty road. The ST3 fits some of the "rival" criteria we've discussed. Available new in same year (2004 was only year of overlap in showroom). V-twin. Similar original price, similar prices in used market. This picture on Palomar Mountain's South Grade today. The ST series of Ducatis are not like the V11 series (all of which are very similar). The ST2, then ST4, then ST3 (in order of introduction) each have different motors, frames, and fairings. I didn't realize how radically different each of the ST variants were from each other. The ST2 probably also fits the rival category, but not the ST4 with it's superbike motor. The ST3 motor is great - even better than the 1000DS motor in the Supersport I recently rode. It's got very usable power - smooth and predictable. It's also the most upright seating and passenger-friendly of the ST series. Like the V11s there was also upgraded Ducati ST3 with Ohlins forks and shock. While Moto Guzzi gave the Ohlins V11s special names, Ducati just put an S on them: ST3s. I got the standard version (with Sachs shock).

Good deals to be had for the knowledgable attendees. And stupid money for the last piece needed to finish a restoration, or nostalgia/decoration items... that sounds about right. I'd be willing to look at more pictures...

Hey, Chuck, thanks for taking the time to explain how you're doing this and post the pictures. Feel free to test the new spring I sent you to the failure point with your motorized cam arrangement - that would give an interesting baseline to test the new design against. Gosh - failure in 10-15,000 miles... how many times do we shift per mile? Obviously, depends on riding style and traffic vs. freeway... I've never counted, but I guess I could shift 20 times per mile on super-tight roads with elevation changes - and 0 times per mile when I'm chasing the horizon through the desert. It seems like some of these springs are breaking after just a few thousand uses - while the other springs in the pre-selector never break.

Just "re-discovered" something I had on vinyl, but haven't heard in a very long time.

Save on shipping... get the GB carbon belly pan while you're at it.

Interesting question, which I hadn't though about until you asked. The short bend of the spring does ride on the stamped steel portion that is attached to the shaft (27). If the shape/size of that stamped portion was different, it could require less travel to install the spring. And if that's true, then this over-travel problem could be solved by grinding metal off that plate such that the spring is 10-degrees less loaded when installed. Perhaps the design flaw was not in spring, but in part that the spring touches... @Chuck - feel free to grind away on the parts of my pre-selector if this suggestion seems worth exploring.

If the answer to these two questions are related in any way I don't want to know about it, and I definitely don't want to see any pictures.