I have a 99 610 that has experienced a rod bearing failure. My question(s) are....is this common? Is this the weak link in these motors? Are there any "tricks" to keep it from happening again? Is this an expensive fix? Where would one get parts? A little history....I've only had the bike for six or seven months now, and really only ridden it hard on a couple of occasions. It's in SuperMoto trim now. The rod bearing failed at an event last weekend that was pavement only, and had a couple very long straights. Is oil starvation a problem on these? Thanks very much!!!
The early 2000's 450's and 510's had problems but I have never heard of a 610 doing it. Has the bike ever been rebuilt? If you split the cases you may as well rebuild the whole engine so it shouldnt be that expensive. I paid $900 for all the parts shipped to Australia from California when I bent my conrod after drowning it. Oil starvation is not a problem. Im thinking poor maintenance over an extended period is your problem. Maybe the person you bought it off wasnt changing the oil and filter often enough. If your doing events and putting the engine under big loads, especially high rpm, you should do oil and filters after every race weekend. The cost of oil and half an hour of your time is nothing compared to the cost of a new engine. Stu
The top end has for sure been done, and as the previous owner stated (and as it truly appears), was done recently, but it doesn't look like the cases have ever been apart. The first thing I did, even before I rode it for the first time, was change the oil. The oil that came out looked and smelled bad, so I think you are right, the damage may have already been done. I'm a big believer in changing oil, and using the best oil possible. I talked to George at Uptite, he recommended oil and a schedule, and I was on it. I think that's super cheap insurance, changing oil so often, and I think it keeps things like this from happening. Even the sixty five dollar oil changes on my Ducati (that my friends bust my chops over...lol), is cheap compared to what can happen. But who knows about it's past. I'd never heard of these having a weak bottom end, actually, just the opposite. So the next step is go thru it, and keep good oil in it. Stu, where did you get parts, and who did yours?
I got my parts from here: http://ducatimodesto.com/code/Home.aspx The only reason I did is because they had them in stock and replied the quickest with the best price. From Start to finish they were a pleasure to deal with and they were located on the West coast which is closest to Australia. I think the girls name was Sarah and she was on the ball with her knowledge and prompt to reply to any of my quiries. My engine was then rebuilt by the 610 Legend Trev Otto in the Barossa Valley here in South Australia. With 3 class wins in the Australian Safari rally on 610's and 570's, I couldnt ask for a better person to do the job. If you can speak or read Italian there are a lot of great parts shops on Ebay Italy too. Stu
