I will add a little more on this, always drain the carb on the Ducati ignition models (1995-2002) if it is going to sit at all. The SEM stuff (1994-earlier) doesn't seem to mind for a while though but it is still a good idea.
I must admit I never drain my carb or tank and mine sits for months fuel is a lot better these days. Since re building my carb and getting the settings right which did take a while it now starts fine. It's all technic with these bikes being a single it has to fire at the exact right time on compression it takes a few kicks that's just how it is.
NY fuel is worse than ever, with ethanol and other eco additives. The Dellorto carbs on my '03 TE610E and '01 TE400 would get shit in them if they sat full of fuel. The float needle and seat would get crap on it. I just kept up the same system of draining, on my '93 WXC350.
Not good! Good quality UK fuel like shell is fine and can easy be left for a few months. My delorto carb is fine now and my bike runs the best it ever has. But if I could find one I would swap to a 570smr carb
Ok. I'll keep at it and see if I can get better. On another note. The decompression lever is below the clutch lever which makes bump starting very clumsy. Has anyone tried moving it above the clutch lever?
That is how most of them are, I have seen them below and found I hit my knee with it and kill the engine.
Yeah. I'm not sure why mine was under. It just came that way and I hadn't seen any others for comparison. I got an easier cold start out of it the other day. Gas on. "Choke" on. pull decompression 6 slow cranks on Kickstarter 3 real kicks with no throttle. tiny "backfire" 2 real kicks with no throttle 1 real kick with full throttle 1 real kick with no throttle started Lol. Hard to believe that's the easiest cold start yet. I'm sure I will get better at it.
No I haven't rebuilt it. It runs so good once it starts. I feel like I just gotta figure out what it likes. Every bikes a little different in my experience. Some like no gas PERIOD. Some like a tiny stab of gas. Some want a big handful of throttle. I don't have enough time on this bike yet to know what it wants. I'll get there. Seems this bike wants one kick with full throttle them a subsequent kick with no throttle to start from cold. I'll get it figured out in time.
After stripping my carb and cleaning out the jets and moving the needle down one slot mine now starts after 2 or 3 kicks hot or cold
