Ducati Multistrada 1200s Removing Fairings & Fuel Tank | Major Service | Desmo Check Preparation

Ducati Multistrada 1200s Removing Fairings & Fuel Tank | Major Service | Desmo Check Preparation #ad Here's what we used in this video (affiliate links). As an eBay Partner Network affiliate and Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases: MM Allen Key Set: https://ebay.us/mOyQkE MM Combination Spanner Set: https://ebay.us/VeFzb3 Teng Tools Torque Wrench 5nm - 25nm: https://ebay.us/m6vVsK Thanks for supporting the channel! In this video I continue the servicing series on my much-loved Ducati Multistrada 1200S, a bike I’ve owned for nearly a year now and one that has quickly become one of my favourite machines to ride. It’s a 2011 model and, in this series, I’m working through the full major service that Ducati specifies at 24,000 kilometres, which is roughly 15,000 miles or five years. Rather than sending it off to a dealer, I’m going through the process myself and documenting the work step by step. This episode is all about preparation. Before I can even think about checking the valve clearances on a Ducati’s Desmodromic system, quite a bit of the bike has to come apart. The job here is to remove the fairings and lift the fuel tank so that the top of the engine is fully accessible. It’s not the most glamorous part of the job, but it’s an important stage and one that can easily catch people out if they’ve never tackled it before. The service history of this particular bike adds an interesting twist to the story. According to the book, the Desmo service may already have been done, but the bike also had a replacement engine fitted at just 6,000 miles earlier in its life. That leaves a bit of uncertainty about exactly where things stand. If the valve check was carried out when the book suggests, then the engine has only done about 14,000 miles since. If it wasn’t done at that point, then the engine has actually covered around 22,000 miles without a Desmo inspection, which would put it about fifty per cent past the recommended interval. Because of that, I’m genuinely curious to see what the clearances look like when I finally get to measure them. Following the workshop manual is the plan for this strip down. Anyone who has seen the factory manual for this bike will know it’s a substantial document, running to hundreds upon hundreds of pages, and it’s surprisingly easy to get lost in it. For this job I’m simply working through the instructions step by step to remove the bodywork, starting with the seats and working forward through the side panels, cheek fairings and the distinctive beak at the front. As the panels come off you begin to see just how much hardware is involved. There are plenty of fasteners of different sizes, along with the occasional hidden screw that the manual doesn’t always make obvious at first glance. It quickly becomes clear that organisation is going to be important, because there are a lot of pieces to keep track of. Laying everything out carefully in the workshop is a good habit to get into, and it’s probably wise to bag and label parts if you want to avoid a puzzle when it’s time to reassemble the bike. Once the fairings are out of the way the next step is the fuel tank. With the fuel level deliberately kept low to make things easier to handle, the tank can be lifted once the mounting bolts, breathers and quick-release fuel lines are disconnected. There are also a couple of electrical connectors underneath that need to be unclipped before the tank can come free. It’s one of those jobs that sounds straightforward in theory but can take a bit of patience the first time you do it. With the tank removed the top of the engine begins to reveal itself. Ignition coils, airbox connections and various wiring trays all need attention before the cam belt covers and cylinder heads can be reached. Along the way there are a few small discoveries, including the odd bit of wildlife that has found its way into the nooks and crannies behind the fairings over time. By the end of this session the Multistrada is stripped back far enough to move on to the real focus of the service. The next stage will be removing the timing belt covers and gaining access to the heads so that the Desmodromic valve clearances can finally be measured. Given the uncertain service history, the results could be quite interesting. If you’re following along with the series, the next video will show the process of checking the clearances on this engine. This video is part of my ongoing series working through the full major service on this Multistrada. There are still a few more items to cover, including the famous Ducati Desmo valve service. For more helpful how-to guides and restoration project logs, visit our blog: https://www.spannerrash.com/