This document provides instructions for removing and installing a Front Wheel / Rotor on a Ducati Superbike. The torque values used are for the 748/916/996 from 1994 to 2001 and may be applicable for later models. Please double-check the shop manual or Ducati.com for the specific torque values for your model. Note: Riding or doing ANY work on your Ducati can result in your skittering along the ground resulting in injuries and/or death. You, the reader alone, are responsible for your life. If, after reading the instructions and looking at your bike, you feel uncomfortable doing this job don t do it. Take your bike to a professional mechanic for the job to be done right. If you decide to do the job yourself; you are responsible for the results not DesmoNorthwest.com, anyone associated with DesmoNorthwest.com, or the author of this article. 28 mm Socket Loctite Blue (or other medium strength threadlocker) 8 mm hex wrench 8mm-1.25 tap (optional) 12mm wrench / socket 6 mm hex wrench 8mm socket Brake/Contact Cleaner Torque wrench (In-Lb) Acetone (optional) Torque wrench with capacity greater than 63nm (47 lbf) Tools and materials needed: Grease with Molybdenum Disulfide (moly) Procedure: 1. Using an 8mm hex wrench, loosen and remove the two caliper mounting bolts on each front caliper. To remove the caliper, I grasp the caliper and rotate the top towards me to use the rotor to force the pads apart. Once you force the pads apart, it s easier to remove the caliper from the rotor. It wouldn t hurt to take two hangers and use them to suspend the calipers so that the weight won t be on the brake lines.

2. Using an 8mm socket, remove the 4 bolts that hold the front fender. Remove the front brake line from the clip at the rear of the fender and pull the fender forward to remove. Put the bike up on a front stand. elevate the front tire. 3. Using a 28mm socket, remove the axle nut and washer. If you can t get the washer out, don t worry; it ll be easier after the axle is pulled out. If you ve got a nice front stand you won t need to remove the front fender it all depends on how high your front stand raises the wheel. 4. Using a 12mm wrench or socket, loosen the pinch bolts at the bottom front side of each fork leg.

5. Using a soft material- such as a plastic or wooden dowel, push out the axle while supporting the weight of the front wheel. NOTE: You don t want to mung up the threads or the end of the axle make sure you use something soft that won t deform the threaded end of the axle. 7. Clean everything up. Calipers, axle, fork lowers, fork tubes, fork uppers, front fender mounts, speedometer drive, everything after all, how often do you have this apart? 6. If you can t push the front axle all the way out, you can pull it the rest of the way out. NOTE: make sure that you don t mar the outer surface of the axle or make it out of round. You can also put a small screwdriver through the holes in the axle to pull it out. Twisting while removing and supporting the wheel will make it easier.

8. While you ve got the wheels out, wedge your fingers into the bearing inner races, press in, and rotate the inner race. It should be nice and smooth. If not, you may need to change your bearings. Change both if one is bad. The wheel is off. The next several steps detail how to remove and replace the front rotors. If you don t need to do this, skip to #12. 9. Using a 6mm hex wrench, loosen the rotor mounting bolts working across the axle. Then remove the mounting bolts. The threadlocker that should be on these bolts is easily cleaned with acetone. You can also clean the bolt holes in the hub by chasing the threads with a tap (8mm 1.25) but be gentle you can also mess up the threads. Note the orientation of the carriers the rotor is further out from the hub. 10. To install rotors, clean the mating surfaces of the hub and the rotor carriers. Place the rotor carrier over the flange of the hub rotate until the holes in the rotor carrier and hub are aligned. Apply Loctite Blue or other medium-strength threadlocker to the rotor mounting bolts.

11. Using a 6mm hex wrench, loosely insert all 6 rotor-mounting bolts into the hub. In the indicated pattern (from step 9), tighten all 6 until there s contact with the rotor carrier. Then torque to 25 nm (222 in-lb). 13. Clean the gold speedo drive ring, the seal, and the hub surfaces. When you reassemble, place some grease on the back side of the gold speedo drive ring and on the rubber surfaces of the seal 12. While the wheel is off, I occasionally remove the front seal and clean that - along with the speedometer drive ring. To remove the front seal, a flat bladed screwdriver can be placed between the seal and the inner surface of the hub. Gently twist the screwdriver. DON T FORCE IT. Move to another place on the seal and repeat do this and you can gently remove the seal. You don t want to be lifting on the rubber sealing surfaces.

14. Gently press the seal back in place. Press on the metal ring. 15. And clean the speedo drive hub. Sorry, no picture. 16. I like to apply grease to the fork legs, where the axles go in, and to the length of the axle. Doing this lets things slide into place as you begin to tighten things up 17. You ll want to install the axle through the left fork leg (threaded end first), through the wheel, through the speedo drive and through the right fork leg. Left and right are as you look at it from the front of the bike looking at the forks. Note: Make sure the speedo drive flat is placed behind the ear of the white fender mount as shown in the photo. Also make sure that the gold raised sections of the speedo drive ring are places between the white raised sections of the speedometer drive.

18. Place the axle tool into the left side of the axle. The pin on the tool goes into the notch on the end of the axle. When you press the axle completely in, the pin locates into the recess in the fork leg. This tool should be in the tool kit provided with your Superbike. 19. Place the washer and the axle nut onto the threaded end of the axle. 20. Ensuring that the front axle tool pin stays in the left fork leg recess, using a 28mm socket, torque the front axle bolt to 63 Nm (47 ft-lbs). While you do this, rotate the speedo drive so that the flat is against the ear of the front fender mount. See #17 for detail picture. Remove the tool from the axle. Clean off the excess grease. Doesn t everything look great all cleaned up?

21. Using brake or contact cleaner and a rag, clean both sides of the rotors to insure that you didn t get grease onto the surface of the rotors. 22. Replace front calipers and, using an 8mm hex wrench, torque the caliper mounting bolts to 43 Nm (32 ft-lbs). You may need to force the pads apart slightly. I use a clean flat wooden paint stirrer, to do this, to insure that I don t mar the surface of the brake pads. 23. Replace the front fender. If the brake line was clipped into the fender.clip it back in place. Use an 8mm socket to bolt the fender back onto the white fender mounts.

24. Take the bike off of the front stand, pump up the front brakes until there s pressure. Then, with the front brakes on, bounce the front end up and down work the suspension. This gets the front forks spaced correctly. Using a 12mm socket, tighten the front pinch bolts - on both fork legs and torque to 19 Nm (169 in-lbs). As you can see, I re-used this picture. Make sure you torque all four of the pinch bolts. Again: Note: Riding or doing ANY work on your Ducati can result in your skittering along the ground resulting in injuries and/or death. You, the reader alone, are responsible for your life. If, after reading the instructions and looking at your bike, you feel uncomfortable doing this job don t do it. Take your bike to a professional mechanic for the job to be done right. If you decide to do the job yourself; you are responsible for the results not DesmoNorthwest.com, anyone associated with DesmoNorthwest.com, or the author of this article. You are a member of www. DesmoNorthwest.com If you re uncomfortable doing work like this but would like to learn, post on www. DesmoNorthwest.com looking for someone who can work with you on this, and other, projects. That s one of the things that www. DesmoNorthwest.com is there for. Mark Buckelew