Ducati E900 Won't Fire

[mikec8785]

Hi,
My dad and I are working on a 1994 Ducati E900. The guy we bought it from had crashed it and the front was smashed. We have just started working on it. We replaced the battery and spark plugs, and cleaned the air filter (there was a huge wasps' nest there).

We just tried to start it up, but it won't. We can hear the starter working and at points it sounds like it's just about to fire, but it won't. We've tried using starter fluid, but no luck. My dad has taken off the air intake and everything so he can see the carbs and see what the problem is. Until then I thought I'd search around for info. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[niterider]

You need to check for spark at the plugs. You can remove a plug and ground it to the engine and while turning the engine see if there is a spark at the spark plug.

[mikec8785]

We finally got it running. I think there was a problem with the choke. However, it took a really long time for it to be able to just sit there and idle. We had to keep hitting the electric start. Also, when it would finally idle it would backfire a lot. What can I do to fix these problems?

[niterider]

I was reading on another forum that back firing is caused from lean fuel mixture. The carbs probably need to be run and hopefully they will clean out some. You may try some fuel treatment in the tank.

[Mintbread]

How long was the bike sitting there after the crash? You mentioned a wasp nest in the air filter, so I guess it has been a while. Old fuel could be the problem too. If you haven't already, drain the tank and flush all the fuel lines and give the carbs a once over.

[mikec8785]

This is probably a stupid question, but I am just getting into motorcycles, although my dad has been riding and working on them since his teenage years. How would I go about flushing the system? Are there any things that you would suggest doing while I have all the fairings off and the bike is just frame and parts right now?

[niterider]

What i did to mine. I removed the fuel tank and the petcock and disassemled the petcock. Made sure that the screens were clean and that every thing looked right. Blow out the tank with compressed air. Also check for water in the carbs by removing the drain screws from the bottom of the carbs. On most newer bikes the petcock, on and off, is controlled by the engine vacuum in the intake. I hope this helps.