Ducati Multistrada 1200 DVT Timing Belt Replacement / Position Reset

Replacing timing belts on a Multi 1200 DVT, with general rambling about the DVT set up, learning things I didn't know, how to undo it when you mess it up and get it back in the right place, etc.
I forgot to film myself actually removing and refitting the belts - when I'm doing these videos on customer bikes while working on them I often get ahead of myself and then don't have the time to go back and redo.
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I'm curious to know why people give my videos a thumbs down. I have no issue with people thinking I'm an idiot (don't even need to leave the house to get that), so if you're going to give it a thumbs down for something I can change, leave a comment to that effect. Always trying to improve.

[@rolandsmith2141]

Thanks for the heads up on this ......I'm about to do my belts so this vids very helpful so thanks for taking the time.

[@Eric-zq3vl]

GREAT video, thanks mate

[@stabes70]

Hi Brad Great video & thanks for posting. It would seem just rotating to 270 degrees from his TDC & back whilst doing the valve clearances is the way to go

[@vinclario3604]

I'm contemplating getting a first gen multistrada, but my (authorized) mechanic isn't too fond of the intervals for changing these. Insightful video.

[@bradthebikeboy]

first gen are same as 1198. pretty easy, apart from the pulling apart anyway.

[@superdave99]

The timing shaft gear will be in phase only once every 7 rotations of the crankshaft due to the difference in diameter of said gear versus the diameter of the camshaft actuator drive gears. There is a special tool that Ducati makes that will when used will eliminate any timing errors. (one tool is for the Multi DVT engines and another is for the XDiavel 1260 engines)

[@jameswrigley3296]

God I'm glad i got the standard (non DVT) 1200 Multi. That vertical access looks horrendous

[@turbobike749]

They are definitely confusing if you get lost in the correct TDC department. I had done the Ducati training and knew that there was only one correct TDC every 20 -40 or so crank revolutions to make those cam pulley dots line up with the head surface. There is a nylon tool that goes over the dual pulley, and the three bolts that pass through the tool will only be able to be fitted on the correct TDC stroke. So when the time came to fit cambelts on a XDIAVEL DVT engine I fixed the gearbox in,even with the nylon tool I was still half a tooth or so out..... After being totally confused for a while and triple checking everything etc,,, I found out the 1200cc and 1260cc bikes run a different dual pulley nylon alignment tool. Can be a trap for sure. Good video mate cheers.

[@bradthebikeboy]

yeah. i figured it didn't need to be that complicated, but i can see now that it does and doesn't - certainly from a factory procedure standpoint it's a complicated nightmare to make sure anyone can follow the manual and not mess it up. but i figured the cams had to be in the same place every tdc firing, it was the tdc overlap offset that i wasn't expecting.

[@joesmith9224]

You’re saying that getting true TDC is extremely critical to replace timing belts on an XDiavel? I’m considering doing mine but not finding a lot of technical data for the XDiavel.

[@danielwoodhouse1870]

Brilliant thanks

[@robertdean905]

Is it okay to rotate the engine backward? This way you can mark the belts before removing and rotate the a maximum of 270 degrees forward and backwards so you don't loose the marks (while doing valve clearance)?

[@bradthebikeboy]

of course.

[@bartthomas2895]

I think I did the same thing. Used Horiz exhaust tdc instead of firing. Bike won’t start. I’ll let you know how setting it up on the other horiz tdc works out.

[@bradthebikeboy]

hmmm, i wouldn't expect it to be that far off to have it not start from what i was seeing, and if it won't start i'd be worried about something else. they are a pita arse for sure, because you can't just go to tdc firing and set it up.

[@bartthomas2895]

I rechecked the horiz tdc and the marks were not lined up on the head line. Maybe I didn’t keep tension on the belt and start at the fixed tensioner side first. After resetting the cams and double checking them, now it runs!

[@bradthebikeboy]

@@bartthomas2895 cool. always a woohoo! when they fire. maybe it was the cam sensors not getting triggered when they expected to. if the cams are half a tooth off ish then that'd be 15 degrees or so? forget how many teeth are on the pullies now. you wouldn't think that'd be enough to confuse it, but maybe enough to make just it say no. i didn't try firing the one i was doing.

[@superdave99]

And be careful with 2018 and up models - the clutch cover timing alignment mark is still there but no longer relevant - the timing must be done with the special tool due to this or be prepared to make your own mark in advance

[@garethmayfield4014]

the engine will not turn over by hand if it is not perfect due to the valves hitting the cylinder. that's how I do a double check. Also remove the plastic plug that you have wedge in the spark plug hole to stop debris falling down. The compression feels like a valve touching. That had me scratching my head for a while.

[@bradthebikeboy]

you've completely missed the point of this video. this is about the apparant variation in timing shaft position between the two tdc positions on the dvt engines.

[@garethmayfield4014]

@@bradthebikeboy I was just pointing out that a good check to make sure you haven’t made the mistake of getting the wrong TDC like both of us did. Is to spin the engine over by hand . If you have the wrong TDC. It will not turn over due to the valves hitting the piston. Can also save a lot of work and expense if you start it with the wrong TDC.

[@bradthebikeboy]

@@garethmayfield4014 the valves did not hit the piston when set up at "the wrong tdc". the engine turned over just fine. the dots just looked a little off. i am able to recognise valves hitting the piston as an obvious problem.

[@sufeeb]

I'll trade mine in before the belt change!!

[@bradthebikeboy]

just a wee bit overly melodramatic. it's really not a big issue.

[@mrpeter9758]

For valve clearance adjustment and belt replacement better to remove the engine of the bike put on the work bench and you can work easily on it. Maybe take a little extra time but you can see properly what you doing and you can access better for difficult areas. The spark plug cable which came of hard better to replace it because more than likely got cracked and that can cause misfire.

[@bradthebikeboy]

a little extra time? have you pulled the engine out of one of these turds? no customer is going to pay you to do something no other workshop does. really not that hard. annoying, yes, but not pull the engine hard.

[@mrpeter9758]

@@bradthebikeboy You right people are not going to pay for extra job but I talking about that if someone working on its own bike and time is not count. I have the same bike with just under 60k kms and I getting ready for the 2nd desmo service.

[@mrpeter9758]

@@bradthebikeboy Hi. It is possible or needs to lock the cam pulleys before removing the belt? Before dvt model have a slot in the cam or pulley but nothing on this. Thanks!

[@bradthebikeboy]

@@mrpeter9758 i've not seen tools to lock the cams together, but you could probably make something if it made you feel better.

[@hordboy]

Thanks, Ducati, for making things weird. Lol

[@bradthebikeboy]

you should read the manual about it - it's a full scale melodrama. my point of the video was to simplify it all, as i figured tdc is tdc. turns out i was wrong - it's only tdc half the time, but with the crank locking tool it's pretty easy to know if you're right or wrong. but when i was doing it and it was not right i was thinking "what sort of mess have i got myself into now!" worked out ok in the end.

[@hordboy]

I just wonder what the whole reason is for going away from a simple 2:1 ratio is? I’m not smart enough to figure that out.

[@bradthebikeboy]

@@hordboy space. the cam pullies are too large to fit one of the same size at the timing shaft.

[@PatrickBaiao]

which app did you use?

[@bradthebikeboy]

n-Track Tuner, Easy Tension are the two i use most often

[@tobanhoffmann8347]

let us now proceed

[@xyesman5519]

Short version: DVT? Thanks but no

[@Desmo4268]

Who the f*** let this guy loose on a Ducati?

[@bradthebikeboy]

the bikeboy does as the bikeboy desires. well, until my wife tells me to stop anyway. we can blame her.