Ducati 888 servicing
1992 to 1994 · 888cc liquid-cooled Desmoquattro V-twin · Greenwich, London
Ray Petty Meccanica looks after the Ducati 888 in all its forms, from the SP4, SPS and SP5 homologation bikes to the Strada and the American SPO (1992 to 1994), at its independent Ducati workshop in Greenwich, London. Its sixteen Desmo valve clearances, cam belts and injection set-up are what RPM concentrates on, along with the clutch and forks that age first.
About the 888
The 888 was named after the engine already used in the 851 SP2 and SP3, bored from 92mm to 94mm. For 1992 Ducati sold the limited SP4 and SPS alongside the 851 Strada. In 1993 came the SP5, a 500-bike run and the last of the Sport Production homologation specials, and the 888 Strada replaced the 851 Strada, with a Showa upside-down fork and Öhlins shock. The SP5 could not be made road legal in America, so US buyers got the SPO, closer in specification to the European Strada. The 1994 Strada changed mainly in its decals, and the final 888s had bronze-painted wheels. Doug Polen won the 1991 and 1992 World Superbike titles on 888s, and the 916 then took over as Ducati's superbike.
Servicing your 888
Each of the 888's eight valves is opened and closed by its own pair of rockers, so a Desmo service means measuring and shimming sixteen clearances, with the toothed cam belts renewed at the same time. Fuel and ignition are run by a Weber-Marelli IAW system whose map is stored on an EPROM chip, so a bike with aftermarket exhausts may also carry a non-standard chip. Footman James's dealer advice for the 851 and 888 is to check for leaking fork seals and a worn dry clutch, and to let the engine warm up properly before riding hard. Thinking of buying one? RPM can inspect it first, and on a bike you own it works from one end to the other, then calls you with what it found.
Book your 888 in
Tell us what it needs, or how long it's been off the road, and we'll take it from there.
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Saturday: 10am to 5pm
Sunday and Monday: closed