Have you carried out the oil change, valve clearance check or engine overhaul too early or too late? Hobby, amateur or professional? The stress of the cross and enduro machines is completely different due to the numerous differing riding abilities, so that the mechanical and thermal loads for the respective vehicle cannot actually be generalized, as has always been the case in practice so far. Here you burned too much money too early or were simply too late and thus unnecessarily increased the wear and tear. Not to mention the preservation of the warranty, if any.
Ducati has introduced an adequate countermeasure: the Intelligent Maintenance Program. How does it work? An algorithm determines the maintenance intervals based on the actual intensity of use of the motorcycle. All you need is a free Ducati software update and the X-Link app to check the maintenance appointments in real time.
Of course, this development is no coincidence, as it has already been successfully used in the Superbike World Championship and MotoGP. The engine load index of your Ducati Desmo450 MX or ESD (Enduro) is determined based on the operating parameters and conditions of use. The nature of the terrain is also taken into account in order to continuously adjust the wear value of the engine. Based on this experience, the maintenance schedules are dynamically adjusted in the Ducati X-Link app.
In clear word, this means fewer maintenance units for the hobby rider for the same vehicle, while the professional has to do it much more often. All in all, the hobby rider experiences fewer financial burdens due to unnecessary service work, while the professional has to submit to maintenance more often, but virtually eliminates the defect witch in racing.
Ducati specifies that the maintenance interval for the MID service, which includes the replacement of the piston and the checking of the valve clearance, can vary between 45 and 60 hours of operation. A complete engine overhaul, referred to as Full Service at Ducati, can therefore take between 90 and 120 hours of operation.
Interesting thing. Now this system only has to prove in practice that it can both reduce costs and definitively eliminate the defect witch.
Source / Pictures: DUCATI
