[Ducati] 95 900SS still not starting -- ignition problems continue

[Chris Waltham]

Hi guys,

Last week, my bike wouldn't start -- I'd turn the key and get lights
on the dash, but as soon as I hit the starter button the lights would
instantly go out and the bike wouldn't even crank.

I figured it was a fluke, as it seemed that the battery terminals
weren't making good contact with the leads feeding the electrical
system on the bike. I re-connected the leads to the terminals, and off
I went. The next day though, on the ride home, the bike dropped onto
one cylinder.

As I mentioned in a previous post, only the rear spark plug was
firing. Strangely, the front spark plug would fire once when you
turned the ignition to "On", but if you hit the starter button it
wouldn't fire at all. I called my local Ducati shop and they suggested
swapping the ignition modules left & right -- if the problem switched
from the front plug not firing to the rear plug not firing, then I had
a bad module. If not, maybe a bad pickup. So, I swapped the module,
and the problem swapped with it -- so, bad module.

One thing I did notice on the bike is that, just above the coils
(which are still fine, I hope!) is a big sticker saying "WARNING: Do
not disconnect battery leads when engine is running!". That got me
thinking -- it's probably exactly what happened, i.e. I would have
been riding home and the battery lead might have worked its way loose
(again) for a second. Would this have the capability to fry the
ignition module? Would that be what the sticker is warning against?

Anyway, I got a replacement module from Mark from Wounded Duc and
threw it on the bike this morning. I connected everything back up
(including a much better system for securing the battery terminals),
and the bike STILL wouldn't start. This time, though, it sounded a lot
healthier when it was cranking -- it sounded like both cylinders were
firing, which is different to how it sounded before I'd swapped in the
replacement ignition module (i.e. when it was only starting on one
cylinder). The bike did backfire once, and I could smell gas; so I'm
sure it was getting fuel.

I tried starting it with the choke on and off, and with giving it a
little throttle and not giving it any -- but no dice. It seemed to be
cranking at the correct speed, so I don't think the battery is flat.
Any ideas on what it could be? I had to go to work in a hurry so I
didn't get time to see if both plugs were actually firing this time...

FWIW the replacement ignition module I got from Mark was from the same
model 900SS, so it should have the same ignition curve.

Thanks guys,


Chris