2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark Maintenance Schedule
The 2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark maintenance schedule and service intervals — sourced from the owner’s manual.
This applies to these models:
- 2015 Ducati Monster 821 Dark
- 2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark
You’ll find the service intervals and general maintenance very similar (if not identical) to other Ducati motorcycles with the 821 motor, like the Hyperstrada 821.
Tools you may need to maintain your motorcycle
To maintain your motorcycle you need to make sure you have the best oil and other consumables, motorcycle-specific tools, and other tools for your workshop.
Below we’ve listed:
- The most essential motorcycle tools for everyday maintenance
- General workshop tools (sockets, pliers, wrenches etc.) for motorcycles and other use
What you need to maintain the Ducati Monster 821 Dark
The following is a list of consumables (things like oil, spark plugs etc.) you need to maintain the Ducati Monster 821.
| Oil | Ducati recommends Shell Advance Ultra motorcycle oil. You need 3.7L for a complete oil change. It’s hard to find and expensive so people suggest Mobil 1 Synthetic. A lot of Ducati owners use Shell Rotella T4 for everything from street use to racing. |
| Oil filter | Genuine Ducati part is 44440037A. I’d suggest removing that and using a K&N KN-153 oil filter which can be changed with a normal wrench. |
| Brake fluid, Clutch fluid | Ducati recommends Shell Advance DOT 4, but that’s quite hard to find, so Castrol DOT 4 Synthetic is a good and very high-quality alternative. |
| Coolant | Ducati recommends Shell Advance Coolant or a 35-40% mix of Glycoshell, a Nitrite, Amine, and Phosphate-free coolant. This is quite hard to find. But any ethylene glycol-based coolant will do the job. |
| Timing belt | Is it time to change the timing belt? Don’t put it off… a broken timing belt will cost you a lot! You need part number 73740252A (and you need two). |
| Front brake pads | Standard brake pads code is 61341021A. You can also use EBC FA630HH for more bite/feel. |
| Rear brake pads | Use original part number 61340951A, EBC part number FA266HH for more bite/feel (and availability online) |
| Spark plugs | NGK code MAR9A-J. Note they’re sold individually (and you have two cylinders). |
| Air filter | The part number for the air filter is 42610191A. You can also use K&N DU-1006. |
You may also need the following general consumables to maintain your Monster 821 Dark.
| Product | Thumbnail | Description |
| Chain lubricant |  | The chain needs to be lubricated every 800 km/500 miles (or more, if it gets wet/dirty). Motul chain paste is cheap and well-loved. |
| Chain cleaner brush |  | A chain cleaner brush makes cleaning off grime and then distributing new lubricant much more easy. |
| Paddock stand |  | Lubricating the chain and changing the oil both become a lot easier once you use an affordable paddock stand. |
| Cable lubricant |  | Remember to lubricate your clutch cable (and brake cables if you have them) with a cable lubricant. Protect All Cable Life is a good general-purpose lubricant. |
| Grease |  | Get a good lithium soap based grease for lubricating major components like your side stand, centre stand, and bearings. |
Regular maintenance for the 2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark
This is maintenance that you can do yourself (though the manual says you need a dealer to do it).
Every 1000 km/600 miles miles OR 6 months (whichever comes earlier, perform the following maintenance:
| Check engine oil level |
| Check brake fluid level |
| Check tyre pressure and wear |
| Check the drive chain tension and lubrication |
| Check brake pads. If necessary, contact your dealer to replace pads |
2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark Maintenance Schedule Table
The following is the list of maintenance operations and to be done on this motorcycle with a distance or time interval — whichever comes earlier.
This maintenance schedule is in the same format as in the manual, though altered to fit this screen.
The distances and times are mentioned below. Whenever the first of either the time or distance interval is reached, the maintenance is required.
In case of off-road use, it is necessary to perform the maintenance operations more frequently than scheduled.
| Km. x1000 | 1 | 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | Time |
| mi. x1,000 | 0.6 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 36 | (months) |
| Reading of the error memory with DDS and check of
software version update on control units | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check the presence of any technical updates and recall
campaigns | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Change engine oil and filter | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Clean the engine oil mesh filter assembly | • | • | • | – | ||
| Check and/or adjust valve clearance | • | • | – | |||
| Change timing belts | • | • | 60 | |||
| Change spark plugs | • | • | • | • | – | |
| Clean air filter | • | • | – | |||
| Change air filter | • | • | – | |||
| Check brake fluid level | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Change brake fluid | 36 | |||||
| Check brake disc and pad wear. Change, if necessary | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check the proper tightening of brake calliper bolts and
brake disc flange screws | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check front and rear wheel nuts tightening | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check frame-to-engine fasteners tightening | • | • | • | • | – | |
| Check wheel hub bearings | • | • | – | |||
| Check and lubricate the rear wheel shaft | • | • | – | |||
| Check the cush drive damper on rear sprocket | • | • | – | |||
| Check the proper tightening of final drive front and rear
sprocket nuts | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check final drive (chain, front and rear sprocket) and sliding
shoe wear | • | • | • | • | 12 | |
| Check final drive chain tension and lubrication | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check steering bearings and lubricate, if necessary | • | • | – | |||
| Change front fork fluid | • | • | – | |||
| Visually check the front fork and rear shock absorber seals | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check the freedom of movement and tightening of the
side and central stand (if any) | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Visually check the fuel lines | • | • | • | • | 12 | |
| Check rubbing points, clearance, freedom of movement
and positioning of hoses and electric wiring in view | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Lubricate the levers at the handlebar and pedal controls | • | • | • | • | 12 | |
| Change coolant | • | 48 | ||||
| Check the coolant level and check circuit for damage | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check tyre pressure and wear | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check the battery charge level | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check the operation of the safety electrical devices (side
stand sensor, front and rear brake switches, engine stop switch, gear/neutral sensor) | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Check lighting, turn indicators, horn and controls | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Reset the Service indication through the DDS | • | • | • | • | • | – |
| Final test and road test of the motorcycle, testing safety
devices (ex. ABS and DTC), electric fans and idling | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Softly clean the motorcycle | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
| Fill out that the service was performed in on-board documentation
(Service Booklet) | • | • | • | • | • | 12 |
General Information on the 2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark
The Ducati Monster 821 Dark weighs only 205.5 Kg and is powered by a 821 cc, Testastretta, 11° L-twin, liquid cooled engine with 4 Desmodromically actuated valves per cylinder. The engine delivers a maximum output of 82.4 KW (112 Hp) at 9,250 rpm and 89.4 Nm (65.8 Lb-Ft) of torque at 7,750 Rpm.
2015-2016 Ducati Monster 821 Dark Owner’s Manual
The above info was sourced from the owner’s manual. You can download it below. You can download it from the Ducati website here.
