Ducati Monster 797 (2017-2020, including +) Maintenance Schedule
This is the Ducati Monster 797 maintenance schedule and associated service intervals — sourced from the owner’s manual, and verified with service manuals and parts diagrams.
This maintenance schedule is for the 2017-2020 models of Ducati Monster 797 and 797+. They were the same, just with some cosmetic differences (the 797+ has a pillion seat cover and a fly screen).
The Ducati Monster 797 shares an 803cc 2-valve SOHC air-cooled L-twin platform that has been in use for over a decade (first in the Ducati Monster 800 and S2R 800, and also used in the Ducati Scrambler 800).
The Ducati Monster 797 didn’t been changed since its release, until it was discontinued. It’s a simpler Ducati Monster — without most electronics or even water cooling — and so kind of a “retro” release.
This post was originally published May 12, 2020, but has since been revamped.
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Ducati Monster 797 Service Intervals
As an air/oil-cooled 2-valve Desmodromic motorcycle, the Ducati Monster 797 follows the same maintenance schedule for similar period Desmo motors, with 7500 mile / 12000 km or annual service intervals for the oil and filter.
Every 7500 miles / 12000 km (though not annually), you also have to check the valve clearances and also check the timing belt tension and condition.
Ducati also says you need to periodically replace the timing belts — every 5 years. Luckily this isn’t a terribly difficult job, but you do need to make sure you don’t throw the alignment out.
Ducati also recommends replacing the fork fluid periodically.
Things you need to maintain the Ducati Monster 797
The Ducati Monster thankfully has a double-sided swing-arm. As cool as the single one looks, it always makes servicing a little hairy unless you have exactly the right tools (and really trust them!)
Firstly, you may need the following tools to service the Ducati Monster 797: Essential Motorcycle maintenance Tools.
| Engine oil | Ducati recommends Shell Advance Ultra motorcycle oil for all its motorcycles, or alternatively “motorcycle engine oil having the same degree SAE 15W-50 and meeting the following specifications JASO: MA2 and API: SM”. Mobil 1 15W-50, a high-grade synthetic, is a good option. |
| Oil filter | Genuine Ducati part is 44440038A the Ducati Scrambler. I’d suggest removing that and using a HF153RC 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. A good substitute is Zerex G30 or Motorex M3.0. |
| Timing belt | Is it time to change the timing belt? Don’t put it off… a broken timing belt will cost you a lot (bent valves)! You need part number 73740242A (replacing 73740281A). |
| Front brake pads | OEM part number for the front pads is 61341021A. You can also use EBC FA630HH for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure. |
| Rear brake pads | OEM part number for the rear pads is 61340761A. You can also use EBC FA213HH for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure. |
| Air filter | Air filter part number is 42610191A. You can also use K&N part DU-8015. |
| Spark plugs | NGK code DCPR8E. Note they’re sold individually. |
You also may need the following general consumables for servicing the Monster 797.
| Description |
|---|
| Paddock Stand — Makes maintaining your chain or doing other maintenance much easier. |
| Motul chain paste — one of the most highly-regarded chain lubes. Easy to apply, doesn’t fling off. If you need more stuff, get the Motul chain care kit as an affordable package. |
| Always good to have on hand lithium soap-based grease for lubing external pivot points (like the swingarm) and bearings. |
| Use Protect all cable life to lubricate your cables and controls. |
Regular maintenance for the Ducati Monster 797
This is maintenance that you can do yourself (though the manual says you need a dealer to do it).
Every 1 000 km/ 600 miles OR 6 months (whichever comes earlier), perform the following maintenance:
| Regular checks for the Ducati Monster 797 |
|---|
| Check engine oil level (Mobil 1 15W-50) |
| Check brake fluid level (Castrol DOT 4) |
| Check tyre pressure and wear |
| Check the drive chain tension and lubrication (lube with Motul Chain Paste) |
| Check brake pads, replace as necessary. |
Ducati Monster 797 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.
In case of off-road use, maintain some elements like air filter more frequently.
| Km. x 1000 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mi. x 1000 | 7.5 | 15 | 22.5 | 30 | (months) |
| (Ducati techs) Read 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 (Mobil 1 15W-50, HF153RC) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Clean the engine oil mesh filter assembly | – | ||||
| Check and/or adjust valve clearance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Change timing belts (part 73740242A) | ✓ | ✓ | 60 | ||
| Change spark plugs (NGK code DCPR8E) | ✓ | ✓ | – | ||
| Clean air filter | ✓ | ✓ | – | ||
| Change air filter (K&N part DU-8015) | ✓ | ✓ | – | ||
| Check brake fluid level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Change brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4) | 36 | ||||
| Check brake disc and pad wear. Change, if necessary (see above for part numbers) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 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 |
| Check the free play of clutch lever | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Lubricate the levers at the handlebar and pedal controls | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Check tyre pressure and wear | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Check the battery charge level | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Check secondary air system operation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | – |
| Check the operation of all electric safety devices (side stand sensor, front and rear brake switches, engine kill 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 idling | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Softly clean the motorcycle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
| Fill out that the service was performed in on-board documentation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 12 |
About the Ducati Monster 797
The Ducati Monster 797 was introduced in 2016 and released in 2017. It has been released every year since then, though was replaced in 2021 with the more generically-named Ducati Monster (a.k.a the Ducati Monster 937).
The Ducati Monster 797 is a “heritage”, old-school Ducati Monster. It has a simpler, air-cooled, 2-valve-per-cylinder engine that makes it more accessible than the higher-power water-cooled engines in the bigger and more advanced Monsters.
The engine in the Ducati Monster 797 is the same basic engine as is found in the Ducati Scrambler 800. It’s an 803cc air/oil-cooled L-twin. At peak, it makes 55 kW (75 CV / 74 bhp) at 8250 rpm, and torque of 69 Nm (51 ft-lb) at 5750 rpm.
It’s a willing engine that makes a lot of torque in the midrange where many street-focused riders like to live.
The Monster 797 keeps it simple with respect to motorcycle design. At the time of its release, the other Monsters (and most motorcycles) were all liquid cooled and had advanced electronics and increasingly advanced rider aids (things like cornering ABS for example).
The Ducati Monster 797 eschewed most of that and kept an air/oil-cooled engine with minimal tech — other than ABS (mandated by many markets, and increasingly popular anyway).
The Monster 797 has an LCD dash, so it does have a touch of modernity.
Suspension is via 43mm inverted forks that are non-adjustable, and a monoshock that has adjustable preload and rebound. Braking is via twin 320mm discs and four-piston radial monoblock calipers.
It could also thus be seen as an earlier gen monster like a Monster 800 (which had the same engine block), but with the benefit of advanced fuelling and ABS.
The Ducati Monster 797 is sometimes considered an entry-level Monster in the US, but for Europe / the UK you’d need a restrictor kit to reduce its power output and make it A2 compliant. In Australia and New Zealand, the second-generation Monster 659 was based on the same platform.
Ducati Monster 797 Owner’s Manual
The above info was sourced from the owner’s manual. You can download it from the Ducati website here.
An archive copy of the manual is also below.
