Ducati 848 Maintenance Schedule
The Ducati 848 maintenance schedule — sourced from the owner’s manual. This also applies to the Ducati 848 Evo.
This applies to these models:
- 2008 Ducati 848
- 2009 Ducati 848
- 2010 Ducati 848
- 2011 Ducati 848, Ducati 848 Evo
- 2012 Ducati 848, Ducati 848 Evo
- 2013 Ducati 848, Ducati 848 Evo
The same maintenance schedule applies to the more limited edition models, like the Hayden limited edition and the Corse.
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What you need to maintain the Ducati 848
The following is a list of consumables (things like oil, spark plugs etc.) you need to maintain the Ducati 848.
| Engine 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… check out the forums. |
| 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. 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. |
| Front brake pads | Standard 848: EBC FA244HH for more bite/feel. 848 EVO: EBC FA447HH for more bite/feel. |
| Rear brake pads | Both standard and EVO use the same rear brake. Use original part number 61340381A, EBC part number FA266HH for more bite/feel (and availability online) |
| Spark plugs | NGK code MAR10A-J. Note they’re sold individually. |
You may also need the following general purpose consumables.
| 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 Ducati 848/Evo
This is maintenance that you can do yourself (though the manual says you need a dealer to do it).
Every 600 miles/1000 kms:
- Lubricate the chain and check for play
- Check brake wear levels
- Check fluids including oil, coolant, brake fluid, and clutch fluid
- Check tire tread and depth
These are regular maintenance operations. The owner’s manual has a full guide on how to do it.
Ducati 848 Maintenance Schedule Table
List of operations with type of intervention (distance or time interval – whichever earlier).
This maintenance schedule is in the same format as in the manual, though if it were me I’d re-order it a bit.
The Ducati 848’s service interval every is 12,000 kms or 7,500 miles. At every one of these points, check the table to see what’s due.
| km * 1000 | 1 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 |
| miles * 1000 | 0.6 | 7.5 | 15 | 22.5 | 30 | 37.5 |
| Months | 6 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 |
| Change the engine oil | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Change the engine oil filter | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Clean the engine oil pick-up filter | X | |||||
| Check the engine oil pressure | X | X | ||||
| Check/adjust the valve clearances (1) | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the tension of the timing belts (1) | X | X | X | |||
| Renew the timing belts | X | X | ||||
| Check and clean the spark plugs. Renew if necessary | X | X | ||||
| Check and clean the air filter (1) | X | X | X | |||
| Change the air filter | X | X | ||||
| Check throttle body synchronisation and idle speed setting (1) | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the brake fluid and clutch fluid levels | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Change the clutch fluid and brake fluid | X | |||||
| Check and adjust the brake and clutch control cables | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check/lubricate the throttle/choke cables | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check tyre pressure and wear | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Check the brake pads. Renew if necessary | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Check the steering head bearings | X | X | ||||
| Check the drive chain tension, alignment and lubrication | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| Check the clutch disc pack. Renew if necessary (1) | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the coolant level | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the operation of electric fans and sealing of coolant circuit | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Change the coolant | X | |||||
| Check the rear wheel cush drive | X | X | ||||
| Check the wheel hub bearings | X | X | ||||
| Check the indicators and lighting | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check tightness of nuts and bolts securing the engine to the frame | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the sidestand | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check tightness of the front wheel axle nut | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check tightness of the rear wheel axle nut | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the external fuel hoses | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Change the front fork oil | X | |||||
| Check the forks and rear shock absorber for oil leaks | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check the front sprocket retaining bolts | X | X | X | X | X | |
| General lubrication and greasing | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Check and recharge the battery | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Road test the motorcycle | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| General cleaning | X | X | X | X | X |
General Information on the Ducati 848
The Ducati 848 was the successor to the Ducati 749.
It has an 849cc L-twin 4-valve-per-cylinder engine that’s water cooled.
The engine produces a stomping 92 kW (125 hp) at 10,000 rpm.
Things that disguish the Ducati 848 from its predecessors are
- The single-sided swing-arm — makes the motorcycle look amazing.
- Larger, more powerful engine than the 748cc engine in the 749
- Different looks, reverting to the same aesthetic as the Ducati 917
The Ducati 848 Evo Corse also got traction control and other goodies, but no ABS.
Ducati 848 Owner’s Manual
The above info was sourced from the owner’s manual. You can download it below.
The Ducati 848 Evo and Ducati 848 Evo Corse models had their owns manual, with the same maintenance but different other details. You can get those manuals from Ducati’s web site.
