Ducati Monster 659 Gen 1 (2012-2016, including ABS) Maintenance Schedule

The Ducati Monster 659 Gen 1 maintenance schedule and service intervals — sourced from the owner’s manual.

The Ducati Monster 659 is a learner-legal version of the Ducati Monster 696 — essentially the same bike but with a reduced capacity and lower tuned engine.

It’s actually essentially the same bike, but the cylinder stroke is reduced so that it conforms with maximum capacity limits of some markets (where it has to be under 659cc).

The first-gen Monster 659 is based on an air-cooled 2-valve Desmodromic L-twin with modest displacement of 659cc, thanks to its reduced stroke of 54.2mm (down from 57.2mm) with a 10.7:1 compression ratio. It makes claimed peak power of 38 kW (51 hp) @ 8250 rpm.

The maintenance and parts are the same for all years of Ducati Monster 659 from 2012 to 2016, when the 659 was briefly discontinued, then re-introduced as the 2018+ Gen 2 Ducati Monster 659, but based on the Ducati Monster 797.

The service intervals are very similar to those of the Ducati Monster 796, which was the same engine but with a longer stroke, giving it 803cc displacement.

2013-2014-2015-2016-Ducati-Monster-659-white
2012-2016 Ducati Monster 659. Note the under-tail exhausts

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Ducati Monster 659 Service Intervals

The Ducati Monster 659, like the 696 that is its bigger sibling, has 12000 km / 7500 mile or annual service intervals.

At every service, change the engine oil and filter, and do a standard service (see the list below).

Also, every 7500 miles / 12000 km (regardless of time passed), do a valve service and check the timing belt tension. You also need to replace the timing belts every 2 years, regardless of distance.

Finally, while the 659 doesn’t have coolant, it does have clutch fluid as well as brake fluid. Both need to be replaced every three years, along with the fork fluid.

What you need to maintain the Ducati Monster 659 (gen 1)

Don’t be intimidated about maintaining your Monster 659. It’s just a two-cylinder naked bike — everything’s there for you to do!

So aside from some basic motorcycle maintenance tools, here’s what you need to maintain your Monster 659.

A lot of the below is similar to the Ducati Monster 696.

PartDucati Monster 659 spec
Engine oilDucati recommends Shell Advance motorcycle oil. It’s hard to find, expensive, and not necessary, so most users suggest other JASO MA-rated 15W-50 or 10W-40 high-grade oils, e.g. Mobil 1 15W-50, or Shell Rotella T6 — controversial as it’s a “diesel oil”, but it’s JASO MA rated… used by a lot of Ducati fans — check the forums.
Oil filterGenuine Ducati part is 44440038A the Ducati Monster 696 Gen 1, as with many other air-cooled Ducati motorcycles. I’d suggest removing that and using a Hiflofiltro HF153RC oil filter which can be changed with a normal wrench.
Brake & Clutch fluidDucati 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.
Timing beltIs 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.
Front brake padsUse EBC FA244HH double-hardened pads, a popular upgrade for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure.
Rear brake padsUse EBC FA266HH double-hardened pads, matching the front pads, for more bite and less fade as you apply pressure.
Air filterOEM part for the air filter is 42610191A. You can also use K&N air filter part DU-6908.
Spark plugsNGK code DCPR8E. Note they’re sold individually.
GreaseUse lithium soap-based grease for external pivot points and bearings.
Consumables for Ducati Monster 659 Maintenance

Regular maintenance for the Ducati Monster 659

Maintaining your Ducati Monster 659 is similar to maintaining other air-cooled Monsters, like the Monster 696 on which it’s based. You have valve service every 7.5K mi (12K km), and expect to have to make some changes to the shims.

Aside from that, keep the bolts tightened, the chain lubed, the liquids fresh, and a Monster will last a long time. Of course, as the 659 is a common beginner bike, it might be slightly crashed.

Every 1 000 km / 600 miles OR 6 months (whichever comes earlier), perform the following maintenance:

Monster 659 — Regular maintenance
Checking the engine oil level (use a high-grade synthetic oil, e.g. Mobil 1 15W-50)
Check the brake and clutch fluid levels (use Castrol DOT 4)
Check tyre pressure and wear
Check the drive chain tension and lubrication (maintain with a Motul chain care kit)
Check the brake pads. If necessary, contact your dealer to renew pads
Ducati Monster 659 regular maintenance

Ducati Monster 659 Maintenance Schedule Table

The following is the list of maintenance operations and to be done on this motorcycle with a distance or time interval. Do the service as the earlier of the two intervals (time or distance) arrives.

km x 10001224364860
mi x 10007.51522.53037.5
Months1224364860
Perform standard annual service (see below)
Change the engine oil (Mobil 1 15W-50)
Change the engine oil filter (HF153RC)
Clean the engine oil pick-up filter
Check the engine oil pressure
Check/adjust the valve clearances (1)
Check the tension of the timing belts (1)
Replace the timing belts (73740242A)
Check and clean the spark plugs. Renew if necessary (NGK DCPR8E)
Check and clean the air filter (1)
Change the air filter (DU-6908)
Check throttle body synchronisation and idle speed setting (1)
Change the clutch and brake fluid
Check the steering head bearings
Check the clutch disc pack. Renew if necessary (1)
Check the rear wheel cush drive
Check the wheel hub bearings
Change the front fork oil
Ducati Monster 659 — Maintenance schedule

Standard Annual Service

Below is a table of the standard annual service items, to be done according to the schedule above.

Ducati Monster 659 — Standard Annual Service Items
Check the brake and clutch fluid levels
Check and adjust the brake and clutch control cables
Check/lubricate the throttle/choke cables
Check tyre pressure and wear
Check the brake pads. Renew if necessary (2 x FA244HH, 1 x FA266HH)
Check the drive chain tension, alignment and lubrication (maintain with a Motul chain care kit)
Check the indicators and lighting
Check tightness of nuts and bolts securing the engine to the frame
Check the side stand
Check tightness of the front wheel axle nut
Check tightness of the rear wheel axle nut
Check the external fuel hoses
Check the forks and rear shock absorber for oil leaks
Check the front sprocket retaining bolts
General lubrication and greasing (use lithium soap-based grease)
Check and recharge the battery
Road test the motorcycle
General cleaning
Monster 659 standard annual service

About the Ducati Monster 659 (gen 1)

The name pretty much says it all in terms of capacity… but the little Monster punches above its weight.

The Ducati Monster 659 is a low-capacity learner-legal (and learner-friendly) motorcycle intended for markets like Australia and New Zealand, where there is (in most states of Australia) a capacity limit on learner-legal bikes of 660cc.

The Monster 659 is almost identical to the Monster 696. And that’s a great thing! The 659 has a 659cc (shock) L-twin that’s almost the same as that in the 696, but with the stroke reduced by a few mm in each piston. It’s also detuned at the intake and ECU, and makes an approachable 38 kW (50 hp) at peak, and thanks to its tuning for low down torque, makes for quite an engaging ride.

Apart from that, it’s the same as the 696. Same brakes, same suspension, same high build quality, and same Monster sound — especially when unlocked with a set of aftermarket pipes.

In fact, many users of the 659 de-restrict their motorcycles to make all the power available. It’s a good way of getting 50% more power out of it — though watch out as you might get caught out in a regulatory limbo zone if it’s not re-registered as a full-power bike, even if you have the right license.

The Monster 659 retains a lot of the styling characteristics that the old Monsters have. It still has a prominent trellis frame. In this first gen incarnation, the Monster 659 has a squarer trellis frame that’s more like the old school Monsters (later Monsters reduced the prominence of the frame, until it was finally eliminated in the new Ducati Monster 2021 with the 937cc engine).

However, the Monster 659 has a few modern (for the time) touches, including the LCD dash, the more “streetfighter” headlight (not just a round circle like on the vintage bikes), and high exhausts. It also lacks the single-sided swingarm of its bigger siblings — but the 696 lacked it, too.

Ducati Monster 696 front view with different headliht, swingarm, and exhausts
Ducati Monster 696, which looks identical to the 659

The first-gen Ducati Monster 659 was discontinued after 2016 and didn’t get an immediate replacement.

But Ducati released the 2nd gen Ducati Monster 659 in 2018 — this time based on the Monster 797. It looked more modern, and has a side exhaust rather than under-the-tail pipes (boo!), though had similar power specs.

Ducati Monster 659 (gen 1) Owner’s Manual

The above info was sourced from the owner’s manual for the Ducati Monster 659, also consulting parts references and other guides.

See the screenshot below for a reference.

You can download it from the Ducati website here.

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