Cam belt tensioning

I recently bought an 03 Ducati Monster 1000 (dual spark motor) and while doing my usual post purchase maintenance (all the stuff the PO doesn't tell you) I came to replacing the cam belts. Ducati belts are due for replacement at 2 years or 20,000 kms and due to a complete lack of any maintenance record it's a given that you replace them. It's very simple to do except with this new fangled motor they want the belts tensioned to a frequency, you pluck the belt while holding a frequency reader / microphone by it and set the belt tension to 110 Hz! My favourite tool, the hammer, is feeling left out of the proceedings.

If you want entertainment there are You tube videos from California Cycleworks (very useful really) demonstrating this wonderful idea, luckily for me there are also people who use shims instead of frequency tuning for setting the tension (thank you LT Snyder from Desmo Times).
Anyway, my question really is; is this a Ducati idea to boost the dealers maintenance coffers or do other automotive designs require frequency tuning to set belt tension?
Whats wrong with the old twist the belt 90 or 45 degrees?

Signed; slightly bemused shade tree mechanic.

I wonder if you could use a guitar tuner for this? I've used the guitar tuner app on my phone to adjust the tension of bicycle spokes...

http://www.ducatisuite.com/belttension.html

Its pretty widely accepted that you can do the 2 valve belts with the allen wrench method. I did it with my 4v testastretta evolutzione and I found it to seem a little less accurate, because on my motor you dont run the wrench between the tensioner puley and the belt. IMHO with a 2v do the wrench method, 4v get a guitar tuner or rent the tool from ducatitolrental.com. I think with a tuner its a "C" but dont quote me on that. Next time I do my valves and belts ill rent the tool and report back how accurate the 4v wrench pull method works.

I was all sorts of impressed when I heard about using an allen wrench. (it's worked for me for years now)

I'm a different sort of impressed to hear about tuning forks!

Lots of info on Ducati.ms, probably too much. LT is the man. Belts from CA too.

I use the 10lb pull with a fish scale to a 5 mm clearance to the engine case between the cam sprockets. Tried a guitar tuner app but it was not working for me.

Done the twist method too, I feel that since its a motorcycle not a Nasa project or a Ferarri. its close enough. Then I went for a ride.

65 k on my 620. I am on my fourth set of belts. Allen wrench method. Said the back cylinder a little tighter as it seems to expand more from additional heat. Comparing the front and rear on a warm motor will verify this.

I've used the app 'gStrings' on my android phone to tune the belts on the 916 @ 110hz. Continental Tires has another app 'tension2go', that others have used.

John

thanks guys, sort of assures me I'm not a complete whack job, I've used the fish scale method on my earlier SS but looks like it will be the allen keys / shim methods on the monster. I have belts arriving today hopefully so I should get to have a play tonight.
I would be interested in any comments on using the frequency method, as others have said there are plenty of free apps for phones but watching Chris at Cycleworks setting to that method had me wondering how easy it would be to get it wrong. I would have thought that a screw adjustment to the pulley tension would have made the setting easier rather than the "loosen the bolts and give it a tweak method".

I have always used the Allen method. Never had any problems.

My advice is to take a picture of the orientation of the tensioners and belts, noting the timing marks. Some people let the tensioner drop down and when they put on new belts the tighten it up upside down (swinging it down and over instead of up and over). That can lead to the belt being too close to itself at the rollers. You will notice if that happens. Also note that sometimes one of the cams will move a little and you will need to move it back to where the timing mark was before to set it correctly. This can be done by hand unless you are of very delicate build ;-)

There is a 6mm threaded hole to hold the cams indexed on my 02 620
Just remember to remove the bolt!

I think its a great method for setting tension. Just download "frequensee' app on to your smart phone and pluck away.

I always set the rear (vertical) cylinder 1mm looser for that very reason, leave more room for the expansion. There have been some oil-thread length discussions on the Monster list about the rocket science some guys feel this procedure should include.