[motomartin11]

Sorry I know there's been a lot said on this subject before. Before I bought my bike I gained a load of useful info from the PO who sent me pics of the cam belts which appeared nearly new. From looking at the history of my bike it doesn't appear to have done many miles at all-3000 miles according to the old MOT's since 2004!The dilemma for me is therefore this: as I don't know how old the belts are (even though they look almost new) or when they were last changed is it best for me to play safe and replace then to remove all doubt? If so do I do the job myself ? I'd say I'm a reasonably experienced owner /rider of many years(but little Ducati experience) and not fully confident to carry out a job which could completely wreck the engine if I get it wrong! I've had a look at some previous posts and Youtube guides-what I'm not clear on is do you actually have to lock the engine to change the belts or does it just have to be in the correct position as per the timing marks? Also I see that the pulleys can move after the belt tension is taken off / belts removed-does this matter as long as the timing marks are put back to the correct positions when fitting the new belts. I also see that there can be difficulty getting the pulley back in the exact correct position due to the effect of the desmodromic valve mechanism.Many thanks in anticpation.