Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 851 / 888 > 888 questions ...

[jgriff]

You no silly Ains old mate. You can get 8-900hp out of Volkswagon beatle engine. They last about 12 seconds!

[phil_h]

Very interesting stuff here guys.
Here am I with an '89 851SP (*000998*) ex-bot full-ohlins chassis with a 900SS in it, and a 748SPS.
I love both of them for completely different reasons
- the handling on the 851sp chassis is just wonderful and light and the engine is wonderfully grunty but runs out of steam
- the 748 in yellow with full race sticker kit always looks as if it belongs in the pit lane and handles almost as well as the 851 but the engine is just so revvy, and though it is light for a 748/916 type, its still quite heavy.
So I'm looking for an 851/888 strada to try
Greedy ?
Me ?
And why not ?

[philthy]

Originally Posted by TP

god forbid the worst happened I don't have the cash to put your pride and joy back to immaculate condition immediately, or even quickly for that matter. I'd rather not risk it until I'm financial enough to do so because I'd rather not let anyone down.

A sensible view.

A few years ago on a ride with a few mates I was offered a bike swap to do the return trip on a mint T595, which I reluctantly declined for the above reasons.

Breakfast over, ride off, seconds later the T595 and owner went straight across a T juction and into a stone wall. Apparently he shut the throttle but the bike carried on accelarating and was written off.

HUGE sigh of relief from me that I hadn't taken him up on the offer

[FiscusFish]

Originally Posted by phil_h

Very interesting stuff here guys.
<snip>
So I'm looking for an 851/888 strada to try
Greedy ?
Me ?
And why not ?

Should've asked a month or so ago at Popham. You had 10 to choose from there...

Darren

[851neil]

what's been done to your "851" to get 134hp at the wheel!!???

good question !
here goes
955 competition piston kit
Pankl SP rods (with 21mm little end) not Ti...
lightened and balanced crank
heads converted to 37mm inlet and 31mm exhaust spec
heads ported and gas flowed
race cams (431 inlet and G exhaust)
lightweight alloy flywheel
factory termi spaghetti system
955 Corse chip for the P8 ECU, rev limit 12,300rpm
running twin green injectors per tb
power commander installed to middle 2 injectors - sorts out air/fuel mix beautifully
factory carbon air intakes & airbox - uses tank as top 1/2 of airbox, it's sealed or as near as can be made so and makes a huge improvement to how she runs
slipper clutch by STM

Ains the motor has now done 1200 miles and I've just had her apart to look at condition - openers and closers all Ok, cams Ok, valves Ok, Bottom end is also fine. I think that the bottom line is that the miles I've done havn't exactly been high stress and, aside from thrashing around the IOM, she's been shortshifted everywhere. Shortshifting at 9.5 / 10k with this motor isn't a penalty either as it pulls as well as the torque and power curves suggest. not sure how long the motor will last but I'm expecting to get around 6000 miles before a refresh is needed

Loony - yeah remember the discussion, pity we couldn't have met up - another time maybe !

[851neil]

oh yeah - running super unleaded, nothing spesh as far as fuel is concerned.
squish at 1mm as well - could be reduced but why bother ?

taking ains & griff's point I suppose that only time and use will tell how long it'll last, but I ain't no Falappa / Polen or Fogarty - I'm not even that quick on track, why bother then ??? because it can be done is why !

[beancounter]

Originally Posted by Nattyboy

Rob B and I have had the "shall we flog our stradas and go the SP route" many times, and in the end we both stuck with our stradas..you can do some mods without worrying about it drastically affecting the value, and they are more civilised for road use.

With my blue printed, fetted motor, its still knocking out decent horspower (duke2steve reckons it leaves his 748 for dead!), and with the mods ive done its there or thereabouts on the weight side of things compared to an SP.

There was a nice SP5 coming onto the market but Robs mate blagged it (sorry Beancounter!)

Nat

@rse

[phil_h]

Originally Posted by FiscusFish

Should've asked a month or so ago at Popham. You had 10 to choose from there...

Darren

I was there - my black beast was one of them !

[jgriff]

Hey Neil, no problem with doing it, its fun.My 900S2 bevel probably puts out 75hp and its still together. Just some guys aren't aware of the downside thats all. You'll probably have it for years without complaint. If your good to it and only really give it to it when the fun brian takes over, it should last for heaps. The cases are the weak point in the whole shabang. Aluminum Alloys fatigue. Thats life.

Griff

[851neil]

no probs mate, I guessed where you were coming from, and am with you on the cases issue, actually went for a 916SP motor which was converted to run the swingarm off the back of the motor - Baines did the case machining for me. I'd been told that the case internals were strengthened on the SP motor due to the deck being able to take the 955 conversion without further machining mods.
I've been shopping around recently for bits and bobs, errrm just in case !! and just picked up a set of heads, was also looking for SP Pankl rods and cases but missed the auction on these, never mind.
75bhp bevel S2 - bet that's a hoot to ride, hmmm got me green on that one