Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Ducati Race Airbox Filters

[Karl]

Just seen these on e-bay, I know there has been discussion on filters in the past, but seems these are new on the market. Have e-mailed the guy to see if he has dyno graphs showing performance improvements, but what do the tech gurus think about them? Suspect that any improvements might be negated by not having the velocity stack.
Ducati Race Airbox Filters

[Felix]

There not new. They've been around for a while. They are slightly worse than the big filter that fits over both intakes, like the the JHP type filter, from what I recall.

[Senna3]

Skidlids has a set coming direct from the man selling them.

[skidlids]

Once I get them and fit them to my bike I'll let you know how they perform, I noticed them on one of the websites I posted last week, under the heading Hide your Credit Card, mentioned them to a couple of people and now got some coming from a lot closer to home.

[Dazza]

From where and whom?

[skidlids]

From the same person who has them on Ebay, namely Khush, who dispite no longer posting on the board is still living and breathing Ducati's and keeps in contact with a few members.

I was indeed tempted b a set of these but have managed to pick up a mint JHP style one for a song so will be trying that first ..... if it doesnt do what it should, these are next ....

Dibble

PS Red_Leader, I'm home now ... nighty night ...

[Shazaam!]

Here's a recent posting to the Ducati Index:

Those filters suck! I have no idea why, but I have witnessed, with my own eyes three different dyno runs on the same bike (Race only 996) and the difference between those mushroom filters and a FBF filter was about 10 rwhp. The bike belongs to Ben Fox at http://www.foxperformanceengines.com/. He also could not figure out why those little filters would rob so much power but the bottom line is that they do. We tested a Pipecross filter on my friends 998 and the difference with the filter and without a filter was less than 1 hp.
mr. duc

Regarding the MadDuc product ...

Maybe the best way to answer your question is to go to their web site and review the their marketing presentation.

They state: “We designed this air filter system by having these critical issues in mind:”

Best Air Flow Maximum Air Circulation in the Air Box (All after market filters consume a large volume of the air box.)

Critique: They state their filter has the best air flow maximum air circulation IN THE AIR BOX and mention that other AFTERMARKET in-the-air box filters take up more volume. The stock filter is outside the air box so it obviously has better “air flow maximum air circulation in the air box.” Notice that they don’t claim that their device has lower air flow restriction than the stock filter. It doesn’t.

Complete Sealing of the Air Intake Bell Housing From Outside Elements ( Reducing the chance of engine ceasing in case of a crash by sucking in gravel.)

Critique: We can give them this: IF you crash, AND the gas tank becomes dislodged from the air box breaking the seal, AND gravel gets into the air box this device will prevent engine ingestion and further damage caused by the crash. Your insurance company will thank you.

Quick and Easy Change and Cleaning Procedure (Raise the gas tank and snap the filters over the bell housings.)

Critique: This is good. Given the tiny filter element you’ll be doing this a lot.

No Distortion at High RPM (Most available filters cave into the bell housing at higher RPM.)

Critique: The stock filter doesn’t.

And Finally, More Horse Power, More Horsepower, More Horsepower….

Critique: At Last, Good, Good, Good…. (but show us the dyno charts comparing it with the stock filters and any others for that matter). To be fair, they don’t really say that their devices will actually give you more horsepower, they simply say that they designed “having these critical issues in mind.”

One more point (that they fail to mention as a design objective): Show us that the device is actually a FILTER by some information about the particulate size it stops relative to the stock filter or any other competing aftermarket filter.

Caveat emptor.

PS. Next time you're doing some dyno work, place your finger near the top edge of one of the velocity stacks and watch the power output drop-off big time. This is absolutely the worst place to place a filter because it turns laminar (smooth) airflow into turbulent flow.

[chris.p]

PS. Next time you're doing some dyno work, place your finger near the top edge of one of the velocity stacks and watch the power output drop-off big time. This is absolutely the worst place to place a filter because it turns laminar (smooth) airflow into turbulent flow.


I agree 100 percent with this, a bell mouth needs un obstructed airflo over a smooth rounded edge, the air being sucked into the bell mouth does not come from above the mouth but from the sides.

Chris

[skidlids]

Best I throw the 998 shower injection in the bin as some idiot placed something the size of a finger just above the bellmouths.
on the other hand if you have carbon airtubes without the filter facility they are a alternative to the larger filter that goes inside the airbox, maybe I will have them fitted to the 916 in time for the dyno run at Moto Rapido

[Edited on 28-2-2004 by skidlids]