Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > All money, no sense: Rate your modifications

[flyingbanana]

As suggested by Skidlids I thought I'd post my modifications and their related benefits 'in my opinion' to road riding, don't get to do track work. Feel free to continue the thread as I've found others are always intrested when the itchy fingers of the mod gremlin gets hold of them and they need their questions answering.

Cue Mod gremlin


Step one: Purchase new Ducati, regardless of model anyone will do. 748sps for me please. £6195

Step two: First ride get hooked, consider a new life as a bank robber to finance upgrades mmm.

Step three: If it didn't have some already, lust after aftermarket cans or a system to free the beast within there he is again ! ITG undertank filter £50 bye bye intake mesh. there is divided opinion on filters but ITG's works for me and last a long time.

I purchased a 54mm ex race full system by leo vinci. shopped around and got it at £500 excellent build quality and not offensively loud but gets the hairs up near the top end.
This is where the problems started because as most of you are aware a 748 doesn't have a 54mm system as standard. It runs a 45/50 crossover which is rather nice in open termi mode.
All this talk of exhausts coincided with a non fault off which was mostly cosmetic apart from a big dent in the front wheel from hitting a curb, mmm expensive.
Make quick excuse for fitting 54mm system, off to AJ racing for an 853 kit.

Again shop around Alan is very competitive though roughly £1100 for the pleasure minus labour.

While we're at it pop on a 14t front renthal, we should all do this or 15t on a 996, some don't like it. I'm going back to a 15/37 now the powers gone up, more of that later.

Lightend flywheel for quicker revs and believe me they're quick but opinion is divided on whether it gives you more or less engine braking, mine feels like it gives less. more scary corner speed.

Power commander £240 odd for perfect fueling with dyno set up. I had a FIM chip £120 upwards,when the bike was a 748 and that was flawless but fancied a change.

Happened upon some black split spoke light wight forged OZ wheels on Ebay for £700 full retail is £1000. yes please
direct fitment with all parts included. the difference in turn in and flickabilty can be felt by mere mortals and is quite shocking to start with well worth the money

While waiting for all this to take shape i purchased the QB desmosedici kit. Long story, looks good, fits bad, £600. Gilles rear sets £250 depending where you go which are a work of art and really quite good along with gilles adjustable clip ons £120 which can be raised and lowered in the horizontal plane and are also very trick

Back to Ebay purchase a corse slipper clutch for £490 ! nuff said. Can't resist an offer on ebay for a Radial brembo lever set clutch and brake £250. this is all done to feel and they really give it again well worth it.

Decided to match the levers at the other end purchased some P4 brembo 4 pad calipers, awesome!! wait until everyones going radial bonkers and then get yourself a cheap pair. the clutch got an stm reduced pressure unit like the tecmoto ones but somehow tricker ? works just as good. £140

My bike is now in at Tecmoto having the heads gasflowed, to fully unleash the engines potential, that's what I tell myself anyway. Icindentally I will have dyno grapphs from 748sps 45/50mill through various chips to 853 and 54 mill sys to 853 with flowed heads that i'll be posting next week which should make intresting reading for those seeking engine mods.

In my opinion none of these mods were actually needed on the road apart from maybe the cans which I had already when I got the bike. However once you've done one you tend to do another but all of them really do improve the enjoyment factor and sense of pride of ownership. The bike now turns on an euro is as fast in a straight line as any 600 and faster through the corners 'if I could ride that fast' and just thoroughly addictive

[bradders]

thought my couple of bits of carbon, termi pipes and 40t rear were excessive

How is the 853 kit, and how do you rate AJ? Looking around at having this done, appreciate your thoughts.
paul

[ducv2]

How about new rockers and camshaft?, thats definately all money, no sense. I should scrap it and buy an Aprilia

[Rattler]

......that's the bug alright!!

and it wont stop there FB, not until you sell her ... its a common infection amongst Duke owners...

Can't falt you mate, thats what life is about...

Enjoy what you have today cos you never know tomorrow...

[skidlids]

Nice one FB, I was hoping my comments in the other post would prompt you in to doing something like this, mainly as I intend the new bike to feature a lot of mods you have done, trouble is mine will hopefully all be done in one hit over the winter so it will be a bit hard to evaluate them independently.

At the moment my 916BP road bike has 45mm Carbon Termis with Senna Open Chip, carbon airbox and a renthal sprocket carrier running one tooth larger rear sprocket.

Where as my 916 Strada race bike has a 54mm system with Arrow Ti cans, no air filters or gauze, Harris rearsets, alloy subframe with carbon seat, renthal rear carrier with usually a 38th sprocket fitted with the front one tooth less than normal, luckily the 748R slipper clutch helps out at the hairpins. Wheels I have a choice std 3 spokes for Wets, 5 spoke alloys for inters and 5 spoke mags for the main race rubber usually Rennsports, Discs are the fully floating SPS type helped by a Brembo radial mastercylinder. and it has just a Tacho and temp gauge on a alloy bracket.

The new bike at the moment has a 748RS frame fitted with a 998BP engine, forks are of the Nitrided Showa variaty and mounted in Mag yokes (but will be replaced with Ohlins forks in Harris adjustable yokes at some point). The rear is fitted with a Mag race arm (may get replaced with a Carbon one) along with a race spec ohlins and works spec rocker. Its going to use the Mag wheels from the race bike with Spondon discs and the 4 pad callipers again with a Brembo Radial Mastercylinder. Harris rearsets will again be used. the engine will be standard b apart from a FBF bearing type slipper clutch driving to a Renthal sprocket carrier. I hope to be able to adapt my 748RS 54mm Exhaust to fit in time, but may start with a 50mm system with Carbon Termis. No doubt there will be a few more mods to follow.

[Edited on 30-10-2003 by skidlids]

[neil748r]

Skidlids,

I think your a bit rash butchering a 748RS exhaust system. Bear in mind it's a £3000 system. Why not sell it and buy one for a testastreta?

54mm 996R/998 Exhaust

Made by Sil Motor and from what I've heard, every bit as good, if not better than Termi and you could always replace the stickers with Termi ones.

Bit of a bargain at the moment and I'm sure you could sell the 748RS system for plenty dosh!

Just a thought . . .

Neil.

[skidlids]

Thanks for the link Neil, not sure how much something like that would end up costing, with delivery and duties payable.
maybe I will have to modify on of my other 54mm systems, maybe the Arrow one as that already has a few mods to it andd put the RS one on the 955 motor.

[flyingbanana]

No gasflow charts yet. Sorry if the images are a bit poo:P Bradders I cannot fault Alan. He's a pro likes his job and goes out of his way to make things as good as they get. Give him a call for a chat and a quote 01453845544.

This was the base run on the 748FIM chip Alans chip made 105 an 56ft but was dire at the bottom end due to it being a race map. you can see where the sps cams kick in at 7ish rpm