Wow! That's a pretty dramatic change. Did you make a serious effort to shift some weight off the bike?

So I get the impression that these things are heavier than the 996/998 range?

The manual quotes:

Strada =
445.3lb (dry)
489.4lb (kerb/wet)

888SP =
414.4lb (dry)
458.5lb (kerb/wet)

So, approx. 31lb difference if the book can be believed - but believe me, it feels like more!

No not really. The cans are just the usual straight through types that most Ducatis run around with anyway. The Speigler DI discs probably account for a pound or so each so I guess the biggest difference is from the fibreglass Ricambi bodywork.

It was still road legal though as I'd attached a pair of "out front" endurance style lights to the front and it also had the number plate/rear light in case I wanted to ride around in the Pyrenees as well as on track...

From my point of view it'd have to be Strada all the way. The thought of stacking an SP on the track fills me with dread whereas my '93 Strada owes me 3K... And with the execption of the tank (of which I've now got a spare) can be fixed for relatively small change) obviously dependent on how bad it gets...

As for the extra performance an SP could offer, the limiting factor is always going to be me.

Darren

Xtra trivia...
 

And don't forget the fairing V-piece and curved bigger rad on the '4!

Yes your quite right, so that's the rad and the vee piece and the extra water ( at 10lbs to the imp. gallon ) so lets make it 1-3 1/2lbs, i think a good **** should just about do it then?
Steve Robins S.W.

Hi Steve, i do believe you, but i think it's more down to the set up of the bike (sp4 ). I think the claimed dry/wet weights were about as reliable as the claimed BHP on these models!
I have changed out the strada parts for sp/corse parts on my special, weighing them as i go.Short of the OHLINS forks and the alloy sub frame, however i have lightened the steel sub frame,throwing away the handholds drilled out anything that could be ( holes cost nothing but my time, there free to me ) and cut of and thrown any thing that doen't need to be there,I'm just about there.
Carbon Huggers, cans, footrests and carbon/kevlar sp4 seat unit.
Lightwieght discs,chain +sprockets,
Corse Mag engine covers,RS996 clutch cover,
Lightened s/steel + Ti bolts,
Alloy flywheel,clutch,1/2 time gears,camshaft wheels,
50mm full spaghetti system ( very light weight )
Light conrods,pistons and crankshaft,
I even changed the clipons for alloy ones! that saved me a whole 2oz!!!!
If this bike comes in at the claimed weight for an sp4.......I'll have your children and the rest of the forum/DSC membership can watch.
But i'd love to be proved wrong.
Steve Robins S.W. .......Not weeveetwin

Hi Steve

If you're not careful, that bike of yours is going to float away!

My impressions are purely subjective, of course, so I can't claim to know for sure. I can only say how it feels. (The 31lb difference I've quoted above comes from the 'official' Ducati workshop manual - which also gives SP4 and SP3 as the very same weight).

I once queried this point on the US 851/888 message board, and the 'gurus' on there told me that the components allowing for pillion accomodation on the Strada add 12lb to the bike's total weight. (ie. if all of those components are removed from the bike, and are replaced with those of the SP, it would reduce the total weight by 12lb). How true it is - and how much of this is down to the steel subframe itself - I don't know.

I can appreciate your point regarding set-up, and how this can create an impression of weight loss when riding - but even in pushing the bikes around the garage the weight difference feels massive. The Strada feels like a heavy old lump indeed!

As an aside: I've an RC30 too now, and its quoted dry weight is 407lb. That makes it only seven pounds lighter than the SP. However, to say that it feels waaay lighter is an understatement. Ho hum. The water muddies! (Lies, damn lies and statistics, eh?)

Steve

Spot on Steve R, you sound like a man after my own heart, hold on you are me, or are you????? Or am i you?
How's my wife by the way?
She sends her best wishes to you, or is it me?....... or us?
Steve Robins S.W.

i too have heavily modified my 888 strada and can offer this, the ohlins forks on the sp's are heavier than the showas, and the steel subframe assembly with grab handles and pillion pegs, with plastic and seat weighs nearly 12kg! the sp subframe with alloy hangers and factory sp seat unit and seat weigh under 3kg. this swap alone made a huge difference to how the bike felt, and pushing it around it feels like a different bike. at present it's getting the engine modified and with new rods and pistons losing nearly 1/2 a kilo, the crank will lose some in the balancing process aswell.

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