Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 996bp Power?

[MJS]

Simple question and one I should probably know the answer to..
I've got a standard 1999 996bp, what sort of bhp should it be putting out?
Reason being, I'm thinking of changing it and I'm thinking a 110bhp 749S will pretty much be a match for it??

Cheers, Martin

[TP]

Depending on what day it was, what time of day etc it will make somewhere between 100 and 112ish I think.

Unless you gave it to Neil Spalding in which case it would make more like 120, lower down inthe rev range, in a more linear fashion and spin up quicker

[Edited on 2-9-2004 by tp-996]

[Jools]

Depends what you want from it.

I discussed horsepower with KeefyB after we had chased round Cadwell together on TA2. My 80 odd Bhp ST was being left for dead on the straights by 748's, 749's and pretty much everything else except for SS's. However, Keef said that his 999 (124ish Bhp) and the 749S's were quite evenly matched on the straight bits (although the 999 was quicker it wouldn't blitz past).

So I think that horsepower figures are a bit misleading as to what the bike will go like in real life. Well, up to a point obviously, when there's a big difference (like 748's having 20% more power than me) there's only going to be one outcome. When the gap is narrower it's much more difficult to tell.

I would only worry about max horsepower if I only did track days and my riding style was 'point and squirt', or obviously if I was racing and wanted every last drop of power. On the road I'd reckon that anybody who says they can use a 749S to it's max is telling porkies, so I wouldn't worry about a few Bhp difference, 'cos if you can't use all the power a 749S has on the road anyway any extra horsepower is a waste.

PS: Did anybody else look at the test that Chris Walker did in yesterday's MCN? Pitted an R1, RSV Factory, ZX10R, GSX-750 and a 749S together in road tests. This was to sort out which bike he would buy for himself. His comment on the 749S was that it was "under-powered in this company, but still got plenty for the road". He ended up buying one, or would have but when he got back to the showroom saw the 749R and went for that instead. So if it's quick enough for the Stalker on the road....it might be quick enough for you.

[yeti]

On the most recent track attack at cadwell, I was out in the fast group with a couple of lads on 748's. According to JHP, I have around 129 at the back wheel from my S and I was all over them. I also have one tooth less on the front sprocket so acceleration is a bit better.

If I personally had been riding the 748's, I would have been well peeved at how underpowered they were in comparison. However, on the road in the real world it's a very different story.

It would appear to me that increasing the horsepower available is a pretty expensive business on a Duke, so you might be better to spend your wonga on uprating the brakes and suspension. If you are a halfway decent rider I hazard to suggest that would improve your speed far more than an extra ten gee gee's.

If I was going the 748 route, I would speak to nelly at Cornerspped and get him to fit his big bore kit. Can't remember the cost, but it sounded bloody good to me nd it even included the fist servicing after the fitting.

[Edited on 2-9-2004 by yeti]

[yeti]

As the bard once said: "There ain't no substitute for cubes"

[MJS]

Originally posted by weeksy
i hate to sound like a bitch, if the 999's were being ridden on the stop and on full throttle, the littler bikes would not even be in the same planet Jools.

But how many tracks are there where mere mortals can really open up a 999? Is the 749S a better compromise for an average everyday rider who rides mainly on the road?

[Edited on 2-9-2004 by Urban996]

[Mr_S]

As I understand the whole power/torque thing, it's not so much the BHP as the torque you should be looking at.

The higher the torque figure the better the acceleration for a similarly geared bike, whereas BHP will equate to top speed.

The 2 bikes may have similar power curves, but the torque could well be 10-15ftlbs different if not more, which makes all the difference coming out of corners.

Taking my 748 vs a 916 on the same dyno although power figures are within 3BHP, the 916 averages 10ftlbs more torque across the rev range, and torques the thing I want more of....

And, as Yeti says

"There's no replacement for displacement"

[Shazaam!]

[i]There's no replacement for displacement"

Amen!

[yeti]

Couldn't agree more, when JHP was "building" a chip for my S, I specifically asked them to write the code to give good torque even if that meant sacrificing BHP.

[desmojen]

I disagree with all of you!!
My 748 is raced in a class full of big twins and 750 fours, and despite all that extra torque and power they most definately do not leave me for dead out of corners, far from it.
I would wholeheartedly recommend the smaller bike for road or track as it is much more fun to ride anyway!