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My Ducati feels like a Japanese bike....

5K views 40 replies 16 participants last post by  samal 
#1 ·
Let me explain :D

I have been riding inline 4 motorcycles for 10 years so I am use to butter smooth fueling and throttle response. When I bought my 1098S Streetfighter 5 months ago the one thing that always bugged the hell out of me was the terrible fueling. 1st gear leaned over and being in the 4k RPM range was an ass puckering experience as I am sure many here can attest. I knew I planned on getting an exhaust so I waited it out.

I recently installed an Austin Racing GP2 system which further threw the bike out of whack. In fact I did not even ride the bike after the install, it went straight in the trailer and I drove 3.5 hours to Redline. Dropped the bike off last Saturday and picked it up Friday. Dave spent 9 hours total with my bike on the dyno putting together a custom tune (he now has a base tune for the Austin Racing GP2 system in the REXXER library, if you have this system it may be an option for you)

Let me tell you, with 110% certainty, the bike is completely transformed. The notorious 4k stumble is GONE. From idle to redline it is butter smooth. Not a single hiccup anywhere. There is zero popping on decel. I can honestly compare it to the seamless nature of my S1000RR, R6, GSXR's, etc.

I have read through all the threads about canned tunes being hit or miss. I didn't want to deal with that so I went for the custom dyno tuned map. I urge anybody with a fueling issue to look at going this route. If you do not have anybody in your area that can do this, make the drive, ship your bike, do whatever it takes. The Streetfighter was already good, but now it is on another level.
 
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#4 ·
Yes, custom map for my bike and reflashed my ECU. No other modules on the bike. No O2 sensors, exhaust valve, or torque limiting down low. Front wheel lifts much easier now :D


how much?
$300 (canned map cost) + X hours spent on the dyno.

But this service is priceless, I would have paid 4x the price. That's how good the result is.
 
#5 ·
I agree 100%. Just got an ECU reflash and can't believe how much smoother the bike is. I wouldn't call it inline-4 smooth, plenty of L-twin character still, but yeah, decel popping greatly reduced (as is engine breaking), etc. That under 4K fueling issues/emissions crap is awful.
 
#7 ·
I wouldn't call it inline-4 smooth, plenty of L-twin character still.
:D Yeah I just means in terms of power delivery is smooth. My bike had a very severe case of the 4k herky jerky. It's like a different bike.

Video or it didn't happen :D
I got you, GOPRO soon :)
 
#8 ·
MPower- I'd love to see the before and after dyno charts of the GP2... I've held off on getting an exhaust for just this exact reason and waiting for the fall when I'm back to wheel my bike in and get it tuned up. Did you go dB baffle or no baffle? Whats the noise like without. I'm looking at the same can, and debating internally on either route.

I'm sure the weight decrease of 15 lbs makes it feel a bit more lively as well.

As far as the O2 sensor, is that something you had removed and plugged when you had to tune performed or was it something that was deleted in the process of installing the Austin Racing system?


Also, Video or PICS! :D
 
#9 ·
I'm not running the baffle that was included with the exhaust, and never will :D . The sound is incredible and absolutely sinister. I had originally ordered the GP2R, but changed my mind at the last minute, mainly because it is 110 dB and I wanted the carbon which you can't run a killer with.

Between the exhaust, custom tune, and 15 lb weight savings, it is a completely different bike. This bike is going to the grave with me.

For the O2 sensors, the AR system comes with a bung welded in the midpipe but Rich plugs it up for you as he assume you wont be using it. I just left the front O2 sensor plugged in. The reflash disables the O2 sensors.
 
#11 ·
This thread is just what I wanted to hear, the 2010 I picked up last week also has really poor fueling and since I have the same AR pipe you installed I will be looking into a custom tune at redline. Only problem is they are about 8 hours away...might have to wait till I have some time off unless they can somehow schedule me in on a long weekend.
 
#12 ·
David and his team were very helpful with working me into the schedule and getting it done quick. The positive is now that he has a base map for the AR exhaust he shouldn't need as much time on the dyno with your bike. What does take time is he needs to keep the motor at a certain temp during the pulls so the bike needs time to cool between runs.

I am sure they can work with you. Make it a couple day trip. If you like amusement parks, Kings Dominion and Busch Gardens are not far away from the shop. Great fun! Lots to do in that area. Either way I would drive 8 hours in a heartbeat to have my bike run this good.
 
#15 ·
Hmm...I'm probably alone in this, but I actually love the way it came, stock from the factory. Aside from a 32mm NCR clutch slave that I installed, she's pretty much stock, as far as engine management goes.

If I wanted a 'butter smooth' bike, I would ride my R6. Or a buddies Gixxer 6, or his ZedX10R, or my other buddies Fizzer1K. But this F1098S, I love both on the track, and the street. It's gnarley, rough, crude, and fun to ride in anger. It's part of the Ducati experience for me. I'm not kidding. I absolutely love it.

Read everything you can on hand schools. They'll teach about feathering the clutch. Watch the video of Nicky riding the HyperMotard. I'm sure Nicky's riding it straight out of the box and didn't have someone spend 9 hours to 'correct its fueling issues'. He acclimates to the bike.

But to each their own. For me (and again, I know I'm probably alone in this) but I prefer all of my Ducati's just the way they are. I've put other very big twin's on a race map, and I know what it's like. It is different. But over the years, I'd just rather buy, jump on, and keep the engine mapping just the way it is, and spend my money on the other essentials to change it up for me. ie: rearsets, exhaust, levers, clutch slaves, etc.

Glad it worked out for you, however. :eek:

What'd you pay, anyways? 9 hours of labor can't be cheap.
 
#17 ·
There is a difference in a bike that is fun to ride in anger and a bike that dangerously lunges forward at 4k RPM when cranked over in a turn. It is well known some bikes are worse than others, mine was bad. You look at an AFR readout of a stock SF1098 and it is blatantly clear to anyone that knows a lick about engines that it is a piss poor tune from the factory.

The bike was on the dyno for 9 hours because it is the first bike to ever be tuned with an Austin Racing exhaust. David put in the time to develop a base tune that all other Austin Racing owners can now start with. Some of the cost was eaten by Redline in the name of R&D.

You're certainly one of the few if you prefer a Ducati that runs at 80% of its potential :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:
 
#16 ·
I have to ask. How do you get your bike into neutral at a stop with a 32mm slave cylinder? I have a 29mm on mine and in my experience that's just about the limit for finding neutral with a normal clutch stack height. I could probably replace one of my thick alloy plates with a thin plate to improve this. I don't see how a 32mm could even make it possible to get the bike into neutral at a stop with a normal clutch stack height.
 
#21 ·
I've had the NCR slave for years and its always worked perfectly. NCR slave, EVR slipper, and ASV levers. Love the set up. Especially at the track.

You say you like it tuned rough, until you have ride it around a city like Seattle or get stuck in traffic, then it just becomes an utter pain in the d#&k to ride smoothly despite myself having a few years riding around cities and western WA traffic. Taking off from an intersection or weaving through traffic is NOT fun with a rough 1st gear between intersections. Not to mention taking off when on a hill.
I live in Renton, and work in Bellevue. Ride to work everyday on my F1098S. No problems for me. And I've ridden plenty of other 1098's in my day.

To illustrate my point, all of my Ducs have the same fueling feel at street level riding.
I race my 1198SP. *shrug*

Trust me when I say I know what you're talking about. I just adjust to it. Its fine and I think its just something that would take time to learn. All that I am trying to convey is that there are alternatives to spending thousands of dollars to 'fix' fueling issues.

Want to talk about surging issues? Ridge motorsports park is chock full of sharp slow turns. The 1198 wants to buck you off if you don't feather the clutch. There is a HUGE difference in abrupt power delivery between an 1198, and the F1098S; the 1198 being far worse.

Longbow. If you would like to meet up sometime, let me know. We can switch bikes. I assure you, the difference won't be significant.
Its the rider, not the bike that IMO should be adjusted. But to everyone their own.
 
#20 · (Edited)
You say you like it tuned rough, until you have ride it around a city like Seattle or get stuck in traffic, then it just becomes an utter pain in the d#&k to ride smoothly despite myself having a few years riding around cities and western WA traffic. Taking off from an intersection or weaving through traffic is NOT fun with a rough 1st gear between intersections. Not to mention taking off when on a hill.
 
#27 ·
Looking forward to hitting up Ridge next season, I've only been to SIR on my other bikes. Ridge looks like a blast. I won't be back in town tell November, so unless Western WA smiles on me and gives me a day of sun that isn't frigid I'm limited to tinkering away on the bike with the parts I collect and maybe getting it tuned and not much else.

On your point about fuelling, I would take issue with that for this reason- the fuelling on these motors was constrained to emissions laws, which is the main reason that first gear 4k fuelling is so shoddy on most of these bikes. If they were not consternated by emissions laws to produce their bikes then I doubt the 4k stutter would be an issue. There is evidence of this based on the results of tuning by members here.

To each their own. To me setup of the motor is of secondary importance to setting up the suspension, throwing an exhaust in it is dependant on the person and obviously not necessary but hell, a 15 lb weight loss for the AR exhaust regardless of its potential power increase more then makes up for its cost. What other mod for the money can produce that much of a difference? A tune can range from 400-600 bucks depending on the route you chose to go. Overall, fixing the fuelling isn't a thousands of dollars problem, its a few hundred bucks. Collectively as Ducati riders we spent more on appearance pieces that offer no functional benefit. Its not that I can't adjust to some shoddy fuelling and thankfully its limited to a very narrow part of the power band but for me, if i can fix it then I'm going to. Just making a great bike even better.
 
#28 ·
Well, a reflash is about 300 and that seems to be a great solution for about 95% of the guys who report on here. My stock SFS map had an afr of about 13:1, but it spiked to almost 17 at 3500 and had another smaller peak about 5000, so I felt like I was always in a rough patch. I was in Santa Cruz at the time and there were a lot of roads at 25-45mph on way to the twisties, AND damp roads in the mornings. So I was happy to look for a solution. It's been said before, but each bike is different and each guys riding style and his local roads are different. If you want some help for your bike then $300 is really reasonable, especially when you consider that these solutions were Much more expensive just 5-10 years ago.
 
#32 ·
Just wanted to say I picked up my Streetfighter S from Redline today. Flash/tune, evap canister delete, and had them install my AR GP2 and a new chain and sprockets (-1 +1). I drove 15 hours round trip during a nor'easter two weeks ago to drop it off to them, then last night drove back down to Virgina, picked up the bike this morning then 8 hours back through the rain to NY. And it was totally worth it! As soon as I got back to NY I unloaded the bike and took it for a long spin.

The stumble is gone, smooth off the line with no hiccups. The gearing change feels great as well, much more realistic around town and I can actually use 5th and 6th gear at legalish speeds. And the AR exhaust...music. I am not running any baffles and its loud, but did not find it overly obnoxious at all. Did set off some car alarms though :). Can't wait to wake up early tomorrow and ride it again!
 
#36 ·
I've been contemplating getting a tune done. I'm in Greenville SC so it would be a ride. I talked to Doug Lofgren and he was going to flash my ECU and swap injectors for $350 but I would like a custom dyno tune I think that would be the best way for sure. Do any of you have the dyno runs, what kind of numbers were you getting?
 
#37 ·
Mine did about 145 at the wheel, stock other than AR exhaust. Based off my results there is no need to mess with your injectors. Just get a custom tune and be done with it, you will kick yourself for not having done it sooner.
 
#39 ·
I picked up a new to me 2010 SF1098. Local dealer is a REXXER authorized tuner and previous owner did put a REXXER tune on it - Bike has termi slip-ons and looks like O2 sensors are connected but probably turned off by reflash... My bike is pretty rough under 4000, not sure how it compares to others, its my first L-twin. They put it on dyno after they flashed it (dyno has a reputation of very pessimistic)

I was wondering if someone could post a dyno chart of REXXER flushed bike with Termi slip-ons. Here is how mine looks like - blue is after flash and looks much smoother under 4K




 
#40 ·
It is important to remember that all dynos read differently. Some are quite generous and others more conservative. Don't get too caught up in peak numbers. The important thing is your power curve. Smooth linear power.
 
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