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keeping up with newer litre bikes

5K views 46 replies 21 participants last post by  ducati955 
#1 ·
just a question. if a guy(with an 01 996) wanted an engine that would come closer hp wise to the newer litre bikes (other than ducs), would he be ok to build his 996 desmo, or would he be better off buying a 998 engine? or is it even possible and keep it reliable on the street? just thinking outloud. maybe next winter this could be an option. maybe. i just cant leave stuff stock :D

thanks for any input. new at all this so any info/opinions would be great.
 
#2 ·
A 999r produces about 150hp, thats as close to a litre as you are going to get with only 2 cylinders. You may never match hp to hp with jap bikes (given equal displacement) - just ask the AMA Factory Ducati team!!! You can only come close given the same year bikes.
 
#3 ·
Kinda of related heres a blurb from the Ducati Corse blog (Federico Minoli):
(Discussion of 2 cylinder Ducati vs 4 cylinder Ducati)

"As we faced the D16RR, the discussion of the 2 cylinders vs. 4 cylinders came up frequently and think this is to very fascinating topic. Personally, have always believed that the Ducati must remain faithful to its traditions, not to renounce its character and the unique excitement that only to twin can provide. Since the discussion exists, the have decided to find out if my assumptions as to "Ducatista" can be supported on to technical basis. There is not one better than Filippo Precious, Ducati Run Director, to ask the question of why motorcycles with 2 vs. 4 cylinders give riders such different sensations. Here is his answer:

"Both twin and 4 cylinders have the same amount of maximum engine torque and the torque depends mainly on engine displacement. The biggest advantage of the twin cylinder is the character of the engine torque during acceleration: two cylinders it produces to maximum torque at lower engine revs than 4 cylinders.

Maximum torque at lower revs represents to big advantage for to motorcycle; the more engine response is reactive. As soon as to laugh opens the throttle coming out of to turn, the engine is already to there, ready to push!

These characteristics of the more engine also make riding on the street easier and fun. If you accidentally approach to corner in to higher gear the reactive engine is still and the laughing can still easily finish their turn.

Obviously on the track, the technical choices to are driven by technical rules. For the MotoGP prototypes, the level of tuning permitted by the rules makes it impossible for to twin to be as powerful as to 4 cylinder engine.

The Superbike Championship allows for to different level of engine tuning and, as to result, it is still possible to be competitive with to twin. This gives us the advantages of the character of this type of engine."

Our choices to are clear. For our production bikes we to are absolutely loyal to the "pompone" and the "Testastretta" in their different forms, varieties, possible improvements and continuous study. For the races, the most suitable choice is to make the most of the rules and to WIN. The Desmosedici retort was to challenge we took and the fulfilment of to technological dream. It will be produced in very limited numbers I know as too keep our focus and concentration on our motorcycle family par excellence: the Superbike.

Till next Time."
 
#4 ·
the desmoquattro can make good power by fitting sps cams and sensible set up. the other option is a capacity increase, ferracci make a top gun kit which, iirc takes it to 1026cc and 150 hp.
not sure on hot up options for the testastretta(don't have one!) but i do know that you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, i mean, you can trade it and lose heaps in change over or blow a boatload on hotting up your present ride.
i've just gone through this with my S4R, chopping it in for a S4RS would be nice but the change over is crazy, besides that, i just got the S4R the way i want it, so i'm keeping it. the S4RS will be old hat in a year or two anyway.
 
#6 ·
stickcar1990 said:
just a question. if a guy(with an 01 996) wanted an engine that would come closer hp wise to the newer litre bikes (other than ducs), would he be ok to build his 996 desmo, or would he be better off buying a 998 engine? or is it even possible and keep it reliable on the street? just thinking outloud. maybe next winter this could be an option. maybe. i just cant leave stuff stock :D

thanks for any input. new at all this so any info/opinions would be great.
It's gonna cost you a lot of money to even come close to the hp of a bone stock inline litre bike from even as far back as 5 years ago.

The most 'economical way' (and probably the most 'fulfilling') to 'keep up' with inline litre bikes on a 996 Duc would be to take about a dozen or so track days, and perhaps a track school somewhere in between there ... in about one year, most litre bikes will be struggling to keep up with you... as long as it's outside of the drag strip of course :D
 
#7 ·
I have no problem passing many full-litre I4's (mid-turn and turn exit) with my 1999 748 pumping out 72 true rear wheel HP. OK, so I cheat a bit by going to short tracks where there are many turns to negotiate.... and yes, they often blow past me mid-straight... but they carry no corner speed, are prone to death-grip breaking and have no idea of effective riding lines - and that's in the Intermediate groups. The Advanced Group's are much better, but there are still plenty of full-liter I4 targets to pick off...

It's actually quite easy - they have very little skill and since they buy the latest/fastest/lighest I4 bike every year or so (due to crashing and/or too much money), they never actually get to learn how to ride the damn thing before they move onto a new one....

As was mentioned - spend the $$$ on trackdays - great advice!
 
#8 ·
I´ve got to second that opinion.

I´ve had to learn to carry cornerspeed and to get on the power early to keep up even with my Ducati riding buddies.

One friend has a 996R, but traded first down to a 748R, then back to the 996R. He said that there is a big diffrence in riding style. The "big" R had so much more power that he didn´t have to think too hard about cornerspeed, since the engine had soo much grunt. So he was actually faster in the corners with his "little" bike then on the big one. Even though the "big" bike weighed LESS.

So it´s all amatter of the rider. Until you get up to the point where your going faster then your road-legal tires allow.

//amullo
 
#9 ·
amullo said:
I´ve got to second that opinion.

I´ve had to learn to carry cornerspeed and to get on the power early to keep up even with my Ducati riding buddies.
As usual, we are in complete agreement!

If anyone really wants to learn how to ride well - start out with a 125 or 250 2-stroker, where you will learn about corner speed, braking and riding smooth, flowing lines. Then, after mastering the art of finesse, move onto a bigger 4-stroke bike...

You'll learn more in one season riding a small 2-stroker than you will ever learn by jumping onto a mid or full-liter bike as a 'learner'.
 
#10 ·
i really appreciate the track day advice, but, heres the thing. get ready to cringe :) i really like the idea of going to track days, but i have always been a drag racer and always will be. i dont want a longer swingarm or anything to make this a "drag bike". but if i take my racecar to the strip, have my girl drive the truck trailering the car, and i ride my bike, well, i can unload a car thats faster than the bike. i just see somethin wrong with that. best case, high 10 second pass on the bike, and in reality, less than that cause i am new at this. so, this is why i was asking. is 150 hp reachable reliably(i know it aint gonna be cheap)? thanks again for the replies guys. i will be attending track days soon enough. just hate the idea of having this beautiful machine and running even with some kid on an r6. i refuse to believe i cant get more power, just dont know how much :D
 
#12 ·
To try and reach 150rwhp on a 996, looking for 10's and run against the inline liters on a drag strip would be like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone... What for? Your financial (and time) risk does not justify the reward.

Get a Busa, straight trade, and be done with it. Spend the money you intend to upgrade your Duc with onto to a common Busa and practicing your launches, and you will be kicking ass all day long at the drag strip.
 
#13 ·
well, i dont need to beat em, just dont wanna be embarased by em. and really, if i wanted a busa, i woulda bought one. like i said, i dont wanna turn this into a "drag" bike. just curious if i can get in the 150 range reliably, money aside. the one guy made a good suggestion with the fbf kit. thats the kind of info i need. its real easy, if i actually had the money to buy a ferrari f40, while i wouldnt put a cage in it and turn it into a "drag" car, you could bet on seein it at the dragstrip too. and it wouldnt be stock either.......
 
#14 ·
my 2 cents

Ducatis are made for the track. They are designed to go blast out of turns with there isolid handling characteristics and their available torque down low. Think of them like a "Porsche". Probably beat it down the strip but you can't catch it on a race track. Like previously stated, get a 'busa

In case your looking for inspiration:in "Sport Rider" two issues ago, they had a turbocharged 900SS for some crazy Aussies,

BTW the FBFkit is good also try mbpducati.ca they can work on the heads for you.
 
#15 ·
migz123 said:
To try and reach 150rwhp on a 996, looking for 10's and run against the inline liters on a drag strip would be like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone... What for? Your financial (and time) risk does not justify the reward.

Get a Busa, straight trade, and be done with it. Spend the money you intend to upgrade your Duc with onto to a common Busa and practicing your launches, and you will be kicking ass all day long at the drag strip.

also, when i told all the guys around here that i was gonna build a pump gas, street driven, small block, stickshifted 9 second car, they told me the same thing. the only way this bike is gonna sell, is when my kids have my estate auction when i die. :D

i do however understand your point though.
 
#16 ·
bottom line is....any twin cylinder bike is mostly derived for the purpose of TORQUE....the chassis is made to deliver the torque in it's intended purpose for use....in this case...the bike (engine and chassis) are mated for the purpose of exiting corners with brutal amounts of power to acclerate to and through the next turn....ie:this is not a dragracing bike or meant for that purpose....can you change it?...yes...is it worthwhile?...no...for the cost of changing this machine to perform in those type of circumstances...you can purchase a Hyabusa out of the box and some nice light mods and be where it is you are stating you think you want to be....my 1st question is....why the hell do you care if an R6 with a highly tweaked I-4 motor is more powerful in HP numbers or screams a higher top end number on the clock?....how often are you actually going to be at that point of performance?
 
#17 ·
why do i care? i dont know. how often? i am at the track once a week, it'd be nice to mix it up a bit. i honestly didnt mean to offend anybody, the only reason i brought up drag racing is because the advice was headed towards road racing, and thats not why i inquired. maybe i just should have asked how to get 140-150 hp out of one of these. i just like playin with stuff, if its got an engine on it, sooner or later i will take it apart and probably try to make it faster. i have been waiting about 10 years to buy a bike, and when i did i bought the ONLY bike i ever wanted (fell in love when i saw fled). if i would have bought one when i was 17, i would have surely killed myself, but i waited until i felt i was straight enough in the head to handle one. whats wrong with wanting to squeeze more performance out of anything? :D
 
#19 ·
Yah no kidding, I'm not the one with all of your answers but it sounds like some people are a little sensitive about the straight-line fast thing. :mad: I haven't had the priveledge of being dusted by a Jap bike yet but my day will come very soon I imagine..

Have you checked out Sigma Performance? They have an amazing site with lots of info for wringing every pony out of whatever setup you're currently running. Good luck! Represent!
 
#21 ·
i may twist a couple of nipples here but everyone that keeps telling you to buy a busa needs to quit being a ducati snob. the guy wants more power...what do you care if it's to get down the 1/4 mile quicker.

i'm a drag guy at heart...been doing it for years, have done it with everything i owned, and sure as hell will do it with the duc as soon as i get a chance.

for more power you need to talk with these people:

section8superbike
mbp ducati
bcm ducati
sigma performance
fbf

for the right money, you'll get your 150hp.
 
#22 ·
Look, you can get that kind of power but not with any reliability. The cases just won't reliably handle it. Period.

Dig the Ducati for what it designed for. Or just sell it. Seems like you have made the wrong decision. Sell the bike.


stickcar1990 said:
i really appreciate the track day advice, but, heres the thing. get ready to cringe :) i really like the idea of going to track days, but i have always been a drag racer and always will be. i dont want a longer swingarm or anything to make this a "drag bike". but if i take my racecar to the strip, have my girl drive the truck trailering the car, and i ride my bike, well, i can unload a car thats faster than the bike. i just see somethin wrong with that. best case, high 10 second pass on the bike, and in reality, less than that cause i am new at this. so, this is why i was asking. is 150 hp reachable reliably(i know it aint gonna be cheap)? thanks again for the replies guys. i will be attending track days soon enough. just hate the idea of having this beautiful machine and running even with some kid on an r6. i refuse to believe i cant get more power, just dont know how much :D
 
#24 ·
chiromikey said:
i may twist a couple of nipples here but everyone that keeps telling you to buy a busa needs to quit being a ducati snob. the guy wants more power...what do you care if it's to get down the 1/4 mile quicker.

i'm a drag guy at heart...been doing it for years, have done it with everything i owned, and sure as hell will do it with the duc as soon as i get a chance.
Mikey...I'd like to think I am not being a snob....I just believe in the right tool for the job...and modifying or tweaking to customize or accentuate what is already there....IMHO...to drag race...the right tool on 2 wheels out of the box starts with an I-4.....yes...there are pro-modded Screamin Eagle twin dragsters and the like...but when it comes down to it...those machines are beyond anything for the street in any way,shape or form at that point...the number 1 still streetable and still pull sub 10's bike to drag is without a doubt the Busa....number 2...the V-Max....both of which are radically diffferent machines with a different objective when they are on the street...but when you are on the track...it comes down to who spent the most money in the machine and can keep in under control from start to finish!
 
#25 ·
stickcar1990 said:
if i would have bought one when i was 17, i would have surely killed myself, but i waited until i felt i was straight enough in the head to handle one. whats wrong with wanting to squeeze more performance out of anything? :D
You're absolutely right about the "17" thing .. I waited too, and am glad I did.

As for your second question.... "what's wrong with wanting to squeeze more performance out of anything?"

Nothing wrong with that at all... but in your original message, you said you wanted to run with the Big Boyz.... and it's not gonna happen on any Duc... that's why you've been recommended a smarter choice for the purpose, which is something like a Busa. You can put NOS and TURBO or Both on your Duc, but you will blow it up just trying to keep up.
 
#26 ·
thanks guys. migz, im glad i waited too. i didnt wanna go the power adder route. i guess what i should have origionally posted is that i just wanna lessen the gap between the newer STOCK litre bikes and mine. i know a guy that runs twins on his busa, i dont wanna try to compete with that. or even a stock one, i have seen them in the 9's with a good rider. just like a mid to low 10 sec pass and i would be thrilled. now honestly, i dont know what these will run stock, but i'm guessing solely based off numbers, that they arent that fast.
anyway, it already has exhaust and a fbf chip, whats next? i am planning on re-gearing it. maybe r cams? there are some f parts on the good ole ebay, pricey, but if you've ever built a purpose built race anything.....
 
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