Introduction to the Ducati Superbike

Following the monster meant finding something to fall in love with all over again. I wanted a bike that I found to be the epitome of Ducati. What comes to mind first... the 916, a superbike that changed the game of motorcycle racing, design aesthetics, and was an icon to transcended the future of superbike design.

As I did my research I discovered something even more evocative, for me, of Ducati. The 749/999 series bike was so unique to the competition, having separated itself from all other superbikes. The monoposto was a must. I would see a 999R with full Termignoni Exhaust pass me on main street, and I thought to myself, "wow, that was incredible"... "now that's a serious piece of engineering". At the time these bikes were going for 25 thousand dollars or more, which on a college budget just wasn't an option.  So... what about a 749?

And then I found this:

The asking price, well, lets just say, more than they were going for and less than half of the 999R. With less than 800 miles, it was a garage queen for a multiple moto-owner. He had 4 motorcycles including an Aprilia Tuono and rarely rode the 749s. He took such good care of it, so I knew I couldn't go wrong.

Having had a sense of the difference once a bike had undergone modifications, I knew there would be much to do on this bike. It came with cast wheels, Showa forks and rear shock, and overall in stock condition. The one big bonus was the completely tuned 57 mm Full Termignoni Exhaust. It was rare to find a black 749s in this condition with such a high priced exhaust. The bike sounded amazing! It also had a dry clutch which was exposed with an German MPL Clutch Cover.

So The first round of modifications would come together about a year later. Mods at this point included the following:

• Forged Marchesini 10 Y spoke wheels in gloss black
• Acculign Rearsets
• Competition Werkes Under Exhaust Plate relocator
• HID balast lighting for the both standard and high beam
• Carbontrader Long Rear Hugger

And then, there was the brake and turn signals hanging off the exhaust. I wanted to do something more creative. I found Phil Krug of Pak Bikes (a business which would later be sold to a new owner). Phil, who had been working on and developing an LED (Light Emiting Diode) brake light/ signal relocation kit for the Sport Classic Series Ducati, would end up helping me to develop a very unique and clean solution.

This mock-up along with a monoposto rear fairing I would purchase off ebay would be sent to Phil for his further development of the concept. We discussed integrated signals on each side of the light bar. Phil developed a circuit board that would allow for the signals to be integrated. He sent me these progress images:

This box design would route brake/ signal wiring from the stock delivery harness located on the left side of the frame (just left of the seat) to the underside of the seat and then to the braking unit at the tail.

Then we went back and fourth until a prototype was developed.

Stock:

Proposed Photoshop Design Drawing:

The mock-up I did for the custom mounting plate and location of the LED brake light bar in cardboard:

I would have to do some heat tape insulation to keep the exhaust heat from damaging the work we had done. And the final outcome of our working together:


Running Light:

Brighter Brake Light:

Right Signal:

Right Signal Flash off:

Left signal:

Still I was left wanting to do more. Having done a track day or two I started to think about suspension. The brakes were good but I knew they could be better.

I went forward purchasing front and rear Ohlins Suspension through the forums from a 999R that was converted to a race bike. I was doing a lot more research on the forums discovering modification that were rare to see. One example was Ceramic Coating the exhaust. This modification would assist in keep the bike cooler forcing the exhaust to release more of it's heat upon exit rather than throughout the stainless steel piping. The result is overall lowered ambient temperatures and a much cleaner look. The Ceramic Coating was done [url=http://engineeredapps.com/]Engineered Applications[/url] and costs about $180.

I had some experience with powder coating as well so I started to see the potential of some finite details being changed. The final result:

To this day, no motorcycle has ever handled better for me than this bike. Between the suspension, the rearsets, and the overall balance of the bike, I had found the ultimate track machine. Eventually I would buy a 2009 1198 Superbike.  This lead to my wife riding the 749s when I was on the 1198.  Here's a shot of my wife at Buttonwillow: