Introduction May 22.2004.
The Ducati-Project will take a year more than expected.Because all the work I still have to finish for RC51,the developments for CBR1000rr and my own RC30 I cannot dedicate all my Time to the Duc.Lots of things are done for the Duc,this Project at present had cost me 40000$,not included those 100's of hrs of work I've spent into it,and there are still some 100's of hrs to spend into it.
Itisasitis:the modelwork of upper fairing will me most Time-intensive,the there's a Carbon-Subframe to develope,the Tailsection,then a Motec-programming for whole Injection-Management.....etc.
A very intersesting thing btw: I've had a visit here from a guy which Name I better don't post. But I've been very impressed by his knowledge,he has been the technical director/engeneer of the HRC-Castrol Racing-Team,from what I understood-1997 to 2002 .Nice stories I've heard from Rossi,Koscinsky,Corser,Bayliss...etc, an nice evening I've had with him. But most important,when I've told him my left-side Fueltank idea,and asked him if there'd be any disadvantage......it looked liked he did not even needed 4 braincells to reply: "not of concern "................
It's hard work and I cannot dedicate all
my Time to those Duc-Specials I intend to develope.
It's of course easy to order something or -through some fortune-to track down
rare or special Bits.
The Bits I received or tracked down or already fab'd waiting to be intalled are
Motec Ecu,QAT Fork,QAT Shock,Racing transmission (modified),adjustable Aluminum
Camgears,Radial Brakepump,Magnesium Engine Covers,full Titanium Exhaust,carbon
belt covers,carbon valve covers,Cable Clutch Conversion, new designed Clutch Basket including new
designed clutch hub and pressure plate (which will run with GSX-R 1000
friction-plates and Aluminum Clutchplates) .
Still waiting for Pistons and Stack-Tach,and still not
decided which calippers to go for and which wheels,still havn't had the Time to
develope some Carbon rearsets and trick rear caliper assy . The super-trick
Alternator (detailled explanation at : Latest News)
is proceeding slowly,but proceeding.
I also don't know how the combustion-chambers look,still have not opened the
Engine so far,but I have to open the Engine anyway
to install the transmission , so then it's not a deal to do the porting-Job and
a combustion-chamber rework,if necessary.
So far so good the radiator is done,the Airduct-shield/housing ( to duct and
force the Air through the Radiator ) will probably be done end of the week .
Howeveritis,with a little help from my friends I could be on road with this Pig very end of May,of course only a running prototype then,but it's most important to develope a good Injection- , Ignition-, Injection-timing-Mapping .....and not of real conern,if I ride the first couple of hundrets of miles with std. rearsets or my Carbon-ones ...............
INTRODUCTION January 2003
Somewhat December 01.03 ,bought a 999S to develope specials.
Took the Duc out of the crate and entirely looked her for about 10 Minutes,and then I took the tools and started to disassemble everything .Most important Q's of course: where's the weight hidden ?
So put every Bit - I removed -on the scale and got some insight . The heavy major Bits,which every Ducati-Owner probly will know : Exhaust ,BPS-steel subframe, Instrument/fairing bracket (housing) ,which I've measured more than 10 lbs ,clutch-assy incl. gear at 11.7 lbs . To give a comparison: the clutch Basket incl. gear,which I've developed for RC51 is 300 gr (0.66lbs) less than only the gear of the Duc-clutch.
To put it in one : after 2 weeks of ventilation how to rebuilt the 999 it looks like I will be radical from the ground,which means,that I won't develope 1 to 1 exchange-Bits,maybe apart some specials as to mention the Cable clutch conversion,Airbox .... .
I've had a look around at the German, US and UK Ducati-Forums and through the websites of various Ducati aftermarket Parts manufacturers,especially regarding plastics,clutch and Exhausts to get an Inspiration where it maybe would make most sense to start offering Products.Then I had lot of closer looks to the Duc again for about 2 weeks ,really racked my brain how to solve this or that and found no real Sulution until (after a discussion with a friend ) an Inspiration came .If you might have a closer look to my RC51 web,you'll notice,that I don't leave the Bike as they are,that I don't devolope or copy pruducts maybe 1 to1 just lighter,that's not the way you get the real weight-savings .
But :
I've got it !
I know now where I put the Fueltank,and how I solve a max-performance Exhaust.Those have been the major Problems and now they're solved by Imagination- the Bike is already done,just doing it ! Fairing,Tailsection,Carbon-subframe,Carbon fairing-stay (housing),carbon Intakes,rearsets,a new Clutch ,a new Alternator... blabla,those products I don't need to rack my brain for,it's just doing.Of course it takes Time,but not more.
I'll develope a new -different looking- fairing for the 999 . A new -different looking- Tailsection to be used with carbon-Subframe ...............
Introduction Dezember 2003
Well-I've try'd now google several hrs to find our what's up on the Ducati-999 aftermarket regarding specials,but did not found out too much,of course Nichols,KC-engeneering for ducati p-parts and some other. The race transmission I think is very cheap 860 $ or so,at HRC for RC51 you pay 6500 $ , ok a few x-tra gears more...but that obviously does not explain the difference in price. However .
Here in Europe it's not better at all-what I think. All the Bit's they offer are traditional style -remove this,put on that. Not more. But that does not bring me further. At present I'm searching for a German/US/UK Manufacturer of 999 Clutch-hub ,because I only I need a sleeve ,with inside the 999 clutch-hub gearing/teething (21-25mm),and outside a definated DIN-gearing 30-34mm,somewhat 50mm long.If someone reads this and knows someone,please give me feedback : info@durbahn.de
It's all because my Intention is to built a very lightweight and super-reliable unnoisy clutch (estimated 2600- 2700 gr total incl. gear !).
As for Airducts ,what I will do : move the Air between
the gap which is available between the fork and steering-head. If I use full
height,then only using one side would mean the capacity of both 999 OEM
ducts.The Airduct centered has extremly Advantages:It's Airduct and Fairing-stay
and Instruments-Bracket in one,could save 7-9lbs by only one piece .
Of course I'll use an other Fairing as Base, I think I go for a MV
Augusta-Fairing and
try to place the Intake at.................
_______
A btw-picture and Information ,only the
front wire harness Section of the Duc is 840 gr
........I think for half of that I'm able to built a
complete injection/road wire-harness