pro and con on modifications

[Motortosse]

Hi

I'm looking for a 996sps, 996r or 998s/r in a budget of 5-8k. I'm a bit on and off toward the heavy modified bikes like this:
DUCATI 996SPS special carbon Foggy Replica colours on eBay (end time 13-Feb-10 22:37:44 GMT)

and perhaps a bit more leaning toward a std spec bike:

2000 DUCATI 996SPS - Motorcycles for sale

What are your preferences ?

Btw anybody know about either of the 2 bikes ?

Mads

[749si]

Hi moto,

Dont know about the 996 as i ride a 749 but i always prefer to have a standard bike to start with then if i want to upgrade its much more satisfying to think "yeah i did that and it looks really good", plus there is always the chance if its been heavily modded it may have heavily thrashed.
Just my thoughts, good luck with the decision.

Si

[matt#corse]

Yes i sold him the full special foggy carbon kit for good money about three years back now.

Still looks great and if my SPS wasnt full carbon already i would offer to buy it back off him.It really does lok stunning in the flesh with that kit on.

Power commander

Full 50mm termignoni exhaust system (carbon cans/titanium pipework)
Magnesium Marchesini wheels (checked and refinished by Dymag)
Slipper clutch
New Brembo cast stainless full floating discs
New Brembo 4 pad calipers
New rearsets in black (not shown)
Wavy rear disk
New renthal carrier
New chain & sprockets
Gear change lights
Carbon dash
Technosel seat pad
140bhp (125bhp dyno'd at back wheel, graph available)
6500 miles
New regulator, battery
Datatool cat 1 alarm
Full service history - this bike has been meticulously maintained by Cornerspeed
etc etc
Wearing pretty new Pirelli Diablo Corsa's - You will probably not find better

Do you realise how much it would cost to buy a standard SPS bike and buy the above good ducati modifications.Better brakes,better clutch etc etc.


Ps if you want standard buy the trick one ,sell all the nice parts for good money and replace with the cheap standard parts found easily on ebay.I bet if you do that you will be up a few grand imho.

[matt#corse]

In fact looking at the first bike its a no brainer for me.

For about £800 extra you get something like £6-£7000 worth of extras.

Ive just watched some nice dymag magnesium wheels sell for over £700 on ebay this week.

Im looking at all the mods and thinking

'is there anything on there i wouldnt fit if had the money to buy them'.

The answer is 'no' there all great official ducati performance parts found in official ducati performance book bar the wheels.

By the way i dont know the guy i just sold him the body kit and he seemed the fussy type and certainly didnt sound like he was thrashing or racing it.Would you spend that kind of money on a track bike ?

Nothing wrong with that standard second bike either.For me though i wasnt happy with standard one so purchased one with lots of good mods on it already.

Trouble is i then fitted loads more ducati performance stuff and upgraded the mods already on it.Damn those ducati performance parts are just too tempting for me and make the bike alot better imho.

Here is a before and after of my SPS.Its alot better in every sense than when it was in standard spec.

[Motortosse]

Hi Matt

Agree with you, I've just wrote a mail to him for further details. I allso like the brakes, wheels and the carbon bits. But it need some red paint, and som color to the wheels. And perhaps a real öhlins fork will lift the front the last bit. But the painting is a minor issue, and if the forks work for my weight can I possible live without the bling effect of the swedish steel.

Anyway, I wait for his responce and perhaps send a friend in the weekend to have a look at it.

But it do come close to the price area of a 996R or 998S. For sure better engines, but after listning to 2 bikes (996bip/998bip) here in dk, did the 996 appeal a bit more to my heart, where the 998 works in my head. But I assume duc's or bikes ftm don't really give any logical or marriagal sence ??? My wife have allready started the arguments, so a new toy will potentially bring me a new couch as well :-)

-M

Mads

[matt#corse]

Mate wait until you hear the 916/996SPS.They sound alot different to the 996 Biposto model i owned for 6 years and 998 model too.

Much more raw sound to them and as for the ride above 6000 rpm wild is a understatement.Still 996R is a very nice bike too for sure.A bit more revy and nowhere near as much grunt down low so ive been told.Still a 996R/ 998R with 1098 crank will solve the grunt issue

Do you want it for road or track.SPS owns the road imho but 996R owns the track and in the right hands will be embarrasing jap 1000 cc bikes or latest KTM (See video 1).

YouTube - Hockenheim GP-Kurs On-Board Ducati 996r vs KTM RC8 im Rennen !

YouTube - Ducati 996 vs Bimota sb8r

[Motortosse]

Sound good, tracks in denmark is a laugh. Getting laid by Paris Hilton is much easier :-)

No we only have one decent track in the country and that is open for racing 4 times a year (and will cost around 1000£ to paticipate)

So we go sweden or germany for track days, and then we anywy end up in the 500-1000£ range for a little fun.

So my purpose is mainly our twisty roads and the perpaps one TD a year.

But with family and work will even sunday rides be limited, why I skip the R4 bike and want a V2 (improve the fun factor in the short moments).

So that's why I'm turning toward the SPS, and due to the grun't issue like the 996SPS.

I've been mailing the guy with the black SPS, and he seems like a thrust worthy guy.

Do any of you come from the Mansfield area, that can go have a look at the bike for my (I like 2'nd or 3' opinions) it's currently in a bikeshop, cornerspeed ?

BR Mads

[spike748]

I'm not normally one for stickered up bikes but that carbon 996 looks sweeeeeet. As Matt says the performance parts are top quality and look the business, plus it has only had 1 owner from new and 6k mileage in 10 years.

Now wheres my credit card gone???

[matt#corse]

Looking at that bike again i would buy the body kit back in a flash as a spare.The windscreen is really nice too.All the decals are the right ones for that era and really add to the carbon kit with the tri stripes.

I remember feeling gutted when he walked away with it but then i had other plans for 998R look.

I also remember him looking at my bike with fairing off and admiring how clean it was.All i can say is his puts mine to shame now.It looks mint,check out the radiator and protector and look how clean the engine cases are.Wow i need to get cleaning again .

Motortosse it could still do with some ohlins r&t forks like you said but be careful its hard to stop once you start.

I would also add ducati performance magnesium yokes,ohlins racing shock and magnesium swingarm imho to be near perfect oh forgot needs some radial master cylinders & EVR large capacity carbon airbox imho and well lets face it to finish it off a cm composit carbon fuel tank.My tip is hide all the bill for performance extras from partner to avoid alot of grief.

[ChrisA]

I actually live in Mansfield.

What I would say though is if it's been to cornerspeed for servicing, it will be well looked after.

PM Nelly on here, Cornerspeed is his and I'm sure he will give you the run down on the bike.

I've always found him very helpful.

[Motortosse]

So... I made up my mind, and went for Rob's carbon 996sps

So now I'm in serious pain.... new bike and 1000 miles away from it

But spring is soon to come, and the pick up will for sure be combined with a TD at cadwell

[Triple9]

Originally Posted by Motortosse

So... I made up my mind, and went for Rob's carbon 996sps

I think you did well there.I know Rob and have seen the bike a few times,...I dont think I have ever seen such a well looked after 996.In fact I cant really believe he has actually sold it.Must be buying one of the new Multistrada's.

[matt#corse]

Lovely bike mate and others have said a very good deal.

Imagine how much more it would have cost you to buy standard and purchased all that fantastic kit new from ducati dealer.I reckon you woulld be looking at it oweing you £14,000 at least.

One of the best looking SPS bikes i have seen.

Wait until you hear and then ride it.I was laughing inside my helmet thinking "how the f##k are these things road legal".The power delivery of SPS is what its all about,its like a two stroke with big v twin grunt.

Once it climbs on the cam to 6000 rpm hold on tight,its wheelie time or wheelspin time if roads are cold.The only bad point is they do make you want to ride them like a maniac.The more you push it the better it feels and it just sings in the top end range of power.

[Motortosse]

I'm very much looking forward to take her for a spin. But investigating the dyno chart's avaliable on varius std. to wild tuned sps's, do I wonder why all of them have a rather deep hole in the power curve at 7000 rpm ?

Another point of investigation is the rocker arm issue. Didn't anybody try to coat the rockers ? From my past experience with tuning do we often coat the gears and cams with MoS coating. But TiN or Nikasil could allso be an option. And looking at the cost of new rockers and cams (even it seems as only the rockers are normally changed ?) could a 5£ MoS coating or a 100£ Nikasil coating be a good option.

[matt#corse]

Another point of investigation is the rocker arm issue

I just treat rockers as consumables on 916/996 bikes.Ive only replaced one but had to replace the camshaft too.

Coatings sound like a good idea but harder rockers might wear the camshafts faster.