Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

Blade wrote:...Still alot of misconceptions out there.

To be fair Blade, their intelligent use of space & material greatly appeals to me too mate.
...& there are quite a number of bikes that I do like when they're stripped naked..
however imho the panigale looks better with her red dress on.

But it would be a sad world if we all had the same taste, wouldn't it.

(P.S. I was only joking about the spark plugs, and very impressed by your advice that they've even designed that aspect well )

Blade wrote:

Kwacky wrote:It doesn't use spark plugs, it uses wild caught fireflies from the foothills of the Fiemme Mountains

I believe ones raised in captivity can be used for short durations if the wild variety are out of season

They don't have the stamina of the wild ones. They might be cheaper but it's false economy imo

Obviously i am biased but i still think the 916/748 bikes look as good less the bodywork as they do with it on. I watched Neil at Cornerspeed setting mine up on Saturday and it was a simple job for him to access all the adjusters once just the fairing was removed. (and the fairing is only held on with Dzus quick release fasteners)

The overdue reivew

You would think it easy to wax lyrcial about your dream bike but tbh like most things in life what you envisage as perfection is not truly perfect

I'll start with the bad, which is probably a little harsh and should read, the less than perfect.

Brakes don't live up to the hype of being race spec. There not bad just not as good as expected and im going to try a pad change to improve things as the main fault is they lack initial bite.

Fuelling is snatchy on small throttle openings and hunts if you try and hold a steady throttle at a constant speed. I expected a ride by wire throttle to be better as the sp2 which is 15 years behind in development fuels better.

Engine is the show piece but on a whole an il4 is easier to ride and just as quick if not a little quicker.

Grips are hard and hurt after an hour but that's a small gripe and easy fix.

Now to the good.

The electronics are sublime. The QS and autoblipper are must have mods and should be on every sportsbike. They really do rock

Handling. The bike turns in with minimal effort and really drives hard out of corners. I noticed she wanted to run a little wide on corner exit but I think I've adjusted that out already although I have an Ohlins TTX to throw in the back so I'm confident it will be improved.

She sounds amazing, looks amazing and makes you feel amazing when you ride her. It's not a forgiving bike to ride fast and wants your full involvement the whole time but that makes for a rewarding ride and a big smile across you boat race the whole time.

It's going to take some time to get the best out of the bike as it's very focused and very demanding but also equally thrilling and entertaining.

To me it's a special bike and I'm going to enjoy learning and improving her during the ownership time. I will write more as the journey continues and I get more time in the saddle.

Honest initial impressions are she is like a smoking hot girl friend. She's amazing and hard work in equal measure but you would never give her up and you know your punching above your weight so just enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts

Where's the rest?

love your summary mate. Prefectly written. Your gripes seem to be easy fixes which you certainly can sort out through the winter. May I ask how many miles have you covered now?

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One of the guys on the PB Magazine forum got rid of his as he couldn't live it in unless it was on open roads. He too said that the throttle wasn't as responsive as he expected unless you were cracking it open.

What does the engine feel like, is it still like a big twin?

A remap would sort the fuelling.. maybe worth the £50 or whatever it costs?

Isn't there an ECU upgrade for these? EVO or something?

kiwikrasher wrote:Where's the rest?

Oh there it is

Kwacky wrote:Isn't there an ECU upgrade for these? EVO or something?

The EVO is a software upgrade but it's for the traction control system side of things. Believe it adds slide control.

The bike has been remapped already it's just how big twins are. In fairness it is pretty hard to map something with pistons the size of soup bowls.

CJS racing is the place to look at ECU remaps. I don't think many places have the software to write new maps.

It is worth taking the bike to Cornerspeed though to check it has the latest fuelling maps. Ducati update those for free on a regular basis.

I 've checked Duke it has the latest specific map for the Ducati Performance official Akrapovic exhaust option.

CJS re flashed the ECU on my Pantigirdle, costs about £400, he will spend nearly all day doing it !!

Blade wrote:I 've checked Duke it has the latest specific map for the Ducati Performance official Akrapovic exhaust option.

I keep forgetting you have Akra cans on it. Are they a Ducati part number or direct from Akrapovic?

Doh! I Se you said they are a DP part

Yes DP

Ive seen of a throttle spacer mod that is meant to make a difference to throttle pick up. not sure if its any use.

https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/t ... kit.41131/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Cheers James. I had seen that but wasn't sure tbh.

All bikes I have had have had throttle free play. The manuals even say should be 2 to 3 mm of free play so it sure tbh.

Just found this dyno graph.

Didn't realise the 1299 was such an improvement over the 1199 tbh.

Impressive graph