848 Updated.. What Do You Buy A 10 Year Old 848 For Its Birthday (& How Much Power Does It Make?)

I finally clicked with the bike after doing half a dozen trackdays last year. It’s an ‘08 848 and came to me a bit track ready (fairings, EVR slipper clutch, quickshifter, rearsets and a couple of other little bits and bobs).

It was great but felt a bit slow to turn. Taking sage advice (experienced friend rode it and said it was ‘like a plank’) I decided to get the suspension done. I’ve never had suspension set up for my weight and always wanted to try it. Spoke to the helpful guys at HM Racing and decided on fork service with new pistons, springs and a new shock.

That was the start of the slippery slope. I’d been somewhat unnerved by flapping bars over the rise after Surtees at Brands, so wanted a steering damper. But that’s not straightforward on the first 848s, there’s no thread in the headstock or mount on the frame (and I don’t like those ones that mount on the fork top). But if you spend enough time on the internet.. you can find and import a special bracket from the US and as luck would have it, get a suitable triple clamp right here via the forum - thanks Phil748.

So with damper added to the order for KTech bits, that was the suspension sorted.

The brakes had felt a little weak at the lever and another ‘encouraging’ friend said if you’re doing the suspension you should do the brakes. Best money you’ll ever spend. Friends are helpful aren’t they, particularly if they’re not paying. Conveniently HM had a Brembo RCS Corsa master cylinder in stock.

There was something amiss though. The bike had standard cans. Great for noise testing but it didn’t sound like a Ducati should. I’ve always just had end cans before but a stroke of fleabay luck, a titanium Leo Vince full system came up. Looked like new but at half the price. Thanks to Pete at Pro Twins.

I had a go at fitting it but the original header nuts were looking pretty tired.
Took a trip to Alec at Ducati Proteam. He is the nicest most knowledgable Ducati mechanic you could wish to meet. If you need a service in Kent/London area I highly recommend giving him a call.

Exhaust sorted, fuelling not. Thought about getting a DP ECU or remapping the standard one at Moto Rapido, bit far for me though. Then discovered Bazzaz do a combined fuelling and traction control module (sort of traction control - works off engine speed), aforesaid mate has one and said ‘better than nothing if it goes wrong!’ Fair enough.

Then, thinking I was done and chatting it over with my old boss who first got me into this sports bike caper, he asks if I am doing a 520 chain and dropping a tooth on the front and going one up on the back. Compared to everything else, once I got the quote it seemed like a bargain.

So to get back to the thread title, there’s my list of what you get a ten year old 848 for its birthday. Maybe it would have been more sensible to sell it and put the funds into an 899, but I had one before and a a trellis frame and underseat pipes were missing. Each to their own.

If you’ve read this far you deserve to know the dyno numbers. With the standard ECU and full system it was 123bhp, with custom mapping on the Bazzaz it was 127bhp. Not too bothered about the numbers, it’s how everything comes together I’m looking forward to finding out. The sound is as you would imagine, joyous.

I’ll find out what it’s like to ride in Jerez in two weeks time. I can’t wait.

Cheers,
Pav

Ps. forgot to mention the starter cable set - thanks to Exige!

 

Forgot the blingy pic!

 

Yeah would like to do something with the engine. Though that’s when the £££s can really add up for what you get back. Did wonder whether lighter flywheel and lighter belt rollers / pulleys plus cam timing setup might be a starting point.

Or is it biting the bullet on some carbon wheels..

 

Yep that’s them. Painted by Apache race paint.