1199R trackbike project.

a friend of mine is a pro fotographer, i got some good gear as well and know my way around it a bit.. we've got a full shoot planned when it's fully done which should be by end of june.. got news from Ilmberger that the rear seat is in and should get here by mid next week... also the last carbon bits ( full clutch cover - radiator fairing - electronic holder panels L/R) are on their way !

 

tx, apart from some inspiration and co ordination, i m too clumsey to do anything on the bike.. but i indeed take pride in the fact that i only decided to do this in jan, when i ordered the bike and then went full throttle sourcing and getting all the parts together. and let me tell you the list is extensive , especially as the front takes quit some machining and CNC work.. it doesn't look like much but a small piece of kit can make your planning a nightmare...I think i drove over 2000 km just picking up the stuff as it came in in Belgium and Holland and riding the bike around... the van already earned its keep ! but again, i got extremely lucky finding the right guy(s) and sources who actually did the most stunning job i ve seen done on a bike in 25 years.. not only slapping it together but the bike is just top notch. Something i guess even a JHP would be proud of..( ps : i think i might visit JHP when at Donington in june.. ) I even went as far as ordering some parts double ( pe : the tank cap - one RS but also 1 Lightech) to make sure 1 would be on time and fit.. I'm over the moon i did this in 5 months with the bike only available early april. i 'll know in the end but i don't think the actual build itself took more then 17 hours or 2 working days.. and even within budget!

 

some tech : we weighed the bike and it came in at 89 F /77 R kgs or 166 kgs with 4 liters in the tank.. MCN quoted the standard R fully topped up at 189 kgs ... so 166 - 4 + 17 : 179 kgs so we dropped another 10Kg... it look like even keeping the ABS ( 2kgs ) we might get the bike in WSBK weighing mode 3 kgs below WSBK regulations.. To use the BBX Ecu fitting the Pirelli ECU, it has to go on the Computer for the general ECU to recognise it.. that will happen at Assen. We also got a prototype heavliy enlarged airduct to get working on the airintake that should be improved upon if you look at the akward way it runs now.. we'll have to cut away at the head fairing so we'll get a plastic one for that. We may adjust the carbbon one , once we're sure it actually improves the bike. A very trick piece of kit will be a shortend rear fuel stack to allow more of the increased air to build pressure over it and increase volume sucked into them as the stock one only allows for 2/3 cm room... so the airbox should get much more air in it and the engine should be able to suck more air more easily into it.. looking forward to getting the result once we can all make it fit... as said , a lot still needs to be done before we can call it 'done'

 

Freak, if its only the airducts you need, then you can get them from Carbonvani, ilmberger and probably some more .. they fit straight under the clock and are kept in place by the frontfairing so the existing mag thing should be no issue .. if its the full front fairing bracket then it's SIGL carbon

 

it s one of a couple of one offs... i got it together with the forks... i'll check if there are some left next week when i'm at Assen.. if there is one, will you have it? it is only for the Panigale tank...

 

ok, i'll check ! shoudl know by mid week i hope..

 

Well, THE BIG DAY ... the first ride and track experience.. WHAT A COUPLE OF DAYS : Maiden trip at SPA FRANCORCHAMPS
It was something I was counting down to not without some buckets of apprehension. Finally getting the bike where it belongs : on a track! With me on it as a second essential detail. Due to planning it was to be Spa Francorchamps. The high speed occasion with some famous corners like Source, Radillon (upward 200 kph killer cork screw) and Radillon (200+ kph knee down left). And the forecast was : rain rain rain. As there was a set of wets on the standard wheels, no excuse no to ride the bike. Even when the Pirelli BBS still needed connecting through a special install..
It would be a first of many things, first public appearance of the bike, first ride on the R, first time at Spa, first feel of the fierce brakes (pump and callipers) and first on wet tires to test ABS and TCS. So all week, the anxiety rose.. and rose . Can’t remember the day..
It was a 2 day occasion with Monday being 1 of 2 yearly Ducati days and Tuesday being an open trackday with some race teams preparing. And the forecast kept its promise. When setting up shop it was pouring and it was a simple choice: WETS on .. I did another first : changing wheels.. I was going strong on the rear when I heard some cursing at the front. F..F..F..ck x 5… the rotors were too close to the wheel. With a 1000 apologies , the was told that the rims needed the 5mm spacers and that there was no fix. Oh, no! Not riding then on Ducati day and fees down the drain. It was a bizarre combination of anti-climax, regret and great relieve at the same time. Funny feeling.. when o saw the first bikes passing by on the straight throwing buckets of water 6 feet high, the regret soon moved over for some wisdom not having ridden the monster in the wet. It would have been pretty audacious. In the mean time I thouroughly enjoyed ( let me be honest ! ) the attention the many Ducatisti gave the bike and the oohs and aahhs.. I admit : vanity, my favourite sin. Especially the old-school look, the referral to the quintessential Ducati Superbike, the 851, seemed pretty endearing to many Ducatist with some sense of history. But when even some European Ducati brass admitted that it was the best looking Pani they had seen, it felt great.. the coming together of looks and quality stuff as I had planned it was quite a thrill.. pretty proud I was.. 
And then the miracle happened. It stopped raining and by midday, the track could be named dry with some damp damp patches. I had written the day off as a ride and now had to switch back to “oh dear, here it comes” Learning the R and the track. Haven read all the reviews a 1000 times with 1 thing in common (“ this is a growling beast”) and knowing this one came in another 11kg lighter, that mode came back quickly. Outright fear and adrenaline are quit something. It gave some sense of what it must have felt like 30 seconds before 07:30 on the 1st of July somewhere in a trench at the Somme.
So there we went: out of the pit lane , straight down the 5th gear 250 kph downhill run up to probably the most daunting corner in the world: the Radillon. Looking at it from the top it looks like nothing. When you’re at the bottom, it looks like hamburger hill and very “no room for error”. Once up there it is the long run at full throttle where nimbler riders hit 275 kph on a litre bike. On lap 2 and a not so good radillon the bike come on top and opening in 4th it lifts the front wheel.. woooow.. this thing pulls like a missile even without hitting the rev limiter. In fifth it’s become more of a point just to stay on as you’re literally hanging at the clip ons. Then the first time hard on the brakes. Waw, what a bite and feel. Instant, hard and still very manageable and all with 2 fingers. The 19x18 gives considerably more control then 19x20. First flick in and It all comes together. Absence of weight. If anyone calls this bike ‘slow’ he should check the meaning of the word. Rolling off the throttle just tightens the corner and the change of sides is truly eye flash quick. Down to the tight 180° and first touch down.. after 6 miles on the bike. With an easy that is mindboggling. No pushing, no pulling.. no shaking. Whether it a slow turn or a 200kph knee down sweeper, the flip in is just as fast. It is so fast that being to slow will throw you on the curbs. Blanchimont is the second big cohunas corner that is taken full throttle in 5th by the big boys, but is quit something as off 180kph.. As to exiting any corner : Just keep it at 6K, finish the turn, and then it happens: this thing kicks like a herd of mules and revs considerably faster to 11K then I can remember from the DRE at Aragon. I did get the GPS/timer to work and couldn’t believe when on the last lap of the very first session on this magnificent track I came out of Blanchimont with only 2:44 on the timer before it was flagged “end of session”.. did that just mean I would have hit 3:00 on the very first run on an unknown track with still some damp patches ? no, this somehow can’t be true, now can it? 3:00 was something I hardly dare hope I would have done on the end of day two in perfect conditions.. What a kick! What a thrill! And with hindsight, the bike never felt like unsettled, frickle, or any of the bad critiques gave it. All taken in mind that of course it wasn’t even coming 100 miles near its full potential. I hadn’t seen the DTC light once even with some tries to induce it. But still. All the fear faded and I just knew it will serve me well in all we will do the coming years. I can ride it like a maniac or just wander around tracks I don’t know yet, It’s going to be, as some silly yanks keep saying : AWSOME! . When it restarted seriously drizzling after that session, we packed it up and enjoyed looking at it for another 2 hours! It was quit a pitbox with some pretty special bikes in there. Ducati galore 
Today started the same with drizzle wetting the track all over again. But we kept the faith and it dried up by 11:00… ok , here we go.. Radillon is still prittu daunting but it helps to get the line right and on the throttle in 4th did it while still leaning on the tank to keep the nose down. And then it went from faster to faster.. first session 2:59 so the feeling confirmed.. midday brake and being moved from B to A with the fast guys .. 23 rd from 101.. second session : 2: 54… waw… both sessions were cut short by some accidents and I bungled session 3 as the fuel light came on and it dash said it was best to tank.. getting stuck at the back off the track is not good at spa as it is 4km away… and then a clear run with a bit of a tow on the 13th lap of the day: 2:52:28 and 16 th of 101 riders. With 6 racers training. Frankly, I still can hardly believe it! This 98 kg hit a low 50’s on this punishing track on the first day on the bike… and knowing where to get another 4 seconds as I haven’t really hit the brakes at full close, haven’t seen the TCS light come on and must find some shelter to get over the 256 kph . This will probably be lowering the bars and getting them closer as they feel very wide as they are.. and frankly, it never felt out of shape anywhere, never felt on edge or nervous.. it just inspires great confidence… it indeed is a beast and I probably might find them later, but up till now, I haven’t found any fault yet.. I wonder what the fuzz is all about.. I will be set up to my weight later but now frankly I wonder what it will bring.. today it was just perfect straight out the ( extensive) (mod) box… 
I’m over the moon and thrilled with the results so far.. I’ll never forget this day! ..
And for those still wondering if this sucker will be ridden.. I hope the pics can put all doubts to rest..
I hipe you enjoy them.. 

 

here's the link to the Hi RES pics .. 1199 SPA 5 13 - a set on Flickr

 

just to prove it!

 

no Brads, I never raced... apart from Aragon and Valencia earlier this year and a day at assen last year, this is the first year in 16 years without tracks... .. that's wy i'm over the moon. Never expected it to go so well... and it's all to the bike... i'ts so easy to ride..

 

am i getting overexited now and hallucinating or is that pulling a darky on pic 5 and 6! there has to be something crazy in the air!