V4 V4s Build - From Start To Finish

Hey Snips good to hear from you! Nonnie says hello. I bought these through Ducati Manchester and a few other people are already using them, so I believe it's safe to assume they are UK road legal. I find it hard to believe they aren't yet sanctioned for use in the US, given they used to advocate flashing brake lights as indicators once. 21st century Federal laws and litigation have changed all that. The "stock" DP LEDs are on Nonnie's Monster and they are very bright as you know. If you were changing from stock bulbs to LED, I would say yes. If from static to dynamic LEDS, I am not sure you gain much other than the sweep pattern, which is arguably slightly more eye catching to other traffic.

 

Knew at some point I would have to get one in shot for you. May as well be a red one!

I can see the resemblance.

 

Yes we are both good thanks. Possibly that they have a different resistance or operating voltage than that required for the 959 so maybe the sequential operation of the individual LEDs would not work. Other than that I can't see why they wouldn't work. In terms of fitting they are no different to the "stock" DP indicators and they will fit on pretty much any Ducati, assuming you choose the correct fitting (as there are two variants)

 

Never rains but it pours! After landing in Finland with my requisite negative PCR test in hand, ready for 4 days training, I get a text from NHS track and trace saying I had to isolate for ten days as I may have been in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. Long and short of it was that I had to take another test at Helsinki airport which was negative and then isolate for three days. Second test is on Monday.

Assuming that is negative which it should be, I am then free to leave my hotel room. Unfortunately, the upshot of this delay means the training has had to be pushed back until the 29th-31st May, so now I won't be able to return to the UK until the 1st June. The only positive to come out of this is the paintshop have now started work on the bodywork which should hopefully be partially complete by the time I get home (this was in itself delayed after the painter had to have 4 weeks off due to an arm operation). Couldn't make this sort of stuff up! It's verging on a film script.

The annoying part is that the track and trace alert (I subsequently found out an hour after I arrived at the hotel in Finland), actually related to my return flight from Italy a week before but it took the NHS 4 days to send it to me after I was already airborne for Finland and my negative PCR test was taken last Tuesday, two days before I left the UK. Anyway, I hope to have some content for you all in the not too distant future and thanks for your patience.

 

Well with a tentative date of the 14th June for completion of my bodywork, whist I wait, I decided to fit a few more parts to the bike. Save the tank pad, a few remaining carbon parts, the new windshield and the PPF protection to put on, the build will be all but complete. At some stage I have to take the bike to the dealer to get any recalls done (though some I have already carried out myself, such as the clutch hose, oil cooler and cam chain tensioner bolts) as well as load the Akra Map and activate the DMS module and install any software updates. It remains to be seen if I can complete all this before the end of the month but it was always my intention to try and have the bike completed by then and ideally before my birthday, however this whole build has been plagued with countless delays, through world events as well as personal and family circumstances. I'm a patient man, having waited over 2 and a half years to ride this bike, since I bought it new in 2018, so a few more weeks makes no difference in the grand scheme of things.

Desmoworld steering damper bolts. As always beautifully machined parts from Chris in Germany. Believe it or not I actually had these shipped to the hotel in Finland before returning to the UK as they no longer offer postage directly to the UK due to Brexit (FFS!)







Next up I mounted the two new fairing 90 degree brackets and pins, to accept the new upper/mid panels.

 

As I patiently wait for the bodywork to arrive, though even mine is being tested right now (given it was supposed to be here last weekend) I have been adding a few more mods to the bike and sorting out some work in the man cave (more on that elsewhere). After sitting in a box for over 18 months, I was sorting through some of the carbon parts I bought from Peter Lieb, one of which was the seat pad cover. Unfortunately given the box had been stored for so long the supplied adhesive had cured. No problem and my own fault, so a quick email to Peter and he gave me the spec of the adhesive he uses and I managed to get some via Amazon. Sorted. I will also have plenty left over for the belly panels which I have yet to fit to the lowers (which are, you guessed it, still at the paintshop).

Here's the kit.







First step is to ensure the OEM seat pad is clean and free of any grease. A quick wipe over with isopropyl alcohol does the trick. The next step is to apply the adhesive foil panels to the seat pad, as per Peter's instructions. These allow you to remove the carbon cover (should you ever want to), as the adhesive is applied to these foil panels and not directly to the pad itself.



Next, you scuff the areas inside the lines with the supplied ScotchBrite pad, to give the adhesive a good key.



Then it is on with the adhesive, which you apply inside the marked lines.



Finally you can then fit the carbon cover over the pad and secure it with masking tape for 24 hours until the adhesive has fully cured.



Peter also produces another seat pad with the Ducati Corse emblem inset into it, but this was a recent addition to his range of V4 parts and is the seat pad itself as opposed to a cover like mine, so perhaps a better option, but I am happy with this version plus I don't want yet another corse badge on the bike, given there is already one on the instrument cover.

 

Bodywork is coming along nicely in my absence. Hoping to pick up the side fairings, nose cone and seat next week. Tank and battery cover will need trial fitting to align paintwork, then will go back to paintshop to be completed.

Tank rubbed down and decals removed, ready for primer.







Primer applied



Nose cone will need to be sanded ready for primer

 

Side fairings awaiting prep after masking. Grilles removed for painting. Adhesive will be rubbed down and removed.

.

 

Seat unit masked up for paint.

 

Battery cover masked up for paint. Once painted, this will go back to Germany for Peter Lieb to fit the grilles and posts.



Lower fairings stripped of sound deadening, ready for prep. These will be married to the carbon LiebSpeed belly sections, once painted.

 

Yep on the home stretch now Ian. I've been through most of the CF companies over the years and I would rate CDT and Ilmberger almost on a par with each other, though of late Ilmberger seem to be slightly better in terms of fit and finish. Peter Lieb's products however, are just in a league of their own. They fit so accurately and the finish is superb. Even his packaging leaves others behind. He also produces parts for Gilles Tooling. Ive only a few V4 OEM panels (side fairings and battery cover) plus some track day bodywork and blanks left. As for carbon, just a 1299 CF instrument cover left. Sold a load of carbon parts off last year. V4 OEM side fairings not listed yet, but all the Pani stuff can be found here:

http://www.ricambimoto.uk/index.php?route=product/search&search=panigale

 

I hope late July. If the planets align of course.

 

He is bloody good at what he does that's for sure and frankly puts considerably bigger companies (remembering it's just him and his wife that run the whole business) to shame such as CDT and Ilmberger. Even genuine DP products aren't as accurate a fit as his products are.