So I have a V4 Pikes Peak on order, should receive it first week of March. I've decided not to go for the full exhaust upgrade from Ducati/Akrapovic with their standard map update, and instead plan to get a BHP UK decat pipe and get a custom dyno remap. Apart from being FAR cheaper (£2,862 for the Ducati/Akrapovic option including map update, as opposed to £1,200 for the BHP UK decat pipe + custom dyno remap which I would estimate approx £500), I'm guessing it'll be lighter and release more ponies in addition to probably being more than £1,000 cheaper overall. I still think £1,200 for a bit of welded stainless steel is extortionate, but that's Ducati ownership for you in a nutshell, I guess. Only problem I have is - according to the BHP UK YouTube video they can do custom dyno remaps at their facility in Burnley (5 hours each way for me, so would probably mean an overnight stay in a hotel to get the job done, which means 2 full days off work) or they can send you a flasher unit in the post to upload a standard map. Not too keen on the second option, would rather have a custom map written for my specific bike than a generic one off the shelf. My usual dyno remap guy (Vanguard Motorsport in Uckfield) said currently he can't do 2022 onwards models. Apparently the ECU is slightly different from 2022 onwards and he can only do up to 2021. He's hoping to have access to 2022 onwards ECUs shortly but can't say when. I'm not sure if that's specific only to the PP, or whether it includes the V4S and V4 models as well. The TL;DR is - can anyone recommend a company close to Kent who are able to remap a 2022-2023 PP? Thinking ahead here as I probably need to start getting this stuff on order and booking appointments etc.
And who are BHP U.K., never heard of the,? And that sounds super, like unbelievably cheap for a full system and custom map! Or is that just decat headers and map?
BHP have a good reputation, spoke to the owner he attends the London bike show. going to have my GS mapped there this year, again he is a fair distance from me in Surrey.
It's not that, it's having two days off work is not only going to be problematic trying to manage things away from the office, spending much of that time riding, but would also cost me hundreds by me not being there for two whole days as well. Would just much rather take it somewhere local if I can. £1,200 is literally just for the decat link pipe on its own! I think less than 2kg worth of stainless steel. LOL. You keep original downpipes and end can as I don't think they're particularly restrictive at all.
You’ve spent £30k on a bike. Might as well keep going and do it properly. I certainly wouldn’t want to invalidate the warranty on my bike, which remapping it will. Unless you want to remove the map every time the bike goes into the main dealers?
Just wondering if it might not be a good idea to actually ride the bike and see if it makes enough power* before you jump in and change it? (* it probably does)
exactly my thoughts. i talked to BHP at couple of shows and seem decent lot but at the end of the day you are invalidating the warranty. also asked BHP if could replace OEM map for service etc without detection. you can switch between them easily with their handheld unit but no definitive response about being detectable and my friendly ducati contacts have told me they can detect it. and of course if you add decat pipes it makes it even more obvious you have been playing with it unfortunately
£30k on the bike and trying to save £1k on an aftermarket map that invalidates the warranty? Not trying to be argumentative but this makes no sense. As an aside, the Ducati maps generally are good, at least you aren't paying all that money for some tat exhaust that's over priced, and you will help the bike stand out when you resell it as Ducati buyers love the official accessories (in general)
Just get the bike, ride it, live with it for a while, get to know it and then if you MUST, change the exhaust and get it re-mapped. As others have outlined in some of their responses, you WILL invalidate the bike warranty and in reality to what end..... In addition, if you do what you plan and don't declare it to the insurance company, most, if not all of which will probably refuse to insure you on the bike, you will in all likelihood not be covered. Could be a rather more expensive series of modifications if you continue, and any event any insurance company that does take it on, will no doubt cane you with respect to the premium. Sorry for appearing to be a killjoy here, but it is of course your choice. Good luck whichever direction you eventually head in.
and your dealer should be able to supply and fit full akra for significantly less than list cost if you're buying bike from them (judging from what mine has offered) and you can sell the standard akra end can as brand new which should also recoup some of cost and make the bhp deal even more 'redundant'
All fair points! I think you've all managed to persuade me to go back to the original Plan A and just go with the full Akra upgrade. For what it's worth, saving the £1,000 wasn't the main reason for wanting to go with the BHP UK decat it just seemed like a bonus. The BHP UK decat looks significantly lighter and less restrictive than the one that comes with the Akra system and getting a custom dyno tune does really appeal to me. If you believe what they were saying on the BHP UK YouTube video there were a lot of spots across the rev range where the engine was being stifled at certain throttle positions, probably to pass emissions regulations. At least with the full Akra system from Ducati I can either have it done before it's delivered or take it to my local dealer at a later date. Finding someone local to remap this bike could be problematic.
Yep I'm aware of that but much less likely to cause a problem with insurance or warranty than an aftermarket system I suppose. I reckon there's more motorcycle exhaust out there that are not road legal than there are ones that are road legal.
I’m surprised someone has already found a way to unlock the ECU in the V4. It’s still very hard to get anything custom mapped on the DVT
I'd go with your original idea, save a grand and you may indeed come up with something better than everyone else who took the easy route, you don't know until you try.
I was happy to immediately invalidate the warranty on my MT-10 when I bought it brand new when I had a full system from Black Widow fitted and a custom map. However... Japanese engineering! I figured the chances of having to rely on that warranty was virtually zero. Ducati on the other hand... I'v yet to be persuaded on their long term reliability! Sorry, not sorry. Don't hate me for that comment LOL
There’s another benefit of fitting the Ducati kit. As well as the ECU mapping being upgraded to suit, the chassis software is also adjusted to match the new power characteristics. Stuff like traction, wheelie control etc. all get tweaked. These systems are, to an extent, predictive depending on level. Throw in another chunk of torque or power and the systems don’t know it’s coming so the function is compromised.
