Hi All Has anyone got any recommended mods for a 999 BIP 2003? My 999 is having a thorough strip down and good going over apart from all the pretty bits that are being taken care of are there any simple mods that can help performance or reliability? Thanking you all advance JJ
Lots of people put an R1 throttle tube on, which gives a slightly quicker action but it also seems to give a more positive action from closed, which for me is actually a bigger benefit. Only costs about £15.00 and is dead easy to do. Another easy cheap one is replacing the oem levers with smaller, neater ones. You can go for genuine Pazzo levers, if you can find some at a reasonable price but you can get cheap Chinese copies for silly moneyed EBay, which are amazing for the price. They are cnc machined from solid with stainless fittings, just like the Pazzos. I've just fitted some and I'm really pleased. They look enormously better and feel better to use too. The other cheap but not quite so easy one is to replace/piggyback your starting circuit wiring with something heavier and newer in order to give easier, quicker starting. I went the expensive route and got a kit from the U.S. but lots of people have just gone to Halfords and got Cables for peanuts. It's quite a fiddly job because you have to route heavy cables through the confined space of the battery holder but it's well worthwhile.
Upping the rear sprocket to a 39T is recommended for regular road riding. Some folks use a 14T front instead, not my choice but there you go, it's a legitimate option.
I ran a 14t front and 39t rear which was really good compromise. And defo get an R1 throttle tube I think 2004 model R1 tube is the one and its a 10 minute job to fit If you can get a mono set up then the weigh saving is quite remarkable in the subframes
Another simple thing to do is to stick a super-bright LED in the parking light 'nipple' in the screen. Takes moments to fit and acts as a great running light for extra road presence.
These are the exact sort of tips i'm looking for!! R1 throttle tube you say,is that at the bar end? Is it a simple job? Nice to have your opinion on the cnc levers,did you go for the short ones or the standard length items? I thought about the short ones but my clutch is heavy enough as it is on standard length levers,i may need to check it's set up right? I may also go for cnc gearshift and rear brake foot pegs and levers. That electric centre/battery box is a nightmare!I've only just got it back together after some serious cramming in of wires!Which wires did you replace?Was it the ones from the starter solenoid to the starter motor and to the battery? Working for a commercial vehicle dealership i have access to various thickness of cable and terminals ;-) I'm guessing the theory is that the thicker cable carries a higher current that in turn spins the starter over quicker?
Mine came with Mono set up,like you say loads lighter and looks ace! Also got Ducati Performance air filters,termis and been mapped and rolling road tuned. Its currently stripped right down at the moment having a deep cleanse,full service and new fluids. It did have starting and idling issues but hopefully now i've cleaned out air filters,which were as black as the night and you could not see through them when held up to a strip light!
The throttle tube is the plastic moulding that is the major component in your twist grip. The R/h grip is mounted on it and the throttle cables are attached to it in the larger diameter section at the l/h end. The diameter of this section will dictate how much cable is pulled as you twist the grip. If the diameter is not constant, then this can give a cam effect, so that more cable can be pulled, proportionately, the more you twist. By good fortune, the Yamaha R1 throttle tube is a perfect fit and does give a slightly but not enormously quicker action. However, it does also seem to reduce or eliminate play from a closed throttle, making for better control. It is only about £15.00 and is easy to fit. It's just a matter of dismantling the outer moulding next to the rubber grip - two Allen bolts? Detach the cables, slip off the tube and replace with the Yamaha one. I was expecting shorties and was initially disappointed when my levers turned up, as they weren't much shorter than standard. However I was soon pleased, they are just right in practice. Your clutch shouldn't be heavy but it depends what you are used to of course. The cables to replace are battery to earth, battery to solenoid and solenoid to starter. The kit piggybacks the battery to solenoid as there are other cables crimped to it as oem. More confident types will be able to sort that out though. The theory apparently is that the oem cables are barely able to carry the current when new and develop increased resistance with age, so adding to them or replacing them brings big benefits.
Why replace the fuel pump relay? Because it is located in a stupid place, gets wet and rots. Causes all sorts of misery from stalling to complete failure to start. The relay is £1.90 from flea bay, there is a link on here somewhere. I reversed the wiring loom so the relay is inverted, cleaned the contacts and sealed it with dielectric grease. Finally cut a finger off a rubber glove and put the relay inside closing the end with a tywrap. Handy tip, it is the same one as the headlight relay, so if it fails you can use the headlight one as an emergency spare.
I failed to mention the quiet clutch mod! Some people love the 'music' from the dry clutch, others find it less pleasant. If, like me, you fall into the second camp, there is a simple, cheap fix. All you have to do is to remove the clutch stack and insert another friction plate underneath it. This extra friction plate sits down in and jams into the curved bottom of the friction plate slots and damps the whole stack, cutting down on not just the 'music' but also the resulting wear as the plates hammer backwards and forwards, destroying themselves and the slots. The plain plates sit in square bottomed slots, so if you have one of those as the first plate, the first friction plate sits on it, so doesnt reach the curved bottom of the friction plate slots. This leaves the whole stack free to oscillate and create the 'music'. All you need is an old secondhand friction plate. If you can't get hold of one, let me know or alternatively, it is possible to just reorder the existing stack. I know someone who did this and reckons his clutch is just fine. This will reduce the height of the stack, which will reduce the preload on the springs. This should reduce the effort on your lever but may also lead to clutch slip.
Glad i have put this post on now before i have fitted my new Renthal grips,time to get a R1 throttle tube first! Seriously i have to take that electrically centre apart again?? Oh why me!! Ah well if it improves starting and reliability then its worth it. Thanks for your help.
Great tip thanks for your help,is this relay the one floating around in the back of the battery carrier? I'm all for improving reliability i reckon if you breakdown with an electric fault you're buggered!
I kind of like the noise to be honest it goes well the noise out the backend as well! I do here a weird noise on down change when knocking her down a cog before going into an island kind of like the same noise you here when you miss a gear when driving a car but i guessed this was the slipper clutch slipping and biting again however i was exactly on it!!??
