Hi Guys, Just wanted to introduce myself and post pics of my latest conversion. Ducati 749 with the front and rear ends front the 1098 Rides great and how the 749/999 should have looked in my opinion Comments and opinions welcome Thanks Mark [email protected]
Hmmm interesting... How's the geometry compared to the 1098 and 749 standard for example ? what were the hard parts of the work ? How does it handle ?
All ducatis should have a single side swing arm in my opinion. I know the standard swing arm is stronger and lighter and maybe better for track use, but what a difference it makes to the aesthetics of the bike! Bet there was all sorts of fun involved in that conversion, good job though
I think it suits, the early swingarm always looked a bit weedy for the bike, although the WSB looked better. Did you have any problems with the shock rocker? Some close up photos of that area would be much appreciated.
Very nicely done! Tell us more about the rear swingarm - was it difficult / straight-forward, needed machining, custom parts, etc?
Ok so to answer some questions, the geometry is pretty much as per an 848/1098, it rides and handles great. The conversion is not straight forward, it takes alot of effort to get the arm in the frame and to make it work with the 1098 suspension setup, I can carry out the conversion if this is required, but its the workshop time that adds up. Also the rear pipe will not fit with a 1098 back end as the rear header hits the rear shock so has to be reworked. If you have a logical mind and are methodical it can be done, but you'd need to budget around £2,000 for the parts/labour. It totally transforms the bike and it is in my opinion a better looking bike that the later 848/1098 and just freshens the whole package, I have had some many people fooled that it is not stock. The bike is now for sale as I am moving ont with new projects. Any questions ask away or mail Thanks Mark
ok so a final value is always hard to get to, varies depending on what suspension you want etc, so for me the total cost to me without my labour was around £2,000 in parts, breaks down roughly as: Swingarm complete £350 Front forks (Showa) £500 Wheels/Tyres £850 Exhaust mods £300 I guess some of the prices can be moved slightly if you get a good deal on the parts, fitting wise its about 4 days all in. I'm not using this forum to advertise this kit but more over to show you guys these great bikes can be freshened up and keep with a factory look I am thinking of building a 749/999 with 1198 motor and 1098 front and rear again but to a much higher spec next time with full carbon kit Again thanks for all the good feedback, nice to know we don't all follow the crowd
yeah I agree, the R is a special bike in its own right and way too rare to convert, however the conversion is backwards compatible so can be restored to original if required.
Well I like the symmetry of the double sided swinger. And for those of us who like engineering the double sider will always be stronger from a cost/manufacturing point of view unless expensive/exotic practices are employed . The double sided swinger was employed to improve the handling of the bike in W S B . As we all know the 999 is/was the most successful W S B machine .Ever.
I am impressed with your engineering skills but to me the end result just doesn't add anything much. That swing arm looks bulky and heavy, doesn't suit the rest of the bike. Two grand will get you a lot of track days and Tyres; or some lightweight wheels, which will really make a difference to the handling...
