Thanks Chris, ingenious! Clearly you have taken a drafting class at one time!? You just took me back to grade 9 art class, I remember doing something similar to what you just described? Smart though, doing half then folding it over. Thank you for taking the time to explain that. It's a how to to drawing, cutting and shaping your own seat pad. Excellent! I am going to try this. One question, where did you source the neoprene with the 3m siding? I wouldn't know where to begin to find that? Hardware store or car detailing shop or some sort? I seriously wish I could cut out your seat and place it right on to mine, save me the time But thank you for explaining that in layman terms. I won't get to do that until after the Summer. I am saving up to buy a carbon tank off a mate first. But as I said before, love that look of how your carbon wrap around looks so much better with your homemade race seat. That's the bees knees as my Gram's would say! Can't wait to try it. If you find time here in the next few weeks or whenever, could you take some close ups of your seat? Like a top down shot right above so I can have a birds eye view? It would help in the cutting and drawing. No rush, whenever you find sometime. Like I said, i won't get to try this for a bit anyways. Much appreciated!
Are you looking at buying the carbon rs tail with seat as all in one, or the carbon rs seat which you can buy separate and put on you existing tail? The two are different as the all in one cuts straight across nearest the tank but the separate seat curves round the tank the same as the OEM seat. Mine just had the rs seat and a little bit of sanding was required to make it fit. I work as a design engineer so I did ok at art at school!
I am looking to just fit the RS seat on the oem tail. I don't want the RS tail if I can help it. How did you keep the set down without the RS tail? Were the fasteners and clips enough to hold it down without having to buy the RS tail as well? I plan on trying it with the RS seat, but likely not till the end of the riding season in the fall. All my focus, money and energy is on getting the 18.3L carbon tank. I will definitely pick your brain if I have trouble getting the carbon seat to fit. I am glad that I have found a few people like yourself that have attached it without the RS tail to keep it down. To me, the RS tail belongs on race bikes. I like the oem tail better for the street. Design Engineer huh? I can see where that might come in handy for such a project. You should start designing bike parts, I'd be happy to be your first customer.
Here is some pictures of the aluminium race brace, not much to see though as its so small. I do actually make a carbon rear brake cylinder protector. These are a plain weave finish and made with unidirectional carbon cloth and Kevlar core. same finish as Ducati Corse carbon parts but a lot stronger. Will post pictures of them in next few days. Just give me a shout whenever you do the rs seat unit
Here are the carbon protectors. I use the same plain weave as what carbon dream, who make all Ducati carbon. You can see the 200g unidirectional cloth and Kevlar, of which I use six, which makes the core. Also these are designed in a certain contour to alleviate stress cracks both vertical and lateral. I get a few orders from club racers as these are hard as nails, most people think carbon is made from plain or twill weave. Carbon structure strength is from the unidirectional cloth at alternate angles. Plain or twill is simply the asthetic finish. I've yet to see any carbon made from unidirectional cloth with a Kevlar core from anybody. It's always layers of plain or twill where the fibres are prone to straightening out under stress or even worse a fibreglass lay up using a black pigment in the resin and finished with a carbon top layer. Also there is no such thing as flexi resin, it's a cover for the above. I work as a structural engineer a lot of the times with composites. These are compressed, not wet lay or vacuum bagging, to drive out excess resin as resin is needed to keep fibres in place only, it's the fibres which add strength. Resin does not add strength. The more resin and laquer used, the less mechanical strength it will become. I won't go and bore you anymore! They come out as a Matt semi gloss finish and can be wax buffed to shine in 5 mins. Any wax is ok to use as these are UV and chemical resistant. Also wax is an excellent protector from fluids. Designed to be practical first, but look good too. Quite expensive to produce as I use aerospace materials and I only make when I have time, but only £10.00 more than the cheap Chinese carbon junk on the market by so called "motorcycle carbon companies" I'm still finalising them to some extent.
To be honest, which seat unit you got on the 2004 749r depended what the factory had available. Many 2004 models had a plastic seat, but carbon everything else. Mine had a plastic seat, which I since swapped for a carbon one. Later models also went to plastic fairings. Ducati lost money on the all Carbon 2004 749r, so had to cheapen later models to make a margin. All 999r came with carbon everything as standard.
Nope. Only the '03-04 999R had a carbon tail, later models have a plastic tail. The '03 also had plastic belt covers.
Was there ever an oem carbon exhaust cover . The part that is bolted to the seat unit not the rap around exhaust cover. My 06 had a plastic seat unit ,which is now cabon , but I havent seen the part that bolts to the seat unit in carbon. Mono seat cowl . At least I now know what its called .
My Fila R bought off the original owner came with a Termi sized Carbon Exhaust Cover and a Standard opening Carbon Exhaust Cover: it was said to come totally standard with everything that was with it from new. But having not been the original purchaser I can't be totally sure. No reason to doubt the guy though...
Yeah I got the same with my R but thats not the part im asking about . Its the bit that covers that part im asking about. The cowl so ive been informed.
Hi - I think your old 749R is for sale with Optimum Bikes, York, for just under £10k. Still looking good!
The footlong rearsets are shorter, but fairing is non-standard, as well as mirrors etc. I'd prefer a more standard 749r to retain its value
That bike has been for sale there for months, previously at about £2.5-£3k more than it’s listed for now. And it’s still not selling. Because it’s been buggered around with. I reckon it’s destined to become a track bike (not the end of the world for it as that is what it was designed for) but only at track bike money.
AH OK, thanks for the info - I've only taken a look recently so wasn't aware it's been there a while. It's always a worry when someone has "re-engineered" one of these. I also see that Sheffield Bike Specialist have one up for sale that has a few options fitted.
