After aching over a 999 or a 1098 I decided to go with my heart and get the 999S. Yeah on paper the 1098 is better but the 999 speaks to me in a different way. I brought her home this afternoon and decided to call her Valentina! She's got around 22k miles on the clock and is an almost original 2003 999S. The bike has been sitting in a private collection since 2015 so I haven't ridden her on the road yet as I'm wary those cam belts might go snap (see below) which will be bad news for the pistons and heads. Plus points: Genuine 999S monoposto In Ducati red! Bad bits: No red key or key card. Yeah, this is a bit of a bummer but as I understand it I can get the existing key cloned or I've read somewhere that SOS can be used to code another red key, am I right? Last recorded cam belt change was in 2013 Throttle is an Active quick-action one and levers are aftermarket The last muppet who changed the battery must have over-tightened the screw that keeps the holder in place and its just seemingly rotating in its housing. Let me guess, need to strip whole plastic enclosure down? I'd read the 999 had a solenoid starter system where you only have to press the start button once. Doesn't seem to work on mine as one touch makes it turn a few times and then it puffs dead. Starts fine if I keep the starter pressed. Not sure if mine still has cats on it, I'm used to Japanese bikes and the cat is easily spotted as a big ugly shoe box. I've attached a few pics if anyone can help me here.
Hi ... bought mine a year ago. Took the train from Stuttgart to Hamburg (600km) at 5am, bought the bike for lunch and drove all the way back on the bike . My 9 years old son named her "Shakira". Worked the whole winter on the bike and converted the standard 999 to a 999S with a lot of other goodies. I am looking for carbon fairings from a 749r or 999r and Dymag carbon wheels this winter to follow up the work... (open for offers!!!) A lot of Ducati guys think it is a complete design mistake, but I was looking at my friends 749 for almost ten years whenever we made a trip together and still love the design. I think when you don't get bored by the design after such a long time it can't be that bad . Enjoy your bike! Best, Andreas
You can get the immobiliser deleted, another member may be able to advise you where this can be carried out.
Thanks! Re: the immobiliser I'm going to check tomorrow if it has already been deleted, according to the manual the key symbol should light up if its still there. If I go down the route of a DP ECU, won't I need the red key to code it to the clocks?
1. Replacing the red key. To do this will need a chip on the clocks reading. The clocks have to be taken apart to do this. The code for the red key can then be identified and a new key programmed. The bypass code can also be calculated at the same time. 2. Key cloning can be done to copy the existing black key. 3. DP ECUs were not normally coded using the red key. Dealers left them virgin so that the exhaust and ECU could be removed and sold on separately at a later date. 4. If the DP ECU has been coded then IAW59M can have immo deleted and IAW5AM can have immo deleted or made virgin. 5. Your starting will be improved if you modify the starter cables. @Exige on the forum sells a kit to do this or you can build your own with parts from an auto-store. 6. You can check if immo has been deleted by removing the clocks. If the bike starts then immo has been deleted in the ECU.
Very nice, they are a marmite bike, love them or hate them, personally I adore them. I've had mine for fifteen years, doesn't like to be left too long without being started, still makes me smile every time. Enjoy
Thanks @chrisw this info is priceless! Not too sure I can get the chip read done over here in Portugal. Anywhere in the UK that offers a mail-in service?
No red key/code card is not a problem these days. You would have to send your clocks off and the cost is expensive. In the UK Scorpio Electronics can do the work. https://www.scorpio-electronics.co.uk/ Be mindful that continued starting failure can lead to premature sprag clutch failure. The cable mod for the starter circuit is really a must do. Your bike has two cats, one in the front link pipe and one in the exhaust itself for the rear cylinder. Get your suspension set up by a specialist. It will transform the bike.
What about a new lock + key + immobilizer set from fleaBay? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KIT-CHIAVI-COMPLETO-DUCATI-749-999-NUOVO-ORIGINALE/264402321006
A pointless buy. You would need to buy matching clocks,ECU, keys and locks for it to work. Do not fret about not having the red key. If the need arises then any issues can be overcome using available technology.
Interesting thread for me as I know nothing about the 749/999 bikes. Please keep updating as you go. And, congratulations!
Correct on both counts. Hence why I started my hobby with ECUs. There are numerous forum members who I have helped. My hobby has lead to solving key and clock problems as well.
Providing you have the matching red key you can program a minimum of two black keys to a previously coded dash/ECU or new dash or new ECU. This cannot be done if you do not have the red key or the dash/ECU are second hand and have been previously coded. With your new lockset just transfer all the transponder chips from the old keys to the new. On the black keys there is a locking peg under the Ducati labels that needs driving out.
So the new lock set + keys would only be useful if the codes in the dash could be read and transferred to the keys or is this not possible? If it were then could that lock set be used in one of the following way: Transfer the transponder from my original black key to a new black key Clone or original key to a new black key from that lockset (can this be done?) Code the new red key to the code in the dash (assuming it can be read) I'm thinking about future resale value so the bike is as complete as possible.
If you want to ‘complete’ your bike you need to invest £160 - £200 and get Mark at Scorpio to dump the info from your dash. You need him to identify the three transponder codes stored in the dash and not to Virginise it. The first code is the ‘red key’. Once you have that info I can program a T5 transponder that can be fitted to a red key blank. From that same info I can calculate the immo bypass code. You will not have a ‘Code Card’ but you can create your own with the bypass code on it. I need a file like this
