HyperMods!

Just got done what I have found to be the necessary mods to make this thing perform like a million bucks, wanted to share my impressions. Listed by order in which I installed.

1) Racing seat
Really firms up the ride, lets you feel what's going on under your ***. A lot easier to move around side-side transitions. I actually prefer the harder seat for anything but touring.

2) Ducabike Rearset
I have the low version, but it was way too easy to drag hard parts (levers), I kept slipping off the pegs, and the body position was terrible for my shorter frame. I couldn't get a good grip on the tank for cornering. I've been really thrilled with these rearsets: they're super adjustable, and most importantly have a passenger peg. Word of warning: the aluminium spacers they ship with need to be machined to fit the center stand bracket.

3) Brembo RCS17 master cylinder
This was a nice little upgrade. I found the stock master cylinder to have a big initial bite, and then be spongy. Not good, and not very adjustable so I couldn't bring it in closer to my fingers for easily doing 1-2 finger braking. Honestly didn't feel like a huge upgrade at first but there's no way I could switch back at this point.

4) HealTech QuickShifter
This thing is just fun. They have a great support staff as well. Very easy to setup.

5) Andreani Kit Suspension
What a fing difference. Transforms the ride entirely. Reminds you what 'suspension' means (hint: not lead-filled sponge). It really stabilizes the bike up in corner transitions and cornering over bumpy surfaces. Also the rear doesn't get as upset pulling out of corners.


Well that's it. I like that I can bolt on a few components and make it a full-on touring bike, and by removing/swapping some out it's a fun as hell sport bike. It's perfect!

Edit: added some (very compressed) images.

zibbit u2 said:

for the RCS17 Master.. what are you using a hydraulic banjo fitting for the brake switch?

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I bought this (from a suggestion on Ducati.ms):

Universal Radial Master Cylinder Adaptor

The brake switch came with the RCS kit, and I just took the lazy route (after taking off the headlight and looking at the plug) and cut the original switch cable and soldered on the new one at the middle.

RSL said:

Who installed the Andreani cartridges? How much did it cost?

Fast Bike says they are the sole importer for Andreani in the US.

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I bought it from Fast Bike ($890) and had it installed by Solid Performance KTM outside Philadelphia. David will install it for free, is my understanding, if you ship the forks. He's a nice guy and easy to deal with. The kit has made a huge difference. Edit: also, they are the sole importer. If you contact Andreani (Italy) they'll connect you with him. There are some kits on Ebay direct from Italy that are cheaper (no VAT, import duties, etc) but that has its own risks.

jdot1981 said:

So it's that simple- you remove the forks and send them to Fast Bike. Tell Dave your weight and he installs the cartridges and sets them up close to your weight and the riding you do? I'd be willing to do something like this. I'm not looking to go down a rabbit hole of trying to set up the perfect suspension for this book. But my limited amount of time on so far makes me think that a front suspension mod would be helpful.

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That's the understanding I got from David, yeah. I talked with David a bit, but went through Solid Performance as they're local and could install and setup my fork. Right now all the values are "stock", to get a good feel for everything then I'll setup sag, and make necessary adjustments.

Even "stock" (i.e., standard setup for my weight) it's made a huge difference. The preload was fully dialed back, and the rebound is half turn less than the manual suggests on the rear shock and it's massively stable cornering now, mild bumps or throttle roll on don't seem to cause the rear end to move about as much as it did before. Also it actually absorbs bumps rather than running over them.

Intersted to play with the settings even more!