The Ducati Performance Bible
Ducati was the first, and remains one of the very few sportbike manufacturers offering a complete range of optional factory designed or specified high performance engine, chassis, wheel and suspenion components for their bikes. There is a specific 80-page Ducati Performance Catalog for the 999 / 749 Superbike line and you'll want to get this catalog before beginning any upgrades to your bike. The Catalog retails for $10 at your Ducati dealer, or you can download it for free as a printable PDF file from the Accessory section on the Ducati.com website.

For the most part, we do not recommend purchasing any competiting brands of products not sold by Ducati, both for their possible lower quatlity, reliability and performance gains, and the fact it will probably devalue your bike if you ever sell it. A good example of this is running another brand of performance exhaust system other than a Termigoni exhaust from Ducati Performance. Termignoni is the official OEM production and factory Corse race team supplier to Ducati, and the only systems which are developed in a close relationship with the factory. All Termingoni exhaust system kits come complete with a recalibrated computer module, necessary to readjsut the bike's fuel injection to the new higher flowing exhaust to assue a performance gain.

Termignoni Exhaust System
The next step to upgrading your Ducati is replacing the heavy stock catalytic converter muffler with a straight-through Terminoni race silencer. Ducati Performance offers 2 different systems for your particular mode and pocket book:

• Rear Replacement System with Race Silencer, Front HeadPipe, Carbon fibre Heat Shield, Filters and Recalibrated CPU Module.

The setup costs around $1,500 and increases power about 5hp throughout the powerband on the 999S model see the dyno chart) , and should show a similar proportional gain on the 749, 999 and 999R models. The new Stainless Steel Silencer weighs 12 lbs compared to the Stock Catalytic Muffler at 18 lbs, dropping weight 6 lbs overall.

• Complete Race System with Stainless Steel or Titanium Race Silencer, Complete 2-1-2 Equal Length and Balanced Tuned Header System, Carbon Fibre Heat Shield, Filters and Recalibrated CPU Module.

The Complete Systems are available in 50mm, 54mm, and 57mm pipe diameters. The 50mm system is the ticket for 749 and 999 models, the 54mm for 999S, and the 57mm for 999S and 999R with additional engine modifications like higher compression and race cams.

These Complete Systems retail from $2,800 with the Stainless Steel Silencer, and about $3,200 with the Titanium Silencer. We weighed the Titanium Silencer at 8 lbs. 3 ozs, almost 4 lbs. lighter than the Stainless Steel one. Ducati says the Complete Termignoni System offers an average 8% overall power gain, which means our 999S with 133hp stock should now be kicking out about 143.6hp which is right up there with a stock 139hp 999R model running its Rear Race Silencer.

Above: The Termigoni Rear Replacement System retains the stock unequal length header design, but includes a bigger header pipe for the front horizontal cylinder only. Below, the Dyno chart showing the Rear Replacement System's across the powerband power increase, with the 999S model showing a maximum rating increase from 133 to 138.6hp at 9,500rpm, just about equal to a stock 999R at 139hp.

Left: The Complete Race System features an equal length 2-1-2 headpipe system which effectively provides a big cross-over balance tube. It is a work of hand welded beauty.

Bucci Slipper Clutch
OK, I'll admit it, I'm a shameless slave to fashion and whatever's trendy. The hottest new accessory in MotoGP and Superbike racing these days is the slipper clutch, which releases automatically as it feels backward drag from the rear wheel as you shut off the engine throttle going into a corner. With Moto GP and Superbikes running 13.5:1 and higher compression motors there is a big problem with the engines reving down quickly when the throttle is chopped and abruptly slowing the rear wheel with it, causing the rear tire to lock up and slide. This is particularly scarey when you're cranked over, diving into a corner. It was fun watching the factory Kawasaki MotoGP team crashing out of the first races of the 2003 season as they braked into corners, before they realized they need to install slipper clutches on their new works bikes.

On Ducati bikes which run a dry exposed clutch, the optional Ducati Performance clutch from manufacturer Bucci is that beautiful red anodized whirling thing on the right side of the engine behind the trick cut out clutch cover for improved cooling. Just looking at it gets you and everyone else really hot.

Well, we had to get one for the sake of fashion, despite the fact the stock Ducati 999 production motors run a relatively mild 11.4:1 compression and we 've never experienced any rear tire lockup diving into corners. The clutch kit costs some $1,200 and it proved impossible to self install in our home garage because the stock Ducati clutch requires a big ass air impact driver and a special Ducati clutch tool to break the shaft mounting nut loose. Then when we finally got it off at a friend's commercial garage, the new shaft locking nut that came with the Bucci clutch from Ducati Performance wouldn't fit our 999. It seems, after talking to people that know, sometimes the Bucci kit comes with 2 different shaft nut choices, sometimes it doesn't. Ours came with the wrong nut.

That's where the even lighter weight, new design carbon fibre wheels are proving to be the next big performance advantage. We opted for a beautiful set of BST carbon wheels from MotoWheels for our 999S which we weighed and found to be 3.50x17 front / 5lbs., and a wider 6.00x17rear / 6lbs. lighter than the stock OEM wheels. Granted at about $1,500 each these wheels are streamely expensive, but at cost per pound saved, that works out to a much more cost effective $300 per pound saved, compared to $500 per pound saved for magnesium.

Is it worth it? Certainly, because: 1). You are improving your bike's power to weight ratio by a significant amount. 2). You are reducing unsprung wight for better suspension performance and handling. 3). You are reducing recipricating weight chained to the engine's countershaft sprocket so the engine can now rev and accelerate quicker, and 4). You are reducing rotating mass for improved braking performance. It's a shame we have no way of figuring out the cost for performance value like we did with the exhaust systems, earlier.

A few side notes about the carbon fibre wheels. The carbon fibre fabric layout and the finsih of the Dymag, and in particular the BST wheels is incredibly beautiful, nothing short of aerospace concours spec. Both wheel brands are exteamely strong and tires are installed with conventional tire mounting machines - they aren't brittle like fiberglass. TheBST rear wheel for the 999 is somewhat of a hassle toinstall to the bike. requiring 2 extra axle spacers that BST supplies which have to be lined up with the rear brake mount and the wheel and the swingarm slots and the chain adjusters. This is not a quick change pit stop setup and the entie rear wheel assembly takes a good 10 minutes of dicking with, aligning all the parts with big screwdrivers or such to get installed.