Bought a V4 base

After riding the V4S a few weeks ago I decided to pull the trigger on the base. Some may ask WHY not the S or Speciale, afterall, I have a 2016 R and 2017 Superleggera.....

So I have a ton of spare parts including forged aluminum rims from my 2016 R that were basically brand new; those bolt right on and saved 4.6 lbs in total over the base model wheels (of course I am using the same tires and brake rotors).

Second, I had an Ohlins FGRT 203 fork for my 2012 Ducati Panigale 1199 sitting around collecting dust but in perfect condition. I also had a spare set of black Ohlins Superleggera outer fork tubes sitting around so I serviced the FGRT203 fork and married the SL tubes to the rest of that 30 mm NIX fork and VIOLA; I have a V4 with BETTER suspension than the S/Speciale and don't have to deal with the electronic issues when the OEM stuff is disconnected FTW!

I have an Ohlins shock and steering damper on the way (delivery in May I am told) and I have ordered the full Akrapovic and some other bits and bobs.

When I am done I will post some pics. Bike should be 399 lbs with a full tank of gas.

I did manage to rip around on my "hot lunch route" and the stock Showa BPF and Sachs rear shock are more than up to the task of aggressive street riding or canyon carving.

The bike feels great and is certainly a better street-able sport bike than any other offering from Ducati I have ridden.

Congratulations!

Novel idea with the FGRT & SL black outer tubes! (I wish I had a pair of FGRT203s sitting around collecting dust, haha.)

Liked "hot lunch route"

Congrats! I ordered the base model back in November. I have never owned a Ducati before, always been on Japanese in-line 4's. I have no idea when I will get mine as the dealer has only received their demo bike . I am also adding the full Akro exhaust...


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roadracerx said:

After riding the V4S a few weeks ago I decided to pull the trigger on the base. Some may ask WHY not the S or Speciale, afterall, I have a 2016 R and 2017 Superleggera.....

So I have a ton of spare parts including forged aluminum rims from my 2016 R that were basically brand new; those bolt right on and saved 4.6 lbs in total over the base model wheels (of course I am using the same tires and brake rotors).

Second, I had an Ohlins FGRT 203 fork for my 2012 Ducati Panigale 1199 sitting around collecting dust but in perfect condition. I also had a spare set of black Ohlins Superleggera outer fork tubes sitting around so I serviced the FGRT203 fork and married the SL tubes to the rest of that 30 mm NIX fork and VIOLA; I have a V4 with BETTER suspension than the S/Speciale and don't have to deal with the electronic issues when the OEM stuff is disconnected FTW!

I have an Ohlins shock and steering damper on the way (delivery in May I am told) and I have ordered the full Akrapovic and some other bits and bobs.

When I am done I will post some pics. Bike should be 399 lbs with a full tank of gas.

I did manage to rip around on my "hot lunch route" and the stock Showa BPF and Sachs rear shock are more than up to the task of aggressive street riding or canyon carving.

The bike feels great and is certainly a better street-able sport bike than any other offering from Ducati I have ridden.

Click to expand...

I'm not a suspension guy at all, but is the FGRT203 fork the one that comes on the S? There are some R forks on eBay, that I'm thinking of swiping, but what about making the existing showa forks better? Now granted I'm nowhere good enough to notice, but just curious for the future where money is better spent because that was my logic buying the base.

Also are there race classes that allow the 1100cc base/S models or do we strictly need an R (for future reference if I ever become skilled enough to race)?

@SixShock,

The 1103 cc V4 can be raced in Open and Unlimited and maybe even some Formula classes. You never know, the orgs like WERA, AFM et al may open it up for SSTK or SBK classes if they can get more entries. Last Sunday at Buttonwillow the Formula 1 race I was in had close to 40 entries!

The base model Showa BPF fork is a solid performer. Ohlins makes NIX 30 mm and 25 mm FKRR cartridges that are designed to fit.

The fork that comes on the S is a mass-produced component spec'd by Ducati in conjunction with Ohlins and then manufactured by a third party. Same goes for the shock. These components are of excellent quality but not the same as the aftermarket items Ohlins makes. The part number for the S/R/Speciale/SL et al forks is stamped into the axle clamp on the inside.

S forks and R forks from 2013 are the same but in 2015 the R came without eletronic suspension so the fork cap is different. If you know you stuff you can mix and match some of these parts to get something "special(e)" ;-)

FGRT forks can be had for as little as $2000 (new) and the machined flats on the sides really make a difference when the bike is leaned, that is why I installed the SL fork tubes. The FGRT forks do come with these but the set I had was for a 2012 1199 base model which had a larger diameter top fork clamp because Marzocchi was the fork supplier and that fork didn't taper the top of their tubes like the Ohlins were/are.

Keep in mind that getting high-performance parts does not always mean your bike will perform better after install. You must find someone who is experienced and understands WHY a change needs to be made. Setup is key and it is much easier to get it wrong than right!

Most people can ride the stock components after setting sag and be VERY happy. Manufacturers don't test to sell crap.

Great info and lovely conversion.

So which bike is your fav?

@gnance,

I have many but my fav supermoto is Husqvarna FS450, favorite mini Honda CFR150R, favorite street bike Tuono 1100 Factory, favorite racebike Yamaha Graves R1M.

I have a BMW HP4 Race and 1299 Superleggera that I plan to ride on track soon....

Been training on a Graves R6 which is amazing...

My current race bike is a 2017 Kawasaki ZX-10RR which is also great!

Each bike has its thing....

The R1/M is stable on braking but the throttle is twitchy so this makes it harder to get on the gas early

The Aprilia RSV4/RF has incredible throttle response but has some extra weight

The new Suzuki GSX-R1000R is really nice but it feels large to me

The 1299 SL is incredible and light and fast but a real commitment to ride

The HP4 Race feels a lot like my ZX-10RR in the power and throttle response but has much better suspension and significantly lighter.

The new V4 is a real improvement over the previous 1098/1198, 1199/1299 in that it is a nice bike to ride with class-leading power and electronics but it doesn't make you suffer.

I could go on and on....I have a problem, some might say, but I love bikes and I love finding what I think can be improved and then setting out to do that and make something better.

roadracerx said:

@gnance,

....I have a problem, some might say

Click to expand...

You think?

Only joking, nice insight on the bikes.

and how the other half live

Yeah, awesome collection for sure

i did the same-- ordered a base. will be sending my bpf's to traxxion in ga for a makeover, not sure about what to do with the rear shock.. thinking maybe penske

fullofdays said:

i did the same-- ordered a base. will be sending my bpf's to traxxion in ga for a makeover, not sure about what to do with the rear shock.. thinking maybe penske

Click to expand...

Check out Omnia Racing Italy.
Really good prices on Bitubo. Have heard good things about Bitubo from some fellow racers.

Anyone on the east coast taken delivery of their base yet?