- Joined
- Jun 8, 2018
- Messages
- 161
- Location
- San Diego, CA
Here's my experience, as a data point for consideration. I run the bone stock 2019 V4 brake setup with the exception of Motul 660 fluid and Vesrah XX pads and think the performance is very good and not holding me back at all. This bike is exclusively used for the track and I'm just now finishing my first season of amateur racing at CVMA. The ABS system is intact and very good I think and it's only intervened on me twice while trail braking way too hard---and probably saved me a low-side. Two very trusted sources have shared that plugging the ABS affects the engine braking, as the software is so sophisticated that engine braking is tied to the brake pressure, as read by the ABS module. That said, I know FAST Ducati guys who've plugged off their ABS and have no complaints at the track, and like the firmer lever, and recommend doing so. I routinely hit 1.0-1.1Gs braking and have hit as high as 1.6 Gs up the slight incline into Turn 1 at Big Willow. I have experienced just occasional and slight brake fade on very hot days on the main straight at Fontana, but that is during max braking efforts held for several seconds coming down from near 180 mph. From a stock system, I think this is pretty impressive. Good job Ducati! A friend let me spin some laps on his Ducati V4 that had no ABS and a higher-spec master pump and Z04's and I did not go away thinking it was a better setup than mine. The feel was different for sure, way more on-off, but I can't say better or worse, and I guess it just depends on preference and what a person is used to.
For my purposes, which is to get faster and achieve some podiums in amateur class club racing, I know there's another 3-5 seconds a lap that'll come just from improving my riding first. That said, racing is teaching me that it is very good to continuously try out new stuff, new kit, and new setups. I guess, for best results, the bike, along with the rider, should be continually "developed."
For my purposes, which is to get faster and achieve some podiums in amateur class club racing, I know there's another 3-5 seconds a lap that'll come just from improving my riding first. That said, racing is teaching me that it is very good to continuously try out new stuff, new kit, and new setups. I guess, for best results, the bike, along with the rider, should be continually "developed."
You would have to be a hard charger to need remove it to get improvement over the stock setup but a starting point may be upgraded lines and pads and turn the ABS off. Fluid is virtually incompressible, so cant really see the point of ABS delete unless you can ditch the pump and associated weight.
