New 1299 Owner - Looking for advice

Hello everyone,

Ive been lurking for years and finally picked up a bike. 2015 1299S.

I'm considering the following mods right out of the gate and have some questions on them

-Tuneboy Cruise and Tune
-Stock Muffler coring
-Removing EVAP system
-Wiring open the stock flapper valve
-DTC EVO

I received a few recommendations on the FB Panigale Owners group to remove the EVAP system and wire open the flapper valve in the exhaust. Will this cause any issues as far as service lights? Any downsides to wiring open the flapper valve? Loss of low end torque? I'm coming from a 2009 R6 and there was a noticeable loss in low end power when I went with full exhaust (which deleted the flapper). I was able to get some back with a PowerCommander but low end wasn't the same again.

I am very mechanically inclined and have always done my own work on my bikes. I plan on doing the DESMO service when it comes up. I've found on here that many use Melcodiag to clear Oil and Desmo service lights, but i also found some information saying that MelcoDiag doesn't work after one of the later ECU updates from Ducati? That the case?

Any concerns with the DTC EVO update while using the TuneBoy Tune&Cruise flash?

Thanks for the help!!

Niiice. Welcome aboard.
mid ur gonna lock wire ur exhaust-valve open, polish the exposed header too

definitelyget rid of the EVAP, just had dealer for that on my 2015.

might need a new clutch slave / master cylinder too,
Mine was leaking and getting air in the system to the point where it would grab when I released the lever by 1mm

DucatiKev said:

mid ur gonna lock wire ur exhaust-valve open, polish the exposed header too

definitelyget rid of the EVAP, just had dealer for that on my 2015.

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Thanks Kev! Will I get a check engine light after doing that to the exhaust valve and pulling the EVAP?

Not for evap, dealer just did that for me

I wouldn’t mess with that exhaust valve unless you put a slipon (which removes the cats) or full exhaust system but that’s like $6400 at the dealer...

they instal an UpMap which removes the check for exhaust valve and will no longer throw code. Also slightly improves Air Fuel ratio but it’s far from perfect.

then you gotta run a tune like you mentioned, I’ve got Brenntuning and it’s a great improvement but I’m also looking into Woolich now cause they have some good feedback
The biggest thing with the tune is low rpm smoothness and ride ability vs gaining an extra certain amount of power although it may.

what part of America are u from?

ride the bike a lot and take notes after each ride. I got my 1299 all setup but there’s still more I’d like to add

DucatiKev said:

Not for evap, dealer just did that for me

I wouldn’t mess with that exhaust valve unless you put a slipon

then you gotta run a tune like you mentioned, I’ve got Brenntuning and it’s a great improvement but I’m also looking into Woolich now cause they have some good feedback
The biggest thing with the tune is low rpm smoothness and ride ability vs gaining an extra certain amount of power although it may.

what part of America are u from?

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Gotcha

yeah I’m thinking of having my stock exhaust cored. I like the idea ofthe TuneBoy flash since there’s no additional hardware required. There’s a reputable tuner up here in Minnesota that says this would be a good route to go.

also need to get my hands on a reverse shift kit from DP as I’ve always run GP shift and can’t go back

Awesome, let your tuner take care of tweaking the bike.
You can send your stock exhaust to @Phl for modifications unless you can get in there and do it, or maybe your tuner.

DucatiKev said:

Awesome, let your tuner take care of tweaking the bike.
You can send your stock exhaust to @Phl for modifications unless you can get in there and do it, or maybe your tuner.

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Thanks for the recommendation! I know I saw some threads here from someone who does a lot of these. Can’t remember their name though, likely the same guy. My tuner won’t core it but recommended I do it if i didn’t want to upgrade to a termi or akra system. Personally I like the stock look, and I like saving money, so that’s what I’ll probably do.

your bike looks great BTW

Welcome Tommy! Nice choice in the 1299. After riding a 959, 1199, and even the new V4, I landed on the 1299s and couldn’t be happier. Looks like you’re well on your way to some tasteful mods. I’m looking forward to seeing the progress

SlowJoe said:

even the new V4

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Could u dive into this a bit? I haven’t ridden any other Ducati’s. My service writer said definitely get a 1299 over 1199. What difference / benefits have you noticed compared to 1199 and V4? I’m interested in adding a v4 to my collection as a disposable (trade in every couple years) to keep miles down on my 1299 which I will be keeping forever

I think my 1299 is brutally and scary powerful and I love it. Maybe the v4 is smoother and helps get better lap times but the rawness and sheer power is addicting with my 1299

DucatiKev said:

Could u dive into this a bit? I haven’t ridden any other Ducati’s. My service writer said definitely get a 1299 over 1199. What difference / benefits have you noticed compared to 1199 and V4? I’m interested in adding a v4 to my collection as a disposable (trade in every couple years) to keep miles down on my 1299 which I will be keeping forever

I think my 1299 is brutally and scary powerful and I love it. Maybe the v4 is smoother and helps get better lap times but the rawness and sheer power is addicting with my 1299

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You kinda hit the nail on the head already. The V4 was an awesome bike, very smooth power delivery. More refined than the 1299 but a different beast. Very aggressive setup. The 1299 reminded me of my old KTM 530...the torque was available at low RPMs - eye opener out of the gate. The 1199 was more unpredictable out of a turn - almost like it had the hiccups. A little like a 1098 but better. Mind you, this could have just been the bike I rode - no two bikes are the same. I almost pulled the trigger on a 1199R but it had 17k in the clock...a little more than I would prefer. That tri-color is to die for!

What broiled down most for me was price. I couldn’t justify spending an extra 12-15k on the V4 when I could pick up a 3k mile 1299s (practically just broken in) with a few bells and whistles.

Will you see me with a V4 in the future? Only time will tell. The one thing I really liked about the V4 was the rear geometry. That being said, I’ll wait a few years to see if Ducati has any kinks to work out on the bike being a newer model. But for now, I’m happy with my decision. After all, it’s my first duc to begin with so I’m no expert here (V4 owners chime in and flame on!)

I think at this point, no matter what the future brings, it won’t bring back the 1299 beast. It’s a very special bike and will be special forever

you’re sure right,
My 1299S was over 30K out the door in 2015, and I picked it up for 16k our the door 4 years later w 1,800 miles on it. Dreams come true even for us regular ppl

Agreed! One thing i did notice when I was shopping around...the 1299's were hard to find. That either tells me that most people hang onto them, or they've all been crashed!

SlowJoe said:

or they've all been crashed!

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Come on now

SlowJoe said:

You kinda hit the nail on the head already. The V4 was an awesome bike, very smooth power delivery. More refined than the 1299 but a different beast. Very aggressive setup. The 1299 reminded me of my old KTM 530...the torque was available at low RPMs - eye opener out of the gate. The 1199 was more unpredictable out of a turn - almost like it had the hiccups. A little like a 1098 but better. Mind you, this could have just been the bike I rode - no two bikes are the same. I almost pulled the trigger on a 1199R but it had 17k in the clock...a little more than I would prefer. That tri-color is to die for!

What broiled down most for me was price. I couldn’t justify spending an extra 12-15k on the V4 when I could pick up a 3k mile 1299s (practically just broken in) with a few bells and whistles.

Will you see me with a V4 in the future? Only time will tell. The one thing I really liked about the V4 was the rear geometry. That being said, I’ll wait a few years to see if Ducati has any kinks to work out on the bike being a newer model. But for now, I’m happy with my decision. After all, it’s my first duc to begin with so I’m no expert here (V4 owners chime in and flame on!)

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I had a pretty identical experience. And I already have a Aprilia V4 that sounds much better than a Ducati V4 (which still sounds like a V2).

Plus 1299S is already sorted stock, all the kinks have been worked out since 2012 1199

I picked my 1299S for 12K OTD in Dec 2019 with only 1277 miles on it.

I think the consensus is that the V4 is significantly better handling and faster if you are into track time. After riding a V4 a few times I will be getting one but will hang onto the 1299 because compared to the V4 its a such a raw experience, and I agree that in time this will be the Ducati twin to own. The handling is still excellent but to me its very sensitive to settings and tire choice, I have some upgades planned, which will mainly be a new shock and forks plus some weight reduction and a dyno tune. However all that said for me its mostly road and if I did nothing its still an absolutely fantastic bike. Oh and if you thought the twin was a license remover, the V4 will suck it out of your pocket, devour it at 14k never to be seen again On that note the most important upgrade is a radar detector.

Another thing, Initially I thought the bike was snatchy and horrible down low, (akra slip on and upmap) but after 20k in race mode it feels fine. I think my throttle control has got better and ride it better so I dont notice it anymore even in the city.

After my dash got burned because of condensation. I will not ride again or wash my bike without a shower cap on it.

You may as well get the hot new motorcycle suit the fake news has been fear-mongering abt

What does binning the factory evap setup do??

Im not even sure if mine still has it i need to check...

007 said:

What does binning the factory evap setup do??

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I've read that it helps with starting issues. Also saves a few pounds. Apparently if you slightly overfill your gas tank, the excess runs into the EVAP canister and can cause problems. Personally I've always removed the EVAP systems from all of my bikes. As this is my first Duc I just wanted to check as I know these things have a reputation of being a bit finicky. EVAP is for Californians and Europeans. Up here in the midwest we toss them in the bin

I pulled the trigger on a TuneBoy over the weekend. Ordered the fully optioned Tune & Cruise kit. Anyone have an estimate on how long ship times are to the US? Wayne isn't too responsive.