However, on the way back from the shop, the left exhaust can blew up and started smoking. I have never encountered anything like this and I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with the engine. Ugh, I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it.

Today, I’ll be tackling something a bit less complicated. To repair and replace our stock 848 seat, the good folks over at Luimoto sent us another one of their Team Italia seat covers, this time with gold trim. I will save the rear cover for later and just install the front one today.

Since we told you all about Luimoto seat covers last time, I won’t bore you with them again. I do want to point out that their products are really of the highest quality. The cut is always spot on. There is enough material to cover your seat, no more, no less.

Be prepared to do some solid stapling though. If you are not that strong, be sure to have a buddy assist you. Trust me, you will be happy you did.

Stay tuned for more updates and be sure to check out Ducatist for more Ducati fun.

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A few days later, I get a call to pick the bike up with no other potential problems. The rear subframe was a bit off but so slightly that it was not worth swapping out.

Unfortunately, after shooting the video below, I noticed a small pink puddle underneath the bike. Was Aunt Flo in town? Upon further inspection, the cover was leaking again. A quick call to Desmoto had them scheduled to reseal cover next week.

As you saw, I also took the time to replace the twisted (although still perfectly working) rearsets with the sweat ones sponsored by Acculign. Good thing I took these off before foolishly handing the old 848 off to Matt.

Alright guys, that’s it for this time. Be sure to check out Ducatist for more Ducati information. Stay tuned.

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However, there’s always a catch to good news these days. The previous owner did a horrible job of modifying and maintaining this Italian stallion. Check it out.

So after removing all the cheap ABS plastics, I saw that the engine was leaking and that someone had tried in vain to repair it by covering the whole damn thing with some sort of sealant. Not good.

Now we have to scrape off the dried goop, and check to make sure there is no additional damage before sealing it back up properly.

Be sure to check out Ducatist for more Ducati fun, and stay tuned for more updates!

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On Saturday, after the IPM meeting, I went down on the 848 while trying to avoid a deer. Yes, a deer. I was just past the hills on my way home after stopping for some grub. This thing came out of no where! I landed on my helmet and the shoulder of my jacket. I slid on my face before going off the side of the road, hitting a tree, tumbling down the side of the hill into a pile of leaves and finally stopping in another tree. As I laid there, checking to see if I had broken any bones, I was amazed I was still alive.

I was wearing full gear that day and it saved my life. There was no cellphone reception, and I was starting to panic. Luckily, a passerby gave me a ride to the Emergency Room. While at the hospital, I sent a friend to retrieve my wounded stallion, Unfortunately, he notified me he couldn’t find it. I couldn’t believe it, and went back to look for the bike later on as well. I searched everywhere near the spot I crashed. I even checked with every tow company and police impound to no avail. Some local hillbillies must have stolen my bike!

I filed a police report but no one has reportedly seen the bike yet. If you have any information on a parted out white Ducati 848 or a wrecked bike laying somewhere, please let me know!

On a side note I need to advise everyone out there to wear as much quality gear as you can. Even though it can be hot and may not look as cool it will save your life and I am living proof. I also recommend always riding with a buddy or small group of friends. I was alone on my way home and the site I crashed at had no cell reception I had to talk to the road and wait for someone to drive by before receiving any help.

If my injuries had of been worse, or if I was even farther out in the hillside it could have been a long time before anyone would find me and I very well could have died. Please try to ride with a buddy and tell people where you are going before heading out on a ride. Wear ATGATT-All The Gear All The Time.

If you have any information on someone trying to sell or part out a wrecked 2008 White Ducati 848 please contact me.

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How is everybody? Well, if you had a full titanium Remus system like the Ducati 848 does, you would be doing fine! Fine as in you will get fined for having such a bad ass loud exhaust.

On my way up to the city a little while ago, I was pulled over on the freeway. When the officer asked me why I think he pulled me over, I replied, “I have no idea.” I was doing the speed limit and thought I had done nothing wrong.

He told me he had pulled me over because my exhaust was too loud. Really? Now, I had my earplugs in at the time and wondered how it could be so loud, I could hear the motor just fine but didn’t think it was obtrusive. That’s when I realized that I had already begun to suffer a bit of hearing loss, even with the ear plug use.

The officer then explained to me that it looked like an aftermarket system and was definitely louder than stock. He pulled out his handy decibel meter, and asked me to turn the bike on. He stood a few feet behind the bike and as the motor rumbled to life so did the decibel meter. At idle, the meter said 95db which is extremely loud already. Oops. Then he asked me to give it a bit of throttle, so I, very carefully not to waken the beast, gave it a touch of throttle. The meter jumped above 105db. The officer laughs and said you have to give it more than that. I turned the throttle grip a little bit father and the decibel meter jumped above 112db!!! All I could do was laugh and so did the officer. He said in no way was it legal, and the motor wasn’t even under load, which means the actual output would be even higher.

He was right. This was a race only exhaust. I told him I could find a way to put a silencer in and baffle the sound a bit. He told me the sound needs to come down a lot and promptly hands me a fix-it ticket. Moral of the story goes, if you choose to modify your bike and do so using a race exhaust, find a way to drill a silencer in there before you unwillingly throw more money into the state budget deficit.

Till next time guys. Ride safely!

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I have gotten to ride the 848 a lot more and consequently, I have to use these rearsets. I have tried very hard to like them, but in the end, I absolutely abhor them. We tried several times to install them and they just do not seem to fit the bike. The bike has an aftermarket exhaust system, and the pipes are simply too massive, and the inside of the brake lever keeps rubbing on our titanium exhaust.

We have tried them on the stock exhaust and they still didn’t seem to work right. We had several nasty emails from Gas-Cap-Dude explaining how we weren’t doing it right, but without proper instructions it would be difficult for any non-professional mechanic to get these to fit and work properly.

They are still on now, but still rub the heck out of the exhaust, even though they have the proper spacers in place. But enough about that, let’s get into the logistics. They are adjustable no doubt, but with the clearance being so low, we simply cannot get them to where they need to be without scratching up the bike. The foot position is brutal to say the least. They are very high up and put your feet so far back that the only place it would be practical is Turn 2 at Laguna Seca. And, you better be Dani Pedrosa or you stand no chance of being comfortable even for a second.

As far as the street goes, the position these things give you is just insane. The 848 is a beautiful track inspired bike, and by no means should you think its a long haul comfort machine, but whatever ergonomic decency it has left, these rearsets take it away in an instant. Fit and finish look descent, but they look cheap, like Sato knockoffs.

No matter how much lock tight and how many times I try and torque the bolts to spec, they find a way to come loose!!! This is highly unsafe and very annoying. I do not say this much, as the vast majority of products we have received have been in excellent condition, but these things flat out suck. If you are very small, want to be in the Superman race tuck position the entire ride, or scratch this shit out of your two thousand dollar exhaust system, then I would recommend this things, but the quality just isn’t there and I cannot recommend a product that may fail as easily as these rearsets. I wish I had more hands, so I could give these CNC rearsets four thumbs down!

Until next time, ride safe everyone.

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Unfortunately, due to our custom exhaust, the right side rearset leaves little room to configure the placement bracket without scuffing the pipes. This may not be a problem for other Ducati riders, but worth considering. In the future, to avoid this problem, Gas-Cap-Dude may want to offer a longer bolt and more spacers in the box. There is a little wiggle in the pedals but the play is negligible and hardly noticeable when you’ve got the bike going. As I said, I like ‘em and hope we keep them strapped on for long enough to maybe get the Ducati out where it belongs, the track.

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Stay tuned for a test review in a few days.

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Well, it turns out that when I was turned around, Goody had used all the spacers on the rearsets between the frame and the rearset instead of using the enclosed black ones. He insisted that they didn’t fit, and being not all there today, I absentmindedly agreed. However, after watching the video, I realized his mistake.

These things are beginning to be a pain in the ass for us here. It may not be all their fault. We’re just spacing here. That’s all. I’ll let Dave give it a go when he comes back from vacation. Stay tuned.

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On a performance motorcycle such as the 848, you twist the throttle hard, you brake hard, and you ride fast. Your body position changes constantly due to the stock seat cover. Luimoto’s solution? They created a seat cover that prevents the rider from sliding around, which equals less rider fatigue. Check it out!

One of the great things about the Luimoto seat cover is that it not only enhances your riding experience, it protects the foam from years of deterioration caused by the elements. The materials they use is thicker and higher quality than OEM vinyl (tough marine grade) and will protect your seat for years to come. They use fade and stain resistant vinyls only, making it virtually weatherproof. Luimoto seat covers are also constructed with high-tensile rot proof polyester thread.

Luimoto seat covers are created by their talented in-house design team. From concept to production, the pairing of raw skills and computer aided design (CAD) techniques allows their team to give your motorcycle the finishing touch! This also allows for a perfect fit each time.

Be sure to check out their site for seat covers for your bike. You won’t be sorry. Thanks guys!

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Right out of the package, I have to admit, that it looked like a quality piece. The carbon fiber weave is spot on, and the clear looks smooth. To be honest, I thought this was going to be a simple two minute swap installation.

It was really my fault that I did not initially remove the bottom fairing. I was feeling a bit lazy. But in the end, I removed it anyways. Then I could not get the piece to fit properly. I had thought it was user error yet again but there really was an extra piece sticking out preventing the piece from fitting in perfectly.

All in all, the piece does a fantastic job of was it was made to do: reduce weight (no matter how little) and make the bike look better. And in the end, it did both that. Hands down.

I can’t wait to see and try their other carbon fiber products. Send them on over CarbonWorld!

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In any case, the cool folks at Acculign, Inc. also sent us a pair of their Dual Eccentric rearsets to showcase and review. Check them out!

Acculign Dual Eccentric rearsets offer an unparalleled fineness of adjustment due to their ability to be positioned, both vertically and horizontally, at infinite gradations within an area defined by the dimensions of the two eccentric offsets.

With traditional rearsets, you can position your pegs up, back, up and back and so forth, but only in predefined increments. You might not be able to go back and “a little” up, for instance. With a single eccentric adjustment you can never make a horizontal movement without making a vertical one, and vice versa. If your pegs are in the highest position, and you would like to move them back, you are also going to move them down. These limitations are greatly overcome with the use of two overlapping eccentric offsets.

Through the manipulation of two offsets, both horizontal and vertical adjustments can be made independent of each other, and at infinite gradations. All of Acculign’s Dual Eccentric rearsets are supplemented with a five position bolt-hole pattern, which, in conjunction with the dual eccentric adjustment, allow the pegs to be placed at any position within an area of approximately four square inches.

Be sure to check out Acculign’s website. They make a full range of products for motorcycles. I’m eye balling their triple tree. *drool* Stay tuned for a full review after I have ridden around on them for a few weeks! Ride safe.

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These are beautiful. Well, they are beautiful after I put them together. The rearsets came in pieces. Gas-Cap-Dude wrote in his store that the reason instructions are not included is because the parts come semi-pre-assembled. Check them out.

I am going to include some additional pictures here to assist you in the installation product.

Throughout the installation process, I ran into some difficulty, and needed to do some guess-work. Meh, maybe I am just not that mechanically inclined. Who knows?

So, anyways, these rearsets are 100% CNC machined with 6061 T-6 aluminum. They are black anodized for precise braking and shifting. It offers multiple adjustments which double ball bearings. Top notch product really.

However, as you saw in the video, the full titanium Remus exhaust system we have on the 848 prevents the installation of these rearsets. It is too bad really. I was really looking forward to testing them.

Guess I will have to source a stock 848 or 1098 from one of our readers to test them out. Let me know if you are interested! But in the meantime, check out Gas-Cap-Dude, and his eBay store!

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Stay tuned for more on the sit down segments. It’s rainy season here in the city so we rarely get to take out our bikes. See you soon for more reviews!

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It is still loud as hell! But I think it has lost its annoying background whining. Don’t worry guys, we had people at all ends of the street pausing traffic for me to make these videos. I’m too important to IPM for them to be risking my life! Haha, just kidding. Please don’t fire me…

Till next time guys! I live to fight another day!

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So after consulting the head honchos at Max Moto, we came up with two possible solutions to this clearance problem. We can either push the piper further inward. Meaning we can either dent it, or see if we can rotate it further in. Or we can simple loosen the chain and move the entire wheel backward a bit.

We get the bike into the shop and see which one yields the best result. Stay tuned!

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Check out the video for my thoughts and the installation process. Special thanks to Frank as always for the install as well as the video itself!

Here is a dyno chart from Remus. Please keep in mind that we did not upgrade the ecu or fueling in any way, yet. We’ll see how it runs and do some tweaks to the bike later.

Stay tuned for a sound clip. I know you all want to hear what it sounds like. Keep it here!

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Now normally, you couldn’t force me to ride so early in the morning just because I’m groggy, and it’s damn cold. I guess it was different today. So, I suit up and fire the bad girl up (and when I say fire, I mean press the ignition button for 5 seconds before it sputters to life). Hey, that’s Ducati for ya. It’s all part of the ownership experience.

My office is a good 30 to 45 minute commute away, so I thought it would be a good chance for me to take the 848 on our maiden voyage. I stopped for some gas (this baby can drink!), and hit the freeway.

Not bad, not bad. She sounds badass! I mean, just like with any other twin engined bike, there’s a slight lag from first gear when you accelerate, but nothing an aftermarket sprocket couldn’t fix. One thing I noticed immediately is that even at a claimed dry weight of 370 pounds, the 848 “seemed” bigger, harder, and heavier than most other sportbikes. Heck, compared to the claimed dry weight of the Daytona 675 at 389 pounds, it didn’t make sense.

However, I have to keep in mind that this is riding in stop and go traffic, and definitely not working in its intended environment. So anyways, back to my commute. The bike actually did heat up to over 200 degrees like Justin had reported but the TPO heat shield insulation took care of most of it. I have to admit, it looks ugly but it works!

I also came to the conclusion of why Ducati riders all seem like stuck up assholes. I mean, when I finally got to my office parking lot, I was pissed as hell. Every little thing annoyed me. Hey, you would be too if your twig and berries were as bruised as mine were this morning! God damn, the stupid tank is shaped so that it protrudes right into the rider’s gonads! In addition, the roads in the Bay Area aren’t exactly freshly paved, so the vibration was excruciating. I swear, riding a Ducati superbike on the street, especially for commuting, is not so smart.

Okay guys, enough ranting. My first impressions of the 848? It’s sexy as hell to look at. ‘Nuff said about that. At high speeds, it’s awesome to ride. So, my plan of attack? I am going to put this baby on a crash diet. I’m going to hit up our uber sponsor Remus Exhausts for a full titanium system. That should drop around 15 pounds. Then maybe some carbon fiber wheels to reduce some unsprung weight. Oh, and goddamnit, I need a steering damper!

Till next time guys, stay tuned!

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Here’s some pics to give you folks a better view of how it looks. It’s simply awesome.

I love the red on black rims over a white bike. Don’t you?

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So, how do you deal with this heat? Well, TPO Parts has a great solution. They offer an underseat insulation sheet that helps to reflect the heat away from your behind. It is made up of special heat-resistant mineral fibers that are coated with aluminum. According to TPO, it can withstand temperatures up to 1800 degrees F.

Before seeing this product in person, I expected this product to be installed under the seat. If you unbolt the seat from the bike, you will notice that the only thing between you and the exhaust piping is a thin piece of leather. I figured the best place to put insulation would be right under the seat. Instead, the insulation is placed under the tail of the bike, covering more of the rear. This made me a little apprehensive about the ability of this product to be effective. My pillion may be comfortable, but what about me? Well, the recent heat wave that hit the Bay Area provided the perfect testing conditions.

Before installing, I rode the 848 around town to see how high the temperature would rise in comparison to how much heat I felt. It went up to ~225 (is that high? not sure) degrees F before I was really uncomfortable. After installation, I matched this temperature reading and I was pleasantly surprised. The Undertail Insulation did not completely block the heat, but it was much more bearable. I felt the heat mostly at my legs and not at my behind. The TPO Undertail Insulation made a huge difference!

Now, there is one disadvantage to using this product. The installation requires more effort than most comfort mods and may not be worth the trouble if you can stand the heat. You can check out the installation process here. To install the undertail insulation sheet, you need to remove the exhaust and fender. So, if you are installing an aftermaket exhaust or a fender eliminator, putting in the Undertail Insulation will be no problem. It may be more work than usual for such a simple mod, but the difference is worth it. Your future children will thank you.

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The TPO “Stealth License Plate Bracket” is a direct replacement to the stock bracket. Not only does it get rid of the clutter of the stock bracket, the TPO bracket is also much lighter and gives a cleaner look to the rear. This bracket is made from 100% 6061-T6 aluminum, which is laser cut and welded. In addition, the central tube offers a stronger design than stock. This bracket is also very heat resistant and will not deform from the heat of the exhaust. The black coating provides corrosion resistance as well as a cleaner look.

To keep your stock turn signals with the TPO bracket, TPO offers turn signal brackets as well. The brackets are also made from aluminum and coated black. These brackets bolt on to the TPO bracket and allow you to have a narrow or a wide style. The narrow style has the turn signals recessed more, while the wide style has the turn signals protruding out more. The picture below is the wide style.

Now, while we were impressed with the pricing of the TPO Parts fender eliminator setup, we did have a few complaints. First, the holes in the turn signal brackets did not allow us to install the stock turn signals off the 848. They were much to small. We needed to take a drill to the holes to make them bigger. This would have been a very minor issue, but TPO Parts states on their site that no drilling or cutting was required. Second, once we made the holes big enough, we found that the narrow style was not an option. There was just not enough room to fit the turn signal in the narrow style. Again, this would be a minor issue, if TPO Parts did not have the choice of configuration as a selling point. Third, we would have liked to have the center tube a bit larger in diameter. Yes, the smaller diameter makes it stronger, but the wiring for the turn signals was barely able to fit. We couldn’t fit the license plate light connector into the tube and had to leave it hanging.

Our overall impression of this product was neutral. We liked that this bracket was extremely light and sturdy. The pricing is much cheaper than other fender eliminators on the market. Installed, the TPO fender eliminator cleaned up the back of the 848. However, the design/engineering of the bracket left us underwhelmed. If you are looking for a lowered price fender eliminator that cleans up the back of your bike, then this TPO Parts product is for you. Just expect to put in a little more work in the install.

You can check out the installation of this product here.

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Stay tuned for my review of this product.

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Here are Veronica and Ashley fawning all over my 848:

Elizabeth, the beauty pageant hopeful seems to be enjoying the ride of the Ducati as well.


Hmm, who has the nicer rear end?

Even Kathy can’t resist the Charm and allure of the 848!

Heck, even Dan got game with a Ducati!

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In my excitement, I forgot to give you guys the Ducati 848 Specifications. Here they are, enjoy!

CHASSIS
Frame Tubular steel Trellis frame in ALS 450
Wheelbase 1430 mm / 56.3 in
Rake 24,5°
Front suspension Showa 43 mm fully adjustable upside-down fork
Front wheel travel 127 mm / 5in
Front brake 2 x 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted Brembo calipers 4-piston, 2-pad
Front wheel 5-spoke light alloy 3.50 x 17
Front tyre 120/70 ZR17
Rear suspension Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Showa monoshock. Aluminium single-sided swingarm
Rear wheel travel 120mm / 4.7in
Rear brake 245mm disc, 2-piston caliper
Rear wheel 5-spoke light alloy 5.50 x 17
Rear tyre 180/55 ZR17
Fuel tank capacity 15.5L (of which 4L reserve) / 4.1 US gal (of which 1 US gal reserve)
Weight * 168kg / 370lbs
Seat height 830 mm / 32.6 in
Instruments Digital MotoGP derived unit displaying: Speedometer, 2 partial speedometers (Trip A and Trip B), trip fuel, rev counter, speed, clock, scheduled maintenance warning, engine cooling water temperature, air temperature, battery status (in the menu), Lap time, warning light for low oil pressure, fuel level, fuel reserve, lights, turn signals, neutral, over rev, vehicle diagnosis, engine diagnosis and immobilizer
Warranty 2 years unlimited mileage
Body colours (frame/wheels) (Red – Red – Black) (Pearl White – Racing Grey – Black)
Versions Dual seat
* = The weight excludes battery, lubricants and, where applicable, cooling liquid.

ENGINE
Type L-Twin cylinder, 4 valve per cylinder Desmodromic, liquid cooled
Displacement 849.4 cc
Bore x Stroke 94 x 61.2 mm
Compression Ratio 12:1
Power* 134hp – 98.5kw @ 10000rpm
Torque* 70.8lb-ft 96Nm @ 8250rpm
Fuel injection Marelli electronic fuel injection, elliptical throttle bodies.
Exhaust Lightweight 2-1-2 system with catalytic converter and lambda probe. Twin stainless steel mufflers
Emissions Euro3

TRANSMISSION
Gearbox 6 speed
Ratios 1st 37/15, 2nd 30/17, 3rd 28/20, 4th 26/22, 5th 24/23, 6th 23/24
Primary drive Straight cut gears, Ratio 1.84:1
Final drive Chain; Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 39
Clutch Wet multiplate with hydraulic control

Courtesy of www.Ducati.com

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Eat your heart out Kathy. I’m so smooth, I ooze sexiness!

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Check it out!

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I could spend all day just staring at this beauty! Now, time for some modifications!

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