[Ducati] 2 into 1 exhaust for 900SS? (Kevin going to dark side)

[Mark Hatten]

Kevin, my question would be:  what exactly are you trying to accomplish with 
your 900SS?  Streetbike?  Trackbike?  Racebike?

Some of the information you're getting seems to be, to me at least, somewhat 
contradictory.  Individual 41s on short manifolds will indeed net a few more 
horses, but it's all from 7k to 8k.  The power starts falling off at 7k when 
the 41s are mounted on stock manifolds.  Prior to 7k, the power curve is 
virtually identical between the two.  So the individual carbs/short 
manifolds don't really seem to be in keeping with your quest for mid-range.

Check out the dyno charts on Hordpower.com's website -- www.hordpower.com. 
JD builds my Ducati race engines, and several of the dyno charts are of my 
900SS/SP.  My bike, with high-comp pistons, 41mm Kehins on stock intakes, 
and Termi slip-ons made 84 hp, on a notoriously stingy dyno (my 749R/848R 
racebike usually reads about 2-3 hp higher on the Dynojet dyno at the AMA 
races than on JD's dyno, which is the same brand an model).  He even 
admitted that was high for a 900SS, but why argue with success/good luck?

A 944 kit will add a bit more power, but you'll never see much more power 
from a 900SS until you *really* work on the ports in the head, install big 
valves, new cams, short intakes and individual carbs.  You're going to spend 
a bunch of money and the power gained will be at the top of the rpm range. 
And you'll lose some of the "streetability" that makes the 900SS such a fun 
bike.  I've heard a lot of claims over the years, but I've yet to see (nor 
has JD) a 900SS put out more than 100 hp on his dyno.  So you'll be spending 
a *lot* of money to pick up 10-15 hp in the upper end of the powerband.  To 
me, unless you're racing, that's not what the Supersport bikes are all 
about.

I don't know a lot about the 2-1 exhausts -- I've never owned one and I've 
never really seen any comparative dyno charts for one.  I do know that most 
of the AHRMA racers run 2-1-2 exhaust, even though many have tried the 2-1 
systems.

My bike now has a full Termi spaghetti system like yours does.  I haven't 
dyno'd it since I installed it, but it adds enough ground clearance (and 
looks so cool) that I'd leave it on even if I lost some hp!  The things are 
extremely rare and very desirable, so if you do go to a 2-1, you can 
probably sell your Termi system for enough to finance the custom 2-1 and 
have money left over.


Mark Hatten
Wounded Duc -- Used Ducati Parts Online
Home of the "Loud Clutches Save Lives" T-Shirts
www.woundedduc.net
(Note the URL change!)
AMA Pro #352
AHRMA #52 (#1 for 2007)
"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - 
Peter Egan






----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kevin Kachadourian" <kkachadourian at cv.k12.ca.us>
To: <ducati at ducati.net>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 2:41 PM
Subject: [Ducati] 2 into 1 exhaust for 900SS? (Kevin going to dark side)


Okay, I took the SP up to Craig at Hanson Racing Technology. Amongst his 
recommendations (others in following posting), was to let him build a 2 into 
1 exhaust system for the bike. I did a little research, and didn't find much 
information about it. I did find a rant that said that there was no 
improvement in performance, and they had a couple of dyno test charts to 
support their argument (charts which I could not quite figure out).
I've got a 51mm Termignoni spaghetti system on the bike now, and thought 
that was the top. But, Craig said that I would have noticable midrange 
improvement with his 2 into 1 system. Craig was able to deliver everything 
he claimed when he built a 2 into 1 for the Alazzurra, but that was a 
slightly different situation (we were switching from the stock skinny pipes 
to Craig's system, not from fat Termis). What Craig claims, which is what I 
want, is better perfomance overall, and especially in the midrange (which is 
where I do most of my heavy throttling and accelerating).
It's hard to ignore Craig's advice. He did such a nice job of making the 
Alazzurra motor the sweetest running motor I've ever had, and plans on doing 
the same for the Duck (good rings, check cylinder barrels, set cam timing, 
port out heads, set squish bands,... I get all excited just thinking about 
it).

Does anyone have knowledge, information, or experience with 2 into 1 
(especially in comparison to Termi spaghetti)?

Kevin Kachadourian
'96 900SS SP
'85 650 Alazzurra
*****

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