Long-Term Update
Long-Term Update
Breathe Deep
Ducati 1098
WE KNOCKED OFF 5000 MILES pretty fast on our yellow 1098 and finally got it out to a track day. But not before we had to remove the stock Pirelli Dragon Supercorsa Pros, which were worn out at 3946 miles. The Pirellis were sticky and loved full lean angle, but the Dunlop Qualifiers ($490) that replaced them are nicer on the street.
The Testastretta Evoluzione engine has freed up nicely. The latest stock dyno run showed 143 horsepower, up 2 ponies from our initial reading. Oil consumption remains low and misting around the crankcase breather was due to the part being loose.
On a tasty 500-mile all-backroad round
trip to Santa Barbara from the home office, the bike mysteriously turned itself off twice in hot weather. Turns out, there was a recall for this very problem. We circumvented the recall work (replacement ECU) by installing the Ducati Performance Termignoni exhaust system, which comes with an air filter and ECU mapped to suit ($2900). Prior to installation, we had the stainless-steel pipe treated with a radiant-heat-reducing ceramic coating ($225; www.specializedcoating.com). Output increased to 146 hp with improved throttle response, while exhaust heat felt by the rider is reduced. Sounds glorious, too.
$14,995
Battle-worn, but tough
KTM 450 EXC
OUR 450 EXC HAD A ROUGH AUtumn, enduring many torturous hours of riding and requiring lots of TLC to return it to prime condition. A trip to the mountains above Leadville, Colorado, where the electric-start Thumper was ridden over passes topping 13,200 feet, followed by the annual Cycle World Trek, an industry dual-sport ride, added 1800 primarily off-road miles.
Oxygen depletion in the Rockies was rectified with a JD Jetting high-altitude kit ($75). Other modifications to date: Sunline/ARC OSX handlebars ($70) and Enduro Off-Road Handguards ($120); KTM Hard Parts exhaust guard ($35); and a KTM clutch kit ($149). Unfortunately, we didn’t take precautionary measures against a bashed-in radiator; ours was destroyed upon impact with a tree stump. Heavy-duty guards are now on our wish list.
Dual-sporting eats up off-road-oriented knobbies. We tried a set of Maxxis Maxxcross Desert ITs ($ 155), and a Dunlop D742FA front and D739 rear combo ($235). Both were excellent choices offroad but the Maxxis proved more durable logging transfer miles on asphalt. Z Racing in Orange, California, adjusted the valves, fixed an oil leak and mounted another set of tires. Stay tuned for more tales of abuse!
$7999
Eccentric the entertainer
Benelli TNT 1130
THANKS TO A COUPLE OF THE BENELli’s operational quirks and more than a month of non-stop heavy rain in “sunny” California, we haven’t logged as many miles on our TnT as we had hoped. But a quick electronic fix and a welcome return to typical weather have us back in the 1130’s saddle once again.
Benelli America’s Technical Manager, Joe DiStefano, stopped by in February and used an Axone 2000 diagnostic meter to remap the injection. He found it had come from the factory with leaner settings than usual, which explained
the hiccups in the power delivery. And much to the delight of motorists crawling along in heavy traffic directly ahead of the TnT, DiStefano canceled the infuriating feature that caused the headlights to switch off when the twin cooling fans would turn on, and vice versa.
The injection remap had no effect on peak horsepower and torque, but it did eliminate the stutters and shudders in the power delivery. Throttle response now is crisp and clean, making the bike more pleasurable, especially around town. DiStefano said all Benelli dealers have this same diagnostic meter and could easily-and, presumably, free of charge-perform the same service if necessary for any TnT owner. With its torquey engine now working properly, the superb-handling TnT is more fun to ride than ever.
$15,499
