Rockford Desmo Owners Club

08/07/2020

06/11/2019

With firsthand experience, I recommend the D-Air race suit for premium protection at the track. It saved my tail in the past and it truly works.

The presentation of the 2019 Tuono street version of D-Air was exciting for it was believed to provide the same level of protection.

Unfortunately, for a price tag of ~$1,700 the jacket does not protect against a primary impact, but rather secondary impacts.

Does anyone else see the flaw in this logic? Enclosed, please see a snapshot of the Dianese manual for this product.

Rockford DOC recommends Alpine Stars Tech Air 5 vest for the street. Best protection so far.

https://www.alpinestars.com/tech-air-5

05/07/2019

Bought this from Amazon for the young Ducatisti. It has two gears.

07/10/2018

Gold Rims Paint Color Code:

If you desire specific gold rim paint codes, here is an option to consider.

Pictured is the paint code “Shimrin Glamour Metallic BC-01 Solar Gold”.

If you are aware of other specific gold color codes which look amazing on your Panigale, please post a pic and add them to the comment section. This will help other Ducatisti who desire to add bling.

06/04/2018

Rockford DOC recommends Thermal Technologies tire warmers. These are used by WSBK teams.

The motorbike racing tyrewarmer that warms the rim: a further evolution of the top model range. Completely made of Nomex fabric.

05/04/2018

If your Panigale has a clutch issue consider trying this. Takes 30 seconds. You can flush later when the time is more convenient!

Mhttps://youtu.be/QOhmziB8Q2c

So my Panigale occasionally develops air bubbles in the clutch line, and it makes it hard to slip the clutch properly, this is how I fix it.

04/11/2018

Here is a great video produced by DRILL (Ducati Riders of Illinois) & MCC in Villa Park IL regarding the 15K service on an 1199.

Ever wonder what was involved in checking/adjusting the Desmo valves in a Ducati? This video compresses hours of labor to some key moments in the process. Th...

03/27/2018

Heated Grips for the Panigale!

If you desire heated grips for your “primarily street bike” Panigale, there is a solution.

The power is routed such that it will not turn on unless the ignition key is turned on (similar to the horn). The following pictures illustrate a professionally installed set of universal grip heaters.

03/26/2018

Panigale Heat Issue Solved-Part 2 of 3

Heat Fix for 1199 & 1299 (see separate post for 899/959).

Many Panigale riders complain about excessive heat and some have even experienced 2nd degree burns on their inner right thigh. Engine heat is no longer an issue with the following low cost simple modification.

If you have $40, scissor skills and free time, you can create an excellent heat barrier for your 1199 or 1299 that rivals commercially available products.

Pro’s:
1) The materials recommended in this solution may be slightly better at reducing radiant heat than the product provided by Panigale Heat Shields.

2) Inexpensive

Cons:
1) Labor intensive.

Materials needed:
-) 24K-Thermo Tec yellow adhesive backed heat barrier rated to 2,000 degrees F. (from Thermo-Tec part #13700: cost $34 for 1x2 ft sheet),

https://www.thermotec.com/products/heat-shields-and-protection/24-k-heat-barrier

-) Heat Reflective Tape “HFT” purchased from Harbor Freight.

-) Hinged Screw Covers purchased from Lowe’s.

Installation Instructions:

Side Covers:
1) Remove the seat, as well as the left and right engine covers. To do this appropriately,
a) Remove the seat and tank securing bracket.

b) disconnect the tank’s grounding wire and electronic connector.

c) lift the tank and support it with a ~6-7 in 2x4 wooden block or alternative. Make sure that two fuel lines on the right front lateral side of the tank remain attached.

d) In order to remove the left and right engine covers, first remove all visible external engine cover screws. There are three screws on each side.

e) Next, using a helper to support and hold the tail steady, remove the 4 subframe screws. See the picture with the red arrows delineating screw location.

Gently pull back on the subframe/tail by approximately 1 in to allow for removal of the the right and left engine covers. The left side engine cover must be lifted straight upwards to free it from its retention posts. Now loosely replace the top two subframe screws to hold the subframe in place while you continue working.

2) After the right and left engine covers have been removed, cleaned and dried, apply the yellow Thermo Tec heat barrier to the inside of the engine covers. Cut the yellow heat barrier to size.

3) Next, apply the heat reflective tape from Harbor Freight on top of the yellow Thermo Tec. This accomplishes two things. It provides an added heat barrier while at the same time further supporting the carbon fiber cloth integrity of the yellow heat barrier.

4). Re-install the heat barrier backed right and left engine covers. Again using a helper to temporarily hold and support the tail, remove the two top loosely tightened subframe screws. Gently pull back and lift the subframe to allow room for the two side engine covers to be re-installed.

5) Reattach the subframe and Torque tighten the subframe screws to 28 nm.

6) Apply yellow heat barrier to the inside screw cover, followed by heat reflective tape to the inside screw cover.

7) Using the hinged screw covers as washers for the two right engine cover screws, re-attach the right engine cover. Close the hinged screw cover and attach the remaining screws.

If the heat issue is not resolved to your satisfaction, proceed to improving the heat barrier on the exhaust in a separate post.

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Disclaimer:

The recommendations contained in this post are offered by people who are not mechanics. Therefore, if you follow any advice on this page/post you do so at your own risk.

Ducati corporate recommends that ALL work on your Ducati be completed by a certified Ducati mechanic.

03/19/2018

Panigale Heat Issue Solved-Part 3 of 3

Improving Exhaust Heat Barrier.

If you have first completed the Heat Fix for either the 899/959 or 1199/1299 as explained in earlier posts, and further exhaust heat reduction is desired, there is no need to wrap your pipes or buy carbon fiber products which have mixed reported success. Some have even reported that their 3rd party carbon fiber upgraded shield melted due to exhaust heat 😞.

Consider the following RDOC endorsed solution.

Materials:

-) Silver Thermo Tec adhesive backed heat barrier #13575 also rated to 2,000 degrees F - Amazon cost ~$16 for 1x2 ft sheet,

-) DEI 010393 Reflect-A-GOLD High-Temperature Heat Reflective Adhesive Backed Sheet, 24" x 24" Sheet Amazon~$40

-) Thin Carbon Felt Welding blanket 18x24 inches -see pic

Instructions:

1) Remove the inner and outer OEM exhaust shields from the loop exhaust, disassemble it, and clean both the metal and plastic heat shield in preparation for applying added thermal shielding.

2) Discard the old OEM reflective tape if it appears burned. If it is intact, clean it’s exterior.

3) Apply one sheet of the Carbon felt welders blanket on the inner aspect of the outer OEM heat shield. Cut the felt pad to shape. This welders blanket is rated to 1800 degrees F.

4) Apply the adhesive backed Silver Thermo Tec Heat barrier on top of the welding blanket (rated to 2,000 degrees F).

5) Next apply the adhesive backed gold Heat Barrier on top of the silver barrier (rated to ~2,200 degrees F)

6) Next reassemble the aluminum heat shield by inserting it into the newly padded exterior heat shield and install the exhaust covers back on the bike.

Pictures illustrate this work.

————————
Disclaimer:

The recommendations contained in this post are offered by people who are not mechanics. Therefore, if you follow any advice on this page/post you do so at your own risk.

Ducati corporate recommends that ALL work on your Ducati be completed by a certified Ducati mechanic.

02/09/2018

Safety Wire Tie Instructions

After reviewing posts from another FB page, it was noted that some people use “red” or “gold” colored safety wire for that extra bling on their Ducati to secure their fl**ge nuts over the rear wheel hub. Caution is advised against this practice.

It is recommended that Ducatisti use safety wire specifically designed for safe tying bolts (i.e., stainless steel).

It is not advised to use copper, aluminum alloys, or jewelry wire to wire anything on a motorcycle that is under pressure or subject to vibration. Wire that is not specifically designed as safety wire is likely to shear or break away under stress or vibration (i.e., near the fl**ge nuts of a rear wheel hub). This can be dangerous to a motorcycle rider for multiple reasons including a frayed wire which then leads to a punctured rear tire.

In an effort to provide a guide to Ducatisti that is thorough, I recommend considering to read the
FAA Guidelines on Safety Wire. If it’s good enough for an airplane, it has to be good enough for the Ducati pilot.

See page 332 of this pdf for detail. Good stuff.

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_43.13-1B_w-chg1.pdf

Here is one link to obtain aircraft grade safety wire. Don’t worry, it’s not expensive.
https://www.aeropartsnow.com/product/listings/offer_listing/APINmv8typc/new/malin-aviation-stainless-steel-safety-wire-032-1lb?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxLnBheSX2QIVhkCGCh3cwQEvEAQYAyABEgIumfD_BwE

Safety Wire Your Grips
https://youtu.be/4E5XHfmDPAk

Here is a good article on the topic.
https://www.bikebandit.com/blog/post/how-to-safety-wire-your-motorcycle-and-why-you-should

If you’ve ever taken a close-up look at a race bike or dedicated track bike, you may have seen coils of twisted wire wrapping around a lot of the fasteners, especially around the brakes, suspension, and axles. That stuff is called safety wire, and it's not just for racers - it's for any rider! In ...