signals...

After replacing the OEM signals in the rear, the front seemed d out of place, so decided to replace them with the Ducati LED's as well. Well, they look good, very visible but of course, nothing with Ducati is that simple. The blinking frequency is off (and yes, these have resistors built-in) i.e. when the bike is running, they blink at a normal rate (most of the time), but at a standstill, blink fast- like one of the bulbs is out.

The dealership noted that is normal as the circuit is off when the bike is not running, but I don't know.

Separate note, I also got the Rizoma sport grips today. Installed them and they left a gap of about half an inch on one side of the controls- kinda sucks and ruins the look/ feel. Controls can't be moved since there is a pin and the bars would need to be drilled. Ended up taking them off and just returning them. Next up- thinking of CRG shorty levers.

More tail chop pics.

Some better pics/ details of the tail chop.

Tail chop and new blinkers

So I finally got my tail chop kit after waiting for about two months. Super excited to get it on, so decided to be adventurous and try to install it myself. It was not super hard, but pretty tedious and time consuming- definitely some lessons learned in Italian engineering and design.

Also as I was installing the fender kit, I realize that the stock signals will not fit on the short tail given the fact that I installed the passenger bars a few weeks ago. So this meant going and getting new smaller signals - I was going to change those out anyway, but this just made it happen sooner. I looked at the Rizoma's but really liked how the Ducati performance ones looked and ended up with those. Anyway, its all installed and looks, I must say so myself, pretty good.

So what I got in the the fender kit-
- a plastic undertail
- short lock cable
- led number plate light
- European licence plate holder (metal)
- some hardware and brackets for signals
- NO instructions

With the LED signals
- Two signals
- wires with resistors
- plastic adapter to center it in the stock hole
- hardware
- instructions - YAY!... but mostly in Italian.


Lessons learned:
- DX and SX in Italian stand for right and left
- Red wires don't always connect with red wires, black wires don't always connect with black wires. (For the LED lights)
- Metal work will be required
- Don't expect any instructions.
- Wire harnesses SUCK!
- Short lock cables SUCK even more.

Some additional things I have received questions on and some high level instructions.

1: Take off the seat (duh!)
2: Remove 2 bolts in the tray which holds the toolkit
3: Remove the two bolts that hold the servo unit; disconnect the servo harness; move out of the way; Also disconnect the light harness.
4: Remove 4 bolts that hold the metal section on the top (tip: the bolts probably are marked from the factory (the yellow marker). Place or mark them to make sure that you put them back in the slot they came out from; that way you can align the lines back, especially if you don't have a torque wrench.
5: Remove the bolts with the rubber housing: you have to hold the bolts underneath while unscrewing the top
6: You can now remove the entire tail section.
7: With the tail section removed,
i. Undo the lock assembly (loosen the plastic nut with pliers, once it's loose, its easy to screw off.
ii. Brake light (you'll need a torx driver for this (think it was #20))
iii. Take off the signals, wires should be marked dx and sx, see above for what they mean

Assembling the DP tail kit:
1: Cut the Euro frame. If you cut the legs right below the two middle bolts you'll be good to go.
2: Install the LED plate light/ brake light; fairly straightforward
3: Install the lock (reverse of how you took it off)
4: Install signals; you will not use the stock bolts. This is where the right angle brackets go. One side acts as a spacer for the signal, the other side aligns with the hole where one of the bolts with rubber top goes. This supports the signal and makes them secure, otherwise the plastic is super thin there. You will use the bolts that came with the kit.
5: Lock cable: this is a pain the DP replacement lock cable is super short, so install it while you have everything open. When putting the section back on the bike, you will need some help to hold it there while you screw in the lock to the metal plate.
6: Put everything back together in reverse. Remember to thread the light cable and the servo through the metal plate before screwing everything together
7: Also make sure that there are no wires obstructing the servo; it could screw up your throttle response in neutral.



So here are some pics.

The hardware:

Tail kit


Signals.


Two tails together


The LED and the signal


The full chop

Gear- Boots....

strongly believe in wearing some sort of protective gear when riding- a helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, back protector and some sort of knee/ leg armor. I've been lucky and have not had a bad crash, but when I "bit it", wearing good gear is what saved me a$$ - And having the right armor and the right fitting gear is key. I know tight fitting stuff seems like overkill or uncomfortable or you end up looking like you have just come off a race track, but when you go down, you don't want that armor moving. I'll throw up pics of what I wear with my thoughts, so starting off with shoes. I have two pairs, Sidi Vertigos (full boot)and Puma Flat v2 (half boot). I can't say enough good things about the Vertigos, they are comfortable when riding, have armor in all the right places, have an adjustable calf, so if you are wearing leathers or knee guards, etc., you can tuck them in, have couple of air vents for those hot days and just overall I think are the best riding boot out there. It is also cool that you can pretty much replace everything on the boot from the toe slider to the sole. :) In terms of daily wear, they are not designed for walking or hiking long distances. You can loosen the calf adjustment for walking, or wear them to work if you are a desk jockey but don't expect to run laps anywhere, anytime soon. The Puma's on the other hand are designed as an urban boot. I usually wear them when riding my scooter. Comfortable, but not much protection, more of a glorified high-top sneaker. They look good but I probably could have spent fifty bucks more and bought Sidi's streetburners. The pics: Sidi Vertigos Puma Flat V2.

Solo ride out

No new upgrades, just a few pics from a ride last week.
Still getting used to the passenger bars ;)

Grab bars....

Got the rear passenger grab bars today (still waiting for the fender kit), and just so everyone know, they did not come with any hardware or instructions. I didn't realize that they are and stick out a bit from the rear but are designed well and do not detract from the lines of the bike. Lets see if these grow on me otherwise I may have to take them off.

The install was fairly simple. #5 hex key to take off the two bolts that connect the rear exhaust to the frame, take out the spacers and fit the bars in, using the same hardware. You then need on M6 bolt (not included) to connect the last part of the bar to the frame and that is it.

Some pics:

The bar and the bolt that does not come with it


The two bolts that need to come out.


Installed




With the seat on