It's now run in (well, I've red-lined it...)

[mangocrazy]

A week or so back the odometer passed the magic 1000kms mark (621 miles if you're viewing in black and white) and the fancy TFT display sudden;ly showed SERVICE in big letters, and a (failrly clumsy) representation of a spanner. It now does this every time you switch the ignition on, just to be sure (to be sure).

What has also happened is that the rev counter no longer flashes red over 5000rpm, which has encouraged me to explore the performance. And even with that few miles on the clock, it don't 'arf go when you twist the throttle. Very satisfying. It's now got about 780 miles on it and I wanted to give it a bit of stick before it went in for its first service, as I know that they refill the bike with very expensive and very high spec fully synthetic 10w60 oil. So I wanted to make sure everything had bedded down nicely before switching to oil which is so protective it doesn't allow much in the way of running in.

I've already done two oil changes; the first at around 250 miles, the second at around 500 and both times I refilled with Morris Oils 'Running in' oil - a straight 30w oil that promotes bedding in of surfaces. Before it gets ferried back to Redline Motorcycles I also decided to remove the ugly, heavy and restrictive cat that sits like a heavy, ugly and restrictive thing under the sump. Added to the charge sheet against it is the way it makes oil changes a king size pain in the arse. Instead of the oil dropping straight into the drip tray, the cat acts as a random oil spreader ensuring that no matter what you do, some oil (often quite a bit) winds up on the shed/garage/drive floor.

Here is the offending lump in situ:

DSC_2734_Smallish.JPG (253.88 KiB) Viewed 3482 times

And here is the view from the oil change side:

DSC_2739_smallbig.JPG (204.22 KiB) Viewed 3482 times

And here is a side by side comparison of the lump and its svelte replacement:

DSC_2742_smallbig.JPG (188.4 KiB) Viewed 3482 times

And the bike having lost nearly 5 kilos of ugly fat. Now, isn't that an improvement?

DSC_2746_small.JPG (251.4 KiB) Viewed 3482 times

And the obligatory close-up shot...

DSC_2752_small.JPG (255.8 KiB) Viewed 3482 times

When it's in having its first service they will fit a K&N filter and load the 'Akra map', which is basically a map designed for the full Akrapovic system, free-flowing filter and without any tedious emissions considerations. (I think it was designed for the Duke 690 race series bikes). So I'm hopeful that when it comes back it won't just have little horns, but a full set of antlers...

[fatboy]

Good bye Plain Annoying Jane and hello sexy new system !
Good work Graham, looks the dogs danglers and hoping the Duke loves the diet plan/ makeover and fully flaunts it !
I'm sure it will !
I'm considering getting in debt over an RC8

[mangocrazy]

Hi Paul, yes, I swear I could feel the difference in weight even pushing the bike around...

A guy I know from the VFR forum maintains that the RC8R was the best thing he's ever ridden and (surprisingly enough) was perfectly viable as a tourer and daily ride. Touring would be of the credit card and toothbrush variety, but he was ecstatic about how good it was. You only live once...

[Greg]

Mang .. that look like a worthwhile mod.

I'm in France for another week now, but it's as hot as fuck here .. We were however enthusiastically passed by a young 'mec' on a V4 Tuono with a naughty pipe and a quick shifter.

It sent a shiver down my spine and had me doing mental arithmetic all the way back to the camp-site.

Hmmmm

Greg

[mangocrazy]

Those 'Priller V4s sound fantastic - much better than the Ducati alternative.

[Greg]

I'm still in the middle of a 4 year project to install a 540 barrel and piston onto my old LC4 400 motor - that plus the FCR41 in the same project box should really liven it up a bit. Maybe in another 4 years . haha ...

[Gio]

Very nice, but aren't you breaking the law with no cat fitted.

[mangocrazy]

Very nice, but aren't you breaking the law with no cat fitted.

I must admit I hadn't thought about that, but I was under the impression that a Cat wasn't mandatory for bikes. I'll have to check.

[mangocrazy]

I'm still in the middle of a 4 year project to install a 540 barrel and piston onto my old LC4 400 motor - that plus the FCR41 in the same project box should really liven it up a bit. Maybe in another 4 years . haha ...

I should say so - a 33% capacity increase plus a flat-slide carb. Sounds like fun...

[Greg]

Ahh.. yes, but the 540 is only a 540 with the right stroke - mine is a short stroke motor (I think) so the increase will be to about 450 or 470 - can't remember which and I'm on hols so can't go and measure... I had an FCR fetish a while ago which started with the TRX and a pair of 39's, then a 41 went on my 640 Adv, followed by a 39 on the 400 (which was a revelation compared to the POS BST carb they originally fitted) so the 41 plus the big bore kit should really wake things up ...

Back in the day KTM did some weird stuff with combinations of available engine components - changing crank strokes and rod lengths in the same barrel gave a range of displacements 520/540 620/640 etc. All I know is that the piston pin I salvaged from Liam's old Falco motor was the missing link in the KTM build as is was the same size as the one I was missing when I got the bigger barrel/piston



I've tried to research whether there's been a 400/520 conversion and I remember from my distant and foggy memory that there was some mention of a bastardised 540 motor combination that KTM never marketed, but was thought to have been the best motor they never sold...