Ducati Monster Motorcycle Forum banner

High Comp Pistons, $ per horse power?

3743 Views 38 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  908SSP
G
I am thinking about doing a Hi comp mod if I decide to not sell my bike. I have been told by the Duc tech that you only gain about 5 ponies which will cost me $200 per hp for the parts and install. I want to bump up my hp more than 5 hp. Any advice other than finding a 996 motor off Ebay and sticking it in my 900 monster frame?
1 - 20 of 39 Posts
Will slugs alone really cost a grand? :p

If you want more ponies, you gotta have bigger jugs 'n' slugs.

BCM has a 944 kit and I think even a 966 kit. There are probably others out there. I would think installation should be the same either way. Same labor whether you put the old jugs back on or put new ones in.

Didn't notice the year. If it's a carby, you'll want 41 mm FCRs to go with.

Ah, just looked at your sig. You do have a carby. Get the Keihins!

It's gonna cost you a lot by the time you're done. ;D

But is dollar/hp the right figure of merit? Shouldn't it be dollar/grin?
See less See more
G
Will slugs alone really cost a grand? :p

If you want more ponies, you gotta have bigger jugs 'n' slugs.

BCM has a 944 kit and I think even a 966 kit. There are probably others out there. I would think installation should be the same either way. Same labor whether you put the old jugs back on or put new ones in.

Didn't notice the year. If it's a carby, you'll want 41 mm FCRs to go with.

Ah, just looked at your sig. You do have a carby. Get the Keihins!

It's gonna cost you a lot by the time you're done. ;D

But is dollar/hp the right figure of merit? Shouldn't it be dollar/grin?
With the flat slides and a 966 kit what kind of gains should I see? Is it really worth dropping $3k for those mods or should I just break down and get a superbike.. (dreaming of a 996)
I just got a quote from Ken at Evoluzione regarding the same install. He said it's about 5hrs labor, @ $75 per hour. Thats $375 plus whatever the kit is $2??. He also said to replace the head bolts, especially on earlier models.
I will be doing the same mod soon to my 95 900 soon.
I'm afraid I can't give you FHE on what the 966 kit and FCRs will do for you. I can ask at BCM next week when I'm up for my 12k though. I'll be asking for me too ;D

But when you ask if you should just buy a SBK, you're asking a whole 'nuther question!

A Monster isn't and will never be a SBK.... and vice versa.

You're not going to get a two-valve mill to give you the scoot that a SBK will give you.

The right question is whether you should spend $3k on your 900 or buy a 1000DS. The answer to that is, it depends.

For pure cost effectiveness the answer is probably a new 1000. But then you have the anti-theft, EFI, Electronic Ignition and all that mess. With a modded 900, you have the pinnacle of the simple, basic Monster.

My mind would choose the 1000DS, my heart leans toward putting $3k into my '99!
See less See more
Did they say if they would be setting the "squish" as part of the piston install?
G
$1000 to install hi comps seems excessive... all the neccessary parts should only cost you $300. can't imagine why labor would run an additional $700, especially when the engine stays put in the frame during the swap. even at a $70/hour bill rate i can't see it being a ten hour job. you could install a 944 or 966 with that kind of money. head studs are usually only an issue with 95 and earlier... if they're silver replace them, if they're black/brown leave 'em.

if had a $1000, i'd rather put it toward some nice lightweight wheels. makes more of a diff than the hp.
Why not trade your M900 in on an S4? Those come stock with more power than you're likely to get from even a very heavily modified 2-valve motor.
G
Why not trade your M900 in on an S4?
G
Based on building a carbed monster and an injected 900SS, $200/hp is about right, if not a tad light. Keep in mind that the ponies get marginally more expensive as you add them.

I think you should figure out how much power you have to have, then find a tuner you trust (races, gives references, guarantees, etc.) to price it out for you. Good tuners typically has package combinations that they like to use and that have worked for them in the past. This is a much better option than guessing yourself and having the trainee at the dealership bolt a lot of parts together. Where's the value added in that?

A water-cooled, 4V bike is definitely an option. If money is an object, the initial entry fee and maintenace costs may be an issue. And hot-rodding 2V motors only seems expensive until you've priced similar work on a 4V motor. Yikes.
G
I test rode a Foggy today and my bike walks all over it! I am taking it in Friday for a few dyno runs and go from there.
G
I test rode a Foggy today and my bike walks all over it!
i think you're being a bit optomistic making that claim.... especially considering you don't have hi comps installed yet. you'll get closer to the torque values with a big bore kit. and throttle response can be greatly improved with fcr's, flywheel, lighter clutch, and wheels but the S4 ain't something to shake a stick at. you're gonna have to dump a lot of money into a M900 to get it close to a S4... more than the $2000 msrp price difference in fact. unfortunately the same amount of money thrown at an S4 will distance it even further from the two valver. try running that S4 at 6 to 7000 rpm and then do the same on your monster... you'll see what i'm saying. i think the quieter nature lulls folks into thinking the s4 is a slouch... but it ain't.
G
Question is where you there with me. AZSBK.com will back me up on my statement. Besides I am not sure what has been done to the motor since I am the second owner. The bike used to belong to a Duc machanic at AZSBK.com who did some internal mods to the motor. To bad I never got to meet him before I bought the bike to find out what was done to it.
You said... "walk all over it" ... maybe you can "just about keep up with it". Walking all over somthing would be like an S4 walking all over my M800. Sometimes if things are quiet they dont seem as quick (assuming you have pipes and whatnot, and the foggy was OEM )... I used to ride in loud 5.0 stangs that "felt" really fast... but then my quiet little turbo 4 banger would walk all over them. haha. :)
G
You said... "walk all over it" ... maybe you can "just about keep up with it".
G
Oh please don't start with the "you weren't there" crap. Both of us had/have heavily modded 2 valvers and S4's. There is simply no comparision when you get it as Mark said to 6K and up. I have friend with a 900SS that I toy with every time we go out. Let him go a bit and then reel him in without even trying. When i do try the next step is to slow to 20MPH and wait a bit for him to catch up.
Boo Hoo! He wasn't on my bike nor was I compairing it to yours! I stated I rode a foggy that was it. Not all bikes are the same and not all bikes are as fast as your bike.
G
Question is where you there with me.
no i wasn't but you see i do have this 900ss that's got a bunch of stuff done to it, flywheel, fcr's, hi-comps, dyna coils, etc... and i've got this S4. and as much as i like the 900ss because it spins up quick it still can't shake a stick at the S4. i don't care if superman owned the bike before you did you're being extremely optomistic, especially not knowing what's been modified. the higher rev range is where you see the difference between a 2valver and and 4valver. all i have to do is see the old style three spoke brembos on your ride to know i'd have to strap a brick on to my five spoke marchesini's to get them to equal out on rotational mass.
G
It doesn't piss us off it makes us laugh! Your talking to a bunch of Duc fanatics that have been riding/tweaking/dynoing these bikes for years not a bunch of teenage girls at the mall.

Now we are supposed to believe you are getting 90RWHP and spanking Foggy's and you don't even have FCR's and pistons yet?
G
no i wasn't but you see i do have this 900ss that's got a bunch of stuff done to it, flywheel, fcr's, hi-comps, dyna coils, etc... and i've got this S4.
G
oh ma gud, 90hp huh? :eek: with a dp exhaust? well i'm going to throw away the staintune spaghetti system on my 900ss for a dp one so it'll get 90hp. :'( 90hp. ::) sure it is. i guess superman did own your ride! :p i would be tickled pink if my 900ss would crank out 90hp on the dyno... that's almost about 20 hp over stock. i'd be hooten' and hoolerin' if it were just in the upper 80's.

i'm not pissed... i'm quite entertained by the bs. i remember when i was a doe eyed neophyte just the other day. welcome to the club, we enjoy the enthusiasm but we do tend to separate fact from fiction. just for a point of reference... this makes 95 hp ;) ... http://mywebpages.comcast.net/aortner264789mi/FirstPage/GPDUE.htm and alex has put a lot of lovin' into it... considerably more than yours. gosh you're funny... thanks for the giggles. ;D
1 - 20 of 39 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top