Panigale V4S Unica - From Start To Finish

[topolino]

OK, I know some of you may already have seen this thread on the UK and US forums, but for those that haven't... a quick introduction. I'm a professional offshore helicopter pilot, with 30 years of flying experience and over 11,000 hours under my belt. I have owned many Ducatis over the years (my wife also owns and rides a 2003 Monster 620ie that I rebuilt from scratch after an accident when she was knocked off it two years ago) and have a background before my flying career, in mechanical engineering so have been tinkering with motorcycles for over 40 years.

Whilst I love the brand Ducati, in many ways the build quality even at their price point, is still driven by a budget (more so on post 90's plastic heavy offerings), so naturally there are several areas on their bikes that can be improved. Let me say first off, that I am NOT in the same league as BMW Alpina and HKMP7, as I don't have that kind of budget to throw at a project and I am not interested in weight saving, so this is purely a subjective build for me and to my own tastes, as everyone's idea of what makes a bike look better, differ greatly.

A quick description of the timeline of this project, which was completed a few weeks ago. The bike was purchased new as a 2018 V4S with only the 12 mile delivery mileage on it, back in Dec 2018. I quickly dismantled it to begin the build from the engine upwards and in July 2019 with a barely rolling chassis, the bike went into storage for over a year, after we moved into our new house and waited for the new garage/annexe to be built. Then the Corona virus pandemic changed everything and delayed not just the garage build but also the project as a result. In early 2020, I lost my father to cancer and was made redundant later that year, managing to find a new job on the other side of the UK which meant long periods away, so it was not until late October 2021 that I got to work on the bike again with any frequency, after managing to relocate my job back to my local airport. Again fate was not kind and in January 2022, I also lost my mother to cancer, so again the project went on hold, as I was too busy sorting out personal affairs and settling into my new job, to afford anytime on the frivolity of a motorcycle. The past two years have been a rollercoaster for me emotionally and financially, but I hope this answers any questions as to why it has taken this long to complete a project originally planned to take me a few months (as my time and budget allowed). I will post up some pictures and narrative text as time allows me, over the course of the next week/s or so.

 

[topolino]

This will be a picture heavy thread so I make no apologies for that, other than if you don't want to wade through them all then move along. First you'll need to rewind your clocks back to November 2018. Take one perfectly road legal, brand new 2018 Panigale V4S with PDI mileage on it and reduce it from this....to this, in less than a week!







Note that the engine stand is an absolute must for this kind of build as it makes life a whole lot easier. I already had the stand itself from the 1299 build I previously did, so I simply bought the correct sump liner/plate, as shown below....

 

[topolino]

Like any build and with such a myriad of wiring and sensors to take into account on the Panigale, I have always found it advisable, if not essential, to label everything as you go as well as taking numerous photos of some of the more complex assemblies, such as the variable/motorised inlet tracts/trumpets.

Parts were separated into three distinct groups....those that were to be replaced entirely and which were carefully packed away (stock OEM parts), parts that were to be modified in some way and parts that were purchased to replace those removed. The vast majority of these consisted of fasteners. It never ceases to amaze me, given the price point of Ducatis, just how bad the quality of their hardware is. Some of the bolts, screws and nuts on this bike were woefully bad, akin to swiss cheese and frankly fit for the bin. Every one was replaced where I felt they could be bettered, and only those on the engine itself, or fasteners that were simply too difficult/not cost-effective to replicate remained, for example fairing bolts. From now on marine grade A4 or A2 stainless steel and titanium was the order of the day. Fit and forget, well about any possible corrosion at least.

I also managed to get hold of an official copy of the workshop manual on a USB disk from Moto Rapido, so torque settings and any of the more demanding processes of the rebuild would match those set by the factory when the bike was originally assembled (in May 2018 if records are correct). Where necessary I will add in images of any relevant tools, should you be inclined to want to carry out any of the tasks I've undertaken.

Spring puller is a God send when removing any exhaust, Saves you from the inevitable bleeding knuckles, potential eye injuries, hunting around in the bowels of the bike for the one that got away. Cheap enough to buy and always in my toolbox.



If you ever come to remove the rear headers on a V4 you will soon come to realise that swivel sockets are an absolute must, as you simply cannot access the cylinder head manifold nuts otherwise. As it is, it's still a total PIA to remove them but this set of sockets saved the day and turned an otherwise mare of a job into a 15 minute exercise.

 

[topolino]

Zip lock bags, where are they when you need them? I bought 300 just to be on the safe side!



Here is just a small selection of the fasteners removed from the bike. Most of these were or will be replaced with titanium or stainless steel equivalents. Some such as the bodywork fasteners, for example will remain as OEM.

 

[topolino]

I guess you learn from your mistakes. Here was my first one. Whilst removing the front frame I snapped the mounting point on one of the front coil pack connectors which clips onto the underside of the air filter inlet behind the radiator. I dug out some old AMP connector tools, ordered a new one and replaced it. Job done.

Here's the damage



These tools are invaluable for removing AMP TYCO connectors. It's a simple matter of ensuring you re-insert the wires back into their correct pin positions on the new connector block e voila as good as new. I will know for next time (should there be one) to unclip these connectors from the inlet duct first. Doh!

 

[topolino]

Talking of poor quality parts. This little lot came out of my front frame when I removed it from the engine, as I was trying to work out what all the rattling was inside it.



If you want further evidence of cost cutting, then take a look at the quality of the front frame casting. Those of a nervous disposition please look away. I've seen 'lost wax process' school projects that look better than this.



Here are the front frame and swing arm castings. Both were stripped of all bearings, bushes, oil seals, hubs, etc (my thanks to Carl Harrison Motorcycles who carried out this task) ready to be packed up and sent off for Cerakoting.

 

[BMW Alpina]

OK, I know some of you may already have seen this thread on the UK and US forums, but for those that haven't... a quick introduction. I'm a professional offshore helicopter pilot, with 30 years of flying experience and over 11,000 hours under my belt. I have owned many Ducatis over the years (my wife also owns and rides a 2003 Monster 620ie that I rebuilt from scratch after an accident when she was knocked off it two years ago) and have a background before my flying career, in mechanical engineering so have been tinkering with motorcycles for over 40 years.

Whilst I love the brand Ducati, in many ways the build quality even at their price point, is still driven by a budget (more so on post 90's plastic heavy offerings), so naturally there are several areas on their bikes that can be improved. Let me say first off, that I am NOT in the same league as BMW Alpina and HKMP7, as I don't have that kind of budget to throw at a project and I am not interested in weight saving, so this is purely a subjective build for me and to my own tastes, as everyone's idea of what makes a bike look better, differ greatly.

A quick description of the timeline of this project, which was completed a few weeks ago. The bike was purchased new as a 2018 V4S with only the 12 mile delivery mileage on it, back in Dec 2018. I quickly dismantled it to begin the build from the engine upwards and in July 2019 with a barely rolling chassis, the bike went into storage for over a year, after we moved into our new house and waited for the new garage/annexe to be built. Then the Corona virus pandemic changed everything and delayed not just the garage build but also the project as a result. In early 2020, I lost my father to cancer and was made redundant later that year, managing to find a new job on the other side of the UK which meant long periods away, so it was not until late October 2021 that I got to work on the bike again with any frequency, after managing to relocate my job back to my local airport. Again fate was not kind and in January 2022, I also lost my mother to cancer, so again the project went on hold, as I was too busy sorting out personal affairs and settling into my new job, to afford anytime on the frivolity of a motorcycle. The past two years have been a rollercoaster for me emotionally and financially, but I hope this answers any questions as to why it has taken this long to complete a project originally planned to take me a few months (as my time and budget allowed). I will post up some pictures and narrative text as time allows me, over the course of the next week/s or so.

Hi Topolino,

Thank you so much for joining DUCATImodified and share your build, experience and expertise with us. Really appreciate it.

Also my condolences for the passing of your parents, and hopefully working and completing your amazing build will bring joy and happiness back to you and your family.

In several ways, your build brings fresh ideas and inspirations for my build, and as you notice, I have not complete my build too

ps: I always thought you were located in France

Thanks again from Howard

 

[topolino]

Talking of tools, if you want to ensure you can remove the oil cooler without damaging those aluminium nuts on the supply/return pipes, these nylon jaw pliers are a must.



It's very easy to get side tracked by the enormity of completely dis-assembling your bike, so I always tackle it as a series of sub-assemblies, that way it never seems such a daunting prospect, putting it all back together. A good example of this being the cooling system, many components of which were due to be either Cerakoted or ceramic coated or the OEM hoses and cheap zinc plated jubilee clips ditched for better items.

The thermostat assembly is buried in between the two cylinder heads. Anyone attempting to replace the stock hoses is going to find out just how difficult this job is with the airbox in situ. Fortunately for me this as accessible as it gets.



Cheap zinc plated jubilee clips are history as are the hoses.





Radiator fan bracket stripped of all it's clips, brake guide block, and protective strips ready for Cerakoting. From 2019 onwards, Ducati replaced this whole assembly with a black plastic version.

 

[topolino]

More supplies in the form of tools, specialist adhesives, new parts. I will throw these in to the mix as the thread continues.

Found out the hard way that aluminium wheel socket tools are a false economy, so I bought a decent one for the future.





Silicone taper plugs for the oil cooler and radiator inlet outlet pipes keep any potential crud out and paint come coating. The oil cooler was in fact replaced as it was under recall. My local dealer knew me well enough to just give me the new version and handed them back my old (new) one, in the knowledge I'll fit it myself. I will deal with any records of recall work through them in due course.



This stuff is ideal for load bearing applications and what the factory recommend for axles, bushes, hubs etc, so I always keep a tube at hand for the muckier jobs.



Loctite 480 is a purpose made adhesive for bonding rubber to metal or rubber to plastic. It is used extensively on the Panigale and I'll use it during the airbox/fuel system build and the cooling system. The SAMCO kit after several modifications, finally fits! My bike was the prototype for the V4 kit they produce, which earned me a sizeable discount on the cost of the kit. Sadly their jubilee kit does not work as some of the clips have bands that are too wide to fit correctly onto the thermostat housing, so I opted instead to make up my own kit using "Mikalor" jubilee clips which are A4 stainless and much narrower, as per the OEM ones.





If you have never heard of them before ACCU fasteners have a great website where you buy one or 1000 fasteners at a time and search/select by size, material, head type etc. A lot cheaper than ProBolt and they have pretty much every conceivable type you might need. This is just a small sample of what I bought, in this case A2/A4 grade throttle body, airbox and inlet manifold bolts. The stock bolts are so soft, they chew up at the mere hint of being undone, so most went straight in the bin. In the end I probably bought over 250 fasteners from ACCU alone.

 

[topolino]

Initial assembly started with the engine naturally. Stripped of all or any attached components, about the only thing fitted to it, as it sat on it's stand was an anodised oil filler cap from CNC Racing, the first of many aftermarket parts on the shopping list. First job was to refit the anti-knock sensors. Next was the RPM pick up sensor and the cooling system thermostat and hoses. It was also the first of many referrals to the torque settings list for the bike. I simply printed the relevant pages from the workshop manual and ticked them off one by one, as I went along.

Rather than repeat myself, take it as read that every fastener be it a bolt, screw nut or washer, shown in images on this thread, unless specified otherwise, is either titanium or stainless steel.

Anti-knock sensors (25Nm) and RPM pick up sensor (10Nm)





Bought a box of 8mm and 10mm bright heavy duty zinc plated pipe clips, to replace all the stock black steel ones, which corrode way too easily.



Purge lines and distributor rail fitted with new clips where necessary.



Purge rail and pipework, SAMCO hose kit and thermostat housing back in place. The manual states 2Nm for the clips but I tend to tighten these by feel alone. It is important not to over do it however as the plastic bosses on the T-stat housing are prone to crack or deform if you do and leaks from this region are going to be a major headache if you have to address them later on



The thermostat housing itself requires the use of narrow band Jubilee clips. 'Mikalor' are one of the few that make them in stainless steel. The ones SAMCO supply in their kit (JCL make them) are simply too wide.



Secondary air system refitted to both cylinder heads



Here the secondary air system, thermostat, inter-cylinder hoses, purge lines, knock sensors and MAP sensor hoses, clips etc., have all been fitted. This completes everything that should reside under the airbox of a Panigale V4 and is the last time I'll see it (hopefully!).

 

[topolino]

My second mistake came when I was dis-assembling the airbox to access the throttle bodies and injectors. In my quest to remove some of the cover bolts (I can attest to "razz's" 'chocolate bolts' experience) I sheared one of them off completely. Ended up drilling it out. Big mistake as I ended up cracking the airbox cover itself, and after a very painful exchange of green folding stuff acquired a new one from Ducati. Never again. Anyhow, the motorised inlet trumpets and all the paraphernalia under the airbox lid, is a somewhat fiddly job and it's essential it's done right, so I made copious notes and photos prior to removing them. Fortunately the workshop manual provided me with a step by step guide to building the whole assembly back up. Having replaced the airbox cover I also had to transfer over various bungs (some of which needed bonding in using Loctite 480) fuel line rubber guides and various clips.

Here's the upper and lower airbox halves, along with new/spare injector line rubber clips, blanking plug, ECU and BBS brackets and secondary air system grommet.



Some of the injector line clips were actually damaged on the new bike when I removed the old/cracked cover. They are extremely difficult to fit, in that they tend to snap at the slightest provocation, when you try and pull the securing 'teat' through the plastic. I used some butter in the end and a blunt piece of scrap metal rod to persuade them into place from above, as opposed to trying to pull them through from the underside of the airbox cover.



Finally got the little sods into position!



Having completed fitting of the ancilliary parts to the airbox, next up was installation of the lower half to the engine, the inlet manifolds and injector loom. The OEM inlet manifold bolts were amongst the worst quality fasteners I have ever seen. Every single one went in the bin.

Here the lower injector wiring loom is screwed in, again with all new fasteners



Inlet manifolds next. These are what hold the airbox to the engine. 10Nm and a dab of Loctite 243.



Lower injector plugs all in place. Tie wrap is as per workshop manual instructions to keep 'rear 4' injector wire clear of the trumpet actuating motor linkage. All wiring routeing on the bike and where to use clips, zip-ties etc, is all in the manual. If you follow it religiously it's very straightforward.



Lower injector plug



Inlet manifolds, lower injectors and loom all fitted. Not an OEM bolt in sight.



Next up were the throttle bodies and actuating motors. A few of the 16 bolts that hold this assembly on are very awkward to fit/tighten. It's also imperative that you guard against anything falling into one of the inlet manifolds such as a bolt, as fishing that out, especially if it passes through the valve and into a cylinder would be a total nightmare. Best to take your time on this.

Throttle bodies back in place, with actuating motors and both TPS re-connected. The one remaining plug is the power supply for the variable trumpet/inlet tract motor. On the left you can see the outlet for the secondary air system



Here's a view from above. This lot must gulp in air at an alarming rate when the bike's at full chat.



Next up are the fixed trumpets, these are handed so it's important to get them the right way around. It's easy not to. Again, as with all the airbox fasteners, 10Nm and a dab of Loctite 243



Perhaps the trickiest part, re-fitting the moving trumpet assembly and motor. It's really vital that you pay close attention to the manual and the exact position and orientation of linkages/actuating arms and any wiring so it does not foul any moving parts. There is a LOT going on inside the Panigale airbox!





Here you can clearly see the actuating motor and it's associated linkages that raise and lower the upper trumpets.

 

[topolino]

Upper airbox now back in place. You have to be careful to align the small wafer thin sealing strips around the fuel delivery line and the loom where they enter the box, such that you get a good seal when closing the assembly, as it is easy to displace them or pinch them in the process. Here you can see the upper fuel rail and four secondary injectors.

If you are interested, the two holes in the top with the lock/unlock markings, into which plugs are fitted, are there to allow you to access and balance the throttle bodies (specifically the amount of throttle movement commanded by the RBW throttle potentiometer).

 

[topolino]

Main ECU fitted and primary wiring loom. At the bottom of the picture you can see the two map sensors for the front bank of cylinders. When dis-assembling these originally, you need to unclip the connector and remove the map sensor from it's retainer to reveal the bolt that secures it to the airbox. These bolts are literally made of cheese, so needlesss to say (though not shown in this image), they have been replaced with stainless steel bolts. You can also now see the access hole plugs/caps, referred to earlier. The remaining two holes work in conjunction with the secondary electrical support, when fitted. The two connectors in the centre of the picture, are the main feeds into the secondary system.



Secondary system ("Medusa"!) fitted, which comprises of the battery compartment, fuse boxes, relays, starter solenoid, battery terminals, rectifier/regulator, Ohlins EC and BBS units and the main loom. I also re-fitted both front and rear cylinder coil packs. All tie wraps, rubber straps/ties and wiring routed as per the workshop manual. Ducati rather helpfully place red markers on certain loom branches to denote specific positions where the loom must be attached.



Aside from ACCU, many of the other bolts on the bike are from ProBolt, these being polished stainless steel. I applied dialectric grease to them owing to their role in this instance.

 

[topolino]

Here's some shots of the engine ready to receive the front frame, with all associated wiring fitted, thermostat, hoses, purge lines, map sensors, airbox, complete fuel injection system, secondary air system, coil packs, rectifier, main ECU, BBS and EC units in place.

Excess branches I temporarily "bagged up" so as they would not get in the way when it came to fitting the front frame. You can also see the first of many Cerakoted parts fitted, in this case the front frame support bracket.

 

[topolino]

RH front frame support bracket now Cerakoted satin black. The first of many coated parts to go back on the bike. Torqued to spec. 24Nm.

 

[topolino]

Can't stand the suspense (ion), so almost all its components have been Cerakoted. Here is the rear shock absorber mounting bracket that is comprised of two halves.

 

[topolino]

Perhaps a controversial choice and black would have been too obvious, but I have always been a lover of the magnesium coloured castings and swingarms on earlier Ducatis. It was one of the first decisions I made when I started the project and proved an absolute nightmare for the Cerakoting company to match to the engine casings. Digital photos don't really do the swingarm and frame colour justice, especially under artificial light and varying conditions, but you will just have to trust me in as much as they are an exact match to the magnesium castings on the bike. Thanks again to Carl Harrison Motorcycles who refitted all new roller & needle bearings, seals, bushes and hubs back onto the front frame and swing arm.





Swing arm requires a lot of work to re-assemble, not least of which includes pressing in several new bushes, seal and bearings and refitting the eccentric hub. I had the rear brake caliper retaining plate Cerakoted black in my efforts to get rid of the tacky looking (IMHO) silver anodised finish.

 

[topolino]

If you are paying for someone to work on a V4, it's easy to see why they are so time consuming to maintain. It's not so much the content of the work involved, it's more often than not access to certain components once assembled. One thing I have learned having done similar projects on four previous Ducatis, is that they all require re-assembly in a very specific order, as often one assembly is dependent on another being in place before you can fit it, or will hamper you fitting other parts if not re-fitted in the correct sequence. A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold.

 

[topolino]

The front frame being such an integral part of the bike hides a few sub assemblies that must be fitted, before you can marry it up to the engine, namely the air cyclone unit, cooling system pipework and the air intake duct.

Here is the upper radiator hose link pipe (Cerakoted black) and mounting bracket. Yes the manual calls for zip ties here which need to be tight but not too tight as you need to be able to adjust the pipe left and right a little when fitting the hoses later on.





Here is the inner air intake duct. The rubber seal needs to seat perfectly around the opening at the front of the airbox. White lithium grease helps enormously. You can also see the pipework for the air cyclone unit on the right.





In this shot you can see the two retaining clips for the front coil connectors, I didn't spot these when disassembling the bike in the months before, and ended up breaking a connector (see earlier post). Incidentally you can also see just how rough this casting is, almost looks like parts of it are flaking off on the side rails (they're not BTW!) but surely Ducati can do a better job than this? Thankfully none of this is visible once the front frame is on the bike.



Here is the frame ready to go back on the bike, complete with inner air duct, cyclone unit and radiator link pipe/bracket

 

[topolino]

A few last minute (can't access them easily otherwise) jobs to do before the frame goes back on.

Here is the ground wire that sits just inboard of the left hand frame rail, then we have the link hose to the link pipe which fits onto the thermostat housing. One thing worth mentioning is that Ducati place a lot of emphasis on the orientation of the jubilee clips you saw earlier on the thermostat housing hoses, so as once the airbox is in place you can easily access them later to tighten if necessary. You can also see the airbox breather hose, MAP sensor tubing and purge line on the left. The latter is capped off anyway, when you fit the Akrapovic exhaust. The large hexagonal black bolt on the engine under the airbox is one of two cam chain tensioner bolts, which was the subject of a check-torque recall on earlier bikes





Secondary air system actuator valve bolts