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Old June 21st, 2022, 07:56 AM   #87
James Page
ninjette.org member
 
Name: James
Location: North Carolina
Join Date: Sep 2016

Motorcycle(s): 03 Ducati 749, 08 250r, 2017 RC390

Posts: 12
Just discovered this thread. Epic. You guys are my heroes.

Danny, your knowledge of this bike is remarkable and your attempt to extract every ounce of performance from it is really fun reading for a guy like me who is essentially an idiot mechanically.

I've got an 08 I bought new and have been on the same path as you since I bought it - extract as much performance from it as is possible, with an emphasis on lightening the bike wherever possible, costs be damned. Unlike yours, mine is a street ride (I live in North Carolina and have world class roads out my front door). I took her out for a 200 mile blast yesterday and was reminded again why I love this little bike so much: as I tell folks, its not fast - a hundred tops - but you can go EVERYWHERE at 100. Interestingly enough, two days ago I had taken out my 749 with a lot of goodies on it like magnesium wheels, full termi, worked suspension and came home thinking it just couldn't get any better than that, only to hop on my 250 yesterday and realize, yes it can.

While riding I stopped off at a friends work where they have an industrial floor scale and weighed the bike with a completely full tank: 320 lbs, which I calculate backwards to 288 lb (130.6 kg) dry weight. This is with all the stock street stuff.

As for power, I'm not sure what I'm making these days, but it definitely feels the equal of my stock RC390 which puts out +/- 43 rear wheel hp with an open airbox, werkes pipe, PCV and tune. If truth be told, it actually feels a bit faster at the top end. I'm not sure how that is with an engine that puts out 27hp stock. Ive had the head ported and polished, JE 13:1 pistons, BRT ignition, AP header with Jardine GP endcan, stock carbs rejetted to match.

I'm thinking I can get even less weight and more performance by replacing the current wheels - Galespeed Type 2 forged aluminum 3.0 front, 4.0 rear (7.27 lbs/9.6lbs) with either BST CF wheels (front 4.95 lbs/rear 8.8 lbs) or Marchesini Corse Moto 3 Magnesum wheels (5.3 kgs per pair). The extra benefit of the Moto 3 wheels is they'd allow me to run Dunlop Moto 3 slicks
(90/80-17 front, 115/80-17 rear) which would significantly reduce tire weight. I've yet to have anyone tell me that the Moto3 Marchesinis are capable of being fitted to an 08 250.

Anyway, enough of this digression. Thanks to both of you for this exceptional thread. You guys rock.

Last futzed with by James Page; June 21st, 2022 at 05:12 PM. Reason: remove bad link
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