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DSB-Ducati 999 R at the PS-Bridgestone-TunerGP 2016

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The Berlin guys from DSB have been supplying TunerGP with exceptional Ducati material for years. “Bigger is better” is their motto. This time they have knotted a Ducati 999 R..

Tea D.ucati 999 R was an extremely ambivalent motorcycle. Designer Pierre Terblanche was not particularly popular with the Ducatisti, but it was very successful as a racing bike: Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Troy Bayliss each won a Superbike World Championship title with it.

DSB-Ducati 999 R at the PS-Bridgestone-TunerGP 2016

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999 R as a TunerGP contribution to the Lausitz. DSB wouldn’t be DSB if something really crazy wasn’t lurking under the disguise. And indeed: Master Mark Rittmeier put the Testastretta to the core. Instead of the original 999, the pistons now hammer 1099 cc.

Huge conversion work in the Testastretta-Twin

For this purpose, in addition to an elaborately modified crankshaft, DSB took the head gasket as a template for a cylinder extension and milled this precisely for each cylinder from a plate. Instead of the 2004 heads, the guys got the last Ducati 999 R from 2006 with bigger inlet and outlet valves. High compression 104 pistons now sit on noble Pankl H-Shaft connecting rods made of titanium and drive the compression to a whopping 14.8: 1.

In addition to the injection nozzles of the original Ducati 999 R, there are also extra 12-hole nozzles above the throttle valves. A pressure regulator with 4 bar ensures that the necessary amount of gasoline enriches the air from the airbox. The power commander leads the regiment above. Finally, another highlight is at the end of the “service chain”. The Akrapovic SBK system was built exclusively for Pierfrancesco Chili’s World Cup Ducati and was never available on the market.

How does this highly bred Ducati 999 R from DSB ride?

After all these explanations, we are of course excited to see how this highly bred Ducati 999 R from DSB drives. First of all, the upper body is tense – namely far over the tank and deep into the LSL stub. It’s unbelievable how the ergonomics of superbikes has changed in just under ten years and how much we have become weaned from it.

Then we organize the start button on the Ducati 999 R and immediately feel how hard it has to work when compressing to ignite the power. But then she starts with a rumble and also underlines that the fat Testastretta is not a sewing machine. The obligatory open dry clutch rattles, like Hui Buh, the castle ghost.

DSB got problems under control in good time

But outside on the piste, instead of a shivering shower, the full splendor of a large racing twin flows over you, which delivers full torque from the very bottom to well over 9000 rpm. No comparison at all with current, very speed-oriented super athletes from Bologna. In return, the engine makes a lot more rabatz, shakes and shakes – you almost forgot. Otherwise, the Testastretta has nothing to do with it, all that remains is to enjoy the extra power, because in series production the 999 R last had 147 HP on the HP test bench. On the other hand, the Berlin splendor boom mobilizes a mighty 182 horses. On the first day, the DSB-Ducati 999 R only caused a few problems with the poorly separating clutch and sometimes went off in braking zones. It couldn’t have been because of the built-in Grip One slipper clutch.

But DSB got it under control in good time. Just like the chassis with the original Ohlins dampers revised by DSB. The Ducati 999 R had a reputation for going a little further, especially in tight bends, but this specimen was even reluctant to give in, as if it were the arch enemy. And pulled out badly at the corner exit.

Deep slopes with the typical Ducati stability

However, we were able to turn this off through the slightly pushed through fork, the lifting of the rear and finally a different spring at the rear (the owner of the Ducati 999 R is significantly larger and heavier than the PS testers). The fact that the fork feet as well as the stanchions are black is a peculiarity of the Berlin tuners, who disturb the Swedish gold too much in its aesthetic demands and therefore anodize it. In any case, the dampers worked well on the bike and on the bumpy passages in Lusatia, thanks to the matching shims and co.

With the corresponding hardness, for which the Ducati 999 R was always known, and yet accurate response, the feeling for the level of grip was never lost. Even with 180 mm rear tires – from today’s Superbike point of view almost a flex cutting disc – the 999 plunged into deep lean angles and served there that typical Ducati stability, with which one can take the long hairpin bends in Lusatia with pure driving pleasure. But one thing shouldn’t be forgotten: Ten years are an eternity in motorcycle construction, especially nowadays, and if you don’t want to take on your racing iron, fight it down and whip it with full force, you should look into current bikes. No matter how slim this 999 R is. But if you need something special, Berlin is worth a trip, because the DSB guys are guaranteed to always think of something crazy. We are looking forward to next year.

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