[SnS_12]

From the time Bianca came home in April this year I have never washed it myself and all I did was wipe the loose dust accumulated on the bike with the jopasu duster and I was good to go. But, with the last Sunday maiden highway run and the busted left oil seal it desperately needed to be washed so It was cardio time and decided to wash both Bluebird and Bianca.

With the ceramic coating it does make the cleaning process more easier and faster and I didn't polish both the bikes as they would soon go in for their six monthly coating maintenance to OCD. The coloured rims are definitely the most difficult and time consuming to wash especially the front with multiple spokes and limited access due to the big dual front rotors. However, the rear is a different story all together especially with the single sided swingarm and the underseat exhausts giving plenty of acess.

After two highway runs I can now say with confidence that Bianca is the best handling motorcycle I have ever ridden. The stiffness of the chassis, the suspension and the overall riding triangle just adds to the riding experience and just adds up to the confidence especially when you start cornering and surprisingly even fast corners feels slower maybe as it's just so effortless and comes naturally with this setup. Obviously the moment you go over slight undulation or broken roads the bikes throws you off and rattles all the bones in your body but a small price to pay for experiencing this masterpiece on Indian roads. I am sure if I had ridden this bike only on open highways I would have never ordered that CNC clutch slave or the Tappezzeria seat covers as you don't experience the discomfort unless you encounter traffic or broker roads. So, these parts will only help in managing the bike in an environment for which is was never designed for.

With just a little over 25% of the running in to be completed the excitement is building up to experience what is in store at 5.5k rpm and beyond

Some pictures...













All set for another Sunday outing..













The others waiting their turn as the new favourite bike in the collection gets all the attention for now ..







Breakfast for champions lip smacking akuri and mutton keema with crispy dosa..



My Shoei Accolade grabbed the attention of Freddy Daruwala and his friend who were interested in knowing more details on it







At this pace I could have completed the running in five weekends if only things with riding bikes go as planned.



I was secretly praying that the busted oil seal will self fix itself. This time we will have to do a little more investigation on why only the left one pops out...



Few pictures clicked by the talented Mr GP (Gauranng)

[ex-innova-guy]

Please don’t forget to click a picture when it has 848 on the odometer.

Also, I am no hardcore motorcyclist but given you were questioned about the Shoei Accolade, don’t people ask you which bike this is or how rare it is? Perhaps a Ducati must be Red for a layman or even some motorcyclists to catch the attention. Although I feel it’s very good for you as it won’t get all the (un)necessary attention and you can fly under the radar because I know how everyone would dearly like a picture with it.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Please don’t forget to click a picture when it has 848 on the odometer.

Here you go. Had recorded the screen start up in slow motion so took a screenshot of it

Originally Posted by ex-innova-guy

Also, I am no hardcore motorcyclist but given you were questioned about the Shoei Accolade, don’t people ask you which bike this is or how rare it is? Perhaps a Ducati must be Red for a layman or even some motorcyclists to catch the attention. Although I feel it’s very good for you as it won’t get all the (un)necessary attention and you can fly under the radar because I know how everyone would dearly like a picture with it.

A white Ducati is like a proper unicorn which only people who follow and understand Ducati models will understand and identify. These days people get attracted to a bike with the engine and exhaust sound so even with a single sided swingarm and red wheels and underseat exhaust it maintains a low profile in a sea of superbikes. Many people who come near the bike look for the brand name and it's only when they see the Ducati lettering on the tank is when they have a sparkle in their eyes and their interests to see and understand more details about the bike grows.

The 848 and the 1098 series are a rarity to see around in our part of the world so, many people don't know about this model and with a stock exhaust there is not much drama to get unwanted attention. The other bike which people struggle to identify is my RD 200 as they think it's yet another RX until they notice the dual cylinder and exhaust

[SnS_12]

Ride to the lakes

On Saturday we wanted to ride to Dhekale Dam View Point, which is halfway to our usual riding) breakfast spot and a few other friends were to join in as well who were carrying breakfast for all of us. We decided to meet up at the usual spot at 6:30 am and after we all had arrived we just casually checked the GPS and as luck would have it there was a 30 min traffic jam starting from the fountain junction. From my past experience I knew this would be not good and suggested we head to town South Mumbai instead but the boys were confident we can make it through. That is when I knew if we push through I am the one who is going to suffer the most .

However, as we approached the jam my friend asked me what do you think and I said a firm no we can't survive this and especially his wife who was in their car with their dog. So, we decided to head to Powai Lake instead and it was a wise decision as we could just make it through to take a U turn back to the city. It was a short ride and the only downside side was I couldn't pile up the kms on this ride as much as I wanted.

So, Dhekale Dam was still on the bucket list as I was the only one who had never ridden to that spot earlier.

Being Diwali holidays we could pull in one last ride as my friend who rides the CB 1000 would we out of town till the end of the year and we decided to do a short ride this morning and Dkhekale Dam was the spot we choose. The ride was almost cancelled as I didn't receive a message in the morning from my friend as usual and I was tired as well as I had friends over for dinner the previous night. So, since I didn't hear from him I texted him I am going back to bed only to receive a call at 6 am when I was in deep sleep that the ride is on and we have a surprise rider joining us.

So, I pulled myself out of bed and was at our meeting spot at 7am and we proceeded towards our destination at a slow pace as the surprise rider was on a smaller bike and it was her first ride with us so we wanted her to be in our sight always and preferably ahead of us. The place is really beautiful and quiet but had some bad patches of road which really is a pain to navigate on Bianca. But was a good testing ground to see if the other oil seal pops as well .

Some pictures..









The uncle in the white Kurta for some reason thought we had come from Kashmir.



Some exotic breakfast







Everybody who were seeing Bianca for the first time wanted a picture with her







Got myself clicked as well





A picture from the car before we said our goodbyes and headed back home



Slowly and steadily we are getting there.



Our friends daughter was the surprise rider on her MT 15. She was elated to ride among big bikes.



Her two big white guardian angels..













People were surprised to see this white shark in this surrounding. Not a usual sight to see an Italian exotic in the jungle







Nature's Beauty



Vegetarian breakfast for a change





180 kms to go, which would be done by this week hopefully and will ride within city limits for a change as I might have no company and would be riding solo. It's going to be a riot post 6k RPM all the way to the redline and excited to experience what lies ahead.

[SnS_12]

Another Sunday another City ride..

The amount of kms I have put on Bianca and Bluebird in past month must be be sort of a personal record with over 1,200 kms combined. Though there was a time when I used to do 3,000 kms a month on my RX, but this number has been achieved with only weekend rides .

So, since I was riding alone I decided to go to South Mumbai only to find out the Navy Marathon was being conducted and acess to Horniman Circle was blocked and that bikers can't access the Worli seaface on the return journey towards the sealink for next 8 months (this was with a fine ).

Today throught the journey I made multiple stops to take some pictures at some iconic/locations. Now, hopefully I can get the bike in for its first oil change next week depending on the availability and get going with fitting all the accessories taking useful real estate at my home.

Some pictures....

Keeping this rims clean is a real task



The left one for the tyres and swingarm. The right one for the rest of the bike.



Drop in 2 psi after a month.



All set after a wash and air top up.



848 kms ..



































Will be closer to 1k mark when I go to drop it for service next.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Keeping this rims clean is a real task

Doesn’t the single sided swingarm make your job much easier?

That said - chain lube overspray must be a real pain to clean on that red. Better to stick to some of the solid wax lubes?

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Doesn’t the single sided swingarm make your job much easier?

Yup. This is what I had said in my earlier post #61.

The coloured rims are definitely the most difficult and time consuming to wash especially the front with multiple spokes and limited access due to the big dual front rotors. However, the rear is a different story all together especially with the single sided swingarm and the underseat exhausts giving plenty of acess.

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

That said - chain lube overspray must be a real pain to clean on that red. Better to stick to some of the solid wax lubes?

I have some 20% left if my Yamalube chain spray and its been a while since I have used that on the big bikes. Also, I don't have a paddock at home for Bianca yet so I visit my friend's workshop to get that done.

However, dirt and grime do get accumulated after every ride so cleaning is a must and the chain spray is not that much so, I am ok for now. Just that on a coloured rim the effort has to be more as any spot left behind easily makes its presence felt which is not the case with darker/black rims.

[ostrish]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Nature's Beauty

Attachment 2531706

Nephile pilipes aka giant golden orb weaver. Common towards the end of the year, all over Bangalore right now too.

[The Dentist]

Lovely thread, I enjoyed reading this like no other.

You've managed to get a hold of the bike that made me obsessed with these two wheeled death traps back when I was about 6 years old and saw a picture of one.

Reading this felt like read one of my day dreams, my exact dream bike, in the exact color and spec, and most of all, a 0 mile new old stock, something I didn't believe was possible.

It saddens me every time I see a video of one of these beauties being mistreated on the internet, so seeing you take such good care of yours brings me more joy than anything else.

While I'm currently trying to finish my master's degree, an 848 evo in arctic white is the one thing that keeps me motivated and perhaps a few years down the road if the stars align I might end up making an offer for Bianca if you're ever ready to part with her.

Wishing you many more happy miles on the most beautiful motorcycle to ever exist!

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by The Dentist

You've managed to get a hold of the bike that made me obsessed with these two wheeled death traps back when I was about 6 years old and saw a picture of one.

Reading this felt like read one of my day dreams, my exact dream bike, in the exact color and spec, and most of all, a 0 mile new old stock, something I didn't believe was possible.

It all starts with a dream and people who keep the dream alive long enough ultimately will achieve it. And then somethings are just dependent on destiny and one will never get more or less than what is destined for them and never before or after the time that is already chosen.

Bianca, with the other 848 EVO's were there for the taking for so many years but thankfully most of the potential buyers never believed they were zero mile bikes. I made some good friends for life on TBHP thanks to bhpian no_fear and that kindled the interest in Italians and among the two of us we lapped up the balance 848 EVO's in no time.

Was chatting with my friend yesterday and was telling him that so many people have in the last 8 months since I got Bianca asked me if I want to sell or to keep them in mind if I ever decide on selling it in the near future. And, if one knows me well that is like asking or expecting the wife to sell her wedding jewellery and the bottom line is it will never happen

Till date I have only sold one bike that I have owned that is the Ninja 650 and the guy who bought it from me still has it and has maintained it really well and texted me after reading about Bianca over here. Apart from that I have only considered in the past selling my 2 two strokes RD 200 and RD 125 as I am not able to dedicate enough time to them but they still are part of the collection and I think will remain considering how rare two strokes are getting and these were already in the rare category in India.

Now, coming back to Bianca I just gave her for the first service that is oil and filter replacement and the accessories to be fitted. She definitely doesn't feel like an 11 year old bike and is tightly put together that speaks of Italian built quality and craftsmanship which is on an another level. I think after the RX this is one bike which will see a lot of mods over the years in the collection and will stand out like none other unless bhpian no_fear outdo me with his 848

Some pictures...

Getting on the parts ready. Won't be putting the mirror blanks and will install the seat covers later.



Almost forgot the most important parts the fork oil seals. Luckily I realised it when I was in the parking lot.



Filling up at the same pump as last time. Amount of fuel consumed after about 100 kms of city riding.



Time to top up the rider as well. No chai as they said you will have to get it from the other shop. The staff was happy to let me click a few pics while I relish the bun maska.



















Another twin piped motorcycle in the background but with a single cylinder.



Another famous Parsi joint which gotten really expensive now. The owner was like you're coming in as they were just cleaning up the place and I told him just stopped to click a snap.









Dropping off the parts and the bike.



975 is tha max I could before I called it a day as had a long day ahead and lot of driving to do as well.



The OE grips will be removed carefully and preserved.





Chai pai charcha...



Bye bye for now. New beginnings to start from 5k to 8k rpm for the next 500kms and then all hell breaks out... Never rode a new engine like you stole it and never will.

[SnS_12]

Got Bianca back home today in the brilliant Mumbai traffic which is something I was not looking forward too. The heat of the bike never made its presence felt expect for the temperature gauge showing a reading of 106 degrees at the maximum. But, the riding position and heavy clutch did make the whole ride a bit uncomfortable and my left wrist was in pain as soon as I got back with all that action of manouvering the bike in traffic.

The clutch is still heavy as the CNC clutch slave won't fit out of the box and may need some further modifications to make it work and function as desired. Further, the left fork pipe seemed fine and had no visible damages or cuts which could damage the oil seal but still when I reached home I noticed the oil seal had gone bust again. Now I have a friend coming from France next week and he will try to get a pair of oil seals other than NOK brand and will give that a go. If that doesn't work then I might have to change the pipe or go in for an updated complete front suspension which is going to be very very expensive (bhpian no_fears elder brother told me the price of an Ohlins unit and I was expecting it to be 1/3 of that price )

Since the oil seals on Bianca are having a gala time another one decided to call it quits and this time it was the steering damper. Have already placed an order for a Matris one and it was on my list of mods to be done and finally the time has arrived.

Maintaing an Italian which has been standing for over a decade was never going to be easy mentally and on the wallet but I haven't lost my cool yet and enjoy every opportunity to add new stuff on Bianca. Speaking of which the Domino quick throttle along with the cable and grips are finally on and my friend asked me to be careful and not die riding it. Though I could not really open the throttle much because of traffic but it feels good and even the gear shifts are much more smoother after the oil change. Also, riding in traffic needs less throttle turn now with the quick throttle and slow speed riding is more manageable now. Also, the Ducabike petrol cap is on and I have to remember to carry the carbon fibre key along with me everytime or run the risk of running out of fuel on long rides.

Some pictures...



Two different set of shims come along with the CNC clutch slave. Older models need the single 8mm one and my 848 needs the two 1mm each shim to be fitted along but still the clutch action was not perfect and my friend said either we will have to remove the pin from the clutch rod for it to fit but then the rod will start wearing off eventually. Will have to take it my other friend to dig in a little deeper to understand what needs to be done.

















The factory white protective sticker has been peeled off from the clutch and coil cover.



The problematic left fork leg



And it's sibling the steering damper... Maintaining an Italian will see me running the corporate rat race longer than I would wish too. Time to add a column for Bianca in the F.I.R.E excel sheet....



The OEM cable is manufactured by Domino too and will be preserving them along with the grips. Family is like our boy has got more junk to be stored at home...



My first carbon fibre part and an important one to access the fuel lid from now on.

[doga]

some nice TLC being given to Bianca there @Sns_12. The 848 and the 1098 look gorgeous and probably the most beautiful Ducatis ever made. I actually rate them on par with the 916. Your post reminded me of the fact that I have a brand new Accossato clutch master kicking about in storage. Had bought it for my erstwhile Mille but never got around to install it. Not sure if I can flog my ware on this forum or on this thread, but in case interested do let me know. Mods feel free to delete this post if against rules.
Although I half suspect you'd scoff at anything less than a Brembo on your beauty however Accossato is no bargain basement stuff either

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by doga

Although I half suspect you'd scoff at anything less than a Brembo on your beauty however Accossato is no bargain basement stuff either

Thank you Doga but, the current breaking setup from the factory is perfect and just the way I like it. On My Busa I did switch over to a Brembo 19 RCS MC.

Only thing that is in the current immediate wish list is a front suspension setup but after hearing the price I better kick off all my other options before going that route. So, if my friend gets the oil seals next week I will get that done along with a second go at the clutch slave and the Tappezzeria seat cover. Then once the steering damper arrives that will go on the bike and then I have to sit down and decide what next I want to get done/added on the bike

[doga]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

Thank you Doga but, the current breaking setup from the factory is perfect and just the way I like it. On My Busa I did switch over to a Brembo 19 RCS MC.

Only thing that is in the current immediate wish list is a front suspension setup but after hearing the price I better kick off all my other options before going that route. So, if my friend gets the oil seals next week I will get that done along with a second go at the clutch slave and the Tappezzeria seat cover.

Not sure if you paid attention, but I meant a clutch master not a brake master cylinder. It's a radial Accossato clutch master. Don't remember the aperture but given it was for the 1000CC Mille I'd think it'd be in the ballpark.
Also IIRC typically people used to upgrade the slaves on these Italians as the clutch action would invariable become vague with the stock Brembo slave unit. Oberon used to be the go to brand and I had that on my bike which helped some definitely.

https://www.oberon-performance.co.uk...inder-clu-0116

Regarding your seals, SKF green seals used to be much loved and I had them installed on my Showa forks. They were nice and smooth.
A tip on fork improvements would be to look for -
1)piston kit
2)Full cartridge kit
3)Full fork swap
in that order. A piston kit from KTech or Andreani- I prefer the former- would transform your bike and would be most bang for your buck. I had these installed and the increase in damping range was unbelievable. You can have it probably for around GBP300-400. The cartridge kit would be much more expensive with some incremental improvements over the piston kit. Lastly a full fork kit from nice and shiny yellow metal would set you back dearly however it can't be beaten on the bling factor and I tend to believe that's what drives most Ducati owners

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by doga

Not sure if you paid attention, but I meant a clutch master not a brake master cylinder. It's a radial Accossato clutch master

Aah. I don't know why I read it as the brake master.

Originally Posted by doga

Also IIRC typically people used to upgrade the slaves on these Italians as the clutch action would invariable become vague with the stock Brembo slave unit. Oberon used to be the go to brand and I had that on my bike which helped some definitely.

Oberon was on my mind initially but then my friend told me that they are having quality issues lately and that is why I went with CNC. I was hoping that is the only thing that is required to ease the clutch action. Hopefully we can get it fitted on the bike asap.

Originally Posted by doga

Regarding your seals, SKF green seals used to be much loved and I had them installed on my Showa forks. They were nice and smooth.

They are on the radar as well and my friend said he will ask his mech if that is the one to go for.

Originally Posted by doga

A tip on fork improvements would be to look for -
1)piston kit
2)Full cartridge kit
3)Full fork swap
in that order. A piston kit from KTech or Andreani- I prefer the former- would transform your bike and would be most bang for your buck. I had these installed and the increase in damping range was unbelievable. You can have it probably for around GBP300-400. The cartridge kit would be much more expensive with some incremental improvements over the piston kit. Lastly a full fork kit from nice and shiny yellow metal would set you back dearly however it can't be beaten on the bling factor and I tend to believe that's what drives most Ducati owners

Ktech are the guys I got my NOK oil seals and dust covers from. I want to get the pipe issue sorted first and then maybe look at internals and if I want to do the full suspension upgrade. Maybe, once I ride the bike more I would know exactly what I need to do to get this part of the bike sorted for life.

The yellow metal definitely looks delicious but, will cost me around the same price I got my Brio 9 years back

Matris is the alternate brand that I was told to consider for the rear suspension and am now looking at for the steering damper.