Needed: A recommendation for Good Ducati Tuner

2WheelBear

2WheelBear

Well-known member
Hi Folks,

This is actually my husband asking this question for our friend. Our friend is located in Mill Valley. He is a good guy, and we WANT him to be happy with this bike. He goes through bikes like crazy.


My dearest (and most exasperating) friend bought a MultiStrada 950 last year. He's had one gripe since day one, which is that the bars transmit enough vibration that it causes his throttle hand to go numb after 20-30 miles of straight-line riding. Back road sessions are somewhat better, as settings vary more in that mode. His bike DOES seem to be rougher than the Ducs I've ridden in years past, but honestly that's a pretty small sample set to be making judgements with.

The nature of the control mount area on the 950 bars (in excess of 900mm straight section required) have made it almost impossible to find a workable substitute like a ProTaper which might absorb more. We've already tried filling the bars with a) sand and b) lead shot in an attempt to damp things down. It helped, just not enough.

I'm looking for any recommendations for a GOOD Ducati tuner. My hope is that some judicious work on the motor or fueling (PowerCommander or such maybe?) could lessen the vibes and let him enjoy riding a bit more.

Thanks in advance.

Denise Lindquist
 
D

DReg350

Well-known member
My favorite two shops that work on Ducs are in the South Bay. Nichols in Milpitas and Advanced Cycle in San Jose.

I had the same exact problem on my thumpin F650GS. Vibration was horrendous. Fatigue and numbness were excruciating. I ended up trying a pair of Grip Buddies. Night and day. Cheap fix. Heated grips still work fine. Just increases the overall grip diameter slightly. Love them. :thumbup
 
ScottRNelson

ScottRNelson

Mr. Dual Sport Rider
DReg350 said:
My favorite two shops that work on Ducs are in the South Bay. Nichols in Milpitas and Advanced Cycle in San Jose.
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I'll second this recommendation and would recommend Advanced Cycle Services first just because I like the owner, Jim Davis, so much. I've always enjoyed dealing with him for all of the Ducati service that I've had performed in the past.
 
F

fubar929

Well-known member
2WheelBear said:
I'm looking for any recommendations for a GOOD Ducati tuner. My hope is that some judicious work on the motor or fueling (PowerCommander or such maybe?) could lessen the vibes and let him enjoy riding a bit more.
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I'd suggest poking around on ducati.ms or another Ducati forum before contacting a mechanic. When I sold my DVT Multistrada 1200S last Fall and stopped following the bike, there weren't any reliable engine-tuning options available for it. Heck, nobody could reliably disable the service indicator warnings let alone tune the engine. Ducati had the ECU locked up pretty tight and since the most popular mods were luggage, windscreens, and GPS mounts I doubt there was much impetus for the aftermarket to develop something... Your friend might end up in a similar boat with the Multistrada 950.
 
Gary856

Gary856

Are we having fun yet?
Vibrations that feel normal and good to one may bother another; it's very personal. And it can come from a host of factors, not just the engine. Since the bike's new I assume he's already gone back to the dealer and was told that it's "normal". A good mechanic can verify there's nothing obviously wrong or loose but beyond that it's like chasing a ghost - it won't be time/cost effective for an independent shop to do.
 
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augustiron

augustiron

2fast 2live 2young 2die
I'd look at rox risers, barsnake, different bars or another physical method of reducing vibes. Highly doubtful a tune would change anything. Vibes are the nature of a Duc.
 
Maddevill

Maddevill

KNGKAW
Here's something he can try really cheap. Put a set of Grip Puppies on. Could be all he needs to be happy. If it doesn't help, he's out very little money.

Mad
 
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