BURNED DUC REINCARNATED INTO AN EVEN STRONGER DUCATI!

Pete Friedland gained a bit of notoriety on an unfortunate day in April ‘05 when his ’01 748RS burnt to a cinder on the immaculate Barber Motorsports raceway following a high-side crash exiting the turn 10 kink on the back straightaway. Chat rooms across the nation thrived on gossip of $100k clean up bills and even US Desmo gave it a two-page spread, much to Pete’s amusement.

After watching his pride and joy burn before his very eyes, Pete decided to take a break from Superbike racing and turned his attention instead to racing his ’05 KTM 525 SMR in the regional Supermotard series. However, the need for speed brought him quickly back to Ducshop’s door with his newly purchased ’05 999R.

Having missed most of the season he needed the bike prepped and ready to race quickly – in 30 days - so he could compete in WERA’s penultimate round for the points to make him eligible for the GNF at Road Atlanta. We knew it would be tight but everyone rallied together to make it happen. Once the engine was on Mark’s bench the front wheel was sent off for powder coating and the bodywork sent to the painters. Our painter even came to the shop to be sure the lines matched perfectly.

To race prep the engine Mark balanced and blueprinted the crank and transmission, with a full super-sport competition valve job. He milled the heads, degreed the cams to our specs and installed the slipper clutch which was rescued from Pete’s 748RS. He also installed a Corse reed valve and airbox, Brembo GP brake pump, 520 chain conversion, quick-turn throttle conversion and an Ohlins DU301 rear shock with high and low speed compression dampening.

A Termignoni 62mm full race exhaust system was installed along with a Dynojet quick shifter and Power Commander, then mapped on our in-house dyno.

Pete’s 999R was finished and delivered to him the night before the final round of the WERA National Challenge Series at Barber, where he qualified for the GNF with a 7th place finish in Heavyweight Twins Superstock.  Not bad, considering the bike was un-tested and his first time back in the saddle of a Ducati since that day in April. 

Although things look up, there is a moral here according to Pete.  “Never fall in love with your race bike, ‘cause you never know what may happen.”  Let’s see if this holds true, especially after riding an Italian superbike like this one again!

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