How much better is say a SP3 over Standard Strada

KEV900SL

Test rides are a bit thin of ground, so how much better is SP bikes than standard Strada in your opions ?
Never ridden full Ohlins set up bike & I'm only a road rider with zero track experience, but love the idea of having a 'special' bike. Sunny Sunday kind of moron 😁

JImmySL

Obviously there are many here with modified stradas putting out big numbers but like for like in standard form it is a very different experience, handling with Ohlins aside the motor is & feels much stronger and the noise... oh the noise as you approach the 10500 revs.. its bloody witchcraft 😎

KEV900SL

I have 1994 superlight that is so much more than the sum of it's parts, standard apart from period laser cans & cut airbox. If I sell it a half decent SP3 is within reach next spring & Mrs T will still view it as only one stupid bike, not two in the way of freezer/tumble dryer/kids bikes & scooters.

I struggle to do 2k miles a year at moment & really feel these things should be ridden not stashed away.

It would also be the most expensive thing outside property I've ever bought !

RWG

Agree with Jimmy,
Had 2 strada bikes in different trim, but comparable to the sp, different leigue
Best of luck

Jack888

Ive never riden an sp but have a strada, Ive raised the rear ride height of mine and it rides real nice, Engine is nice but could do with a good bit more poke imho, Think in the near future I will liven up the stock engine with a few mods or even through a 996 lump in,
Saying this I prefer the 888 over my old 916, There luvly bikes

Cheers Jack

dudlington

I will say that everytime you look down at that plaque it means much more. At the time these were the racers for the street as much as Ducati knew how and could get away with. These are special bikes and were built to be revved................there is the difference. The standard Strada goes flat and these babies keep going untill you get that thought it is all going too fast, then change up. 2 stroke nutters also speak of this tingle at their narrow power bands. It is that last defining moment before you need to change up is what you will remember..............love it !!!!............Strada,s don,t have this...........only a disappointing feeling there should have been more........................keep reving , it won,t come. I,ve had a lot of 911,s and they make power untill the rev limiter , change up and off you go again............this is the Engine makers dream.

Not saying you can,t modify to achieve similar.............but by the time you have finished your engine is not a strada anymore.

Jack888

dudlington wroteI will say that everytime you look down at that plaque it means much more. At the time these were the racers for the street as much as Ducati knew how and could get away with. These are special bikes and were built to be revved................there is the difference. The standard Strada goes flat and these babies keep going untill you get that thought it is all going too fast, then change up. 2 stroke nutters also speak of this tingle at their narrow power bands. It is that last defining moment before you need to change up is what you will remember..............love it !!!!............Strada,s don,t have this...........only a disappointing feeling there should have been more........................keep reving , it won,t come. I,ve had a lot of 911,s and they make power untill the rev limiter , change up and off you go again............this is the Engine makers dream. Not saying you can,t modify to achieve similar.............but by the time you have finished your engine is not a strada anymore.

Like the sound of that, So all the extra is at the top end? Same feel lower in the revs? Take it the cams/ Valves and pistons are all different including twin injectors per cylinder? Is the bottom end the same on strada and sp or is it uprated as well??

dudlington

Jack

Nice looking bike with some nice mods. Seems to me as you are already down the modded path , the only thing left to do is add Ohlins (If you have the cash)..............or maybe better still use the cash to uprate to a 996SPS engine and go for Ohlins internals at the front. You can always keep the original for the matching numbers thing. Once you put that 996 engine in you will not go back to the standard engine. I,ve just finished restoring this SP4 with a 996SPS engine in it...........need to ride it soon.

Jack888

dudlington wroteJack Nice looking bike with some nice mods. Seems to me as you are already down the modded path , the only thing left to do is add Ohlins (If you have the cash)..............or maybe better still use the cash to uprate to a 996SPS engine and go for Ohlins internals at the front. You can always keep the original for the matching numbers thing. Once you put that 996 engine in you will not go back to the standard engine. I,ve just finished restoring this SP4 with a 996SPS engine in it...........need to ride it soon.

Thanks mate, Ive been working away at it trying to pick up parts, The money upgrades is going for is something crazy, Ive been looking for ohlins but I think everyone else is to, Ive got the full oil cooler ready to fit and the sp headers like you see in the other post, Didn't want to get spag headers as they will be to much on the strada engine and muck up the bottom end, Doing a load of research I think that these headers should be good even if I upgrade, Just picked these up from a local guy on ebay but weren't cheap, I spent ages fine tuning the bike as it wasn't running perfect when I bought it, Its running luvly now, Defo fancy going the 996 route, Surely finding a 996sps engine would be a task and a half??

That's going to be a nice bike you are building there mate

AndrewS

dudlington wroteI will say that everytime you look down at that plaque it means much more. At the time these were the racers for the street as much as Ducati knew how and could get away with. These are special bikes and were built to be revved................there is the difference. The standard Strada goes flat and these babies keep going untill you get that thought it is all going too fast, then change up. 2 stroke nutters also speak of this tingle at their narrow power bands. It is that last defining moment before you need to change up is what you will remember..............love it !!!!............Strada,s don,t have this...........only a disappointing feeling there should have been more........................keep reving , it won,t come. I,ve had a lot of 911,s and they make power untill the rev limiter , change up and off you go again............this is the Engine makers dream. Not saying you can,t modify to achieve similar.............but by the time you have finished your engine is not a strada anymore.

Exactly so - it's the free-revving nature of the engine that is so good. I have an 1198S as well, and that engine is comparatively "agricultural" (real torque-monster though...).

AJV

Way back in 1994 I PX'd a 888 Strada for my SP3. At the time I questioned my wisdom. The Strada was a more evolved/refined & reliable bike but the SP was exclusive with Ohlins & Carbon. Almost 25 years later I'm so glad I did the deal, still get enjoyment from admiring and riding my SP.

Development has moved on so much, any 851/888 can be made better than factory built SP4S or Corsa models.

Sure an SP will rev more than a Strada but try the latest Panigale V2 or V4 for a reality check. It's all about how the riding/ownership experience makes you feel (ask any air cooled Porsche owner the same question). Any 851/888 offers a memorable ride and puts a smile on ya face. If you have the cash buy an SP but a 888 Strada is just as good and easier to live with

dudlington

AJV

I can say as I own a brace of old stuff (Mainly SP,s or modified stuff) and a 1199S Panigale (V2) , it is quite a shock to ride one of these new machines. The electronics and chassis makes an average rider very good. The old stuff needs more input and with no electronics to help you out , if you make a mistake it shows.........however the old stuff has more soul. ............... My favourite bike in my collection is still the 851 with the 1198S engine stuffed in it............brutal and hard work for an old guy like me. The Panigale is sooooooo muuuuuuch easier. The best bike would be the 851 Panigale of which there is only a photoshop job done........unless anyone knows something different.

Jack888

AJV wrote

Understand everything you say, If I had an sp I don't know if I could bring myself to put miles on it, I try to get my 888 out most Sundays and luv modding it, Ive a streetfighter s for Saturdays lol, Its pretty unreal the difference in the 2 motors, Its my fav bikes to have in the garage

nine16

Jack888 wroteDefo fancy going the 996 route, Surely finding a 996sps engine would be a task and a half??

You just build one.

Start with an ST4S motor (996cc). The swingarm will bolt to the cases and you can sleeve the original motor mounts in the engine or just enlarge the frame holes a touch and use the larger, stronger ones. SPS or replica cams will give you most of what you want (or allow you to do build the motor in stages if you wish). Exhaust will have to be tweaked a bit unless you swap the ST heads for the 996 superbike heads. 996 heads aren't expensive and allow you to bolt on any 851/888 exhaust you like, so it makes sense to do that.

The ST4S bottom end will have a heavier crank and stuff, but if the day comes when you decide to tackle that, you can get some high compression pistons and take the opportunity to lighten and rebalance the crank.

If you've bought an entire ST4S donor bike, you can use the wiring harness, throttle bodies, and 5.9M ECU, which can be reprogrammed much easier and more effectively than the chips for the P8 (or swapped for a plug-and-play Microtec M197). Then you can even add a quickshifter. 😉

How fast do you want to spend?

henk

Jack888 wroteUnderstand everything you say, If I had an sp I don't know if I could bring myself to put miles on it, I try to get my 888 out most Sundays and luv modding it, Ive a streetfighter s for Saturdays lol, Its pretty unreal the difference in the 2 motors, Its my fav bikes to have in the garage

You are wright.
Sometimes you will enjoy something cheaper more then the expensive thing.
Some people are afraid to ride there more expensive SP because of the value.
With a strada you don't have to worry that much about it yet.
I have a strada and i like to change everything about it.
Maybe i would not do this as well if i had a SP.
Of course i would like to have an SP,who would not.
All about budget and choices.

Henk!!!

DeltaT

dudlington wrote...the 851 with the 1198S engine stuffed in it...

I cannot begin to imagine what that is like to ride. I finally managed to go for a good ride on my recently renovated and upgraded Strada the other day. The engine is stock (but fully refreshed) with a custom ECU map, and at first it was a little underwhelming with the power, but when you learn to keep it in the zone and ride the bike hard, it really begins to reward, the power starts to feel like it's enough (96bhp at the wheel). If the SP's love this treatment even more then that must be great, but an 1198S in there... holy crap.

I also dropped the bike almost immediately due to a lock-adjuster unwinding itself, scratching my freshly repaired and resprayed bodywork. Fortunately it's just cosmetic and I'll have it looked at when I can, for now it's not that bad and I just want to get some miles on it. I might be a little more upset if it were original, pristine SP bodywork, but I bought the bike to do it up and then use it properly, so, oh well!

...sorry for rambling.