So what did I buy exactly?
As with all Ducati "R" bikes, the "R" stands for Racing, and the 749R is the bike they used to homologate all the good gear needed to be competitive in World Supersport competition.
The 749 and 999 used a "new and improved" version of the Testastretta engine rolled out with the 996R (actually 998cc). The old Desmoquattro had reached the limit of maximum valve size for the available bore and the close positioning of the valves also limited camshaft/valve lift at overlap. The answer was to reduce the included valve angle from 40deg to just 25deg. This freed up space between the valves allowing greater valve lift and bigger valves. You need revs to make power and to make good power at high revs you need a high valve to bore ratio, so the Testastretta was a big step in the right direction. Incidentally, "Testastretta" translates to "narrow head" as the valve stems are more towards parallel, less "splayed", this results in a significantly narrower head:
Bewdy, let's go racing, eh?! Er...not quite yet....
Before you build a race bike you gotta read the rules, how else do you work around, oops, I mean with them?
So the following are some excerpts from the rules and a few notes on what Ducati did to the 749R over and above the base 749, and even other high spec models. It's worth noting that the WSS rules are way more prescriptive than the WSB rules. There was much more focus on controlling costs and racing "production" bikes hence the 749R was a genuine "crate racer", the most race-ready bike Ducati had ever produced, far more so than the 999R of the time which shares almost no parts with a WSB-spec 999RS:
01.58 DISCIPLINE SPECIFICATIONS - SUPERSPORT
EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT AUTHORISED AND PRESCRIBED IN THIS RULE IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN
Supersport motorcycles require an FIM homologation (see Art. 01.62). All motorcycles must comply in every respect with all the requirements for Road Racing as specified in the Road Racing Technical Rules, unless it is equipped as such on the homologated machine.
Supersport:
400 cc - 600 cc 4-stroke 4 cylinders
600 cc - 750 cc 4-stroke 2 cylinders The 749R is a genuine 749cc unlike the 748cc base 749 (confused?) and has a completely different rev happy 94 x 54mm bore/stroke vs the base model 90 x 58.8mm. The forged crank and alternator/flywheel are lightweight, which along with the Ti conrods significantly reduces rotating mass. The conrods are unique/longer giving less side force on the piston and allows the piston more time exposed to combustion pressure at TDC = more torque. The R also has stronger "coppa bassa" or deep sump crank cases, where the run of the mill base cases only have a shallow sump holding less oil and subject to starvation during high acceleration (wheelies).
Engine
58.03.20 Cylinder Head
Cylinder head must be as homologated. The following modifications are allowed.
- Porting and polishing of the cylinder head normally associated with individual tuning such as gas flowing or repair of the cylinder head, including the combustion chamber is allowed. Welding is not allowed.
- The compression ratio is free.
- The combustion chamber may be modified.
- The valves may be altered or replaced. The material may be changed. Maximum diameter and minimum weight must remain as homologated. 749R has 39.5/32mm Ti valves vs base 749 37/30.5mm stainless steel. The R valve stems are 6mm vs base 7mm for improved flow, lighter mass and less stress on the valve train.
- The valve seats must remain as homologated. Modifications are allowed.
- The valve guide must remain as homologated. Modifications in the port area are allowed.
- Valve springs can be changed.
- The valve retainers must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine. The R introduced "proper" tapered valve collets/retainers for durability vs the notoriously fragile "half rings" (literally tiny half circles of wire, prone to breakage) of earlier bikes.
58.03.21 Camshaft
- The method of drive must remain as homologated.
- The duration is free but the lift must remain as homologated. R has cams with 13/11.5mm lift vs base 10.1/9.1mm, achieved through a combination of R-specific cams and high lift rockers.
- The cam chain or cam belt tensioning device(s) are free.
58.03.22 Cam Sprockets
- Cam sprockets can be modified or replaced to allow the degreeing of camshafts. Adjustable belt pulleys are standard fitment.
58.03.26 Pistons
- Pistons must remain as homologated. The lighter/stronger R pistons are shorter pin to crown, to allow for the longer titanium conrods.
- Polishing and lightening is not allowed.
Gearbox:
58.03.31 Transmission/Gearbox
- All transmission/gearbox ratios are free. Although the R has a closer ratio gearbox as standard.
- Primary gears must remain as homologated. Lightened on R model
- Additions to gearbox or selector mechanism, such as quick shift systems, are not allowed.
The Chassis:
58.03.1 Frame Body and Rear sub frame
- Frame must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine. The R chassis has only 2 footrest adjustment position vs 5 on base 749/999 so as to make the brackets/lugs smaller and allow room for the larger race exhaust system. The rear subframe is alloy vs steel on the base models.
- The 749R was the only model to have both adjustable rake and trail eccentrics built into the steering head, with 749R specific yokes.
58.03.3 Rear Fork (Swing arm)
- The rear fork must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine. A chain guard ('shark fin') must be fitted in such a way as to prevent trapping between the lower chain run and the final drive sprocket at the rear wheel. The R has a lighter/stiffer fabricated alloy swingarm vs the cast alloy item on base models
- Rear fork pivot bolt must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine.
Rear axle adjuster (chain adjuster) must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine. A huge flaw of the previous 748 - 998 single sided swingarm was the hub/cam mechanism which concurrently altered rear ride height when adjusting the chain tension, complicating every gearing changes. The simple sliding chain tensioning arrangement on the 749R swingarm might not have been sexy as sexy as the single sided unit but it was an improvement by every other measure.
58.03.4 Rear Suspension Unit
- Rear suspension unit can be changed but a similar system must be used (i.e. dual or mono), using the original attachments of the frame and rear fork (swing arm). The 749R has a unique track oriented shorter stroke Ohlins shock as standard fitment.
- Rear suspension unit spring(s) may be changed.
- Rear suspension linkage must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine. In combination with the above shorter stroke shock, the 749R was the only road going Ducati to have a race-ready "flat" rear suspension link, vs the rising-rate link in all other models.
58.03.5 Wheels
Wheels must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer at the time of sale into the dealer/distributor network for the homologated machine. The R model has lightweight forged alloy wheels for a 3.2kg rotating mass weight saving.
Front and rear wheel axles must remain as originally produced by the manufacturer for the homologated machine.
Wheel diameter and rim width must remain as originally homologated.
There's plenty more but basically the 749R is quite a different kettle of kippers to the base 749...and every other model for that matter. But is it really going to kick some 600cc 16 valve IL4 butt? Probably not.....
....so step this way young citizen and enter the "RS zone"....and don't forget your cheque book.
Unlike previous models, Ducati didn't produce a complete 749RS bike as they did the 748RS, a dedicated race-only version over and above the homologation 748R. Instead they sold a 749R WSS "kit" comprising:
- ported cylinder heads
- race cams
- different ECU
- 57mm exhaust
- shorter alloy intake velocity stacks
- front alloy fairing brace
etc
Which was all good for 140-odd rwhp at 13500rpm (stock redline is 12500rpm) but maintenance, particularly on the poor battered valve train was, shall we say, "intensive".
For the chosen cashed-up few there was another kit, including:
- front mount ECU, employing twin ignition pick-ups (the R alternator cover is pre-machined for it)
- harness and different alloy fairing brace to suit
- Digitek Falcon dash
- carbon fairings with larger intake runners
- different gearbox ratios with lightweight gears
- race radiator/oil cooler
etc
.......with rumours of up to 150rwhp. But it took cubic dollars to get there, none of it was cheap.
I apologise in advance for using the term "749RS" for the up-spec bikes, really only the Factory bikes could be termed as such, but it's just too confusing talking about kits and kits.
The above is only a partial list of the bigger ticket items, but there were a myriad of smaller details, all of it genuine Ducati parts you could order through any dealer (as per the below parts diagram). The swingarm pivot and axles might have to be OEM 749R, but they didn't say anything about the bushes, so they were titanium. Same goes for the wheels: must be OEM...but the drive pins in the sprocket carrier could be and were titanium. You couldn't fit a quickshifter to the gearbox/gearchange mechanism but you could fit an ignition cut button to mimic a quickshifter and an ergal selector drum. Most bolts were replaced with titanium, and so it goes on, right down to replacing the steel water pump spigots with alloy, and all of it factory available parts you could order through a dealer.
The attention to detail was/is quite incredible, with every Corse part etched with the part number and date of manufacturer, right down to the tiny spring collars in the slipper clutch. The front mount ECU is classic Ducati "RS", relocating the ECU from low down alongside the engine to sandwiched in-behind the dash, putting more weight over the front wheel (12 is the Magneti Marelli ECU) and also making it more crash-proof:
For more on the amazing WSS 749RS check out:
This is a nice vid of a stock 749R. Note the '03-'04 model is mechanically the same as the '04-'05 model, however the earlier model was graced with full carbon fairings while the later model, with the cleaner face-lift front end, was good old ABS plastic:
Now for the all singing, all dancing "Factory" Breil WSS 749RS of Lorenzo Lanzi. The sound is disappointing, a shame considering the Akrapovic exhaust is as rare as it is sexy, but still great to get a naked close-up of the best of the best. It's really interesting to see the mix of street components, as mandated by the rules, juxtaposed against things like the super-trick RS radiator/hose kit where the financial gloves came off:
Different bike, same engine, better (great!) sound!
And an excellent time lapse "video" of a race bike going together, with some great internal shots:
