[obsidianduck]

Hi All,

I'll be a new owner in a couple weeks and I'm absolutely thrilled. I had to visit NYC for work and stopped at the Ducati dealer there and got to check out the New York Desert X which had the full Termignoni exhaust system. The sales guy asked if I wanted to hear it and he fired it up and it blew me away. Absolutely amazing sound.

It would be a very expensive upgrade, but I kind of have it in my head to consider having it installed. Is there anything I should be wary of before committing to that upgrade? Does it increase/decrease performance in any way? Is it only an upgrade for sound and shaving some weight (if it even does shave weight)? Trying not to get ahead of myself. I was going to do the off-road package from the start, but depending on what else I can learn about the exhaust, I might do that first and put the off-road stuff on once I recoup some fund later this year.

Thank you!

 

[DucatiBart]

Just make sure you have the ECU reflashed or some other method to richen up the mixture. Stock ECUs only go so far and stock bikes run very lean. A lot of people skip this step. But it is essential IMO to get the best performance out of that expensive exhaust and your bike.

 

[obsidianduck]

Do you know anything about the warnings on the Ducati site about the exhaust-- particularly where it says: "operation on public roads is prohibited by law", and "motorcycles where this is fitted cannot be used on the road". Does that apply in the US?

 

[zDesertX]

Probably for places like California. The bigger issue is that if it's illegal in your state the dealer might not flash your ECU.

 

[DucatiBart]

It is illegal in the US. BUT lots of people do it including shops. It’s just this law is rarely enforced. if caught it’s usually a fix it ticket where you have to show the stamp on the exhaust that says it’s road legal mounted on the bike

 

[Ezybagr]

I went with the SC Project Rally Raid Muffler & the SC Project De-Cat.

Ducati Desert X stock exhaust conforms to Euro 5 regulations being 80dB, with an extra 6dB added to account for mechanical noise so 86DB.

The Termignoni Race Exhaust sound level without db-killer is 109 dB and sound level with db-killer installed is 106 dB.

The SC Project De-Cat + SC-Project Rally Raid with db-killer 96 dB @ 4600 rpm .

I do not have the DB rating for the SC Project without the db-killer installed but I did try it and a great sound but just too loud for my needs.
SC Project claim gains of 2.8 HP so the gain is good and the sound is good.

I weighed the stock muffler & stock decat after removal and they weighed in excess of 17 1/2 pounds vs less than 6 pounds for the SC Project muffler & de-cat.

Our db limit here in Thailand is pretty much 95 db based on 1/2 available revs and so I chose the SC Project not only for the sound but also the price being more than 50% cheaper than the Termignoni.

It is my understanding that California enjoys (sic) the same motorcycle db limit as Europe being 80 db and where Texas has no limit and other states all vary north of 80 db with Colorado, for example, at 90 db at 55 MPH.

 

[Horizon]

There is an Arrow exhaust as well if you Google it. Much cheaper.

 

[obsidianduck]

It is illegal in the US. BUT lots of people do it including shops. It’s just this law is rarely enforced.

I guess then the ECU flash might be trickier if it's not permitted-- I can't imagine the dealer would do it, but maybe a performance bike shop. I'll make some calls this week.

 

[obsidianduck]

I went with the SC Project Rally Raid Muffler & the SC Project De-Cat.

That's awesome, nicely done. Did you end up having to re-map the ECU? The SC stuff looks excellent.

I still can't tell if my state has a dB limit-- I found a bill proposing a limit that would be tested at annual inspection, but it says "A bill (H.B. 562) to ban motor vehicle exhaust systems that increase the noise level above the level emitted by the originally installed system..." So by this language, if I had the Termi installed by the dealer from the start, it would be the "originally installed system" (maybe?) Arg.

I mean, I get it. If you're coming home at night and you live in a dense area and it wakes up the whole neighborhood, that'd be a nuisance. I actually don't have any close neighbors, but I do stop in other towns all the time. I only got to hear the Termignoni in the dealer show room, so I can't really tell how loud it is outside or when riding.

But holy crap did it sound bad ass.

 

[obsidianduck]

There is an Arrow exhaust as well if you Google it. Much cheaper.

Yeah that Arrow exhaust looks solid! I wish I could hear it live!!

 

[bailey562003]

Just a side note. I installed the Termignoni exhaust and de-cat pipe. I then had to ride to the dealer to get the remap. Truth be told, it didn't make much difference when the re-map was installed. And what I mean by that, the pipe did make a difference in performance, but when the remap was done, it didn't do anything different. Just saying.

 

[obsidianduck]

it didn't do anything different. Just saying.

It's good to know the dealer would still do the remap after you did the install yourself. Nicely done!

I'm teetering hard on the Termi, mostly after hearing it in person. The decision point is complicated by the fact it would use up my entire accessories budget-- basically the new exhaust is competing with the off-road package, rear luggage, new GPS + mount, center stand, all combined.

 

[DucatiBart]

40 years of riding/racing and working on my bikes myself, I can't stress enough the importance of getting your ECU flashed or buying a tuned ECU when replacing the stock exhaust with a full comp or free flowing exhaust. Bikes already come lean from the manufacturer to meet all those emission standards. Putting a better flowing exhaust only makes the it run leaner. Running too lean can burn valves.

Of course there are slip-ons that are made to work with stock ECUs. But full systems are another story.

While you may not have noticed any real difference it will be noticeable in your fuel mileage and engine temp. Fuel economy will probably drop a bit and so will engine temp. At low and intermediate throttle use, you won't feel much, it's when you are running it hard.

Just a side note. I installed the Termignoni exhaust and de-cat pipe. I then had to ride to the dealer to get the remap. Truth be told, it didn't make much difference when the re-map was installed. And what I mean by that, the pipe did make a difference in performance, but when the remap was done, it didn't do anything different. Just saying.

 

[FLJAR]

Dealer installed the kit for me here in Colorado. Illegal because no cat. But I’m off road 95%. They HAVE to remap to EVO map (included). Wonderfully more powerful and VERY noticeable - more than I expected. Maybe too much for my kind of riding. Read a review that it would keep the bike cooler, haven’t seen that difference. Although that’s only a problem on my way home at stoplights.

 

[Horizon]

40 years of riding/racing and working on my bikes myself, I can't stress enough the importance of getting your ECU flashed or buying a tuned ECU when replacing the stock exhaust with a full comp or free flowing exhaust. Bikes already come lean from the manufacturer to meet all those emission standards. Putting a better flowing exhaust only makes the it run leaner. Running too lean can burn valves.

Of course there are slip-ons that are made to work with stock ECUs. But full systems are another story.

While you may not have noticed any real difference it will be noticeable in your fuel mileage and engine temp. Fuel economy will probably drop a bit and so will engine temp. At low and intermediate throttle use, you won't feel much, it's when you are running it hard.

Never had a fuel consumption change here, and doesn’t lean cause an engine temp rise not fall. .

 

[DucatiBart]

Correct. Sorry if I was unclear. Yes, lean conditions will cause the temps to rise. More fuel will lower the temperature. When you are moving gases more quickly through the exhaust it causes a lean condition.

Again, I should have been more clear. Normal street riding and typical ADV/off-road won't show much of a change in MPG. Brisk riding in upper RPMs will. Reckon' my "racer' brain is talking as that's when you can see the difference especially during endurance races.

Never had a fuel consumption change here, and doesn’t lean cause an engine temp rise not fall. .

 

[Ezybagr]

That's awesome, nicely done. Did you end up having to re-map the ECU? The SC stuff looks excellent.

I still can't tell if my state has a dB limit-- I found a bill proposing a limit that would be tested at annual inspection, but it says "A bill (H.B. 562) to ban motor vehicle exhaust systems that increase the noise level above the level emitted by the originally installed system..." So by this language, if I had the Termi installed by the dealer from the start, it would be the "originally installed system" (maybe?) Arg.

I mean, I get it. If you're coming home at night and you live in a dense area and it wakes up the whole neighborhood, that'd be a nuisance. I actually don't have any close neighbors, but I do stop in other towns all the time. I only got to hear the Termignoni in the dealer show room, so I can't really tell how loud it is outside or when riding.

But holy crap did it sound bad ass.

No I have not done any re-map of the ECU. Not run any dyno yet but the bike is running good. I have not changed anything on the intake yet but do have a DNA air filter on hand to try.

 

[Hendrix]

I got complete Termignoni installed. It is not street legal un Europe too but with db killer in the sound is correct and you don’t call atention. Ecu upgraded to Evo modes and I change air filter to a DNA. It is another bike in sound and punch. For me is the number one of all extras I have put on.

 

[Ezybagr]

I got complete Termignoni installed. It is not street legal un Europe too but with db killer in the sound is correct and you don’t call atention. Ecu upgraded to Evo modes and I change air filter to a DNA. It is another bike in sound and punch. For me is the number one of all extras I have put on.

That’s great. Who did you get your ECU upmap from? I have been looking at XECU Revolution Tuning and Rexxer etc but do not see anything for Desert X yet. Rexxer have a map but have to send them the ECU.

 

[Hendrix]

The ecu is upgraded in ducati when they install the termignoni. At least in europe It is included. When I took the bike to the first check, 1000km, I asked them to change the air filter and they adjusted the ecu to the new filter