[Desmo Duc]

Hey everyone, I'm eagerly awaiting the delivery of my 1098 in a month and a half, my biggest decision now is choosing what Termignoni exhaust to get. Carbon Fiber or the Titanium kit. I have found a website where the Titanium kit is the same price as the carbon kit, I'm not sure if its a typo but my dealer and every other on line store wants an extra $600 for the titanium kit.

My question is to anyone who has owned a Termignoni carbon fiber exhaust on a ducati, I was just wondering how durable is the carbon, is there any extra up keep on it ? has anyone had any issues with carbon fiber. I was reading that carbon fiber can discolor and fade, turning a milky color, is that true?

I saw the carbon kit at my dealer today and it looks really nice. the silencers are easily removable.
If both kits were the same price what kit would you guys choose?
what are your opinions on both materials?

If i choose the carbon kit i wanted to know in advance the durability of the carbon and how well it stands up to the constant heat and road crap that's flung up on it.

 

[DucatiGuy]

Foremost, congrats on your new bike to be. Both the CF (Carbon Fiber) and TI (Titanium) are desirable in their own unique way. On my 996 I had a full Termi system with CF cans and on although it wasn’t a Termi system, I did have a set of TI slip on my F4S, so its safe to say I’ve seen both sides of this coin. There’s really no up keep with the CF cans. I had mine on my bike for a little over two years with no problems or discoloring as you mentioned. The CF was easy to clean and if you did get a nick or scratch from kicked up road debris, it was next to impossible to see. The TI on the other hand, even though much more resistant to scratching than steel or aluminum, is easily marked, so you have to always be careful when you’re doing anything around the cans, example cleaning, wrenching and so fourth. Both the CF and Ti run cooler than any OEM steel or aluminum system, but naturally the CF will almost always be safe to touch no matter how long you’ve ridden the bike for. With some TI finishes you have to watch out for certain cleaners that may spot or stain it. Although you can buff out TI its not as easy to do so as with aluminum or steel. Same goes for CF. If you get lets say brake fluid on CF, you're going to kill the finish. CF can be buffed back to like new condition if you do stain it, but it depends on how deep the stain is. If its an acid based liquid, it won't come out, but if just marred the surface, then it can be cleaned up. Weight wise, most would think the CF system would be the lightest, but from what I have seen first hand, TI systems have proven to be lighter. Now that’s not say every TI system is lighter than its CF counterpart, but due to the fact that CF system usually require more hardware or reinforcement, it adds a bit more weight to the whole setup. Once again, not by much - We’re talking grams here, not lbs. If you’re going to spoil your bike with loads of CF accessories, then a CF exhaust system will only complement everything else. On the hand if you’re a billet aluminum or polished steel kind of guy, then a TI system might be better suited for your taste. Sound wise, it’s unarguable that both systems, unless built differently will yield same db levels and exhaust tone, so that’s not much of a factor. Same will apply to any performance gains respectively.

 

[Desmo Duc]

Thanks Ducati Guy!

Your insight was well appreciated, I'm glad you have had no problem with your carbon. The article's that i read about CF discoloration were automotive hoods, so I'm not sure it they were cheap carbon or what? Weight isn't an issue with me, the carbon cans that i saw today were pretty light. Down the road I'm considering the ducati corse carbon pieces. They look hot, and go well with the red paint. I guess a way to look at it, is ducati wouldn't put CF system on the Tricolore if there would be issues down the road with the carbon.

If anyone else has any opinions feel free to post
thanks

 

[DucatiGuy]

The CF hoods that you hear about turning yellow or getting cloudy is all too common in the auto industry. The problem is that the manufacturer's of these hoods are either not using the proper UV clear coat, or using a poor quality / very thin layer of clear coat to cut costs. The better hoods on the market, take the extra step to add not just one but several coats of UV clear coating, and one that is designed not to turn yellow or cloud over. You pay more for it, but its done right. With Termi's and other high-end exhaust systems out there, they're in the business to produce products that are intended for performance (high heat) applications, so I think its safe to say they use better than normal stuff to build and clear their CF cans.

 

[Desmo Duc]

Cool Good to know!
thanks