"Ducati Airbox Mod"
Tech Article and pictures by Greg Banfield

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I decided to go ahead and open up my airbox to get more flow.  The factory intake hole is 1.5x1" ..... completely inadequate for a high performance Ducati engine.  I read through all the post I could find on Ducati.Ms (Hypermotard section) and decided to tackle it....

Tools needed:

• Misc metric combo wrenches

• Hole saw 1.5" - 2" - 2.25"

• Drill

• Dremel

• Metric allen wrenches

• Center punch

• Metric allen wrenches

• Locktight

Removed the infill panels (half a turn and the screws pop out)

After you loosen the screws the panel pops out....

Next remove the center panel. You need to remove the gas cap to get to two of the screws

Pull down and it comes right off

Next remove the three bolts for each side panel and remove

Remove the two rubbers mounts that hold the front of the fuel tank

Remove the center brace that holds the fuel tank

Loosen the wire looms to free up the wires that run along the tank... then you can lift up on the front of the tank to expose the airbox.

I found something (scrub brush) to hold up the tank so I could work on the airbox

Remove the bolts that hold on the airbox lid

All I had was a 2" hole saw... so started with that and then opened it up all the way to the edge with a Dremel

I set the pilot drill bit very shallow in the hole saw so it wouldn't protrude very far as I drill the bottom hole out... I had my son watching underneath while I did it to make sure I did not hit the fuel line. I also left the filter in while I drilled to keep debris out of the airbox

I grabbed the vacuum and sucked out any debris that was still inside the air filter...

Nice and clean! Time for reinstall

Airbox lid reinstalled

Putting the fuel cell blanket back on... I had to trim the blanket to the opening of the airbox lid with an Xacto knife

Now just putting everything back together.... starting with the fuel tank mounts...

 

Once all together we fired it up..... at idle no noticeable difference with the sound from the airbox.... once it warmed up I took it for a ride around the block and you could hear a nice growl from the front now... it seems to hit harder... tomorrow I will get her out and really see how it acts over a wide variety of situations.. thanks to all who posted up previously and gave me the confidence to tackle this... thank you to my son Shelby who helped with all the photography!

OK...WTH?? Last night when I took it for a ride things seemed mellow with the airbox mod... well this morning I have an urban track that I take to work every morning.... my observations:

1. I hear an interesting pulsing sound coming from the front of the bike now...
2. Before my bike felt sluggish and not linear in power, now right off idle all the way through the range it pulls like a different bike, strong and linear!
3. Can this mod make your exhaust louder???
4. The combined sound of the core exhaust and airbox mod is literally intoxicating......I want to wind it out every gear!