The road to Pikes Peak - Hyper 1198RS / Deus Customs - Michael Woolaway

- " In approximately 11 months, Woolie is aiming to enter the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and give the mountain a shot. No wild expectations, just head up to Colorado and get to know The Mountain and make it to the summit.
And come home.
Its been on Michael Woolaway’s Bucket List for quite a while, and the circumstances are coming together and a goal has been set. It will take a large amount of physical, mental, and mechanical preparation to get there, squeezed between working on customer Deus builds here at the 1001 Venice Blvd workshop, but Woolie is determined.
THE BIKE is the first order of business.
Woolie started with a stock 2014 Ducati Hypermotard with 95hp and weighing in at 435lbs.
The lower oxygen levels at elevation cause a significant power loss towards the top of the mountain, so Woolie’s focus was set on optimizing power-to-weight ratio. For increasing power, he went with a 200hp 1198RS motor and for reducing weight he trimmed 88lbs by removing and replacing the factory trim with minimal carbon fiber bits, a hand-shaped aluminum fuel cell, and carbon fiber wheels by BST. Close attention was paid to the PPIHC rulebook to make sure everything is race compliant when it comes time to pass the tech inspection on the mountain.
The bike now weighs in at 347lbs wet and with a full 2.5 gallon gas tank. To present this in Layman’s Terms, in stock form each horsepower was responsible for moving 4.7 pounds of motorcycle. Now, each horsepower produced by the 1198RS motor responsible for propelling only 1.7 pounds of motorcycle. With nearly 3 times the power-to-weight ratio of the stock Ducati Hypermotard, this extra Umph will come into play when accelerating in the straights at the top of the mountain when the bike is gasping for air.
Feeding the motor as much air as possible is important, especially when there isn’t much oxygen in the air, so Woolie shaped some distinct one-off Ram Air intake plumbing that surrounds the front number plate that was then molded in carbon fiber by Paul Taylor of Taylor Made Racing in Van Nuys, California.
The side winglets came from an F1 race car spoiler and produce downforce to help the front tire stick to the ground. This will be beneficial in the climb as traction in the tires is compromised by cold temperatures and changes in tire pressure due to lower atmospheric pressure at high altitude.
To dress it up, all the carbon fiber pieces were given the royal treatment with a red candy coat, complimenting the Ducati red frame. To honor its racing purpose, the aluminum tank was left raw and unpainted to welcome the nicks and dings that will surely come its way.
Specs
– 2014 Ducati Hypermotard
– 1198RS factory motor 200hp
– Traction control removed
– Racing wiring harness with MicroTech ECU
– Aluminum tank shaped by Woolie
– Custom chromolly subframe
– Carbon fiber number plate and tail section shaped by Woolie, and made by Paul Taylor at Taylor Made Racing
– Custom hand made exhaust system
– BST Carbon wheels with BrakeTech cast iron rotors
– Bike has been lowered 1.25 inches and has Andreani fork cartridges.
– Saddlemen custom seat
With 11 months of testing and development, the bike will continue to evolve… Stay tuned for the next installment of The Road To Pikes Peak!  " -

- Deus customs 
- Michael Woolaway