TPO Parts Hardened Engine Mount Bolts
If you're reading this article, you're probably wondering why the lowly "engine-mount bolt" so important to the handling of a Ducati. Van Blaylock used hardened engine mount bolts to help him win the 2008 CMRA Heavyweight Twins Championship. So why are champions replacing something so mundane on their bike? The answer lies in how Ducatis are built, and how they differ from many other bikes.Ducati motorcycles are known for many unique features—the Desmo engine is perhaps the most famous. Another key feature of Ducatis is the tubular steel frame. Ducati motorcycles come in various styles, ranging from street-fighting Monsters to some of the world's fastest Superbikes, but all of them share a common frame design. It is this frame design which makes engine mounting so critical.
The Ducati frame is built like a bridge truss: individual steel tubes are fitted and welded together into a triangulated structure that is both light and strong. This design is key to both Ducati's racing success and its striking visual appeal.
Let's have a look at exactly how this frame design works. We are using this 1098 as an example because the bright paint on the frame makes it very easy to see. However, all Ducatis share a similar design.
Here we have a 1098S:
And here we have a 1098S with all of the bodywork removed:
You can clearly see that the frame itself (painted red) is actually quite small. However, the frame is literally the backbone of the motorcycle. It ties together all of the parts on the bike, and it must do this with a minimum of flexing in order to enable the rider to maintain proper control. That is a tough challenge because the frame must not only support the weight of the rider, fuel, and engine--but it must also maintain a highly rigid connection between the front and rear suspension. The front and rear wheels experience tremendous forces during riding, and it is the frame which joins them together.
Let's have a closer look:
This drawing shows the bare frame. The rear suspension attaches to the rear of the frame. The front forks mount to the steering tube on the front. You can see that most of the frame is triangulated for strength. But notice that in the center of the frame, there is one very narrow section where there are no triangulating braces. This is a key weak point where flexing can easily occur: not only is this point the weakest part of the frame structure, but it is also where reaction forces from the suspension are at their highest.
So how on earth does a Ducati even stay together? Ducati's engineers had a trick up their sleeve: they use the engine a stressed member. In other words, the engine housing—which is extremely strong—literally becomes a structural part of the entire motorcycle. With the engine in place the aforementioned weak point of the frame disappears because the engine completes the missing triangle in the frame.
So where's the catch?
The issue is that any mechanical assembly is only as strong as its weakest link. And that link is the bolts which secure the engine into the frame. The frame itself is welded together making it one solid piece of steel. The engine block is terrifically strong. But holding all of this together are two slender bolts—so small, in fact, that they are smaller in diameter than your little finger. Those two bolts not only have to maintain the structural integrity of the frame, but they also have to hold onto that thundering V-twin engine, which in the case of this 1098 is cranking out in excess of 175 HP. These bolts are the weakest link in the chassis of any Ducati.
TPO Parts Hardened Engine Mount Studs are significantly stronger and stiffer than the stock bolts. Instead of inexpensive "hardware store" grade metal, TPO Engine Mount Studs are made from special alloy steel with over 200,000 psi tensile strength. This enables them to keep the engine and frame fastened together with much less flex than the OEM bolts. The result is that the entire bike becomes more solid and the suspension works better because unwanted chassis flexing is reduced. This makes TPO Parts Hardened Engine Mount Studs a significant upgrade for racers, trackday enthusiasts, and all serious riders.
