2011 Ducati 1199 Panigale - correction + Opti-Guard

[white gecko]

Got a call from the owner of this stunning Panigale after he saw my work on the forums. This bike was fresh! 196 miles on it when I got my hands on it. Initially it looked pretty good, but upon closer inspection, a fair number of defects and issues were found. After several steps of compounding, polishing, and jeweling the paint to a flawless finish, the permanent Optimum Opti-Guard coating was applied to keep it protected for years to come.



A little background info on the 1199 Panigale:



*From Ducati: The most extreme benchmark

Our Designers and Engineers were given a “blank canvas� to reach the apparently impossible 1199 Panigale targets of 10kg less weight and 25hp more power. Every detail, every dimension and every design decision has been driven entirely by a zero-compromise brief to create the highest performance Ducati Superbike of all time.



Monocoque technology was the fundamental starting point for achieving the twin objectives of reduced weight and increased power. By integrating the activities of the individual components there was a reduction in the overall number of components and their weight. The end result is a reduction in bike weight of 10 kg compared to the 1198. The 1199 Panigale has achieved an incredible benchmark for the sector: dry weight of only 164 kg.



The innovative Superquadro engine, so called because of its massively over-square bore and stroke ratio, has increased power to an absolute production twin-cylinder milestone of 195hp and torque to 98.1 lb-ft (13.5kgm) with user-friendly Riding Modes that deliver that power appropriate to the rider’s style and environment.*











Onto the pics upon arrival













Since this was brand new to the owner, likely these swirls and other defects were installed elsewhere...

















































Sticker on the top had to go...

















Wheels needed some love, time to remove factory chain lube that sprayed everywhere































After stripping off dealer applied LSP, defects were more visible

















These are not dried water marks from a damp towel....bad dealer prep was suspected here....

[white gecko]

Ready for paint correction. Lighting tools of choice. Brinkman Xenon, Brinkman LED, Festool LED SysLite. The Festool unit is pricey, but has proven to be invaluable. Quality unit.

















Taped up for safety and keeping it clean. High contact area around the rider`s knees





















Initial 50/50, more compounding to further level defects to be carried out still















Tools and product for correction.... Griots 3", Megs MF cutting disc & finishing disc, Megs 105/D300 "strong" premixed bottle for compounding

























After compounding. Final polishing to be carried out later





























Doing some medium polishing















This is where things changed and I discovered the dealer or factory took a rotary and wool pad to the left side fairings and left some pretty deep trails and swirls behind....































Somebody spilled something nasty here that left the paint very dull and lightly etched.















Corrected















More issues....

































Starting to look better...













Rotary trails even on the tail in the tight places. Careful polishing would be required to remove this safely.

[white gecko]

Compounding, polishing, and jeweling done. Check out the super cool LED`s!























Checking in the sun prior to applying the Opti-Guard















If these do nothing for you, you don`t belong on a superbike















































Finished pics out in the sun!

[white gecko]

Wheels were coated as well









































Sickest looking tail lights I`ve ever seen



























































































You just can`t beat the sun in sunny northern California!



















Thanks for looking!!

[Leadfootluke]

Beautiful work Jeff!



That paintwork was jacked up something fierce!

[C. Charles Hahn]

Very nice, Jeff! That`s a cool little bike.

[imported_ww2717]

Very well written article. Great detail. My hat is off to you.

[Uber Auto Conditioning]

I very much enjoyed that, thanks for posting.

[yourgrandma]

Sexy indeed, but all wrong on the street. Ratty fiberglass race plastics and hosed with flat black Id make it my biotch.

[Scottwax]

Pretty awesome detail, sun pics are hot!

[imported_dfazekas]

Those bikes are sick! Customer of mine got the "S" a few weeks ago. One bad bike...

[DeanSweet]

that looks incredible and having owned and polished mine and numerous of my buddies Ducati`s(insert most bikes here?!) I can tell you now that they paint right out of box is dreadful. I`m sure those of us that have worked on motorcycles would agree.



Did you get to take it for a spin?!

[MirandaDetailin]

That was awesome! After seeing so many car and trucks and boats being detailed to perfection it was very cool to see a bike go through that process. Nice job!

[will175]

nice job for sure...How do you like your mix in the bottle? I just did a 2 step on my 12 S1RR Blue fire..BMWs paint isnt that stellar either. Still need to pick up my 1199s from the newport dealer..Its a little different then most 1199 ;-) Nice job again man..

[white gecko]

Beautiful work Jeff!



That paintwork was jacked up something fierce!

Thanks Luke! The right side wasn`t so bad, but once I got the lighting on the left side (where the lean angle with the kickstand makes sun shots near impossible) and saw what the dealer had done....I just "oh boy"...`twas time to get down to it.

Very nice, Jeff! That`s a cool little bike.

Thanks Charlie! It was cool working on the top model current Duc (allowing exception for the 1199 S). Probably the most beautiful bike I`ve seen. Italian bikes

Very well written article. Great detail. My hat is off to you.

Thanks ww2717!

I very much enjoyed that, thanks for posting.

Thanks so much!