Wondering what your motorcycle’s up to when you're out for a Sunday rip? Ducati’s Data Analyzer ("DDA") brings GP technology to the street in a small thumb drive sized package. USB compliant, the DDA records pertinent vehicle info and can log up to approximately 3½ hours of riding time. The DDA records distance traveled, laps and lap times, throttle opening, engine temperature, engine rpm, gear selection and vehicle speed data.

On the track this could be a blessing, and on the street it could be a curse. The DDA logs speed and other variables against odometer readings, all of which can later be downloaded and viewed on your laptop or shared online.

The DDA plugs directly into a small data port located under the pillion seat at the rear of the bike. Installation of the unit should have proven to be trouble free, as the DDA is a USB device, however out of the box it was neither recognized by our 1098, nor could we access it from our laptop.
With some digging online we discovered that we had to upgrade the DDA’s firmware, which brought the DDA to life. It then mated flawlessly with the 1098, but not so much with the laptop. The version of USB the DDA runs was only compatible with one of our three laptops. After a few hours of frustration, we did eventually install the DDA software and successfully download several data logs.

Triggering the DDA to begin logging data is less than intuitive, and requires a head scratch with your Ducati owner’s manual - and some patience.

With your correctly formatted DDA connected to your Ducati, you're ready to begin. Data logging is initiated by activating the USB functions of your bike using the down arrow selector located on the left handle bar switch cluster. Once initiated you can begin to log data, triggering it by using the headlight flash button. Each flash should (as best as we could figure out) create a new data log, or "lap". Once you’ve mastered the initiation sequence, and the headlight flash triggering sequence you’ll have no problem, but trying to figure this out on your own without reading the manual will stump you.

We took our 1098 out for some quick canyon runs (for legal purposes this was performed on a closed circuit by a professional rider), and then downloaded the data. When downloaded, the "laps" you created with your Ducati can be viewed individually or in sequence. Additionally you can superimpose two laps of data to compare your performance using the DDA software.

Apart from the cool factor of seeing just how well our Duc was behaving - how much fuel was being apportioned, what gear we were in, we did express some concern that at exactly 3362.86 miles on the odometer we were traveling at exactly 98 mph.

This might not be the sort of data you want logged if you ride your Duc on the street…



On the plus side there's a good chance law enforcement will have no idea what the DDA is, and they probably won't have the right firmware, laptop, or patience to try to download the information so there's little downside to owning one of these extremely cool gadgets.

Once you work through the compatibility issues, the DDA offers mere mortals GP data logging abilities at the push of a button that were once reserved only for fully kitted race teams.

For future or current DDA owners, Ducati offers a comprehensive online service to help troubleshoot your device, upgrade your firmware as well as share data logs... you can find help online here.

The DDA ships standard with S and R models of the 1098, and the Desmosedici. The Ducati Data Analyzer is available as an accessory and can plug directly into any model year 1098 or 848.

The DDA retails for $299.

Happy Data Logging!




Source: Bikeland.org

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