Carrozzeria Wheels

	Stock Wheels	Carrozzeria Wheels	Difference
Rear Wheel w/Sprocket & Rotor	28.0	16.75	11.25
Front Wheel W/O Rotors	15.25	8.0	7.25
Rear Tube	2.5	0.0	2.5
Front Tube	2.0	0.0	2.0
Total	47.75	24.75	23.0

Pretty amazing, eh?  I honestly didn't think much about the weight and its effect before I bought the wheels -- again, I was originally interested only in looks, until I pulled the bare wheels out of the box when it arrived at Duc Pond.  Amazing!  How could something this light be that strong?

From what I understand, the 6151-T6 aluminum used in the Carrozzeria wheels has a higher tensile strength than other high-strength aluminum or magnesium cast wheels, with a greater yield strength and some other neat qualities that only a metalhead would know and admire. 

There's a pretty good explanation of all this, and of the benefits of reducing unsprung weight on the Racing Connection website.  But the bottom line is that light is good, because it helps handling, braking and acceleration while reducing wear on the suspension components.  Unsprung weight -- that is, basically everything not above the springs, is the enemy.

OK, so how much did all this goodness cost, you ask?  Well, there's always a catch, isn't there?  The wheels list for $1,739.00 the pair, which honestly isn't at all bad for wheels of this quality.  But it doesn't stop there, unfortunately -- the original brake calipers on the GT1000 won't work with the Carrozzeria wheels due to offset problems.

Donnie Unger at Duc Pond had a set of used Brembo 6800-series (I think that's what they are - can someone positively ID them from the photos below?) calipers left over from another job, and I was able to score those at a great price.  A new set of 6800's will set you back about $200.00 to $275.00 each. 

UPDATE: By the way, something I forgot -- the front wheel also comes with a spacer for the right-hand side, but the included spacer was the incorrect size, so Jason at Duc Pond used his machinist skills to pop out a new one on the lathe at no extra cost.

UPDATE 2:  Regarding the new calipers, wBW reader "H" says: "To answer your question, the calipers are 99+ Superbike calipers which are 65mm offset 4 piston 2 pad (in your case) but you could use the 4 piston/4 pad."

UPDATE 3 (6/08):  Well, I've now had the wheels for about 500 miles or so, and I have noticed that the bike feels slightly twitchy in the turns.  The wheels are apparently so light that any little movement on the bars seems to take the bike off its line slightly.  It just doesn't feel as planted as it did with the spoked wheels.  It's very subtle, and something that took several hundred miles to notice.

I wonder if the GT1000 frame and suspension isn't quite up to the job -- after all, it is a lower-end specification system.  I'm not sure if a steering damper would help or just mask the symptoms.  I'm not sure what I'll do yet; it's the sort of thing that once I notice it, it's hard to get it out of my mind, and I become over-sensitized to it and I'm looking for the slight weave or twitch on every corner.  The bike felt so incredibly planted before... I may consult with some local expert Ducati owners to see if anyone has a suggestion...

Conclusion
The black sprocket on the rear Carrozzeria wheel cost another $80.00, and 2 hours of labor at $80.00 per hour would bring the total to somewhere in the neighborhood of $2,500.00 with tax.  If you can get it down to 100 bucks a pound ($2,300.00), you're doing good.  Contact Duc Pond Motosports for more information; they'll gladly sell you the wheels, parts or, better yet, the entire package.

Worth it?  Only you can decide.  But remember: you only live once.... 

I used my tax rebate to stimulate the economy -- and me -- with my new set of gold anodized Carrozzeria wheels.  I'm happy and I'm lovin' it!

►Owner Comments

Please send comments to The comments below are ordered from most recent to oldest.

From "M.B.":  "I too, have a set of lovely gold Carrozzeria on my '05 CBR 1000RR - red bike also - and totally love them.  I bought mine from Brad at Superbike Supply, he gave me an incredible price via 1000RR.net.

I've had mine on since last June ('07); I ride all year long, and live in the Pacific Northwest.  They have held up very well... not fading, or discolouration. I too, put on a new sprocket (Driven), and went from a 530 chain to a 520 D.I.D. chain for even more weight savings.

I agree the handling became much quicker - going from side-to-side in an instant with drastically less rider effort.  I had them mounted at my local Cycle Gear (bought new Pilot Power); they put in a touch too much air, 40/38 psi.  And together it felt twitchy.  I almost turned too fast, too soon in my first couple of corners.  I dropped the psi to 34/33, and it handles like a dream; yet is still tremendously stable.

Again, I did my wheel change just for the bling factor, at first.  But now consider lighter wheels a must for any future bike (though I'd probably not ever sell my RR - I have too much money invested in it).  And I always suggest it to people that are looking to improve their ride, performance and safety.

Down sides: 1) the gold colour never photographs accurately; they are way brighter in person. 2) I always get asked if they're Marchesini wheels - I think the V-Star looks better. 3) I have to remember that I use a Kawasaki rear sprocket. 4) They are a nasty bugger to clean compared to my 3-spoke OEM wheels. 5) Price."

Here are some photos of M.B.'s wheels: