DUCATI 1098

[VTR]

yes edwards won wsbk on a sp1 but it didnt win anything else did it

Deej, it's obvious from your posts & looking at your website that you're a Ducati fanatic & it's not really going to matter what anyone says, you'll always going to have a slightly rose tinted visor when it comes to this marque. Fair enough, if that's what you enjoy. I suppose I have a similar view with regard to Hondas, particularly the RC's.
However I think you are being a bit unfair saying the RC51/SP1/SP2 only won 2 WSB titles & nothing else. It also won;-

Suzuka 8hr (2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003)

IOM TT in the hands of Joey Dunlop (2000)

Le Mans 24hr (2000)

FIM World Endurance Championship (2001)

US superbike & Daytonna (2002)

So you're right, it didn't really win anything else did it

While I've got the soap box out lets see how good Ducati's have faired compared to Honda's RC's over the years in what is arguably the toughest road race in the world; the Isle of Man TT. The following is an extract I've taken from elsewhere on the net but does go to show that Ducatis aren't necessarily the best race bike that some people would have us believe;-

So, let's have a look at how the 916 (and its derivatives) have performed at the Isle of Man TT - from its introduction in 1994 to the present day:

1994 - Formula 1 TT: (Honda's 750cc V-four dominated the race, taking the first three places, and many more besides). The best placed 916 derivative was running in 44th place when it expired. No other Ducatis finished the race.

1995 - Formula 1 TT: (Honda's V-Four dominated, blah blah). The first 916 derivative to finish came home in 29th place.

1996 - Formula 1 TT: (Honda's V-Four dominated, blah blah). The first 916 derivative to finish came home in 31st place.
In the same year's Production TT: (Honda, blah blah). The only Ducati to finish came home in 45th place.

1997 Formula 1 TT: (Honda, blah blah). The first 916 to finish came home in 22nd place.
In the same year's Production TT: There were no Ducatis at all in a total of 59 finishers! And in the same year's Senior TT: The first 916 to finish came home in 35th place.

1998, 1999, 2000, (2001 abandoned), 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005... blah blah!

With regard to the MCN test you mention (although to be fair I haven't read it & am commenting on the info in your post), it's hardly a fair test to put an 8yr old design up against the newly designed 1098.
It will be interesting to see if Honda do bring out a new twin (as was hinted to me in GT last month) to go up against Ducati now that they've had the rules changed again. We'll have to wait & see

[Mike Rowley]

yes i like my dukes,you either love or hate them,there is no middle ground.
ducati reliability is alot better now,what manufacturer had to recall all its bikes last year for faulty throttle position sensors,was it ducati no it was yamaha but as its a jap bike it doesnt get the same negative press.
the 998 was successful,if i remember rightly bayliss won 1 wsk title on it,reynolds,hislop and byrne both won bsb titles and wsb races on them so if thats unsuccessful i'd hate to see success. yes edwards won wsbk on a sp1 but it didnt win anything else did it

quote]

Actually Edwards beat Baylis on the SP2 in WSB after beating him in the first season with the SP1, so that would be twice by my arithmatic. The SP1 and SP2 won numerous enduro titles (something Ducati have never managed) and won at the TT. When was the last time Ducati won a senior TT? Oh but of course I am forgetting, they have to run on equal terms there

RC51s have been hugely sucessful in US Superbike racing too until Honda switched development back to L4s.

Didn't Hardley Rideable take over Ducati a few years back? I remeber the press trumpeting that reliability would improve markedly due to the fact they were switching to Japanese electrics. The dry clutches are still very vulnerable to enthusiastic application though and nobody ever denied that Dukes were very high maintenance bikes.

I do concede that Dukes do look good but my view is that it is style over function and you pay far too much of a premium for the style. I would rather have the superior build quality, all round road handling and reliability of the SP2 as my riding is done on the road.

Incidently, much of Ducatis engineering is copied, the single sided swing arm was copied from Honda whilst desmodromic valve mechanisms were invented by an Englishman in the early part of the 20th century.

One thing your right about Deej, we ain't going to agree on this one so I better stop poking the Devon stick at the Cornish bear hadn't I.

Cheers

Mike

[Blue]

DUCATI 1098 seriously

[deej]

nope mike we wont agree and thats the good thing about forums. everyone has a different opinion, yes i like my dukes but ive owned a bike from all the big 4 jap manufacturers and ducati and aprilia now so have tried a few,the only 1 i havent is a triumph triple.i went quicker round donny on my r6 than i did on a gsxr k3 race bike so agree with gav that a 600 is probably a easier bike to ride but the 916 round cadwell was the best fun i'd had on a bike.
i love the fact were comparing full on superbikes to what we could buy,theres a complete difference but still good to compare anyway. i never said edwards only won once as i knew it was twice but thats on 2 different style of sp's so do we bring the 996 into the arguement

[deej]

DUCATI 1098 seriously

well said that man

[Mike Rowley]

DUCATI 1098 seriously

Fine but have you actually voted with your wallet? Do you own one or have you ordered one or are you one of the many who are just not prepared to pay £14.5K for a bike that in 5 years will have the same second hand value as a similar year R1, Fireblade, GSXR 1000R or ZXR1000R?

I was in the market for a new bike at the end of August, I wanted a V twin and could have afforded the Ducati had I wanted one. I just think the SP2 is a better bike for the money and in the long term I will lose a lot less in depreciation on it.

Mike

[Blue]

Nope. Because A. I cant afford one and B. I cant ride full on sports bikes which include 1098, R1, gsxr etc. I have a Honda Firestorm which I am hoping is a happy medium between a sports bike ( which is what I want) and something like a Triumph Tiger( Which with a busted wrist is what I should ride)

All I am saying is that I would without a doubt buy the 1098 if I could but that is my preferance on sports bikes. they go 1098, R1( matt black), Fireblade( the last one, the new ones ugly) in that order. but like I say I cant have any of them so it dosent really matter

[Tom L]

i dont like red bikes

i dont think anyone who buys a 1098 is even thinking about practicality or reliability, i mean lets face it, its hardly going to be anyones winter hack

also, anyone who feels they need more power than any one litre sports bike can provide on any road in England, is either a very good or very bad rider. When it comes down to it you just have to decide which bike you have the most fun riding/posing at jaspers on. if i could afford it, god knows i cant, id probably end up with a fireblade but with a custom matt black paint job

but all the same id still love to get the chance to ride a 1098

[VTR]

I cant ride full on sports bikes which include 1098, R1, gsxr etc. I have a Honda Firestorm which I am hoping is a happy medium between a sports bike ( which is what I want) and something like a Triumph Tiger( Which with a busted wrist is what I should ride)

To be honest Blue, I think you may have trouble with your wrist on the storm.
I had one before I had the SP2, before that I had a VFR750 & the riding position on the storm was noticeably more racy/weight on the wrists than the VFR. Admitedly not as pronounced as the SP or something similar like the R1/Blade/ZX10 etc.
With that in mind I reckon you'd have been better off with something like a VFR or Truimph's equivilant (st or sprint I think). Still got a certain amount of sportyness but not too far towards the touring style, if you see what I mean?

[Blue]

yep I know every time i get stuck in slow moving traffic, I am looking at either bar raisers or adjustable bars or just dont slow down but i am stuck ( yeh stuck aint life hard ) with the firestorm until at least june so only time will tell.

[SlowR1der]

well today i took a 1098 out for 4 hours and all i can say is "what a fecking machine" and that was the bog standard one. I have not ridden/owned that many bikes if i am totally honest (cbr600, zx9r, r6, Fazer 600, ZXR750, GSXR 1000) but that is the best bike i have ever ridden. Most of the ride was twisties and short straights the handling was awesome the brakes fantastic and the bottom end acceleration yeeeh haa.
No i had no intention of buying and i only took it out cause it was available, now i wish i hadnt cause i want one !!! Seriously if u get a chance take one out and try it !

[deej]

ah good man
i'd love to try one but know i'd end up in the same situation as yourself and finances wont allow !!!
if i had the finances i'd have had one by now

to the honda lovers above,would the sp1 have been so successful if haga hadnt been done for weight loss tablets and when do we start the debate about honda throwing the toys out of the pram in 500cc getting their own way to go to a 1000cc,if i recall the others werent overly keen but it was what honda wanted and thats what they got,didnt do em much good when they wante to switch to the 800's either.
bring back 500cc 2 stroke racing i say

[SlowR1der]

you stirring it up again Deej LOL

in fairness i can say that i have never ridden an SP2 or an SP1 so i cannot comment on how that bike handles/goes or stops (or any other big v twin). But i bet if some of the Honda boys were to try the 1098 deep down they would have to admit its a cracking bike.

by the way Deej have u seen any of the 1098 on the trackdays you've been on.

[deej]

yep seen a few mate, some quick some not so quick.
adam child of mcn fame was at donington on one last year and was very quick.

not stirring it up si jusr making casual comments about events in the past.people who knock dukes are normally people that dont own one or read too much

if you want reliability theres a 07 1098 in sp motorcycles with just under 11k on the clocks,only in there for a new chain and sprockets,its never had a reliability issue since new which was more than could be said for my old 06r6

[Mike Rowley]

well today i took a 1098 out for 4 hours and all i can say is "what a fecking machine" and that was the bog standard one. I have not ridden/owned that many bikes if i am totally honest (cbr600, zx9r, r6, Fazer 600, ZXR750, GSXR 1000) but that is the best bike i have ever ridden. Most of the ride was twisties and short straights the handling was awesome the brakes fantastic and the bottom end acceleration yeeeh haa.
No i had no intention of buying and i only took it out cause it was available, now i wish i hadnt cause i want one !!! Seriously if u get a chance take one out and try it !

Interesting that by your own admission you have not tried a big V twin previously. You are comparing apples with pears I'm afraid. The characteristics of a V twin are very different to L4s, twisties followed by short straights are particularly suited to the V twin linear power delivery and engine braking. Before you decide that the 1098 is the be all to end all try an Aprilia RSV Factory, an R8 and an SP2, then you will be in a position to make an informed judgement. Even then you will need to take into account cost and consider that if you brought the standard spec of the comparable machine up to the 1098 spec would the cost be equal to the £14,500 price tag of the standard 1098?

It is interesting that many who seem to lust after a Ducatti are seldom in the market to buy one. Perhaps the reason is the price premium you have to pay for the name and the inevitable depreciation that goes with it. Maybe that is why you don't see that many on the roads, people vote with their wallets.

Mike

Mike