the reason the cast probably wasnt raced is that its easier to build in flex into a conventional box type. cast is as stiff as a vicars knob at choir boy practice
So Ducati haven't learned then?.......sacrificing the technology needed within something as complex as a swing arm to contribute to a bikes handling..... for cheap manufacturing! bet you havnt got a pre 2005 999 then........:wink:
I'm sure if someone offered a Desmosedici nobody would refuse on basis of its swing arm. I quite like the 899, but the loss of trellis, underseat cans, sssa, is all too much. I still want a trellis framed Ducati super bike so ill either save up for a 899 to sit alongside my 848, or I may buy a 996 and sell the 848 and then get a 1199 or 899. Who knows. However it won't be this year as I'm skint.
Gotta be honest Im keen to try the 899, The 1199 doesn't appeal as much as i wouldn't use it for track anyway as such the power would be lost on me. I took an S1000rr out the other week which was bloody awesome but ultimately i came back in and after the adrenalin had gone I just couldnt get my head round how bloody fast it was. So so easy to ride and before you know it you're knocking on some serious speed which is what scared me, not the bike, but the ability to creep up there without so much as a head shake, bumpy ride or anything. Just bizarre how easy it felt. If all bikes are fast, which they are, Id rather work a little harder to go fast on the streets as at least then it doesn't quite creep up on you as much, Gives you a better perspective of speed if you like. Obviously on track its a different story, Im currently working out just how much more I can squeeze from a 2002 R1..... not much I fear If i bought a 899 itd be a road bike, nothing more. I cant afford to bin that kind of money on a track and frankly I prefer trackdays when im not thinking about the bike, but more about technique etc. Saying all of this though Im still just as likely to not bother with superbikes on the road anyway, maybe im just getting old
Hopefully the setup on it will be slightly more road biased, ie the suspension will be slightly plusher and will make it really nice on the road.
999 is a work of art, let alone a great bike. If you think about it......bare with me here. If you look at the first of the 9 series, the 899's swinger replicates this almost. I wonder if Ducati tried the box type swinger from the 2005 onwards 999? 999 swingarm 899 swingarm
it'll be an update in a year I'd guess just to piss off loyal buyers who bought the 899 straight away, the following year it'll have a full colour screen too
I think they have a fabulous vision... the CCs are heading north to from 748 to 848 to 899cc just imagine this.... the next bike after the 899 is 999cc displacement...just imagine they decide to race that in a race series such as BsB or WSB. I think that could be a success
The general public know feck all about design.....ask Maserati amongst many other design firms. ask Ducati Corse about double and single sided swing arms. They wanted a double sided design. sadly, much design gets dumbed down to appeal to people's perceptions. Very few of us could test the abilities of a 749/999 cast swing arm, and say in all seriousness that they need the aluminium one.
Other than aesthetics, what does a double sided swing arm Bring to the party? I'm only asking as the vast majority of bikes don't have them, even in race series where it wouldn't be a financial decision not to have one. So what performance or handling benefits do they bring?
performance and handling = non there is no engineering reason why they are better from a handling perspective
Ordered mine yesterday, in red (apparently there building the white ones first so will have to wait a bit longer) Not sure all the bad words are justified. I have a Hayabusa, people slag them off but I love it. I have a GSXR 1000 1m, people say its fugly but I love it. I have a Hypermotard SP, people say its to mental but I love it. I have a BMW HP4 carbon, people don't even talk to me when I turn up on it, but I love it. I have no idea what the 899 will be like, but I bet I love it! Dave
Which is the very reason why it'll sell well. Only a small percentage of bikes see a track, and the biking populace is getting older; building bikes with WSB power and characteristics is sheer folly if you want to sell in numbers - which all manufacturers do - so building a bike with less frightening numbers but the same looks makes sense. It'll out-sell the 1199 for sure. Despite what the purists think of it.
So are you saying the ducati riders can now handle 150 hp but not 200hp........because the old wives tale of justifying a smaller bike and its "rideability" rather than a bigger bike, doesnt wash anymore as the cc and power goes up.....unless all these unqualified untrained riding gods maybe just get better with age or something which is rubbish! whats it to be?
I do like it and will be getting one but I will wait for the better one to come out with all the little extras on. I dont care what swing arm it has on it. As long as it looks nice, says ducati on it and matches my leathers then all well with my little world.
