So we had a moment of sunshine today and i finished work early so i took the bikes out..Same route, back to back. This isnt an in depth test, just my initial impressions and i wont be drawing any conclusions from this quick blast (private closed course, under controlled test conditions*). When i rode the Tric back home for the 1st time, one thing that needed attention was the throttle slack..this, i havent touched, but there is far too much play..to be honest, this ruined the ride, making it all but impossible to control the throttle..i was either rolling off, and the bike was coming to a complete standstill, or i was rolling on mid corner and it was trying to wheelie and go into the opposite lane..not good, very distracting throughout the ride and very annoying.. there must have been at least a centimetre if throttle movement..how the previous owner rode it like this i simply dont know...i also felt like the chain was very slack as there was a noticeable jerk when on the gas..it was impossible to ride smooth, particularly when blasting down my favorite local closed roads. The instant and apparent differences are the riding positon..much more upright and relaxed on the 1098, the bars feel much higher, wider and flatter. the rear seems higher and the riders weight is pushed against the wider tank. i found it harder to grip my knees onto the tank, and when pushed back in the seat, you cant feel you bum on the seat hump because it is so far away. The steering feels much lighter, not necessarily quicker, but lighter, and the bike feels generally lighter overall..I couldnt hear the clutch rattle when in the move (open cover), but the cans were louder, and the noise was undeniably Ducati. The bike feels much bigger, and the nose is much wider..it feels almost like a tourer in comparison to the skeletal 916. Obviously the biggest difference is the power. The 1098 has a broader swell of torque, that is quite undramatic..it just sort of gets on with it. The engine is much more refined, the gearbox felt like a Suzuki..and although much smoother, is boring..i got a couple of false neutrals, mostly because im not used to it and i need to adjust the lever, but also because there isnt that rifle bolt action of the 916..it simply clicks into gear..finding neutral however is a breeze. The effortless speed is staggering, and i havent recalibrated my mind and learnt the sounds and feedback she's giving me..i glanced down on a straight and she was pulling 145 with no drama..it felt like 90. The display misted up, the lights misted up, i lost a fairing bolt from the bellypan and the reserve light came on..pretty much the standard MO from what i gather. The 916 in comparison was like sitting on a cafe racer...knees up, arms out..i felt like i shouldve been wearing a piss pot on my head. Ive had this bike for years so its weird jumping on after a 50 mile round trip on another bike...this felt Italian..and old school..the 1098 felt a bit, dare i say it, generic.. the engine is a lot louder when on the move, much more vibtration..i found it more communicative. i also had to wring her neck to get the same levels of acceleration, but i also felt more secure on the bike..mostly due to familiarity im sure. the 916 feels tiny and narrow, you really cradle the thing when youre on it. the gearbox is much more mechanical which i prefer as you get a satisfying 'clink' when you change up or down...youre also rewarded with that desmo drone on the overrun, and within the first mile she was popping through the cans...the 916 requires more forceful manhandling in terms of braking, turning etc..but i also found it much more involving to ride...although slower, she feels faster and feels like a race bike..she also feels quite dated, but thats not a negative, just a subjective comment. Im new to the 1098, she hasnt been setup for me, and im aware that she needs a service..the throttle really ruined everything..it was impossible to time gearchanges or blip properly...very frustrating...i really hope that next year i begin to feel part of the bike, the same way i do with my 916..and i also hope that she talks to me like Bella the Bitch does..i feel so connected to the 916 and thats something i want to get with the 1098..at the moment im not convinced, but its early days.. I feel that the 916 really needs its rear ride height raising a bit too... At the moment, if i'd sold her to buy the Tric i would have buyers remorse....its early days, but lets see what next year brings once the tric is serviced and ive adjusted that fkn stupid throttle.... *:wink:
Beat me to it mate....Takes up all that slack and quickens the turn up a tad... Not meet funky, but no sue he's ready to play with throttle cables... I have the patience of the Buddha and the fuckers drive me mental...:tongue:
My SPS used to scare me like nothing else since, that bottom to mid range grunt and how quick it took off. Funny 848 had more power but less torque and was a pussy. I'd love to have the opp to ride it back to back now, just to experience again how raw that bike was. Then leave it in the garage to look at
i assumed that the throttle cables simply needed adjusting? whats the score with the R1 throttle (cant believe these Dukes are getting more and more like rice burners everyday)...ie which model. My mate had an 03 i think and the throttle on that was appalling...constantly undoing itself somewhere near the carbs... cant i simply adjust the throttle cables, or are they really that shit?
You can but the R1 is a 1/5 turn from memory so cheap quick action. Its only the tube, everything else stays the same and you can adjust while you are there. R6 even quicker...or you could spend £150 on an assorto jobbie, your call ;-)
nice one bradders....three questions, a) which model do i need to fit the 1098? b) where can i get one? c) are all 1098 throttle's this crap?
Dunno...think they all do try a yamaha dealer before ebay, I think they are cheap new probably not...bit you did buy the Joseph's coat version ;-)
cheers for the link. there is literally a good centimetre or more of free play in the throttle before it picks up the slack, and again, when releasing the throttle, nothing happens...bloody awful... of course i'll need matching grips though...:wink:
R1 throttle is about £17 from a Yamaha dealer, if you put any gold rizoma on we shall never speak to you again
i'll contact the stealers tomorrow...i WILL have to buy the left though..cant have them not matching....i can always sell the OE parts on shitbay.
Agree on throttle. I fitted r1 throttle and its a big improvement. Agree on 916 v 1198 too. My 916 feels more visceral and alive, however the big dollops of torque from the 1198 is hard to dismiss. I did a thread on r1 tube, with part number etc. http://ducatiforum.co.uk/f41/ducati-1198-throttle-15198/
......then find a nice bit of road/track get her above 7k and keep there there....:biggrin: Mind those pistons though...
well, its deffo going to having that mod done...it isnt even the amount of twist thats required, its the amount of slack..by the time youve taken up the slack, its time for a second go... i noticed it riding back from the previous owners place, but it wasnt so bad as i did quite a bit of dual carriageway, but on the back roads etc it was horrible, and potentially dangerous...as i said, i was tipping into a corner, only going steady, i opened the tap to drive through..nothing, then a bit more..BANG she's off heading for on coming traffic...every gear change was a pig. Im not a fan of the display either..its too difficult to read to the rev counter at a glance..no doubt i'll just get used to where the numbers are rather than trying to read them. Is there a way around the misting display or is this just another Ducati optional extra?
weird..his bike was on an 03 plate..it deffo had carbs because we were fkn around with the bike in his kitchen, and i also sneeringly commented on how he took the piss out of my Ducati sounding like a tractor, but we had been using fuel injection since the 80's... either way, it was/is an ugly pile of generic shite..horrible looking bike...whatever year the ugliest R1 ever made was, thats the year his bike is.
