The red one is a Ducati. The multicoloured one is also a Ducati. They BOTH belong to my Grandad who rides them regularly when it isn't raining. If my memory serves me correct the red one is a 1098 with upgraded clutch slave, various carbon parts, Termi cans with ecu, Italsport leather seat, shiny stainless clutch springs and Corse pressure plate and open cover. The multicoloured one is an 848 Troy Bayliss with lots of bling and again Termi slashcut cans which I told my Grandad sound louder than his 1098! There you go.
soo.... my 2 cents? It's all the rider, I firmly don't believe that even a powerhouse like the S1000RR is 'that' much quicker than a 1098 or even a T9. It's all how good the rider is and how the bike feels. The T9 and the 1098 is deceptively slow IMO, because the power curve is very linear (as is with most twins). After sitting on a T9 you go on a ZX10R or CBR and you think that those bikes are 'WAY' quicker than the Duc's but in fact this is a deceptive feeling of the high revs and where the power curve hits. I've had the same feeling when I bought my BMW 5 series. there is little power till you get to about 2.2k rpm, then all of a sudden a surge of power, however it's not any quicker than other more linear cars, just different, and in this case it actually creates it more difficult for me to drive around town and accelerate quicker because I have to keep it in high revs, or I get no acceleration. Same goes with bikes, with my T9 I can at any point accelerate and have the power / torque needed, without down shifting or being 'ready for it' in the high rev power band. With a Jap bike, sure you have tons of power, but you have to be in the power band to use it, and then you have to know how to control it and stay in it... Conclusion, the T9 have tons of power, more than most people can use on the steet, and it is much more usable than any 4 cylinder bike. And when at ride-outs with friends, I can easily keep up with even my crazy friend with a brand new ZZR1400 with the crazy 200bhp, because the T9 is simply lighter, smoother, and has tons of power exactly when you need it, a lot more forgiving than the inline fours. On the T9 vs 1098 subject, I like the looks of both but have to agree that the T9 looks 'Ducati' which is meant to be different and exotic, the 1098, although pretty, IMO looks a lot like the newer CBR1000RR, which is still pretty, but lost some of it's exotic charisma. Regarding the power, I think 'way more' as stated before is a bit of an exaggeration... Looking at multiple dyno charts, and stock numbers the T9 is between 125-140 bhp, while the 1098 is between 140-155 bhp, that's about 10-15 bhp more on average... and while for thrill seekers that's a lot, it really is not that much, and certainly not enough for most of us road riders to make use of... just my opinion in the end
I agree with some others that the 999 is fine for rode use, my mate keeps up with me on his 748 because he is a better rider, simple as. All I would say is that if the 999 doesn't give u feel and confidence but the 1098 ACTUALLY does, whether it's seating position or whatever then the horsepower doesn't matter!! Also.... Doesn't the 999 have one of those funny arm things either side of the rear wheel? Seems pointless to me when U could hold it from one side and it all look so pretty ;-) haha For me. If they launched the series with the face lifted 05's with the wider front and no top air intakes and red frames etc they would have done well with it.
I dont think you've seen the new and improved T9 Arete Americana’s Ducati 999 CF If i could do this to mine I would without a thought!
Nah you see it was a trick, they replaced it so that it would become a short-lived classic quick and stay up in price
I remember waking into Ducati dealers and seeing the sport classic and saying 'who styled that, Stevie wonder'.... Oh how very wrong I was!!!!
yeah...I visited a local Ducati dealership in the early 2000's and nearly bought a gorgeous blue and silver 900SSD for the asking price of £2200,but decided it was a bit steep!...I bought a 1978 Jota instead ,kept it for 5 years and sold it for relative peanuts just before Jota prices went stratospheric !!!....isn't hindsight a wonderful thing :Jawdrop:
well yellowducmani are you going to change to a 1098 or keep that stunning 999s i know what one i would have.
After much deliberation ,and after going to see a 1098 and not being very impressed by the 'Ducati-ness' of it...I bought my T9 because it wasn't mainstream and I thought it looked like porn on wheels,and I still do,so for me its a no contest. 999S.................................in the best colour of course.
good choice but I dont know about the color... Red is obviously faster.. and Black is stealthier.. not biast of course
I love the style of my bikes and can see the desire in the 999 series, but what do you think of the Panni styling? It does not do it for me I'm afraid.
I think the Panni's are very nice looking, but will agree that they look a bit more 'streamline' now, and the Honda CBR1000RR looks very similar. If you're looking for the best looking Ducati, go for the Desmodici :O)
I know Ducati have to move with the times,just like every other motorcycle manufacturer,but i do think they took too much notice of the motorcycle press when the 749/999 series came out,it was radically different to what had been before and a lot of people couldn't handle that,and instead of embracing the new bikes for what they were, they savaged them on looks alone totally ignoring the fact that they were a fantastic handling machine with the same testastretta motor that had been in the last of the 998's ...and lets face it ,they aren't that ugly anyway...just different. And as I've already said elsewhere on this forum,they then tried too hard to impress the masses and IMO lost their way a bit,like it or not the 1098/1198 series do look like they have been designed in Japan ,they just don't have that same charm and quirkiness of the earlier bikes,Ducati for me is all about exclusivity,and the 1098 just doesn't do it for me ,although I think they are getting back on the right track with the panigales...
