Well...Its been at me and at me this last while. But i have finally admitted i have been a little itchy, so had a little scratch :Wtf:. I rode the 899 when it came out a couple of yrs ago ( freezing wet Nov day ), quite liked it. But I needed to ride the bigger one, but knew it would be a wait. Last week i took an 1199s out for a "jaunt". Been looking at the 1199 Pani but never got around to actually getting my hands on one until last week. Borrowed from a local dealer of course. I wont go into the big ins and outs etc and try to sound like i know what im talking about The 1199s by comparison to my 1098s couldnt be any different. The pani doesnt feel like a ducati, although the undertone in the engine is still there. Dont look like one either. The looks,im undecided, give or take. I set off from the car park in wet mode, konking out the bike twice, due to the clutch, but third time is the charm and off we went. Very light steering, throttle a little fluffy but not as bad as I had read, and brakes that stop you quicker than thinking about it ! But into the sport mode, a different ball game, for the better of course. Wet mode i used in town and it was fine, on the open road, sport is the main serving. This lack of midrange ppl talk about Im not too sure about, blown out of proportion I think. The 1199 doesnt have the bang grunt like the 1098 from low down, but its not lacking either, engine characteristics are different, obviously. But on the 1199, at around 7k or thereabouts ( i wasnt looking at the dash ), thats where the bike explodes into what i can only describe as a pot of popcorn thats overcooked, its a little hairy, but in a good way, dancing about the place. I loved it. Could i take it to the edge, defo not ! I loved how it braked. I loved how it kept me tidy into corners, it turns super quick and almost caught me out, turning in more than I had expected. It runs hot, but i could get over that. ABS is a bone of contention for some, but on this bike its welcoming on sh!t roads. It literally sounds like the biggest machine gun you'd ever heard at full chat, kinda like the gun that Thor, the god of thunder would use if he was spraying bullets. When i got back to my 1098, it felt heavy, slow, clutch felt soft and bike felt slow. Its such a contrast over the 1199s. They couldnt be any further apart. But now im back in the land of the living i love my 1098s. Only thing stopping me buy the 1199s, is down to the fact, can I really have a bike that expensive in the garage for the weekend spin and odd trackday ? This is my dilemma :Banghead: If anything, it was an experience, id love one, but the sensible side of the brain is telling me to hold fire. that is all. I took a pic for posterity :Snaphappy:
I had a base model 1098 for 3 years before chopping it in for an 1199S 2 years ago. The panigale is a fantastic bike. It's light, nimble and has more power than most will ever need up the top end. The 1098 is a more challenging bike to ride, the fuelling low down is terrible and trying to find a 'sweet spot' in the revs at traffic speed is almost impossible and it's not long before rider fatigue starts to set in. All this is world away from the Pani which is very civilised. However. As much as I like the 1199S a few months into ownership I started thinking about the 1098 again. A bit like when you dumped an old girlfriend only to realise you might have been a bit hasty. For all the 1098's angriness it is a very exciting bike to ride, challenging yet very rewarding. The 1098 does feel to have more grunt low down, the Panigale has to be revved more. Whether you prefer this is down to personal preference. I only ride on the road so my opinions are based purely on that. The real excitement on the panigale is post 7k when it really goes nuts but you'll be doing over a ton and it'll not be long before you're racking up points (I know!). The 1098 by comparison is a better sprinter at lower revs as it uses more torque, I think this makes the 1098 more fun on the road but empty country roads and with Termis I think sounds the best. I've been lucky and have bought a 1098S as well as keeping the 1199S and ride them back to back. The way I decide which one to take out depends mainly on the journey I'm making and the time of day. If I'm going out during the day and I'm going to get caught up in traffic then the 1199 is the one I'll take because it's easier all round. If I'm going out at night when the roads are quiet and I fancy a blast then either but the 1098 is more in its element at this time of day. If you were to ask me which one is the best I couldn't answer, they're both brilliant bikes in very different ways and I feel lucky to be able to own both.
well i have gone from a 1198 to 1199S i certainly noticed the differance 1199 smooth, light, quicker to turn sheer blissbut its only my oppinion
The head of Ducati said a few months back that they have probably taken a V2 twin as far as they can in racing engineering terms. That says to me that the next top of the range bike will be a V4, probably keeping the Panigale on sale as a road bike whilst it still sells.
Great post mate, really !! ( i think it sways more in the favoer of the '98 ? ) I cant really fault my 1098s...I have had the ecu flashed so its a pleasure to ride now. No more lumpy throttle, its butter smooth. The way it runs now, 3rd and 4th go on forever,no end of torque, and the mid range is incredible. I like the pani, its lighter, turns quicker, sounds amazing and is real fun, looks ok, its got all the toys etc. Its a tough decision, i still cant decide :Banghead:
