A mate in work got one last week and says it's the best bike he's ever had. I sat on it for size and I must admit if fitted like a glove and felt very nice. For some reason I've always been under the impression they were extremely small like a 600 or an even smaller Fireblade but it felt more roomy than a Fireblade. They still don't tug the heart strings like the Ducatis but I'd love to have one as a second bike and definitely need to at least test ride one sometime soon.
The Tuono is a great bike to ride only soiled by Aprilia and their post-sale experience. My leaking seal has been fixed and I still love riding it. I have an outstanding warranty claim with the factory that have been running for 6 weeks+. It may not be the common Aprilia service/customer care experience, but it is mine and I will never buy one again. I now go to On Yer Bike for servicing and they are being really good about the warranty work. My original dealer stopped working with Aprilia and Piaggio group as they got tired of their shit. The Tuono is the super-naked to beat in the current marketplace, that still holds true for me. But if Ducati pull their finger out of Audi's arsehole and produce a competing machine then my Tuono will be gone in a second! I still maintain that the Factory 1100 is the end of line and there will be a new Tuono or equivalent from Aprilia in the not too distant future.
id like to see a supercharged z1ooo - theyd fucking clean up if that came out...I don't think ducati will do it and the jap's (Kawasaki) have produced the h2, got another one in the chamber (600) - pics of the new zx10 are out...just put up...so it looks like theyre revamping the top end line...
I also think the 1299 is the end of the line for a sports twin. Its hard to see how much further Ducati can push the configuration. (Though how many times has that been said before?) Many industry pundits think Ducati may now move on to their V4 engine for road-going sports bikes. Desmosedeci Streetfighter anyone? Beat that Aprilia. A supernaked arms race... Yeah. Bring it on.
The engines do seem to be getting bigger (tuono is now 1100) - which is why Kawasaki's supercharging route give more power and keeps the engine size as is....its not that ive got a zed that im singing their praises (if anything this zed, my model) should have had the guts of the zx10 in there with all the electronics. Happy with what ive got but that's what they should have done...but it looks to me that theyre going to do the supercharger thing for more....although not the zx10 but then that's more of a track/supersports type bike - on the pic I saw it looks like its got 210brake as well so theyre in the 200 club now....but then saying that its subjective....as ive found personally the reading on the dyno isn't the be all and end all of what your own bike it putting out...I can feel another thread coming on...
I love Ducati but after driving the V4 the L-twin feels like a bag of nails... Although the engine has got bigger it's actual lost some weight.
Yep - your right - it does - but (and its a biggie) that's what I love about the ducati motor....im currently trying to work out how I can get one back in my life....its either, sell the rsv4 (that didn't go well) or, sell the KTM supermoto when its done (very soon)....if either one goes then itll be another hyper for me...
Don't get me wrong, I love the revy nature of the new L-twins but after a number of track days this year it no longer gives me satisfaction on the road. I feel like I have to ride like I'm on the track, which isn't great from a self preservation perspective.
That's what the TT is for....its like a week long track day with pubs,takeaways and chippy's thrown in with no noise levels....once ive thrashed the shit out of my bike round there for the week its out of my system for months....and, to a certain extent - ill go to make a move and then think "no, cos if you did push it as much as you do on the island, then, something bad will happen..." its lad logic but for me it works...
That sounds ideal but unfortunately I won't be racing at the TT any time soon... Cheap track bike and a very capable road bike will tick the boxes for me.
Haha, it's not racing mate, it's practice week. Go the week before the races and they open up the full circuit to Joe Public with one way traffic and no speed limits across the mountain. Awesome exerience that everyone should do at least once!
Nooooo.... Inbetween practice and race week... On the mountain (and a few sections between vilages) there are no speed limits.... You can let rip...
Yep... Its a weird thing racing the local plod on the mountain (bmw m5 gunship) and them making handlebar revving gestures as your going past at 120+.... Bit weird that was... Funy though...(4 years ago on my hyper..... Only just made it past them as it only did 130!) happens every year though.... The plod go round nearly as fast as joe public...
I thought that until I rode the thing, tapping into that V4 made any issues around looks vanish. I've gone for the slightly more subtle grey colour scheme.. It still has a random a on the fairing but I'll live with that. To be fair the practical sportsbike class doesn't have many lookers, in my opinion MV is the only one that really does well is the aesthetic department.
