Don't get me wrong, I love my 899 and think that on the road it is a brilliant bike and has plenty enough power (but then so has my RS250 if I am honest). Yet the acceleration doesn't seem that strong, given that it is supposed to be 30 bhp up on a 916 and 30 kg lighter. Is it just that my perception has been skewed by 18 months with an S1000R and test rides on the 1299?
This has been discussed before when the question was asked to compare an 848 with a 899. The 899 is a much easier bike to ride so takes less physical effort. Less effort relates in your mind to not going as fast. If you were to ride a favourite bit of road back to back, you would see a difference. It is all about perception and feel. Andy
If you look at most well engineered vehicles, they often don't feel as fast as they are. And tbh the power from the 1299 and s1000rr is much more noticeable !! 899 for me is more of a riders bike, big corner speeds etc
They do shift if you're capable of running big throttle in first off of the line. I'd hazard a guess that probably 70% of road riders think they're launching quickly, but are probably waaaay off of what it's capable of. You can't just boot it in third let's say from no revs like you can the 12 or Beamer. They need to be revved out.
Yeah, kinda agree, my old remapped 848 evo had the perception of being much gruntier than the 899, and honestly I put it down to the amount of electronic 'softening' of the initial throttle input on the 899. Race mode and TC down on 2-3 and it's a bit livelier but I don't think the engine can be compared to the old long stroke twins. Look at the fast bikes video of them dyno'ing a 959 and comparing it to a 999, it's fasinating... Basically, the 999 uses smaller throttle bodies even though it's a bigger engine, it improves breathing and power low down but compromises it (relatively) at the top. The new bikes use such MASSIVE throttles that the air speeds are low at low revs and the bikes just don't make the same power (despite what the graphs show) plus the bike is leaned off for emissions etc. I am going to put a bigger rear sprocket on mine I think to try and get a bit of that bite back but it's never going to feel like it's digging the road up from no revs like the 848 did. That said after a few christmas months off the bike it will feel plenty fast!!
Previous owner had it in race and extreme ABS/TC and I haven't changed that (although did soften the suspension as was far too hard for the road).
I meant it feels slow compared how I remember the 916/966 whereas on paper it should be a lot quicker. But I haven't ridden a 916/996 since you could buy them new and it is perhaps my memory playing tricks.
some bikes feel fast, some bikes feel slow. the panigale feels slow, but its fast. Rs250 feels slow, its fast, my TZR 3xv felt fast, it was slow.
As others have said, it is perception. My tuned 848 had exactly the same rwhp (142) as my standard 959. The 848 was more aggressive and felt faster, but the 959 was actually faster. Before I traded it in I had all of the ABS/DTC settings on their lowest, so it is the way it delivers its power and not electronic interference. That is the drawback of Ducati improving their products.... they make them much better and more rideable, but that takes some of the scare factor out of them.
I've heard it is a bit of an animal! I chickened out and went for the 1299 (which feels plenty fast!).
It's not the speed as such, or power.. It's the way that the 11 makes its power that's different. Very peaky.
Its very personal, but the 1299 was too tamed for me. However most prefer the 1299, who am I to judge
I have read quite a lot that the 1199 feels really fast, but to ride one fast is actually quite difficult
The 848Evo is brilliant. Always wanting to lift the wheel. The 959 does it too but feels more controlled, not as aggressive. Coming up in 2nd is nice. I asked the same question a while back. Probably going quicker but because it's smooth, it's feels slow. I'd have an 848Evo tomorrow and would more than happy.
