Ducati 748 - Road to track/road

[Blade]

Not sure if of help / interest Duke but 853 for sale on ebay. No way near as nice as yours though.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3229988227" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[duke63]

Cheers, Blade.

I'm in no rush. I'm just enjoying the 765 at the moment.

The 916/748 bikes have one of the more extreme riding positions. I have spent time and money improving it but you cannot change the basic measurements of the bar to seat.

At some point i will take the 853 to a dealer and test ride an 899/959 to see how much difference there is . From memory its quite a lot.

[Cav]

I've always been disappointed by the 899 and 959 when I've come across them on circuit, they don't accelerate quicker than my ZX6R although they're slightly quicker top end (that was a TriOptions race bike I was overtaking at Portimao) and my ZX6R is just as good on the brakes. I can't comment on how they are in the corners as I've never seen one ridden by someone that can corner well

As a road bike though, I don't know what they'd be like - I'd be interested to hear your thoughts

[Blade]

I rode both before settling on a 1299.

The opinion of an average rider with limited talent is the 1299 is too much the 899/959 is lacking. Almost if Ducati should build a 1098

Joking aside I thought the 1299 was the better ownership option, as although its too much, at least you are never left wanting and imo it's a more exciting / scary bike to own . You can ride it to the limit of your bravery / skill without disappointment, which is not always possible on a 899/959.

Strangely it was Dukes words on the subject a number of years ago that helped make my mind up "Buy a 899/959 and you'll always wish you had bought a 1299"

Tbh stick a 1299 in wet and you have 899/959 power but in a better bike.

Probably as close to a win win as your going to get.

[Cav]

Tbh stick a 1299 in wet and you have 899/959 power but in a better bike.

You may as well say, "date a Victoria's secret model but never shag her to keep her desirability higher for the next keeper!"

[Cav]

Actually it isn't is it

More like using a johnny when you're impotent

[Blade]

I didnt say I do that Cav l, merely suggested it was an option if you have a vagina

[Jack]

according to a mate the 899 is a perfectly good road bike but is boring and unexciting , he's currently riding a 450 Husqvarna

[Blade]

Unexciting is something the 1299 could never be called.

It scares me in a straight line, and redefines the comment anyone can ride a bike quickly in a straight line

I rode the PaniV4 with full Akrapovic race system and would say the 1299 is more engaging and hard accelerating. Maybe not on paper (I havent looked) but in real world, fear terms it hits hard than a sledge hammer

[Cav]

Blade that's probably because of the more "2-stoke-like" power band of your twin at a guess.

I'd imagine anti-wheelie is well used !!

[Blade]

Graph explains it best Cav.

In the 6000rpm between 4k and 10k it piles on 140bhp and it revs up very quickly.

Above 8k to the redline it makes 40bhp more than a V4 or s1krr. Easy to see why the acceleration is so fierce, it's not subtle anywhere .

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[duke63]

Ducati built the V4 to win races.

The 1199 Panigale got stick for being mainly top end so they built the 1299.

These days I would prefer to ride a bike I can rag quite hard rather than one that has way more than I need.

[Cav]

That's why I wouldn't chop in the ZX6R for the S1000RR. I can ride the rivets off my Ninja whereas I would be struggling on the BMW comparatively

[duke63]

There would have been a time I laughed at myself for saying that but I get more fun from swinging a bike through the back road bends these days. Fun is still to be had but I have to be more selective these days.

[Kwacky]

One of the reasons I went for the little Versys. It's fun to throw a big under powered bike around. Sure it's nice to have oodles of power on tap but with the state of the roads, how much traffic there is and the shite standard of driving these days sometimes less is more.

[Blade]

There would have been a time I laughed at myself for saying that but I get more fun from swinging a bike through the back road bends these days. Fun is still to be had but I have to be more selective these days.

I get that Duke

I love the 1299 but it's way too much for me, and thinking about it, I'm not sure if that's why I like it tbh. Its challenging and scary to ride and one day most probably wont be legal. I'm making the most of it whilst its still allowed and my mind and body can cope

The 675 is a totally different animal. Its fast, fun and you can exploit it more of the time without the fun being any less diluted, just different. It's a awesome fun motorcycle.

Unless you trackday alot and/or have insane bike skills and bravery the 1299 is not a good single bike ownership proposition as it's too extreme. To be honest it's just an angry bike and even sounds a angry ba#stard the minute you thumb the starter

[duke63]

The trackday I did at Snetterton on the Ducati Italia 1299 was one of my best days ever on a bike. To open that up in a long straight was exhilarating in the extreme.

[Cav]

Duke, for you to say that instills what I say about the S1000RR - it just does everything and isn't exciting. I was doing over 180mph in Portugal and it was boring after a couple of laps within my first session.

I want a bit of a excitement, I don't just want "capable"

[Blade]

I think you news to get away from motorcycles and start snorting coke and playing Russain roulette Cav

[Cav]

haha, nah I'd be sh!t at snorting coke I reckon!

I hope it doesn't come across as big headed because I'm not, it's just that the speed on that bike is easy - pinned in 5th round the last corner, rear suspension squatting, rear tyre spinning, short shift to 6th to stop the wheelie and keep it pinned to climb another 30mph down the straight.

I think the bike is extremely well sorted and I'll assume the best out there but I want a bike that's fun and it just isn't.

Sounds like I need to borrow a 1299 for a bit - that should teach me excitement !!