Ducati fans. Which are the real landmark sports bikes?
Discussion
wassy said:
MattOz said:
For me it has to be the 888 SP4 or SP5. I rememeber lusting after them in my youth. I'd recently passed my test and at the time it was my absolute dream machine. 
My SP5.Cost £16k in 1993
I'm currently building a Corse replica with a 926 big bore kit, cams etc that will look like this.
Stunning Wassy, simply stunning! 
Rocket Pepper said:
As great as the 1098 may be at being a super bike, faster, better handling, comfort over distance, whatever, it will never be what the 916 is.
The 916 was designed as a race bike to win the WSB series. That is why still to this day its purity and focus as a race bike in road form make it much more involving to ride fast than a 1098.
When you've ridden a 916 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've just won a super bike race. When you ride a 1098 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've ridden a 1098 hard for 100 miles. That's the difference.
True, but race bikes often make lousy road bikes.The 916 was designed as a race bike to win the WSB series. That is why still to this day its purity and focus as a race bike in road form make it much more involving to ride fast than a 1098.
When you've ridden a 916 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've just won a super bike race. When you ride a 1098 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've ridden a 1098 hard for 100 miles. That's the difference.
Stu R, you make very good points about the 1098.
The fact is that it is a road bike and as such, is a much better bike than the 851, or 916 models which i owned (and loved).
When you get a package, that includes Ducati V-Twin noise, 1098 looks, 150 bhp, v-twin character and feel, reliability, plus very much better torque from low revs than the 916s could muster, you know you have something very special.
My favourite recent Ducatis are the 1098S and 749R.
The latter is an under-rated bike, the incredibly revvy engine a whole lotta fun.
The fact is that it is a road bike and as such, is a much better bike than the 851, or 916 models which i owned (and loved).
When you get a package, that includes Ducati V-Twin noise, 1098 looks, 150 bhp, v-twin character and feel, reliability, plus very much better torque from low revs than the 916s could muster, you know you have something very special.
My favourite recent Ducatis are the 1098S and 749R.
The latter is an under-rated bike, the incredibly revvy engine a whole lotta fun.
Rocket Pepper said:
Beemer-5 said:
True, but race bikes often make lousy road bikes.
Yeah but roads make great race tracks, perfect for a 916 then.'Racetracks', that have;
lots of people/vehicles coming the other way, standing cattle every so often, white van man on your side of the road on a regular basis, 15 mph tractors taking up most of the road, Mavis Giddings in her 32 mph Mini Metro and the occasional artic spill of cheap diesel---are crap!
Rocket Pepper said:
As great as the 1098 may be at being a super bike, faster, better handling, comfort over distance, whatever, it will never be what the 916 is.
The 916 was designed as a race bike to win the WSB series. That is why still to this day its purity and focus as a race bike in road form make it much more involving to ride fast than a 1098.
When you've ridden a 916 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've just won a super bike race. When you ride a 1098 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've ridden a 1098 hard for 100 miles. That's the difference.
+1The 916 was designed as a race bike to win the WSB series. That is why still to this day its purity and focus as a race bike in road form make it much more involving to ride fast than a 1098.
When you've ridden a 916 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've just won a super bike race. When you ride a 1098 hard for 100 miles, you feel like you've ridden a 1098 hard for 100 miles. That's the difference.
See, we can agree on some things.....
trumpet600 said:
mywifeshusband said:
I actually considered one but bought a Jota instead.
Was you dissappointed?I doubt it.
Great choice IMO
Beemer-5 said:
Rocket Pepper said:
Beemer-5 said:
True, but race bikes often make lousy road bikes.
Yeah but roads make great race tracks, perfect for a 916 then.'Racetracks', that have;
lots of people/vehicles coming the other way, standing cattle every so often, white van man on your side of the road on a regular basis, 15 mph tractors taking up most of the road, Mavis Giddings in her 32 mph Mini Metro and the occasional artic spill of cheap diesel---are crap!
mywifeshusband said:
trumpet600 said:
mywifeshusband said:
I actually considered one but bought a Jota instead.
Was you dissappointed?I doubt it.
Great choice IMO
Try one, you may even prefer it to the 180.
I did, so i bought a new 120 in 1983.
Rocket Pepper said:
The trick is to enjoy the hazards and obstacles for what they are. A challenge in themselves. Tracks are boring without anyone else on them. I love the challenge as opposed to just going around in funny shaped loops.
I beg to differ.The public road isn't the place to be doing 180+ mph and cornering at 'ten-tenths'.
Something like the fastest new Japanese 1000s can virtually never be fully extended on the public road, whereas tracks are much faster, much more fun and far, far safer. You CAN ride these bikes properly there.
TBH, I have always said that drivers and riders who genuinely consider themselves to be quick pilots should get out on the track, where it matters.
That's also where the vast majority of these riders and drivers discover just how slow they, in fact, are, compared to the regular trackday boys. Many a big ego has been left in tatters, after a few laps of being passed by smaller and slower bikes!
The amount of motorcyclists who have killed themselves and left fatherless kids behind, or landed in jail, or get themselves a lengthy ban, show just how idiotic it is to go crazy fast on the Queen's highway.
Of course none or few of us are angels, but the occaional blast where it is safe cannot get anywhere near the fun and satisfaction of hustling a modern sports bike around a track, i e a road designed for racing, not designed to get granny to her pension collection point.
Does everyone agree here that on the road Ducatis are a bit of a mare to get used to and ride as hard as a Jap 4?
The 1098 gets such a slating against Jap Litre bikes for flighty handling and needing exact set up - I jumped on my brothers K7 Gixer 1000 and had my knee down and felt comfortable fairly rapidly, again for me its the passion thing I openly admit my Blade and Gixer where far easier to ride.
The 1098 gets such a slating against Jap Litre bikes for flighty handling and needing exact set up - I jumped on my brothers K7 Gixer 1000 and had my knee down and felt comfortable fairly rapidly, again for me its the passion thing I openly admit my Blade and Gixer where far easier to ride.
The humble SL500 Pantah of 1978 was a landmark bike, as it was the beginning of the belt drive era, which led to such exceptional bikes as the 2 valve air cooled racer of V.Ferrari which was the first 851 [2 valve air cooled BOTT racer]built by Reno Leoni. Then into production as the water cooled 4valve 851-888-916-996-998 Sp/SPS etc etc.
I have a Pantah based racer that has a 916 crank in it with bored and re nickasiled barrels, equalling 878cc ! what an old girl.
CC
I have a Pantah based racer that has a 916 crank in it with bored and re nickasiled barrels, equalling 878cc ! what an old girl.
CC
Rocket Pepper said:
I think you've hit another nail on the head there. The 1098 appears to be influenced greatly by Japanese styling cues. No one can deny the R1esque front end of the 1098 can they? Ducati have gone to great lengths to make the 1098 appeal to a more Japanese focused sports bike rider. This isn't a bad thing, unless from a totally purist Ducati perspective, I guess.
dont get me wrong i like Ducatis, i liked the 916/748 era bikes and i actually was one of the few that liked the 999/749 design but i would pick a Japanese 4 over them every time because in reality many of them were the better bike, more power, lighter, better reliability etc but with the 1098 it very seriously makes me have to think twice and i think Ducati have done a good thing, they only reason i dont have a 1098 now is because im a huge fan of the V4 engine configuration and am waiting for this new Aprillia.996 sps said:
Does everyone agree here that on the road Ducatis are a bit of a mare to get used to and ride as hard as a Jap 4?
The 1098 gets such a slating against Jap Litre bikes for flighty handling and needing exact set up - I jumped on my brothers K7 Gixer 1000 and had my knee down and felt comfortable fairly rapidly, again for me its the passion thing I openly admit my Blade and Gixer where far easier to ride.
Bikes have long since been more than fast enough for the road, even for very spirited riding.The 1098 gets such a slating against Jap Litre bikes for flighty handling and needing exact set up - I jumped on my brothers K7 Gixer 1000 and had my knee down and felt comfortable fairly rapidly, again for me its the passion thing I openly admit my Blade and Gixer where far easier to ride.
Once you have more than enough power and go, it's other things we look for in a bike.
Value for money, performance, reliabilty, cost to run, etc, the Japanese 4 cylinder 1000s are the kings, awesome bikes.
For me, i don't need more than 150 bhp for the modern roads, so after sufficient power i look for things like sound, feel, character, exclusivity and looks.
A GSXR1000 is a 'better' bike than a 1098S, just as a VW Golf is a 'better' car than a Alfa 147 GTA, but i'll take the Italians, please.
Beemer-5 said:
I beg to differ.
The public road isn't the place to be doing 180+ mph and cornering at 'ten-tenths'.
Please, no offense, but at 47 and set in my ways, I really don't need the sanctimonious bull. You like tracks for riding fast, where as they bore me after so long. The public road isn't the place to be doing 180+ mph and cornering at 'ten-tenths'.
I prefer ripping across open country endangering the lives of small children and OAP's. Man you shoulda been there the day I hit 247mph on the rear wheel past some school for the blind up near................oh I'm so irresponsible with all that power.
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