New Ducati 1098 ... red ones really are faster!
Nov 15, 2010 | 01:46 PM
#1
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,871
From: Montreal, CA
New Ducati 1098 ... red ones really are faster!
Picked this baby up on Saturday, very last day of warm-ish weather (8 degrees C and sunshine).
Tried to reason myself into getting something more sensible (sort of tought about KTM Super Duke), but it's just so damn good-looking and such a beast I couldn't hold back.
Only took it out for a 200km ride so far. More comfy than I thought, but more demanding as well. Both physically and mentally. Heck I've been riding bikes since I was 10 and this is the first time I actually have to pay attention to what I'm doing. There's a very fine line between too much throttle and engine braking, too much "go" and bucking under 3,000rpm ... not the bike you want to ride around in the city or commuting.
Oh yeah, mirrors are really awesome if you like to watch your elbows and nothing else.
Once the roads open up though ... front wheel comes up in 3rd gear without even trying (only got it 2" high unexpectedly before screaming like a little girl and cutting out ... then giggling like an idiot for 30min). I did manage an easy 270 (in Mexico of course!) on a deserted clean brand new piece of road in the blink of an eye. You could cruise at 160kph all day.
Lots and lots of fun to roll on the throttle around 4,000rpm, feeling each piston go "thump....thump...thump..thump.thumpthumpTHUMPTHUM P".
Plus it already has some Termi slip-ons, so yeah ... it's kinda loud. Almost got a muffler ticket on the first day, this is gonna be fun!
Brakes are mindboggingly good, I can't even describe how much fun it is to stop on this thing. Feels like you're dropping an anchor ...
The dash is an absolute masterpiece. Sounds like a minor detail ... but boy does it look beautiful, especially at night, all backlit in indigo blue and the lights and ... aaaargh. It's just awesome.
Can't wait until next spring when I can finally get more comfortable on it and get some good road trips going.
Took a few quick pics before parking it in my living room, it's going to be one hell of a long winter.
(buddy's Hypermotard in the way)
I may do the wheels in OEM bronze (ie Streetfigther S and 1198S wheel color), CF front fender and take it from there.
Tried to reason myself into getting something more sensible (sort of tought about KTM Super Duke), but it's just so damn good-looking and such a beast I couldn't hold back.
Only took it out for a 200km ride so far. More comfy than I thought, but more demanding as well. Both physically and mentally. Heck I've been riding bikes since I was 10 and this is the first time I actually have to pay attention to what I'm doing. There's a very fine line between too much throttle and engine braking, too much "go" and bucking under 3,000rpm ... not the bike you want to ride around in the city or commuting.
Oh yeah, mirrors are really awesome if you like to watch your elbows and nothing else.
Once the roads open up though ... front wheel comes up in 3rd gear without even trying (only got it 2" high unexpectedly before screaming like a little girl and cutting out ... then giggling like an idiot for 30min). I did manage an easy 270 (in Mexico of course!) on a deserted clean brand new piece of road in the blink of an eye. You could cruise at 160kph all day.
Lots and lots of fun to roll on the throttle around 4,000rpm, feeling each piston go "thump....thump...thump..thump.thumpthumpTHUMPTHUM P".
Plus it already has some Termi slip-ons, so yeah ... it's kinda loud. Almost got a muffler ticket on the first day, this is gonna be fun!
Brakes are mindboggingly good, I can't even describe how much fun it is to stop on this thing. Feels like you're dropping an anchor ...
The dash is an absolute masterpiece. Sounds like a minor detail ... but boy does it look beautiful, especially at night, all backlit in indigo blue and the lights and ... aaaargh. It's just awesome.
Can't wait until next spring when I can finally get more comfortable on it and get some good road trips going.
Took a few quick pics before parking it in my living room, it's going to be one hell of a long winter.
(buddy's Hypermotard in the way)
I may do the wheels in OEM bronze (ie Streetfigther S and 1198S wheel color), CF front fender and take it from there.
) LOL 