Bigevildoer
New Member
Yes brothers, I too, am a sinner - well, maybe a wannabe polygamist bike owner... 
Took some Ducatis out for test rides last week - here's what I think:
2010 Streetfighter
Egads... this thing is a twitchy beast of a wheelie machine. A good blip on the throttle and up she comes. Took about 4 or 5 takes offs from stops for me to start figuring out how to accelerate at a decent rate without lifting the wheel. The wind buffeting is kind of annoying at speeds over 80 mph, but that's expected on a bike without any wind fairing/shield. I'm used to the riding position of my 1125r now, so I wasn't comfortable trying to lean it over in some hard 90 degree bends, but it handled like it was on rails. *Seat position is similar to the FZ6R - very upright.
2010 Hypermotard 1100
Overall, I didn't like this bike very much. The rearview mirrors are just (if not more) useless than the 1125r factory mirrors. Overall, the handling was good, but not as nice as the streetfighter. I believe the fuel system needs remapping, as there were a few minor surges on hard acceleration, and TONS of exhaust pop on deceleration. I feel it needs a new tach as well - the one on there goes to 12K rpm (standard Ducati tach), yet I bounced it off the rev limiter twice at 8k rpm. The buzz coming through the pegs was just no fun either - after a half hour ride my toes were starting to get numb. But, the saddle on this bike is fantastic - nice and plush! Same thing as the streetfighter - higher speeds equals annoying wind buffeting. *Seat position is similar to the FZ6R - very upright.
2010 848
This baby is pure sex on wheels. Similar riding position to my 1125r, so I was comfortable right off the bat. Admittedly, it does seem anorexic in comparison to my 1125r (or FZ6R for that matter) - it's VERY narrow between the legs, and I found it hard to squeeze my thighs together to get grip at times etc. Maybe 'cause I'm used to my snakeskin Gripster pads. The 848 is a very willing "mate" to ride - twist the throttle and she responded immediately with a growl and quick acceleration. Cornering is FANTASTIC - carried speeds through twisties that were much higher than on the Streetfighter and Hypermotard (again, probably because I felt "more at home" in the riding position). The leader from Ducati took us on a "spirited" ride, with speeds hitting triple digit mph several times. This bike just loved it. Only other real downside are the rearview mirrors - very buzzy and got a great view of my elbows no matter how I tried to adjust them.
Wanted to take out the 1198, but no luck - it was booked out for the next 4 rides (1 per hour) and I had to run. Rode the SF and HM on the Friday, and the 848 on the Saturday.
Would I purchase any of these bikes? Hell yeah.. if anything happened to my Bitch Princess (aka 1125r) I would be hard pressed not to pick up an 848 if I could get a good price on one ($16,500 to start here in Canada).
Later!
Took some Ducatis out for test rides last week - here's what I think:
2010 Streetfighter
Egads... this thing is a twitchy beast of a wheelie machine. A good blip on the throttle and up she comes. Took about 4 or 5 takes offs from stops for me to start figuring out how to accelerate at a decent rate without lifting the wheel. The wind buffeting is kind of annoying at speeds over 80 mph, but that's expected on a bike without any wind fairing/shield. I'm used to the riding position of my 1125r now, so I wasn't comfortable trying to lean it over in some hard 90 degree bends, but it handled like it was on rails. *Seat position is similar to the FZ6R - very upright.
2010 Hypermotard 1100
Overall, I didn't like this bike very much. The rearview mirrors are just (if not more) useless than the 1125r factory mirrors. Overall, the handling was good, but not as nice as the streetfighter. I believe the fuel system needs remapping, as there were a few minor surges on hard acceleration, and TONS of exhaust pop on deceleration. I feel it needs a new tach as well - the one on there goes to 12K rpm (standard Ducati tach), yet I bounced it off the rev limiter twice at 8k rpm. The buzz coming through the pegs was just no fun either - after a half hour ride my toes were starting to get numb. But, the saddle on this bike is fantastic - nice and plush! Same thing as the streetfighter - higher speeds equals annoying wind buffeting. *Seat position is similar to the FZ6R - very upright.
2010 848
This baby is pure sex on wheels. Similar riding position to my 1125r, so I was comfortable right off the bat. Admittedly, it does seem anorexic in comparison to my 1125r (or FZ6R for that matter) - it's VERY narrow between the legs, and I found it hard to squeeze my thighs together to get grip at times etc. Maybe 'cause I'm used to my snakeskin Gripster pads. The 848 is a very willing "mate" to ride - twist the throttle and she responded immediately with a growl and quick acceleration. Cornering is FANTASTIC - carried speeds through twisties that were much higher than on the Streetfighter and Hypermotard (again, probably because I felt "more at home" in the riding position). The leader from Ducati took us on a "spirited" ride, with speeds hitting triple digit mph several times. This bike just loved it. Only other real downside are the rearview mirrors - very buzzy and got a great view of my elbows no matter how I tried to adjust them.
Wanted to take out the 1198, but no luck - it was booked out for the next 4 rides (1 per hour) and I had to run. Rode the SF and HM on the Friday, and the 848 on the Saturday.
Would I purchase any of these bikes? Hell yeah.. if anything happened to my Bitch Princess (aka 1125r) I would be hard pressed not to pick up an 848 if I could get a good price on one ($16,500 to start here in Canada).
Later!
