Could be better but then it could have been a lot worse! It looks very "Japanese" to me. Don't know why but all of Ducati's greatest bikes have a lot of art and sculpture in them, just "because". The 998 to 999 transition went from a lovingly crafted piece of art into a functional motorcycle, and for the Ducati "tribe" (©Federico Minoli) I really don't think they liked it - too much of a revolution than an evolution of the design. The 1098 now slots in as the real 998 replacement. They even allude to this by calling it the 1098 and not the 1099. Its more a thoroughbred child of the 998 than the b*****d son resulting from a fling with an R1. Now it comes down to the price. That will be the real test. |