Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 748 first impressions

[deej]

well, i picked my 748 up yesterday and shes a stunning bike to look at, just what i always wanted, a real race bike. she's got the single seat,carbon termi's, ohlins rear shock , ohlins damper and loads of little carbon bits. the riding position is better than the r6 as even after a 250mile ride home i didnt get aching wrist which i would have on the r6, i did find that my fete were going slight ly numb through the vibrations and lack of use whilst trundling homeward bound along the a303.

the bike feels a lot heavier than what im used too and i can notice it when cornering especially on roundabouts, it just feels a bit heavy and harder to turn, i was expecting the bike to just flop onto its side and away you go, knee dragging and all that, hopefully practice makes perfect as im going to need to corner alot faster than my mates just to keep up


well it was my first time on a v-twin,the looks are stunning but im a little bit disapointed with the performance of the bike.maybe im being a bit harsh on her but i think i may have been expecting too much of her but its not as exciting as i was hoping. my old r6 was a hell of a lot quicker, top and bottom end and i'd say that my rvf400 is as quick as my 748. i was really having to work the bike to get the speedo up and into double figures, i know its not big and its not clever but i had to see what the top speed was like and it stuggled to pass 130 and that was downhill !!!!

people say to ride in a higher gear but today i was finding i needed to be in a lower gear than i would have done on the r6, the accelaration that people talk about isnt that special , theres a lot noise but not that much go . . . .

this bike has been a dream of mine for many years and im sure she'll be fine,maybe im riding her differently to how she's supposed to be ridden, i dont know.

im in love with the bikes looks just a touch disappointed to start with, with time i imagine it will all turn out just fine, fingers crossed . . .

any riding advice welcome,please help me to understand how to ride her properly and what to do to make the most of a stunning machine

[antonye]

It's not slow - trust me! You're just not used to the sound and feel of a v-twin and you will be going quicker than on your old R6, but you just don't realise it!

[NBs996]

They're not slow by any means mate. Just a totally different way of riding to what you're used to. Once you get the hang of it you'll have no probs at all keeping up with the IL4's

I agree with you about the turn-in... it's slower, needs a bit more effort to get it over but once it's turned it'll hold a line like you won't believe! Wait 'till you get it on a track day!

[Nigel C]

quote: "and it stuggled to pass 130 and that was downhill !!!! "

that doesn't right Deej
the gearing may have been changed the mid range on a 748 should be better than an R6

[Edited on 17-10-2004 by Nigel C]

[deej]

Originally posted by Nigel C
quote: "and it stuggled to pass 130 and that was downhill !!!! "

that doesn't sound right Deej
the gearing may have been changed the mid range on a 748 should be better than an R6

[Edited on 17-10-2004 by Nigel C]

i dont think the gearings been changed, but it does really struggles to hit 120 on a flat bit of road and i was right on it ( atleast i thought i was ),i was flat out(ish) when she struggled to 130 and that was on quite a steep hill that the r6 would hit 150+ goign up the other side

the midrange maybe delivered differently but it doesnt feel no where near as quick as the il4 and it definetly doent feel faster, theres been no front wheel rising slightly, no forces pushing you back into the seat when accelerating
im loving every minute of owning her, the looks you get, people talking to yuo in halfords car parks, the kids doing pretend throttle actions to hear the noise form the cans, the longing stares you get from other bikers instead of the casual nod of head, thats whats great about owning a ducati

i'll keep with it and report back in a week or two's time and see how im finding riding her then, maybe i was trying to rush things today, the weather wasnt graet on the run home yesterday and i just wanted to see what she could do

[Harv748]

I think Antony and NB have said it...you are going as quick (if not yet) on the twisties, its just not screaming like an IL4.

As for the flat...it is going to be down on outright speed when compared to an IL4...FACT... but i've had it upto 125-130 before and still had more to go.

As for the speed of a 748...ask bradders (916 SPS) or Karl (916) both of whom I passed on Park straight (slightly up hill) at Cadwell due to the great corner speed and drive of the 748 out of charlies corner.

Its a learning curve. You may find after a few months that a 748 isn't enough for you, and a 916/996/998 may be more your cup off tea?

Horses for courses?

[NBs996]

I reckon you shouldn't have any trouble getting to 130, and beyond. If it's revving all the way then it can only be the gearing... 14/38 i think is standard?

[skidlids]

Deej your right the 748 isn't as quick as a 600 IL4, I was a lot quicker on my R6 around Cadwell than I was on my 916 and the other week at Silverstone on the GP circuit I lapped 6 seconds quicker on my Tuned GSXR600K2 than I did on my 748SP.
But on the roads I just can't fault my 916 and when my 998 is finished I'm sure it will offer more than enough performance for the road.
Lowering the gearing on the 748 really does help, at Silverstone GP I couldn't get it to Rev out in top down Hanger Straight as I only had one extra tooth on the back (39T sprocket).
I raced the 748 at Silverstone about a week later on the club circuit using a 41T rear and it was a lot better, climbing past 11000rpm in every gear very quickly but still got blown away by the 996RS, 998R, RSVs etc.

[deej]

only drink coffee mate,white 2 sugars remember !!!!

i think it may just be a culture shock and riding on my own may not have helped, i just cant see where the extra torque can come form at the moment, im going to go back to basics and start a fresh next time im out and see what happens

i love the attention she gets, got told off by a gsx-f owner today for taking her out when it may rain soon, had to laugh at him these bikes are made for riding not looking pretty in a garage

[deej]

yep just checked with harvey and its standard gearing, i thought i'd been revving her hard at leats upto the 10k mark in each gear,it seems to me to be more powerful up there than around the 5krpm mark,i guess its just a case of having fun and see what happens

what effect does the larger rear sprocket have and would you need to change the chain too

i'd expect to get blown away by the 996's and the like, im not that great a rider but im quitely confident i'd do okay on a track if they werent so far away from me.