Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > 998R - what's it like on the track??

[Chef]

Planning to sell ot px my 748SPS for a 998R as a track bike

(advised by JHP to go for the 999 engine)

Can anyone tell what it's like to ride on the track, I've got two main questions.......

Can the 998 chassis handle the power from the 999 engine ( can I!!)

What the power delivery like - progressive/an on off switch??

Thanks in advance

Chris

[dickieducati]

u2u andyb he will know.

[DAVE HARRIS]

the chassis can easily handle 180bhp ask troy bayliss etc, the bike is superb, turns faster than annettes 996 sps, the power is so linear that even a numpty like me was starting to slide the rear without automatic bowel evacuation! the engine is more reliable and has better lubrication than the old 4 valve engines the only reoccouring fault is I keep braking the shim retaining clips in the valve train(no problem the valves cannot drop out) but this is probabley due to me using the upper reaches of the rpm band a lot more than most R riders who seem to clock up surreally low mileages.
My 998r is my all time favourite bike! the 999r is easier to ride fast but not as involving and the sound from the air box on the 998 at high rpm and full throttle is more addictive than heroin.

buy it, you wont regret it, after your 748sps it will feel so smooth so fast and so much easier to wind the throttle exiting bends!!

dave

[TP]

DOH! Now I want one ....

[antonye]

Dave! Why did you have to go and post that!

I'll be joining the queue behind Tony now!

[deej]

me too

[Ray]

The 998r motor has so much more pull from low down than the 996. I have no idea how hard they were trying but on a airfield day I could hang onto race prepped R1s (Dean Ashston?)in a straight line compared to being left for dead on a 996bip the previous year.

The brakes are fantastic as well.

Can't comment about the cornering too much as the corners require a lot more skill and bottle than twisting the grip in a straight line!!!

Guido had a short run up the road on my 998r after jumping off his 748r not sure if he was on it long enough to make much comparison though??!!

Ray.

[Edited on 14-10-2004 by Ray]

[Dukerob]

U2U Nelly, he's got a customer thats just bought one and did his first track day at Cadwell on it on Monday (prev used a 748R which he's still got) apparently he went really well.

[lizzie]

.... can someone explain, in words of one syllable suitable for a non-mechanical numpty like me, what the difference is between the 996R and 998R?

Ta muchly.

[Rattler]

2 and about 5 bhp!!!