Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Disapointed with my 749 test ride! 996???

[octo]

Hi
(1st post, after some opinions)

Been riding several years:

CBR600 (1997)
R6 (2001)
R1 (2003)

Ready for a new bike, had a go on my mates SP1, awesome! Then took the 749S out (£7500) and what a huge disappointment?!?! Looks amazing, but feels slow and cumbersome and sounds [Censored] as standard! Clearly needs the termi exhaust upgrade, so after that, its not a cheap bike, and in my opinion very average performance. The SP1 blows it away and I suspect the 999 does’nt really offer a massive increase in power performance.

Iam desp to get a Ducati, I love them (sound, looks) but I cant help but feeling the bikes have gone a bit soft?

Spoke to an independent Ducati mechanic near to me and his opinion was, and I quote “forget the new 749,999 bikes their tosh! He told me to save my cash and get a mint used standard 996, as its the only Ducati to have! Go like FOOK, sound FOOKING amazing, and look the FOOKING ducati’s dogs!” He said if he was gonna buy a brand new twin it would be the Aprilla RSV-Factory, after that the SP2, but definitely, definitely not a new 999…

Hhmm, discuss…

[Twinfan]

749 is bound to be slower than the 1 litre bikes - what did you expect?

Test ride everything then buy the one you like best.

[smilo006]

Hi Octo. Twinfan is right and you will find opinion very split here about the 996 999 bikes. SP1 was built to race against the 996-8R ducatis in WSB. So comparision with a 749 in not really valid.
Try a 999(s) and if you can get out on a couple of 996-8's as well. Personally I do not like the 999 series and agree with the mechanic but don't hurry just try as many as you can and find the one you like there are a lot around.

[Walenut]

I’ve had a SP1, a 748, and 2 x 916’s, plus various other bikes and I have got to say that the bike I had the most fun on was my first 748. I have done one or two track days but mainly ride on the road. When I had the 748 all my mates had litre sports bikes like R1’s and could whip my arse on the straights and big main roads, but get them on the tight B road twisty’s and I’d be all over them, breaking much later into bends. Which is great fun when you’re on a so called “small bike”

I did like my SP1, V-twin with Honda reliability (gear driven cams, marvellous) and it did handle well but was only really ridable over 60mph, under that on normal roads it was a bit of a pig. Rock hard suspension and a rear wheel that I think is too wide, makes slow speed turn in very slow, the bike will just not drop in. But you might be able to get around that with the new 190 x 55.

I’ve had another 916 because I just don’t do the miles that I use to which makes the cost of running it not much different to any thing else, and is the only bike I can get on and it hits the spot even just popping round the shops. I like the way you can tat with them and I think that despite what the majority of Jap riders think they are very well put together, there is a lot of attention to detail.

Never ridden a 996/8 but I would have thought that the only difference was the power, as that was the only real difference between the 916 and the 748 (settled on the 916 because I’m a big bloke). Never ridden a 999 but I may well have a go in the summer, sat on one when they first came out and it felt right to me, the looks are starting to grow on me especially the R, and I’ve heard that its being replaced in 2007. Might be able to pick up a cheap one then!

Oh the RSV, my mate had one rode it a couple of times, I don’t know what but it just never felt right to me, to high up, felt like I was on top of it, and every one I know who has had one has low sided it? Mind you everyone I know with a Ducati has binnid it???

[Walenut]

Meant to say the bike I would really like to try is a RC45

[Twinfan]

The old RSVs are very top heavy - the newer ones are supposed to be better. I had an '01 RSV and it was a pig to ride at low speeds. On the few occassions when the weather was perfect and the roads were clear it was awesome - made you feel like Troy Corser on a Superpole lap Awful in the rain though.

With the 749S I get more thrills, more of the time. I'm glad I swapped as the 749S is just 'right' for me. I do miss the grunt of the RSV sometimes, but the satisfaction from using more of the 749s power more than makes up for it.

[Ducnow]

Originally posted by Twinfan
I had an '01 RSV and it was a pig to ride at low speeds. On the few occassions when the weather was perfect and the roads were clear it was awesome - made you feel like Troy Corser on a Superpole lap Awful in the rain though.

Interesting..... i have the exact same feeling about the Mille R i had.

[Twinfan]

I hoped I'd get used to it, but I never did. The motor was brilliant for the road, but the handling was very track biased. A strange mix that I couldn't get used to, even though I had the bike for 11,000m and 3 years.

On the 749S I'm quicker everywhere, all the time, even in the wet :P

[Ducnow]

Originally posted by Twinfan
I hoped I'd get used to it, but I never did. The motor was brilliant for the road, but the handling was very track biased. A strange mix that I couldn't get used to, even though I had the bike for 11,000m and 3 years.

On the 749S I'm quicker everywhere, all the time, even in the wet :P

Exactly.
I never really got used to it. It was very stable and great in high speed corners but in low speed or tight corners the bike just..... didn't worked.

[Bryan996]

Octo,

I have recently ridden a 749 and was not impressed by it at all. I am comparing it to my 996sps, the sp2 i have in my showroom and the 999 I rode last year which, not wishing to upset to many people in the 996 section of the message board!, is a very good bike and one of the best rides of the 2004 summer for me.

Forget the 749 completly, ride a 999 and a 996. Then I expect you will buy the 998 for the best of both.

The 999 IS a better bike, it was where ducati needed to go to be competive, unfortunatly it doesn't look as good as the 996. If i were going to buy a new bike today it would be a 999S 2005 with full ohlins and 140bhp, BUT it would be parked in the garage next to my 996 which i will proberly be buried with. Only your budget and emotions will decide which is for you, £13000 for a new bike is a lot of money when a 996sps like mine could be bought for £8500.

What ever you buy you wont be disappionted.