4D>

Actually when i posted that I'd only just surfaced, and the thought of more drink was the last thing on my mind!

You may well have a head-start on me!

The sad thing is-you are both posting on Xmas day-haven't you got any drink in your house???:lol:

John

I'm posting cos I'm at me mum's and I'm bored!

2 cylinders are all you need but 3 is an excellent compromise
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These liquid cooled Ducs are by Ducati's own admission playing a performance game with the Japanese that's why Ducati themselves use the litre IL4's as a benchmark, that's right a £7500 bike is the benchmark for a £12k+ bike....

For me all the true Ducati values as I see them are in the air cooled bikes, If I'm buying on traditional Ducati values I need only spend £6k on a 1000 sport to get everything Ducati stands for :) This bike has character in adundance, it has feel and it has something that sets it apart from the Japanese bike. It really is a bike the Japanese could never ever build. For the cost of a 1098 I could have one of these and a litre IL4.

I've never been to Boxhill in my life yet I'd argue I have the same biking values as many here damn we have 9 bikes including one in the lounge lol, your idea of the typical IL4 owner is way way off the mark :)

Trouble is no-one buys air-cooled Ducatis cos they don't make enough power :) Well for me they do but that's another story :)

2 cylinders are all you need but 3 is an excellent compromise
www.twpd.co.uk
www.twpdracing.com
http://northernmonkeys.blog.co.uk/

Agree and Disagree Van, I love the innovative looks of the 999 but the looks are divided between Ducati owners and the rest of the world but I've bought a 1098 because of what it is. However I agree that the looks will make it more appealing to the people that didn't buy the 999.

It's not just peak power, the bike feels livlier all through the rev range and in all gears, it feels much more compact and lithe and you can really notice the weight difference from pushing it into the garage to accelerating out of a bend.

I really don't pretend to be a hero but I'd like to think that on track days this year and on trips to Europe that I spanked my 999 pretty hard and did want a bit more and the 1098 has definately got that.

Van, not all Ducati owners are car park posers but I take your point that many might not ride the bike to it's potential but the 1098 makes trying to get anywhere near the potential more fun.

eh?:o

I was replying to Couch. What's not clear about that? Many many people think that 80bhp is weedy and they need more. I happen to find that it's a nice amount of power and enough for me. :)

Agree with you Nigel, depends very much on what roads you ride. I remember reading an article by a guy who was a Nurburgring instructor, he reckoned that for about 80% of the 'Ring 40bhp was all you could actually use. He used a Gilera Saturno to instruct which is a 45(claimed)bhp 500cc single with probably 35/6 rear wheel horsepower. I have one and love it down the lanes-there isn't much that will go past me because I can use ALL of the power I have all of the time-sounds a bit like your Hartside road Nigel.

John

it was the bit about "no one buys air cooled Ducatis" that foxed me.

Was under the impression that about 50% of Ducati sales were Monsters, most of which will be air cooled. Throw in the MTS and a few Sport Classics and it seems to me a lot of people buy air cooled, if not most.

Take your point on power. I love my S2R, its great, always leaves me with a big smile on my face. There is also a young lady here who rides a 620 Monster and i have seen her easily embarress a guy on a 999, and another on a ZX6r on a twisty A road