I cant bring myself to sell it mate, just seeing it makes me come over all queer (you certainly know what I mean :lol: )

So no, have`nt sold it, have`nt wanted too.

But I would have no problem selling it and I`d sell it easier and get a better price for it then your white elephant :lol:

But might shift it if the true successor to the 998 is all it looks like its gonna be....and that nasty 999 will be all but forgotten about.

This Gets More Interesting
 

A single sided swingarm on an ST - this project is decidedly tasty - think I need to go out an buy another ST4s as the "mule" (leaving my original 2001 ST4s intact).

BUT: What do we do about the top half of the ST fairing - my 2001 is just bland and with a useless headlight?

(I've just read a review on a head-to-head ST3sABS v WondaVFR v Trumpet Sprint ST and the beam quality results for the latest Duc headlamp unit were rubbish still - Trumpet first by a mile with excellent quality light/beam spread up to 50mtrs, Wonda second down to 30mtrs, Duc a very sad third at 17mtrs, beyond that you be foolish to ride at night at a speed that you couldn't safely stop within those 17mtrs!! - the pictures are frightening!) (When I have time I may post a resumé of the German Mag "Tourenfahrer" report on the ST Forum.

Aren't we going a bit off subject here. Not that I mind conversations of morphing S4RS front ends onto STs, but has anyone seen those pictures of the "new" engine in the test mule. Do you reckon its an ol shot of the Desmosedici lump being tested or is the new 1098 engine going to be so radically different to the current 999. Certainly the heads will need beefing up as will the barrels. Wahey a return to Pankl uber expensive conrods again. Gulp, that means molto expensive I fear if so. I am pressing my dealer for more info but they cant tell me anymore than we already know as the UK dealer meeting is not for another two weeks but I like many others are chomping at the bit to see a glimpse of these elusive paper photos that are being handed out to the dealers (even though they are apparently not allowed to keep them and that they all have to sign a non disclosure agreement! Heavy stuff)

All that have been lucky enough to see them know fully well it seems why the cloak and dagger approach is so necessary which boads well in my book, as if the bike were a real design lemon then that much would be common knowledge by now. Demand is set to outstrip supply so I expect deposits to be commonplace to secure the first batch due in the UK late February, but then no one is mad enough to put good money down on a product they have not yet seen are they? Except me perhaps! Oops!

Is it just me or when someone uses the word "Uber" in a sentence its a signal that you are talking to a bit of a ********?


No offence rod, but its what it says to me....call me old fashioned and all that!!! :lol:

I sit corrected it seems. I shall refrain from using such language again. You have my most utmost apologies. I cannot begin to tell you how sorry I am for having clearly upset you so much. Now can we get back to the nitty gritty.

How about discussing the forthcoming new bike.

Latest 1098 news !!!!!
 

Hot off the press from Italy comes this info on the forthcoming 1098 models:

Ti posso dire che base ed S avranno lo stesso motore,
al limite l'S avrà le bielle in titanio.
L'R sarà 1200 e sarà la base per la SBK.
I motori , sia il 1099 che il 1200 , non saranno un 'testastretta' con cilindrata aumentata ma saranno una vera e propria evoluzione del testastretta.
Sono stati completamente riprogettati,
con carter piu' piccoli e tante altra cose nuove.
Foto ancora non ne circolano.....

Loosely translates as:

I can tell you that the base and S models will have the same engine,
at least the "S" will have titanium conrods.
The "R" will be 1200 cc and will form the basis of the WSBK contender
The engines, solely the 1099 rather than the 1200, will not be a "testastretta" with oversized bores but will be a true and complete evolution of the "testastretta"
They have been completely redesigned with smaller ***** and many other new features
No photos are in circulation as yet

Sorry the ****** (carter) word in the above text, I am unable to translate as I don't know what it means. There is a limit to my Italian you know!


I know this is but a snippet of information but it does leave us a few more clues. One other bit of info I picked up was that the Tri Colore version will be solely a tricked up version of the "S" model and that the "R" will be a true 1200cc and will not be available until 2008, unlike the 1098 range (which should hit the UK showrooms in Feb/March 2007), since it's release is timed to coincide with it's introduction into WSBK and the AMA championship (Ducati will not be competing in the US in 2007). Likely as ever Ducati will probably change the 1098 range in 2008 again to be 1198 base and 1198S to keep in line with the 1200R. As for the Tri Colore model...who knows!!

looks like I'll be waiting 'till at least 2008 then ;-)
G

Credit to the Ducati MS forum
 

Thanks to someone who cut and pasted my post from this thread (which was a reply I received to a PM sent to someone on the Ducati MS forum) the original Italian author informs on that thread that "carter" means the engine base (sump). The sump is no longer the coppa bassa design (deep sump) found on the current 999 engine, so we appear to be returning to something resembling the older style crankcases, albeit as part of a completely redesigned engine.

Also gleaned the following info. Production of the 1098 is apparently already underway at the Bologna factory and Ducati will be fielding the current 999 (F07) in next years WSB championship. The new replacement for the 999R will be the only true 1200cc engine (1200R) and will not be available to the public until Spring 2008 in line with homologation rules for the new 1200cc WSB machine 1200 (F08). More than that we don't know.

So we can gather all the old 1098 engines will then filter down to the rest of the range when the "superbikes" are all upgraded to 1200?