Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Ducati 1200R

[IainMac]

There will always be doubters over new style. The 999 is a worthy holder of ducatis superbike title. IMHO Its far more of a usable tool for a wider range of riders than the 916 series was. I can say that as I owned a 916 for 5 years and now own a 999 (for 3 months so far). The 999 flatters the rider the 916 needed the rider to make th best of it. Personally I now prefer the former as I dont always want to be "on" these days. Also suspension quality from stock has improved dramatically over the years , 999 showas are both controlled and supple over most road surfaces. Could never get to that nirvana on my 916 .
The 999 is also better balanced for pilions (not that I expected it to be) but the missus hated the 916 but was pleasantly suprised by the 999 , bar the butt baking.

[Rod]

Originally Posted by IainMac

There will always be doubters over new style. The 999 is a worthy holder of ducatis superbike title. IMHO Its far more of a usable tool for a wider range of riders than the 916 series was. I can say that as I owned a 916 for 5 years and now own a 999 (for 3 months so far). The 999 flatters the rider the 916 needed the rider to make th best of it. Personally I now prefer the former as I dont always want to be "on" these days. Also suspension quality from stock has improved dramatically over the years , 999 showas are both controlled and supple over most road surfaces. Could never get to that nirvana on my 916 .
The 999 is also better balanced for pilions (not that I expected it to be) but the missus hated the 916 but was pleasantly suprised by the 999 , bar the butt baking.

My other half had very much the same thoughts when she was pillion on my 999 all round Italy, though she never once complained when we were out on the 998, just at how high she was, so she often used to adopt a racing crouch behind me to avoid the wind blast. Have to say after a few miles I never noticed the change in handling when she was on the bike so praise is due to the bikes for that level of confidence it gave me. I for one am looking forward to the Terblanche free 1200R when it is unveiled in November this year.

[Gizmo]

it'll be sad if they do lose the Terblanche's inflence, he's designed the 2 best, real world usuable Ducati road bikes in the 999 and multistrada and understands the balance between what customers want in performance and the function over form equation and is also responsible for what, (IMHO), is the most best Ducati ever in the Supermono. Add in the MH900E and the work he did with CRC on the 916 and his influence is part of what make's Ducati design and history so appealing.

Quite why any progressive company would want to lose designers like that is beyond me, hey ho, we'll go back 15 years to singlesided swingarms and twin cans and spend the next few years watching sales dwindle as the customer base ages then someone finally realises that its not the design that's the problem but the production and manufacturing costs, running costs and increase in competition.

[Ray]

Are twin cans really history??

2006 R1, ZX10, et al Sure in 1993/4 twin underseat cans were rare but they are on far more bikes now in 2006. (BMW, enduro type trailies and so on)

IMHO the 2006 R1 set up looks good.

Single sided swing are maybe a case of style over function and in some respects that is what Ducati are all about, a single sider is maybe not the ultimate techy solution but it does look good??



Ray.

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by Ray

Are twin cans really history??

2006 R1, ZX10, et al Sure in 1993/4 twin underseat cans were rare but they are on far more bikes now in 2006. (BMW, enduro type trailies and so on)

IMHO the 2006 R1 set up looks good.

Single sided swing are maybe a case of style over function and in some respects that is what Ducati are all about, a single sider is maybe not the ultimate techy solution but it does look good??



Ray.

i think you answered your own question there Ray, yes, they are history and Ducati as a design based company should set trends not follow them or stick with them. Its time to move on when everyone copies you, at that point you need to have something new and different,.

Everyone seems to have missed Ducati's biggest problem now, with 3 D software , rapid prototype modelling and a generation of designers who travel internationally they no longer enjoy the design advantage they had early nineties, Japan has caught up and now leads them in certain aspects of design, yes, they can do DD16RR but its the abilty to bring that into a more affordable package which will be the issue, Japan does that very succesfully. to go back to the 916 IMHO is not good for them long term, they need to evolve the concepts and function of the new bikes and add a bit more style to them. For me an underseat can, short so it doesn't go past the end of the seat and with 2 round holes a la desmosidici would be way more attractive , it might involve a cat like the multi has under the swingarm but it would look stunning, who could possibly want old style twin cans if that was available??

[Ray]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!!


I have blathered on enough about Ducati needing to link new bike to old in some way.

We will see if there are any cues from the old series later this year but seeing as Domencialli is a Porsche fan, who thinks evolution is the way to go over revolotion I wouldn't bet much more that a shilling against the the return of twin cans or side by side headlamps!!

Ray

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by Ray

We will see if there are any cues from the old series later this year but seeing as Domencialli is a Porsche fan, who thinks evolution is the way to go over revolotion I wouldn't bet much more that a shilling against the the return of twin cans or side by side headlamps!!

Ray

oh great, just like every jap bike then at least it'll appeal to the faithful but hardly likely to bring in the new customers Ducati so desperately need.

Its interesting to chat to non Ducati owners, been on Hartside a few evenings of this week and keep stopping at the cafe in between runs and most people ask about the 999, the comments are almost all the same, "when it first came out i thought it was ugly but now its grown on me and the old 916 shape looks dated" most have seen the DD16RR and like that so they need the new superbike shape to be more DD than old 916 IMHO

we'll find out soon enough anyway