Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 999 / 749 > continued 999 speculation in MCN

[chillo]

Something ducati need to do is actually move away from mass produced bikes thrown together like a meccano kit!
The 999 is actually a very good bike, not everyone likes change tho
I didnt pay £20k for a bike with a motor that is 'built' in under an hour!
(eg. Cam timing 8deg out? wtf? )
I want a bike that has been built properly and would be happy to pay for that.
Unfortunately after also getting shafted with the depreciation on my 999r i am not confident in going forward with a Sedici! (its £10k too much IMHO) Even if it looks like its being built like an R should be!

[keefer]

its going to be single sided.
other than that I don't mind what they do.
I think the price depreciation chillo is talking about has happened because there is no difficulty in getting hold of the 999R model.
but as he said if its going to be expensive it has to be built well.
all I hope is that it looks good and goes better.
I think the back end may resemble the Guzzi prototype that was floating around a while back.
Still not long to wait now ?
but it will be single sided

[Foxy]

I would be interested to know if they put any of there concepts in front of the people who buy Ducati's.

Tim - if you're reading perhaps you could comment ?

IMO the latest 999r looks pretty good, the swingarm is better proportioned than the original design and the high spec components keep you attention away from some of the awkward areas of the design.

When I first saw the original 999 I couldn't believe it escaped from the factory with some of the design irregularities.

I am planning to buy a bike next year, if the new Duke is not my cup of tea I'll buy an RS250 Honda for a track bike and wait another 5 years .....

I am really looking forward to see what is delivered !

[Nick Pavey]

Originally Posted by Foxy

When I first saw the original 999 I couldn't believe it escaped from the factory with some of the design irregularities.

What do you mean by this mate? Not questioning you,just not sure what you mean?

[UKRR]

Honda ditched the single sider in WSB on RC45 as it was of no benefit....they are heavier than normal swinging arm and distort in a way which does not help handling....flex is one thing.....having your rear wheel out of line is another

[Foxy]

No problem, I just felt that certain items, like the fuel tank look slightly small in relation to other parts of the bike. Another example was the original swingarm, which although fit for purpose looked a little lightweight and out of place.
It may sound like I'm being over critical, but for a premium product and the most recognisable brand in motorcycling it does look like different people designed different parts of the 999.

Kind of "form coming from function".

I'm really looking forward to the next model, I can't help feeling it might be a compromise.

[twpd]

[quote=Foxy]No problem, I just felt that certain items, like the fuel tank look slightly small in relation to other parts of the bike. Another example was the original swingarm, which although fit for purpose looked a little lightweight and out of place.
It may sound like I'm being over critical, but for a premium product and the most recognisable brand in motorcycling it does look like different people designed different parts of the 999.
QUOTE]

It looks like it was "designed" by a council committee. The 748/916 looks like it was designed by someone who loves bikes.

[david.hicks]

Originally Posted by twpd

It looks like it was "designed" by a council committee. The 748/916 looks like it was designed by someone who loves bikes.

C'mon man, get off the bl**dy fence

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by twpd

It looks like it was "designed" by a council committee. The 748/916 looks like it was designed by someone who loves bikes.

wrong way round I'm afraid, the 916 was designed by a CRC design team consisting of Tamburini, Terblanche and Sergio Robbiano plus others. Tamburini nicked the best bits from bikes like the Honda NR750 and added Terblanche's waisted styling, tank shape etc from the supermono. That supermono look created by Terblanche took Ducati from big boxy front ends into the sleek shape most now consider to be a Ducati.

With the 999 Terblanche was allowed to do his own thing hence the more individualistic look of it.

[phil_h]

Originally Posted by Foxy

No problem, I just felt that certain items, like the fuel tank look slightly small in relation to other parts of the bike. Another example was the original swingarm, which although fit for purpose looked a little lightweight and out of place.
It may sound like I'm being over critical, but for a premium product and the most recognisable brand in motorcycling it does look like different people designed different parts of the 999.

Kind of "form coming from function".

I'm really looking forward to the next model, I can't help feeling it might be a compromise.

Hmmm ... most big companies put design-sub-teams on bits of projects and them put them all together later ... all the japs do for sure, and its a certain way of giving the engineer enough time to concentrate on their own problems in their own area. If you have too small a design team, or let one person rule, you get uneven quality every time, as the rose-tinted glasses, or time-pressure take over.
Too big a team and you definitely get bland-bland-bland tho.

And engineering is the art of compromise actually.
Thats why good engineering is often great art.