rifleshooter
Tue Sep 23rd, 2014, 06:29 PM
I've finally taken some pics of this ride and wanted to share my observations after a couple of days of riding in a relaxed environment. This is a long post, for which I pre-apologize.
http://img540.imageshack.us/img540/4911/jESApP.jpg
The bike is not in showroom condition with 23k miles on it, having been through an accident and a couple of tip-overs, a repaint from “banana” to Ferrari Red/Ducati Platinum, and at least three owners.
http://img673.imageshack.us/img673/1285/bHp6VG.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img674/8539/KNn7tN.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img742/2011/tp6Ox2.jpg
Most of the "warts"
I wanted to let you folks know what I think of this bike – and what my first impressions are of the brand and the factory and its designers.
Configuration: Unmodified beyond the repaint. I’m pretty sure it’s a stocker 748, and not the S or the R model, and it’s a Biposto (my Italian isn’t so great, but I’m using my considerable powers of deductive reasoning to derive that this means “two-seater,” LOL).
http://img661.imageshack.us/img661/3901/TwjGoU.jpg
My experience:
I’ve owned seven motorcycles, all of them being Big Four Japanese bikes. I am not agnostic to any brand; all make great bikes. I had known that the Italians made motorcycles and mentally assigned them to the category of “exotic, European-made coolness,” assuming I’d never have the income to buy and service one or the fitness to take the riding position for more than 10 minutes. They were always two or three levels beyond me, like a supercar. I took my money from the sale of some assets and bought a used, ancient, but very clean CBR 600 F3 and rode it for 1.5 years, becoming an accomplished and safe supersport motorcyclist. It was traded for an old pickup, but I bought a nice Kwak 250 to futz around on. Shortly after I did this, I realized that the joy of street-riding was gone. :-(.
The trade proposal from the fellow from Craigslist had me thinking, “Could I do this? Can I live a dream? Will it be ruined when I discover what a catastrophic POS this thing must be? European stuff has to be unreliable and hard-to-live-with – and wickedly overpriced.”
http://img538.imageshack.us/img538/1184/GxOAdH.jpg
http://img674.imageshack.us/img674/4361/410w9X.jpg
I expected a twitchy, snappy, temperamental beast, designed entirely for handling on a track, with rider comfort down the scale of importance below the color choice of the brake and clutch levers. I expected a too-tight rider triangle, forced by high, narrow pegs, hard-shifting, and a snappy turn-in – a motorcycle completely at home with high speeds and turns in a race environment and only barely controllable on the street.
What I got was a completely different experience. Here’s my feedback after 145 miles of mixed highway, country and urban motorcycling joy:
Controllability and comfort:
This motorcycle is eminently controllable and as comfortable, if not more so, than the F3 was. I can’t understand why – the seating position is more raked forward and the clip-ons are below the triple tree. The tank intrudes upon my small middle-aged gut. The seat is a mousepad. Nevertheless, I have spent several longer-distance commutes (maybe 40+ miles) on this bike and I am more comfortable than I was on my “more relaxed” F3. I feel like putting in a 150 mile day would be no big deal. My guess is that the tight rider triangle rewards a fellow who has shorter legs (31” inseam) and long, ape-like arms (LOL). I can use my leg muscles and paunch (LOL) to grasp the tank and flex my back to take pressure off my palms.
I do sense that the bike’s head angle is steep, and that low-speed handling requires close attention and deliberate counter-steering. The Honda steered like a standard – very easily – at low speed. This bike turns in very rapidly as you enter any corner and you have to apply some throttle (at speed) or countersteer (low speed) to prevent clipping the apex of turns even at very minimal bank angles. You can tell it wants to fly through corners, which I am nervous about doing with the dry-rotted Pilot Powers on the three-spoke wheels. I need some new tires… and I wish I could get some much more attractive 5-spoke Marchesinis on this machine.
Suspension:
This bike is equipped with Showa front forks and rear monoshock, which was a used replacement unit according to my trade partner. In spite of this bike’s intended purpose – which I mistook to be narrowly focused on track use, the suspension is superior in every way to the suspension I had on the Honda. The Showa forks are inverted, and are much more progressive, yet more compliant than the Honda’s. Bumps are handled deftly and don’t much upset the balance of the machine in turns. The ride is smoother than the Honda’s, although you are clearly not in the back seat of a 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car. The rear monoshock seems to soak up big whoops and expansion joints with aplomb; the same lumps and bumps caused more much more drama on the Honda.
The Engine:
This engine is enormously powerful and tractable. It produces truck-like torque which comes on in a linear way to the sensitive, but not snappy throttle. It has a completely unique and beautiful, muscular sound. It doesn’t care if it’s putting along at 1800 rpm in an urban environ or at 4,000 rpm accelerating onto a highway entrance ramp. Its gentility can be immediately swept aside with just a touch of throttle input, at which time the front end begins to aim its headlight (which sometimes actually works, LOL) at terrified birds. Freeway blasts reveal a seemingly-endless wellspring of power that can allow this amazing machine to effortlessly climb up from 90 mph to speeds I refuse to disclose on a public forum. All of this happens with the kind of alacrity which can only be described as ferocious. I cannot plumb the depths of this amazing powerplant yet because I want to actually live AND keep my license. I know it’s not a literbike, but it seems markedly more powerful than my CBR 600 F3 Honda was. I believe there is about 30 lb-feet more torque then the Honda had (and about the same horsepower) at about the same weight, and the driveline may be more efficient in delivering engine power to the big 180 rear tire.
Fuel Economy:
I was staggered with what looks like half a tank left on this machine after 145 miles. Even if I consumed 3 gallons, that means I’m getting nearly 50 mpg! This is actually almost as good as the worst mileage I got out of the Kwak 250, and markedly better than the 38 MPG I got out of the 600 cc Honda. Freeway-speed revs are in the 5500 - 7000 range, which bodes well for both engine life and economy.
So what am I left with?
An enigma – my dream machine is a far, far better motorcycle in every regard than the very composed and reliable F3 I owned. It’s more comfortable (!), torqueier, more precise, and far more elite. Aside from the prior owner’s questionable wiring practices, it seems as reliable. It’s definitely more fun, too. I very quickly have adapted to this unique ride’s handling and power and am on my way to becoming smooth and graceful.
My opinion is that Ducati’s designers and engineers have created a formidable work with which to compete with the other makes. It does not seem like a touchy boutique bike, but rather a solid, well-engineered, serious motorcycle.
http://img910.imageshack.us/img910/301/sZ99C8.jpg
http://img540.imageshack.us/img540/4911/jESApP.jpg
The bike is not in showroom condition with 23k miles on it, having been through an accident and a couple of tip-overs, a repaint from “banana” to Ferrari Red/Ducati Platinum, and at least three owners.
http://img673.imageshack.us/img673/1285/bHp6VG.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img674/8539/KNn7tN.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img742/2011/tp6Ox2.jpg
Most of the "warts"
I wanted to let you folks know what I think of this bike – and what my first impressions are of the brand and the factory and its designers.
Configuration: Unmodified beyond the repaint. I’m pretty sure it’s a stocker 748, and not the S or the R model, and it’s a Biposto (my Italian isn’t so great, but I’m using my considerable powers of deductive reasoning to derive that this means “two-seater,” LOL).
http://img661.imageshack.us/img661/3901/TwjGoU.jpg
My experience:
I’ve owned seven motorcycles, all of them being Big Four Japanese bikes. I am not agnostic to any brand; all make great bikes. I had known that the Italians made motorcycles and mentally assigned them to the category of “exotic, European-made coolness,” assuming I’d never have the income to buy and service one or the fitness to take the riding position for more than 10 minutes. They were always two or three levels beyond me, like a supercar. I took my money from the sale of some assets and bought a used, ancient, but very clean CBR 600 F3 and rode it for 1.5 years, becoming an accomplished and safe supersport motorcyclist. It was traded for an old pickup, but I bought a nice Kwak 250 to futz around on. Shortly after I did this, I realized that the joy of street-riding was gone. :-(.
The trade proposal from the fellow from Craigslist had me thinking, “Could I do this? Can I live a dream? Will it be ruined when I discover what a catastrophic POS this thing must be? European stuff has to be unreliable and hard-to-live-with – and wickedly overpriced.”
http://img538.imageshack.us/img538/1184/GxOAdH.jpg
http://img674.imageshack.us/img674/4361/410w9X.jpg
I expected a twitchy, snappy, temperamental beast, designed entirely for handling on a track, with rider comfort down the scale of importance below the color choice of the brake and clutch levers. I expected a too-tight rider triangle, forced by high, narrow pegs, hard-shifting, and a snappy turn-in – a motorcycle completely at home with high speeds and turns in a race environment and only barely controllable on the street.
What I got was a completely different experience. Here’s my feedback after 145 miles of mixed highway, country and urban motorcycling joy:
Controllability and comfort:
This motorcycle is eminently controllable and as comfortable, if not more so, than the F3 was. I can’t understand why – the seating position is more raked forward and the clip-ons are below the triple tree. The tank intrudes upon my small middle-aged gut. The seat is a mousepad. Nevertheless, I have spent several longer-distance commutes (maybe 40+ miles) on this bike and I am more comfortable than I was on my “more relaxed” F3. I feel like putting in a 150 mile day would be no big deal. My guess is that the tight rider triangle rewards a fellow who has shorter legs (31” inseam) and long, ape-like arms (LOL). I can use my leg muscles and paunch (LOL) to grasp the tank and flex my back to take pressure off my palms.
I do sense that the bike’s head angle is steep, and that low-speed handling requires close attention and deliberate counter-steering. The Honda steered like a standard – very easily – at low speed. This bike turns in very rapidly as you enter any corner and you have to apply some throttle (at speed) or countersteer (low speed) to prevent clipping the apex of turns even at very minimal bank angles. You can tell it wants to fly through corners, which I am nervous about doing with the dry-rotted Pilot Powers on the three-spoke wheels. I need some new tires… and I wish I could get some much more attractive 5-spoke Marchesinis on this machine.
Suspension:
This bike is equipped with Showa front forks and rear monoshock, which was a used replacement unit according to my trade partner. In spite of this bike’s intended purpose – which I mistook to be narrowly focused on track use, the suspension is superior in every way to the suspension I had on the Honda. The Showa forks are inverted, and are much more progressive, yet more compliant than the Honda’s. Bumps are handled deftly and don’t much upset the balance of the machine in turns. The ride is smoother than the Honda’s, although you are clearly not in the back seat of a 1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car. The rear monoshock seems to soak up big whoops and expansion joints with aplomb; the same lumps and bumps caused more much more drama on the Honda.
The Engine:
This engine is enormously powerful and tractable. It produces truck-like torque which comes on in a linear way to the sensitive, but not snappy throttle. It has a completely unique and beautiful, muscular sound. It doesn’t care if it’s putting along at 1800 rpm in an urban environ or at 4,000 rpm accelerating onto a highway entrance ramp. Its gentility can be immediately swept aside with just a touch of throttle input, at which time the front end begins to aim its headlight (which sometimes actually works, LOL) at terrified birds. Freeway blasts reveal a seemingly-endless wellspring of power that can allow this amazing machine to effortlessly climb up from 90 mph to speeds I refuse to disclose on a public forum. All of this happens with the kind of alacrity which can only be described as ferocious. I cannot plumb the depths of this amazing powerplant yet because I want to actually live AND keep my license. I know it’s not a literbike, but it seems markedly more powerful than my CBR 600 F3 Honda was. I believe there is about 30 lb-feet more torque then the Honda had (and about the same horsepower) at about the same weight, and the driveline may be more efficient in delivering engine power to the big 180 rear tire.
Fuel Economy:
I was staggered with what looks like half a tank left on this machine after 145 miles. Even if I consumed 3 gallons, that means I’m getting nearly 50 mpg! This is actually almost as good as the worst mileage I got out of the Kwak 250, and markedly better than the 38 MPG I got out of the 600 cc Honda. Freeway-speed revs are in the 5500 - 7000 range, which bodes well for both engine life and economy.
So what am I left with?
An enigma – my dream machine is a far, far better motorcycle in every regard than the very composed and reliable F3 I owned. It’s more comfortable (!), torqueier, more precise, and far more elite. Aside from the prior owner’s questionable wiring practices, it seems as reliable. It’s definitely more fun, too. I very quickly have adapted to this unique ride’s handling and power and am on my way to becoming smooth and graceful.
My opinion is that Ducati’s designers and engineers have created a formidable work with which to compete with the other makes. It does not seem like a touchy boutique bike, but rather a solid, well-engineered, serious motorcycle.
http://img910.imageshack.us/img910/301/sZ99C8.jpg