Ducati 899 Panigale?

[@Theta]

Hi, all. Does anyone happen to own a Ducati 899 Panigale? Interested in knowing about any issues and complaints that people have in regards to the 899.

How many services have you had? Costs? etc.

[Drano]

The only complaint I've heard so far is that it doesn't get to share a couple things, like the single-sided swingarm, and LED headlights, from its big brother. Not a deal breaker imo. Plenty of power for a "middleweight". For some people the ergos can be a little punishing, and depending on how tall you are you may have trouble putting your feet down.

[~Barn~]

I probably missed it here somewhere along the line, but WTH happened to your Honda?

[bulldog]

I probably missed it here somewhere along the line, but WTH happened to your Honda?

Wow, yeah that was fast! What is the story? Please don't tell me I was right and this was way too much bike for you and it was crashed already!

Hell a 2003 600RR was enough for me and I rode 20+ years so I have been worried since I saw you got that bike!

[rybo]

Sydney,

I own and race a 899. I can say clearly that it's an amazing motorcycle. This was my 12th season on the track and I've raced a bunch of different motorcycles. FZR400 (2) RS125, TZ125, R6, Duc 748, Aprilia RSV-R, 899.

The 899 has been an outstanding ride.

Stuff I like about it:

1) The power. It makes tons of it. My RSV-R was a mildly tuned 1060 motor from AF-1 Racing and it made about 140 hp. The 899 with an exhaust system and a good fuel map is making 138 with the motor in completely stock form.

2) The service interval - The dreaded "ducati valve service" has been extended out to 15K miles in standard usage

3) The handling - Ducati has been long associated with fantastic stability mid corner- it was certainly true of my 748, but this often came at the cost of "quickness" or what some people call "agility". The bikes required a fair bit more effort to make them change direction than something like a 600RR or a R6. The 899 still has that amazing mid corner stability that the 748 did, but turns with considerably less effort than the old bike did. It's amazing that way.

4) The size - This is a small motorcycle. The seat is really narrow, so don't use seat height as your only measure of if the stand over height is going to be OK for you. The seat is super narrow where it meets the tank, so it's really easy to reach the ground. It also makes it really easy to move around on the bike.

5) The electronics - The traction control and the engine braking control are super user friendly and very usable. The EBC in particular pretty much eliminates the need for a slipper clutch. The bike comes with ABS, but I disabled it on the racebike, so I don't have a review for you there. Other riders that I know that have ridden one with the ABS say that it's non-intrusive and really usable as well.

6) Data collection - in the past if I wanted to know about my lap I had to either buy expensive aftermarket electronics to add to the bike or rely on someone else to film my laps with a camera. The 899 has the ability to do some data gathering built in. There is a plug under the seat where a module (sold separately) plugs in to gather stuff like GPS position, throttle position, speed and acceleration that it can record. This is extremely useful on the track, but would be fun for the road too. You could save and review your routes for future trips if you wanted.

Things I dislike:

1) I don't think it's true on the street bike, but with the race bodywork on I have to remove the exhaust system to change the oil. That sucks mostly because the oil gets changed very frequently on the racebike. While it only has about 2000 miles on it, it's had 7 oil changes (and an equal number of tire changes). In this same amount of time, if you followed the schedule in the book, you would be on your first oil change (600 mile service) with no other work needed.

2) This isn't likely a concern for a street bike either, but there are some parts that are difficult to find in the aftermarket for the 899 (stuff that isn't shared with the 1199 specifically). The only brake pads I could source for the bike this season were the stock ones. There are more available now, but the bike uses a different front caliper than the 1199, so brake pads were hard to come by. The stock ones are fine, and would be great for street duty, but there are some characteristics I like in the brakes that I can't generally find in stock street pads. Same with sprockets - I use different gearing at different tracks, and finding sprockets that were sized differently than the stock ones, well, it didn't happen until late in the season.

3) Nothing. This has been one of the best motorcycles I've ever owned. I highly recommend it.


I bought mine from Northern Colorado Euro Motorcycles near Fort Collins. They took great care of me, and I recommend them as well if you're considering buying a new bike. They have a demo 899 from this summer for sale now for a really fair price.

Let me know if you have any other questions

Happy dreaming.

[birchyboy]

Damn. Hope you heal well.

[@Theta]

Wow! That was more than what I was expecting! It was really nice to hear about your opinion and experience from the track as well as the street.


Thanks!

[Gramps]

I don't plan on buying new, so I doubt I'll have to worry about the 600 mile expensive "check-up". As for the 15k service, that's great! I heard it was 7500..hmm. Either way, I'm definitely going to learn how to change my own oil and merely check other little factors of the bike as the miles rack up until real motor knowledge skills are required.

Thanks!

The 600 mile "expensive" check you are talking about is not that big of a deal. My 600 mile rev reset and oil change cost about $200. Keep in mind you are possibly buying a premium brand and certain costs should be expected.

Also the bike is smart. So it has indicators telling you when to perform service. If you perform the service on your own you should expect to pay for Ducati to turn the indicators off unless you find someone to do it for you or upgrade to the aftermarket "tuneboy" ecu that is available for a price.

[Drano]

That crash could have been much worse. Good that you came out it alive. It's a hard way to learn how valuable gear can be, but it's good you at least had the brain bucket on. Have a speedy recovery, and make that Ducati dream a reality!

Had a friend in '04 on a brand-new Ninja have a truck pull out in front of him. He laid the bike down and slid under the truck only to be pancaked by the rear tires. It's surprising that he lived, and he was touch and go for quite some time, but gear saved his life.

[@Theta]

Oh gosh! I can only imagine D:

[~Barn~]

Damn Sydney. I'm glad you're alright. =\

[FZRguy]

Sorry to hear of your accident and injuries. I got an old wind trainer you can have for your pedal bike if you don't already have one.

[j0ker]

Glad to hear you are OK! If you decide to get out for a ride after the blizzard season, let me know! I am in Longmont and have nobody to ride with around here!

[Aaron]

Glad you're alright.

It doesn't sound like you need the additional power, but aside from cost, the 1199 is a better bike in every way.

[rybo]

Aaron,

I've ridden both and I'm not sure I agree. I have considerably more fun on the 899 because the bike seems more "accessible". Aside from that the wheelbase on the 899 is slightly shorter and makes the bike slightly quicker in handling.

I realize that I'm biased, but I'll be honest, I had a choice in which bike to race and I actually put myself at a disadvantage in HP in most of the classes I race in by using the smaller bike. That being said, since the tools are accessible I felt I could ride the bike closer to my limit than I could on the 1199.

As a road bike I'd take the 899 over the 1199 all day every day. The gearing is better, surprisingly the power band is slightly wider and I think it would be considerably more fun on the road than the 1199.

Glad you're alright.

It doesn't sound like you need the additional power, but aside from cost, the 1199 is a better bike in every way.

[Drano]

Rybo,

How dare you argue with Aaron about which bike is better! You're not even on his level, bro! When he makes claims about which bike is better in every way, he comes backed with objective proof, man! He's read everything the real pros over at Sportrider.com have said, and they have dyno charts, parts lists, and test results telling him he's right. It's why he also knows that the S1000RR is objectively better than every other bike out there! On top of that, he has more mechanical knowledge in his right pinky than the collective sum of knowledge and experience this amateur site has to offer. Everybody knows that if your bike makes < 160 HP, it's slow! If it doesn't come with Brembo brakes, and Ohlins suspension, you might as well be riding a bicycle, dude. Do yourself a favor and don't bother. He's pro, and he's right!

P.S. If some of you have trouble reading sarcasm, I assure you, this is a prime example.

[The Black Knight]

Bahahahaha, with these kind of clashes in these threads lately I know one thing. It's going to be a good Winter around here

[Aaron]

What clashing? Rybo was nothing but respectful here!

Aaron,

I've ridden both and I'm not sure I agree. I have considerably more fun on the 899 because the bike seems more "accessible". Aside from that the wheelbase on the 899 is slightly shorter and makes the bike slightly quicker in handling.

I realize that I'm biased, but I'll be honest, I had a choice in which bike to race and I actually put myself at a disadvantage in HP in most of the classes I race in by using the smaller bike. That being said, since the tools are accessible I felt I could ride the bike closer to my limit than I could on the 1199.

As a road bike I'd take the 899 over the 1199 all day every day. The gearing is better, surprisingly the power band is slightly wider and I think it would be considerably more fun on the road than the 1199.

Well you would definitely be better suited to give an opinion than I am. I thought the basic setup was identical, wasn't aware the 899 had a shorter wheelbase, obviously that makes a big difference.

I'm truly glad you love the bike so much, sounds like it suits you well. And there's no doubt how quick the Ducks are around a track. It's just difficult for me to imagine someone preferring the "middleweight," because I'm such a power addict.

[Drano]

Bahahahaha, with these kind of clashes in these threads lately I know one thing. It's going to be a good Winter around here

What clashing? Rybo was nothing but respectful here!

In other words, this is Aaron not-so-subtly explaining that he has either blocked my comments, or is simply electing not to read them. In the case of the latter, he was basically doing that from day one. If it's the former, then I apologize TBK, this winter simply won't be as fun as you'd like. Unless you're easily entertained by a crotchety thirty-something shouting at people who can't hear him.

[Gramps]

Scott has some good points. I enjoy the 1199 and at this point you can pick up a used 1199 for around the same cost as a 899 new.

Can most people ride the 1199 at it's limit? No way. Actually I'm surprised Scott cannot because he is a great rider but it is a very precise bike that demands every bit of attention you can give it. This is especially true at speed. For example I can still run faster lap times on my Kawasaki than on the 1199. It is a hard bike to ride fast on a track.


Are there differences? Yes. I've ridden both and there are differences. I chose the 1199 because Ducati threw all the tech on it. They held back a little on the 899. There is a different dash, suspension, some lighter parts on the 1199, different paint, etc. None of which make much difference to us mere mortals.

Good luck with your purchase. I was a Ducati fan for a long time before I went and actually wrote the check. It is a different bike. It has it's little quirks and LOT OF PERSONALITY.

[Matrix]

Having ridden with Scott on the track I can tell you that 899 is an amazing bike. Scotts setup is beyond sexy!! For the riding type we have here (twisty canyons), I would take the middle weight over the heavy weight any day of the week. Flickability (if their is such a word), is a big part of what makes riding in the twisties so much fun.

[The Black Knight]

What clashing? Rybo was nothing but respectful here!

I wasn't referring to Rybo, he's always very informative and respectful. I was referring to Drano's comment.

[#1Townie]

Hey I think Aaron blocked me as well!! Lol.

I will try my best to keep things entertaining this winter.

[Drano]

Hey I think Aaron blocked me as well!! Lol.

I will try my best to keep things entertaining this winter.

If ever there's someone we can fall back on for winter entertainment, it's you townie.