Having owned one for five months with 8.000 km on clock (5.000 mls), as a "born again biker" I am very satisfied. Straightline performance is not mind boggling, which in my opinion is just fine for riders like me. However, on narrow country lanes with a lot of corners this bike sings. The...
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Having owned one for five months with 8.000 km on clock (5.000 mls), as a "born again biker" I am very satisfied. Straightline performance is not mind boggling, which in my opinion is just fine for riders like me. However, on narrow country lanes with a lot of corners this bike sings. The suspension is stiff and the bike feels well planted. The v-twin drives well out of corners, and there is little need to shift gears while riding such roads. In addition, as the engine braking effect for v-twins is fairly strong, there is little or no reason to even touch the brake lever in such cornering sessions. The bike can be easily controlled with the throttle alone. Power delivery is very predictable without any hicups with injection or comparable issues. As can be seen from related technical data, 90% of maximum torque is available from just 3.500 rews up to something like 9.500 rews (The torque curve is actually almost a straight line beetween those rews) while the power curve is linear from bit ower 3.000 rews to something like 8.500 rews. All in all, the power is easy to control. Brakes, frame etc. are shared with 800 and 1000 version and may be a bit of "overkill" for this engine. However, having such reserve capacity can do no harm. Perhaps the brakes deserve a separate mention. As with all Ducatis, the brakelines are steel braided hoses - not rubber hoses like in most other bikes. This may be a double edged sword although I certainly like it. First of all, the precission of brakes (Brembo Gold-series with huge 320 double disks) is impeccable. The braking can be easily controlled with just one or two fingers. Two is actually enough lock the front from highway speeds (and probaply saved me from collision when somebody run through Stop-sign without stopping). However, one would do well to learn proper braking techniques to get full advantage from these brakes (and calibiberate his braking in parking lot). To one of my friends the power of the brakes was actually almost two much, when he grabbed a handful like he does with his Honda Deauville - although he is a total novice. Anyhow. don't make this mistake. On track (OK. I have a wast experience of three trackdays. Perhaps not an actual expert in this subject.) the brakes really shine. It is really surprising how late you can brake to corners and if need to be, how you can control the braking in the corners. For day to day use, the stiff suspension is not too comfortable on cobblestones as we have in some of our medieval towns (In Sweden). However, on corners, smooth pavement and track it's good. The clocks are very easy to read with white backgrounds and bright red needles. Ergonomis suit my 183 cm (6 ft) frame just fine, although there certainly is more suitable bikes for long distances than this (The Deauville, mentioned above, beats this 24/7 while touring). My longest daily trip has been some 800 kms (i.e. 500 mls) and that was really enough. But for what this bike is? In straightline performance it is certainly not a match for Japanese inline fours like R6 or something - not that it is meant to be. No. This is not a building block for World SuperSport racing series despite the name (for that try Ducati 748 or 749 as twins can be 750s while fours are limited to 600). However, I think that Ducati has intended this bike for aspiring sportsriders with enough consideration not to get straight to R6, 749, new ZX6R or something like those. For such riders this bike is an excellent compromise of sporty suspension, driving position, brakes and frame. As such, it can be used to learn proper sportsriding techniques without fear of things getting suddenly out of control due to excessive or surprising power delivery. Actually, I am quite sure that learning proper braking and cornering techniques for road and track are much easier with this bike than with sportsbikes with over 100 bhp. All in all: Good: - Predictable power delivery - Precise and effective brakes - Precise suspension Bad: - The suspension is too hard for cobblestones
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