Duc 916 vs 996...

I had my 996 for about 2 and a half years, and i bet i rode it about a dozen times. I could not get on with the V twin I rode the 4 cylinder F4 more. Sold the 996 last year to make room for the F4 1000, still got the F4 750 cant sell that ever. The 996 was a good looking bike by it self, but once you have seen the detail on an MV it makes the 996 look very dated and basic. IMO of course. But at the end of the day my Hyabusa is the most used of all my bikes, its my work horse and i dont fear droping it.
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what is that weird "phone wire" hanging from your bikes?
post more pics of your bikes including the Hayabusa

P.S. I always thought the Agusta had a 2 cylinder engine

 

Thats a reminder wire hooked to the disc lock with some reminder in the cockpit, either a sign or some people use a little plastic key blank stick in the ignition (to prevent taking off with the disc in place).

 

In line 4 with radial valve head designed by Ferrari.

 

Dan - Art is bringing his bike to Tahoe this fall and we're gonna ride. Please come along. We can do KC together, Art said he'll hook me up too, so why not? You'll need someone to pick you up anyway

 

So, i can get an Ago for a little less than 20k- used. I was at my local ducati dealer today, paying a visit- the guy who owns the shop is a real prick, but his parts guy is brilliant- and the place looked bare. I don't know if they've fallen on hard times, or are just waiting for new models- a couple basic 999's, a 749 in that flat black, etc. Meantime, just about bored and ready to leave, in zoom 3 MV Agustas in a pack running with a Honda. One was a 1000cc, the other two F4 750's, one of which was pretty trick, with these electric blue Marchesini wheels and pipes with a similar, slightly less electric tint. The basic 1000cc bike was far more beautiful than the basic 999. Just for your information. The guy with the other 750 also had a Tamburini, but apparently didn't 'feel' like taking it out. The 'Ferrari' of motorcycles?

 

My yamaha R1 will spank both!!!!!!!!!!

 

And cover up your 3 inch wang at the same time.

Nobody gives a crap about your R1- he's not asking about Yamahas. He's asking about a Ducati 916 vs 996 as starter bikes.

 

There is no doubt that if spanking is the main objective then a jap bike is the way to go. I thought about a gsxr1000. More power and less money. But having ridden a zx12r and a hayabusa that there is a point where the bike has a lot more b*lls that I do. For serious riders only, IMO you cant ride these bike occasionally. Way too much power for me. The duc is manageable, nimble and stylish. May not win a street race but I'm only out for my own enjoyment and not to prove any points (anymore). I dumped a bike last year going about 60, luckilly slid into a guard rail and not into a SUV. Totalled the bike and basically walked away with just a few broken bones. I think about the times I've been going a 100+ on canyon roads. I've lost a few friends to hardcore street racing and life is just too short for that anymore. Call me a ******* but I'm still riding -- some aren't so lucky.

 

I was planning on getting an MV for my 25th birthday next year. Unfortunately, they stopped producing the 750 version. And 1000 is just too much for me. So maybe in a few years.

 

BTW. Benelli has apparently been bought by the Russians. Same guy (Nikolai Smolenski) who bought TVR. Originally TVR was supposed to start developping and producing motorcycles along with the cars, but I guess they chose a simpler solution. Look out for a large cash infusion and a line-up of all new models in a few years.

 

Around a track, or on twisty bits it is down to the skill of the rider, forget the extra hp as 99% of riders don't have the skill to use it.

 

Dan:

I'll post pics on my 996 when the paint is done. Should be this week. Faisal had the bike, but in an exhaust and a chip, but didn't dyno the changes. On Factory's dyno, the bike made 93hp at the rear wheel (before you guys jump up and scream, remember dynos are only good for comparison, not actual numbers). When Mark was done with the bike, made over 107HP. A good, well tuned stock 998 makes about 103 HP on that Dyno, while a 999R makes about 120 HP on that dyno. That should allow you to make a decent comparison of the relative performance.

Low gear isn't very low, but is useable on the road. I'd never take it into traffic, it's a back road bike only. You'll need a radar detector, connected to your helmet if you want to keep your license, oh, I forgot, what license? (just kidding)

Art

 

Last time I checked TVR is making better cars then before.

 

I have no idea, but if I was paying retail for it, I suspect several thousand dollars. The guy doing it is an old friend, and I've helped him in the past, so he's just doing it. Painting it Ferrari Fly Yellow, with a clear coat over the top, so it should look pretty good. His company, Custom Design does show bikes, and has quite a good reputation, so I'm sure that I'm getting a great paint job. It was the guy we met when we stopped for food in the mountains on the way back from Los Wages, Kirk Tyalor, he was coming back from a motorcycle show.

Art

 

I dont know if this is a wierd question but how does a Duc Monster compare to a 916, 996, and 998 in getting from point A to point B. Not on a track but in regular traffic.
And are Monsters easier to live with in day to day kind of things then 916s and 996s? What are Monsters going for nowadays?

 

Monsters sit upright, not crouched over- you can put clip-on handle bars on them, but normally, the bars are higher, wider and more upright in stance. I would think that the Monsters would be far better in urban, stop and go environments than the superbikes. Most are twins, but the S4 (and 4R) are not. They range in price from (i'm guessing here, cause i haven't followed Ducati pricing lately) mid-6,000 to mid 13,000 american dollars, stock. Of course, Monsters are meant to be modified, and stylized, so for many riders, that's often the beginning. However, i'd bet you could find new old stock at some dealers on the cheaper side, if you were serious.

 

I had an air cooled 900 that was modified a little and I swear it was faster than my 998 street bike (that was also modified) up to about 70 mph. It was a scary beast indeed.

 

point of clarification- the big monster is a twin but liquid cooled, not air cooled.

 

Further clarification: The S4 and S4R are Monsters powered by the Superbike engines (916 and 996 respectively) ALL Ducati street bikes since about 1974 have been twins, except for the Apollo, but that was a prototype... (The GP bike is a 4 cylinder and there was the Supermono back in the '90s...)

Lemke - Compared to a 996, a Monster is infinitely better in traffic and most real world situations. I prefer the looks of the M900, or S2R, but having ridden a S4 on the Motogiro d'Italia this year, I have to say that bike is great fun. It felt faster than my 996, but there were two factors with that. First, it was rental and being ridden as such. ;-) Second, the upright riding position and mini-fairing gives more sensation of speed than the 996. And the speedo was in KPH so I never really knew/cared how fast I was going. (It was Italy after all...)

You can sometimes find early Monsters for under $4k now. New ones start at around $6500 I think for the 620 version? An S4R goes for roughly $15k. The others fall in between. The S2R (S4R styling with an 800cc air cooled two valve engine) lists for ~$8500, less for the "dark" version. BUT... the one I'm anxiously awaiting is the rumored 1000cc S2R. That bike may convince me to buy another new Duc rather than the mid-90s M900 I planned on looking for once my latest project (A 1974 750 GT) is complete.

 

Dan,

If I was after a reliable Ducati, I'd have no qualms about buying a mid - 90s 900ss. Probably '95 or earlier, unless it is a 900ss/sp in which case I'd go up to 1999. Has to do with the front suspension, which will need to be modified in any case... but the '96 and up 900ss/cr can't be modified as easily from what I hear. Oh hell, truth be told I'd probably buy whatever year I got a good buy on and put some used superbike forks on it...

I'd also replace the colletts on the valves with MBP parts, regear it, rejet it, slip-on exhaust, cut to top of the airbox, install a K&N filter, and ride. Then when the buzz started to wear off I'd consider springing for high compression pistons and maybe some flatslide carbs. The aforementioned fork swap and a new rear shock and it's pretty much a done deal... At this point the mods have cost about as much as the (used) bike did, but what the heck, you'd still be into the bike for under $10k if you do the work yourself.

That said, this era 900 did have their issues, but they've most likely been addressed through warranty by now. It was nothing major... cracked frames by the headstock, cracked swingarms on the SP's (neat the pivot), broken cylinder studs, minor stuff like that. ;-) Seriously though, I've heard of these problems but never actually met anyone who experienced them. I have no data on this but I think that flaking rockers on the superbikes have been a bigger problem?

All THAT said, If you're looking for a trackbike, I may have to change my story... I've seen 900ss's on the track, but... if it were me... and I wanted a Ducati track bike... I'd look seriously at a 748. Tons of ex-racebikes out there, meaning spares are available, huge base of experience in setting them up, a little less power so less likely to bite back when ridden hard. Just somethign to think about. But the same anti-996 arguments for street riding.

Finally, a pic of my two favorite Desmos...


And with that I'll stop my rambling. Yeah, I kinda like Ducatis...