Now a Ducati owner..

Congrats, Tom!! Bet you can hardly wait.

Two wheels or nothing,

Neil

 

Congrats, lovely bikes, love that rattlin' clutch!

 

Cool... I so wanted one of those when they came out. Now I want the 1000cc version, but would be quite happy with the 800 too!

 

Hey, congrats Tom! What color did you go with? I just turned 1200 miles on mine and it gets better each time I ride it. Post pics! And also you may want to check out ducatimonster.org. It's kinda like a Fchat for Monsters.

And Uro, the 800 has a wet clutch. The 1000 is dry. And I'm glad it is wet when in bumper to bumper traffic!

Dave

 

Congrats. A good friend just sold the one he had for quite awhile. Great bike. He just purchased a Sport which he also has great things to say about.

Darrell.

 

Congratulations. Nice bike.

 

Fantastic Tom! Ride it in good health!

 

Good choice, I was just considering one of those for when I make the 748 track only in a year or so.

 

We think alike! I'm thinking of getting a 748 to play with on the track too.

Dave

 

Glad to hear you say you won't ride until you have the proper gear! Good on ya! There are enough squids running around

Great bike! You should have a blast.

 

Do it, you can't beat a 748 for the track. Plenty of power for me and it handles like nothing else. I am doing a track day at Beaver Run Pa at the end of May I will be sure to post pics if I can find someone to take a whole bunch. I just finished painting the track plastics and I am waiting for the stickers from my sign people. (parents) Keep an eye out for those pics here and look for the F-chat sticker.

 

Don't want to start a debate, but you are much better off with a 600cc inline 4 for the track.

More power, better handling, and you won't cry when you throw down the track


Afterall, it's a throwaway bike, not an Italian piece of art.

 

Yeah, but getting pulled out of EVERY corner by the twin would get pretty old!

Dave

 

it would never happen. Modern 600's have more midrange power than the 750 twins. Reason one why Ducati no longer competes the platform.

 

Unfortunately he is right about the 600's but nothing crashes cheaply anymore. I still say there is nothing compared to a Ducati superbike on the racetrack. The japanese bikes feel like a street bike that you can race and the Duc feels like it is a race bike with lights on it. No compromises. Not comfy. Nobody on the build team said anything about ergonomics for commuting or touring. Just racing. Besides I have seen a guy on an MZ single run faster laps than an R1. If you are going to be out there you should like what you are sitting on. The Duc is the dogs balls to ride fast. I do have to disagree with the your comment of "better handling".

 

Make no mistake about it, I'm a big fan of the Duc. But as I tell my good friend who is a Ducowner as well: "I can't afford to be that slow" Of course, I know it's not slow, it just get's under his skin when I say it.

On most tracks, 600's will lap faster than R1's and other litre bikes. Unless you are a master of backing the thing in, the extra power is useless, as they are more of a point and shoot weapon.


When you get down to it, an SV650 is about the easiest thing to turn fast laps on.



I have a friend who highsided his 999s in the middle of a race. I shed a tear for that bike, as he left in an ambulance.

 

I hope you're friend was okay. It turns my stomach to see a wrecked Duc. If I didn't already own the 748 I would be hunting down an SV for the track. Economy v-twin with racing classes just for it? Hell yeah.

 

fast on a...
1000
600
SV650


REALLY depends on the track.

and the skill/balls of the rider.


at the tracks where HP rules the SV's dont stand a chance. There is only so much you can do with balls if you'ev got a LONG straight and high speed turns.


its more FUN to go fast on an SV than on a 1000/750/600, IMHO (thats why I now race an SV instead of my trusty Gixxer 750), but it aint easier. It makes ya work, there is no rush of HP to fall back on if you screw up. On the 750 I worry about using my right hand too much, on the SV I worry about not using it enough.

 

Hi All;

I have a 2005 999S. Problem is that the days of all my buddies having bikes, and going riding are gone. I don't have anybody to ride with. ANybody in teh Kitchener to London area in Ontario, Canada have a bike and want to ride ...call me. When I was 20 I used to drive 20,000 a year. Last year was my first year with the bike, only 300 miles in the whole year.

Let me know..........I don't want to sell the beauty!

Carlo

 

Bummer Carlo. There is always a ride in Texas. Wish I could help.


Chop,

The reason it is easier to go fast on an SV, is because of the gentle power band, and great corner speed. When you get the bike turned in, you can get back on the throttle much earlier than you can on other big bikes. Ultimately, in the hands of a highly skilled racer, the SV loses out. But for track days, and yellow plate racers, the SV is usually turning equal laps.

Like you said though, the track layout has alot to do with it. In North America, we don't have a great quantity of tracks that nullify the cornerspeed advantages by too much.

My friend on the Duc was ok, just rung his bell a bit. Highsided exiting the Horshoe at Texas World Speedway. I've had my share of race related concussions though. My worst one was as a result of a tool who didn't understand the reaons for cool-down laps.

 

This bike was a serious high-side hazard for the brave, yet moderately skilled rider.


I feel much safer with the 600
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My experiences differ.

Thunderhill and Willow Springs seperate the SV's from the 1000's. I'm faster on a 1000 at either track, and the race lap times show that nearly everyone else is too. I'm faster on my 750 than on my SV at any track, but it feels faster on the Sv cuz I'm having to really hammer it to keep the lap times low.

Check lap times from yer local race orgs.

Like you said, the SV is friendlier, and more "fun" in my book.

Corner speed has less to do with bike, and more to do with balls. There is nothing inherent in the design of an SV or 1000cc bike that makes one of them faster in the corners.


Tha being said... prolly the most fun I've ever had racing was on my FZR400 at Willow Springs... Turns 6-9 WFO in 6th with yer knee on the ground? Mucho Funo. Topped out at about 130-135, but was fun as heck.

 

I will give ya the SV over anything else as a casual trackday bike and a great novice racer. Perfect learning tool. tweak up the budget/stock suspension to suit ya and it cant be beat until you are ready to really risk plastics, collar bones and leathers for that $7 plastic trophy they hand out at the end of the day.