Is is just my imagination or are........

Fergie

Fergie

New member
Ducati trying to distance themselves from the 749 / 999 range?
Ducati trying hard to forget the 999?

I am on my 4th bike from both ranges and I love it to bits.

BUT. And here is the bad bit. I have just read the RIDE review of the 1098 and everything, including factory comment, seems to want to distance the bike from the current range. They even called it 1098 so it had nothing like 999 (or 1099 as we all thought) to distance it even further.
There is always evolution in products. Porsche have done it. Gillette have done it. NIKE have done it. But can you imagine if Porsche came out and said the old 996 version of the 911 was crap. The new one is called the 912 because we want nothing to do with the old one. Cue Porsche going bust.

So why do Ducati think they can do it? And alienate the customer base that it has?

Comments please
 
quote Andrea Ferraresi in Bike mag

"we went with the single sided swingarm as it is more beautiful, it looks right. And this is important to Ducati. All right it is not the best engineering solution"

Says it all really, looks more important than function so the'll distance themselves from the 999 cos of its looks.
 
bike

yeah, I got that impression after reading the BIKE report - its like the 999/749 range didnt exist - like they always hark back to the 996 design and then slate the 999 design because it was to low at the back and the air scoops were for looks and didnt actually have a function !

If you look at the new bike the exhaust heel gaurd and heel plates look awful - or maybe there just prototypes.
 
The 999 is ugly. I'm sure many will disagree, however when compared with the 916 and now the 1098 that's the only conclusion most non owners will draw. The weight distribution was wrong from day 1 which created no end of problems for Ducati Corse.

The 999 is dead - long live Ducati :)
 
Henners said:
The 999 is ugly. I'm sure many will disagree, however when compared with the 916 and now the 1098 that's the only conclusion most non owners will draw. The weight distribution was wrong from day 1 which created no end of problems for Ducati Corse.

The 999 is dead - long live Ducati :)
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Ugly? Dead? Neither. You are entitled to an opinion though.

I can also see the problems that the race team had with it. Yeah right. You been reading MCN again?

What Ducati do you ride?
 
Henners said:
The weight distribution was wrong from day 1 which created no end of problems for Ducati Corse.

The 999 is dead - long live Ducati :)
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Yeah it clearly was wrong....it only won three out of four WSBK titles! :rolleyes:
 
Henners said:
The 999 is ugly. I'm sure many will disagree, however when compared with the 916 and now the 1098 that's the only conclusion most non owners will draw. The weight distribution was wrong from day 1 which created no end of problems for Ducati Corse.

The 999 is dead - long live Ducati :)
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Sorry Henry the 999 isn't dead, its the BSB/WSB race bike Ducati Corse will use in 2007 and I'd put money on Corse asking for a normal swingarm for the R model for 08!!

the 999 was the best road bike Ducati have made, the flatter riding position let you do big mileage in comfort ( for a sport bike) adjustable pegs and tank helped custom fit it to what the rider wanted and as I use my bike on the road not a race track I don't want track like handling or discomfort :D

I'm really interested to ride the new bike as from the figures I can't work out how its going to be more flickable, wheelbase, swingarm length and head angle all suggest the same if not slower handling. I'm looking forward to trying it.

The 1098 will be far more commercially successful which is what Ducati need, its been designed to be that hence Ferraresi's comments, better? thats relative depending upon the criteria one uses to judge it.

Roll on next year and the chance to ride it :)
 
Gizmo said:
The 1098 will be far more commercially successful which is what Ducati need, its been designed to be that hence Ferraresi's comments, better? thats relative depending upon the criteria one uses to judge it.

QUOTE]

I think you hit the nail on the head there - whats better; looks, function, ability, comfort?

Leaving my opinions of the 999/749 out of it for a minute, there's little doubt that the 999 was and still is a very capable motorcycle, the 1098 is still a revolution of it, yes it has different clothes on, but strip them away and the swingarm is the only radically different component they have used. The frame is a beefed up modifed version of the 999, the front end has had the same treatment, the engine has of cause been fettled, brakes, drive train etc. etc.

I personally feel the 999 wasn't the best looking Duc that has left the factory, but I also feel that it has it's place up there with the best of them for the reasons Michael highlighted earlier. I will always prefer the looks of the 916 range but I would have to agree that the 999 certainly isn't dead. the 1098, I believe will be a worthy successor all the same. :)
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I treat any write up in a magazine (or comic!) with caution. There is a danger that the merits of the new against old model falls into the realms of "pub talk". e.g the new bike has "better handling". Well I'm sure Troy may notice the difference but as sure as hell I wouldn't. The "worst" handling modern Dukes limits are way beyond my limits. The fact is that for the track any manufaturer wants the best handling, power etc available and "looks" are way down the list especially if good looks will compromise wind tunnel test results. Winning is what counts on the track, it's not a beauty contest. What we mere mortals want is the perception we have the same bike as Troy, but in addition we want something that stirs our soul. The 999 suffered from following one of the most beautiful bikes ever made,but it wasn't a bad bike, far from it. The new bike I'm sure is technically better again, but from a commercial point of view it is a much better looking bike and that at the end of the day is what will keep the factory afloat. Personally I reckon the factory have not put enough emphasis on the styling side in recent years and the 1098 is a step in the right direction.
 
I like the 999 range, it took a while but with a number board they are nice.
I like the 916 range, obviously.
I don't like the square headlight of the 888 range , but, if I was around when they came out then maybe I would have.

I suppose it's all about what you experience.
 
In answer to Nige's question I've owned a ST3, 916, 996, 998, 998S and a 996R and I get to ride whatever my mates have which includes the rest of the range.

The 999 didn't sell and put Ducati through huge financial pressure for 2 years. Yes it won some world championships but you talk to Toseland and Hodgson - Corse had the devil's own job to get it to handle and if it hadn't been for Michellin, Hodgson's riding skill and Hodgson's chief crew Ernesto in 2003 the world championship would have gone elsewhere - how many times did Xaus lose the front? (OK - bad example)

I think the 749S is a great bike to ride, possibly my favourite Ducati - the 999 is still ugly though :)
 
maybe we 749,999 owners should start our own forum and sod the rest but seriously up to date in ducati world it is the best sports bike you can buy but things do move on i will eventually buy the 1098 but not for its looks but because just like my bike it is more capable then me which i think is better then the other way round. nobody has hit the 999 with an ugly stick as the queue at sherburn to look at it says it all after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder what you say rj
 
Paul748 said:
I don't like the square headlight of the 888 range , but, if I was around when they came out then maybe I would have.

QUOTE]

blimey mate, you must be young!! :p
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ProjectImola004 said:
Paul748 said:
I don't like the square headlight of the 888 range , but, if I was around when they came out then maybe I would have.

QUOTE]

blimey mate, you must be young!! :p
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I mean my ownership of Ducati motorcycles and as an owner i am not ashamed to say I am only verging on 3 years which is peanuts to most on here. I am sure the 888 looked great to those who owned it when it came out.
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steve999 said:
maybe we 749,999 owners should start our own forum and sod the rest but seriously up to date in ducati world it is the best sports bike you can buy but things do move on i will eventually buy the 1098 but not for its looks but because just like my bike it is more capable then me which i think is better then the other way round. nobody has hit the 999 with an ugly stick as the queue at sherburn to look at it says it all after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder what you say rj
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AMEN Steve !

/ian
 
Gizmo said:
the 999 was the best road bike Ducati have made, the flatter riding position let you do big mileage in comfort ( for a sport bike) adjustable pegs and tank helped custom fit it to what the rider wanted and as I use my bike on the road not a race track I don't want track like handling or discomfort :D
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I must be a freak of nature or the perfect size for the 916 shape coz i find it surprisingly comfy (OK i've changed the bars) i've done 500+ mile days, upto 12 hour stints, admittedly avoiding motorways as much as possible, my legs get a bit cramped by the end of the day but prefer riding mine to the 999 which didn't feel as good to me. The complete opposite of what everyone else says.

Like Gizmo i'm also more interested in road than track riding.

I've never really fancied buying a 999, they've just about grown on me after 4 years (black one looks the best) but could be tempted by the 1098. I think Ducati have done well with this one.
 
Henners said:
In answer to Nige's question I've owned a ST3, 916, 996, 998, 998S and a 996R and I get to ride whatever my mates have which includes the rest of the range.

The 999 didn't sell and put Ducati through huge financial pressure for 2 years. Yes it won some world championships but you talk to Toseland and Hodgson - Corse had the devil's own job to get it to handle and if it hadn't been for Michellin, Hodgson's riding skill and Hodgson's chief crew Ernesto in 2003 the world championship would have gone elsewhere - how many times did Xaus lose the front? (OK - bad example)

I think the 749S is a great bike to ride, possibly my favourite Ducati - the 999 is still ugly though :)
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I didn't ask what you rode, that was Fergie

yeah there is always a large team behind winning at WSBK level, there is nothing quite like like real competion to raise the game, the 916 was a pig at the start of the 94 season, etc etc, hence longer swing arm, just talk to those that know, or remember!

I'm glad that there are individuals that buy our bikes on their merits, not just people that believe what is in the press......

:rolleyes:
 
I can't really see where Ducati have distanced themselves??

I can see that the biking press hated the 999 and so anything that looks better will instantly be recognised and regarded with the status of the 916/996 etc.

I can't say I am the biggest fan of the 999, maybe a bit set in my ways when it comes to looks but it has grown on me (once you remove the mirrors that is). No doubt the 999 is a better all round bike but maybe that is part of it's lack of appeal?? The older bikes were lumpy bumpy and tempramental which is what 'involved' so many people.

Having said that I really do like the look of the 1098 and if I was after a road going bike I would purchase one however at the moment I cannot justify 14k for a track bike.
 
the 999 reminded me of the lamborgini countach, not in looks but in the fact they were both ugly, but that was the charm of them. both of them followed unusually good looking models before them, the 916 and the muira before them respectivley, but both appealed entirely on their own grounds and were made to be the best, not neccesarily the best looking. from the pics ive seen of the 1098 the head on view and the front three quarter view, it is far too much like the 98-03 yamaha r1 a machine ive always considered ugly and i have to admit that alone would stop me from buying one, although ive still to see it in the flesh to decide for sure.
thats my tuppence worth then :D
 
steve999 said:
maybe we 749,999 owners should start our own forum and sod the rest but seriously up to date in ducati world it is the best sports bike you can buy but things do move on i will eventually buy the 1098 but not for its looks but because just like my bike it is more capable then me which i think is better then the other way round. nobody has hit the 999 with an ugly stick as the queue at sherburn to look at it says it all after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder what you say rj
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yeh, but they don't have much idea at Sherburn, do they? :D bloody hell they even stop to look at the monster! they certainly like the noise.....
 
Your just fecked cos it means your bike is worth 2 blows of the ragman's trumpet ha-ha!!! 749/999 range are great bikes the problem was getting people to ride them to find this out(style over substance for most).I am sure the residuals will recover after the new bike has been out for a wee while and all the "must have the latest" have theirs.
I actually think the 749/999 range are stunning looking bikes(from most angles)but never liked the exhaust I always thought it would have looked better with twin pipes that were not longer than the seat unit.
 
Nige Ducati UK said:
I didn't ask what you rode, that was Fergie

yeah there is always a large team behind winning at WSBK level, there is nothing quite like like real competion to raise the game, the 916 was a pig at the start of the 94 season, etc etc, hence longer swing arm, just talk to those that know, or remember!

I'm glad that there are individuals that buy our bikes on their merits, not just people that believe what is in the press......

:rolleyes:
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AMEN AGAIN !

/ian
 
berto said:
Your just fecked cos it means your bike is worth 2 blows of the ragman's trumpet ha-ha!!! 749/999 range are great bikes the problem was getting people to ride them to find this out(style over substance for most).I am sure the residuals will recover after the new bike has been out for a wee while and all the "must have the latest" have theirs.
I actually think the 749/999 range are stunning looking bikes(from most angles)but never liked the exhaust I always thought it would have looked better with twin pipes that were not longer than the seat unit.
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Do you think the 999 is gonna take a big hit in Residiuals when the 1098 is released ?

so will next year be a good time to buy a 999?

coz id rather have a cheap 999 than a 14k 1098.

personally i wouldnt buy 1 anyway, my next bike with be a baby R when i can outride the S.

then maybe a nein nein nein

/ian
 
i am sure there are reasons why people look at your MONSTER rockjock:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: but hey each to there own after all put a good rider on a monster and a crap rider on a 1098 and we all know who wins so it doen't matter what form of bike you ride so leave the 749/999 alone enough said and lets all go back to taking the p*ss out of the rice burners or a poke in the eye from me and all 749/999 owners:mad:
 
steve999 said:
i lets all go back to taking the p*ss out of the rice burners or a poke in the eye from me and all 749/999 owners:mad:
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...what about taking the p*ss out of Davie instead!!! :eek: ;)
 
Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, and the 749/999 is a nicer bike to ride than the 916 series - I was suffering arm cramps for a week after riding the 400 miles back from RTL last summer on my 996 :(

If Berto is right on residuals then I may be tempted to buy a nice 749S in yellow over the winter and just ride it and not look at it.
 
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