Browsing Category: "Reviews"
Last Sunday, 9/7, I took to the Desmosedici to the NESBA trackday at Pacific Raceways in Kent, WA. My main track bike for the day was the 848. For the first session, I rode the 848 because the track was still cold and I wanted to get warmed up and get reaccustomed to the track. For the second and fourth sessions I ran the Desmosedici. It had been my 3rd trackday at Pacific Raceways, but my 5th time on the track overall since I used to run my R1 during the taste of racing sessions they ran circa 2000-2001 there.
Here are my impressions of the D16RR on the track from a guy who has 20+ years sportbike riding experience but has only been riding on the track 13 times (2 trackdays on 848, 2 taste of racing on 2001 R1) before taking the Desmosedici on the track. I ran the bikes in the B group.
Handling: Steering on this bike is fast. It seems to dive into corners like the 2006 R6 I owned. In corners it feels rock solid, due to the large contact patch of the 200 Rear tire mounted to the 16 in rim, the stiffness of the frame, swingarm, and help from Ohlins damping and suspension. At top speed, its very solid and sure footed.
Power: It’s not as torquey as a 1098 I’ve demoed but it does have smooth, strong and linear power throughout its rpm range. It also revs to the moon!!
Speed: I only got it up to 126 on the straight before turn 2 due to riding within my comfort level. Looking at the tach, it never reached over 10k and it has a 14k redline.
Sound: Like on the street, I have to wear earplugs when riding the D16RR because with the 102db race exhaust installed, it is LOUD!! Folks tell me they can hear the gear shifts from the bus stop, all the way to turn 2.
Only issue I had was on the second run. I was downshifting quickly before turn 2 and back end slid out a little to the right. The bike does have a slipper clutch so I’m not sure why that happened. Anyhow, it didn’t feel like it was getting out of control or anything and the bike quickly recovered.
Weight: The weight seems similiar to the 848 but perhaps a tad bit heavier. I do have most everything, including headlight removed from the 848. The 848 has Attack bodywork, vs. the D16RRs carbon fiber bodywork. The D16RR still had its front headlight in place but blue-taped. I removed the mirrors, turn signals, and lincense plate bracket from the Sedici.
Summary: It was a blast to take around the track but I admit, the cost of it prevents me from fully trying to get the most out of it — well at least until I get more track days and some track schools under my belt to better understand the limits — for fear of dumping it. I’d like to take it to a few more tracks (Miller, PIR) but after I get track bodywork for it first.
Below are pictures from the day.
Click on any image below to view and enlarge
See more photos of this day in the gallery
Watch the video:
Check this article out.
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Articl…ID=7010&Page=1
Someone give me a smaller rear sprocket and a private, legal, straight stretch of road so I can practice being Chuck Yeager! Haha.
Again, Michael Neeves must have the best job in the world, getting to test the latest and greatest bikes in the world. Below he reviews the Desmosedici D16RR.
I took delivery of a 2008 Ducati Desmosedici – D16RR on Saturday from BendEuroMoto in Bend, Oregon.
Before I blog about the bike, I want to first thank Kathy Jo and David, proprietors of BendEuroMoto – a fine European motorcycle establishment. It was a very pleasant and fun motorcycle purchase. It’s no wonder they have won so many awards for customer service. I even got to ride with David on their 15 mile “loop” on the outskirts of town. They have a great selection of new and used Ducatis, scooters, and a good assortment of other European bikes.
On to the bike…This thing is amazing!!!! It’s the Team Version (#678 of 1500) which has the broad white stripe down the side. The other version comes in Rosso (Red) with number plates on the tail. I’ve only got about 70 miles on the odometer so far but can tell you this bike is like no other. It is a study in rock solid stability and extreme cornering agility. Mine came with the 102db race exhaust and ECU installed by the dealer and its loud but not obnoxiously loud like a custom chopper. It’s distinct barking exhaust sound clearly shows its MotoGP heritage.
The fit and finish is superb, from the full body carbon fiber, beautifully crafted and painted, to the sand casted magnesium engine cases, forged magnesium wheels, and ‘monobloc’ Brembo brake calipers.
Anyhow, there is lots more to write about this bike, and I’ll post pix, audio and video of it here to share with you all.
–Chris
Below is a video of a Ducati D16RR Dyno Run taken at Ducati Seattle. Thanks to Dave Roosevelt, owner, for allowing me access to video from inside the Dyno Room.
Max HP recorded for the day was 181.2 SAE at the rear wheel.
I have to admit, MCN Senior Road Tester Michael Neeves, in my opinion has one of the greatest jobs in the world. Not only does he get to test the latest bikes, he gets to test ride the latest MotoGP bikes. Here is a video of him riding MotoGP Champion, Casey Stoner’s Desmosedeci.
Check out this review of the $75k Ducati Desmosedici by MCN. It’s as close to a MotoGP bike as you can get.
This is one of the better videos of the 1098R being tested by MCN.
Check out MotorcycleNews.com’s comparison of the Ducati 848 vs. 1098.
Hello all,
I just bought a Red Ducati 848 today. The following is a review of the motorcycle.
My first impressions after getting on the bike was that the fit and finish are spectacular. The components such as the Moto GP-style dash, polished metal screws for the fairings, narrow sculpted tank, single-sided swing-arm, and aggressive front and rear end styling make this bike very unique among many of the other sportbikes on the road today.
This bike pulls strong from down low. It has an 848cc L-twin engine that provides very predictable power in a linear fashion. The sound coming from the stock twin under-seat pipes can be described as deep and throaty – the motorcycle equivalent of a V8 muscle-car.
The bike turns fairly quickly at speed and feels very planted in the corners. Stability at high speeds is excellent. The bike doesn’t come with a steering damper but since it is very stable, and unless you plan to race, you likely won’t need one.
Riding position is fairly aggressive and is meant for the track. The bike has a heavier than normal clutch pull which is typical of Ducati Superbikes. This can be reduced by installing a larger diameter aftermarket slave cylinder.
In conclusion, this bike has by far been the best I’ve ever ridden and I’ve owned the following sportbikes: R6, R1, ZX-7, GSX-R1000, and GS500E.
Pluses:
Strong and predictable power
Exotic Italian Design
Handles like its on rails
High speed stability
Optional USB Data Acquisition Unit
Minuses:
Doesn’t come with bar ends
Mirrors are useless
No gear indicator on Moto GP-style dash
Heavy clutch pull
Clunky sounding gearbox
