..and 150kms on clock till now (last wend) in Sport mode and below 7000rpm. I won't bore you with details as I am sure other forum members commented in depth. I will only touch on few things that really stand out for me and mostly a comparison with other bikes I had (1098, 916, 996, Aprilia RSV4 and 1098R) maybe to help people considering the change. Overall The best similarity I can think of is the Aprilia RSV4. Perhaps a little more comfy seat from the Pani but same position with the RSV4, same size, power similar to the V4 but more gentle although a bit early (never passed 6500rpm), similar power to 1098R (perhaps looses out in higher rev range- will soon find out). Compared to my 1098 (full 70mm termi on) is much faster in 0-6500rpm. I am not sure why they say it lost torque in first 6K rpm.. I do not think so. Handling..superb. Light, agile, not an expert but I think the frameless package is spot on. Seating position Not so sure about it. Its really strange, its somewhere between a streefighter/ monster (seriously) and a 1098. Pegs are a little far back, handle bars more wide than 1x98s and I really feel I am on a 1098-monster hybrid as my weight is right in the middle. Compared to a 916 (or even the MV Agusta I still have) its almost a tourer. After travelling 130kms in the night I reached destination with no wrist or back pain. I will get used to it (the comfy bit) but I suspect hard core Ducatisti may not like it. 916 shouted track while riding, 1098 less so, 1199 even less so. Seat is hard, a little leaned at the front feeling you are sitting on top of the bike (rather than in it). Power Too soon to comment with limit 6000rpm. I did 182kmh with 6th gear at 6200rpm if this says sth. It feels fast. The ride-by-wire or whatever is called is fantastic (to me). Before you realize you opened the throttle power is there. Quickshifter> Wow. Clutchless upshifts a first for me and I smiled in my helmet every time I upshifted. There is a dip in the power curve around 5000rpm quite noticeable but not enough to spoil the ride.. A few minor things There is no oil window hole on the fairing!? To see your oil level you have to see between the side fairing and the clutch cover (its 10mm space). Strange.. Smoke? Yes a bit at first 20kms and a smell of burnt oil. Too early to declare this a problem. I read all relevant posts, we ll see.. Hot? Oh yes. Town ride with air temperature of 22C in the night saw ..97-102C which to me is a lot compared to a 1098. Highway temp ranged from 78-83C compared to a 1098 with 68-73C same conditions same road same everything. And this before the 1098 got the full termi on. At last! I can see the road ahead with the lights. 1098 was a nightmare. 916 the same. More kms coming up soon, will inform of any new findings. Rgds Phil
Also have 1199 with ABS and also very pleased. Just to let you know mine has an extra hole in the fairing so you can see the oil level sight glass? Apparently the later production batches had this modified fairing fitted according to my Ducati dealer, when the earlier ones didn't. Could be worth asking your dealer if they do a free retrofit !!!!!
Thanks. Thing is as per COC of the bike date of manufacture is 19th October so my understanding is that it is a late batch. I could be wrong though..
Nice write up, keep the info coming. I just had my Tricolore delivered from the UK to the UAE. It'll be registered next week then I'll be out for my first ride.
Part 2 Another 200kms on clock. This time in Race mode. Highway riding. Breaking-in: Well.. I got tired of reading different theories about sticking to the manual or just riding the hell out of it. I decided to go half way so I am now using the 8500rpm as a rev ceiling while varying the engine load and gears all the time. First 250kms I used the manual's 6000rpm ceiling. Power: Wow. This is the fastest Ducati I have ever ridden. This is 1098R territory. It is insane power right from the 2000rpm point right up to 8K. Which torque is exactly lost with the panigale in mid range?? The thing flies like nothing before. My other bike is an MV Agusta 1078 with a full system and race ecu dynoed at 185hp on rear wheel and it has perhaps half the torgue down low compared to the panigale. Fantastic. Oh a nice tip. Once you change to the race mode your dash changes (info displayed in different areas) and the rev bar chart changes scale. So 2K, 3K, ...,6k, 7k rpm etc, mark shifts down to a new scale (shorter distance between rpm). Nice.. Power modes: Why they bother include a sport mode and a wet mode? Race mode is the one to use. Period. OK it is safer when it rains or in certain circumstances but once you try the race mode you are hooked. Its like dating a super model and some days of the week you go back to your ok-looking ex-girlfriend. No point really.. Oil: Total of 385kms and by now maybe I ve 'lost' ..20ml of oil as I saw from the side oil window. Dealer warned me that first 500kms I may need a top up. Transmission: Neutral in the first 10 mins while engine is still cold is nowhere to be found. Once it warms up much easier but still a little stiff. Maybe its too soon for the plates/ disks to break in. Brakes: Excellent. No real difference from older models I think. Perhaps a little more gentle than the 1098. A few other points: Mirrors are fine. Not too big as some suggested. Ok the frontal area of the bike is now smaller but mirrors dont look bad at all as some commented. The high beam 'knob' is annoyingly placed on the left handle bar on top of the buttons while you reach to pull the clutch lever in. I accidentally switch on the high beam almost every time I am downshifting gears. Maybe its my gloves but I think it has to do with the position/angle of the whole instrument panel on the handle bar compared to the clutch lever position.. For those who are still thinking about it (and they can afford it) go and get this bike.. It is brilliant machine. Forget that its a new model which may have some teething problems, the quality of the parts and the whole package is awesome. It is faster than an Aprilia RSV4 I used to own, more exiting, looks nicer, its more relaxed. Its not a step above previous Ducatis its more than that. Compared to inline-4s (had GSXRs, ZX-10 and MV now) its very close with the high-rev power surge, now higher cut off (11,200rpm) and torgue down low can not be matched. A friend of mine was following tonight with the BMW S1000RR and he said he revved it to 11000rpm+ to stay up with me. Btw I got a call from the dealer that the new software/ remapping is ready for me to upload which will smooth out the fuelling etc. Nice, no? Phil
Part 3 another 400kms in race and sport mode. Highway riding with 8000rpm ceiling and varying engine loads. Fuel: 11.5litres of fuel excluding reserve. For 132km covered distance 9.7litres of ron98 fuel consumed (average speed appr 120km/hr. A full tank got me roughly 168km with above riding conditions. If you open it up even less. New software: nothing noticeable to be honest. Perhaps not enough kms prior to the new software to conclude. A small issue though which may be related. The bike stalled twice at traffic lights. Neutral gear no throttle no nothing just died on me and refused to start from 1st attempt. Temp at 90C if relevant. Dealer to look into it. Oh the flat spot at 5000rpm is still there. For a msec you open the throttle and nothing happens. There are 2 plastic pieces at the horn level underneath the top yoke which flap in the wind. Annoying. No oil consumption in last trip only the 10-20ml consumed in first 150kms. Level steady now. For now. Sport mode. 6th gear 7000 rpm max speed 194km/h. Race mode same gear same rev limit 216km/h. Highway. Sth less important. As per my mates bike is quiet. Compared to 1098 with full termi this one is like an inline four when passing by.
Good write-ups and I agree with everything you say. The riding position is very much like an RSV4, the power delivery isn't too dissimilar either. It is fast, the engine spins up very fast, she burns a bit of oil just after engine start and it's hot. Even with a full system, the bike gets hot quickly. It'll be awful sitting in traffic on a hot day. Overall a great bike and I have found nothing to dislike about it. It's a real shame there are too many people who just don't like it. To me, it's every inch a Ducati.
Exactly. I have no idea why people said at the beginning its not a duc. Some said even hard core ducatisti 'disliked the jap-like behaviour'!!? What jap-like behaviour? Inline 4s are so much different. I find the 1199 engine response just like a 1098R I rode for a few months. Instant and brutal. Only dissapointing issue is the fueling. I think there is room for improvement. I am considering now switching back to old software to avoid stalling..
I agree, the power delivery is nothing like a Japanese IL4. It is very Ducati like, the engine spins up very quickly and although the power is made a little higher up the rev range, it takes no time to get there so there isn't much difference to the previous Ducati models. Mine stalled once at the second set of lights after leaving the Ducati dealership. The bike was in neutral, no revs and it just stalled. However, it did start at the first attempt. Also, the first start it burned a bit of oil, it looked almost like a two stroke, idling in a sea of blue smoke. Subsequent starts have been better, with no burning oil and I have not had a repeat of the stalling issue. My dealer says in takes about 1,000 km (600 miles) for the bike to settle down. Every ride is better, the engine seems to loosen up and it burns less oil. This is a great bike, light, agile and powerful. I'm not in the least bit religious, but this bike deserves a mention in the Book of Revelations. If the devil himself rode a bike, this would be it. It sounds awesome. Ducati should have called it the 1199 Diablo.
