1299 2016 Ducati 1299 (base) Review

Hey guys I've been doing some reviews of the Ducati's i've been trying whilst 899 is in for surgery. Here's the 1299 which i'm still riding. You may think it's a tonne of wank!
So far i have tried Monster 1200S Stripe, Monster 696, 1299s and 1299, Scrambler Icon (with panniers), 2016 Multistrada.

To say i am gutted about the fate that has befallen my 899 is an understatement. However a deep down feeling (and family request) that we never dance again is quite hard to ignore even with Ducati's finest looking after my 899. Every cloud has a silver lining and the dealers are doing their part by letting me use loan bikes.

I digress.

I was handed the keys to a 65 plate 1299 base with 7 miles on it. Between riding away from dealers at 2:30pm Tuesday and now, i've stuck 121 miles on it. Slowly at first to scrub in the Supercorsa SPs it's shod with.

Let's sort the bad out quickly:


1) Price. No getting around the fact that near £17k for a bike is obscene, and too much for any sensible person to invest in a vehicle that can't carry any other members of your family in standard trim. But, i guess that's why PCP exists. So us youngsters can carry on saving for obscene house deposits whilst still being able to swing a leg over a machine like this. My Dad hates PCP, but then his 4 bedroom house cost him £15k.

2) Heat. It's less than the 1199 equal to the 899. Lovely in late autumn and winter. It's fine when you are moving but if you sit still a lot in traffic you will sweat.

Ok so the good! For me bikes are an emotional thing. Yes i can rationalise aspects of their performance and put them into words, but for me bikes have always conjured up feelings and bizarrely music in my head. Whilst i'm riding i genuinely hear music in my head. Maybe that makes me a dick and it's a bit wanky, i don't know, but before you read any further this is what the 1299 conjured up in my head and to me it encapsulates that moment when you and a bike just click.

Play the song when prompted at point 9.

1) The bike looks incredible, the finish is a step above the 899/1199. Little touches like the shiny decals under lacquer, thicker paint and the little rubber cable holders instead of cable ties. It smells incredible when brand new and when you start it up the noise is unreal. I would even go as far to say offensive. But, offensive in that way you are drawn in by it. There's some of the old Ducati rattle back in there at tick over. It's really fucking loud with oem cans, really loud! Not sure how it will get on track days to be honest.

2) When you sit on it, it feels taught, solid, poised. The bars are narrower than the 899 and the grips feel like they have more girth to them. It all adds to the feeling that you are sitting on a actual live, musclebound, snarling beast. Not Raa Raa the Lion, more like those Lions a Roman Emperor would have. Just like on the chocolate bar.

3) The dash is great. Bright and colourful with loads of info. In race mode (why bother with any other mode?) you get a lap timer and lean angle indicator as default. Settings are displayed for traction control, engine braking control, wheelie control, quickshifter up AND DOWN, ABS etc. All easy to adjust.

4) The ride is solid, firm but somehow compliant. I imagine it's on standard settings which you can relax them a bit to comfort setting if you wish. So far i do not wish to do this. I've ridden the S last week for about an hour and it doesn't perform any better than the base. Maybe on track when really turned up a notch it comes into its own but the base is fine.

5) Fuelling - its monumental. Better than my 899, better than any bike i have ever ridden. Each mode it's smooth from the off and easy to filter through traffic. When you are getting a lick on and roll off the throttle there's nothing but buttery smooth motion keeping the bike completely composed. The WET mode is akin to riding an 899 in Sport I would say. The fuelling withstood the multi-storey car park climb and descent test without any chugging or hunting. The clutch is also lighter than on the 899 and 1199. I think the 1299 is easier to commute on than the 899. The engine and fuelling is smooth in traffic. It's probably a touch comfier too.

6) Engine - what can i say other than wow. It's completely unnecessary for any public road on any given day but at that same time it's an absolute joy to experience. The torque in the lower gears, the explosion of speed could probably rip the lacquer off your helmet. It's something you need to experience at least once.

7) Gearbox, Slipper, Quickshifter/ Auto Blipper - This needs it's own section. I used to be in awe of my 899 gearbox. The gearbox on the 1299 is a class above and beyond. Simply put, beautiful. How they have made it so smooth when it’s housed in that snarling engine is beyond me. Shifting up through the gears in race mode with the throttle pinned and letting wheelie control just hover the front, is probably one of the biggest thrills I’ve had on a sportsbike. Ever!
You literally then can’t believe the joy when you then just shut the throttle and stamp down through the gears. How good are you at blipping and changing down? Not as good as the auto blipper I bet. I could practice for years and never get this smooth, this composed. If you ride one, go seek out a string of roundabouts and feel for yourself. The slipper clutch adds to the composure and within about 40 miles of riding familiar roads I was braking way later, changing down smoothly and quickly before carving round the corners. People will bemoan the advance of electronics, hell they even nearly undid me on the 899. But being able to ride, brake hard, change down in an instant without the bike twitching or protesting means you can pick a good line, concentrate on braking and ride through corners smoothly, before thundering to the next one. In essence it gives you more time to concentrate on going around the corner.

8) A quick word on tyres. Supercorsa SPs. Brand new on a £17k bike, twisty roads, damp patches. Normally sphincter tightening. I think Pirelli have done some work on these bad boys as the feedback even when new is stunning, just stunning. Better grip everywhere. Over damp patches with no twitches, no protests. Just that beautiful glued to the ground feeling. That was even this morning coming over misty roads with dew on the ground. And that leads me onto-

9) Chassis – It was somewhere around the 56th mile and a few laps of 3 connected roundabouts before heading off into the twisty moor roads where I live. I accelerated off up the road.

You can start the song now.





You are now probably listening to The Legend of Ashitaka, thinking what is this bellend on??

This is the sound of a 1299 in my head. You hear those ominous cellos and clarinets? That’s the 1299 accelerating to light speed (or thereabouts). Me thinking shit this is fast! Now you’re 40 seconds in just as the rest of the strings come in. This is the warm feeling of astonishment that washed over me as I braked; stamped down through the gears and tipped into the first of a 6-mile series of twisty and flip flop bends. Those string rises? That’s me falling in love with the chassis of this bike. Nothing i've ever ridden turns in quite like this, nothing is as composed as this at lean,and at this speed.
Left, right, left. Open the throttle you’re flying, this bike cannot be this good? Can it?!
Two minutes in, that’s me oblivious to the explosion of revs and noise around me, feeling absolutely relaxed. Pondering what I’ve just done, what I’m doing as I’m flying towards the next set of bends. Riding this bike must look and sound so violent to the outside world. People must look on thinking: that is insane. In reality it’s calm, serene, Jesus it’s even beautiful!
2 minutes 58 that’s the realisation that I can literally feel the road surface through my hands, feet and buttocks. 3 minutes 44 that’s the tight, right hand, 90 degree bend approaching and the ferocious brembo brakes pulling this thing back to 1st gear from 5th, no protests, no holding of breath. I decide to turn in later than on my 899, I flop it over, 48 degrees of lean on the dash. New Supercorsas this is insane, open the throttle and its rampages away.
The trumpet fanfare that’s me realising Ducati have packaged all the theatre, all the insanity, all the quirks they are known for, into this one machine and made it flipping rideable. It’s now about 4 minutes 35 seconds and I’m riding over the top straight slowing down, bewildered inside my helmet. Special, really, really, really special.

Astonishing.

10) Some other assorted notes. I had a chance to try the cornering ABS out when a jeep pulled out of a side road on me. It was never a dangerous situation. Nevertheless having the knowledge of it and being able to brake whilst still cornering was a great feeling. It's a slightly strange feeling as you wonder why the bike isn't standing up.

When you pull away from lights. The bike does this kind of micro blip of revs to aid set off. Something that surprised me as my 899 doesn't do this. Although i have learnt that newer 899's do this.

If the new 959 is this bike with a little less top end it will be a weapon on the road.



Update 28/10/2012


Rider modes rejoice!


I have been lucky enough to have use of the demo 1299 for the last week and it’s really give me the opportunity to try the rider modes and assess how the bike works on a day to day basis.


It’s involved some nice days and some downright, filthy wet days. On those nice days I’ve mostly used SPORT with the engine setting on high. This gives me full power, instant throttle response but more traction control, wheelie control and ABS on both wheels, than in RACE mode. It also keeps cornering ABS engaged which I believe switches off in RACE. These modes are great and I can’t illustrate any better than I did above how they make me feel. One thing to note is it’s amazing how quickly you become accustomed to all the power. All those many, many torques rampaging from between your legs to the tarmac. I have jumped on a Monster 821 between the 1299 and the surprise you feel when you first experience the power is inversely replicated when you get on a bike with about half the power. Is it broke, I kept thinking. I understand why people never leave big powered bikes behind now.


WET mode! I’ve ridden in rain on 4 days. 2 were disgusting, biblical rain. You can imagine my enthusiasm when watching water run across the tarmac, knowing I have 205 horses and 400 miles old Supercorsa SPs. Thank the little baby Jesus for WET mode, it restricts the snarling beast to a mere 150bhp, perfect for wet weather riding I hear you say!


If you’ve ever wondered what electronics can do to a bike, riding the 1299 in RACE or SPORT, then switching to WET, is a good way to find out. I honestly thought there was something wrong with the bike, like it wasn’t firing properly or something, then I realised whomever had it out before me had it in WET mode.


It’s a strange feeling as the 899 has an almost idiot-proof WET mode. It’s so smooth it’s ridiculous. With the 1299 and Supercorsas though, different story. It’s easy to get a twitch from the rear in 1st, 2nd and 3rd but the TC kicks in immediately and sorts your shit out for you. I found this morning (stinking, heavy rain) that TC was activating between every upshift. It’s good to know it’s got your back. The sensation in WET mode is very much of a bike being strangled. It’s still easy to ride and smooth in traffic, however, you can literally feel the electronics reducing the power and reducing your throttle inputs, it’s a strange sensation. It’s like the bike is saying: “are you fucking kidding me, you moonbucket, I’m not giving you anywhere near that”. A very welcome intervention in the pissing rain, on Supercorsas, on a bike like this.

Honestly, I prefer the 899’s WET mode to the 1299’s. It feels less like it’s containing something explosive. But, there is an ace up the 1299’s sleeve. Astonishing, smooth downshifts courtesy of the auto-blipper. I mentioned how incredible it is when you are scratching but, in the pissing rain, it’s really got to be up there with one of the best riding aids you can have. You can confidently drop down through the gears without pulling in the clutch, get smooth predictable engine braking and never worry about front wheel traction. Granted without it you are only pulling in the clutch to drop gears, but with it and the slipper clutch I’m 100% certain you can stop in a much shorter distance, use constant brake pressure without having to blip your right hand and ultimately brake safer in the wet. I bloody well love it!


The one positive when you ride in WET is it kind of builds your excitement for when you stick it back in RACE mode and unleash hell!


I’m nearing a resolution with my faulty 899. That resolution being, the 899 is going back and I am getting a 1299 with Akrapovic exhaust!


Oh and I as I sat on the ground in work car park. Eating my lunch, listening to the 1299 idle, I remembered if you could hear it’s electronics working when you are riding it would probably sound like this:




Update 29/10/2015



Swung a leg over the 1299 today, ready to set off. Raining again. I rode the length of the driveway and quickly realised something wasn’t right. I stopped and got off. First thought was check the rear tyre. My 899 was a magnet for rear punctures. As I bent down to check I put my hand on the seat and the bike bounced. That’s weird! So I immediately check the rear shock adjusters. There was no compression damping or rebound damping at all!

At this point my wife pops her head out the door. “I forgot to tell you little man was playing with the buttons on the bike last night.”


Right! So I quickly dialled the standard settings back in, then thought I’ll try it a bit softer. I left rebound where it was and knocked 2 clicks of compression off the rear. I have a hex tool in my bag so I did the front compression as well. This took me 45 seconds max. Jumped back on and rode off and she felt brilliant again. The slightly softer settings certainly made the ride easier in the rain. THe TC kicked in less too.


What’s my point in all this? Well a lot of bikes we buy have adjustable suspension and probably 95% of the time people never touch it. I’m not sure why, as learning how it works, has been one of the joys of bike ownership for me. I loved my 675R Ohlins kit and I had two settings I used. One for when it was dry and one for pissing rain or during the depths of winter (when the oil doesn’t flow as well). It took me 60 seconds to dial them in. The 1299, I’m pleased to say will be the same. In fact the rear shock is so easy to adjust a 3 year old can actually do it!


I see a lot of threads on Ducati forums where people ask should I buy a 1299 or 1299S. Other than full LED headlights and carbon front mudguard, the big difference for your extra £4.5k, is the electronic suspension. I’ve seen the 1299S manual and if you aren’t going to use the predefined ESA settings, its going to take you a hell of a lot longer than 60 seconds to dial in some settings. Plus, having ridden both versions, there isn’t a hell of a lot of difference when riding on the road. I’m 100% sure the ESA comes into its own on track. You certainly aren’t going to notice the benefits when commuting or on a Sunday jolly. Of course another major benefit of the ESA is 3 year olds need a step, the key and some menu savvy to change your setup as a special surprise for Daddy or Mummy!


I’ve had a chat with my suspension guru and for 2 Peppa Pig yoghurts and regular Dangermouse breaks; he is available for completely incorrect suspension setups.

 

Yeah just a bit!

 

Rode to work this morning. Misty, 5 degrees on the dash. 1299 felt great. Solid and smooth. Engine heat was a nice little fire to keep me toasty. Other than the price the only thing i don't like is the mirrors, they are useless. No damping in them at all so they vibrate like mad.

Sadly it's going back to the dealers today and then i have some deciding to do. I don't need that power, nobody does! But just prowling around on that thing makes you feel like you won't mind the money leaving your account each month. Any decision will be made as soon as i hear my 899 fired up again. I think I'll know straight away if i'll ever trust it again enough to keep it.

I also ride all year so the thought of treating the 1299 to a winter of salt and shit actually makes me understand completely why you would have a scooter or scrambler if you could afford both!

 

I rode the S version for about an hour and in the real world i wouldn't fork out the extra for it.

The base suspension is really, really good for the roads i tried it on up here. Better than my 899.

 

I found it good way more feedback and ability than the 899 unit.

 

Me when I'm commuting.