Ducati Roadshow

Hi,

I had a fab day at the Ducati Roadshow at Seastars Superbikes in Norwich today.

I hadn't pre-booked but just turned up. I was able to book a slot on a Monster 1200s, and 899, over a couple of hours. After those rides, I was chatting and one of the group lead riders and he suggested I try the 1199s too, they quickly arranged to borrow the dealer bike, and he took me out on my own on the same route.

The weather was great, and really friendly set-up, and a nice route of around 25 miles, maybe 30 mins riding. Very well organised, and although you ride in a group, it wasn't too tame, if you know what I mean

The event is on again at the same venue tomorrow (Sunday 18th), so if you're nearby and free, I highly recommend going along.

I'll write up my thoughts on the 3 bikes I tried in due course. I was surprised, so it showed me the value of test rides, especially back-to-back.

Thanks to Ducati UK for the event, and Seastars for hosting - great job all round.

 

Monster 1200s

I've owned 3 Monsters (620, 696, and 1100s), so was definitely in the market for this bike. I wasn't impressed by the styling of the 1200 when it was launched, and when I saw it in the metal at the Birmingham show last year, it didn't change my mind. It's like the bastard child of a Monster and a Diavel, and I think it's lost the Monster magic.

Because of that (and similar disappointment with the 899), I bought a 1098 (my first sports/superbike).

Anyway, I was keen to try the 1200s, as I would like to return to Monsters at some stage.

Stepping on to a Monster again after riding the 1098 was weird - upright, wide high bars, and no screen. Amazing how quickly I'd acclimatised to sports bikes.

The 1200s felt very easy to ride, it honestly felt almost like a bicycle. Over the course of the test ride, I got the opportunity to stretch the engine a little, and it really does dominate the riding experience, but other than the engine, I felt the bike lacked overall character, and certainly lacked character compared to my 1100s. I was also surprised that the exhaust was burning my leg through my leathers on the right-hand side even when on the move - not comfortable.

Although I could find neutral itself, the neutral light didn't always come on, which was a pain.

So, stonking engine, but not enough to overcome the general lack of character, and dubious styling. It really is too easy to ride. Riding my 1098 always feels like an event, but riding this bike just felt like a uninspiring trip to the shops.

Disappointing, and if this represents the future of the Monster range, I think it's lost its way.

5/10

 

Panigale 899

I was really keen to try this, as it seemed to offer the balance of sports bike drama, but usable on public roads. Obviously it gets rave reviews on that basis.

The bike felt slightly taller and certainly narrower than my current 1098, but it was easy to adapt. I'm short (5' 5"), but from what I've read, I expected the 899 to be more comfortable than my 1098. So, surprisingly, it was certainly no easier on my wrists, and possibly worse. Also, again, the exhaust felt a little too warm on my right leg, even when on the move. My 1098 gets a bit toasty in traffic. but isn't a problem on the move like this was, so this was a disappointment. I also found the narrow seat of the 899 to be uncomfortable by the end of the ride.

I don't have that much experience of sportsbikes, but it's amazing how a bike with 898cc and 148HP can feel like a toy, and this did. This probably isn't the case, but I felt that I would be able to push the bike hard, and its limits would be within my ability.

More of the rev range is exploitable road speeds, and indeed, it needs to be used to keep on the boil. I found this to be fun over a 30 minute test ride, but I'm not sure I'd want to always have to do that every ride. I also found it quite loud given it has to be revved higher more often. Don't get me wrong, I like the noise, but I'd like the option to cruise more quietly at times, and tho just seemed 'loud'.

I'm sure I only scraped the surface of the performance, and I'm no expert rider, but it did feel like an entry-level sports bike, but it did have that all important character.

So, I found the 899 to certainly be fun, and I can see the appeal, but it didn't really grab me like I expected it would, based on the reviews.

7/10

 

Panigale 1199s

I hadn't booked to ride the 1199s, but one of the Ducati UK lead riders suggested that if I liked the 899, I should try the 1199, and that I'd find it quite ridable, so I gave it a go.

The biggest difference noticeable on the test ride (over the 899) was the engine. Whereas it was necessary to work the gears to keep the 899 on the boil, the 1199 had instantly accessible power at all times, and it was completely addictive. I was expecting it to have less torque at the lower rev range, but I didn't find it lacking. The power was just there, and it wasn't necessary to thrash the engine to access it, and that made it a quieter experience, if that's what you wanted.

I'm sure the Ohlins suspension played its part, but whereas on the other bikes I was thinking about the comfort and noise, etc. On the 1199 I became completely absorbed in the overall ride, and this bike completely got me, it was fantastic.

Obviously a bike like this can't be fully utilised on the road, but I didn't find it frustrating, and it did seem quite usable. A bit of a pain in slow traffic, but that goes with the territory.

I didn't get to experiment with the modes, it was left in Sport, and it would be great to experiment with those over time.

I've heard more than one person say they tried both the 1199 and 899, but preferred the 899 - including Baron Von Grumble (who has a lot more sportsbike experience than I have), but for me the 1199s was a much more absorbing experience. It felt like a full on grown-up bike compared to the 899.

It felt more modern than my 1098 in nearly every way (though going back to my 1098 for the ride home wasn't the disappointment I thought it might be), but it would be a worthwhile upgrade in general performance terms (ignoring the 20K sticker price).

Riding this bike felt like the event it should be, and the 1199s goes straight to the top of the want list.

I'm sure people who've gone for an 899 won't be disappointed, and this is just my experience today.

Well worth getting along to a roadshow to try these bikes out back-to-back to decide for yourself.

9/10 (got to leave some room for the R, or Superleggera )

 

One thing I forgot to mention in my write-ups, and which applied to all the new bikes was regarding the switchgear.

Firstly, the indicator / turn-signal / dash control switch: On all three bikes I rode, it was a grey square peg, which to me, it both looks and feels like the cap of the button has fallen off. Not sure why it couldn't have a more ergonomic button cap. It actually started to hurt my thumb by the end of my rides.

Secondly (and admittedly a minor point), why has the 'quick start' feature been removed? Once I learnt from this forum that I only need to press the start button on my 1098 and the bike will automatically turn the starter motor until the bike starts, I now use that every time without thinking. Unfortunately, this doesn't work on the new bikes, so I touched the start button momentarily, and... the bike didn't start. It's now necessary to hold the start button until the bike starts, which seems like a retrograde step.

 

The button is a minor point too, yes, but it also seems like a detail that should be easy to get right (on bikes that are a minimum of 12.5K).

Like many, I spam the button regularly to ensure the indicator is cancelled. "Hurt" was overstating it, but the sharp cornered unergonomic peg was getting a little sore. I'm sure I'd learn to press less etc.

Anyway, that was my experience. Enjoy your 899, I'm sure it's a fabulous bike to live with.