MY VIEWS by Philippos Philippou
Hi,
I am the owner of a 916 Biposto model 98 purchased in Feb 99.
Pros: The bike is great. Riding is extreme and position allows you to
dominate the bike. Stability on corners is immaculate, I often ride with
friends (Honda CBR 900RR, Yamaha R1, Honda 1100 XX) and they really feel
unease when they take same lean angles as me. Looks are great (people come
and ask me what bike it is and how much I paid for it etc). I also rode R1
several times it is very nervous (can't keep the front wheel down). Ducati
gives the feeling of a compact, stable machine which does exectly what you
tell it to do. Power delivery is lazy (no sudden power explosion of Japanese
bikes) but then again this is the beauty of a V-Twin. Torque wise The
Fireblade needs to rev a lot to catch up (beginning) but then of course it
blasts away as a faster bike that it is (Fireblade: 126 bhp Vs Ducati 916:
105 bhp). Torque figures however are almost the same ! Character: Japanese
bikes lack in this area. What it means is that they all look the same in
funny shapes (e.g. VTR-SP1), flat forms and really strange colors (I often
compare cars in a similar way: a Ferrari Vs a Masda or a Mitsubishi...
something is not there !!?).
Cons: I had a small problem with my cylinder cascade and leaking coolant.
From what I heard some other people too (916s only). Actually Ducati changed
the part (new official part no) and new cascade is thinner with smaller
holes for the right flow of coolant through the pistons. The thing was
changed without any side effects on either performance or heating
temperatures (compression ratios and combustion chamber stays the same
although size of part is different). Lastly you need to make sure the dealer
knows what he is doing otherwise you are in trouble as engine is sensitive
and unique (not a lot of people know how to service a V-twin). Parts are
expensive so make sure you won't need new fairing (USD 300 each) or a
headlamp (USD 500!) or ... Quality on Ducatis has improved after the help
from Texas Pasific in USA. Quality control I read somewhere has improved by
345 % in 13 months of 97 (in terms of output checks and approvals).
Summary: The excitement of the Ducati, for me, comes from the fact that is
hard to ride and very uncomfortable but you still enjoy the ride and that is
the beauty of it !! BUT this is something you get used to and your body
learns to deal with it in a matter of months. Because it is tiring it gives
you the pleasure of riding a bike that is not dull or boring (riding
CBR900RR and Kawasaki's ZX-9 felt as if I sat on a sofa-more power is there
that's true). Besides, it does not matter how quickly you go to 140-150 mph.
All bikes nowadays have top speed near 160 mph even 600s (who rides 160 mph
fulltime anyway ?). THE THING IS HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY IT WHILE GOING THERE.
Buy for the right reasons. As a friend of mine says "If you do not
track-race the 916 and simply stroll around is like having a platonic
relationship with Pamella-Lee Anderson". A somewhat stupid statement but
it
gives the picture.
Other points: Tyres Pirelli Dragon MTR 01/ 02 (good grip but last only
3-4.000 miles). New Pirelli EVO seems better (lasting Vs grip)
Engine Oil Agip's 4T 20W 50 full synthetic (more than you'll ever need).
Termignoni exhaust pipes: sounds great but expensive to buy
and fuel consumption goes up by 25-30%.
Rgds
Philip
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