Honest Opinions on the 1098

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brandon Lawrence L
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Brandon Lawrence L

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Hello fellas! I came here because I know I will only get if I ask this question on my R1 forum. I know how forums are about loyalty

My back ground: I've been riding since the age of 12. I started on a Yamaha YZ100 and kept her until I broke the engine from not running the gasoline oil mixture like I was supposed to. It took years for that to take it's toll though. I went to a Yamaha XS650 and got most of my street riding skills from it. It took great care of me (one of the reasons I'm a Yamaha fan). I tried the Honda Hurrican when it came out but back then the one I had was a piece of crap. It stayed in the shop. Afterwars I moved to the YZF 600 and now my R1 and R6.

Now to my current issue. The truth is I've always wanted a Ducati and I was close to getting the 748 when I bought my R1. The maintenance hoopla and all was one of the things that deterred me. Now the 1098 is damn near un-resistible for me and I'm about to loose my mind.

The questions I have are: Will the 1098 be worth the $$ in fun factor? Does the L twin have vibration... how much/how bad? Will this bike be just as good in commuting? I do street riding more than I do track. I've heard stories of the 1098 being hard on the wrists and the tank makes for a painful ride after a while. I need to hear it from people who own them and not the haters. Right now Ducati has a super deal on the 1098 but I want to make sure I have no doubts. She will get mileage if I buy her, no doubt. I'm not worried about the speed vs japanese bikes because I know 80% of the Jap riders are posers anyway. I want a bike that shows my passion for riding. Please give me some insight. I know I'm on a 1098 forum but try to keep your opinions as honest and unbiased as possible please. Thanks.
 
I've only had mine for three weeks, I absolutely love it. I'm a bit tall 6'2" the bike is comfortable to me I've always felt that being taller helps on sport bikes because you dont have to lean into the bars as much. Yes your legs are a bit more contorted but to me the bike's ergos are fine. I love the bike nothing more to be said! Did I say that I love the bike? Yeah I think I did!

I also had a 600 Hurricaine back in the day, bought it for my wife she got scared so I kinda prefered it over my 750 Interceptor. Any way never had any problems, my point is you hear about some of the 1098 problems and you just never know. You had problems with your Honda, I probably had about 50K problem free miles on mine. Hopefully I can get 50K problem free on the Duc, will see.
 
It's obvious you're there and you just want us to give you that last shove, would you ever be able to forgive yourself if you didn't buy your dream bike. You need a test ride, that should finish you off.


To answer some of your questions, IMO..........

) Yes, it kills my back but then again it's a pure sport/track machine and not made for comfort and I'm 42.

) The engine does have a bit of vibration at certain rpm just like any internal combustion engine but it's far from a problem and nothing bar end weights can't fix.

) The heat from the exhaust is unbearable in stop-n-go traffic and sitting at lights but not an issue at speed.

) The torque from the twin gives the bike usable power from the word go, no waiting for that 2 stroke like power hit you get from the I-4's.

) The maintenance schedule is far better than it's ever been with Ducatis but still expect to pay a premium.

Will it be worth the $$? Well i think so but that's for you to decide and you can't do that until you get one. Come on, leave the squids behind and join the revolution.

Viva Ducati!
 
You are right about the test ride. That's all I need to answer most of my questions. Thanks for the reply. I can tell they're honest opinions.
 
I can't see paying that much for an S model that has the same engine as the base. I mean, unless I was racing in WERA expert class with sponsors to buy me a set of tires for every race, I don't need an all around Ohlins suspension, when I can set up the factory suspension and still beat the average rider. It would help my imagination of becoming a WSBK competitor though.. Oh the the thought of high-siding a 1098S
 
First things first so you know what you are dealing with. I'm a 51 year old fat, balding old man who has ridden bikes since about the 3rd grade. I love everything from old British twins to early two stroke motocross bikes and even today's GT bikes like the ZX-14 or Hayabusa. I love motorcycles, all types, all sizes, all brands. I'm 5'8" tall, weigh 210 pounds and have only a 30" inseam so I look like a fire hydrant.

"Will the 1098 be worth the $$ in fun factor?" It has been for me, no doubt about it either.

"Does the L twin have vibration... how much/how bad?"....... Yes and moreso if you lug the engine. I find it more comfortable to ride it like I would an inline four, especially on acceleration. The vibration is not bad and certainly not nearly as bad as my BSA Lightning with the close ratio gearbox.

"Will this bike be just as good in commuting?"...... Personally, I would not like to do this and I would absolutely HATE it if it was stop and go, stoplight to stoplight commuting. Now if it is just out on the highway, point to point, that would be ok. I guess it really depends on the route you have to take.

"I've heard stories of the 1098 being hard on the wrists and the tank makes for a painful ride after a while."......For me, it is hard on the wrists if you're around town and it has put my right hand to sleep after about 30 minutes on an interstate. This ain't no cruiser. There are solutions to the numbing vibration but I've not bothered with it and I actually like leaning against the tank but then I've got a belly to cushion the ride.


"I want a bike that shows my passion for riding.".......and that is exactly why I bought mine. I was considering a GSXR 1000, Hayabusa, ZX-14 or maybe the new Concours or an FJ sport tourer. The Ducati is different and I have no regrets so far. Mine has had the ECU replaced and the sprocket recall done too but other than that, it is stock. I am considering the Termi or Akrapovic full exhaust upgrade.

My suggestion.....buy it, don' look back, expect some "issues" of one kind or another and learn to deal with it. Establish a good relationship with your dealer so you are treated well after the sale.

Jet
 
Ok here is my honest opinion of my 1098, and I own a 2006 R6 as well so that might help. Im
6'4 and 205 lbs. and when I got the bike it killed me. I don’t know what all the other guys rode before this thing that said it was comfortable but it’s a far cry away from the R6 which is suppose to be very uncomfortable. But I put a sargent seat, helibars, and some sato rearsets and now it’s 100 times better then what it was. the first thing I noticed about the 1098 is how unrefined it is. I always had the image of riding a ducati that it would feel more refined then my Yamaha. but no.... not at all, it’s about as raw as you can get for a bike. it has none of that plastic that encloses everything like a jap bike, it vibrates, the windshield faring shakes violently and the mirrors are useless. it has a very on off feel to the throttle which can be intimidating. before the helibars when I would turn my hands would get caught between the bars and the fairing. people say there is a big difference between the dry clutch vs the wet but I don’t see it. they feel the same to me. and my R6 has a slipper. that’s about the only thing I noticed different between them. I just had to learn to blip the throttle properly. the fine build quality that I hear everyone blab about on this forum is none existent from what I have seen, the paint is horrible in my intake vents the paint starts to fade away into white because someone didn’t take the time to make sure he got everything. the fairing bolts rattle out, I have lost two already. everything has to be checked at the first service because your dealer will tell you that ducatis are built like shit from the factory. and many guys on this forum have also said that they are just slapped together from the factory so they should be checked over. the pipes get extremely hot to the point every time you go out if you hit one light you will feel like you pissed your self. your right leg will feel like its on fire, I actually had to check once to see if it was on fire. the termi slip ons helped a bit with the heat though. I am too tall to properly tuck under the windshield. and when tucked it is even more uncomfortable, like painful even. I put a puig double bubble windshield on it and that helped a bit. the rpm gauge is so hard to read it’s useless. I had to learn to go by sound only. it is horrible for a passenger and you have to be very careful because the clutch and throttle are so very touchy you feel like your going to buck the passenger off. meticulous maintenance is a must. bleed your clutch and brakes often to keep dirt out of them, it can cause the slave cylinders to leak. I will be changing my oil ever 3000 kms, even though I has had two already with 1825 kms on the clock due to break downs. oh yeah the break downs. at 1400km the shift linkage messed up because it was not adjusted properly from the factory, so that screwed the crank bearings as well, and the seal for the clutch popped out and that had to be replaced also. the bike was down for 2 weeks. but it was all under warranty. and now at 1825kms the voltage regulator im guessing through my research is toast. I had to push it home yesterday in +30 heat for about 4 kms.

so I know that this is looking allot like a 1098 diss post but it is far from that. im just being honest like you have requested. all in all I am in love with my baby. the sound of this bike in intoxicating. the look of this bike in person is dreamy. I sit there and stare at it all the time. I think about it all the time. the torque is amazing, no more twisting the throttle and falling asleep waiting for power. you want go, twist your right hand and it doesn’t matter what rpm it’s at or what time it is. its power time all day and on the duc your the only one invited. the handling is amazing and I never thought it could get any better until I took the advice from the guys on the forum and got my suspension tuned. and then it’s just amazing. my confidents have gone up 110% from this bike. I am a way better rider on this bike then I ever was on my yammy. it feels so planted that you feel you can take corners much faster then what you are. not twitchy at all. and you don’t have to down shift a million times to get the power to come out of corners. power wheelies when ever you feel like it. through the first three gears it is when ever you feel like flicking your wrist. the factory tires are awesome and the brakes with a delicate are amazing. I have had my 1098 base for about 5 months and I would never trade it for anything. I have never ridden anything that made me love twisty roads like this thing. it is like no other motorcycle experience I have ever had. I will always own a duc from now on. oh and don’t forget about all the fun your going to have when you get bit by the mod bug! that’s one of the best parts. Oh and don’t forget it’s a ducati... it has to be red.
 
Thanks for all the replies. It's nice to get honesty. I'm not new to biking so I know every bike has it's goods and bads. That's why I came here to get the owners perspective. I like the "its power time all day and on the duc your the only one invited" comment. Very well put and only avid bikers can put this comment in perspective.

I'm still un-decided so I guess I will have to talk to the dealer about a test ride. It's not always feasible but I will put in writing to the dealer that if I cause any damage to the bike during my test-ride, I will purchase it. You can't get any more assuring than that.

Lot's of good people here. I think I will hang around even if I'm not a Duc owner.... (yet). The troll factor is much smaller here.
 
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