how does the streetfighter compare to the 1098 and other sport bikes?

G

Grey

New member
I have base SF (my second ducati, my first was a 696)
I want to be a proud ducati owner,
BUT...

When I ride with a group of friends who own jap inline 4s ranging from 600cc to 1000cc, (mostly gsxr) i find no problems keeping up with them, and out performing many of them on the winding roads, I just find it seems it takes THEM less effort to ride, (they just look like there riding smoother and easier).

Im not sure if its because i ride an L twin, and/or the SF has low rpm fueling problem and/or no wind proteciton. It's just when I finish a ride, I feel like it was a bit of a struggle to ride with them.
I dont really feel overly happy with my SF, but i dont have the experience or knowledge to compare it to other bikes...If someone with expertise could answer a few questions and pass on what ever else they like it would be greatly greatly appreciated!!!!!

"assuming the riders are exactly the same"
1) How does the SF compare in relation to the performance of my friends jap bikes?

2) In a straight away, lets say 100meters off the line which bike would win?(if my buddies raced me at a light)

3) Off the line in a 1/4 mile?

4) On a twisty track?

5) The 1098 has an awsome track record, if i rode a 1098 how would I find the ride/performance compared to my SF? Considering the bikes I ride with would I have been better off purchasing a 1098 or 1198????

6) Can you tell me why I should be happy with ducati SF ownership, when I could have purchased a jap bike for thousands less?

Thanks in advance!!! (by the way I'm not complaining about the SF i just want to be proud of my bike)
 
Sounds like you're allowing your "friends" to disrespect you and your bike. The potential is there. It's up to you to make it work. Maybe you need to find some REAL friends to ride with.
 
Thanks for the input, appreciate it, but like I said these are great guys, been friends with most of them for years, their just having fun razzing me about my bike, (their all jap owners, Im the only ducati rider), I'm just hoping for some facts to heighten my knowledge and appreciation of my SF, and maybe some advise/tips on how/when I can out perform their inline 4s, of course all in fun.
 
Well, the SF is not a sportbike, it's a naked street bike with a big-ass powerful motor, excellent suspension and brakes. It takes more effort to turn a SF compared to a Superbike, but it's very stable in the corners. On the track, a Superbike is clearly better due to the quicker turning, more weight over the front tire, and better aerodynamics. On the street, if you can't keep up with sportbikes when you're riding a SF, it's you, not the bike. It does benefit from suspension setup, which might make it easier for you to ride, do you have a shop in your area you could take it to to get the suspension and ride height dialed in for you?
 
I think you either get it, or you don't (the appreciation). Your appreciation of a motorcycle shouldn't depend on what anyone else thinks (that's how IL4 riders must think )
Just ride your own race mate... so to speak.

The big motored Ducati's always require a little extra effort when you want to start punting them along and it's really down to fitness of the rider imo. The superbikes would really be no different than the SF, other the initial seating position & tune, at least until you get up to 'gaol' speeds

Sounds like you should concentrate elewhere and not worry about 1/4 mile times and inconsequential things like that.

Similar threads Here & here

848 & SF owner opinions
 
Here is another idea/question...
Who gets laid more? Your friends on the so common gxsr's or you on a totally uncommon bike that looks nothing like them dose not sound anything like them and does not ride like them?! You bought your bike to ride and enjoy... DO IT!

I have a bunch of HD friends that love my bike but hate the clutch... They like the liter L-twin that makes my bike what it is, but when they are on my right side they just shake their heads!

The SF is a nice bike, if I traded out my 999 I would go with a big SR4 Monster myself, that’s my choice... live with yours or make a change... don’t bitch... you knew what you were getting into since you had 696 already. And don’t let your friends make the decision for you!

I don’t want to rain on your parade, just being honest with the answer to your question!
Ride safe and have fun this GREAT holiday weekend!
 
Here's some thoughts, as I own both a 2008 1098 that I use for street and track and a 2009 CBR1000RR that's just a street toy. My wife also has an 09 CBR1000RR as well as a CBR600RR that she runs on the track.

- On the bottom end, its no contest. The torque out of the Duc mean an instant jump to lightspeed. Just master the clutch release and hang on. On the top end, move over, as the inlines' will eventually catch you, once they can build revs. However, any idiot can ride fast in a straight line. What's the fun in that? A straightline is only useful in getting to the next corner.

- Learn to ride, especially good cornering technique. I've ridden a couple of SFs, and the guys are right, it takes more effort compared to my 1098. However, you've still got that big, honkin' Duc motor under you, so learn to use it exiting corners. The inlines may be able to hang or even distance you in the straights, but unless the rider is really good, the low-end torque in the Duc means you can own the corner exits. Most inline riders don't understand the need to keep the revs up in the stratosphere to stay in the torque. (When I'm on the track on one of the CBRs, anytime I hit 9000 rpm, I'm downshifting to keep the revs up!).

- As for why you should be a Ducatista, its real easy. I've got a Repsol edition CBR1000RR and its really cool, looks great and its easy to ride. But, when I touch the starter of the Duc and the Termi's start to bark and the clutch starts rattling through the ventilated clutch cover, its a whole different feeling. The Duc is rough, tough to ride, gets lousy gas mileage, the ergonomics belong in a dungeon torture chamber, and its generally a beast. But nothing feels like it when you roll on the throttle and get instantly shot into the next dimension...now I've just got to get that slipper clutch installed...
 
So, what's stopping you?



The SF goes really really quick. How quick is up to the rider. A quick guy on a Jap bike will be really really quick, but will eventually get bored of his jap bike and spend a good deal of time telling other DUcati owners how bad their bikes are and how they are unreliable etc etc. The same quick rider on an SF will also be really really quick, but will probably smile a lot more ..




How quick are your buddies? How quick are you? How quick do you want to be.......??? ......and how much training and practice do you want to do to be as quick as you want to be????



Depends: What tyres are you running? What is the air temp? What is the track temp? No DTC on the base model.....hmm.....and most importantly, how talented is the rider??



Depends on the rider....



Maybe. But could you commute, handle traffic, etc etc as easily on a Superbike? The SF Weighs a little less, and is far less taxing to ride, a lot more comfortable, but has a longer wheelbase and trail (more stable in corners, but slower turning)....what is it you want out of a bike?



No. Only you can tell yourself that. The real question is: would you be happy, really happy, if you bought a jap bike for thousands less?


Seriously, if you are trying to justify ownership of your Ducati (or any other bike for that matter) on the basis of "performance numbers", then you've missed the point entirely.

From the sounds of it, if you are getting 'tired' keeping up with your buddies, then there's a) something entirely wrong with your riding technique, b) your bike setup (ie- suspension) is not sorted or c) a combination of both.

FWIW, I own an SF (S) and an 848, and whilst the smaller superbike is not nearly as powerful as the SF, I find it much, much more taxing to ride quickly on the road, not as comfortable on long hauls, and more difficult in traffic. That said, on track the 848 comes into its element.

The SF, however, has the key I always grab when the garage door opens. I find it far more easy to ride quickly on almost every occasion

jdw

EDIT: PS - forgot to mention that our local Ducati Team Racer (Craig McMartin) took a stock demo SF out for a session at EC some weeks back......he embarrassed plenty of A-grade riders on race machines that day!! Like I said: It's all about the rider...
 
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