Sport Rider review of 1198

G

Grown & Sexy!

New member
Just picked up the new sport rider and they had a review of the new 1198. I'll start by saying I am not a huge fan of sport rider, because it seems if it's not a jap 1000cc, it is just not a good bike.

The review of the 1198 was very good, but one remark caught me off gaurd. They said anyone who currently owns the 1098 has good reason to be upset given the performance of the new 1198. I don't really feel mad at all, because I am comparing my base 1098 against the base 1198 (can't afford the S of either versoin so it does not matter to me in the least). The ONLY thing the base 1198 has over the base 1098 is 100cc, 10 HP and 7ft lb of torque. I would wager a bet that the suspension is exactally the same, the wheels are the same and I know for sure the brembo monoblocs are the same.

I for one do not feel slighted in the least, and I plan on upgrading my 1098 and enjoying it for years to come. The one thing about Ducati that the jap bikes can't copy is how timeless thier designs are. Are you going to tell me that a dude rolling around on his late 90's superbike does not still have an extremely cool ride? I think not! A late 90's GSXR, now that's another story.

It frustrates me that evey year things evolve so fast that they outdate the model before them almost instantly. I don't personally feel that Ducati has this problem though. If I am ridng my 1098 six years from now, I think I will still feel the pride of ownership that I felt the day I bought it.
 
Kento is an idiot. He doesn't understand anything that isn't a japanese literbike. If you buy Sport rider there's a 95% chance you'll be disappointed. And I'll give that response 100% of the time.
 
It's funny how things change. All through the 90's, I vividly remember Sport Rider getting all sorts of hate mail because Kent was biased. He was biased TOWARDS Ducati. He tested the new 916, and loved it. And in every review, he managed to work in the fact that whatever bike he was testing was no where near as fun to ride as the 916.

You guys seem very wrapped up in what the magazines say about our bikes. The mags have good points when they talk about the Duc. You can buy a faster, more capable street or race bike for less money. It's as simple as that. A Duc is something different. We like Duc for unexplainable reasons. But on paper, they're going to lose a shoot out to a modern literbike. Because those shootouts measure tangible things. Not soul, or sound. Or beauty.

We like our Duc's anyhow. Why do we care if some editor likes them as much. He doesn't have the love for Ducati you need to have in order to forgive it's faults. My Duc is less reliable than my CBR. Less comfortable than my CBR, no faster than my CBR and cost a ton more than my CBR. If I didn't have a thing for the Duc that made ME biased, how could my Duc beat my CBR in a shootout?
 
I guess I read the article from a different perspective. I am trying to decide whether to purchase a slightly used 1098 or pay a premium for the newer 1198. This artilce provide me with a lot of technical comparisons as well as opinions on the differences between these two OUTSTANDING bikes. I have to admit, I am still trying to make up my mind. I could go on about my thoughts, but that would be for another thread.

In any event, I enjoyed the article and I do enjoy SportRider. I like motorcycle magazines because they give me food for my thoughts, but they don't make my mind up for me.

Ride Safe!
 
Sure, but it's the worst of the lot. Cycle Canada (they'll REALLY let you know what they think of a bike, even completely trash their sponsors at times), then Cycle World and Motorcyclist in that order are far more useful magazines if you want an honest opinion. Most Sport Rider reviews of Ducati's are like asking Paul Tuttle what he thinks of the new Gixxer's.

I've been burned enough buying it that I'm not even going to bother reading the article, too little, too late.
 
If I want a good cycle mag, I go with what the UK has to offer. For making a buying choice, I never trust what I read.

Texas, don't get too wrapped up in the "which bike to buy" thing. If you're into Ducs, the 1098 is an awesome bike. I'm sure the 1198 will also be great, with improvements. If you buy a 1098, you'll be very happy. If you buy a 1198, you'll be very happy as well. None of us are going to use those extra few ponies.

What I'm saying is, let your wallet be your guide. If you can, and don't mind dropping the cash on a 1198, do it and have fun. If you want to save a buck, get the 1098. If you're the type of guy that can't stand the idea of owing a 1098 knowing the 1198 is a little faster, then get the 1198 to keep your sanity. But that's useless. Neither one will be the fastest bike on the street. And in a few years Duc will come out with the next big thing and the 1198 will also be yesterdays news.
 
Back
Top