New Bikes Announced

Davieravie said:
Im very tempted with the 848.....but no Yellow....WHY? Black would have been good too :( :(
Click to expand...

Yep black would be my first choice. I saw a black 1098 at DG in the summer. The pictures I'd seen of them just didn't do it any justice at all...this thing was absolutely stunning!!!

I'm wondering whether to wait until 2009 for the 's'? Maybe that'll come in black? Guess I could get the red and re-spray it, but I don't really ever want to be going down that road again...ever.
 
Dave G said:
I've now looked at the new monster for a day and am pretty much of the same opinion as when I saw it first.Very much the curates egg....good in places, which, for a manufacturer so used to being branded as stylish is not a great thing.
I can live with the things that seem to have bothered others,the cans,tank, and headlamp, even the swingarm may grow on me.
What I cant get over is the incongruity of that rear subframe and the matching footpeg hanger arrangement,they could have come off a Honda hornet,its not even easily replaced from what I can see(though painting it black may help)and,while I cant tell from the photos alone would seem to raise some tricky access problems for those who would do their own maintainance.
I do hope its not a template for future monster models.

I dont see what the fuss with the 848 is about apart from a new colour option,it is a smaller engined 1098,which I'm also undecided about.
I think Ducati have seemingly stopped designing things for themselves and started listening to comittees a bit too much.
The upside of the all new releases in Milan is that the new Fireblade(and Hornet) is so gross that the Ducati models seem the more elegant options once more. This however shouldn't disguise the impression that Ducatis design house seem to now be re-interpreting japanese imitations of its own original models, when a copy is copied so many times it begins to lose the purpose of the original design decisions.
Ducati has lost its way.
Click to expand...

Sorry Dave - on this one I have to say - I couldn't agree with you less!

I have seen them in the flesh and you just DO NOT get a feel for these bikes until you do.

Apart from the enginerring excellence (that's all it could be called) on the 696, it really is a lovely bike.

The pics just do not do it justice, up close you see a depth of design that is just not apparent in the pics.

As to the design of the 1098 and 848........... I am delighted with the family look (a modern 916, the family resemblance is more than passing), the way mine rides (power of a jap four, torque of a 999 F03 and handling of a 749R) and finally ultimately the fact I sold more 1098s in one year than I did in the last 3 years of 999. These facts speak volumes to me, I dunno what more you could ask for!:dunno:

Don't get me wrong, I am one of the very biggest fans alive of both the Monster and 999. But I am completely bowled over with the engineering quality of these new models - in some cases it honestly defies belief.

I mean 80bhp from an air cooled 696cc at just 163kg!?!?
or a staggering 180bhp from a 1200 twin at 165kg!?!?!

These figures are frankly astounding.

Lost their way?? Nah .................. In my opinion, Ducati have found a new lease of life and furthermore a concentrated direction more than I have ever seen and thankfully I am right in the thick of it - i'm chuffed!

Time is moving on for Ducati and the last twelve months have seen a huge cash injection, some genius new approaches and racing success like they have never experienced before. Welcome to the future mate!:D

Mart:D
 
Sorry Martin ,but I wouldn't expect you to say anything else.
As far as engineering goes, You could say that about almost any modern bike,I wouldn't dispute any of that.
My opinion remains that its not a coherent design,with some visually jarring elements,as if it were two separate design teams who did the work in secret from each other,if the decision to use casting was a conscious design one then at least the shapes could have been better thought through,this one is like a crude mix of art nouveau and art deco- each pleasant on their own, but don't mix well.
That said ,I do like the overall silhouette when these details are ignored, and some of the style aspects that have attracted a lot of negative critique on various Ducati boards don't bother me at all.
I walked into your shop and saw my S2R and immediately thought 'I want that' , like wise the SC 1000S (my next bike:D )and the motard too.
I chose my bike deliberately over the triumph speed triple as I preferred the looks.This new monster leaves me stone cold.
Your right in that design moves on and its never too healthy to be stuck in the past too much,after all, thats what did for the british bike industry. But others have moved on too with some fantastic designs but in a funny echo of car design I see bike design converging in some areas to a point where if all the badges and logos were removed you may be hard pushed to tell who made what.
I'm glad the 1098 has done well,but to me its a derivative design(I'm talking purely about style ) and I think the 999 was more unique and characterful,even if it did have a few faults.

:)
 
Last edited:
Martin Ducati Glasgow said:
I mean 80bhp from an air cooled 696cc at just 163kg!?!?
Click to expand...
That's the one thing about the new Monster that really stands out and it's only a 2V as well. That's the equivalent of 120 hp from an 1100 MS or HM. Can't say I'm enamoured with the looks though, too heavy looking at the back end and a weird looking headlamp. I'll decide when I've seen one.
 
PaulV said:
Initial views on the new monster; to many burgers, looks a bit porky, some nice detailing.

More of an evolution than a revolution.

Bit of a mixed bag really. Have to wait to see it in the flesh before I make my mind up....:dunno: :scratchhead:
Click to expand...


Will it be at the nec? And what date is the show on?

Fine line between evolution and revolution, just look at the Mitsubishi Evo's :confused:

p.s. not sure if I have settled with the multi?!?!?!?
 
Ducati seem to have lost the desire to inovate instead adopting a more main stream approach which keeps dealers happy with sales short term but long term will lose the old fan base :( the new Monster looks like a cross between a Delirio/Brutale/hornet hardly ground breaking and as its a city/urban bike why would it need to be so highly tuned?? If they were innovating they'ed have looked at bikes like the Mana and realised they need to up the game technology wise.

This is the second year running I've been dissapointed by what they've shown at Milan, the bikes are either too samey or just not really on the mark when it comes to how they are used.

Compare the Ducati stand with KTM or Bimota, why can't Ducati do a bike like the DB7?

01.jpg
 
Gizmo said:
Compare the Ducati stand with KTM or Bimota, why can't Ducati do a bike like the DB7
Click to expand...

They can, or more correctly they could. Bimota, Benelli, MV, Aprilia all may make bikes that are no more technically advanced than Ducati (or even use Ducati power plants!) yet they are going out more on a limb to produce different looking bikes. Some work some don't but they are different. Which is what most Ducati owners consider themselves to be.
Can't help thinking that the factory thinks as long as bike is better handling/faster/more powerful than the previous model then styling is largely irrelevant.
I accept the Hypermotard is different (but seems only made after the factory took a poll amongst prospective owners if they should make it or not - lacking confidence?) but the 1098 is "safe" styling.
The Sport Classics, whilst appealing to some, could hardly be classed as cutting edge styling. A bit like getting excited over Kawasakis W650. Copying bikes from 30 years before is not pushing the boat out.
Where Ducati is going has been covered before and there are different viewpoints but I wonder once the ex-R1 owners have bought their 1098 because the press said it was faster/better handling etc. will they stick with Ducati or drift on to the next 2 wheel plastic rocket which costs a lot less?
To me Ducati is the history of the company, the racing achievements, bikes that are not the norm and most importantly the passion. I reckon traditionally that is what the loyal fanbase feel as well. If a lot of the present owners don't buy into that and don't have that passion then unless the bikes you produce are "different" they will go elsewhere. If I had to buy a bike right now it would be an MV or Bimota. I look at the DB7 and think "YES!". I don't care if it is not as fast as some Japanese spaceship or that Rossi could slag off it's handling compared to something else (because in the real world mere mortals couldn't tell the difference!), but the people who designed and built that let their creative juices overflow. I want the "WOW!" factor from Ducati. The 999 got panned for its looks yet comments on here recently would suggest that it was different enough to make people look back at it fondly now. Right now the factory and dealers don't care, but within a year a lot of 1098s will come on the market as people move on and what will they buy next time?
 
I think Ducati owners/buyers fall into two categories, the ones that buy it as part of the R1, GSXR etc got-to-have-the-latest-next-best-toy and the ones that buy and keep it and when the next new Ducati comes out they make a decision to buy it (or not) and then either trade it in or buy it and keep their current Ducati as well. There are a lot of Ducati owners out there with more than one Ducati because they can't bear to part with any of them. I would have still got my 748 and wouldn't have been tempted to trade it for an 848. I would have been tempted to buy another though. I think you either have loyalty to the brand or you don't. JMOTA
 
I've read through all this thread and kept quiet. The bike I ride is outside of any fashion or fad, that suits me, but Stewarts words really summed up what I feel about Ducati right now. I would still stay faithful to the marque though as I have a passion for Ducati that runs through my veins (even if it is for the older bikes). :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom