[FireBlue]

Compared to my '00 cbr929 it sucked balls. It doesnt have anywhere near as much power, you have to rev it quite high all the time. No low-down power at all :S It also vibrates alot, like the hyosung 650 i rode, maybe just inherent to V-twins?

Just feels kind cheap overall too everything is plasticy :S This was my dreambike until today. No steering dampener either so bumpy patches on the road were a bit hairy...

It does look and sound better than mine though... But for $25000 compared to my $6000, no way i would ever buy one now.

Don't get me wrong it is a good bike and is fun to ride, just is not as nice as nice as i would have expected, And definitely not worth the money IMO.

 

[denzee]

I don't know how long you rode it for but to give it or any other bike a real chance, you'd really have to spend an afternoon on it to get used to it.

The group of guys I ride with have all kinds of bikes and when we switch, I don't like their bikes until I'm on it for an hour or more.

Anything other than your own bike feels strange for a while. The immediate first impression is usually not good.

Also the vibration and sound is something Ducati owners enjoy. Supposedly like a real machine. I've also never noticed the cheapness you speak of and plasticy. The overall quality on Ducatis with materials is usually quite good.

You still may not like it in the end but you have to give other bikes a real chance to know for sure.

 

[FireBlue]

Yeah 1 rode it for an hour, maybe that wasnt enough

 

[01'BLADE]

Compared to my '00 cbr929 it sucked balls. It doesnt have anywhere near as much power, you have to rev it quite high all the time. No low-down power at all :S It also vibrates alot, like the hyosung 650 i rode, maybe just inherent to V-twins?

I rode an older 848 and found i had a similar experience, I do take denzee's comments and agree, but i found the duc to be set up for racing only. I rode it for and afternoon so got some good seat time in and the riding position was all track, only problem was i was riding in the street. I've been impressed with the styling of the new ducatis but pound for pound i can't seem myself spending the $10K+ on the name and styling alone.

my 2 cents!

 

[denzee]

Truth be known, I don't like them either. Feels like you're riding a farm implement. The ergos are terrible, very extreme and they are very slow turning. You have to really muscle them to make them go around corners compared to my RR.

I guess I lack the Italian Passion!

 

[Full Chi]

Truth be known, I don't like them either. Feels like you're riding a farm implement. The ergos are terrible, very extreme and they are very slow turning. You have to really muscle them to make them go around corners compared to my RR.

I guess I lack the Italian Passion!

That's classic!! I rode my mates '09 848 on the weekend too. He rode my '09 Blade.
I too found the 848 rather "agricultural." Still a nice bike but nowhere near as easy to ride as the Blade.

He was of the same opinion. He loves his Duc, but was very surprised at just how much faster he could on the Blade, and with far less effort.

I was actually thinking of getting an 848 but after actually riding one through the twisties for the afternoon there's no way.

 

[spina220]

I think you guys are trying to compare apples to oranges. they are both 2 totally different bikes, an 848 twin cylinder motor isn't going to have the power of a 4 cylinder 929 motor or any blade, it actually is like saying I drove my friend's Honda Accord and it sucked compared to my Corvette. It actually sounds a little ridiculous, of course a blade is faster than an 848. If you want to compare a Duc to a blade, at least use a 1098 and keep it fair.

 

[FireBlue]

Yeah fair enought about the comparison, i just thought the extra $20000 would buy the same or more hp with 81cc less

 

[dr256]

The 848 and 1098 are indeed very track biased. And yes they both suck round town.
I liked the 848 once it was over 60 mph. Then that V-twin stability and track setup kicks in. Not that dissimilar to riding a Honda SP1/2. You need to be getting a move on for it to really come into its own.

Like Denzee says its about the sort of riding you do. Lots of track days - bingo. Lots of Pizza deliveries - probably not the right bike!

 

[Full Chi]

I think you guys are trying to compare apples to oranges. they are both 2 totally different bikes, an 848 twin cylinder motor isn't going to have the power of a 4 cylinder 929 motor or any blade, it actually is like saying I drove my friend's Honda Accord and it sucked compared to my Corvette. It actually sounds a little ridiculous, of course a blade is faster than an 848. If you want to compare a Duc to a blade, at least use a 1098 and keep it fair.

It's not the power I was referring too mate.....it was the ease in which the Blade handled compared to the 848. The 848 is still awesome, I'm not dissing it, just saying I found (and so did my mate who loves his 848) that the Blade felt easier to ride.
In his words "I felt like I could go faster on the Blade as it seemed smoother".

 

[sheepofblue]

One thing is the V-Twin pull is very deceptive. I have been caught out on my RC more than once after horsing around on the RR hard. One pulls like a 2 stroke and the other just gets there in a hurry. The ass dyno is easily fooled by a twin (an 848 should make as much power as your 929 maybe more and be lighter)

 

[spina220]

One thing is the V-Twin pull is very deceptive. I have been caught out on my RC more than once after horsing around on the RR hard. One pulls like a 2 stroke and the other just gets there in a hurry. The ass dyno is easily fooled by a twin (an 848 should make as much power as your 929 maybe more and be lighter)

That is very true about a twin, it feels like you are not going fast and it is going through the gears quicker but when you look down at the speedometer it is actually moving. I rode a friend's 1098 at the track a few months ago and loved it, maybe not enough to want to spend that kind of money, but different in a good way, and the brakes were definately the best brakes I ever touched, so much so that it slows you down a little too much.

 

[spina220]

It's not the power I was referring too mate.....it was the ease in which the Blade handled compared to the 848. The 848 is still awesome, I'm not dissing it, just saying I found (and so did my mate who loves his 848) that the Blade felt easier to ride.
In his words "I felt like I could go faster on the Blade as it seemed smoother".

I hear you.:thumb: