Ducati 848 - Anone ridden one on track? Any good?

Ducati 848 - Anyone ridden one on the 'Ring or track? Any good? How would one compare to a K6/7/8/9 GSXR750?

[fizzwheel]

Not quite what your after but I can give you idea of how a 749 compares to a K5 GSXR 750. Cant imagine the 848 is going to be miles and miles away from that.

Were they more powerful than most/all off the 999 variants? So a bit of a step change I think power wise from the 749. Handling wise I'd think there'd be similarities though. So interested in your comparisons between the 749 vs K5.

Really interested in them, got a plan.... just not many have been used as track bikes yet...

[fizzwheel]

Liz's is a 749S so IIRC 115bhp at the crank whereas my GSXR is 144bhp ish at the crank. ( figures from memory might be wrong ) No idea what the power output of the 999 is or an 848 is mind either.

749S has Showa rear shock and Forks with Brembo calipers and Disks.

I've not tracked either, I'm an average road rider.

Riding position is completely different, OK the GSXR is wristy but the Duke is much more so, when you look down at the instruments, you look through the top of the screen, if you fitted a heavy dark tint screen you'd not see the speedo / rev counter, mirrors a f*cking useless. Seat feels hard but isnt its jsut as comfy as the GSXR, obviously it gets hot around town with the underseat exhaust on the 749.

1st gear is massive, really tall and the Duke doenst like being in the wrong gear, whereas the GSXR will pull away from low speeds in 6th, the Duke wont, but it thrives on rev's the 749 has a powerband, its lively bellow 6000rpm, but theres a definate shove above that and it winds its way to the limiter really quickly, in the right gear at the right time its alot of fun to ride, but needs working at it, so its rewarding to, you cant be lazy it punishes you with chain slap and general italian style flouncing !

Obivously roll on in the higher gears the Duke kicks the ass of the GSXR, Liz will knock down to 5th and if I do the same on the GSXR she'll out drag me, but if I go down to 3rd and pin it she has no chance.

Brakes are better on the Duke, much more bite and the feel through the lever is superior and it feels like it has a longer wheelbase so theres not so much weight transfer / lifting of the back wheel on hard braking.

GSXR is much more agile / flickable where as the Duke is slower to steer, but its more stable when lent over, both can change lines quickly though, I prefer the handling of the GSXR TBH. But one thing the Ducati does is turn heads in a way that the GSXR can never do.

Servicing wise theres not much to choose between them, hourly labour rate at the Ducati dealer we took it to was less than the Suzuki dealer my GSXR went to. Service interval on the Duke is longer at 6000 miles between services though. One thing we have found is the Duke prefers Super Unleaded, seems to run a bit smoother and sweeter on that. The Duke is thirsty compared to the GSXR though.

HTH

[Nobbylad]

I always wanted an 848...until I sat one one at the NEC and decided that, although it's an amazingly sexy looking bike, I wouldn't be able to ride it. The fairings were right on my knees and I couldn't sit on it properly.

Probably should take one for a test ride at some point though, just to be sure

Test ride sounds like a good plan, anyone doing track experiences on them?

Focused events used to have 848s in their hire bike fleet.

Steve has been racing one in the 848 series at BSB this season and loves it. Very tractable, makes 132bhp on our dyno (its an EVO with Leo Vince end cans, PC5 and 02 controller).

Get the adjustable ride height rod if you buy one as they are sensitive to geometry setup. The 1098 Ohlins bolts onto the 848. Fueling wise they benefit from having the servo removed from the exhaust.

Take one for a spin.

[dyzio]

I have nothing to add to the discussion, but the noise they make:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSFyH...layer_embedded

(0:40)