speedkills said:
Hey mappieclead, thinking about picking one of these up; how about a quick ride report?
I have ared base model Streetfighter and picked it up about a month ago and I must say, its been quite a learning experience.My bike is 100% stock and it has the European Emissions standard thus it runs rich at 3500 to 3700 RPMS, or lower rpms.Its a closedfuel system. There is a little stumble at that range but after 4000, the bike comes alive, really alive!! . I sent an email to Ducati North America about the stumble as it can be problematic in slow traffic and they put out a fix allready.I had my ECU reflashed at my first 600 service and the bike is nearly perfect in that range. Ducati is good about responding and I feel well supported. It has a 2 year warranty.
My last bike was my beloved 05 Warrior and I rode that for 4 1/2 years. I bought it new in '04 and sold it in May of this year to fund this bike.
The instantly available torque on the Streetfighter is amazing. The 90 degree V-Twin is all about instant torque. The in-line Japanese four is all about high RPM horsepower, at least thats what I have been told. The Streetfighter is comfortable, good for all day riding.The uprightpostion is comfortable for me and suprisingly you canadjustpositons and its quite comfortable.One of the things I immediatley noticed was the effortless speed it puts out. Its almost hyper like in that you are ripping and the only thing that keeps me in check is the lack of a windscreen. God put the wind blast there to inform you of your excessive speed!!! You need to be constantly reminded that you are speeding.
The engine and gearbox were both quite tight as you would expect from a brand new bike - no problem with the false neutrals that have been mentioned though. The bike will loosen up and I can allready sence the bike is starting to do so as the engine is becoming smoother and more responsive with every mile, but as the revs build it becomes so smooth with a huge wave of torque that my face hurts from smiling so much!! They are right, there is a soul in the Ducati.
The front endissmooth, its response to small bumps is so amazing that it feels like the front tire is under-inflated. (Its come with a Showa rig) As if the tire pressure is too low, so the tire is absorbing the bumps. While riding around a familiar high speed sweeping turn I could not believe how thefront end felt. It was so smooth, so very much planted to the ground and there was no need for corrections. Yep, South Florida doesnt have too many twists and turns but there are places where you can really explore what the Duc can do.It also makes a huge amount of induction noise every time you open the throttle - this becomes a bit addictive and that twin thump, howls. I have a stock pipe and will upgrade toTermi Slip on's.The bike has a dry clutch with the " clack clack" sound but its muted as I have a closed clutch cover. I will probablyget an open clutchcover for the bling factor. The monoblocks brakes areabsolutely staggering and takingsome getting used to. One finger really is enough!!!!The rear brake takes a little stomping but I like it like that. There is some complaintsabout how the exhaust kicks out your right heel but with my size 10 Sidi's, its not a problem.
Am I happy about making the switch from the Warrior? Yes!! Do I miss the Warrior? Not really because my friends have them which means I have one too. Its curb appeal is awesome and its a quite unsettling how much attention I get. Last week, some Brazillian girls waved me down and took my picture with them. ( itwas the Ducati not me I assure you) I love the bike but understand this is an entirely different beast than the Warrior.Its a naked 1098 and it weighs under400lbs and I will probably never grow to its full potential but I am having a blast with it.
