Ducati 749R vs 848 review in Roadracing World

[tye1138]

Just got my most recent issue of roadracing world, which has a pretty interesting article about the 749R vs 848. They are pretty meticulous with there testing and had this to say, a bit condensed.

Jeremy Toye; "The difference between the 749 and the 848 was like riding an F4I and CBR600RR. That 749 is so detached feeling. It could have good handling characteristics, but it feels like its 18 miles long. The suspension is so bad I wouldn't trust it as far as I could throw it, plus it feels SUPER heavy. Its narryw, but its so dtached from all the feedback I usually get from my feet and legs, and your stretched out like your superman- it feels like you're trying to hall ass straddling the pit wall. The 848, that thing is unfair for the 600cc class.

Frank Aragaki; "The 848 is a more user-friendly package, more comfortable and not as much of a stretch to the handlebars. It feels heavier then the 749, but I could handle it- it handles the mass well. The 749 feels less solid, more airy, it just has a less planted feeling. You can definitely feel the difference between the two bikes. Its not like a year to year model change; its like the changes you'd feel if you hadn't ridden the bike for two or more model years, its that big of a change.

Both bikes were setup for the riders. The 749R was direct from Pegram racing, so it was somewhat setup. Both bikes had Supercorsa Pro's on them and both Toye and Aragaki are semi-pro racers who knew the course, but hadn't ridden Ducati's that much in there life. Its a great inside look on how inline 4 guys really like the 848, over the older style of the 749. Otherwise, there isn't much else to the review but the tech specs, which were somewhat interesting...

Weights:
749R: 464lbs wet
848: 431lbs wet

Balance:
749R
ft 48.7
rear 51.3

848
ft 49.7
rear 50.3

Power:
749R 104hp
848 113hp

[Ducatibob749S]

I was cracking up reading them bitch about how stretched out they were on the 749. At 6'-6" I love it, I tell people who ask me how I ride it that it is the lazyboy of sportbikes for a big guy (obvious exaggeration).

To me the whole comparison was ineteresting, but ultimately laughable. The big sell on the 848/1098 is the huge leap forward Ducati took on these new designs. Did anybody really expect the 749 to be better?! I love my 749, but it will end up with an 848 parked next to it one day.

[Viperguy]

848's cure cancer

[Nove-R]

I thought the article was a gag piece.

A mock-review. Bored writers/ local racers that got someone to pay for a free day at the track, with the provision that they do a few laps on these bikes and write about it to fill magazine pages.

Let's see, a bike with a 6 year old chassis/ suspension design and a 4 year old motor design, against a current model year bike that has 100 more CCs.
That's a solid comparo!

Hmmm, wonder how that'll turn out.

Aragaki states the obvious, "You can definitely feel the difference... it's not like a year-to-year model change".
03/04 to 05/06 was a "year to year model change" at Ducati.
The 848 is a completely different motorcycle.

I wonder what the outcome would be of a comparo of the 05/06 GSXR 750 vs the '08 GSXR1000, or more importantly, if anybody would take it seriously.

Ken Hill did actually like the 749's power delivery better, but he was of course treated like the village idiot for going against the, as they said, "unambiguous conclusion of the comparison".
His dissenting view was given last paragraph, "BTW, check out this moron's retarded opinion" status.

[MV_999R]

Originally Posted by tye1138

The 749R was direct from Pegram racing....


Weights:
749R: 464lbs wet
848: 431lbs wet

Balance:
749R
ft 48.7
rear 51.3

848
ft 49.7
rear 50.3

Power:
749R 104hp
848 113hp

Like a 749R direct from Pegram Racing only made 104hp.....

[rotty749r]

I weighed my 2004 749R at NHMS a few weeks ago with a full tank of gas. It came in at 432lbs with the only difference from street trim was the Sharkskinz. It has all the lights and stuff still on it. My friend weighed his somewhat striped down 2002 748R and it came in 2-3lbs lighter.

I have said it a million times, I will never sell my 749R. I love it too much. That said, I'm expecting a 2008 1098S on Friday. LOL.

[Nove-R]

Originally Posted by MV_999R

Like a 749R direct from Pegram Racing only made 104hp.....

The article did say that it was borrowed from Pegram racing, but did not say that it was "somewhat set-up".
That part was Tye's coloration of the facts. The bike was treated and described as being bone-stock.

[Ducatibob749S]

Guys any Ducati review or comparo by RRW has to be taken with a grain of salt. I nearly shit myself when Chris Ulrich gave the 1098R such a stellar review, when he, his friends, and family are all admitted Ducati haters. These are guys who think a bike is shit unless it has gsxr on it. RRW is good for getting club racer news from different series around the US, and that is about it. The rest of the filling in that rag is mostly useless.

[tufty]

Shh! John is watching.

[tye1138]

Originally Posted by Nove-R

The article did say that it was borrowed from Pegram racing, but did not say that it was "somewhat set-up".
That part was Tye's coloration of the facts. The bike was treated and described as being bone-stock.

Sorry, that was implied buy the fact they set up the bike properly for the different riders and put on a decent set of tires.

Anyhow, it was a complete fluff article. It was depressing Toye or Ulrich didn't do the article themselves. The tech specs were somewhat interesting, side-by-side... I think they don't take Ducati's as being serious race bikes, they are just rich-kids toys to them.