My opinion my be a little biased, but if you're looking for a street bike, then go with the SS. Simple maintenance, great reliability, and great usable power for the street. With an aftermarket seat and some bar risers, this is a very comfortable bike you could ride all day. I have ridden with a guy on a 749 who is an excellent rider in a fairly "spirited" environment. My very slightly modified (pipes/airbox/PC) 900 was a good match on the street for his stock 749. I am sure he would have taken me on the track or any long straight, but on the back roads we were on, performance wise, things were pretty equal. Oh, I would say rider skill was about the same, with the nod going to the other guy if you had to choose a better rider.

That being said, I would love to have a Ducati Superbike.... I do think the SS would be a better street, daily driver than the 749. I guess BOTH would be about perfect!!!!