Terblanche never got the credit he deserved for this bike. To me it always looked futuristic with a modern industrial look, especially the (locomotive)
lights.
I would buy a +2005 anyday. It certainly has personality and stands out in today's world of overly feline shaped bikes. Case in point.... the 2010 MV Agusta F4.
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While the bike wasn't a runaway sales success, it did usher in massively improved reliability, service accessability (except for the air box) and chassis poise. Technologically it was a huge win.
Ducati definitely did a marketing blunder back then. If you look at it from an evolutionary point, the 1098 should have replaced the 998. And in 2007 the 999 should have been released.
The only reason the 1098 is selling so well is because they dropped the price. If the 999 had not been so fncken expensive they would have sold plenty more.
As you are all saying the 999 is a better bike and will age very well. The 1098 is made cheaper and looks like every other bike ... but as the price was right it sold.
Pete
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Why fly when ya can make a lot of noise
Let's not forget the obvious , in addition to a lower price , the 1098 was lighter , more powerful and faster than the tre9 . The latter two factors also helped sales .
I always said that Terblanche was gunned down for factors beyond his control. The bike was way too expensive compared to the fast improving Japanese.
But mostly, it was too radical a styling change for a quite conservative audience, especially in the USA....where the 916 had enjoyed such huge styling admiration.
I agree that while the 1098 is pretty.... it does not inspire me...it is wayyy too "generic" to be instantly recognized as something special or different from the herd. And this uniqueness and instant recognition is something that many folks of more expensive equipment/vehicles/bikes like to have.
I would love a 1098R, because of the raw performance and torque and the great-for-me ergos, but a 999 with similar performance would be so much nicer, IMO.
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It's an absolute minger, disgusting then, disgusting now. Often you see new bikes and you don't take to the styling but eventually it grows on you, this is one bike that is just ****ing horrid, even Ducati thought so. give me a 1098/1198 over this any day.
If the 999 had been released in 2007 it would still get the same reception it got back then, you can't polish a turd.
Location: Glendale, California (formerly Phoenix, AZ)
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I keep hearing the 1098/1198 looks cheap and Japanese like but I still don't get it. The 999 wasn't the pinicale of quality either. For one, there were large gaps between the fairing and air intake as well the the gaps around the headlight.
As for the 1098/1198's styling. It clearly comes from the 916. If every other bike copied that style, it's not Ducati's fault. As for the 1098/1198 being "common", if you want to be "exclusive", then don't buy a $18-$20K motorcycles because that won't put you in an exclusive group.
I've had a 748, 996, 999, 1098 Tricolore, and now a 1198 and the 999 was the only Ducati I really regret buying and I willing took a huge hit to get out of it only a year later.
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Current bike: 2009 Ducati 1198
Past Favorites: 2006 MV Agusta F4S, 2002 Yamaha R1; 2001 Ducati 996, 1996 Kawasaki ZX7R, and 1990 Kawasaki ZX6
Location: Glendale, California (formerly Phoenix, AZ)
Posts: 410
Quote:
Originally Posted by aus_rc45
Often you see new bikes and you don't take to the styling but eventually it grows on you, this is one bike that is just ****ing horrid, even Ducati thought so. give me a 1098/1198 over this any day.
If the 999 had been released in 2007 it would still get the same reception it got back then, you can't polish a turd.
That's was my mistake. When the 999 came out in 2003, I was a deep Ducati fan and really tired my best to like it but didn't. By 2005, I let it grow on me and 12 months later, it grow off.
You say if the 999 was released in 2007 it would get the same reception. Maybe. But if it was released in 2010, it would probably be accepted considering the current Japaense styling and the S1000RR. Bike styling has gotten pretty bad recently (even MV's, IMO)
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Current bike: 2009 Ducati 1198
Past Favorites: 2006 MV Agusta F4S, 2002 Yamaha R1; 2001 Ducati 996, 1996 Kawasaki ZX7R, and 1990 Kawasaki ZX6
I read in MotoSprint that the 999 look like a dog but handled like a cat...
whereas the 916 look like a cat but handled like a dog... my Italians friends
hated Terblanche... they said "kill him and his dog"... thats serious because
the Italians love their dogs...
I read in MotoSprint that the 999 look like a dog but handled like a cat...
whereas the 916 look like a cat but handled like a dog... my Italians friends
hated Terblanche... they said "kill him and his dog"... thats serious because
the Italians love their dogs...
How the 999 Nearly Killed Ducati
Bike styling has gotten pretty bad recently (even MV's, IMO)
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