I started writing this review right after I got back from California, but then got distracted with other things. I finally found the time this morning to finish it up.
2003 Ducati 749S review:
Background:
Since I'm forced to take vacation during the week of July 4th, I thought I'd make the most of it and visit a friend in San Mateo (near San Francisco). Since my friend is heavy into racetrack riding, we scheduled a couple of track days at Thunderhill raceway, in Willows, CA. I rode a yellow 2003 Ducati 749S, and my friend rode a Triumph Daytona 675. Now that I've spent some time on the Ducati, both on the track and on the street, I thought I would post up my review of the bike, and compare it with my FZ6.
Overview of the bike:
This is a 750cc "L-twin" sport bike, with 103 hp and 58 ft-lbs of torque. It's very heavy for a sport bike, with a listed dry weight of 439 lbs (though Ducati includes the battery and oil in their dry weight). Suspension is fully adjustable front and rear, and the Brembo front brakes could stop a runaway train.
Impressions:
Having only owned inline-fours, I was very curious about what it would be like to ride this bike. My only experience with a similar twin was riding SV-650 on the track a couple of times, after which I decided that I much prefer my FZ6. I wondered: would the Ducati sell me on twins?
Even though the Ducati's engine is counterbalanced, you're still aware that it's a twin. Getting on the bike for the first time, with its L-twin character and its rattling dry clutch was a bit like riding a tractor. It's a strange mix of high- and low-tech, which I guess is part of the mystique of the brand. But I came at it with an open mind, and was determined to give it a fair shake, which I think I did.
The combination of the bike's weight and my own 220 lbs (in full gear) conspired to make the 0.95 springs feel very soft. During the morning of the first day I was bottoming out the fork, and had to adjust my braking points to compensate. Even with the preload properly set the springs felt soft for me, and really hurt my confidence in the front end. The ultra powerful brakes complicated things, since they offered true two-finger braking that I can only describe as excessive. Throw in the slow steering, and I definitely had a hard time adjusting to the bike. I don't know if it was the steering geometry or the Dunlop GP-A's, but the bike steered like a cruise ship.
Comparisons to FZ6:
Three things really struck me when I finally got back on my FZ6 and took it for a ride. The first thing was the size and ergonomics of the bike. I thought to myself, "Man, this is a big, comfy bike to ride." After having ridden the Ducati, and especially the Triumph Daytona 675, the FZ6 felt amazingly spacious and inviting. It felt "full-sized".
The second thing that struck me was the steering. With my bike set up the way it is, with Pilot Powers mounted on the rims, it is very easy to turn. The Ducati, with its Dunlops, turned like a tank. I was just starting to get used to muscling it around when I got on the Pirelli-wearing Triumph, which turned in with the speed of thought. The FZ6 felt just like the Triumph, with easy turn-in and the ability to change line once leaned over.
The third thing I noticed about the FZ6 was how gutless the engine felt when getting on the gas. I've never felt this way about the bike before, but after experiencing the Duc's immediate locomotive thrust out of corners, the Yami seemed really weak. I finally understood what all those motorcycle journalists had been crying about all along. Not that this made me resent my bike for what it wasn't, it just took a few minutes to get used to the much different character of the engine. Once I adjusted to the transition from diesel-powered cement mixer to turbine-powered fighter jet, it was OK.
The difference in power delivery made me think of all the reviews that describe twins as "sneaky fast". When hopping back in the FZ6, I actually had the opposite impression. I was revving up the motor, looking for the torque, and would look down and see that I was suddenly doing 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. To me, the torque thrust of the Ducati delivered a more immediate sensation of acceleration, while the FZ6 felt like a jet turbine, with acceleration building smoothly with engine revs. I was surprised that I now thought of the Yamaha as "sneaky fast", which is the opposite of the way the two engine configurations have always been compared.
Conclusions:
In some ways I was very impressed with the Ducati 749S. The brakes were so much stronger than anything that I've ridden that it's hard to compare them. Just easing them on while braking into Turn 10 at Thunderhill, which is downhill, was bottoming out the front forks and made me feel like I was going get launched over the front end of the bike. I think that with proper fork springs (like maybe 1.05's) I could really learn to appreciate that kind of braking power.
Another thing that I learned to like was the torque that just shot you out of the corners. The power delivery characteristics of the twin made it really easy to roll on the acceleration without feeling like I was going to highside myself. In fact, I never got the rear wheel to slip while on the throttle, even while out-accelerating other bikes out of the corners.
There were other things that I was less impressed with. The dry clutch rattle is something that I don't think I'd get used to. To me, it makes the bike sound cheap, though I know that the Ducatisti really love it. I also didn't think too much of the styling, though it certainly wasn't an ugly bike. It just looks slab-sided to me – too blocky and simplistic. Again, some people really like the styling, but it wasn't for me.
Overall, I couldn't see myself owning one of these bikes. I honestly thought that it was overpriced and overrated, though not ridiculously so. I don't fault anyone for wanting one, since it does have a certain appeal, but I've got to believe that most people buy them for the poseur factor. It's not that the bike doesn't perform; it's just that if it were say, Korean instead of Italian, it would get mocked off the road (think Hyosung). But, Ducati is the Ferrari of motorcycles, and that's enough for some people to justify buying one.
In the end, I was really happy and relieved to get back on my FZ6. It isn't a high-dollar exotic, but that's not what I bought it for. I needed a practical bike that was a good value and offered some wind protection, and the FZ6 fit the bill. The fact that it's got such beautiful styling is really just a bonus. I like revving the hell out of the motor, and I like the blend of sportiness and streetability. I appreciated the Ducati for what it was, but ultimately decided that I liked what I already had even better.
I've included a couple of pictures below. The first one is me proudly showing off my crash damage
, and the second one is of the Triumph and Ducati side by side.
Ducati 749S review (...LONG READ)
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