Ducati motorcycle reviews


Read Ducati motorbike reviews. These have been written by owners of Ducati for the benefit of fellow bikers. Read other Ducati owners' personal opinions of Ducati motorcycle ownership. You can also submit your own Ducati review.

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Ducati GT 2 Litre + Apr '08 (08)
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Fantastic bike very fast and exciting gives out a real adrenaline rush!
Submitted by
kle_3187 on 17/03/2010
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Ducati 1098 1100cc Apr '09 (09)
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DUCATI STREETFIGHTER 1100 S

LET’S GET NAKED

* What’s It All About?
The Streetfighter genre has evolved as manufacturers have removed the fairings from sport bikes, fitted higher handle bars and customised their machines to create high-performance, aggressive bikes with real attitude. Now, Ducati has now taken this concept and applied its own high level of Italian flair to create a stunning, factory-prepared Streetfighter of its own. First seen at the 2008 Milan show, the Ducati Streetfighter left many of those present literally speechless as it was revealed. Based on the legendary 1098 sports bike, the Ducati Streetfighter has been sensibly detuned a tad, dropping the power down from 160bhp to 155bhp with a corresponding torque reduction from 90lb ft to 85lb ft. The chassis has slightly different geometry and the wheelbase has been extended by 45mm with a longer swing arm. One significant difference however is the more ‘urban’ arrangement of the twin exhaust system which now lies down the right hand side of the bike rather than discretely hidden under the seat as it is on the 1098.

* What Does It Cost?
This is where you might want to prepare yourself for a sharp intake of breath. The Ducati Streetfighter comes in two guises, the standard model and the ‘S’ model complete with Ohlins suspension and lighter Marchesini five-spoke forged alloy wheels which have the effect of reducing the bike’s overall mass by 2kg to 167kg dry weight. The ‘S’ also features Ducati’s road-going traction control system and its data analysis system as standard equipment. The base model will retail at around £11,000 whereas the ‘S’ will require and investment of around £13,000.

* How Does It Handle?
The 155bhp V-twin engine is one brute of a power unit and is guaranteed to leave you breathless. Serving up huge gobs of torque from relatively low down the rev range for a bike of this type and coupled with its light weight, the Ducati Streetfighter is lightning fast. Its Brembo brakes are certainly effective and won’t let you down either when you need to bring this Ducati to a swift halt. It feels very stable at all speeds from the urban crawl to the cross country sprint making this bike very practical for every day use. The more upright riding position which is typical of this genre of bike also makes it a very comfortable machine to ride over long distances.

A Ducati isn’t just a means of transport, however. Owning one is a lifestyle choice that sets a rider apart from the rest. It is an extension of one’s character and the ultimate personal statement. The Streetfighter has been built with typical Ducati elegance and it is certainly an impressive machine. Riding downtown and arriving in style or just burning through the countryside on a twisty road, the Ducati Streetfighter is never out of its comfort zone. The current fashion is to do it all naked and the Ducati Streetfighter does it all in some style.

* Verdict
If the Streetfighter genre is your type of bike, then this Ducati is the ultimate example to own. Only its price tag may make you waiver momentarily.
Submitted by
UKBikerBoy on 05/06/2009
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Ducati 1000 1000cc Sept '06 (56)
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NEW MOTORBIKE REVIEW - DUCATI SPORTCLASSIC 1000S

HOOKED ON CLASSICS

* What’s It All About?
Although it might well look more at home in a museum, the Ducati SportClassic 1000S features very modern underpinnings clothed in a beautifully retro finished body. First shown at the 2005 bike show at the NEC, the Ducati SportClassic range kicked off with the ritzy Paul Smart replica and was then populated with the Sport 1000 and the GT1000 models. Since then, Ducati has launched a pair of more affordable and less demanding models, the Biposto and the bike we look at here, the S.

With a half fairing and drop bars to give that authentic 1960s café racer look, the Ducati SportClassic 1000S has to be one of the coolest bikes on the road today. Team it with some nicely distressed all black leathers and you’ll get respect even from riders of the very latest race reps.

* What Does It Cost?
Go on, have a punt. What do you think Ducati would charge for this retro slice of loveliness? Most people we asked thought this was nine or ten thousands worth but the actual sticker price is a far more manageable £7,995 with the naked Biposto model costing £500 less.

Yes, you’re still paying a premium over something with comparable capability, take a 1200cc Suzuki Bandit that costs £6,000 as an example, but capability is one thing, sex appeal is something quite different. It’s a bit like saying that Margaret Beckett and Beyonce Knowles both have two arms, two legs and a head. The insurance rating of NU14 will probably do as much as the retro styling to limit the appeal of the Ducati SportClassic 1000S to more mature riders.

* How Does It Handle?
The trick to riding a Ducati is to forget everything you thought you knew about riding road bikes and be prepared to relearn. Riding one of these is all about utilising the bike’s keen turn-in and gobs of torque. The SportClassic S weighs in at a reasonable 181kg and feels like a typical 600 due to a low centre of gravity although the firmish suspension makes the bike feel surprisingly nervy at speed. Fitted with a steering damper, the bike nonetheless is rather tricky to ride dead straight, the damper slowing the steering to the point where tiny, intuitive corrections have little to no effect, eventually graduating to long, lazy weaves. Although it’s doubtful you’d ever choose one as a commuter bike, the riding position is not good in slow moving traffic and the bike is a horror to clean after running on a salty/wet road.

* Verdict
The Ducati SportClassic 1000S is undoubtedly a fair weather bike that will get wheeled out of the garage for the odd Sunday jaunt on decent roads and which will be a garage ornament the rest of the time. It’s distinctly impractical, achingly beautiful but with little or no pretence at everyday durability. What’s best about this model is the fact that it gives its rider so much, even when they’re not on the sort of licence-ripping, tyre-shredding, eardrum-lacerating blast you’d normally need to indulge in on a Japanese supersports bike.
Submitted by
UKBikerBoy on 04/06/2009
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Ducati Monster 700cc Sept '07 (57)
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NEW MOTORBIKE REVIEW - DUCATI MONSTER 695

MONSTERS INC

* What’s It All About?
Inflation is a fact of life. It’s inescapable if you’re a biker too, with subsequent generations of bikes often becoming bigger, weightier and, consequently, more powerful. Ducati’s Monster is a case in point. The entry-level version started out life as a 600cc bike, swelled to 620 and is now a hefty 695cc. But is bigger necessarily better or is it just another way of extracting more money from your savings?

Ducati has some form here. Their 851 superbike needed to compete with the best Japan had to offer and metamorphosed into the 888, the 916 becoming the 999. The Ducati Monster hasn’t abandoned its roots quite so drastically as some of the bigger Dukes if only because the formula is a pretty basic one – it’s an unfaired, relatively unsophisticated two-valve per cylinder air-cooled twin that looks good and promises a fun time.

* What Does It Cost?
Ducati have a chi-chi reputation helped by their dribblingly delicious exotic superbikes and bolstered by a pedigree of track success. The Ducati Monster plays on this a little, although £4,995 doesn’t seem unreasonable for a brand new slice of Italian exotica residing in your garage. That’s only £600 dearer than something Japanese but broadly equivalent, such as a Suzuki SV650. Insurance is rated at NU12.

* How Does It Handle?
The Ducati Monster 695 is even easier to ride than the 620cc bike thanks to 16 per cent more torque that chimes in a tad lower down the rev-range. Long-legged riders may well find the 770mm seat height a little restrictive but it just means adopting a different riding stance to that of a typical sports bike. The wide, flat bars and the canted forward seat tuck your chest down towards the tank in such a way that cruising at 80mph is no problem, this sort of speed even giving a respectable 45mpg fuel return without too much wind blast. Sixth gear is super relaxed with a gnat’s less than 5,000rpm showing on the clock at this speed.

The Ducati Monster has always been a wheelie machine par excellence and you’ll need to be a little careful when cracking open the throttle not to stand the thing on its back Bridgestone BT56. Power has crept up from 56 to 65bhp in the engine enlarging process and this gives a useful turn of acceleration up to around 100mph when aerodynamics take over. The handling is decent, if a little ragged at the envelope when the low-mounted exhausts come into play.

* Verdict
In bringing the charisma of the Ducati brand to riders with less than £5k to throw at a bike, the Italian company must be commended. The Monster might not hang onto the tail of a well piloted Japanese bike but when it looks and feels this good, who’s counting? It makes a great bike for sunny days when you can parade around town or just go for a country-road blast for the fun of it. As long as you don’t take it too seriously and enjoy it for what it is, it’s churlish to find serious fault with the Ducati Monster 695.
Submitted by
UKBikerBoy on 04/06/2009
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Ducati 749 750cc Apr '06 (06)
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NEW MOTORBIKE REVIEW - DUCATI 749/999 RANGE

DUKING IT OUT

* What Are They All About?
You can get faster bikes than Ducatis and you can buy more expensive bikes if you’re that way inclined but try as you might, you’ll be hard pushed to buy anything sexier than these Italian works of mechanical art. Although they may not be quite as beautiful as the iconic 916 and 748 generation, this generation of Ducati sportsters is still capable of dropping the odd jaw.

Three models of each bike are available, the entry level, a more focused S variant and then a no holds barred R model. All are about an almost telepathic liaison between rider and machine and offer a more intimate feel than their closest Japanese or German counterparts. Buying an Italian bike demands a different mindset. Alter your perspective and you probably won’t ever want to go back to the generic Japanese ‘GSFXBCBR-11000RRR-1’ again. Welcome to a higher plane of consciousness.

* What Do They Cost?
Here comes the sticky bit. When you measure these Ducatis on the basis of bhp per pound, they don’t stack up. There’s no other way of saying it but then you’ll get more bhp per pound from a Kia Rio than you will from a Lamborghini Murcielago. What would you rather have? Exactly.

With the 749 series, you can start with the basic dark version at £7,995 with the regulation model costing £8,795. Move up a grade in performance to the 749S and you’ll need to stump up £9,795 or else, you can really play at being Loris Capirossi with the 749R, priced at a hefty £13,995. The R and S are rated at Group 17 by Norwich Union with the more cooking models falling into Group 16. Check your premium before you take the plunge.
Moving on up to the 999s, the base model costs £11,250 while the S tacks another couple of grand onto that ticket. If money is not an option and weekend flights down to Paul Ricard are your thing, £19,995 will buy you the Ducati 999R, just about the closest thing to a factory bike this side of Ducati’s stunning £37,5000 Desmosedici RR GP replica.

* How Do They Handle?
The trick to riding a Ducati 749 or 999 quickly is to forget everything you thought you knew about riding road bikes and be prepared to relearn. Riding one of these is all about utilising the bike’s keen turn-in and gobs of torque. Despite the Ducati 999 weighing in at a chubby 199kg it feels like a typical 600 due to a low centre of gravity that really gives it great flickability through rapid corners. Get it set in a bend though and it feels solid.

The big vee twin sounds great when you rev it to the redline although such are its torque characteristics that you’ll make indecent progress even when shortshifting up through the box. The slipper clutch of the R models takes a bit of getting used to, mind. The gearbox action is slick and light on the standard bike and generally unobstreperous, although it rewards a consistent action. Dilly dally with it and it’s possible to find a rather embarrassing false neutral. Build quality on this bike seems a lot better than older Ducati models, although it’s worth mentioning that the mirrors are utterly useless.

* Verdict
To ride one is to want one. If you can afford it, do it. It’ll be something worth telling the grandchildren one day.
Submitted by
UKBikerBoy on 04/06/2009
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Ducati 1098 1098cc Apr '09 (09)
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NEW MOTORBIKE REVIEW - DUCATI 1098

PREPARE FOR LIFT OFF

* What’s It All About?
The first time I saw pictures of the Ducati 1098, I was left speechless for several minutes. Normal life was going on around me but I was somewhere else. Misano, Imola maybe, riding a blood red bike under cobalt blue skies, the air thick with the summer smells of Italy. Then reality hit. I was, in fact, at my desk. Dave, the fat guy from next door, was wondering if I wanted anything from the petrol station. Real life has a habit of rudely intervening even when you’re contemplating something as achingly desirable as the Ducati 1098.

Think of this as a return to form for Ducati, from a styling point of view at least. Let’s gloss over the rather snouty 999 and think back to the iconic 916. Now think of the 916 updated for 2007 with every detail just a little sharper and finer honed. You’ve just visualised the 1098.

* What Does It Cost?
This depends very much on which model you choose. The definitive version is the entry level model, this Ducati 1098 being on sale at £11,995. Not cheap, but what price do you put on such a stunning piece of machinery? For those who demand an even more elevated level of performance with the very best suspension, lightweight wheels and components, there’s the £14,250 1098 S. Also there is an additional special ‘Tricolore’ version (red, white and green), the livery celebrating the Italian style of the project by using the colours of the national flag. The Tricolore is an ‘S’ version of the 1098 with the added feature of a gold coloured frame and a complete racing exhaust system with dedicated ECU. If you want the ultimate ‘customer’ 1098, the Trioclore will set you back a cool £15,995. It still seems good value.

* How Does It Handle?
One great thing about the 999 was that it offered searing performance without riders having to be a seven-stone contortionists to get on the thing. The Ducati1098 carries its predecessor’s roominess forward, but does so very smartly. The tank has been widened for comfort and the seat is better. It doesn’t feel instantly intimidating to sit on, even for a big guy like me. Yes, it is racetrack tight but there’s room to breathe.

The 160bhp V-twin engine, the most powerful of its type ever built, is guaranteed to leave you breathless. Serving up huge gobs of torque from relatively low down the rev range for a supersports bike and coupled to a dry weight of just 173kg, the Ducati 1098 is rocketship fast. Forget what you’ve heard about Dukes being rather agricultural luggers. This one has the measure of the top tier of Japanese bikes, the torque allowing you to stay in the gas where you’d be contemplating a downchange on many sports fours. The Brembo brakes certainly won’t let you down either.

* Verdict
What price the most beautiful motor bike ever built? I’m saving right now.
Submitted by
UKBikerBoy on 04/06/2009
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Ducati 1098 1190cc Apr '08 (08)
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Review
The Ducati 1098R was developed for racing in the WSB & BSB. Producing 183BHP it is the most powerful ever production V twin.
A truely awesome superbike
Submitted by
D16RR_rich on 01/06/2009
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Ducati ST 950cc Apr '99 (T)
Overall Rating:
Review
nice bike good ride
Submitted by
pug in Wrexham, Wrecsam on 12/04/2009
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Ducati Monster 700cc Apr '08 (08)
Overall Rating:
Review
I have just bought a Ducati Monster 696. What an awesome bike. It's the first big bike I have had and I was smiling all the way home and a long time afterwards. It's so comfy I could ride it all day. The handling is fantastic. I am a 28 inch leg and I have had it lowered but thats no problem. My other half rode it and he was impressed and he has bee riding bikes for roughly 20 yrs. I would definetly reccommend it for a first big bike and the service I have had from the Ducati dealer has been fantastic. It not only loks great but sounds great with that loud rumble of the V engine. It certainly turned a few heads. The only downside is that it doesn't have a petrol gauge as this I think should be a must because of the way it rides you will want to keep on riding and not worry about how much petrol you've got left !!










Submitted by
amethyst in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire on 17/11/2008
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Ducati 749 750cc Apr '06 (06)
Overall Rating:
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Bought new 749s version after test riding the standard 749. In short, a beautiful looking bike, and sounds great if you can afford the Termis however I've never ridden such an uncomfortable bike as this duke!

The mirrors are useless and you literally need to take a hand off the bars to use whichever one you're looking in; I don't have to tell you this isn't the safest procedure to see if you're being tailed by the law!

I rode less than a thousand miles on it before I got rid. Because I'm short I had major trouble even flicking the stand down because it was so far back, this lead to dodgy dismounts and I swear I would've dropped it had I owned in longer.

The thing did handle execellenty and around town, because it is such a narrow bike it gets everywhere quick. The stiff clutch however will have your left hand aching after just a little use around town.

The electrics were shocking, the bike would regulary run on after the keys were taken out and on start up would sometime rev up and down the clock for a few seconds before it settled down. The garage said this is normal!!

I love the Ducati brand, and as a race / track bike I'd put this ride high up. As a day-to-day mount i'd have to mark her down (apart from when she was parked up as looking at her was a beautiful experience!) Nearly every part the bike was a work of art and could've been framed and placed on the wall, the build quality was wonderful.

All in all - an amazing looking and amazing handling bike but an uncomfortable one.
Submitted by
Hainesy in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk on 08/10/2008
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