[snake shake]

So I'm really glad that for the 899 Ducati decided to give the Panigale a dual sided swing arm, unlike the 1199. Which is interesting in two senses. Firstly if the 1199 is supposed to be a super bike, why give it a single sided swing? The amount of torsional force travelling through a swing arm, especially on a bike that powerful is going to produce different behavior through left and right corners..

The second reason its interesting is that Ducati went double sided on the 899, much smarter idea. MotoGP runs dual sided swings after all... Just wondering why with all their racing heritage and pedigree Ducati went with a single swing on the 1199....

Oh well at least they addressed it for the 899...

 

[draggin]

I think the 1199 went with a single for clearance and weight reasons.

Its not exactly a deal breaker

But good to see a dual sides swing arm on the 899.

Personally I prefer the look and structural confidence of a dual sided.

 

[beau_cauchemar]

Clearance was definitely a primary factor since the overall length is about a half-inch shorter.

I also am glad about the double sided swing arm since looks-aside, the double is not only more rigid but lighter as well. And quite honestly the only real benefits I can see from a SSS are ease in tire/chain replacement which aren't exactly frequent occurrences for most street riders anyway.

That brings me to the next major issue with people: the weight. Yes it should stand to reason that the lower displacement should mean a lighter bike but quite frankly I'm tired of people complaining about the 11 pounds, unsprung or not. I'm willing to bet a lot of Panigale riders could stand to lose more than 11 pounds around their waistline anyway.

The Visor Down reviewer put it nicely:

"The 899 is 5kg heavier than the 1199, which might make you think ‘wow, it’s heavy’ but the 1199 is an incredibly light motorcycle. If you look at it another way, the 899 is 5kg lighter than an 848 Evo and that’s with the 899 carrying ABS. No-one ever accused the 187kg 848 Evo of being heavy. The 899, at 182kg, is a tight package."

To be honest I was more disappointed in the lack of a slipper clutch than the SSS or weight but the more I read on the Engine Braking Control the more I feel that a slipper would have been relatively unnecessary. I'll probably still throttle blip out of habit anyway. With my personal doubts squelched I am really looking forward to this bike.

-Beau

 

[S.I.U.]

definitely not a deal breaker, everyone does seem happy with it, even the reviewers, none with any concern.

 

[Heizenberg]

it almost seems like Ducati would have done the opposite - put the double swing arm on the 199 and the single swing arm on the 899.

I think that the single looks cool but really you want the double for stability, especially if you are pushing the bike on the track.

 

[snake shake]

Clearance was definitely a primary factor since the overall length is about a half-inch shorter.

I also am glad about the double sided swing arm since looks-aside, the double is not only more rigid but lighter as well. And quite honestly the only real benefits I can see from a SSS are ease in tire/chain replacement which aren't exactly frequent occurrences for most street riders anyway.

That brings me to the next major issue with people: the weight. Yes it should stand to reason that the lower displacement should mean a lighter bike but quite frankly I'm tired of people complaining about the 11 pounds, unsprung or not. I'm willing to bet a lot of Panigale riders could stand to lose more than 11 pounds around their waistline anyway.

The Visor Down reviewer put it nicely:

"The 899 is 5kg heavier than the 1199, which might make you think ‘wow, it’s heavy’ but the 1199 is an incredibly light motorcycle. If you look at it another way, the 899 is 5kg lighter than an 848 Evo and that’s with the 899 carrying ABS. No-one ever accused the 187kg 848 Evo of being heavy. The 899, at 182kg, is a tight package."

To be honest I was more disappointed in the lack of a slipper clutch than the SSS or weight but the more I read on the Engine Braking Control the more I feel that a slipper would have been relatively unnecessary. I'll probably still throttle blip out of habit anyway. With my personal doubts squelched I am really looking forward to this bike.

-Beau

yea but you can slip it even without a slipper clutch, you just need to be a little smoother or you start to get wheel skip.. you ride track alot?

 

[beau_cauchemar]

yea but you can slip it even without a slipper clutch, you just need to be a little smoother or you start to get wheel skip.. you ride track alot?

I currently have a Sportster so needless to say I don't do much track-wise. With that being said I really try to push it in the turns far more than most Harley riders would. Chalk it up to the very tractor-like transmission on the Sportster but I hope for something far smoother than what I have. I can match revs just fine but quick downshifts can be a bit tricky on mine.

 

[Justthebest]

From what I've read, one of the other large reasons for the single sided swing arm on the 1199 was looks. I think the designers lobbied hard, while the engineers knew it would be 95% of what a double would be.

 

[RoyTakaay]

Anyone knows the difference in weight of the single/double sided swingarm?

 

[rjjr]

Clearance was definitely a primary factor since the overall length is about a half-inch shorter.

I also am glad about the double sided swing arm since looks-aside, the double is not only more rigid but lighter as well. And quite honestly the only real benefits I can see from a SSS are ease in tire/chain replacement which aren't exactly frequent occurrences for most street riders anyway.

That brings me to the next major issue with people: the weight. Yes it should stand to reason that the lower displacement should mean a lighter bike but quite frankly I'm tired of people complaining about the 11 pounds, unsprung or not. I'm willing to bet a lot of Panigale riders could stand to lose more than 11 pounds around their waistline anyway.

The Visor Down reviewer put it nicely:

"The 899 is 5kg heavier than the 1199, which might make you think ‘wow, it’s heavy’ but the 1199 is an incredibly light motorcycle. If you look at it another way, the 899 is 5kg lighter than an 848 Evo and that’s with the 899 carrying ABS. No-one ever accused the 187kg 848 Evo of being heavy. The 899, at 182kg, is a tight package."

To be honest I was more disappointed in the lack of a slipper clutch than the SSS or weight but the more I read on the Engine Braking Control the more I feel that a slipper would have been relatively unnecessary. I'll probably still throttle blip out of habit anyway. With my personal doubts squelched I am really looking forward to this bike.

-Beau

Regardless of how much a motorcycle weighs, reducing that weight will result in faster lap times. I use to fill up my SV650 in the morning and noticed my lap times were falling all morning. I refilled at noon and the same thing happened. I'm getting an 899 and I'll be doing whatever I can to reduce weight.

 

[Justthebest]

Regardless of how much a motorcycle weighs, reducing that weight will result in faster lap times. I use to fill up my SV650 in the morning and noticed my lap times were falling all morning. I refilled at noon and the same thing happened. I'm getting an 899 and I'll be doing whatever I can to reduce weight.

Diet?

 

[rjjr]

Diet?

That and a lot of running.

 

[Justthebest]

That and a lot of running.

Haha - better man than I.

 

[Rowan]

My old flatmate ate a lot of cabbage. The weight just blew out of him. Wasn't fun to live with during that time.

 

[899Rider]

I currently have a Sportster so needless to say I don't do much track-wise. With that being said I really try to push it in the turns far more than most Harley riders would. Chalk it up to the very tractor-like transmission on the Sportster but I hope for something far smoother than what I have. I can match revs just fine but quick downshifts can be a bit tricky on mine.

@beau_cauchemar

What year is your sportster?

 

[beau_cauchemar]

@beau_cauchemar

What year is your sportster?

2012 883 Iron with complete stage 1 and EFI tuning. Not exactly fast but fun with tons of personality. Not on it at the moment though due to a broken collar bone

 

[899Rider]

2012 883 Iron with complete stage 1 and EFI tuning. Not exactly fast but fun with tons of personality. Not on it at the moment though due to a broken collar bone

Oh man the 883 iron is sweet! Defintely carries its own personality. The style just speaks for itself no words just open throttle for symphony

Any pictures?

 

[beau_cauchemar]

I agree I really don't care much for Harley (this will be the only one I'll own) so I went a different direction with mine.

Eames-inspired Harley Iron 883 - Imgur

 

[899Rider]

OMG! this one blows the every other harley out of the water 100%

I like how you roll beau! the custom oil tank is nice is that just a vinly finish or..?

 

[beau_cauchemar]

Thanks!

It's a 3M automotive vinyl material that can wrap around just about anything when applied with a heat gun. Great stuff. Comes in a bunch of different finishes, too.