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Updated Ducati 899 Rider Review

29498 Views 37 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  Hyperider, 
Evolution
Ok so I'm now at 415 miles and moving at full speed ahead towards my 600 mile service. Here's what I think so far:

Exhaust heat: Honestly it's not as bad as I first thought. It's certainly noticeable and was a big change from my last bike so it definitely got my attention right away but it really isn't bothering me at all.

Maintenance issues: I've already mentioned my weird starting issue. Since I started killing it with the kill switch it hasn't happened one time. I have a feeling there will be an updated fuel map out at some point, but it's not an issue at this time. Only other thing is one of the fairing bolts vibrated out from the bottom fairing. It's a special bolt with a big shoulder around the head of it so it's not something I can just replace at the hardware store. I put a generic bolt with a big washer on it for the time being, and contacted the dealer. They said that on the 600 mile service they will check the torque on everything and replace the bolt, so no issue. I see on the 1199 forums, people are constantly having bolts rattle loose, and many of them suggest blue Loctite. Definitely something to consider.

Performance: This thing puts down power in such a smooth and linear manner it's amazing. The power is so usable and the throttle response is just perfect. Honestly if you had asked me a few months ago what I thought about a quickshifter, I would likely have said it wasn't necessary and a waste of time and money. Now that I've got to use it, I love it. The feeling of just going wide open throttle and banging up through the gears is great. This bike is as fast as I would ever want a street bike to be. I'm still averaging mid 40s for gas mileage too, which is hard to beat.

Handling: I love it. It holds a line like an 1198, yet is as responsive to direction changes as a CBR600RR. I absolutely can't find any fault with this thing. On a side note, I'm pretty impressed with the Pirelli tires. I've always been a Bridgestone guy and I think I may be staying with the Pirellis for a couple of reasons (I'll explain in a sec).

Electronics: It's been mostly nice and dry in GA and I've been staying in sport mode so I haven't triggered the traction control yet. Here's a note on that though. The TC has 8 settings, however depending on your tire choice, you can't use them all. TC setting 1 is calibrated for specific Pirelli race tires. Setting 7 is specifically for Pirelli wet tires. All other settings are calibrated to the Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corse tires (OE equipment). Now, the manual says you can use another tire with the same dimensions and you shouldn't have an issue, however the rear size is 180/60 and there are very few options available for that right now. I love the Bridgestone S20 and BT-016 Pros and they don't make them in that size. So I might end up staying with the Pirellis just to keep the TC happy, but they are great tires anyway so I'm ok with that.

Anyone have anything they want to know, please ask.
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teeny
Cracking review. I get what you mean as I too have around 400 miles done.
No starting issues here but I did have an issue with the front brake. How was your front brake - does the lever come right back to the grip with no resistance or did you have resistance?...
That was the only issue I had with mine. I still have all bolts... for the now!!
Brakes been bled etc at dealer now and work like they should.

Cheers

Sent from Motorcycle.com Free App
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mattxr
Great review, love hearing real person feedback.
The wait for mine is killing me!
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Evolution
teeny said:
Cracking review. I get what you mean as I too have around 400 miles done.
No starting issues here but I did have an issue with the front brake. How was your front brake - does the lever come right back to the grip with no resistance or did you have resistance?...
That was the only issue I had with mine. I still have all bolts... for the now!!
Brakes been bled etc at dealer now and work like they should.

Cheers

Sent from Motorcycle.com Free App
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Nope, no brake issues. They feel great.
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8
How is the exhaust heat in stop-go traffic on a warm day? would you say it is bearable? I'm really considering one though i ride in quite abit of city traffic and don't get nice long stretch of roads sometimes. Congrats btw!!! Just a tad jealous.
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Evolution
899 said:
How is the exhaust heat in stop-go traffic on a warm day? would you say it is bearable? I'm really considering one though i ride in quite abit of city traffic and don't get nice long stretch of roads sometimes. Congrats btw!!! Just a tad jealous.
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Honestly it's not bad. It's weird, it's like you don't feel it that much at a stop, but then as soon as you take off you can feel it. I'm not really looking forward to the summer in GA on it, but it really isn't that terrible.
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J
Great review Evolution.

I have 500km and agree with what you have stated.

Havent had the starting issue though.

It really feels like a bike i can live with for a long time, like it was built just for me.

Wonderful intuitive handling.

The motor is delicious as Neevesy said.
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J
Keep them reviews coming!
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Evolution
So I'm heading to Marietta today (near Atlanta) for the 600 mile service. Also going to stop by Ducshop (really good Ducati tuners) and see what they say about the 899 (maybe check on the possibility of a dyno tune). After the ride back, I should be covering about 300 miles today. I'll update this with my experience getting through the first service and any issues I've encountered so far when I get back.

On a side note, I notice none of the UK people have had that starting issue, but at least one other US person has. I'm now convinced it's that charcoal canister and I will likely be removing it before the summer. I'll be mentioning it to the dealer today.
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Evolution
Ok so yesterday I got my 600 mile service done. You need to wait till the service light comes on or it will come on after you leave and then you'll have to go back to have them reset it. It comes on at 621 miles (because that's 1,000K). No issues with the bike other than the one fairing bolt that vibrated loose and fell out. They changed the fluids and checked torque specs on everything. Cost me about 300 (ouch!) but the guy spent some serious time going over every bolt on the bike checking for anything loose. I also spoke with them about the starting issue and they also believe it's the charcoal canister. They said it would be no issue if I removed it, but since they are a dealer they cannot modify any emissions control stuff.

After the service was done I swung by Ducshop and talked to Mark Sutton about the 899. In case you don't know Mark, he's the man when it comes to Ducs in the US, and has fielded his own AMA team as well as worked on the HMC and on the Fast by Ferracci AMA Ducati factory team. He said that the new Mitsubishi system on the 899 is a little tricky to tune, but he recommended going with the Rapid Bike system that he's using on the 1199s. Definitely something I'll be looking into. Also, he had an 1199S in there that he had just fitted a full Akrapovic titanium system to and it looked absolutely amazing! The weld quality is awesome and it looks good. I think I'm going to go with the Akra system over the Termis when I eventually get it done. I snapped a couple of pics with my phone, I'll post them later (I'm about to go for another ride, lol).

So, the 899 is now up to 800 miles, and I'm still loving it. What an amazing bike! I spent about 4 and a half hours in the saddle yesterday, and that superquadro drone is just music. The engine revs from anywhere! Also, I averaged 48mpg yesterday. There is nothing like looking at your dash and realizing that you are getting prius economy on a vehicle that costs less than a Corolla and can out-accelerate a supercar. Truly the essence of value.
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S
Evolution said:
Ok so yesterday I got my 600 mile service done. You need to wait till the service light comes on or it will come on after you leave and then you'll have to go back to have them reset it. It comes on at 621 miles (because that's 1,000K). No issues with the bike other than the one fairing bolt that vibrated loose and fell out. They changed the fluids and checked torque specs on everything. Cost me about 300 (ouch!) but the guy spent some serious time going over every bolt on the bike checking for anything loose. I also spoke with them about the starting issue and they also believe it's the charcoal canister. They said it would be no issue if I removed it, but since they are a dealer they cannot modify any emissions control stuff.

After the service was done I swung by Ducshop and talked to Mark Sutton about the 899. In case you don't know Mark, he's the man when it comes to Ducs in the US, and has fielded his own AMA team as well as worked on the HMC and on the Fast by Ferracci AMA Ducati factory team. He said that the new Mitsubishi system on the 899 is a little tricky to tune, but he recommended going with the Rapid Bike system that he's using on the 1199s. Definitely something I'll be looking into. Also, he had an 1199S in there that he had just fitted a full Akrapovic titanium system to and it looked absolutely amazing! The weld quality is awesome and it looks good. I think I'm going to go with the Akra system over the Termis when I eventually get it done. I snapped a couple of pics with my phone, I'll post them later (I'm about to go for another ride, lol).

So, the 899 is now up to 800 miles, and I'm still loving it. What an amazing bike! I spent about 4 and a half hours in the saddle yesterday, and that superquadro drone is just music. The engine revs from anywhere! Also, I averaged 48mpg yesterday. There is nothing like looking at your dash and realizing that you are getting prius economy on a vehicle that costs less than a Corolla and can out-accelerate a supercar. Truly the essence of value.
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but was your seat hot ;)
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Evolution
snake shake said:
but was your seat hot ;)
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Lol, yes it was. I had almost convinced myself that it wasn't that hot....but after putting down that many miles, yeah it's hot. So then today I went to a local dealer with a friend who rides a Kawi and the bike wouldn't start again. I had like 5 people staring at me wanting to hear what it sounds like and it sputtered out 3 times in a row. They were like "nice bike bro....". That charcoal canister's days are now numbered. Additionally, the foot pegs are so slippery that it must be addressed soon. Not sure if I'm doing pegs or rearsets but I need to decide really fast. It's not enjoyable to have pegs with zero grip.
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L
I'm in Denver, Co and the starting issues came up after a few days. It progressively worsened. It almost stranded me many miles away from home (it started once the bike cooled down - I had to cancel the tow request). The dealer (who will remain nameless) found a problem with the EVAP SYSTEM. They "relocated" it. Once that was finished I haven't had one starting issue, even in 32 degree weather or after long rides.

I did hear something that appeared to hit the bike; I thought it might have been something from the road. I'll have to check the visibly accessible bolts and see if all are intact. Especially since I'm at 1300+ miles and the 600 miles service stated that a check on all bolts was completed.
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J
quick update

This thing is awesome.

So much usable power. Super smooth motor.

Only 550kms so far but it really is a sweet ride.

Cant wait to see what she does once run in :)
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Hyperider
Ok guys here's my review so far at 300 miles. My first complain is the clutch it's on the heavy side for me my left hand gets all numb at stop and go traffic. I'm used to my Monster with an STM clutch slave it's got a really light pull. So an Oberon on order would resolve that. 2nd I also have some starting issues, it's weird that there are times where I have to crack open the throttle and gas it for it to fully fire up. Then you gotta keep the throttle up. I just find that weird on a brand new bike but the dealer said that's normal at times. 3rd I did notice the heat but it's not that bad to get bothered by it. 4th not sure maybe I'm just getting old but it does have a more aggressive riding position than my Monster so I feel it on my wrist. But overall I love the power delivery it's just perfect doesn't scare you doesn't get loose on the rear. I love the quick shifter first bike I have with it. The handle is awesome I'm finally trusting the bike more it's like it's on rails its so planted. That's it for now I'll keep tabs as I put more miles on it.
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J
not sure if you can answer this considering youre not ME but i have had 2 bikes before and both of them were cruisers. small ones, first was a 750 the second was a 650. im wondering if this bike will be too big of a jump in power. i rode my brothers zx-6r to the shop for him one time last year and i was able to ride it just fine just that my wrist was a little sore after lol. when i say too much power i mean the throttle being too sensitive and when i come out of a corner and give it some gas i dont want the beast coming out from underneath me or anything
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MustangWolf
jlister said:
not sure if you can answer this considering youre not ME but i have had 2 bikes before and both of them were cruisers. small ones, first was a 750 the second was a 650. im wondering if this bike will be too big of a jump in power. i rode my brothers zx-6r to the shop for him one time last year and i was able to ride it just fine just that my wrist was a little sore after lol. when i say too much power i mean the throttle being too sensitive and when i come out of a corner and give it some gas i dont want the beast coming out from underneath me or anything
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You could always ride it in "rain" mode for a while while you get used to it. :)
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J
MustangWolf said:
You could always ride it in "rain" mode for a while while you get used to it. :)
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HA thats true man i didnt think of that. this bike is freakin perfect!
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rjjr
Hyperider said:
Ok guys here's my review so far at 300 miles. My first complain is the clutch it's on the heavy side for me my left hand gets all numb at stop and go traffic. I'm used to my Monster with an STM clutch slave it's got a really light pull. So an Oberon on order would resolve that. 2nd I also have some starting issues, it's weird that there are times where I have to crack open the throttle and gas it for it to fully fire up. Then you gotta keep the throttle up. I just find that weird on a brand new bike but the dealer said that's normal at times. 3rd I did notice the heat but it's not that bad to get bothered by it. 4th not sure maybe I'm just getting old but it does have a more aggressive riding position than my Monster so I feel it on my wrist. But overall I love the power delivery it's just perfect doesn't scare you doesn't get loose on the rear. I love the quick shifter first bike I have with it. The handle is awesome I'm finally trusting the bike more it's like it's on rails its so planted. That's it for now I'll keep tabs as I put more miles on it.
Click to expand...

You've got exactly twice as much experience on the 899 than I do. Winter really sucks.

The starting issue you mentioned is not normal on a new bike. If you actually have to touch the throttle to start or keep it running something is wrong.

My wrists get sore easily. I've found that by keeping the balls of my feet on the pegs helps to support my upper body more and reduce fatigue on my wrists.

Have fun, it's a great machine.
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Hyperider
rjjr said:
You've got exactly twice as much experience on the 899 than I do. Winter really sucks.

The starting issue you mentioned is not normal on a new bike. If you actually have to touch the throttle to start or keep it running something is wrong.

My wrists get sore easily. I've found that by keeping the balls of my feet on the pegs helps to support my upper body more and reduce fatigue on my wrists.

Have fun, it's a great machine.
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The starting issue is really bugging me but like I said when I told the dealer they said that's normal at time. But you're right I don't think it is too. It also happens after I've ridden the bike for while and not at the initial start which is the other way around it's weird. I'll try to get a more detailed answer from my dealer. I've seen here that I'm not the only one having the starting issue. I've ordered the Oberon clutch slave to make my clutch pull a little lighter. That's my only gripe since it's been a while that I've ridden a full sport bike it does bother my hands now got spoiled on my Monster's upright position. I hear you on the Winter weather, here in California it's pretty much riding season all year round. But right now we're in drought state and it's not good at all. Yeah sure we can still ride even though it's Winter the roads are nice and dry but so our reservoirs. We're all praying for rain!
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