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[rod]

Anyway, I just got back from test riding the 848 and had a 2006 999S for comparison. I can't decide between the two as they'll work out to be the same $$$ on the road and with slip on exhausts (848 didn't have 'em, 999S had it standard). Around $24k on the road. I hopped on the 999S first (second hand, 3000km) and a friend was on the 848 (shop demo with ~1000km) - another friend was along having a go on the 1098 (he has a monoposto 916) and the Ducati City chaperone who was on a 2003 model 999.

I wanted to compare them as they seem to be fairly close on paper - the 848 has less power but weighs a fair bit less. It's a hot day here in Melbourne, I think it was about 34 degrees this morning when we left. When I was pulling away I was reminded of the dry clutch as it started groaning and grabbing like Frankenstein on Ice. We made our way towards Tullamarine freeway and I was warming to the 999S. Literally. I'd forgotten how hot they can get between the legs and as I couldn't smell a barbeque in progress I thought it all normal and made a mental note to self: HTFU!!

Onto the Tullamarine freeway and I could open it up a bit. I had been amazed at how tractable it was - pootling along at 3000 revs was a breeze and the power seemed quite adequate for well-and-truly losing my licence in first gear in a 60 zone. So on the freeway I opened it up a bit (from 4000 revs) and it seemed the loud exhaust had awoken the devil and he'd just given me a big boot up the freeway as some sort of punishment. I glanced down at the tacho and thought there must be something wrong with it - it's reading 50% of what the engine is really doing. Man, 5000 revs on board and it's really starting to pull my arms from their sockets and we're not much into half of the revs of this thing!

Doing roll-ons was pretty amazing. It's like sensory overload as the noise would indicate the the engine is really revving but the tacho says otherwise. The quick buildup of speed and the wrenching on the arms makes it feel like it's all happening that half a second faster than your brain can work giving a sense that things are not quite under control. That unease is compounded by the fact that the mirrors are so crap you could have two pursuit cars and the police chopper behind you and you'd never see them (nor hear them). I haven't ridden anything like a ZX10R, GSXR1000 etc and the ZX12R I have ridden a bit was incredibly quick in a build up and whoooosh way but this 999S was like being flung from a trebuchet.

We hopped off the freeway and made our way along Pascoe Vale Road to go through some corners in Strathmore (behind Essendon airport). Mascoma street actually. All of this 60 and 70kmh stuff only requires first gear and the 999S sounds great winding on the power and letting it off. Yay for overhead bridges! The friend who was on the 1098 said later that he could barely hear himself think when he was following me. Through the roundabouts and curves the 999S felt great, easy to turn and the brakes were very good. To me they were like hitting a brick wall so I did give them some respect - no use in stacking it as I still hadn't made up my mind whether to get the 999S or the 848!

We were soon to hook back up to the Tullamarine freeway but on the other side of Essendon airport so I hopped onto the 848. As we swapped over, my mate said watch it a bit as it really darts into the corners. Hopping on it, it was immediately comfortable and felt more like a sports tourer - it felt like I didn't have to lean very far forward at all to reach the handlebars. With the standard pipes it was much quieter and the clutch, being wet, didn't have the shingle-dingle-dingle sound going on.

Into the first corner I heeded the warning I was given and took it fairly slowly. It really did fall into the corner easily. A little to easily it felt, like the front tyre was flat. But then I did just hop off what was like a cross between a stretching rack and a nuclear explosion.....

Subsequent corners came and went. Man, what a easy bike to ride! Barely think and it has already done the turn, you can wind on the power without scaring yourself silly.....so easy. The entry to the freeway had a very tight right hander and once around that (with barely a thought!) I thought this thing is a reall pussycat and it was time to really open the taps up. The throttle seemed to have a much shorter turn than on the 999S and in an instant it was at the end of its travel. As the 848 was quieter and friendlier I could more easily judge what revs it was doing my hearing and through the seat of the pants. Speaking of pants, the rev counter is a bit pants if you're not used to an LCD bar and it's a bit out of sight too. Anway, there was not explosion of torque with the 848, just a gradual winding on - from hazy memory, a bit like one of the first CBR900RR's. Yeah there's good torque and it has a good peak but it's certainly not totally awesome in a "eep I should respect the power if I want to live" way. In lower gears it'll still lift the front wheel withough asking but more like a four cylinder, like it winds up and the step in the power in the higher revs hoists the front wheel up. Not the old style twin thing of opening the looong throttle all the way a bit off idle and the bike responds by trying to rotate itself around the back wheel like Pedrosas practice start at Phillip Island this year.

Don't think it's slow though - it quickly got to a speed which would have guaranteed me at least a mention in the nightly news. It's deceptively quick and it's just so easy to get it there. The seating position is ultra comfortable, the clutch is like a japanese bike and it darts around corners before you've even thought about it. Making our way back to the dealership we got some red lights in Flemington road so I had the opportunity to give it some clutch slipping take-offs and it didn't miss a beat. Remember the 999S was grumbling away when we first took off and at a ultra slow speed! The 848 didn't seem to pump out as much heat as the 999S either.

I'd hopped on the 848 and felt instantly comfortable, the power was very good but manageable and it was like Ducati made a CBR600. Easy to ride and deceptively effective. It gets you down the road with minimal effort and you'll be amazed at how quickly you get there. Conversely I think they must soak the 999S's into a vat full of murderers blood before they send them out, just to add a bit more spice to the mix. I ride like an old moll and am probably daydreaming but the 999S feels like having a crazy attack dog on a very short leash. It's all very tame taking a walk around the neighbourhood but throw it a bone and tell it to "skitch 'em boy" and you've got to put your brain into fast forward to keep up before it not only has grabbed the bone but returned and now has your neck in its vice like jaws.

So my final thoughts are that the 848 is an awesome bike and I really think that a mature thinking rider could come off a 250 and ride one it's that easy to ride. It's a real sensible choice. The 999S is totally mental and my mate with the ZX12R had ridden it a few weeks ago and couldn't stop swearing and waving his arms about when describing it....and subsequently put pictures of 999's on his home and work computers and found every video on youtube which contained a 999 and save them to his favourites. Any mere mortal would be faster on the 848 than the 999S in any situation (except a roll-on). As for the 1098, I haven't ridden one and I don't really intend to. I think it's simply too fast for me and I could never hope to use all of it. Besides, if I justified the extra stuff you get for your money I'd be selling this and that to get a 1098R or a D16. My decision now is if I was an easy to ride bike which is devestatingly effective in achieving its goals or if I want to scare myself silly for a while at two-thirds the speed until I get used to it's living-on-the-edge rock and roll lifestyle. And I think there's no coming back from the edge - I don't think any 999S head could change to a 848 and be totally happy.

So after all that I still can't decide and as they're so different in character it's now even harder...........


I'm keen to hear peoples thoughts who have ridden the 848 and the 999S!