ducati 899 panigale group test there’s a new …ducati 899 panigale group test ducati’s new 899...

Continued over

10

www.motorcyclenews.com

FOCUSP

ICT

UR

ES

BY

AL

BE

RT

O C

ER

VE

TT

I

DUCATI 899 PANIGALE GROUP TEST

Ducati’s new 899 Panigale takes on two of the world’s most accomplished sports bikes in a bid to becomeking of the middleweight screamers

THERE’S A NEW WORLD ORDER

■ Ducati’s eagerly anticipated

‘baby’ Panigale 899 is the new

challenger in the middleweight

sports bike division – the class

that really matters to sports

bike riders in the know. We pit

it against the class-leading

GSX-R750 to see if it’s got what

it takes to be the cream of the

sports bike class. We also

introduce the hugely capable

Triumph Daytona 675R into the

mix to see if it’s a giant slayer.

WHAT’S THE STORY?

MICHAEL NEEVESSenior Road [email protected]

All change... again! Reg-ular readers may re-member seeing our big middleweight sports bike shoot-out just three months ago. That test was driven by the arrival

of the new MV Agusta F3 800 as we pitched the Italian beauty against the long-in-the-tooth Ducati 848 and the similarly evergreen Suzuki GSX-R750.

Surprisingly, the ageing Suzuki won the test and blew us away, despite not having changed since the mid-2000s. The raw, tortured growl and speed from its four-cylinder engine is still as in-toxicating as ever, as is its sure-footed handling and all-round friendliness.

Although it was a thing of beauty and glorious in small doses, the Ducati 848 was a bit too uncomfortable and clumsy at low speeds and so finished runner-up, while the F3 800 brought up the rear. The MV has the looks, gravelly three-cylinder soundtrack and lapped our test track the quickest, but the power delivery and throttle response was just that little bit too highly-strung to give the MV a chance of victory.

And then along comes a bike that blows the middleweight sports bike class apart: Ducati’s new 899 Panigale – or ‘Panigalina’, as the Italian factory nicknamed it through its development.

We know from our previous test the F3 800 finishes behind the Suzuki and the 848 has now gone, so this challenge is all about seeing the 899 Panigale go up against the GSX-R750. And to make things more interesting we’ve thrown in a wild card to answer a question we’ve been asking since the Triumph was launched: is the new Daytona 675R the giant-slayer we all think it is?

Quick shiftingThe 899 Panigale is something very special. It’s the best of our three mid-dleweight sports bikes on the road – in fact it’s the most together and refined Ducati sports bike to leave Bologna, big or small. It’s the best new sports bike we’ve ridden in 2013.

The first leg of our journey from Giarre to the top of Etna is through towns. Sicilians don’t do road rage – they’re not the least bit territorial in their cars. As a result there’s much tailgating and people pulling out on you. It’s a stress-free way to live your life, but you’ve got to keep your wits about you on two-wheels, especially when you’re on a £12,500 Ducati.

As well as being agile enough to dodge wayward Lancias, the 899 is lovely through town. There’s plenty of legroom for tall riders like me, the bars are widely spaced, not too low, and you can see clearly out of the mirrors.

The dash is easy to read (although it’s not in colour like the big Panigale) and the quickshifter works well at low speeds. Once you’re moving you never need to use the clutch shifting up.

SUZUKI GSX-R750 148BHP / 195KG / £9899

Despite being three years

old and as low-tech as a

sports bike can be, there’s

still no keeping the

GSX-R750 down. It has the

perfect balance of power

and weight, and it’s also the

cheapest machine here.

1120.11.2013WEDNESDAY


DUCATI 899

PANIGALE

148BHP / 200.5KG / £12,495

Following in the footsteps of the 748, 749 and the out-going 848, the 899 has evolved to a point where it’s actually bigger than the Italian firm’s original 851/888 superbike and almost as big as the all-conquering 916. The 899 is packed with the latest electronics, a new ‘Superquadro’ engine and some of the best brakes in the business.

TRIUMPH

DAYTONA 675R ABS

126BHP / 194.5kg / £10,599

Easily winning our supersport shootout earlier in the year, it’s clear this latest Daytona 675 punches well above its weight. To give it the best possible chance of keeping up with the more powerful bikes we’ve cho-sen the R model with its Öhlins suspension, Brembo mono-blocs and quickshifter.

A trio of middle-weights of mixed merit, sharing many qualities but mostly brilliantly useable power and handling for these kind of roads

THE WEEK

02-09

FOCUS

10-31

COMMENT

32-33

BUYING &

SELLING

34-54

EVENTS

55-56

SPORT

57-68


FOCUS 899 PANIGALE GROUP TE ST12

It’s an early start with much road riding

and two tracks to take on the test

Pirelli’s test rider Alessandro Abate on

the twisting ascent up Mount Etna

It’s bike swap time, but there are no

short straws on this middleweight test

MCN’s Neeves making the most of his

time on the beautiful 899 ‘Panigalina’

Pirelli HQ after a day’s road riding as the

bikes are prepped for the track

TH

E J

OU

RN

EY

www.greatmagazines.co.uk/mcn

SEE THE VIDEO

See the new Ducati 899 Panigale fght it out against

the Suzuki GSX-R750 and Triumph Daytona 675R with

MCN’s iPad edition.


20.11.2013 WEDNESDAY 13

That new, 898cc ‘Superquadro’ en-gine is a delight. There’s no horrible clattering and lurching at low speeds, as you get on big Ducati superbikes. The V-twin rush is smooth from the off, then builds, sending you like a cartoon bullet into the horizon. And the ride-by-throttle actually works properly.

Flawless madnessThe 899 has three riding modes (Rain, Sport, Race), with varying levels of throttle response, traction and engine braking control, ABS and power. In Sport the power delivery from closed throttle is flawless. Ride-by-wire is an area lots of manufacturers struggle with, but Ducati has cracked it.

Later on we discover the 899 makes a decent long-distance motorway bike, too, but first the roads are ascending, towns are thinning-out and the go-ing is getting twisty. We’re under tree cover, where wet Tarmac and fallen leaves lurk around blind corners. In these conditions, the baby Panigale’s deliciously refined and unobtrusive traction control system and ABS load you with confidence and stop you thinking about a silly slip-off.

Accelerating out of the mountain roads’ seemingly endless stream of perfectly-surfaced second and third gear corners, the bright red Ducati surges forward in a cacophony of hard-edged, booming, V-twin madness. The locals below must be thinking old Etna is about to get feisty.

In fact the new Ducati is such a fast bike, no longer should it be thought of as living in the shadows of its bigger brother – as the preceding 748, 749 and 848 sometimes were. Those bikes always handled better than their super-bike siblings, but never had the power. Yet the 899 is the best of both worlds.

The Panaglina has Ducati trademark stability in fast corners, too, but now it’s much more agile and more flickable than both the old 848 and 1199 Pangale.

Stable the horsesBig Panigales have just that little bit too much power and torque, which can tie the chassis in knots. The 1199 needs a slow-steering 200-section tyre for grip, but the 899 has a more nimble 180 on the back, albeit with a special 60-profile for a larger footprint at full lean.

No matter how hard you twist the throttle, the 899 just accelerates with utter stability. And that rear Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa digs in so hard the traction control hardly chimes in.

The ride is on the stiff side of plush, but the suspension offers plenty of control in return. If the 1199 Panigale was this well-balanced and easy to ride, it would be the undoubted superbike class-leader.

Braking stability is second to none. It’s almost impossible to get to the limits of the monobloc Brembos, es-pecially with ABS, and you’re always left thinking you’ve sat up too early. Even the factory Ducati superbike team says braking power and stability is the Panigale’s best asset - a product, we reckon, of its stiff ‘airbox’ chassis.

Back down the mountain and the 899 shows a similarly impressive level of competence. You’re pushing the front more riding downhill, but the Ducati is still easy to turn and offers-up loads of feedback through its tyres. Anyone who thinks this ‘frameless’ chassis is flawed needs to ride the 899. And on the subject of perceptions, you just don’t care how many sides the swingarm has when the ride is this good.

Young gun versus old hatI’ll admit I’m gushing, but my fellow testers are agreeing with me, as Chad confirms: “It’s comfy, easy to ride, the engine purrs at 5000rpm on the motorway and it sounds great. The electronic modes are easy to use on the move and the dash is informative. It’s the best sports Ducati I’ve ridden.”

While Pirelli test rider, Alessandro Abate said: “It’s comfy, despite it being a supersport bike and I like the high seat, wide bars and low footpegs. But there’s not so much wind protection from the low screen and there are some vibrations on the mirrors. The engine has nice torque and power – it’s a new generation of sports bike.”

Now to the Suzuki – the bike that won our middleweight group test last sum-mer, beating the F3 800 and old 848. It doesn’t take long to remind us why it’s so good and it’s all to do with what lies between those beefy aluminium frame spars: that magnificent inline four-cylinder 798cc motor.

In short it’s a masterpiece, offering that now legendary mix of screaming revs, top end power, usable torque and a psycho exhaust note. In your right hand is the ability to glide through town, pull litre-bike-style wheelies, cruise the motorway, or scratch up and down mountain roads.

And weighing just 195kg fuelled, the Suzuki’s as light as a 600, too.

MCN team film all the action and opinions,

now available on the iPad edition

Alessandro and Pirelli’s race tyre tester

Alfio Tricomi ready for a day ‘in the office’

Alfio is understandably a very fast rider

and he isn’t afraid of some damp leaves

“And this is a pic of me at Oliver’s Mount,

and this is my cat, oh you’ll love this one...”

Roads leading up the mighty Mount Etna

are twisty, smooth ribbons of pure joy

➤

But the 899 Panigale shows up some of the Suzuki’s weaker points. The GSX-R’s throttle now seems snatchy at low speeds and its high footpegs cramp legs, although the bars aren’t as low as the Ducati or Triumph’s. And when the conditions are dodgy, you really miss traction control and ABS – it’s amazing how quickly you get used to electronic riding aids.

Alessandro says: “It’s still a good bike, but it’s like an old queen now. The engine is a little bit harsh and the riding position is very racy. It’s feel-ing its age, compared to the Ducati.”

The wild cardAnd finally our wild card: the Triumph Daytona 675R. It has a completely new engine, gearbox, chassis, suspension, wheels, brakes, styling… the lot.

It’s an incredible supersports ma-chine and the best in its class by some distance. But ridden back-to-back against the Ducati and Suzuki you feel a lack of oomph, which is hardly surprising, given its smaller engine size. You have to rev it more, keeping that new short-stroke rasping three-cylinder motor spinning to keep up.

It’s still a magnificent road machine and the engine is flexible enough not to have keep changing up and down through the gears. The 675R’s superb quickshifter works precisely, flowing gears from one cog to the next.

The riding position is roomy, but there’s a lot of weight on your wrists around town and on the motorway.

Initial pick-up from a closed throttle is velvety and what follows is an unfal-tering wave of creamy three-cylinder torque. As the speed increases, so does the noise – the airbox growl and rasping exhaust is the finest of all soundtracks.

Öhlins suspension delivers a firm, but plush ride, while steering, stability and feeling for grip are all excellent.

“The engine is really smooth and the quickshifter is nice,” says Adam. “But the mirrors aren’t as good as the Ducati’s and there’s not as much wind-protection, so I’d prefer to do big mileage on the other two.”

“The brakes are very strong and the ABS is very good over wet leaves,” says Alessandro. “It’s a well-balanced bike, but for me it’s too rigid for the road.”

The 899 Panigale offers the most in terms of friendliness, character, speed, poise and comfort – who’d have thought you’d ever hear that about a big Ducati sportsbike? The Suzuki’s engine and easy-handling make it a joy to live with, as does the price, but it’s not sharp anymore like a sports bike should be. Bringing up the rear on the road is the Triumph, purely because it doesn’t have the oomph of the bigger bikes, but ride it hard and it’s all over the others like molten hot lava.

There’s more

than one way to

skin a mountain

cat. But all start

with a purr and

end in cacopho-

nous screaming

‘Even the factory Ducati superbike team says braking power and stability is the Panigale’s best asset’MICHAEL NEEVES

Our road-riding test started at the

Pirelli test team HQ near Giarre on

the east coast of Sicily. We thread

through small towns and up to the

highest point of Mount Etna you’re

allowed to go. It’s only around half

way up, but still high enough to be

the home of ski resorts. The roads

stop here, but venture any further

and you could be in for a very hot

shower – the last you’ll ever have.

After riding the bikes up and

down the mountain roads, we went

west to the middle of the island, to

the Pergusa racetrack, via twisty

motorways and A roads, near Enna

for the first of two days of track

testing, the second at Raculmuto.

Where we went: Giarre-Mount Etna-Pergusa

D

C

B A

CATANIA

GIARRE

RACALMUTO

ENNA

GO

OG

LE

MA

PS

THE WEEK

02-09

FOCUS

10-31

COMMENT

32-33

BUYING &

SELLING

34-54

EVENTS

55-56

SPORT

57-68


FOCUS14

The new Ducati inspires you to ride

all day long. Take the 899 to a track

day and you’ll want to do every lap of

every single session.

It’s actually quite short-geared,

which hurt its lap time at the faster

Pergusa circuit where the longer-

legged Suzuki set the quickest time.

But the 899 is the daddy at the

shorter Racalmuto.

The Ducati begs you to take it by

the scruff of the neck and ride the

wheels off it. The engine loves to be

revved – it accelerates strongly off

corners and sears along straights in

a seemless wave of booming V-twin

anger, tempered by quickshift-

assisted smoothness.

Unlike the bigger Panigale, nothing

you do with the throttle upsets the

balance of the chassis. The 899

doesn’t bounce, weave or misbehave

in a straight line, or in the corners.

It still has Ducati’s famed mid-

corner poise and it loves to be railed

around a bend with big lean and

corner speed. But it’s agile through

chicanes and tight corners now,

thanks to its new chassis layout, the

leverage from the wide bars, and its

relatively narrow rear tyre.

You can now choose to ride the

Ducati in two ways around the track.

You can either flow with it, using

sweeping lines and big corner speed,

or scratch – making a point-and-

squirt ‘V’ of all the corners.

As on the road, the 899’s

braking power and stability are so

exceptional it’s impossible to out-

brake yourself, unless you simply

chicken out and go straight on.

The fantastic electronics aren’t

the reason the 899 is so good – it’s

such a well-balanced bike anyway

– but it’s the perfectly sweet cherry

on top, without a doubt. Braking

stability is helped by a slipper clutch

and adjustable electronic braking

control (which gives less engine

braking in the Race mode that we

were using) and at the other end,

the traction control is so refined you

wouldn’t know it’s there if it wasn’t

for the lights on the dash flashing

when the rear wheel is slipping.

THE TRACK TESTThe high-speed, no compromise acid test, where each bike is pushed to the limits of its performance

899 PANIGALE GROUP TE ST

Alfio says: “Everything about

the Ducati is good: the riding

position, brakes, quickshifter,

handling and overall balance. The

power delivery is impressive and you

can precisely power it out of a corner,

but around the longer Pergusa

track it lacks a bit of power.

The traction control

works really well, too.”

Ducati 899 PanigaleBest lap of Pergusa: 1:50.49 (2nd)

Best lap of Racalmuto: 1:07.23 (1st)

Testing notes: Race mode selected. Pirelli Diablo

Supercorsa SC2s fitted. Both tracks hot and sunny.1


20.11.2013

WEDNESDAY 15

There’s still life in the old dog yet

and we were stunned, and pleased,

to see that Alfio went fastest with

the GSX-R750 on the longer track.

It was second quickest at the short

track, but still ahead of the sweeter-

handling Triumph, thanks to the

GSX-R750’s outright speed down

the fast straights.

There are few sports bikes around that are such a joy around a race track than the Triumph 675R. Giving away 22bhp to the other two bikes here might sound like a disadvantage on paper, but in relative terms, the less power you have, the less you have to worry about. So like any of the supersport crop, you can get on and enjoy the track, bounce off the kerbs and generally ride the wheels off the thing, without worrying about it getting you into trouble.

You savour everything that makes the new Daytona 675R such a leader in its class Ð the smooth ride and control of the …hlins suspension, the power of the Brembo brakes, the scream of the triple engine, the corner speed and the all-round balance of the bike. ItÕs physically smaller than the others and you have to crouch in, right under the paintwork, to get out of the wind, but that all adds to the drama of a lap.

Traction control? It doesnÕt need it, but it has a very useful ABS ÔCircuitÕ mode. It takes ABS off the rear only and lets you back it into a corner and if

Suzuki GSX-R750Best lap of Pergusa: 1:49.65 (1st)

Best lap of Racalmuto: 1:08.61 (2nd)

Testing notes: Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC2s fitted. Both tracks hot and sunny.2

Out of the three middleweight

sports bikes, the Suzuki’s softer,

more road-focused demeanour

makes it the easiest to jump on and

ride fast, giving you confidence

immediately. It doesn’t need fancy

electronics, it simply does what

you want it to do, while giving you

a huge margin for error and ham-

fistedness. But on track, you really

miss the fast, easy gear-changing

that a quickshifter offers.

The power delivery is friendly and

the steering light and neutral. The

suspension soaks up the bumps

and the forces dished out under

acceleration and hard braking. It’s

completely stable all the time – a

far cry from the slap-happy GSX-Rs

that used to scare the life out of me

in the late 80s and early 90s.

And of course, the Suzuki is very

fast and the tall gearing equals big

top speeds. Earlier this year we

took this very bike to a true 182mph

at the Nardo speed bowl. The long

rev-range lets you hold onto gears

for longer between corners.

It’s the cheapest bike here and

you could pick a secondhand one

up for relative peanuts. With the

money you’ll save over the Ducati

and Triumph you could transform

the GSX-R750 with a racing rear

shock, shorter gearing, a lighter

exhaust and beefed-up brakes.

Then you’d have a motorcycle that

I reckon would draw level, or even

beat, the new Ducati.

Triumph Daytona 675RBest lap of Pergusa: 1:55.55 (3rd)

Best lap of Racalmuto: 1:09.26 (3rd)

Testing notes: Circuit mode ABS selected. Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC2s fitted. Both tracks hot and sunny.3

the rear end comes round too far, the ABS cleverly chimes back in to bring everything back under control again.

Out of the three bikes here, the Triumph is the easiest, most fun and least intimidating to ride. Being the lightest and having the least torque means its kinder to the tyres, so they grip and last longer than on a bigger bike.

But in terms of pure lap times, especially at Pergusa, the 675R gets nibbled away at down every straight by the others, especially in 4th-6th gear, so itÕs ultimately slower. ThereÕs no substitute for cubes.

Ridden in isolation, you never yearn more power, but interestingly we also rode the old long-stroke Daytona 675R during this test and it was slightly gruntier, longer revving and longer-geared, letting you hang on to gears for longer between corners. ItÕs every bit as good, so if you canÕt stretch to a new 675R, youÕll have just as much fun on the old one.

Alfio says:ÒThe SuzukiÕs engine is very

strong and suits the fast track. The gearbox works perfectly. ItÕs less rigid and sporty, but itÕs well-

balanced and you can really enjoy the bike at the top of the revs. But it struggles with brake fade, you lose time with no quickshifter

and it moves about more out of slower corners.Ó

We tested each bike at two very diferent racetracks

A very fast, old-school circuit

with zero run-off and lined with

Armco. The surface is very

grippy and bumpy in places.

The layout comprises a short

infield section followed by three

top-gear straights, leading into

gnarly second-gear chicanes.

They held WSB here in the late

80s, but it’s too dangerous for

bike racing now. It’s a great track

for stretching the legs of our

middleweight sports bikes.

A tight and twisty track with

second gear corners and a

5th/6th gear front straight. It

was billiard table-smooth when

opened in 2005, but subsidence

has made it horrendously bumpy

and it’s slippery in places. It’s

a great test of handling and

confidence. Adam and I rode

each bike for seat-of the-pants

riding impressions and Alfio

Tricomi, Pirelli’s race tyre tester,

who knows the tracks inside out,

set ultimate lap times and gave

his thoughts on each bike.

The suspension settings were

left standard on each bike, to

suit the different weights and

speeds of our four testers.

Pergusa 3.1 miles

Racalmuto 1.5 miles

Alfio says:ÒThe Triumph has good

acceleration off the corners and the short gearing suits

Racalmuto better than Pergusa. ThereÕs a good balance between

stability and agility, but the suspension is a bit too stiff over

the bumps on standard settings. The brakes are

very strong.Ó

THE WEEK

02-09

FOCUS

10-31

COMMENT

32-33

BUYING &

SELLING

34-54

EVENTS

55-56

SPORT

57-68


FOCUS16

BIG THANKS TO: Pirelli. This test wouldn’t have been possible without the massive help of Salvo Pennisi, Alessandro Abate, Matteo Giusti and all of Pirelli’s motorcycle tyre test team.

The real weightsWe put each bike on calibrated

scales to measure accurate

weight with a full tank.

Unsurprisingly, the Triumph is

the lightest, even with an extra

0.4 litres of fuel, but the larger-

capacity Suzuki is only 0.5kg

heavier. The baby Panigale is

the heaviest by some margin

and a stone heavier than the

Triumph. (The 1199 Panigale R

we measured on the same scales

earlier in the year weighed 193kg.)

899 Panigale test: The facts and figures

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 749cc (70 x 48.7mm),

inline-four, 16v, 6 gears, chain drive.

Electronic rider aids: 2 power maps

Power: 148bhp @ 13,200rpm

Torque: 64ftlb @ 11,200rpm

Chassis: Twin spar aluminium frame and

double-sided aluminium swingarm

Suspension: Fully-adjustable 41mm

Showa Big Piston Forks and single Showa

rear shock.

Kerb weight: 195kg

Front brake: 2 x 310mm discs with Brembo

four-piston radial calipers.

Rear brake: 220mm disc with

single-piston caliper

Front tyre: 120/70 x 17

Rear tyre: 180/55 x 17

Fuel capacity: 17 litres

Seat height: 810mm

Contact: www.suzuki-gb.co.uk

Availability: Now

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 675cc (76 x 49.6 mm),

inline-three, 12v, 6 gears, chain drive.

Electronic rider aids: Racing ABS,

quickshifter


Torque: 55tlb @ 11,900rpm

Chassis: Twin spar aluminium frame and

double-sided aluminium swingarm with

adjustable pivot.

Suspension: Fully-adjustable 43mm Ohlins

NIX30 forks and single Ohlins TTX32

rear shock.

Kerb weight: 194.5kg

Front brake: 2 x 310mm discs with Brembo

four-piston monobloc radial calipers.

Switchable ABS.

Rear brake: 220mm disc with single-piston

caliper. Switchable ABS.



Fuel capacity: 17.4 litres

Seat height: 830mm

Contact: www.triumphmotorcycles.uk

Availability: Now

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 898cc (100 x

57.3mm), Superquadro V-twin,

8v. 6 gears, chain drive.

Electronic rider aids: Three riding modes

(ride-by-wire

eight-stage traction control, quickshifter,

electronic engine braking system, ABS.


Torque: 73ftlb @ 9000rpm

Chassis: Aluminium ‘airbox’ frame and cast

aluminium double-sided swingarm

Suspension: 43mm fully-adjustable Showa

Big Piston Forks and single Sachs rear shock.

Kerb weight: 200.5kg

Front brake: 2 x 320mm discs with

four-piston Brembo radial

monobloc calipers. ABS

Rear brake: 245mm disc with twin-piston

Brembo caliper. ABS



Fuel capacity: 17 litres

Seat height: 830mm

Contact: www.ducati.co.uk

Availability: Now

SUZUKI GSX-R750 £9899 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675R ABS £10,599 DUCATI 899 PANIGALE £12,495

Ever since the big Panigale was

first shown a few years ago, we

were secretly just as excited to

see what Ducati would do with

the smaller version – after all,

the 748, 749 and 848 where

always ‘riders’ bikes, like the

GSX-R750.

It’s been worth the wait,

because the ‘baby’ 899 Panigale

is a belter and finally good

enough to knock the GSX-R750

off its perch after all these years.

The 899 is without doubt the

most complete race replica

Ducati has ever made. It has

the performance to satisfy the

hardest core of speed freaks and

hold its head up high at any track

day against any bike. And unless

you’ve got the riding talent of

a top racer, you’ll probably lap

faster on this than on a 1000.

And it’s a great road bike, too

– smooth, usable at low speeds,

comfy and comes with all the

electronic rider aids you’d expect

to find on a top-level superbike. It

sounds and looks fantastic too.

The old Suzuki still has the

perfect balance of handling and

power and is very easy to ride.

It’s also the cheapest and has the

biggest scope for improvement

with aftermarket parts, like a

rear shock, gearing and brakes.

The Daytona 675R managed

to thrash its class rivals and like

some of you, we always thought

it would be a giant killer.

It can always keep up on the

road, although you have to work

the smaller engine more. The

675R is still one of the sexiest,

best-handling, most exhilarating

sports bikes money can buy.

In fact all three of these bikes

are the ultimate when it comes to

fast riding – better than the rest

of the 600s and less brutal and

more usable than the current

crop of 1000s.

These are the ultimate sports

bikes and the Ducati is now top of

that very exclusive tree.

MICHAEL NEEVES,

SENIOR ROAD TESTER

VERDICT

‘The 899 is the

most complete

race replica’

MICHAEL NEEVES

ÔBetter than the rest of

the 600s and less

brutal and more

usable than the

current 1000sÕ

17 17 17.4

193Claimed (kg)

190Claimed (kg)

184Claimed (kg)

96.5Rear (kg)

94.5Rear (kg)

94.5Rear (kg)

104Front (kg)

100Front (kg)

100Front (kg)

200.5Total (kg)

195Total (kg)

194.5Total (kg)

Fuel tank

(litres)

Fuel tank

(litres)

Fuel tank

(litres)

Panigale 899 GSX-R750 675R

Each bike comes

with different tyres,

so we fitted control

tyres. For the road

and general track

riding we used

Pirelli Diablo Rosso

Corsa fast road

rubber and for our

timed laps, the

latest Pirelli Diablo

Supercorsa SC2.

TYRES

1st3rd2nd

ducati 899 panigale group test there’s a new …ducati 899 panigale group test ducati’s new 899...

Documents