Rode an 848 semi-spirited today.
 

Here's the road, but I was going up it. My buddy let me ride his, he was behind me on my bike.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...06/th_DLIT.jpg

I wasn't riding too hard, but I wanted to get a feel for the handling at decent speeds, but nothing near the video above. Maybe 70 tops. I think I was short-shifting it so I didn't really get a good feel for the v-twin power. The bike only has 600 miles on it anyway.

Holy shit! I want one. The way the ergos set you up for turn-in, maintaining the corner and exit are just amazing! If the R6 and 848 wer the same price, I'd get the 848 on handling alone. And my R6 handles awesme, too! The 848 is just so flickable. I didn't think I'd find a bike as flickable as mine, but I did and it seemed more flickable. Real nimble. Betwen the handling alone and the 60% lower maintenance costs, I may be looking at an 848 in the distant future. Depends what they do to the R6's in the next few years though. Just the way the seat "cupped" your ass, it made me feel secure and locked in. And the bike was super stable in corners. I felt and KNEW I could be going way faster and the bike would still feel the same...secure and stable. Didn't want to push though, afterall it wasn't mine.

Sweet, I'd love to get on one to compare rideability to my buell.

It's a real race machine. Has you down and forward, unlike your Buell. My buddy was saying in stop-and-go traffic it sucks. Thing lives on the track. Sad thing is I know 2 people with 1098's, both of them are 1098S's, too. One probably hasn't heard the term "track day" ever and the other one is too scared to wreck it on the track. Keeping the 1098, especially a fucking S model, and 848 away from the track is like not giving a baby its bottle.

Yeah, pretty much what CW said when they compared the 848 to the 1125.
Duc was a track machine through and through, Buell was made for daily riding.

The 848 and 1098 are so alike, the plastics will fit on both frames. So I imagine the 1098 handling the same, but with more power. I love the hydraulic clutch too I loved everything about it. Except for the tach not having a red line on it. But that's how Italian bike are.

Hydraulic clutch definatly nice :dthumb:

I'd like an 848, but 60 percent lower maintenance costs? For a Ducati? I find that hard to believe. I think it's 60 percent higher.

yea, elaborate on that one. did i step into bizzaro world this afternoon at some point?

It was in an article. They made it so it's less maintenance at bigger intervals and a bit cheaper. I forgot where I read it.

Did some searching. 50%, my bad...

http://www.ducati.com/en/bikes/servi...ntenance.jhtml

50% less than previous Ducatis.

I talked to a Ducati dealer this spring about an 848. He said that for 95% of the population, the 848 was better than the 1098 because of the reduced weight and better handling. His reasoning was that most people won't really use the extra power of the 1098. I mostly agree with his reasoning.