First ride: Ducati 899 Panigale

After spending a week with the Ducati 899 Panigale I came to the conclusion that it is very difficult to write up a test while riding a motorcycle. An activity I almost had to master to get this piece in on time -- I just couldn’t get off the bloody thing. I have always been a fan of the middleweight class, whether it’s the Suzuki GSX-R750, the outgoing Ducati 848 and to a lesser extent the various 675cc triple supersport bikes. To me they are a perfect balance between power, weight, handling and just plain outright usability -- especially when it comes to road riding.

Now the 899 -- which at 898cc is big for a middleweight motorcycle -- has taken this class to a whole new level. Compared to its predecessor, the 899 is lighter, more powerful, handles better and is more comfortable to ride. It is also completely draped in motorcycle electrickery, with traction control, anti-lock braking, engine maps, engine brake control and a quick-shifter all standard. The only bike which comes close to it on paper -- and which I’m yet to ride -- is the MV Agusta F3 800.

DUCATI 899 PANIGALE IN BIKE SHOWROOM

Unfortunately my time with the 899 was the week the driest start to a year in the history of Sydney decided to end: everywhere I went the roads were wet and, even when I had the weather radar out trying to hatch a plan to dodge the clouds, the weather was always one step ahead of me. But if a bike can keep me out riding for a week in the rain surely it is doing something right.

The wet conditions gave me a great opportunity to test out the 899’s ‘Wet’ mode, one of three riding configurations that can be changed on the fly with the use of the combined blinker/engine mode button on the left switchblock. ‘Wet’ mode knobbles power down to a more slippery-road friendly 110hp (82kW), the ride-by-wire throttle response is smoothed out, and the engine braking and anti-lock braking intervention is more environmentally appropriate.

The nice thing about this mode is that it still feels connected to the motorcycle unlike some ‘Wet‘ or ‘Rain‘ modes on other bikes. The traction control is predictable and gives you the confidence that it is going to catch your overzealous right hand. It cuts power smoothly and doesn’t upset the bike mid-corner or on the exit when it’s doing its job. The Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa hoops are absolutely fantastic in the wet. Obviously aided by the way the 899 makes its smooth power, even out of wet-mossy corners the power made its way to the ground without the aid of traction control more times than it required it.

After what almost seemed an eternity I out-smarted the weather briefly and found some dry corners. I immediately switched to ‘Race‘ mode, skipping ‘Sport‘ mode -- I didn’t know how long this was going to last -- and hooked into it.

Power is boosted to 148hp (110kW) with an insanely direct throttle response, engine braking is more race-oriented, and you have front-only anti-lock braking with no anti-rear lift-up, allowing you to back it into corners if you so desire -- no thanks.

The speed this machine musters is mind-boggling as the revs rise. It produces more torque than the 848 Evo but still needs to be ridden like a 600cc supersport machine. Keep the revs above 8000rpm and the acceleration is manic; it’ll still pull with potency below that but there is a clear and very strong powerband once you hit that magical 8000rpm mark. The sound this thing produces makes all other stock motorcycles sound like vacuum cleaners. It’s unbelievably loud -- car alarm setting off loud in fact, which did happen on a number of occasions. I never thought I would say this, but if you are changing the pipe just for sound don’t bother on this bike.

You do have to be on your toes, as the soft-action 11,500rpm rev-limiter approaches extremely fast, but thanks to the ultra-slick quick-shifter the next gear is only a flick of the foot away. It is slightly smoother than the one fitted on the 1199. Admittedly the gearbox is handling less power, but it truly is seamless rather than the violent power cuts and engagement bangs of other quick-shifters.

Sport is the third and final riding mode. It still gives you the full power of the 898cc engine, but with a much smoother throttle response. I found myself using this setting a lot of the time, even in the adverse conditions. There is still enough traction control and anti-lock braking intervention to keep things in check and the softer throttle response makes the 148hp very manageable, even in the wet. It also makes the ride smoother as there is less of an acceleration jerk with initial throttle opening.

If you do like to tinker and can’t help but fiddle, all the settings can be changed independently of the three default riding modes. At your disposal you have three power modes, eight levels of traction control, three levels of ant-lock braking and three levels of engine brake control. I’ll do the maths for you: that’s 216 different combinations you can run. All of this is changed through the more traditional Ducati black-on-white LCD dash, instead of the full-colour smartphone-looking unit on the 1199. I may be standing alone on this but I prefer the 899’s dash, as it’s easier to read and looks more racer-like.

Interestingly, the 899 Panigale is not fitted with a slipper-clutch but instead relies on the bike’s engine braking control. The system monitors crankshaft deceleration under heavy braking and will slightly open the throttle to maintain grip. It works quite well in fast down-changes, though it doesn’t offer the same stability as a full-blown slipper clutch does. It reminds me of the slipper clutches of old -- they slip, but a lot of compression braking still gets through.

The 899 makes use of the same monocoque aluminum frame that can be found on the 1199 and, like its bigger brother, the smaller capacity engine is also a fully stressed member of the chassis. Up front you have a fully adjustable Showa Big Piston Fork, while the rear makes use of a fully adjustable side-mounted Sachs unit -- which doesn’t bother your left leg us much as the one on the 1199. Seat height is 830mm compared to the 1199’s 825mm due to an extra 5mm of seat padding -- thanks Ducati. One thing you do notice visually right from the get-go is that the 899 uses a double-sided swingarm instead of the single-sided unit on the 1199.

Even at 5kg more than the 1199 due to the lack of weight-saving materials, it is more manageable in the twisties. The monocoque frame is extremely stiff, but an abundance of feel from the front-end and rear gets through to you. The super wide handlebars make tip-in a breeze and I haven't ridden a bike that holds a line as well as this one. If monocoque frames handle this well I don’t know why the Ducati MotoGP team couldn’t make it work -- I am speaking in layman’s terms, as I’m sure there is a helluva lot to it.

Just like the 1199, the 899 is fitted with Brembo monobloc calipers, except the brake pistons have been reduced from 50mm to 32mm. I think this is a great move as you don’t need whopping great big brake pistons for the road. The by-product of all this is a more progressive feel through the front lever and a reduction in the harsh initial bite. In other words they are smoother for the road while still offering eye-ball bleeding retardation.

I won’t even waste time talking about the beautiful styling of this motorcycle; I’ll just let the photos do the talking.

At $19,990 (plus on-road cost) it is priced the same as the outgoing 848 – and it is truly is better in every way. It undercuts the base Panigale by a whopping $7000 and is line-ball with the F3 800.

What Ducati has done with the 899 is take the angry, raw and intimidating 1199 and made it more usable for the everyday rider. You can really ring the 899’s and still feel as though you are riding it and not the other way around.

Motorcycle riding is heavily influenced by confidence, and the 899 fills the rider with such self-assurance that I’m going to go out on the limb and say most riders would be able to ride the 899 faster and safer than they ever could the 1199. Well I already know what I want for Christmas…

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 148hp (109kW) at 10,750rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 99Nm @ 9000rpm
Economy: 5.2 litres/100km (measured)

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Monocoque, aluminum
Front suspension: Showa BPF 43mm upside-down fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, fully-adjustable, 130mm travel
Front brakes: Dual 320mm discs with four-piston radially mounted Brembo calipers
Rear brake: Single 245mm disc with two-piston Brembo caliper
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa -- 120/70-17 front, 180/60-17 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 193kg
Rake: 24 degrees
Trail: 96mm
Seat height: 830mm
Wheelbase: 1426mm
Fuel capacity: 17 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $19,990
Colours: Red or white
Bike supplied by: Ducati Australia & New Zealand, www.ducati.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres