Most people werent fans of the new design. And a bike this thundering is also an example of why a bike with utilitarian power maybe shouldnt have too much character. Having less power (and less braking ability, by the way) means you have to be a lot more thoughtful in your cornering. Riding Modes, Power Modes, Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO, Ducati Slide Control (DSC), Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO, Auto tire calibration. I see the 900SS as the bike for someone who doesnt think they need a lot of power. Im not terribly sure what it means for a bike to handle on rails or to be easy to push through corners. This is what makes it so different to the 916 of the time. Additionally, the 900SS is . Aluminum single-sided swingarm./ 5.1 in (130 mm), 3-spoke forged aluminum alloy 3.50" x 17", 3-spoke forged aluminum alloy 6.00" x 17". Riders with good brakes are not afraid to push their bikes to the limits since they know they can stop effectively when the situation calls for it. Ducati 900 SS: history, specifications, manuals. Top speed & performance: Max power: 205 bhp: Max torque: 90 ft-lb: Top speed: 175 . The wings on each side are angled on different planes to create what sailors would call a slot effect. A fool couldnt ride the Vincent Black Shadow more than once, but a fool can ride a Ducati 900 many times, and it will always be a bloodcurdling kind of fun. Most fall between the $200-$600 range. These include: Its basically a live animal, and you have to treat it as such, checking everything constantly. Shifting at anything much over around 7,500rpm is wasting time as you are well out of the torque curve by then. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. You might think Wait a second, thats SV650 territory! and youd be right. There is no fairing to stream the wind up and around you so your body is the wind resistance, pushing you back. Top speed140mph Average fuel consumption39mpg Ducati 900SS Insurance Get a bike Quote Call us0345 872 3614 Things like this can affect braking performance negatively. It is but it also highlights why thats not a very good idea. All told, the Panigale V4 weighs 436 pounds soaking wet, so all of the weight-saving efforts paid off. Living with the Suzuki SV1000S, a V-twin sportbike from Suzuki. I did ride a superbike normally (a 1098S), but I wouldnt call it easy to handle in everyday situations. With only $38,888, you can get an electric bike that can reach a top speed of 218 mph and has a maximum power output of 200 horsepower. While the electronic edge still goes to Ducati, Kawi scores again at the checkout with an accessible $17,000 sticker that is bound to buy it some business. 2020 . Jockey-mount footpegs pull your heels up high and tight to enable that lateral body English to help you toss it around in the turns. You only get a tripmeter, speedo, tacho, temp gauge. Some of these stretches were over 300 kilometres without getting off the bike at all, which highlights the remarkable fuel economy achieved by the Ducati. The plant churns out 110 horsepower with 69 pound-feet of torque, and the final drive ratio turns in Ducati Supersport 950's top speed of 186 mph. Aftermarket steel braided lines are a more effective option for various reasons. Motojourno - Founder of MCNews.com.au - Australia's leading resource for motorcycle news, reviews and race coverage for over 20 years. But it still lurches down low having less power doesnt mean having better low-speed manners. As for its fundamental specs and features, the 900SS Final Edition comes with an air-cooled 904cc L-twin mill, which is linked to the bike's drive chain by a six-speed gearbox. Desmosedici Stradale 90 V4, rearward-rotating crankshaft, 4 Desmodromically actuated valves per cylinder, liquid cooled. have woeful fuel economy figures. The FE stands for 'Final Edition', and the 900SS FE was a last special production run of the old carburettor-equipped SS before it was replaced in 1998. This chart shows the torque curves of the Suzuki TL1000S in red. The dash layout seems very old fashioned by todays standards but apart from shaking about under vibration they caused me no problems. Those of you familiar with Kawi products will recognize both the Z designator as the naked line and the H2 tag as the supercharged powerplant. Last generation digital unit with 5 TFT color display, Riding Modes, Power Modes, Cornering ABS EVO, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) EVO 2, Ducati Wheelie Control (DWC) EVO, Ducati Slide Control (DSC), Engine Brake Control (EBC) EVO, Auto tire calibration, Ducati Power Launch (DPL), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down EVO 2, Full LED lighting with Daytime Running Light (DRL), Sachs steering damper, Quick adjustment buttons, Auto-off indicators, Ducati Power Launch (DPL), Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) up/down EVO 2, Full LED lighting with Daytime Running Light (DRL), Ducati Electronic Suspension (DES) EVO with Ohlins suspension and steering damper, Quick adjustment buttons, Lithium-ion battery, Auto-off indicators, Marchesini aluminium forged wheels, Racing style handle grips, Ducati Data Analyser+ (DDA+) with GPS module, Ducati Multimedia System (DMS) and anti-theft. Top 450cc-Plus Dual Sports You Can Buy Right Now. If youre serious about getting the most power from your Ducati, be sure you keep up with its maintenance schedule, especially the air filter. Switching your factory exhaust with an aftermarket variant is one of the easiest and most reliable ways of increasing your motorcycles speed. Increased wheel weight can affect the handling, so you should do proper research before replacing the rotors. 7 Common Problems With Ducati Motorcycles. Not so on the SS900! This chip is pre-programmed to regulate your motorcycles performance to comply with emissions and fuel requirements. It is in that it provides around the same mid-range. Ducatis lowest-priced and lowest-displacement Scrambler. Top up oil level with SHELL Advance Ultra 4, if low. It can produce up to 197 horsepower and hits 60 mph in under three seconds. See our review of the Ducati Monster 1200 / 1200 S. See our review of the Ducati Panigale V4 / V4 S. TJ got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. Electronic compression and rebound dampening adjustment with Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode, Fully adjustable Sachs unit. What kind of power? Aluminum alloy Front Frame with optimized stiffnesses, Fully adjustable Showa BPF fork. It was sucking so much air through the intake that I thought it must be an open box with cone filters or something. A bubble screen tops the front fairing with all-in-one mirror/turn signals mounted midway on the mullions, no doubt to make them easy to remove for the track. Twin injectors per cylinder. For Supersports in particular, because theyre of this age, focus on. First, they last longer than their stock counterparts. Sub ten-second times are possible like with many Superbikes but the stars need to align. For example, the rubber seals in the master cylinder and calipers may degrade and lose effectiveness. It Has The Best Power-to-Weight Ratio Of Any Naked Bike Out There. The design of the headlight hasnt aged as well. As with any Ducati sportbike, the mechanicals are only half of the package. It is so much more fun to ride a slow bike balls-to-the wall and still be within (or close to) the speed limit than it is to coddle a fast bike. For those who prefer a cheaper and fuel-powered alternative, the Suzuki Hayabusa is a perfect pick. So what was it? The first time I powered up the 900SS I said YES! Ducati 900 SS Hailwood-Replica Specs 1980. Triumphs Scrambler 400 X Rounds Out Scrambler Line, Bagnaia Extends Championship Lead at Assen, 41mm conventional fork, nonadjustable; 5.9-in. The Kawi is similarly sparse in its body appointments though it shuns the sportbike cowl in favor of a more truly naked build that leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. The most common problem is riding on low-grade tires made with low-grade rubber that takes too long to warm up or doesnt grip even after youve ridden for a long time. The top-shelf S also uses the hlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based system to automatically manage the suspension damping and preload based on the selected profile, so you get changes on the fly completely without the benefit of tools. Riding his Ack Attack streamlined motorcycle, he achieved a world-record 376.33 mph. With a bit of practice, the (0-400m) quarter mile time for the 1199 Panigale is often in the low 10s with a best of 10.26 and an impressive 148 mph terminal speed. People loved the damn thing, no matter what version it came in. What kind of power are we talking about? A little too sedate. A fly-by-wire throttle controls elliptical throttle bodies that rock a pair of injectors per cylinder for optimized atomization of the hydrocarbons with Lambda probes in the pipes that monitor the exhaust gasses to allow the system to self correct if the mixture gets too rich for complete combustion. This means that to push it through a corner, you have to be quite deliberate. Up front, the base model also rides on a set of newly-updated 43 mm Showa Big Piston Forks that rock the full trinity of tweaks with a Sachs steering damper to take the edge off shocks at the bars, but it's here that we find the first significant difference between the V4 and the S variant. Ducati Improves What Was Already Its Best-Selling Bike In The World. The New Triumph Tiger Sport 660, Trident 660, And Speed Triple 1200 Look Dazzling, 10 Things You Need To Know About ECE 22.06. But whatever! Desmosedici Stradale 90 V4, counter-rotating crankshaft, 4 Desmodromic timing, 4 valves per cylinder, liquid-cooled, Electronic fuel injection system. Mine has run 74000 km. THAT IS IT! Overall, there are a lot of little changes, but they all add up to more power, better performance, and better handling.. In fact, Ducati had originally developed it to win the World Superbike Championship. Moreover, they expel exhaust gases faster and more efficiently, which allows your motorcycles engine to breathe better. No. Ducati OEM Parts Ordering System - the Best Online OEM Ducati Parts schematics from the Best Exclusive Ducati Dealer in North America and free shipping . Here a few ways you can improve brake performance on your brakes: Although the stock brake lines on your motorcycle are made from a special rubber, they wear out. The modern Streetfighters are somewhat new territory for Ducati. Undo the filler plug (2) and top up to correct level. Your email address will not be published. Suspension is pretty much a wash between the Ninja and the base-model Panigale, though the Eye-Tie steps it up a notch on its V4 S with the hlins, event-based system that Kawasaki has no answer for. +3 on the rear (+8%) was perfect. Many describe Ducati as the Ferrari of motorcycles because both brands share a love for creating high-performance machines. 123.4.56.7A should be entered . I have lived in a dozen countries, speak almost as many languages, can deadlift a motorcycle, make a mean cappuccino, and do one great card trick. Ducati Motorcycle Specifications. There were lots of motorcycles with the name SuperSport (or some variant, like Super Sport) from Ducati, but lets start in 1991. I changed to Michelins and it made the bike steer much lighter. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same. A buyers guide to the Ducati S4 Range The S4, S4R, S4Rs, and S4 Testastretta. Like Ferrari cars, Ducati bikes offer unearthly speeds that leave you breathless and pumping with adrenaline. Tires wont increase your speed or horsepower, but they can make you faster. Ill go through this by addressing the following: Well, I am. I love learning and sharing what others might find useful. The 900SS is a sportsbike where keeping your licence does not have to be a constant battle, but still with enough pull for most on the street. The 937cc engine will hit 110 horsepower at 9,000 revolutions per minute. The 900SS Ducati is the Italian Marques largest capacity SuperSports bike. It's tough to beat an Italian ride on power and nigh impossible to beat one on looks so I won't even try, but it looks like Kawasaki may have a worthy competitor with its Ninja H2 superbike. Atomic Tangerine is the available colorway for the US market. Ducati breaks up the frame on the Panigale V4. The H2's power comes from a 998 cc, liquid-cooled engine, but the real magic is in the compressor/supercharger that pushes up to 20.5 pounds of boost for 200 horsepower. High-quality tires are made of high-quality rubber that can grip the road better and enable you to lean further and stop faster. On lighter and/or more powerful motorbikes, its easy to power out of corners by just twisting the throttle a bit. Every two years is a little extreme that was set in times when belts were just of lower quality. At the checkout the Ninja H2 breaks even with a $29,000 sticker that puts it in the same price bracket as the Panigale. This makes for more combustion and increased horsepower and torque, all of which contribute to better performance. The Z H2 uses the engine as a stressed unit, but unlike Ducati, the Trellis frame is an uninterrupted assembly unto itself without the major disconnect the latter brings to the table. That said, it packs premium features like the 10-spoke aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli MT 60 RS tires, 2-into-1 low-slung exhaust, 41mm Showa fork, Kayaba rear shock (with adjustable preload), ABS as standard, steel tank, and LED positioning light and taillight. Even this bike can be quick on the smaller roads. Power flows through a slipper clutch for the light lever pull and drag-torque mitigation it offers with a six-speed transmission that crunches the ratios. Truly badass naked sportbikes are few and far between, but I think the Big Four may have a worthy competitor in the brand-new Z H2 from Kawasaki. For 2001 the 900SS gained a gun-metal grey frame and wheels, metallic silver-grey engine, new rear-view mirrors, grey seat, tank protector and 5-spoke wheels. So thats how the 900SS used to feel. Check out the dyno charts. Learn how it works. OK, firstly, the fuel-injected version isnt the coolest Ducati SuperSport 900 around. The Kawasaki Ninja H2R holds the title of the fastest motorcycle in production. It's a more monstrous bike, but the suspension is working for you so it's an easier bike to ride. So motorcycle experts recommend getting better brakes if you are looking to increase your bikes performance. Electronic compression and rebound damping adjustment with hlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based mode/ 4.7 in (120 mm), Fully adjustable Sachs unit. The 2020 Streetfighter V4 rolls for a $19,995 MSRP, but if you want that V4 S model, you can expect to cough up an additional $4 grand. My bike is so much faster than yours that I dare you to ride it, you lame little turd. Sign up here to receive our newsletters. As for color, you'd better like that bright Ducati Red (I do . Every five years or 10,000 km for this vintage of Ducati motorbikes, using modern belts. Braided lines often affect the reaction of your brakes. They enhance the ABS, Slide-Control and Traction-Control features with a corner-sensitive function that moderates the level of intervention based on the physics acting on the chassis and the settings of the ride-quality systems. I mean, whats with that title Song of the Sausage Creature? 40 Dealer or at an authorized workshop at regular intervals, as specified in the maintenance schedule. Therefore, you may need some time to get used to the new feeling you get when applying the brakes. (The race track, naturally, where the pack is often moving over 100 mph, is a different story.) The quality of your brake pads is the single most important factor affecting your motorcycles brake performance. The brakes on your motorcycle have various parts that will wear out as time progresses. Did you find wrong information or was something missing? 4 out of 5 (4/5) Matches the looks and engine - old school but kind of effective. But keep in mind that servicing is a little more expensive than on the Japanese opposition. I do bear responsibility for the above. The instrumentation is bundled in its entirety by a five-inch color TFT display. More importantly, Ducati totally changed the aesthetics of the motorbike totally in mid 1998. I think You had a bike that really needed some understanding and attention. The slow steering on the 900 is mostly fixed by fitting the right tires. The anchors are a constant across the board with dual, 330 mm discs and four-pot Brembo Stylema calipers to haul down the front wheel and a 245 mm disc and twin-pot caliper to slow the rear. It actually took a while to find a good photo. On the base model, a fully-adjustable Sachs monoshock takes care of business out back. MCNEWS.COM.AU is a specialist on-line resource that provides motorcycle news for motorcyclists. Depends on what your priorities are. Folks get all excited about that. OK, one thing thats amazing about the SS900 is that its a total doddle to service. . Ducati's signature Desmodromic valvetrain replaces valve springs with a pull-closed cam in order to prevent harmonic valve float at high rpm. Heres my review and buyers guide. Its always better to buy the best tires you can afford as a set. Official estimates show this bike can reach a maximum speed of 249 mph, making it faster than some of the worlds fastest cars. If you want a bigger answer, check my general article on what to check when buying a used Ducati. A single-side aluminum swingarm finishes out the standing rigging. But it just adds up to a bike that doesnt feel as confident cornering as more modern, or more premium machines. The 900SS has two valves-per-cylinder; the 916 has four. Priced at $7,995, the 2020 Scrambler Sixty2 is Ducati's lowest-priced and smallest-displacement scrambler. This motorcycle has a respectable top speed of 190+ mph and costs less than half the price of the LS-218 at $14,699. Fork-mount standoff turn signals complete the forward lighting, and while I'd have preferred to see them integrated with the mirrors, that detail alone is far from a dealbreaker for me. Massively oversquare, the mill runs an 81 mm bore and 53.5 mm stroke for a total displacement of 1,103 cc and an incredibly-hot, 14-to-1 compression ratio. The 900 SuperSport has a somewhat gentle engine. Motorcycle tires are engineered to work as a pair. It wasnt just a regular filter with the plastic box intact. If you keep hearing the term desmodromic valves and are sick of not knowing what it means, heres my simple explainer on what desmodromic means. News. By Robert Smith by Jeff Barger The last 900SS Ducati is a legendary classic motorcycle. If youre going to hunch forwards, there should be no point in time when you think the word anaemic is a good description. Ducati had enlisted the help of the Ducati Corse [Ducatis racing team division] to develop the Panigale V4 R. This is why the V4 R has so many track-focused elements that it can pass for a race-only bike. Pillion accommodation is typical sportsbike fare, which is of course uncomfortable but no worse than most other sportsbikes. A tuner that offers more capabilities will cost more than one with limited functions. ), But is the 900SS really a motorbike that can make you into a sausage creature today? Long-term review of my 2018 Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa Gen 2. The resulting machine is truly something to behold. 2020 Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 Ducati. Of course, changing the spark plugs or checking the valves on a V-twin Ducati is a royal pain in the arse. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to submit the form, Complete Guide to Buying a Classic Ducati Superbike: Before the Panigale, The Ducati Monster S4 range (S4, S4R, S4R Testastretta, S4Rs, and Tricolore) Explained, Living with the Suzuki Hayabusa Gen 2 The Perfect Drug, Remembering the Suzuki SV1000S: More than a Ducati Alternative, Indian Scout Bobber Complete Buyers Guide to the Sportiest Cruiser. What Is The Fastest Ducati Motorcycle Ever Made? Read More Remembering the Suzuki SV1000S: More than a Ducati AlternativeContinue, Flying around the back-roads of France on the Tracer 900 (or FJ-09) at 200 km/h never felt so easy. Of course, a slight disadvantage of the standard double-sided swing-arm bikes is that you need to ensure your wheel remains aligned by adjusting both sides the same amount. Fixed with Locktite. is still the best option to achieve the desired results. To help you manage the great potential this bike brings to the table, it comes with a robust electronics suite that starts with an Inertial-Measurement unit and ride-by-wire throttle control. November 17, 2009. Ducati claims this model is inspired by the youth culture of skateboarding, surfing, and pop music, and makes it attractive to millennials, Gen Zers, and, in general, younger or less-experienced riders with use of the approachable 399cc L-twin engine. Running the bike with a dirty and clogged air filter can result in poor performance from your bike. I am a slave to it. The good news is that you can change the ECUs programming to boost performance. The Streetfighter V4 has a 25 percent better power-to-weight ratio over other naked bikes and Ducati claims 208 horsepower and 90 pound-feet of torque. not "buzzy" lile in-line fours, samooth! Skip to content. I don't know if you can even run the thing on pump gas, at least not without some serious octane additive to prevent dieseling/detonation/preignition. Ducati 900 SS top speed is 205 km/h / 127 mph. That's bad when you want positive traction so the downforce of the wings keeps that front end down. They rock pared-down engine cowlings to form a sportbike-like scoop that quickly disappears to leave much of the beast of an engine visible for a naked look that isn't quite as naked as the Monster line. Said winglets generate downforce at speed to keep the front end planted and the contact-patch spread out for maximum engagement. . Ducati's SuperSport 950 combines Panigale-esque looks with comfortable ergonomics. Read More Indian Scout Bobber Complete Buyers Guide to the Sportiest CruiserContinue. They as just different bikes. A two-valve engine is fitted to the 900SS with reasonable bottom and mid-range performance but a lack of a top end urge. The TL1000S peaks with 92.1 N-m, the BMW with 83.5 and the 900SS with 74.4. Ducati 900 SD Darmah Specs Ducati 900 SS Specs 1978. His quotes are almost as applicable to the fuel-injected SS900 as they were to the carburettor-fed version. By Cycle World Staff February 16, 2023 A sportbike for the real world. This chart shows the power curves of the Suzuki TL1000S in red. BMW R1100S in green and Ducati 900SS in blue. Kawi is mum on the horsepower output, but the supercharged engine churns out a soul-crushing 101 pound-feet of torque to top the Desmosedici in the grunt department. Fully adjustable Showa BPF fork. Power comes from the 90-degree V4 Desmosedici Stradale that has a back-spinning crank to use the gyroscopic forces it generates to keep the front end planted. Like an impossibly fast sports motorcycle. A minimal front fender contains the spray and protects the inner tubes of the inverted front forks from road grit that could lead to premature fork-seal failure. did the same mod on my 749 and 900ss/cr. The usual things can go wrong with the 900SS that can go wrong with any Ducati fuel-injected bike. This is done by adding or subtracting teeth on either the front or rear sprocket. Buckle up folks. The bike may start to run lean (not getting enough fuel), have poor throttle response, and diminish your horsepower. But I still thought it was really nice to look at. On my tombstone they will carve, IT NEVER GOT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME. Hunter S. Thompson, Song of the Sausage Creature. Light-weighting involves the use of advanced materials and engineering methods to enable structural elements to deliver the same, or enhanced, technical performance while using less material. It is only 184 kgs dry. Learn how your comment data is processed. Another design variance occurs at the wheels. Ducatis are some of the fastest motorcycles on the planet. The base-model, 2020 Panigale V4 is scheduled for release with a $21,995 sticker, while the V4 S predictably hikes the price up to $28,395. Times have changed. This means that to go right or left, you have to push a little harder than you would than if you had wide handlebars. And look at the double wings on each side. That makes Ducatis superbike faster than the fastest motorcycle of the last decade. BMW R1100S in green and Ducati 900SS in blue. The gyroscopic effect of the engine also plays into it. The Ack Attack has a carbon-fiber paneled body with chrome-moly tubing. awarding an air-cooled Thruxton 900 first place in our 2020 top 10 was no lighthearted decision. Ducati claims this model is "inspired by the . They also improve the responsiveness of the brakes and enhance the overall safety of your motorcycle. The Ducati SS 900 Super Sport seat height is 820 mm (32.3 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting. The back end of the tank is pinched hard to help form a narrow waist that leaves room for the deepest body English and makes for a skinny barrel. It also represents an effective way to reduce energy consumption while . Top-shelf electronics and a 200-plus horsepower engine complete the package, and it all comes wrapped in low-drag, windtunnel-tested bodywork for both performance and curb appeal. Although we are unsure which Ducati model is the slowest; the 1965 Ducati Sebring is a contender for this ignominious title. The oversquare mill runs with an 81 mm bore and 53.5 mm stroke with four valves per cylinder. Braking is good but requires a little more effort through the lever than most Japanese set-ups.