ducati ss or sprint st

[gfab]

hi all,
just thought i'd get some opinions:
i've been considering trading my sv1000 for a triumph sprint. it gets good reviews, better suited to sport-touring, nice design..... but, the last couple days i've given some thought to the ducati ss1000. i've always liked the look of them and checked insurance rates finding to my surprise they are not ridiculous and within what i'd consider acceptable. my 'concern' with the ss is their 'lack' of power -- 85bhp! the reviews i've read are positive for handling and even good for distance rides but, i don't know, those 85 horses sound a bit weak.... i know that is plenty in 'reality' for street riding, but, i've been used to the 120hp of my sv and the 160hp of my previous zx1200 and i like having that oomph of power to give a kick of acceleration to those duller rides.
any opinions would be great.

g.

[Uwe W.]

Those are two very different models. Maybe you need to ask yourself what type of riding will make up the majority of your saddle time before comparing apples to oranges. You also didn't mention which model year of Sprint you were considering. If it's the current generation you're after you might want to hold off; Triumph will likely be replacing it next year.

[TimP]

Which also means you might get a really good deal on one of this years' models if you wait 'til next year when the new ones are clogging up the showroom...

[gfab]

i guess they are different.... and they both catch my eye. thats probably why i'm asking. let me give a bit more info: i mostly commute but i also like to get out on longer trips when realities of family life allow. i also try to get a few day trips in during the summer. i took my sv1000 for a 4 day trip this july and was comfortable. but, as i rode i found myself thinking a lot about a sprint. thus, i have since been researching and considering a trade. but, talking with a friend about ducatis got me thinking about the 1000ss which had always caught my eye. so i started to consider it as a possibility.
what it comes down to i suppose, is that i like a sport touring bike. i'm not a high speed full out sport rider --- though it would be nice to have those skills -- but i do like to have the performace of a sportier bike with the practicality for day to day street riding. i really liked and sometimes miss my zx12 (it was stolen). though insurance rates on them are too ridiculous which led me towards the sv (a little silver lining to it being stolen)
i think i'm more 'sold' on the sprint both functionally and aesthetically (the 2005+ model when the design became sharper)

now that i have rambled on, i've just realized my real question was really: would the ducati supersport be practical enough for daily commuting and comfortable enough for longer rides? and, what do people think about the sprint? reliable? costlly to maintain? i rolled two questions into one and it did sound like comparing aples to oranges. thanks uwe for providing clarity to my query.... i feel like i've just been to a shrink!! :-)

off to cottage country tomorrow for the weekend. i look forward to any opinions upon returning.....

[KZDon]

Sure it's an apples to oranges question, but there is truly no logic to motorcycle purchases. When I bought my V-Strom, the other bikes on my maybe list were a ZRX1200 and a VFR. They are three distinctively different bikes but I had no problem envisioning myself on either of them.

I like Ducatis, and that SS is stunningly beautiful, but I think it remains a bike of passion best suited to a zealous enthusiast. For me, that particular chassis just doesn't fit (Monsters are a different story) so try it on for size if you can before you leap.

To me, the most recent Sprint is stunningly beautiful. And when I sit on it it feels like "my bike". For sport touring it is, in my view, a perfect blend of sport, tour, power, comfort, long legs, evocative styling and thoughtful design. If you buy one and decide you don't like it, drop it off at my house.

[YellowDuck]

would the ducati supersport be practical enough for daily commuting and comfortable enough for longer rides?

No, and no.

I had a 750 SSie - same ergos as the 1000. It was a rack. Fine for the type of riding I do - just little sport rides of under 2 h on the back roads - but very uncomfortable at in-town speeds, and also murder on 400-mile days.

My current bike (Sport Classic 1000) has the DS1000 motor. Wonderful road-going motor once you get the final drive gearing right. 85 hp is plenty when it arrives at 6000 rpm. I really never find myself wanting more power. The opportunities to use full throttle are pretty few and far between in fact, and you don't really need to fuss too much about what gear you are in to be assured of having adequate torque available.

In a bike like the Multistrada or possibly even the GT1000 I'm sure it is a great commuter motor. But with the SS (and also my current bike) the ergos just aren't there. They are bikes to play (briefly) on, not bikes for touring or commuting.

[TimP]

The trouble with apples and oranges is that there's so many other delicious fruits and so little time. As you have said the SV1000 you have is a great do-it-all bike, as accommodating on a 4-day ride as on your daily commute. If it's paid for and the insurance & maintenance are affordable, why get rid of it when you'll take a big hit on the trade? I considered selling my VTR but the offer amounted to little more than the cost of keeping it for a year, so I kept it.

Before you dump the SV, do the math and consider keeping it as the appliance and getting a toy to park beside it. The toy criteria can now be radically different as the ride may only last a couple of hours, so ergonomic practicalities can give way to lust. And you start to turn the garage into a wonderful still life. If this later leads to a banana or pineapple in the bowl, good for you.

[gfab]

thanks for all your input. all have good points.
i pretty much thought the duc would not make a good touring/commuter ride, which is why i had sort of written them off as practical rides..... best left for the lust purposes. or for that fruit bowl. sure would love to be able to have a fruit salad! sadly, it isn't so.....

i think i will keep an eye out for a good deal on an '05 sprint (blue) and should the right one come along i'll take the tempting fruit. if its all that its said to be, then i'll gladly come by for a ride by your house kzdon! :-)

thanks again.

ps: just returned from a weekend in the muskokas and we took a differnet route -- highways 132 and 118. great bike roads! i was in a car and still loved them. though i was longing for two less wheels. 132 is part of the 'calabogie boogie' route which some of you may be familiar with.

[sportbikecalgary]

Well…. If you’re thinking sport touring rather than pure sport…. Don’t forget the competition to the Sprint which is the ST line of Ducs. I’d suggest an ST3 (102 hp) or ST4 (118 hp) rather than an ST2. The ST’s offer practicality along with a sporty approach to riding. Practical Ducati’s?? yep… The ST3’s offer just over a 100 hp, a comfy seat, raised handlebars, smokin' lighting, trip computer and of course… hard bags. Later versions of the ST4 have the same upgrades as the newer ST3. If you want to spend more you can get the ‘s’ versions that offers Ohlin shocks and fully adjustable front suspensions. The ST3 is the same 3 valve motor as found in the Multistrada which was designed for longer periods between valve maintenance visits.

Yeah.. they haven’t been made for a couple years. So they are surfacing on the used bike market. There’re persistent rumors about Ducati returning to the ST line up with a 1098 or 1198 based bike. The interview with Jim McKenna from Ducati Canada in the Sept/Oct magazine states it as well. Picture a comfy 1098 with hard bags :D 150 hp with hard bags.. that doesn't weigh 600lbs! Do they cost more to keep on the road? Yep. Are they worth it. Yep…

http://www.ducati.com/docs_eng/photogalleries2/ST3_04/images/f04.jpg


I’d like to say that the Sprint is a very nice bike as well. I like the groups of 3 design throughout the bike. It has hard bags, over 100 hp, excellent lights up front and is pretty damn comfy. It’s tough to go wrong now days. Everyone makes damn fine motorcycles. Mostly it’s a call of what hits your price points and functionality.

http://www.triumphall.com/galerie/albums/userpics/10153/normal_avril01.JPG

[gfab]

no, i hadn't forgot abot the st line. they are definitely nice too. especially in black. thanks for the condensed synopsis of the various models. a comfy 1098/1198 sure sounds like yet another tempting fruit in this growing fruit bowl.... and i won't even mention the bmw k1200s

there are indeed lots of great bikes out there and i guess its pretty hard to go 'wrong', and as you say, a matter of price point and functionality. i'll keep an eye out and see whats comes around.... i may have to make a 'bike bucket list' and work my way through it one bike at a time! :-)

[YellowDuck]

The ST3 is the same 3 valve motor as found in the Multistrada which was designed for longer periods between valve maintenance visits.


errr, what? The Multi has an aircooled 2-V DS motor. Currently an 1100. I think the original had the 1000DS in it. (There was a baby Multistrada too that used the 620ie engine, I think). The 3-valve liquid cooled unit is a great engine, but I don't believe it was ever used in anything other than the ST3.

[sportbikecalgary]

errr, what? The Multi has an aircooled 2-V DS motor. Currently an 1100. I think the original had the 1000DS in it. (There was a baby Multistrada too that used the 620ie engine, I think). The 3-valve liquid cooled unit is a great engine, but I don't believe it was ever used in anything other than the ST3.

yep. I stand corrected. That's what I get when I think I know what I'm talking about and spout off without doing the research first. I really don't know that much about Ducati's... I just like to ride mine. :cool: Although it shares the 992 cc displacement and engine casings with the 1000DS Multistrada engine and it incorporates the Dual Spark (DS) design... it is a stand alone engine in the Ducati line-up. Instead of being air cooled and 2 valve it is liquid cooled and 3 valve. It's kind of odd to see this engine as only being found in the limted production ST3 where as Ducati is fairly well know for using the same engine across several bikes to economize on design costs. Now that the ST3 is no more, I have to wonder if and where the 'Desmomotre' engine will show up again.

http://image.sportrider.com/f/bikes/2004/8581601+w200/2004-duc-st3-12-zoom.jpg
The sportrider review of the ST3 (http://www.sportrider.com/bikes/2004/146_2004_ducati_st3/index.html)has allowed me to sound like I now know what I'm talking about :D

[YellowDuck]

Yeah, I would like to know the inside scoop on that one too. It does indeed seem odd.

The air-cooled DS motors are wonderful though. I really wish they would get the 1000 or 1100 into a proper sport bike again. Unfortunately, that would be the kind of bike that everyone *says* they want, but no one actually buys. I think they learned their lesson with the SS1000. If it looks like a sportbike and costs $13,000 or more, no one will buy it if it has less than 150 hp. Pity really. A poor man's DB5 would really rock as a backroad and trackday bike. Ducati could build one tomorrow out of 1098 chassis parts and the DS1100 motor. But they won't, ever.

This independent concept drawing has been floating arounf forever. Gives me wood.

[yzf1000jon]

Have you decided yet? I test rode an ST3 and was disappointed in the ergos and the injection. I'm 6'3" and the reach to the handle bars was reasonable, but I had less legroom than my YZF, 1/2 an hour hurt my knees. The fuelling was horrible, snatchy and surgeing too. Completely the opposite from the Monster S4RS and the Ohlins equipped multistrada I rode before and after. Service costs on a duc, especially a 4 valve can be more than expensive, they're almost prohibitive.

[gfab]

hi jon,
thanks. yeah, i've decided to stick with my sv1000 for now. i do like it and there is nothing wrong with it. i would like to try the sprint (as well as a number of other bikes), certainly a nice bike. but to do so i'd have to put in more $$ to 'updgrade' and i don't want to do that right now. however if a good opportunity comes along....... in the meantime i may just make a few personal touches to the sv.

cheers,
greg

[yzf1000jon]

Hmm, like slip ons and heli bars?

[gfab]

no, i'm comfortable as it is with bars/seat and it has yoshimura pipes. i am looking at replacing the rear turn signals with smaller ones and maybe getting rid of some of the excess ugly bulk of the whole rear setup under the tail -- i've cut off some of the rear 'fender' but it's still bulky back there. maybe a different windscreen that is a bit higher..... considering getting lower fairing too -- i preferr bikes with more bodywork. and maybe just a few simple aftermarket parts to add a touch of bling.
and finally, and most importantly for planned road trips, i'm working on a rear rack to strap luggage/tent etc. on the back.

what would be really great is to have mirrors that give a better rear view. i was thinking if mirrors from a gsx are any better and would fit -- i like the integrated turn signals. would anyone out there happen to know??? or any other mirror with a longer stem that would fit the sv??? i've seen custom spacers on line but they seem pretty pricey for what they are...

as an aside jon: i did get heli bars for my zx12 when i had it. i was not uncomfortable with the standard setting but the sales guy at the dealership mentioned that they would make a difference for longer rides and touring so i tried them --- i did not find they made any noticeable difference. didn't seem to be any more or less comfortable for me..... so kind of a waste of $$ in this case.

[yzf1000jon]

Try www.d2moto.com type sv1000 into the search and you should find led tail/signal unit for $40. They also have a large number of signal light mirrors for other models, but I don't know about SV compatibility. Suzuki stuff is widely interchangeable so it's worth finding a dealer who knows. I know that bandits and busas and gsxr's (newer models anyway) swap around. It's all about bolt spacing.The genuine suzuki lowers and full fairing look good and fit better than most aftermarket, but that comes at a premium.

[gfab]

hey thanks. that is a good site. thats the kind of things i'm thinking about... bar ends, pegs..... little bling.

good point about the genuine bodywork fitting better.