Breaking In New 1199s - Observations

double0 said:

1) Keep riding. If you haven't had random stalling issues, you will. It will eventually go away after either the first service or resetting the tps. Keep an eye on it. NORMAL

2) Ride it in 195lo. Wet mode is for what it says....Wet. Doesn't mean you should redline it or anything but riding it in wet isn't necessary. You should be going through the rev range anyway during break-in period. Also, the bike smokes and will continue to do so until about the first service. Don't be alarmed. NORMAL!

3) You weren't expecting a Prius of motorcycles, were you? 30mpg is about the norm unless you're on the throttle constantly. Expect your mpg to go down as you start doing more spirited riding. NORMAL.

4) Low fuel light will come on and go off for a few miles before it stays on for good. I'm sure the sensor doesn't stay consistent due to the fuel slushing around. This is NORMAL.

5) It's an 1198cc twin motor trying to push up 2 enormous pistons. It is not a happy bike low in the revs because of this. Above 3k rpms is about the point where it starts to behave normally. Once again, NORMAL.

6) People usually have a problem finding neutral during the first few miles while the bike is somewhat cold. Once you've been riding for a little bit, shifting becomes easier and this is pretty much NORMAL.

7) DP Race Seat, DP Comfort Seat or OEM 899 seat is a must. 1199 OEM seat has butter all over it. Get rid of it ASAP. NORMAL.

8) SKIP

9) Refer to #7. Get rid of it ASAP. NORMAL.

10) This bike is ridiculously hot. Doesn't matter what kind of gear you have on. Either you've got to move fast or expect to deal with some level of heat. This has been beaten to death and some are in denial of the fact we ride a furnace for a bike. Either way, this is once again, NORMAL. Am I seeing a pattern here?

In summary, all you need to do is catch up on a LOT of forum reading. You will learn a lot from quite a few informative members on here. Don't be alarmed by most of the things you will experience (if you haven't already experienced some). 2012 models had a lot of problems which were supposedly addressed on 2013 and 2014 models but problems will still occur. Don't let it cloud your judgment on purchasing the bike or any of that. Gather some valuable info from here and hope that it helps with whatever problem you may encounter in the future.

Welcome and enjoy!

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double0 said:

I've seen them at the dealer with both the old and new seat. My assumption was that the ones with the grippier seat had been swapped out or something. I just know I've seen both seats on the 2014's at two different dealers.

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voodoochild said:

Greetings All,

I'd like to present my observations for breaking in the engine on my 2014 1199s. Please feel to comment and contribute.

1. Total miles - 550 (Riding in Chicago~ 80 mile and the rest is from a 2 way trip to Springfield Il)

2. Engine Setting ~ 120 Wet ( Dealer strongly advised me not go to 195)

3. It drinks fuel like a sailor on shore leave. Each fill give about 120 miles on the highway. But in the city, its a different story.

4. Low Fuel light comes on then goes off....but it definitely comes back and stays on. I could not find anything in the owners manual about this behavior.

5. The bike really does not like traffic. Came back to Chicago at about 1pm on Sat and ran right into the heart of the jam in I55 North. Traffic started getting progressively heavier after the I55/355 area. I began to notice throttle issues in 2nd and 3rd. It almost felt like it was sputtering at low revs. But once the revs got beyond 3K, it was behaving normally.

6. In the start/ stop traffic of Lake Shore Dr, there were a few instances where the gears would not go to 1 from N. The moment I lifted my toes of the gear lever, the gear indicator on the dashboard go from 1 to N.

I got around this by keeping my toes on the gear lever and giving throttle and a slow clutch out. Seem to work. I'm not experienced enough to tell if this is an mechanical issue, a heat issue or simply the fact the i was using the bike in a manner it was not designed for.

7. I think its safe to say the the comfort seat is a must.

8. The bike covers miles very well. With a touring screen, seat and a tank bag, this bike will be able to get riders into the Iron Butt Gang.

9. The foot-peg designer at Ducati must be shot at dawn.

10. Heat was not an issue beyond 60 mph. But it is very noticeable in city traffic. I can say with confidence the if someone were to buy this bike for "posing" around town, they would not be pleased.

All in all, I'm still learning about the bike and I'm sure with time and more mileage, the joy of riding this bike will be exponential.

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voodoochild said:

Greetings All,

I'd like to present my observations for breaking in the engine on my 2014 1199s. Please feel to comment and contribute.

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voodoochild said:

Greetings All,

I'd like to present my observations for breaking in the engine on my 2014 1199s. Please feel to comment and contribute.

1. Total miles - 550 (Riding in Chicago~ 80 mile and the rest is from a 2 way trip to Springfield Il) I'm at the same mileage. time to get some better ramps so i can get it back to the dealer for it's 1st service.

2. Engine Setting ~ 120 Wet ( Dealer strongly advised me not go to 195)
Doing the same. Still has more power than a Suzuki GSXR750

3. It drinks fuel like a sailor on shore leave. Each fill give about 120 miles on the highway. But in the city, its a different story.

4. Low Fuel light comes on then goes off....but it definitely comes back and stays on. I could not find anything in the owners manual about this behavior. Just the float bouncing around.

5. The bike really does not like traffic. Came back to Chicago at about 1pm on Sat and ran right into the heart of the jam in I55 North. Traffic started getting progressively heavier after the I55/355 area. I began to notice throttle issues in 2nd and 3rd. It almost felt like it was sputtering at low revs. But once the revs got beyond 3K, it was behaving normally.
Try going up on the EBC setting.

6. In the start/ stop traffic of Lake Shore Dr, there were a few instances where the gears would not go to 1 from N. The moment I lifted my toes of the gear lever, the gear indicator on the dashboard go from 1 to N. I try to grab N while rolling to a stop, easier on all of my bikes. And the cars with sequential race shifters I've driven. (sadly not owned)

I got around this by keeping my toes on the gear lever and giving throttle and a slow clutch out. Seem to work. I'm not experienced enough to tell if this is an mechanical issue, a heat issue or simply the fact the i was using the bike in a manner it was not designed for.

Bleed the clutch

7. I think its safe to say the the comfort seat is a must.
I'm getting the race seat. Most of my discomfort is from trying not to slide around on the seat and cramping up. Need something sticky.

8. The bike covers miles very well. With a touring screen, seat and a tank bag, this bike will be able to get riders into the Iron Butt Gang.My wrist hurt bad. But that's because I can't hold myself up with my back muscles without sliding into the tank on the buttered stock seat and crushing my nuts.

9. The foot-peg designer at Ducati must be shot at dawn.
I put on CNC pegs because they were the gripiest looking. some of thier machining is weak. One peg sit up at an angle, and sticks down hard. Needs some file work most likely. Full rearset are in my future. Hopefully Vortex will make some. $1000+ for rear sets is robbery.

10. Heat was not an issue beyond 60 mph. But it is very noticeable in city traffic. I can say with confidence the if someone were to buy this bike for "posing" around town, they would not be pleased. No more than any other spoortbike like the Honda or R1. I4's get pissed in traffic as well. Way better than the 916/996/998/999 bikes. I just open my legs to get some wind on them and to let air flow through the fairing better. cools of the outside of the engine more than you think. I have no head covers or any of the weird giant covers . I worry more about my engine temps going past 230.

All in all, I'm still learning about the bike and I'm sure with time and more mileage, the joy of riding this bike will be exponential.

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Buliwyf said:

Can anyone tell me if it's harmful to the suspension, to commute in wet mode in the dry? It is a bit easier to ride in wet mode when dealing with city bumps.

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