Coming from an SV650 - 899 a good choice?

So I shipped my 2000 SV650s (which I love) to Europe to use as a vacation bike. Now I am on the prowl for a new bike here in Canada.

The SV ruined me for other engine configurations... it's vtwin or nothing. It has only 70 or so HP, and a nice torque curve.

Only complaint was suspension which was just OK, and the 70hp making for some dicey passing situations of the highway (lots of anticipation needed, pre-emptive downshifts into 4th)

I've looked at the monsters, and dismissed em because they have no fairing. Looked at the 2014 SV650s, cheap as hell. $6600 brand new, but it's a 10 year old design and again at 70HP. If they still made the SV1000s, i'd be all over it, but it was discontinued in 2007

Given that the 1199 is $5000+ more expensive in Canada (starts at $15K), that I'm used to (and more or less satisfied) by a 70HP bike and don't have any track experience, would the 899 be the Ducati for me?

It's going to be pretty thrilling but if you've been riding a few years then I'd say so yeah - you're certainly going to have your eyes opened aye!

If this is going to be your everyday bike, and you want a full fairing race style sport bike, I would recommend the Triumph Daytona R over the 899. I love my 1199, but I would not want it as my only machine; it is not reliable enough and so I also ride a Triumph speed triple
Also, note that Triumph will be coming out with a brand new from the ground up Daytona 675 in 2015 (later this year).

Styler said:

If this is going to be your everyday bike, and you want a full fairing race style sport bike, I would recommend the Triumph Daytona R over the 899. I love my 1199, but I would not want it as my only machine; it is not reliable enough and so I also ride a Triumph speed triple
Also, note that Triumph will be coming out with a brand new from the ground up Daytona 675 in 2015 (later this year).

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knock on wood, but ive never had a single issue with my 1199. 10k hard miles on her so far!

A Ducati is *always* a good choice. It shows you have keen judgement and a discerning eye for the finer things.

Charliem90 said:

A Ducati is *always* a good choice. It shows you have keen judgement and a discerning eye for the finer things.

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lol! love it. i agree though!

Charliem90 said:

A Ducati is *always* a good choice. It shows you have keen judgement and a discerning eye for the finer things.

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....and maybe a blind eye to the not so good...

Stw said:

....and maybe a blind eye to the not so good...

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Or maybe just a reinterpretation. For example, instead of a valve cover oil leak on the right side I actually have an automatic chain oiler that just needs to be migrated from the right side of the bike to the left in order to function as it was intended.

There, I feel better already.

You mention your predilection for Vtwin power characteristics, similar to that of your beloved SV650. The Ducati Superquadro motor is a very oversquare design that from inception was intended to produce high peak power. In this regard it is unlike most "traditional" twins, which typically have a strong bottom- and mid-range power but tend to peter out at the very top of the rev-range. The Superquadro motor is more typical of an inline-four and produce both peak HP and TQ near the very top of the revs.

If you're looking for the traditional V-Twin powerband you may be disappointed in the 899. I have read that the 899 is less oversquare than the 1199 and perhaps is a bit less "stepped" in its powerband. You obviously should get a test ride before buying one if at all possible.

Since you mention budget as well, might I suggest you look at the previous generation Aprilia Tuono (1000cc V-Twin)? Unless you really want to buy new then perhaps the 2nd Gen Tuono (1000cc V-Four) might also be what you're looking for, and costs much less than an 899.

Good luck and let us know what you end up choosing and why.

Styler said:

If this is going to be your everyday bike, and you want a full fairing race style sport bike, I would recommend the Triumph Daytona R over the 899. I love my 1199, but I would not want it as my only machine; it is not reliable enough and so I also ride a Triumph speed triple
Also, note that Triumph will be coming out with a brand new from the ground up Daytona 675 in 2015 (later this year).

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Sure you aren't thinking about the Daytona 250? The 675 was just rebuilt (new looks, engine, relocated exhaust, etc) for 2013.

That said, owned a '13 675R, own a 1199S, and have a few miles on a 899. I'd go 675R over 899 without thinking twice. There's a big jump between the 675 and the 1199 but the gap between the 675 and the 899 is small enough that you really have to consider how much more expensive the 899 is to run/maintain.

Capt CF said:

Or maybe just a reinterpretation. For example, instead of a valve cover oil leak on the right side I actually have an automatic chain oiler that just needs to be migrated from the right side of the bike to the left in order to function as it was intended.

There, I feel better already.

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See what happens when you send out the positive waves

Brad said:

See what happens when you send out the positive waves

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See Brad.... Now you see my point...

BTrain5489 said:

Sure you aren't thinking about the Daytona 250? The 675 was just rebuilt (new looks, engine, relocated exhaust, etc) for 2013.

That said, owned a '13 675R, own a 1199S, and have a few miles on a 899. I'd go 675R over 899 without thinking twice. There's a big jump between the 675 and the 1199 but the gap between the 675 and the 899 is small enough that you really have to consider how much more expensive the 899 is to run/maintain.

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Yes; I am sure. I was speaking with on of the Triumph corporate guys at a motorcycle show who told me about the new 675. I thought what you thought - that they had just redid the 675 - but he noted that last year's makeover was more tweaks on the existing bike than a ground-up redesign. So, expect big changes for the next model year.

Styler said:

Yes; I am sure. I was speaking with on of the Triumph corporate guys at a motorcycle show who told me about the new 675. I thought what you thought - that they had just redid the 675 - but he noted that last year's makeover was more tweaks on the existing bike than a ground-up redesign. So, expect big changes for the next model year.

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Interesting. I got rid of my Daytona to get my 1199 but a little voice in the back of my head has been wanting another triple. I'd been thinking a street or speed triple but maybe I'll wait a bit to see what's up with the Daytona.

test ride the 899 and report here, what it feels like to you.

i guess i already know it

Styler said:

Yes; I am sure. I was speaking with on of the Triumph corporate guys at a motorcycle show who told me about the new 675. I thought what you thought - that they had just redid the 675 - but he noted that last year's makeover was more tweaks on the existing bike than a ground-up redesign. So, expect big changes for the next model year.

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Not disputing that you heard what you heard, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe that. While the re-do does look a lot like the old one (had an '07 myself), it's nearly all new parts, right down to the engine cases. Big investment there, and Triumph's not Honda. Heck, even Honda wouldn't do that! If I were looking for something spicy and new to come from Triumph in a Daytona, it'd be an 800 since supermids are the new thing. Which would be a very sweet new thing!

Forgot to add: to the OP, heck yes if you're looking for a twin. The 899 should be a great step, just make sure you're OK with the maintenance cost of owning a Duc. It ain't an SV650 in that regard...

Are you in Ontario?

JeffD said:

You mention your predilection for Vtwin power characteristics, similar to that of your beloved SV650. The Ducati Superquadro motor is a very oversquare design that from inception was intended to produce high peak power. In this regard it is unlike most "traditional" twins, which typically have a strong bottom- and mid-range power but tend to peter out at the very top of the rev-range. The Superquadro motor is more typical of an inline-four and produce both peak HP and TQ near the very top of the revs.

Since you mention budget as well, might I suggest you look at the previous generation Aprilia Tuono (1000cc V-Twin)? Unless you really want to buy new then perhaps the 2nd Gen Tuono (1000cc V-Four) might also be what you're looking for, and costs much less than an 899.

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From what I see the torque and HP curves are similar to the SV... except where the SV plateaus at 70hp the 899 explodes upward. I will try to generate/overlay the curves by getting some data points from published curves and plotting them in excel. Basically, the 899 is a little more powerful at "normal" revs and of course much more powerful in a passing/merging situation.

Or course, published curves aren't everything. I will look into the twin Tuono, but v4 isn't my thing.

Steve B said:

Forgot to add: to the OP, heck yes if you're looking for a twin. The 899 should be a great step, just make sure you're OK with the maintenance cost of owning a Duc. It ain't an SV650 in that regard...

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My SV is a 2000, which means crap was constantly needing work. Chain/sprocket, clutch, clutch actuator, cam chain tensioners, valves (way overdue), carb sync, speedo sensor, dash lights, coolant hoses, clutch and throttle cables, etc.... to name a few.

Did it all myself and learned a lot but the first couple years there was more wrenching than riding, don't wanna get into that again.

From what I have seen, the valve checks are now at 24000km on the 899 and 30000km on the monster 1200, this is way better than 12000km on the previous monsters and 6000 on the earlier ones, which is what I guess people mean when they talk about the Ducati maintenance costs.

But crikey, are you really obliged to do your oil changes at the dealer???

Prince Albert said:

Are you in Ontario?

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Nope, quebec.

Apparently, the two Montreal Ducati dealers DO NOT give test rides of the supersport bikes, just monsters/motards. This is a little ridiculous IMO.


My plan right now is as follows:
1 - Keep reading reviews/comments
2 - Ask about actual insurance costs
3 - Test ride the latest SV650s for comparison's sake
4 - Sit on the bike at the dealer for an hour ?????

Another question I was wondering about... i'm 5-11 with a 31/32 inch inseam. How is the knee situation during a long ride? The SV was tight, I imagine this will be the same or worse.

JosephManderley said:

My SV is a 2000, which means crap was constantly needing work. Chain/sprocket, clutch, clutch actuator, cam chain tensioners, valves (way overdue), carb sync, speedo sensor, dash lights, coolant hoses, clutch and throttle cables, etc.... to name a few.

Did it all myself and learned a lot but the first couple years there was more wrenching than riding, don't wanna get into that again.

From what I have seen, the valve checks are now at 24000km on the 899 and 30000km on the monster 1200, this is way better than 12000km on the previous monsters and 6000 on the earlier ones, which is what I guess people mean when they talk about the Ducati maintenance costs.

But crikey, are you really obliged to do your oil changes at the dealer???

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Nope, you can do your own oil changes, etc. but you will need to do the official scheduled bits at the dealer, which is where you'll notice the differences. Main one of note is the 24K major service with valve check. The service interval is much improved yes, but if you're in warranty and want to stay that way you'll be in for close to $2K US for that one. If memory serves, my dealer said the flat rate called for 18hrs labor on that one. That was primarily what I was referring to re: maintenance costs, but should you ever need to buy any OEM parts out of warranty you will find them ahem... somewhat more spendy than SV bits...

Not to scare you off, though; mine's been fine so far (right at 10K mi) and I don't regret buying it at all. Should be a sweet bike for you and light years ahead of the SV (and I like SV's).