Ducati 899 vs my 1199R (suspension settings)

sexparty · Jun 7, 2015

Hey Guys,

Who here is experienced with the 899 Panigale and the 1199 Panigale?

My father and I bought him an 899 on Friday, he loves it, great bike. I rode it for a couple of days before I gave it to him and tried to dial it in for him however the first thing I noticed with the handling other than the suspension was super soft compared to my 1199R (fair enough of course it's going to be, was really nice for a road bike actually), the bike was super slow and laboured in changing direction.

My 1199R was effortless in changing direction from side to side, however this new 899 is super laboured and requires a lot of effort, got me into a bit of trouble a few times, coming into corners real hot and expecting it to turn quicker but it didn't.
So I gave it more rebound and a bit more compression on the front end to give it a bit more life but didn't really seem to help as much as I expected to.

I don't imagine the 899 could ride that poorly compared to the 1199, so I'm sure I'm missing something here and it's the setup. Just wondering what you 899 guys are running when setup right?

Thanks appreciate it.

Karlos · Jun 7, 2015

sexparty said:
Hey Guys,

Who here is experienced with the 899 Panigale and the 1199 Panigale?

My father and I bought him an 899 on Friday, he loves it, great bike. I rode it for a couple of days before I gave it to him and tried to dial it in for him however the first thing I noticed with the handling other than the suspension was super soft compared to my 1199R (fair enough of course it's going to be, was really nice for a road bike actually), the bike was super slow and laboured in changing direction.

My 1199R was effortless in changing direction from side to side, however this new 899 is super laboured and requires a lot of effort, got me into a bit of trouble a few times, coming into corners real hot and expecting it to turn quicker but it didn't.
So I gave it more rebound and a bit more compression on the front end to give it a bit more life but didn't really seem to help as much as I expected to.

I don't imagine the 899 could ride that poorly compared to the 1199, so I'm sure I'm missing something here and it's the setup. Just wondering what you 899 guys are running when setup right?

Thanks appreciate it.

I have just bought an 899, and I understand what you are saying. I also have and 848 which is easier to lean and turn then the 899. I think it's all in the tire size at the rear. I never ridden a 180\60 before, and I think that this is the type of handling it provides and changing to a 55 height with a 180 will alter the circonference of the tire and mess with it's electronics a little bite. It just requires a little getting used to. It's like the bike wants to stay upright.
It's a verry stable bike. Its great for the street! I just love it.

DynastySS · Jun 7, 2015

I think it is the crazy heavy rear wheel.

With Ohlins and Carrozzerias my bike turns way better than I have the skill for!

JDBeretta · Jun 7, 2015

I'm not a suspension pro, by any means... Did you try to increase pre-load as well? As was said, the tire profile may also add to the issue. And the last thing I can think of (before going into thoughts of alignment); did you play with steering dampener?

Chaotic · Jun 8, 2015

The 180/60 is a great tire...one of my favorite tires of all time.

To get it to change directions better, you are likely going to have to start messing the geometry (front and rear ride height).

Was it hard to turn-in initially, or on the gas? Were you trail braking?

Steve B · Jun 8, 2015

Chaotic's right - not going to be the rear tire, so don't look there; that will help transitions vs the 200 on your 1199. Don't know your weight, but the 899 has softer stock springs at both ends than the 1199 (9NF/80NR for the 899 vs 10NF/90NR for the 1199), so if you haven't done the sag yet then look there first (with an eye to maybe stiffer springs if you're heavier than average). BPF forks by design tend to have less dive under braking, which will also slow turn-in, so you might play with less front compression damping.

Also keep in mind that the 899 is heavier, and more top-heavy than the 1199, with heavier wheels as well, all of which will slow transitions. You can't do much with rear ride height using stock parts on the 899, but you might drop the front a little bit (raise the tubes in the clamps).

tcelano · Jun 8, 2015

The forks on the 899 are indeed very soft, to the point of being practically useless on the track. Our local suspension guru got it to work for me ok for a while with stock springs, but it took a lot of preload. I was doing a lot of bottoming the forks and chattering under braking.

Springs were difficult to come by, unless you spring for a whole cartridge kit (at least that's what they told me to get me to buy the NIX cartridges

) It came with 0.90 and 0.95 springs. I had them put the 0.95 in, and am wishing that I had 1.00.

Ducati 899 vs my 1199R (suspension settings)

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