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24-09-2009, 11:26am
Mark_S
Welcome to the forum,
You didnt mention which Ducati you were thinking of? A sport or tourer.
I have a gen 2 Busa (previoulsy a Gen 1 K7) and ducati 749 so here is my impression.
Firstly you cant compare the two (even accounting for engine size). the Busa is a big powerful, hypersport that has comfort, is forgiving and good to a pillion. You can ride it hard and work the gears or sit back and let the power do the work. Its not as nimble as a 600 as already mentioned but its no sloth in the bends either.
A couple of comments have been made about some aspaects of the bike by more experienced and adventursit riders. My experience - the brakes are more than fine, they dont match the Ducati and they can be upgraded to better but i had no problems with mine. In fact I found difference in braking vbased on the brand of the pads used which may account for some thinking that the brakes arent so good. On a tour of Vic I changed the front pads and applied the brakes and almost threw myslef over the bars the difference was so much! the Gen 2 being a much better bike than the Gen1 - define much better.. The gen 2 is smoother, slightly more powerful (and I need all 160 or whatever horsepower!!) and turns in a bit quicker but if the Gen 2 scores 100 on these things the Gen 1 is 95. I did over 30,000ks in one year on my K7 and checked the shims at 37000ks and they were easily in spec. The engine and box pured away as sweetly as they did at 10,000k when I got the bike.
The Ducati (and the 1098 / 848 /999 will be the same ) need to be worked hard but the working is fun. These gikes have a pillion seat for the same reason SVUs have 4 wheel drive - the idea of going off road or taking someone along which is hardly done. the sports Ducati is a selfish bike. You ride it for you, a pillion stuffs up the ride -you cant flick into a corner or slam on the brakes in Ducati with a piollion who is bent like a pretzel getting slowly toasted by the exhaust (quickly toased in summer).
I commute to work so ride them both several times a week. In the city I can set and forget the Busa with it pulling away in 6 gear from 2000 revs, on the Ducati Im hardly above fourth. In the country its similar, on the Busa cruise in 6th all day or drop a gear (even down to 4th but rarely for me ) for the twisties, in the Ducati its working the gears all the way down to 2 and 6th only about 100k/hr (of course with a 1098 or 999 you wont need to change so much but you will want to).
This doesn't even go into the very different engine characteristics of a twin vs a 4 either or the cost of keeping a Ducati (try cam belt repalcement each two years (2 belts) or 20,000k vs Busa Cam chains whcih some members have had for more than 10,0000km or the app $2,000 major service fee for a Ducati if you dont do it yourself.
If you decide on a Busa you will be more than happy with either a gen 1 or gen 2.
Best of luck.
Welcome to the forum,
You didnt mention which Ducati you were thinking of? A sport or tourer.
I have a gen 2 Busa (previoulsy a Gen 1 K7) and ducati 749 so here is my impression.
Firstly you cant compare the two (even accounting for engine size). the Busa is a big powerful, hypersport that has comfort, is forgiving and good to a pillion. You can ride it hard and work the gears or sit back and let the power do the work. Its not as nimble as a 600 as already mentioned but its no sloth in the bends either.
A couple of comments have been made about some aspaects of the bike by more experienced and adventursit riders. My experience - the brakes are more than fine, they dont match the Ducati and they can be upgraded to better but i had no problems with mine. In fact I found difference in braking vbased on the brand of the pads used which may account for some thinking that the brakes arent so good. On a tour of Vic I changed the front pads and applied the brakes and almost threw myslef over the bars the difference was so much! the Gen 2 being a much better bike than the Gen1 - define much better.. The gen 2 is smoother, slightly more powerful (and I need all 160 or whatever horsepower!!) and turns in a bit quicker but if the Gen 2 scores 100 on these things the Gen 1 is 95. I did over 30,000ks in one year on my K7 and checked the shims at 37000ks and they were easily in spec. The engine and box pured away as sweetly as they did at 10,000k when I got the bike.
The Ducati (and the 1098 / 848 /999 will be the same ) need to be worked hard but the working is fun. These gikes have a pillion seat for the same reason SVUs have 4 wheel drive - the idea of going off road or taking someone along which is hardly done. the sports Ducati is a selfish bike. You ride it for you, a pillion stuffs up the ride -you cant flick into a corner or slam on the brakes in Ducati with a piollion who is bent like a pretzel getting slowly toasted by the exhaust (quickly toased in summer).
I commute to work so ride them both several times a week. In the city I can set and forget the Busa with it pulling away in 6 gear from 2000 revs, on the Ducati Im hardly above fourth. In the country its similar, on the Busa cruise in 6th all day or drop a gear (even down to 4th but rarely for me ) for the twisties, in the Ducati its working the gears all the way down to 2 and 6th only about 100k/hr (of course with a 1098 or 999 you wont need to change so much but you will want to).
This doesn't even go into the very different engine characteristics of a twin vs a 4 either or the cost of keeping a Ducati (try cam belt repalcement each two years (2 belts) or 20,000k vs Busa Cam chains whcih some members have had for more than 10,0000km or the app $2,000 major service fee for a Ducati if you dont do it yourself.
If you decide on a Busa you will be more than happy with either a gen 1 or gen 2.
Best of luck.