Ducati 1098

ENGINEERED BY THE STOPWATCH, DESIGNED BY THE RACETRACK
The 1098 immediately strikes you with its purposeful, no-nonsense attitude. Performance is first and foremost in every detail.

Trademark Ducati features like the high tail section and compact front-end meld with twin under-seat silencers and single-sided swingarm to express its aerodynamics and agility. Add the new Testastretta EVOluzione engine at the heart of the machine and you get an all-out performance Ducati Superbike that seems to be moving fast, even when at rest.

The 1098 introduces a number of 'firsts' for Ducati and production sport bike design. The 1098 is the first production motorcycle to have the amazing stopping power of Brembo Monobloc brakes, the first to have a data acquisition system integrated as standard equipment and the first to use an ingenious construction method for its weight-saving single-sided swingarm. More 'firsts' for a road-going Ducati include the direct application of MotoGP technology, like the power producing GP6-derived elliptical throttle bodies and the use of the information-rich instrumentation originally developed for the new Desmosedici GP7.

The 1098 has the soul of a race bike, pure and simple. The riding position encourages the rider to mould to the sleek lines of the tank and seat: man and machine are made one. It transmits the quality and character of contact between road surface and tyre, it signals the way the chassis will react next and responds instinctively to rider commands.

Satisfying all the senses, the throaty roar of the twin under-seat exhausts are synchronized with the howl of the elliptical throttle bodies providing a fitting fanfare for the new 1098 Testastretta EVOluzione engine. The huge 104mm bore and all-new cylinder head design unite to produce an awesome 160hp and an arm-wrenching 90+ lb-fts of torque. Developed together with Ducati Corse, the 1098 is a masterpiece of incredible performance and innovation.

DUCATI DATA ANALYSER (DDA)
The DDA package consists of a real analysis system for data gathered during rides or track sessions. The kit, normally used only on race bikes, enables riders to thoroughly analyse the performance of their Ducati and the effectiveness of their driving style.

The Ducati Data Analyser, which is standard equipment in this model, automatically records data from numerous channels, including distance travelled, laps and lap times, throttle opening and engine temperature. In addition, the DDA automatically calculates engine rpm and vehicle speed data so as to display gear selection as an additional channel of information. At the end of a ride or track session, up to 2 MB (approximately 3.5 hours) of data can be downloaded to your PC.

Data can be analysed in graphic form with options to zoom into detail of specific sections. For example, dragging a trace along a timeline to reveal individual values of the above listed channels enables the user to analyse performance in the same way as data technicians in factory teams.

The DDA package includes PC software, a USB-ready data retrieval card and an instruction manual.

ENGINEERED BY THE STOPWATCH
The Superbike family for 2008 features two important changes: the introduction of a mid-engine size version, the light and nimble 848, and an extreme 'racing' version for all those who demand the maximum performance, the 1098 R version that will take part in the 2008 World Superbike Championship.

The priority in every step of the 848 and 1098 development has been performance first. Every system, every detail and every component has been studied, pared down to its essence and performance increased to the maximum. If it didn't make our Superbike lighter, faster or deliver quicker lap times, it wasn't considered. The result: the 1098 is the most powerful twin-cylinder motorcycle in the world.

The 848 and 1098 are the lightest, fastest stopping, quickest lapping Ducati Superbikes in history. For the first time Ducati MotoGP and World Superbike technology have been combined to create premier sport bikes. The results are stunning.

DESIGNED BY THE RACETRACK
The look and stance of the 848 and 1098 were designed by the combination of race track technology, track-derived components and Ducati heritage. Their striking aerodynamic shape naturally embraces a riding position, configured by our racers and test riders for optimum speed and agility. The racing spirit takes form. 

Superbikeplanet.com  review

Hello one and all from sunny South Africa.

Ducati has just concluded their new-model launch —introducing what is undoubtedly the most sophisticated production motorcycle ever to leave the Bologna factory. Literally new from the sidestand up, the impressions our 1098 left us with today were nothing short of outstanding.

For Soup, the Kyalami circuit is no close venue, but there were good reasons Ducati brought journalists such distances for testing. Today, the outside temps were in the eighties—after all, it's summer here. We suspect Ducati's real reason, though, was to showcase performance on a track that is loaded with fast sweeping curves, many of which are connected by chutes and sections with dramatic changes in elevation. Kyalami proved to be a truly challenging layout and one where the new motorcycle really was able to perform. We ended the day completing a total of five sessions on both the standard and "S" versions of the machine.

Troy, the current WSB Champion
For an added treat at this press introduction, Ducati enlisted the services of their in-house 2006 World Superbike Champion and final round winner of this year's MotoGP championship, Troy Bayliss. Bayliss was on hand and seemed eager to do some riding thus we asked Troy if, at some point, he would be willing to show us his lines, thus condensing the time we needed to learn the unfamiliar track. To our humble gratitude, he gladly accepted and ?Soup literally had a one-on-one session with Troy for several laps around this legendary racetrack. Later, Troy would help tow one other tester and, in both cases, we, the beneficiaries made huge improvements in a very short period of time. Later in the day, Troy also gave everyone a riding demonstration doing laps aboard a standard version of the 1098. The man flies, and we all witnessed the true potential of Ducati's latest production Superbike in fully stock trim. How can I describe what I saw? Let me say this: Wow!

Now more power for less!
Perhaps unfortunate for earlier Ducati owners, our first impressions of the new Ducati 1098 have it differing from its 999 predecessor in every single way possible beyond basic terms you'd use to describe a motorcycle. The 1098 engine and new oval throttle bodies now produce substantially more horsepower and torque from radically different cylinder heads. The top-end received larger valves, new valve angles, shorter intake tracts, more compression, and lighter rocker arms. A major reduction in the weight of the reciprocating internal parts helps the over-square (104mm x 64.7mm) engine to gain revs more quickly. The output figures are definitely impressive at 160hp and 90.4 lb-ft of torque, with all of this coming from a lighter and more compact engine package. Additionally, operating costs have been reduced by a claimed 50%. This is directly attributed to fewer moving parts and increased time between servicing intervals. I'd love to see a dyno sheet, but suffice to say this thing shoves out loads of usable power.

Chassis, Running Gear, and Comfort
Improved overall handling is the result of numerous chassis changes, as well. The 1098 reprises the single-sided swingarm and now uses a massive cast-and-stamped rear arm fit to a frame with larger-diameter, but thinner-walled tubing. Engineers claim the new 'arm yields 40% more rigidity, yet weighs less than the 999's dual arm. With the fitment of the new arm, the overall wheelbase increases 10mm, yet the handling remains very stable.

For tires, the OE-spec rubber that Troy seemed to get along with reasonably well were Pirelli's Dragon Supercorsa Pros. The only significant change here is with the size of the rear, now supplied by Pirelli in a 190/55 exclusively for the 1098. The performance of the tires was very good—in particular the rear stood out as quite forgiving with slides being easily manageable and predictable. Pirelli's engineer at the scene was Mr. Luca Zaccomer. When asked about tire pressures today, he explained that the optimum pressure for the 1098's rubber was, when hot, at 2.4 BAR, both front and rear.

Assorted press goons were left reeling after Ducati engineer Claudio Domenicali announced for his next trick he intends to fix it so the sun won't burn out in 2 billion years. 'We have a working plan now, and the complete solution will be on-line in two weeks time,' he said.

To counter the increases in acceleration, the brake system on the 1098 has been upgraded with entirely new radial-mount monoblock calipers. Front rotor diameters increase to the largest in class at 330mm, with the discs now mounted on one-direction aluminum carriers. The rear disc gains 5mm in diameter to better dissipate heat. Needless to say, the braking performance with all of the new parts is exceptional and exceptionally strong. Initial feel is not overpowering, but as the lever pressure increases, the updated braking performance becomes immediately apparent.

Rider position also changes with relations in seating position to hand and foot controls being less committed. One positive result here is less upper body weight on the wrists. Another plus is more leverage at the bar due to a wider bar placement. In total, the bar height has been raised 20mm, moved rearward and noticeably widened. The saddle has more of a curved shape and is also taller by 10mm but gains slightly in width at the rear of the tank.

Mo' Better Coe
Danny Coe is a loyal 'Soup contributor and has filed piles of stories for us over the years. He is a former racer (finished on the podium at Daytona in the 250 race), staff tester for Cycle magazine and will also kick your ass in fishing. Here's some of his previous 'Soup work.

Re-Cycle
2006 Ducati S4Rs: Truly A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Filed before 'Soup got ejected from the Suzuki press intro invite list for being too fast, too smart—and don't even try to deny this one, Garrett—too virile.

When the jet lag and sleep deprivation subside, we will post our full report. For now, what you might need to know is that the MSRP of the Standard 1098 will be $14,995, while the lighter, fully Ohlins-equipped "S" version arrives with "all the toys" including a handlebar-switched on-board data acquisition system, forged wheels, and carbon bits. The complete 'S' package will have an MSRP of $19,995. As with past models, even more lighter-weight and increased-output options are also available. So stay tuned...