AMGSC

Picked up a brand new 2010 Ducati 848 for $11,500. Going to see how she does against my C55 once it's ready for the track.

AMGTTV8

Nice!

The C will be left behind in a cloud of Italian sound!!

Please post pics - and congrats on the addition!

Phil C55

Congrats on the Duck. I sold my 1098 last fall, what a great motorcycle. After that bike, not many cars seem fast. It would carry the front wheel to 120+ mph under throttle only acceleration and bounce off the rev limiter in sixth at 175 mph. I never wanted more motor with it.

speedybenz

AMGSC,

I raced AMA Superbikes Formula Extreme and 750 Supersport in the late 1990's. I did pretty well and won the American Federation of Motorcyclist (AFM) that raced at Sears Point (Infinieon), Thinderhill and Buttonwillow and won the number 1 plate in 1998 and 1999. I also raced a bunch at Willow Springs and won numerous races there and spent one Saturday dicing with Eric Bostrom. We spent the day in the 1 min, 24 sec. range on our Supersport bikes.

Anyhow, I loved racing bikes and the speed that they go. 0-100mph in 5 sec., etc. Our laps times at Sears Pt were quicker than the NASCAR guys.
Just not a fair comparison to pit a bike against a car. Any bike with 600cc or better will pretty much smoke any car out there and that includes adding corners into the mix.

http://www.afmracing.org/index.php
http://www.afmreunion.org/index.php?...&limitstart=24
Jeff Short, AFM Champion 1998 & 1999.

RLx02

The supercharged 4cyl arial atom holds its own pretty well against a honda 600rr on a track I would definitely do a lot of bad things to get the new v8 atom

Calspeed

Damn... you are bad-***!

I raced Supermoto for a few years with SupermotoUSA. Never won anything. Made the front line once and had an Umbrella Girl. That was about all I can claim.

Until CityBike published my latest bike build in Oct 2009. It is an FZR400.

francoisisp

+1

speedybenz

Calspeed,

Nice FZR400. What a small world. But back in 1994 I raced one and I built a cool motor that made 84Hp. I used a FZR 600 top end and Cosworth Pistons and Carrillio Rods with a 3:1 rod to stroke ratio. It rev'ed up very fast and I won the AFM 450 Superbike Class and palced 3rd in the Formula 1 class.

Sportrider did an article on the same bike with the FZR600 motor I built for the bike which had 113Hp. If you google "little big shot" and jeff short you may still find some of the article on the web.

Anyhow the FZR400 was my favorite bike. I spent hundreds of hours over the winter making al sorts of lightweight alum. gas tanks, subframe, bracing the rear swingarm, etc, it weighed only 289 lbs with a little gas. If Mike Solis is still at City Bike you can ask him about me.

Cool World

speedybenz

AMGSC, yes show us your new bike I would love to see it.

Jeff

AMGSC

Dude,
Your background and experience are awesome! I am not even a weekend warrior yet but I just love any hobby associated with speed.

I am picking up the bike on Tues but am having second thoughts about having another middeweight bike. I'm not experienced enough to handle the litre bikes but am very tempted to swap this 848 for a 1198 for only a $2500 cost difference.

Phil C55

You might want to stay humble a bit longer and get more experience, an 1198 is serious as a heart attack. Put it this way, it has more power than a World Superbike had when Carl Fogarty was the king in the mid ninties. Just because the bikes have the ability doesn't mean riders do. I've ridden and raced for 35+ years and the 1098 was a ton.

I was at the Ducati only day at Putnam Park after the Moto GP race when Brian Catterson and Aaron Frank from Motorcyclist magazine, Paul Smart, and Cook Neilson were there. I was on track behind Cook when he pitched the Desmosedici. I caught and passed him when he was on the 1098R and later I talked to him in the pits. He paid me quite a compliment, I apologized for passing a legend and he told me to turn around to look at my leathers. He said he remembered me and followed me for a couple laps and said he learned some good lines from me. He said it appeared I knew the track really well. This coming from a former AMA Superbike champ was nice.

Current liter bikes really are for very experienced riders, they will kill the less seasoned quickly.

AMGSC

That's some good advice! I just called Roy at So Cal Ducati in Brea to cancel my purchase and I put a stop pay on my $7K deposit. I'll just ride my Monster and Daytona a little more before getting a litre superbike then.

edit: Another reason I canceled the 848 was because of the reviews I read about them. They really don't have an identity yet. They are not even eligible for any competitive racing class. I want another more serious Duc but can't decide. I'm heavily contemplating a used 2003 MV Agusta F4 750, Oro replica. A slighter smaller bike but even more beautiful than the 1098/1198s IMO.

Phil C55

Your Daytona is a great motorcycle and fast too. A friend of mine had a MV Agusta 1000 Agostini replica. He said it had the feel and handling of a Ducati, only it had four cylinders. He really liked his MV, they are beautiful motorcycles. An 848 is a great bike, it's just going to be viewed as the "little" brother to the big superbikes.

AMGSC

So you think I made the right choice by canceling the MY2010 848 at a smoking deal of only $11.5K? I'm almost going to pull the trigger on a 2003 MV Agusta F4-750 Oro edition with the gold titanium. Also considering a 2007 BMV R1200S for $9.5K right here in West Covina. What do you think of either bike?

Phil C55

Not necessarily, the bike you get should be the one you want, it's your hard earned money and no one elses. Maybe you are fine with the power an 848 makes (115-120hp), it would be a great bike, it's just I was reading where you said "for just a bit more $ I can have a 1198". I understand getting the most bang for the buck, but if it's not the bike you would be happiest with, then it's moot. IMHO, the BMW would be fast but heavy and no where near the handling of a Ducati, the MV would be exclusive and handle great, but still a bit wide as all in line four cylinders have to be. An 848, 1098, or 1198 will all be very light and very narrow. The price of $11.5 for a 2010 is unreal (just look on eBay at 848) I know you can also get a low mileage 1098 for the same or less $ too. In the end it really does come down to what you want.

SilverBulletAMG

AMGSC, why are you getting a new bike? Is if for a specific role/purpose? That would help narrow down your search. You already have a pretty sweet bike with your Daytona. If you want a bike you can take to the track, you should take a look at the 600cc boy racers from Honda, Yami, Suzuki, etc. These "little" 600s are wicked on a track will give you room to grow into a liter bike. Just something to consider....
If I had to choose between the 848, BMW, and 750 MV, I'd take the MV just because it's so unique. Would be a good second bike to show off.

AMGSC

I am totally in love with that MV F4 ORO edition even though it's not the most practical bike. I like the fact that it's a 750 yet still pumps out 136hp. It's a bike beyond rare and is very close to the 848 but just more individualistic.

AMGSC

I checked also and $11.5 for a brand new red 848 is unheard of! I feel bad for the salesperson. He worked so hard to get me this deal and I end up canceling on him.
If anyone is interested in this deal. Call Roy at So. Cal Ducati/Triumph in Brea, CA and tell them Robert Chen sent you.

btw...I also found a yellow 1098 in mint condition in San Raphael, CA. for $10.5K with low miles. Dealer is Hattar motorsports.

edit: I decided on a 2002 MV Augusta F4 Serie Oro...Beautiful bike! Will post pics soon.

Calspeed

Good luck on the purchase. Beautiful bike! Ive been down that road many times. But the 400cc was what I needed. I hope you find what you need.

Miguel

JG26_Irish

Jeff,

Too cool. Did you ever cross paths with Stevie Blackburn in AMA 600 supersport or the old Harley Twins class? He won the national title in the Harley twins class several years ago (Late 80's early 90's) beating a young gun named Ben Bostrom and another fast guy named Aaron Yates that year. He is retired now. I was one of his buds and I raced an old RC31 in D-superbike, light twins and a few other Wera classes. Used to dice it up with a young kid by the name of Ben Spies. Lost track of him. I hear he is riding them old slow Yamaha's overseas now, lol. I am now a recovering roadracer. Sort of like drug addiction, you are never cured, but can get by, day by day. I retired in 2002. Try to soothe the addiction with high horse cars these days and the occasional track day. No substitute for real competition but it helps me get by, lol.

I hear what you are saying about the bikes. My old RC51 was 0-60 in about 1.8 sec and to 100 was one more gear and about 5 ticks.

Irish

SilverBulletAMG

Those RC51s were scary bikes....for several reasons!

speedybenz

AMGSC,

The bike you by is the one you know you are smart enough to control. The 1198 Duc would be great and I would love to ride the **** out of it. But that said I would only do so on the race track. For everyday street riding .......I would still take the 1198. "The throttle goes both ways" as an old friend told me once after I made a mistake and ended up on my head.

So you have to decide if you are going to ride smart on the street and not ride the 1198 WFO at every stop light, etc. The last 6 to 8 years of my time racing I didn't ride on the street because I did'nt want to do something stupid that would get me injured.

But if your not sure how well you can keep the tempatation at bay to go WFO then get the 848 or a 600cc bike and go do your best, but be mindfull both of these bikes are way faster then your car or most any car for that matter. I would highly recommend a set of leathers and get yourself to some trackday schools, if you have not been before. Yes, it is a scary thought to be out on a track for the first time, but I promise, it will be a day you will never forget. And not one of the instructors at a school will be there to critisize(sp) your skills or riding style. But they will help you learn to ride better and faster and ride more safely. As I still tell people my first lap out to warm up my tires is faster than you would ever go on the street. And if you get really good you can learn to drift both wheels through a corner at +100mph and then leave a dark patch of rubber one hundred feet long as you spin the rear tire some more off the corner.

I hope some of this helps with your choice of what to buy.

Jeff

AMGSC

Good advice. I always wear full protective gear from head to toe when I ride my even my Ducati Monster. I bought a MV F4 750S so it's not a litre bike but still got 137hp which is more than m Daytona's 123hp. I will stay off the streets as much as possible with both the Daytona and the F4 and take it to the track followed by some lessons. Thanks again!

speedybenz

AMGSC, the MV is truly a beautiful motorcycle. It has to be one of the top two to three best looking bikes on the planet. That must be a real joy to own and ride.

Jeff