I have owned the Duc for a month and have not had the chance to ride it properly, well today I did, wow what a machine, simply awesome and in just about every way a superior sports bike to my R12S.
For a start the ergonomics of the 1098S work perfectly for me even though they look very aggressive. The Duc is a small, narrow, light and low motorcycle that I sit in rather then on, I feel secure, planted and much more in control then I do on the R12S, especially when pushing hard. A knee off the side racing type riding style feels very natural and the bike responds well to body input. The whole rider bike interface just works a lot better on the Duc the on the R12S, I feel as one with the machine like on no other bike I have ever ridden.
The most surprising thing is that after an often used 200 mile run over a wide range of roads I came away with no discomfort in wrists, neck, back or butt, a situation that was never the case with the R12S, even with bar risers. The custom seat on the Duc no doubt helped the butt, but even so I would much rather spend a long day riding the Duc than the Beemer, which I have to say is a shock and something I never expected. A Ducati superbike more comfortable then a BMW, sounds implausible but it’s true in my case, and by a fair margin as well.
Part of the long term comfort is due to the low screen on the Duc which provides virtually zero wind protection, the upside to this is perfectly clean air flow and no buffeting, the much higher screen on the R12S causes quite a bit of buffeting which I find very tiring.
The Ducati engine is a work of art, the sound, the feel, the sheer power and flexibility is in a different league to a BMW boxer. Throttle response is instantaneous (not soft like on the beemer) yet incredibly controllable and confidence inspiring, even with the massive 70mm Termi race system doing the low end no favours the Duc runs cleaner and has more torque down low then the R12S with full Remus system and pulls seamlessly to a much higher red line without any noticeable torque hump in the mid range. When pushing hard I found it very easy to hit the rev limiter on the R12S, but the Duc seems to pull for ever and only gets more powerful as revs rise. Top end power is simply not comparable to the Beemer with an extra 40hp on tap.
Even though the Duc’s throttle is more responsive than the R12, throttle travel seems longer, the last 25% of throttle opening did not make much difference to output on the R12S but it sure does on the Duc, that last 25% makes all the difference between bloody fast and frightening. After having the front wheel unexpectedly come up in third at around 80 mph I have learned respect, this baby is going to take some getting used to.
Brakes on the 1098 are incredible, not just for their effortless stopping power but for their outstanding feel and control even at walking speed, they never feel touchy just mind bogglingly powerful.
While the brakes on the R12S are very good and perfectly adequate most of the time and have the security of ABS, they can’t compete with the big Brembo setup when you really want to stop. Little wonder BMW chose the same system for the HP2S.
The chassis feels like it’s made of solid rock, no flex or uncertainty here. Spring rates are higher and damping firmer than the R12S, which combined with the light weight translates into less suspension movement and a more “tied down” feel when pushing hard. As delivered there is too much rear preload and way too much compression and rebound damping, this may be fine for a race track but it’s too stiff for a challenging secondary road. After removing a good amount of rear preload to get 30mm sag (the front already had 40mm) and backing off the damping very significantly all round, real road performance is now excellent and not kidney jarring, the R12S is more compliant but less sporty and feels decidedly top heavy with a tendency to fall in at low speeds. The Duc is more consistent and confidence inspiring at any speed, aided by its low weight and centre of gravity.
Stability is a strong point of the Ohlins R12S, and the Ohlins suspended 1098S is just as good if not better in that regard, even over less then perfect roads.
Gear box performance is very similar between the two bikes, both change very well and perform seamlessly and precisely when on the move. The Duc does not clunk into first and second like the BMW, but neutral is a bit harder to find.
The Duc has significantly less drive train lash then the R12S, which helps smooth progress at low speeds; at least you get some advantage for having a chain.
My only significant complaint about the 1098 is the clutch, it’s heavy and has a small take up zone which takes some time to master, it also makes ugly noises when slipping at certain speeds which I have been told is normal.
Things I will miss about the R12S, the heated grips and the mirrors that actually work. I can get heated grips for the Duc if needed and I can live with the bad mirrors.
One thing I wont miss about the Remus equipped BMW is the terrible drone at cruising speeds which made ear plugs mandatory, the Duc is just fine without ear plugs, even with the full open race system, not only that it has a wonderful sound that no flat twin can compete with, with or without twin cam heads.
As expected the 1098S has it all over the R1200S as a sports bike, no comparison. What was most unexpected is the superior comfort, for me at least, YMMV.
If sports bikes are your passion you owe it to your self to get a ride on a 1098 or 1198, the standard seat is poor, but can be fixed for a pittance.
With the R12S heading off for its new home soon, the hot blooded Italian crotch rocket now has a more stately representative of the farther land to keep it company, in the form of an R1200RT, more on that one later.