Ducati 749S Ridden
Ducati has certainly come a long way in recent years. American investors moved in and restructured the way the company does things. As a result the Bologna factory is certainly producing much higher quality products than we have seen before. Recently I have enjoyed good stints aboard the new 1000SS and also the new Multistrada, but my most recent Ducati sojourn was onboard the new 749S.
This is a more focussed sports machine than those aforementioned models but at the same time it also possesses a civility that Ducati’s earlier top line sportsbikes certainly never offered.
Of course the trademark bangs and rattles that are synonymous with Ducati emanate from the engine room and dry clutch area but as soon as you sling a leg over the latest machines you immediately appreciate the vastly improved ergonomics. In fact these latest Ducatis even allow the rider to tailor the riding position to their individual preference with the pegs offering different mounting positions while the seat can be slid fore or aft through a range of 20mm. I never felt the need to adjust a thing, even after a 600km day in the saddle.
Speaking of saddles, the seat on the 749 is fantastic. It has the perfect balance of firmness and cushioning that manufacturers so rarely get just right. There is still some weight on the wrists and hands of course, but it is very manageable and certainly nothing I would gripe about. Cruising at a fair clip the only minor annoyance I found was a slight tingle through the pegs. Selecting a different gear to lower or raise the revs seemed to make it go away.
Gearing is something I would experiment with if I was to have a lot more time with this bike. I would add a few teeth to the rear sprocket and possibly even drop a tooth on the front to liven things up a bit more on the road. I think Ducati may have over-geared the bike to pass the drive-by noise regulations required for road registration in Australia.
The engines appetite for revs means it is most happy with more than 5,000rpm on the tacho, just as the cams really start to reach into their sweet spot. That is not to say there is nothing below this mark as that is certainly not the case. The 749 pulls reasonably well with only 3,000rpm on the tacho and the remarkably fine Marelli fuel injection system that is now synonymous with Ducati ensures that there is no complaints from the engine when lugging around on city streets. Ducati twins are now smoother and more refined in the lower parts of the rev range than any similar capacity Japanese twins.
Up top the power does tail off a little but I am sure a set of pipes and appropriate fuelling adjustments would certainly extend the top end. If I was to take this step though I would certainly ensure I found an excellent tuning centre I could trust to get the injection tuned to suit the pipes. As standard the fuelling is just about perfect and if I was not confident of finding a tuner to replicate that finesse with aftermarket pipes fitted then I would leave well enough alone.
As with most sporting twins, fuel range is not a Ducati strong point. If out for a strop in the country you will have to fuel often as the low fuel warning light starts to glow on the comprehensive instrumentation panel in as little as 150km. This light signals that there is only 3 litres remaining in the incredibly skinny 15 litre tank.
The front stoppers are sourced from Brembo and offer excellent stopping power along with good feel at the lever. During my experience with the bike the rear brake proved virtually useless.
