Just below a decade in the past, Ducati pulled the covers off a really particular supersport bike. Right here’s Timmy’s tackle the long-lasting 749R.
Phrases: Tim Neave
Pics: Chippy
It’s halfway via the Noughties and the Japanese producers are operating away with the World Supersport Championship, dominating the middleweight sportsbike market… a pink rag to a bull, for those who ask any Italian, however in fact Ducati had one thing up its sleeve to place a cease to that – the 749R. This old-school Duke is excess of only a fairly face or a dancing magnificence in a pink costume; it’s a distinctive machine internet hosting a complete accolade of goodies and options derived from a long-lasting bloodline, and I’m right here to inform you why I believed the using expertise was simply as particular because it appears to be like.
Earlier than I bounce the gun, I’d finest put up my hand and come clean with the truth that this was my first time using a Ducati 749R, and with very restricted information on this specific mannequin, I needed to do some fact-finding to coach myself. The mannequin first hit the scene in 2004 and was principally designed to be a extra inexpensive model of the 999R, Ducati’s top-tier machine on the time; you may name it the little brother, for those who like. It was constructed utilizing most of the similar elements because the 999R however with a smaller engine and a cheaper price tag, thus sustaining the category whereas interesting to a a lot wider viewers.
The liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-twin powerhouse produces 121 horsepower at 10,500rpm and 60lb-ft of torque at 8500rpm, and a weighbridge ticket of solely 173kg means it’s pretty nifty relating to winding it up. It contains a six-speed transmission, a dry slipper clutch (and no, it doesn’t sound like a bag of spanners), and a light-weight aluminium body. The suspension is fully-adjustable Öhlins, an enchancment on the Showa forks and Sachs shock that comes with the usual mannequin, and on the braking entrance, the 749R makes use of radial Brembo calipers. You get an 18.3-litre gasoline tank on the R mannequin, exactly 2.8 litres greater than the usual mannequin tank, and this design specification was purely for racing homologation functions in order that Ducati might end the prolonged World Supersport races, however the added vary of as much as 30 miles was a comfy bonus for the street rider too.
Along with its huge brother, the 999R, a singular new field part swingarm, just like these utilized in Superbikes and MotoGP, was launched to the manufacturing line for the primary time in 2004 and it’s honest to say it was successful for each the street and racing crowd alike, as not solely was it prettier, lighter, stronger and extra inflexible, but it surely was now additionally doable to suit rear stand bobbins which had been a missing characteristic on earlier single-sided Ducatis. The brand new swingarm additionally allowed for improved chain adjustment sliders as a substitute of an inexpensive design cam mechanism, which additionally meant that chain rigidity changes would now not have an effect on the suspension.
The 749R additionally got here with decreased footrest adjustability, which can sound like a damaging, however to adjust to World Supersport laws, they needed to go from 5 adjustment holes to 2, however this additionally allowed extra space for bigger diameter exhaust methods which had been wanted on the racing scene.
Priced at about £12,000 when it was launched, the 749R was clearly a preferred alternative amongst riders who wished a high-performance sportsbike with out the excessive price ticket of the 999R (or the additional horsepower – no remark). In true Italian fashion, a pure-bred race bike had been constructed for the particular goal of homologation for the World Supersport Championship and so naturally it was successful on the racing scene, the place it was used as a platform to assist develop Ducati’s racing know-how. Sadly, the outcomes weren’t fairly the hit they desired and so in 2006, the 749R was changed by the 848, a very new mannequin. Nevertheless, the 749R nonetheless stays a sought-after machine by riders and collectors who respect its mixture of efficiency, dealing with and elegance. With solely a restricted quantity produced, it was and nonetheless is a comparatively uncommon and unique bike.
So, let’s discuss in regards to the using expertise… however to start with, I simply need to handle its appears to be like. Phwoar, she’s a magnificence alright, and there’s no shadow of doubt that the design and aesthetics have stood the take a look at of time. There is just one teeny weeny a part of this bike that I don’t respect, and that’s the hole between the entrance of the tank and the yokes. Admittedly, it’s the place the Öhlins steering damper and key ignition is positioned, so it does serve a goal, but it surely simply appears to be like empty and as if it ought to have been stuffed up, in my humble opinion. Anyhow, the ruby-red majestic physique is really a murals, and the built-in wing mirrors, over and underneath headlights and racy air intakes actually units its picture other than the remaining. At 17 years previous, it nonetheless manages to look futuristic. Shifting round to the again of the bike, the seat unit is simply as hanging: flat and huge, with a fats carbon-wrapped Termignoni poking out from beneath and cooling vents so as to add to the aero package deal and the racy look. The leather-based seat is formed with the rider in thoughts and holds you in place whereas giving greater than sufficient wiggle room to maneuver round, which I discovered supreme when flicking it from one nook and into the following… and that brings me completely onto my subsequent level… rideability. The slender V-twin motor makes for a brilliant skinny chassis and a tapered tank which truthfully provides essentially the most nibble of sensations relating to hanging off the bike and altering path. I felt at one with the bike, and with little physique interplay was in a position to flick the bike from left to proper with ease, all the time feeling related and planted to the street. This bike is totally in its ingredient relating to fast-flowing corners. Simply think about what it could be like on a racetrack… oh, cease it!
With a tank that sits fairly excessive up on the chassis, when it’s brimmed it does really feel very top-heavy and also you don’t half discover the additional capability and weight whereas manoeuvring the bike round, however if you get it out on the street and in control, the sensation of heaviness quickly disappears.
It was a sizzling day after we had been out using, most likely as much as the 20 levels mark, and within the cities and in slower-moving site visitors, the previous woman actually felt the results and it was an actual battle to maintain the water temperature beneath 100 levels. That wasn’t the one factor hotting up; the within of my proper leg was proper within the firing line of the underseat exhaust hyperlink pipe, which I say is simply too shut for consolation on any given day, least of all a sizzling one… heated seats are usually not an optionally available additional on this beast, they’re simply on – the entire time.
As with all older bike, the brakes all the time take a little bit bedding in and warming up, however as soon as they got here to life, they had been spot-on. They wouldn’t win a braking competitors in opposition to as we speak’s calipers and grasp cylinders, however I can’t say they had been inflicting me any hassle with hauling this magnificence up.
Packing a claimed 121 horses, it’s not the pokiest of bikes on the market, neither is it alleged to be, however get it in the fitting gear and this bike actually involves life and is so rewarding to trip. I assume you may name it an actual rider’s bike, whereby the rider’s enter will all the time make the largest distinction to the efficiency, and I’m gonna put a giant emphasis on gear choice. I didn’t want a gear indicator on the sprint, however would I’ve favored one? In fact. It’s all the time good to have the ability to have a look down as you return the gears and sling it right into a nook, and it provides me peace of thoughts figuring out I’m not going again to first earlier than dumping the clutch and over-revving the bike. Fortunately, that didn’t occur. The fuelling was bang-on and it didn’t undergo with any flat spots, which did come as a shock. I don’t know why, perhaps as a result of it’s an previous Ducati? That’s discrimination for you. Mechanically, it was fairly sound throughout the board, I solely actually suffered with random stalling on the site visitors lights a number of instances however I feel a fast tweak up on the idle screw would have sorted that, and fortunately the electrical begin didn’t surrender the ghost so I used to be all the time in a position to get it going earlier than anyone observed.
This bike is most undoubtedly constructed for the observe, and that was evident about an hour into the trip. As a lot as I like the using place, it’s very racy and ‘in your arms’, so to talk. The low clip-ons and scrunched-up using place is ideal for a fast blap across the Lincolnshire Wolds, however we determined we wished a fry-up in Scarborough… you realize what they are saying, hindsight is a lovely factor. It actually isn’t the bike of alternative for long-distance consolation, and after 200-plus miles, my decrease again undeniably began to give up, however did it flip heads on the seafront? Hell sure, it did! That’s what having a sportsbikes on the street is all about, isn’t it?
To finish on a excessive notice, I have to point out the sound of this weapon (see what I did there). Ducatis are identified for his or her distinctive soundtrack and it’s clear that the 749R hasn’t fallen removed from the tree on this respect. The deep and throaty growl most undoubtedly provides to the general pleasure and expertise of using this bike, whether or not it’s cracking the bike into life, banging it down the gears with a blip of the throttle, or accelerating laborious out of a nook, the sound of piece of exotica by no means fails to place a smile on my face.
Can I cling onto it for a little bit longer?
Just below a decade in the past, Ducati pulled the covers off a really particular supersport bike. Right here’s Timmy’s tackle the long-lasting 749R.
Phrases: Tim Neave Pics: Chippy
It’s halfway via the Noughties and the Japanese producers are operating away with the World Supersport Championship, dominating the middleweight sportsbike market… a pink rag to a bull, for those who ask any Italian, however in fact Ducati had one thing up its sleeve to place a cease to that – the 749R. This old-school Duke is excess of only a fairly face or a dancing magnificence in a pink costume; it’s a distinctive machine internet hosting a complete accolade of goodies and options derived from a long-lasting bloodline, and I’m right here to inform you why I believed the using expertise was simply as particular because it appears to be like.
Earlier than I bounce the gun, I’d finest put up my hand and come clean with the truth that this was my first time using a Ducati 749R, and with very restricted information on this specific mannequin, I needed to do some fact-finding to coach myself. The mannequin first hit the scene in 2004 and was principally designed to be a extra inexpensive model of the 999R, Ducati’s top-tier machine on the time; you may name it the little brother, for those who like. It was constructed utilizing most of the similar elements because the 999R however with a smaller engine and a cheaper price tag, thus sustaining the category whereas interesting to a a lot wider viewers.
The liquid-cooled, 90-degree V-twin powerhouse produces 121 horsepower at 10,500rpm and 60lb-ft of torque at 8500rpm, and a weighbridge ticket of solely 173kg means it’s pretty nifty relating to winding it up. It contains a six-speed transmission, a dry slipper clutch (and no, it doesn’t sound like a bag of spanners), and a light-weight aluminium body. The suspension is fully-adjustable Öhlins, an enchancment on the Showa forks and Sachs shock that comes with the usual mannequin, and on the braking entrance, the 749R makes use of radial Brembo calipers. You get an 18.3-litre gasoline tank on the R mannequin, exactly 2.8 litres greater than the usual mannequin tank, and this design specification was purely for racing homologation functions in order that Ducati might end the prolonged World Supersport races, however the added vary of as much as 30 miles was a comfy bonus for the street rider too.
Along with its huge brother, the 999R, a singular new field part swingarm, just like these utilized in Superbikes and MotoGP, was launched to the manufacturing line for the primary time in 2004 and it’s honest to say it was successful for each the street and racing crowd alike, as not solely was it prettier, lighter, stronger and extra inflexible, but it surely was now additionally doable to suit rear stand bobbins which had been a missing characteristic on earlier single-sided Ducatis. The brand new swingarm additionally allowed for improved chain adjustment sliders as a substitute of an inexpensive design cam mechanism, which additionally meant that chain rigidity changes would now not have an effect on the suspension.
The 749R additionally got here with decreased footrest adjustability, which can sound like a damaging, however to adjust to World Supersport laws, they needed to go from 5 adjustment holes to 2, however this additionally allowed extra space for bigger diameter exhaust methods which had been wanted on the racing scene.
Priced at about £12,000 when it was launched, the 749R was clearly a preferred alternative amongst riders who wished a high-performance sportsbike with out the excessive price ticket of the 999R (or the additional horsepower – no remark). In true Italian fashion, a pure-bred race bike had been constructed for the particular goal of homologation for the World Supersport Championship and so naturally it was successful on the racing scene, the place it was used as a platform to assist develop Ducati’s racing know-how. Sadly, the outcomes weren’t fairly the hit they desired and so in 2006, the 749R was changed by the 848, a very new mannequin. Nevertheless, the 749R nonetheless stays a sought-after machine by riders and collectors who respect its mixture of efficiency, dealing with and elegance. With solely a restricted quantity produced, it was and nonetheless is a comparatively uncommon and unique bike.
So, let’s discuss in regards to the using expertise… however to start with, I simply need to handle its appears to be like. Phwoar, she’s a magnificence alright, and there’s no shadow of doubt that the design and aesthetics have stood the take a look at of time. There is just one teeny weeny a part of this bike that I don’t respect, and that’s the hole between the entrance of the tank and the yokes. Admittedly, it’s the place the Öhlins steering damper and key ignition is positioned, so it does serve a goal, but it surely simply appears to be like empty and as if it ought to have been stuffed up, in my humble opinion. Anyhow, the ruby-red majestic physique is really a murals, and the built-in wing mirrors, over and underneath headlights and racy air intakes actually units its picture other than the remaining. At 17 years previous, it nonetheless manages to look futuristic. Shifting round to the again of the bike, the seat unit is simply as hanging: flat and huge, with a fats carbon-wrapped Termignoni poking out from beneath and cooling vents so as to add to the aero package deal and the racy look. The leather-based seat is formed with the rider in thoughts and holds you in place whereas giving greater than sufficient wiggle room to maneuver round, which I discovered supreme when flicking it from one nook and into the following… and that brings me completely onto my subsequent level… rideability. The slender V-twin motor makes for a brilliant skinny chassis and a tapered tank which truthfully provides essentially the most nibble of sensations relating to hanging off the bike and altering path. I felt at one with the bike, and with little physique interplay was in a position to flick the bike from left to proper with ease, all the time feeling related and planted to the street. This bike is totally in its ingredient relating to fast-flowing corners. Simply think about what it could be like on a racetrack… oh, cease it!
With a tank that sits fairly excessive up on the chassis, when it’s brimmed it does really feel very top-heavy and also you don’t half discover the additional capability and weight whereas manoeuvring the bike round, however if you get it out on the street and in control, the sensation of heaviness quickly disappears.
It was a sizzling day after we had been out using, most likely as much as the 20 levels mark, and within the cities and in slower-moving site visitors, the previous woman actually felt the results and it was an actual battle to maintain the water temperature beneath 100 levels. That wasn’t the one factor hotting up; the within of my proper leg was proper within the firing line of the underseat exhaust hyperlink pipe, which I say is simply too shut for consolation on any given day, least of all a sizzling one… heated seats are usually not an optionally available additional on this beast, they’re simply on – the entire time.
As with all older bike, the brakes all the time take a little bit bedding in and warming up, however as soon as they got here to life, they had been spot-on. They wouldn’t win a braking competitors in opposition to as we speak’s calipers and grasp cylinders, however I can’t say they had been inflicting me any hassle with hauling this magnificence up.
Packing a claimed 121 horses, it’s not the pokiest of bikes on the market, neither is it alleged to be, however get it in the fitting gear and this bike actually involves life and is so rewarding to trip. I assume you may name it an actual rider’s bike, whereby the rider’s enter will all the time make the largest distinction to the efficiency, and I’m gonna put a giant emphasis on gear choice. I didn’t want a gear indicator on the sprint, however would I’ve favored one? In fact. It’s all the time good to have the ability to have a look down as you return the gears and sling it right into a nook, and it provides me peace of thoughts figuring out I’m not going again to first earlier than dumping the clutch and over-revving the bike. Fortunately, that didn’t occur. The fuelling was bang-on and it didn’t undergo with any flat spots, which did come as a shock. I don’t know why, perhaps as a result of it’s an previous Ducati? That’s discrimination for you. Mechanically, it was fairly sound throughout the board, I solely actually suffered with random stalling on the site visitors lights a number of instances however I feel a fast tweak up on the idle screw would have sorted that, and fortunately the electrical begin didn’t surrender the ghost so I used to be all the time in a position to get it going earlier than anyone observed.
This bike is most undoubtedly constructed for the observe, and that was evident about an hour into the trip. As a lot as I like the using place, it’s very racy and ‘in your arms’, so to talk. The low clip-ons and scrunched-up using place is ideal for a fast blap across the Lincolnshire Wolds, however we determined we wished a fry-up in Scarborough… you realize what they are saying, hindsight is a lovely factor. It actually isn’t the bike of alternative for long-distance consolation, and after 200-plus miles, my decrease again undeniably began to give up, however did it flip heads on the seafront? Hell sure, it did! That’s what having a sportsbikes on the street is all about, isn’t it?
To finish on a excessive notice, I have to point out the sound of this weapon (see what I did there). Ducatis are identified for his or her distinctive soundtrack and it’s clear that the 749R hasn’t fallen removed from the tree on this respect. The deep and throaty growl most undoubtedly provides to the general pleasure and expertise of using this bike, whether or not it’s cracking the bike into life, banging it down the gears with a blip of the throttle, or accelerating laborious out of a nook, the sound of piece of exotica by no means fails to place a smile on my face.
Can I cling onto it for a little bit longer?
Tech Information
2004 Ducati 749R
Engine
Kind: 749.5cc, liquid-cooled, dohc, 8v L-twin
Bore x stroke: 94mm x 54mm
Compression: 12.7:1
Fuelling: EFI, twin injectors per cylinder
Claimed energy: 121bhp @ 10,250rpm
Claimed torque: 62.2 lb-ft @ 8500rpm
Chassis
Body: Tubular metal trellis
F suspension: 43mm Öhlins USD, absolutely adjustable
R suspension: Öhlins Monoshock, absolutely adjustable
Entrance brakes: 4-piston Brembo monobloc radial calipers, 320mm discs
Rear brake: Single-piston caliper, 245mm single disc
Electronics
Driving modes: No
Traction management: No
Slide management: No
ABS: No
Quickshifter/autoblipper: No
Wheelie management: No
Launch management: No
Pit limiter: No
Cruise management: No
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 1420mm
Seat peak: 780mm
Moist weight (claimed): 193kg
Gas capability: 15.5 litres
INFO
Value: (From) £10,000
From: Used bike gross sales
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