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Driving report Ducati 998

reason to celebrate…

…at Ducati, because Troy Bayliss has brought the world champion laurel back to Bologna. And among the fans, because the successful Testastretta engine is now also in service in the basic model of the super sports car, the new 998.

Actually everything is as usual? and yet something is different. The seating position? No, the deeply angled handlebar halves, the high-mounted footrests with the shorts, forged aluminum levers or that uniquely tight knee joint on the timelessly beautiful tank, that was already the case with the very first 916 in 1994. The sound? No chance, here, too, time just seems to have stood still, which doesn’t detract from the fascination that this deep thunderous sound triggers over and over again. A good three seconds later, at the end of the pit lane of the Italian race track in Vallelunga, the penny drops: this engine runs incredibly smoothly. No mechanical rattling, no jerking in the critical range between 1500 and 2500 / min, no hard use of power during the short gas-on-gas-close.
Testastretta ?? the magic formula in this year’s Superbike World Championship is also showing its effect in the new Ducati 998. According to Ducati, the engine, which has been slightly disarmed for the basic version, should produce 123 hp and thus be a proud eleven horses above last year’s 996 model. A claim that cannot be proven on the tricky racetrack outside the gates of Rome in the course of the world’s first driving presentation, but can be guessed at. It is not a feeling of brutal power that this Ducati conveys. Rather, the ease with which the new V2 clicks up to fourth gear through its wide speed range is astonishing. It is not uncommon for the rev limiter to remind the shift foot to change gear at 10500 rpm.
In addition to the new cylinder heads with the narrower valve angles and the resulting more favorably shaped intake and exhaust ports, the 998 engine benefits from significantly larger throttle valve housing diameters (54 instead of 50 millimeters), an injection nozzle positioned centrally above the intake funnel, and thicker exhaust manifolds compared to its predecessor and a new electronic control unit that is only half the size and 400 grams lighter.
On the chassis side, however, you can rely on the tried and tested. Ohlins shock absorber and Showa fork as well as tubular frame, single-sided swing arm and rims remained untouched. The only new feature are the 4.5 millimeter thin brake discs instead of the previous 5 millimeters, which are primarily intended to make it easier to change lean angles at higher speeds. The difference is marginal, because it still takes some work to force the 998 through the two chicanes of the race course. In return, the 998 rider can delight in the extreme stability and the sensationally rich curve feeling that has been typical for Ducati for years. However, a little help needs to be given to the coordination of fork and damper. Designed as standard for moderate country road speeds, there is a significant lack of compression and traction absorption on the slopes. But readjustment can be done in seconds, the setting range is enormous.
B.Unfortunately, on Brembo’s four-piston calipers, you miss some of the bite that made the brakes on last year’s 996R stand out. In contrast to this, the 998 does not brake with four single pads, but with normal double pads. Ducati has also taken care to ensure a few small but subtle differences from the top model 998R. Titanium components in the engine, the special oil pan or the sinfully expensive Ohlins fork drive the price of the R version to around 54,000 marks. The "only" 31294 marks for the basic 998 appear as a real special offer and an interesting investment for anyone who doesn’t want to become world champion straight away.

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