Ducati 749S

I have owned a red Ducati 749S from new, and it puts a huge smile on my face every time i ride it. It has wonderful mid corner stability, and has a wonderful front end. I am taking it to Cadwell Park in June. Huge Buzz. If you don't want one, see the doctor. Do not try and commute on it.

The Ducati 749S is the first 4 vavle ducati that I have owned. Had a few Jap V twins.

The Ducati is harder to ride but more rewarding.

The engine is quiet revy for a twin.

Not very comfortable, but it is a sports bike. Mirrors are crap.

This bike eats bends, turns in lovely. very stable at high speeds.

It handles better than the 999.

The engine has a kick in the pants over 6500 revs,

The Ducati 749S looks better with age, the style was ahead of its time. Moved away from Ducatis to R1, welcome return. Quality good but fragile. Mirrors not good and service costs can be high. Don't believe all the relaibility issues if you like it, buy it!

Just bought my first Ducati 749. I cant stop looking at it! Always owned Japanese Bikes, 636, CBR600rr etc etc, These 749s are now available for the same money as a same age RR and there is no comparison in terms of the excitement of owning and riding a Red Italian dream machine. Do it, you know you want too!

This is a stunning motorcycle, took 4 years for the style to grab me, but it is brilliant, the newer Ducatis, 1098 898 are Aprilla wannabes, Aprillas tail lights, Aprillas italian flag logo, boring.

It is a temperamental bike but is a great ride, great looking, and bloke magnet, light as a feather, has more feel than the 999, and a lot lighter in the leaning dept.

The exhaust is nothing like the great sound out of my 900 ssie, or the reliability of the 900 ssie. Just a temperamental great looking bike.

I recently purchased a 2004 Ducati 749S. I traded in my 2002 Aprilia RSV R 1000. Perhaps I am biased and use to riding the straight line go fast and too beefy and powerful to really handle well Aprilia, but the Ducati handles so well, its like riding a bike that weighs 100 lbs. I cannot believe how well it turns and feels going in and out of turns fast. The braking is incredible too. I would say the bike is underpowered in the low RPM range, especially in first. This bike cannot muster a wheelie at slow starts. My guess is the 999 does. Also, acceleration after 30 is scary fast, just like most lighter bikes. However, 0-30 just is not there. However, I suppose its safer that way when driving in the city and if your not a pro (I am not), this bike is the perfect balance of power and weight. At 80-120mph, the bike is as fast as you could want. On my Aprilia, at high speed, it always felt scary and out of control because of wind throwing the bike around. For whatever reason, the Ducati does not have this problem. One other thing, if you buy a 749, get rid of the stock pegs. They are too small and if your feet are moving alot through the gears and rear brake, they tend to slip off. I put larger pegs and its great. Lastly, whatever its worth, throw away the mirrors. They are so pathetic, so poorly designed that I would like to punch the Italian moron that came up with the notion of selling a motorcycle with almost useless mirrors. Is Ducati trying to kill their riders? Idiots. Other than the above, this bike is wondeful and I would not change a thing.