30 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 10, 2004

ROAD TESTJ DUCATI 749R 96%

BY ALEX HEARNPICTURES DOUBLE RED

IT’S been a long time since DucatiCorse has tasted victory in thehotly contested supersport class.But the Bologna firm has built the749R to change all that.

The ‘R’ version is first and foremost aracing bike. The indicators, mirrors andso on were added later to make it roadlegal, so Ducati could sell enough ofthem to qualify for supersport racing.

Paolo Casoli and Ruben Xauscompeted in World Supersport in 2000on the 748, but only scored three racewins between them. Since then, Ducatihas left it to the screaming Japanesefour-cylinder 600s to slug it out.

The success of the 916-998 on thetrack translated into big sales for theBologna firm. But while the 999 wonraces straight out of the box, it still

hasn’t been a major commercialsuccess. But that’s changing slowly aspeople get used to its look and acceptthat it’s a better bike than the 916-998.

The 749 has yet to sell in big numbersand Ducati sees success on the track asthe key to increasing sales of the range.

Step forward the 749R...Supersport rules permit the 749cc

V-twin to run against 600cc in-linefours, but they also limit modifications.So if it’s not built with the right bits fromthe off, you can’t change them later.

That’s why the 749R’s spec sheetreads like a racer’s wish list: Ohlins forks,Brembo four-pad calipers, andMarchesini wheels are all standard.

The suspension is fully adjustable, butas the shock and fork internals can bechanged that’s not so important to therace team. Things like rake and trail, andfork offset are all adjustable on the749R. And the distance between theswingarm pivot point and the rear wheelspindle can also be changed. This is allvital when it comes to setting the bikeup for different tracks.

But it’s the motor Ducati are makingthe most noise about. It uses titaniumconrods and, for the first time on aDucati, titanium valves. A whole host ofimprovements have been made (seepages 32-33) over the 749S,underlining its racing intent.

Unfortunately, a soaking wet and coldValencia wasn’t the ideal place to testDucati’s latest sports tackle. But if itflatters your riding in the wet, as it did, itshould be awesome in the dry.

Ducati is touting 2004 as a ‘learningyear’ in WSS, but Lorenzo Lanzi hasalready taken the new 749R to fourth inits first outing at Valencia (see below).

We look at what the firm’s bikedevelopment chief Andrea Forni hassaid is ‘the most technologicallyadvanced machine Ducati has ever built’is like to ride, how the ‘R’ version fits intothe 749 range, and the technical detailsto see if it has got what it takes to winon the track and in the sales charts.

Ducati’s top-line749R is built towin races... andrule the road

SUPERSPORT RACER YOU

IF it feels this good inthe wet, wait until

you try it in the dry

OHLINS, Brembo andMarchesini come asstandard on the ‘R’

BREIL DUCATI 749R WORLD SUPERSPORT RACERTHE Breil Ducati 749R is being raced this season byItalian hotshot Lorenzo Lanzi.

The 22-year-old finished runner-up in theEuropean Superstock Championship last yearand is a hard charging, all-action rider. AndDucati’s MotoGP test rider VittorianoGuareschi, 33, will be joining him for acouple of races this year. The satin-black,race-kitted bike packs a 140bhp punch andis bang on the 170kg weight minimum.

Lanzi struggled with grip from the rearin the first round at Valencia last week,but battled from 16th on the grid to finishfourth. At one point he was lapping twoseconds quicker than the front runners.Not a bad start at all...

MARCH 10, 2004 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 31

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‘Lorenzo Lanzi has alreadytaken the 749R to fourth in

its first World Supersportouting in Valencia’

If you want to buy or sell a Ducati 749 or anyother bike then check out MCN every week, orlog on to www.motorcyclenews.com

DUCATI’S homologationspecials are expensiveto buy new, full stop.But given that the race-spec machines alsosuffer the samedepreciation hit as allother road-going bikes,is it better to wait ayear or two and snapup a high-spec bike forless cash?

The firm claims itsprofit margin is minimalon this model and youdon’t even get a raceexhaust and chipthrown in on top of theroad-legal silencer.

A new 749R will loseabout £2000 in thefirst 1000 miles of itslife. But this couldmake it a sensible

nearly-new used buy.Craig Lormor, sales

manager of DucatiCoventry, loves anyused ‘R’ specificationDucati. He said: “Itmust have a full Ducatiservice history. Even intop condition, it’s notworth touching withoutit. Ducatis need expertmaintenance and thehigh-performanceengines even more so.

“If they do go pop,the repair bills are thatbit higher. The samerule of thumb appliesto a two or three-year-old machine. A crisp748R with history is agreat used buy becauseyou get all the rightbits with it.”

YOUCANTAKETO THE ROAD

NEW OR USED?

YOU get four pads in eachof the Brembo calipers upfront, allied to a span-adjustable lever andbraided hoses. And youcan hear those individualeight pads biting into thefront discs – even over thenoise of the engine.

These brakes are strong,

but never over-fierce. Andyou get great feedback,which is just what youneed in the wet.

But in dry conditions thisstrong, progressive brakingset-up will be more thanenough to force youreyeballs against the insideof your visor.

IT’S a crying shame thatthe launch was marred byheavy rain and cold.

At Valencia you need abike that stops, steers andturns quickly. But in thewet, being consistent andsmooth is crucial and the749R’s chassis provides aneutral-handling platform.

Even on wet tyres,corner entry speed was

limited, but in everysituation on the slitherytrack the 749R feltsurefooted and stable.

The wide range ofchassis and suspensionadjustment will let expertsset up the bike to suitriders and tracks – but thepotential is also there foramateurs to ruin the bike’ssweet handling!

IF the rest of the chassis isfairly familiar, it’s theengine that looks differentto its Testrastretta siblings(see page 33).

Pick-up is crisp and thecrank spins up quickly.Low-down drive isimpressive, but as theneedle sweeps past7000rpm the motorbursts into life andscreams towards its

blinking gear shift light atjust over 10,000rpm.

The 749R motor has afluidity that really involvesthe rider.

The slipper clutch takessome getting used to, as itcan feel like you’ve hit afalse neutral whenchanging down.

The gearbox is smoothon upchanges, but can benotchy on the way down.

THE 749R only exists because Ducati wants to add theWorld Supersport trophy to its collection. But is it asmaller, cheaper and paler imitation of the 999R, or is ita genuine road-legal racer at a bargain bucket price?We were at the bike’s launch in Valencia to find out...

So what’s it like to ride?

4 HANDLING

DUCATI’S 794 LINE-UP

J DUCATI 749S £9795The 2003 749S only got minor chassis mods overthe base model. But for 2004 it has a beefed-upengine with 8bhp more than the 749 and is amuch saucier riding experience as a result.

J DUCATI 749R £13,595You’ve got to be a pretty tasty rider to get themost out of a 999R. But the 749R gives accessibleperformance for the few who can afford one of140 that will be imported into the UK this year.

1 RIDING POSITION

2 SUSPENSION

3 BRAKES

5 ENGINE

THE wide-set clip-ons aremounted low and are agood stretch away. Thefootpegs are set high andrearward, but for a bike setup for the track you’repitched into an aggressive– but not uncomfortable –riding position.

The seat is flat, broad andfirm, and while the tankholds three litres more thanthe 749S, it has chiselled

cut-outs for your knees.Swing a leg over and you

know you’re sitting onsomething special.

Turn the ignition key and the display lights up,while the rev counterneedle spins round andthen back again.

Thumb the button andthe starter motor only justmanages to crank thosehigh-comp pistons into life.

ON a cold, wet and slippycircuit, feel was vitallyimportant. And feel iswhat the 749R’s top-specsuspension and chassisprovides in spades.

With front pre-loadsoftened, and a little lesscompression damping onthe rear shock to suit thePirelli wets, the bike wasstill amazingly controlled

and super compliant. Butit retained a taut edge thatkept you fully aware ofjust how hard the fronttyre was working.

Feeding in the gas, thesmooth power deliverywas in perfect harmonywith the rear suspension –no wallow, just a rear tyretransferring over 110bhpto the Tarmac.

J DUCATI 749 DARK £7995With its matt black paint, basic spec and £8000price tag, the 749 Dark is pitched at the Japanese600s. It costs a bit more – but then it is a Ducati.

J DUCATI 749 £8795The 749 shares the same engine spec as the Dark,but you do get glossy paint, adjustable Showasuspension and very similar looks to the 749S.

32 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS MARCH 10, 2004

ROAD TEST>> CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

WHAT DOES AN EXTRA£5000BUY YOU?

DUCATI 749RIN DETAILA LIMITED-EDITIONhomologation speciallike this should bedripping in beautifultouches – if only to justifythe price tag. This latest race-oriented bike from the Italianfirm doesn’t disappoint. The749 is about show as wellas go, and has plenty todistinguish it from astandard 749

SWINGARMTHE swingarm is similar to the design used on World Superbike-spec 999Rs. The area around the pivot housing is castaluminium, while the arms are made from two pressed, boxsection metal sheets welded together. The arm on the chain sidefeatures a triangulated strengthening supportunderneath. The distance between the rearwheel spindle and the swingarmpivot point can belengthened whenfine-tuning chassisgeometry.

TIMING belt cover helps with cooling

SWINGARM isvirtually WSB-spec

TOP-SPEC rear shock is from Ohlins ROAD-LEGAL can is shrouded in carbon THAT little ‘R’ after the 749 says it all

EXHAUSTUNLIKE the 999R, you don’t even get a raceexhaust thrown in. The stock can is road-legal andthankfully doesn’t completely stifle the V-twin.

However, a race kit will be available with a high-performance 57mm bore full exhaust system. It willalso include revised cylinder heads with gas-flowedintake ports, redesigned airbox and uprated ECU,taking power up to a claimed 137bhp. Unfortunatelythe kit costs £5522.50 and Ducati UK is unsure howmany will be available.

FRAMEDUCATI has unrivalled experience when it comes to the tubular steel trellis frameand the 999R superbike effort has given them excellent racing data for thechassis and set-up. The engine acts as a stressed member and, because theairbox is not sealed by the top of the fuel tank (which at 18 litres is three litreslarger than on the 749S) the frame is only 345mm at its widest point.

Fork rake is adjustable between 23.3-24.3° and trail 91-97mm. With the 749Rfork offset is also adjustable through two fixed settings, 30 or 36mm, via aneccentric steering stem housing. But Ducati is keen to point out that this level ofadjustability is for racing applications only.

REAR SUSPENSIONTHE adjustable Ohlins rear shock is compressed by arocker arm mounted above the spring. Compared tothe 749S, it allows much less wheel travel. Thesuspension action is also nearly linear, so it doesn’tget firmer towards the end of its travel. This isdesigned to provide a consistent action in racingconditions, and because it’s a single-seater Ducatihaven’t had to worry about carrying a pillion.

AT close to £5000 more than the base model, and£3800 more than the ‘S’ version, what do you get

for all that extra cash?

BRAKESTHE pair of Brembo radialbrake calipers up frontfeature four 34mm pistonseach and work on 320mmfloating discs, much like the999R. You also get fourindividual pads per caliper.The rear twin-piston calipergrips a 240mm disc.

MARCH 10, 2004 MOTOR CYCLE NEWS 33

Available: MarchContact: 0845-1222996Power (claimed): 118bhp @ 10,250rpm Torque (claimed): 60ftIb @ 8250rpmTrail: 91-97mmRake: 23.3-24.3°Wheelbase: 1420mmWeight: 192kg (wet, no fuel)Seat height: 810mmFuel capacity: 18 litres

SPECIFICATION:Engine: Liquid-cooled, 749.5cc (94 x 54mm) 8vDesmodromic four-stroke 90° V-twin. Magneti Marelli fuelinjection. Six gearsChassis: Tubular steel trellisFront suspension: 43mm Ohlins inverted forks, adjustablefor pre-load, rebound and compression dampingRear suspension: Ohlins monoshock, adjustable for pre-load, rebound and compression damping and rideheight adjustmentTyres: Michelin Pilot Race H2; 120/70 x17 front, 180/55 x 17 rearBrakes: Brembo; 2 x 320mm front discs with four-pistoncalipers, 240mm rear disc with twin-piston caliper

CONS l Race exhaust isn’t included l You could have two Honda CBR600RRs instead

DUCATI 749RPRICE: £13,595

96%PROS l Brilliantly involving engine l Superb Ohlins suspension l Even more fun than a 999R

WHEELSBOTH front and rear Marchesiniwheels are made from forgedaluminium alloy, which means thatthey’re both light and strong.

The 749R is approved for roaduse, but only as a single-seater. Thismeans the 749 can run lighterwheels than they would have on apillion-friendly machine.

FRONT SUSPENSIONTHE 43mm upside-down Ohlinsforks are adjustable for pre-load, aswell as rebound and compressiondamping. The fork bottoms havebeen designed by Ohlins to acceptthe radially mounted Brembocalipers and the stanchions aretitanium nitride coated to reducestiction.

ENGINETHE 90° Testrastretta V-twinhas a bore and stroke of 94 x54mm, giving a capacity of749.5cc. The 749S runs a 90 x58.8mm layout, which equates to748.1cc. But the change is aboutcylinder head efficiency.

The 749R engine is built to workmuch harder than the 749S andneeds its bigger bore and shorterstroke to cram in larger diameterintake and exhaust valves. Ashorter stroke also means it can revhigher. The compression ratio is up,too. The 749S runs 12.3:1, whilethe 749R is up to 12.7:1. Ducaticlaims peak power is 118bhp, whichcompares to the 749S’s 110bhp.

FUEL INJECTIONTHE Magneti Marelli injectors usedon the 749R engine – one percylinder – are not the single-holeinjectors used in the otherTestastretta engines. They use 12tiny holes for optimum fuelatomisation and improved engineefficiency, especially at high revs.

VALVE TRAINTITANIUM valves are used in the749R and this is a first for Ducati.Titanium valves are lighter, whichreduces reciprocating mass, andare stronger than steel.

Intake valves are 39.5mm in

diameter with a lift of13mm (the 749S is 38mmand 11.4mm), and exhaust

valves are 32mm with11.5mm of lift (749S is 30.5mmand 10.2mm).

CRANKSHAFTA SMALLER, tapered crankshaftflywheel shape shaves weight whileproviding enough mass to balancethe crankshaft assembly.

CON RODSTHE 749R’s top-end assemblylength is identical to that of the749 and 749S motors. However,since the ‘R’ engine uses a shorterstroke, slightly longer titanium conrods from Pankl are used.

TIMING BELTCOOLING THE timing belts driving theDesmodromic valve gear get a goodhammering in such a high-revvingmotor. Ducati racing engines havetraditionally dispensed with anysort of belt cover to aid coolingefficiency. However, the 749R usesa carbon-fibre cover which draws incooling air, and protects the timingbelt mechanism.

SENSORTO gather consistent informationon engine revs and stroke

sequence, a sensor has beenmachined into the camshaft drivegear, Coupled to a magneticinduction sensor this generates astrong signal for the ECU withoutfear of interference at high revs.

ELECTRONICSTHE wiring system that the MagnetiMarelli ECU and instrument panelare connected to has been greatlysimplified, saving a significantamount of weight.

SLIPPER CLUTCHHIGH-COMPRESSION racing V-twinengines produce a lot of backtorque under hard deceleration,which can easily lock up the backwheel. The 749R uses a ramp-styleslipper clutch, which stops the rearwheel from locking up on harddown changes, but it can take somegetting used to.

DEEP SUMPTHE 749R’s crankcases, identical tothe 999S Testastretta’s, have beenmanufactured by pressure die-casting with a lower ‘V’ shapedsump with increased oil reservoircapacity. This feature is importantin a racing engine because in alltrack situations – cornering, heavybraking, hard acceleration andwheelies – the oil pump always hasa reserve of oil available.

SHORTER strokemeans the 749’s

rev ceiling hasbeen hiked

749R TESTASTRETTA V-TWIN MOTOR

749R useslonger titaniumcon rods

TITANIUM valvesare a first for

Ducati