900ss vs V11

[czakky]

Fellow spine frame raiders (?). If I go long enough without riding my old V11 I contemplate other bikes to replace it. The KTM Duke series seems fun but eventually you do have to look at them. A Triumph Speed or Street Triple get a look, but I’m not sure I’m a multi cylinder guy. There’s VFRs and Hawk GTs but I’ve owned a VFR and I just never felt lust for it.

There is one bike that I just can’t shake and is fairly obtainable today.

The super sexy carby Ducati 900ss. 
 

My question to anybody that has or does own a 900ss, how do they compare objectively and subjectively to our Sports?

Im only a bit curious I still love my old v11. 
 

thanks for any help

[knumbnutz]

I rode one back in 2000 when a friend swapped a ride on my cafe'd Mille GT. 

The first thing I noticed was how light it was in the ability to spin up the motor, like it had no flywheel and reasonably light handling too. 

My guzzi was pretty light too, but the duck seemed to hold the weight better.

They had problems with the rear frame bolt being undersized and would stretch and loosen. As it was pinned to the gearbox, the frame would eventually either crack or break a section out of the gearbox if the bolt wasnt replaced or upgraded to 10mm. There were known cases of crashes and I remember reading an article discussing a class action.

I think if they were in good upkeep then they'd be a cracker of a bike especially the Superlight which I liked best as it was very similar looking to the 888.

[jtucker]

I don't have an SS, but I have a M900 which... is sort of like an SS with no bodywork... if you close one eye and squint 😂

The Ducati is significantly lighter.
The Guzzi is significantly easier to do a valve adjustment on. 😂

I like 'em both. Someday, I hope to get my Ducati back on the road (its been sitting too long for various reasons non-bike-related, and now needs some good TLC to get back into proper order). The V11S is the bike I would never sell, though.

__Jason

[czakky]

Awesome. Thanks guys. Similarities, few or far between?

[swooshdave]

4 minutes ago, czakky said:

Awesome. Thanks guys. Similarities, few or far between?

Both Italian? I fired up my Ducati yesterday. It's eerily smooth although it sounds like it should shake. There is a big difference between the 90 and the 45.

My brother is selling the V11 Sport (it's on eBay) as he prefers his Ducati. Having ridden his I can see the appeal. Revs to the moon and feels a lot lighter. But I'll stay with the Guzzi because it's a little rough and pudgy, like me.

[Lucky Phil]

2 hours ago, czakky said:

Fellow spine frame raiders (?). If I go long enough without riding my old V11 I contemplate other bikes to replace it. The KTM Duke series seems fun but eventually you do have to look at them. A Triumph Speed or Street Triple get a look, but I’m not sure I’m a multi cylinder guy. There’s VFRs and Hawk GTs but I’ve owned a VFR and I just never felt lust for it.

There is one bike that I just can’t shake and is fairly obtainable today.

The super sexy carby Ducati 900ss. 
 

My question to anybody that has or does own a 900ss, how do they compare objectively and subjectively to our Sports?

Im only a bit curious I still love my old v11. 
 

thanks for any help

I currently own a 1000ss dual plug as well as the v11. The 1000 is basically an enhancement of the carbed 900. personally I'd go for the injected 1000 like mine. I've also owned a 900 Sport in the past which was an entry level injected 900SS with less suspension and a steel swingarm .I've also owned a bunch of belt drive Ducatis from the 500 Pantah onwards in cluding a Bimota DB1 with the 750 F1 engine. Riding position is quite extreme and they are geared very tall. A lot lighter than the V11 and much more sporty fast revving better shifting bike. I use mine for track days at the tighter circuits but have also run it a few times at Phillip Island. 

So smoother, lighter, better shifting and for the most part easier to work on and maintain than the V11 but the riding position is far more aggressive. Surprisingly probably even more so than my 1198 or equal to at least.

Ones a real world no frills sports bike and ones a Grand Tourer.

 

Ciao

[czakky]

59 minutes ago, swooshdave said:

Both Italian?

But I'll stay with the Guzzi because it's a little rough and pudgy, like me.

Ha! That’s awesome.

 

22 minutes ago, Lucky Phil said:

I currently own a 1000ss dual plug as well as the v11. The 1000 is basically an enhancement of the carbed 900. personally I'd go for the injected 1000 like mine. I've also owned a 900 Sport in the past which was an entry level injected 900SS with less suspension and a steel swingarm .I've also owned a bunch of belt drive Ducatis from the 500 Pantah onwards in cluding a Bimota DB1 with the 750 F1 engine. Riding position is quite extreme and they are geared very tall. A lot lighter than the V11 and much more sporty fast revving better shifting bike. 

Ones a real world no frills sports bike and ones a Grand Tourer.

Ciao

interesting as I always lumped them

together.

 

Im pretty sure I need to test one....

[swooshdave]

24 minutes ago, Lucky Phil said:

I currently own a 1000ss dual plug as well as the v11. The 1000 is basically an enhancement of the carbed 900. personally I'd go for the injected 1000 like mine. I've also owned a 900 Sport in the past which was an entry level injected 900SS with less suspension and a steel swingarm .I've also owned a bunch of belt drive Ducatis from the 500 Pantah onwards in cluding a Bimota DB1 with the 750 F1 engine. Riding position is quite extreme and they are geared very tall. A lot lighter than the V11 and much more sporty fast revving better shifting bike. I use mine for track days at the tighter circuits but have also run it a few times at Phillip Island. 

So smoother, lighter, better shifting and for the most part easier to work on and maintain than the V11 but the riding position is far more aggressive. Surprisingly probably even more so than my 1198 or equal to at least.

Ones a real world no frills sports bike and ones a Grand Tourer.

Ciao

I recall sitting on a carb 900SS and it didn't feel like that extreme of a riding position.

[Lucky Phil]

6 minutes ago, swooshdave said:

I recall sitting on a carb 900SS and it didn't feel like that extreme of a riding position.

Maybe the carbed version is a little less radical I cant remember but my 1000 also feels ok sitting on it but riding feels different which I found a surprise. Put it this way it's deceptively radical:)

Ciao

[4corsa]

First question is, are you referring to the Tamburini 900SS of the 90s, or the 900SS of Terblanche that followed?  

I owned a '95 900SS/SP that I loved.  It evokes a similar Italian lust as my V11 LeMans, but as everyone says above, they are very different bikes. The Ducati is all about the chassis, suspension, and fabulous lightweight handling.  The only reason I sold mine is at 6'-1" I was never able to get my butt far enough back where it should be due to the position of the rear seat cowl. It's not a great bike for those over 5'-10".  Otherwise I highly recommend them - so much fun to ride, but not for long distance like the V11.

[Kostarika]

*biased opinion

My friend has a 91 900ss and it does feel lighter than the V11 but if I had to chose one it would be the V11.  Both bikes are relatively similar but I would always chose the V11 if I had a choice.  The transmission for me was a big part of that choice (the feel)

Take one for a long twisty ride and let us know how it feels.

 

[Lucky Phil]

5 hours ago, 4corsa said:

First question is, are you referring to the Tamburini 900SS of the 90s, or the 900SS of Terblanche that followed?  

I owned a '95 900SS/SP that I loved.  It evokes a similar Italian lust as my V11 LeMans, but as everyone says above, they are very different bikes. The Ducati is all about the chassis, suspension, and fabulous lightweight handling.  The only reason I sold mine is at 6'-1" I was never able to get my butt far enough back where it should be due to the position of the rear seat cowl. It's not a great bike for those over 5'-10".  Otherwise I highly recommend them - so much fun to ride, but not for long distance like the V11.

I'm 6'2" and I fit the 1000SS ok even tucking in on the straight. The Terblanche SS's weren't Carbed from memory all injected..

Ciao

[LowRyter]

I have the new SS 939.  Unfortunately, I've sustained some substantial damage to the exhaust system by encountering road debris.   I've posted some photos and description on Wild Guzzi.  Right now I am hopeful the cracked  replacing the front header from ebay take off flange can be welded ground out.  The muffler and bracketry have been replaced.  

I'll say that Duc SS 939 ranks top for anything I've owned or ridden.  The only nit with the bike, it "only" has 110HP.  It's light, comfortable, it brakes and handles better than anything I've ridden.  It's also beautiful and has factory saddle bags.   

I've ridden the 2nd generation SS version that Phil has and found the riding position very extreme.  Much more a full-on sportbike rather than a touring sport bike like the 939.  The 939 is actually little more touring oriented than the V11.  But it has 110 hp and is 100 lbs lighter and rides incredibly well.

I just wish mine was on the road again.

[GuzziMoto]

I like the early 90's Tamburini SS's. We raced a 750 SS hybrid back then. The next gen Terblanche SS doesn't do much for me. He did seem to nail it out of the park with the Supermono, but his other designs are not my cup or tea. They are too uncomfortable for a start. Not that the earlier SS's were overly comfortable. But the Terblanche versions were less comfortable, less usable. I am not sure Terblanche rode much.

Either way, while they are exciting motorcycles and nothing wrong with owning a Ducati (the wife has a Monster 1100), they are a very different Italian mistress than a Guzzi. The Ducati motors do tend to pick up revs amazingly quick, way less flywheel mass. And they tend to be geared stupidly tall, but usually you can easily fix that with a new smaller front sprocket.

But in the end, I think the only two Ducati's I will have are the two old racebikes that sit in my living room. I have found a number of Ducati's interesting, I really thought the Streetfighter series was pretty cool. But I just don't think I will ever buy one. Now, a Triumph Street Triple, I could see buying one of those.

[LowRyter]

GM, the first think I did to my 939 was install a 14T front sprocket ($20) (15T is stock).  Woke the bike right up, it was pretty doggy before hand.   The bikes have a close ratio transmission with a tall first gear and short top gear, no overdrive, no need to downshift to pass: pass a semi at 80 and get around him at 120.