Jerrys worlds: Riding the 749R

I've wanted to get this down for some time. Riding the 749R is a very different experience than any other Ducati - as unique an experience as a Supermono or a Desmo.

The babyR is a very special little bike. Built specifically for racing in Supersports, the road bike has many special parts. The crank is knife-profiled like a WSB bike to reduce weight and to ease its path through the oil. The con rods are Pankl titanium. Valves are titanium and valve guides use a special steel to reduce wear on the valves. Cams have huge lift. Duration is greater on the race bike, but timing and lift is homologated and cannot be changed.

All of this makes a very light, revvy, peaky motor. More so than the 748R. Any 749R spins up much more quickly than most other Ducatis, almost as quickly as a 600 IL4. On the race bikes, banging the throttle wide open lights the shift indicators and you're changing gear as quickly as you can just to keep up. At Brands, you can change up twice on the short back straight (Cooper), taking it to the limiter each time. Mine has been mapped for racing - peak power. It doesn't like part throttle openings, spluttering if you roll the power on, so you must whack it open. The power delivery is not savage, but it's no tourer. My red and silver bike has close to 150bhp and you would expect similar tyre wear to bikes with similar power outputs like a 998 or 1098, but it's very easy on them. Even wets don't cut up in marginal conditions.

The bike has adjustable steering geometry. Many Ducatis have the eccentric adjuster in the headstock, but the little R is the only one to have an eccentric in the steerer stem as well. This technology is only ever found in the WSB racers, never on the road. Out of the box, the R is set in road geometry. This provides a very stable platform that needs some effort to turn in. Turning the eccentric to race, gives an entirely different experience: you almost think the bike into corners. It's lightning fast. The short stroke and lightweight motor internals have much less gyroscopic effect, making the bike easier to turn, but it also has much less engine braking. You've been at a track, hearing the 1098s thundering past and booming on the overrun into corners? In the right hands, the little bikes scream with a distinct high pitched crackle, almost no overrun and straight into the bend. For the same speed, you need to be on the brakes much more.

One of my buddies who had a 749R describes it as the bike he should never have sold. He knew that as he handed the keys over. Living in Spain, he described the way the bike flicked into turns, leaning at unbelievable angles and sticking to the hot Tarmac like glue. On quiet, well surfaced roads, the bike must be incredible!

One of my bikes has a modified frame: after it was freed from the restrictions of WSS rules, it was modified by Pierobon to chage the steering angle by a degree or two. The head tube was removed and welded back in a slightly different position. This makes the bike turn even more quickly without affecting trail. Turn-in on this bike is unbelievable for a Ducati.

I've had the clip-ons and ride height set for me and this bike blends comfort and the ability to move around it. Moving weight around front to back and side to side to balance it is easy. It feels very planted, even in damp or wet conditions.