The Pantah has created a Duke
that is far from boring. Ducati's 600 big-bore version of the 500cc V twin
is a livelier, longlegged lady. And she is the answer to critics who
complained that only half a litre of Italy's finest modern vintage left
riders thirsty for more.
That Pantah 500, using one of the firm's new-era engines, excelled in
roadholding, oozed a sexy, exotic flavour, yet was short in steam. A
dip in the mid-range torque curve was the 500s failing - unless it was kept
buzzing, performance was rather flat.
If it was not for the new Pantah's very high gearing, the advantages of
more capacity would be more obvious. But taking out the bore from 74mm to
80mm - a capacity increase of 1 7 per cent — has resulted in a power boost
of just over 11 per cent.
And while the 500s power peaked quite plainly at around 9,000rpm. the
bigger bike has a smooth delivery of power from 5,000rpm right through the
danger lines of 7,500, 8,500 and 9,000rpm when it starts to run out of
breath.
Apart from those big bores in the ultra-short stroke engine, the machine
is identical to the 500. Even the carbs and jets, camshafts, and compression
ratio are the same. Identical too is the complex but very effective
desmodromic valve gear-which does not rely on the valve springs to close the
valves, but does the job mechanically with the aid of seperate cams.
This valve gear means, in theory, that much higher rpm can be used
without the risk of valves bouncing. While the twin is certainly a busy
engine with an appetite for revs more like a racer than a roadster, the
odd-spaced firing pulses and mechanical quietness means it never feels
stressed.
Near-ideal balance of the main moving parts inside the 90 degree V means
vibration is never noticeable. Thank heavens there's no multi-cylinder
tingle. It's a good job the engine is so smooth and willing, since full use
of the revs is demanded by the tall gear ratios.
On the road, the Duke starts to pull strongly with 6,000 on the tacho —
corresponding to about 30, 45, 60, 70 and 83mph through the gears, with half
as much engine speed still to come. A high first gear meant it was
best to slip the clutch to about 10mph to avoid snatch in the transmission,
and from then on the gearbox felt like a six-speeder.
First and second gear were needed around town, and the top four ratios
were all within reach on the road to maintain 50-100mph speeds. It was
very, very difficult not to ride the bike at illegal speeds. It has to be
every rider's aim to get into top gear, yet the bike was reluctant to pull
top below about 70mph. Add to this the feeling of relaxation from 70-80mph
that came when the wind took the weight off my arms, and it's obvious this
is no touring bike.
Around town, the classic Café racer crouch put a lot of weight on my
arms, and there was the added hassle of having to use a heavy clutch.
Both disadvantages disappeared once the Duke gets into its stride on its
favourite swooping A roads, when the riding position started to make sense
and the whole bike became immensely enjoyable.
A rigid trellis-type frame and firm suspension keeps the rider in touch
with the road and sticky Pirellis on the test bike meant it could be hustled
through the bends with total confidence. Bumpy back roads, were to be
avoided -they were not fast enough for the Duke, and they were physically
punishing! Cresting bumpy rises made the head twitch, but on the flat tarmac
it was faultless.
Once I had adjusted the rear-set gear change linkage so the pedal nestled
against my foot, the gearchange was always a delight to use - though changes
had to be definite to avoid going into a false neutral. High gearing
was demonstrated when it went through the quarter mile without the need of
fourth gear, and acceleration seemed no faster than that of the 500.
In the same way that the test track headwind kept the quarter times below
the 14.41 seconds recorded with the 500, headwinds on the road tended to
knock the speed down quite considerably and sometimes prompted a
down-change. A top speed of 117mph - about 10mph
faster than the 500 - doesn't reflect the bike's practical road speed.
Importers Coburn and Hughes were hoping for at least 120mph. but there's
no way it would pull that speed in top. It proved to be faster in fourth
than top gear, by about five mphl
There is the inevitable argument that lower gearing would produce more
top end, but, personally, I'd stick with this leisurely long-legged gearing.
The pillion seat, like the rider's seat, is fine for those Sunday afternoon
thrashes, and generally seems civilised by sports bike standards.
It starts easily, warms up quickly, has an adequate 150-plus miles range
on a tankful, and the Brembo calipers clamp the iron discs with a comforting
bite. The machine comes without a rear view mirror- although C and H
fitted one to the test bike. I find a mirror essential for fast riding
-there are often times when there's no time to glance over the shoulder. . .
Disappointing was the headlight beam -poor power from a Halogen bulb
rated at 65/60 watts and the standard of finish on the bike should be better
to withstand the rigours of an English winter. At nearly £2,800 the
Ducati is expensive, but is worlds apart from the current plethora of
multi-cylinder middleweights from Japan.
Spares are similarly expensive but maybe the most daunting aspect of
caring for a bike like this is the prospect of keeping that desmo valve gear
well adjusted. Not a job for the DIY amateur, this involves setting
eight separate shims to give a critical zero clearance in the tappets
without being loose.
The bad news is that with the heads removed and set up on the bench, this
job could cost a packet depending on how lucky the mechanic is in choosing
shims to fit. The good news is that this tappets job may not have to
be done for 10,000 or 15,000 miles, depending on how the bike is used.
More good news on running costs is that fuel consumption is only marginally
worse than that of the 500, with an average of about 44mpg.
Overall impressions are that the Duke is a superb bike, even if it offers
no compromises to riders outside the dedicated sports-riding fraternity.
Maybe that's why it's so good. It's engine is a superb piece of
engineering, The 600 Pantah's motor is slung in a trellis frame.
The adoption of belt driven cams reduces noise and production costs.and
will continue in 500cc form and there's 350 for the home market.