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Stupid to swap R9T for Duc 996?

A 996 as a track bike makes sense. A 996 as a city commuting bike makes no sense at all. I had an ST4 for a while as a second bike, and even that was a nightmare in city traffic. Uncomfortable seating position, horrible clutch, I couldn’t imagine commuting in the city on it.
I had an ST2 (same bike as ST4, lesser engine) and had no issue at all with the seating position and only a few minor clutch issues. I would have been okay riding in city traffic on it, although I never had a big commute while I owned it.

As for the 916/996/998, I also had an 888 Superbike with similar riding position and that one was truly horrible in city traffic. You don't want a Ducati superbike for commuting.

Of the three: 916/996/998, I would pick the 996 first. The 998 had a different cooling setup and had overheating issues if you didn't keep it going fast enough. The 996 just has better power than the 916.

If you have to have a Ducati and want to commute on it, get a Monster or Hypermotard. Either of those should be much easier to live with.
 
i used to commute in SF pretty frequently but mainly on a Z1000 (kawasaki street fighter), and I've owned a 996 as well as other ducatis. If you want a duc, you should get it, but city commuting is one of the worse things for it. a japanese superbike would be better suited even. All the things that make the 996 awesome in character is what will hinder it in city riding. A) It runs hot when stuck in traffic and that heat goes up the right side and radiates to your legs moreso than other bikes, especially if you have the stock exhaust B) The dry clutch though sounds awesome, doesn't have as easy get off, especially on a hill which SF has tons of C) riding position is aggressive and great for freeway use, but terrible for city.
 
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