Right there with you, Bimati. Ducks are the only way to fly. I'm somewhat low on lira these days so the 1098 will have to wait. My '97 916 is still a much better bike than I am rider so I think I'll keep her around for another twenty years or so. Besides, the styling is ageless and I can't think of any other bike that gets my juices flowing quite so well. When my wrists cramp, I've got a '92 Paso for working out the kinks. The rounded fairing that blends into a rather angular tail section takes some getting used to, but the sharp handling and mellow thunder are atributes that can't be beat.

I never had a problem with the 999's looks, but I was in the minority it would seem. The 1098 solves most of the former's styling quirks. The horizontally opposed headlights do look as if a Triumph might have snuck into the barn prior to gestation, but they are a vast improvement. So to are the twin underseat mufflers. The 999's single slab-sided affair had more than a little Morgan-Tec influence. Hot stuff on a VX but a bit austere hanging under a Duck's tailfeathers!