Now I get it...my first Ducati

[CMS_Sprint]

So last week I took an "iron a$$" cage ride in a dually F350 from Daytona up to Maryville, TN to pick up my "new to me" 999 from Smokey Mountain Harley Davidson. The guys there are super cool, way less attitude than I've seen in other HD stores, thumbs up to Adam (my sales guy) for making the trip worth while. I found the bike on E-bay, and way reluctant to buy on line, but through the process, they were responsive, honest, and at the end of the day I got a great deal on a bike that was exactly as described on E-bay.

Enough about the buy...

I've ridden my Sprint ST over 11K miles this year, and have had a smile the whole time, but I was about to recalibrate what a beautifully made motorcycle was really all about...

  It's so smooth! I couldn't believe how smooth the whole bike felt. Not so much in the ride, but the motor and gearbox just feel so much better than any bike I've ridden.

  Torque! OMG torque! This thing just pulls from anywhere north of 3000 RPM and the rush of power north of 7000 is completely off the chart. I'm in the process of recalibrating my right wrist to respect what's going on below

  Brakes! As much as this thing pulls it "whoas" like nothing else. I've seen brick walls do a less admirable job. The rear brake is a little numb, but I'm learning it as we go. I'll probably move the pivot point a bit to give my foot a bit less mechanical advantage to help with this

  Style. I could just park it and look at it

The only thing I'm going to change is the bars. I've ordered a set of FBF riser bars to help with the ergs a bit. My wrists and back will love this "upgrade"

These things are like crack....I'm hooked! Am I going to stop riding the sprint? Hell no! There are too many high mileage days to enjoy on it.

Thanks for all the help from the members here in learning about these bikes before I bought. Let me know who's coming for bike week, I'll be the guy with the ear to ear grin and the FL tags.

Cheers,

Colin

[atypical1]

Congrats and welcome to the fold!

The rear brakes aren't really much good except for keeping you  in place. But, the fronts are so good they make up for it.

First time I ever heard anyone say the Desmo twin was smooth though...

When is your first track day on that bike????


james

[atadaskew]

Actually the rear brake is intentionally 'weak'.  This is so that it can be used to tighten your line in tight corners w/o having to let up on the gas.  With other bikes this could cause the rear to lock and step out.
When I first got my Ducs I thought that the rear brake was lacking.  Now that I have used in the twisties, I am impressed that Ducati thought this through instead of putting a 'sneeze and the rear locks up' brake on it like Japanese mfgs.

[JoBu]

Congrats on the new bike.  The 999's are a bit under appreciated and are wonderful machine.  I know what you mean about smooth.  My ST4s is SO much smoother than my 900SS was, it isn't even close.  I'm still amazed when I ride it.  Atadaskew...I couldn't agree more about the rear brake.  I love my "weak" rear brakes on both my Ducs.  It tends to give me just what I am asking for without going over the top.  I always have to be VERY careful when I switch from the Duc back to my R1.  Whoa, Nelly!!  

CMS...big congrats again on the Duc.    And, of course...  
 

Cheers,

Joe

[Rincewind]

Sounds very exciting.  I'd love to see a pic.  

[Antonv]

Hey Congrats - may you have many safe & happy miles!!

  They just get better and better - you must go have a test ride on a 1098! OMG the torque and brakes are just beyond belief. Two fingers and you do end-o! It's not as comfortable as the 999 though, the 999 is pretty flat where the 1098 is angled downward in the front like the 996 but not as radical though.

Enjoy!
 

 

[falcofred]

These things are like crack....I'm hooked!

Another converted this addiction is just starting, get you hands on a Ducati performance catalog, you've just begun to spend $, titanium, billet, and carbon fiber accessories will be calling you in your sleep.

Myself, I'm battling my latest personal demon, the new 848, my local shop (Myers in Asheville) is having a release event at the dealership the weekend of the 14th, 15th, as are many other dealerships. I feel like I'm being programed to attend, I know that I should stay away, but I'm being drawn my forces beyond my control.

[Desmo Demon]

....up to Maryville, TN to pick up my "new to me" 999 from Smokey Mountain Harley Davidson.

Is that the 2003 999 (base model) with less than 2000 miles? If so, it was a smoking deal several months ago when I first heard about it.     Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the club. Now, you just have to join US Desmo ( www.usdesmo.com ).

I've ridden my Sprint ST over 11K miles this year

Are you keeping the Sprint? If not and this is typical mileage for you and you plan to follow the recommended service interval on the Ducati, you'll be expecting to do two valve checks/adjustments and a belt change every year.  

[UFO]

Welcome to the Kool-Aide Club.

[marc11]

<------------  Mmmmmm Kool-Aide

[jschmidt]

Actually the rear brake is intentionally 'weak'.  This is so that it can be used to tighten your line in tight corners w/o having to let up on the gas.  With other bikes this could cause the rear to lock and step out.
When I first got my Ducs I thought that the rear brake was lacking.  Now that I have used in the twisties, I am impressed that Ducati thought this through instead of putting a 'sneeze and the rear locks up' brake on it like Japanese mfgs.

Huh? Honda makes all their cars understeer. Is this also a "feature?"  

[atadaskew]

Huh? Honda makes all their cars understeer. Is this also a "feature?"  

You are making the mistake of trying to compare a Honda to a Ducati
The 'weak' rear brake is a feature.  It allows control of the bike at speed instead of locking the rear wheel.  Bummer that other mfgs haven't caught onto this.

[1KPerDay]

Congrats. Good choice. Now get some thick skin against all the true believers who will razz you for not getting a 'real' Ducati.

[atypical1]

Huh? Honda makes all their cars understeer. Is this also a "feature?"  

  What do you use the rear brake for anyway?

What I love about Duc brakes is that they are nearly impossible to lock up yet are really powerful. For me it is one of their best design features.

[atadaskew]

  What do you use the rear brake for anyway?

Tightening your line in a corner while still on the gas. Also useful for manouvers like U-turns where you do not want to be anywhere near the front brake.  Or riding in gravel. Or...
 

[atypical1]

You use your rear brake for tightening up corners? Trail braking is a figure of speech and the technique uses the front brake, right?

Yeah, u-turns and gravel. But then you would want to have a really weak rear brake (especially in gravel).

 

[CMS_Sprint]

Are you keeping the Sprint? If not and this is typical mileage for you and you plan to follow the recommended service interval on the Ducati, you'll be expecting to do two valve checks/adjustments and a belt change every year.  

No I'm not intending to ride the 999 that sort of mileage...It's my "sunny day feel like opening up the adrenal glands" bike. I've done 500 mile days on the Sprint, I can't imagine doing half that on the 999, but I may be wrong...

Is that the 2003 999 (base model) with less than 2000 miles? If so, it was a smoking deal several months ago when I first heard about it.     Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the club. Now, you just have to join US Desmo ( www.usdesmo.com ).

I thinks it that same bike, 2003 model, with 2195 miles...It was definetly a cherry bike. Story goes, it was owned by 2 "older guys" in town. One had it for 3 years and put 2000 of those miles on it, then a second guy bought it and put 100 miles on it and decided it wasn't for him. I'll check out usdesmo right away.

I'll snap some photos this weekend and get them up for the crowd.

[atadaskew]

You use your rear brake for tightening up corners? Trail braking is a figure of speech and the technique uses the front brake, right?

yes trail braking uses the front brake.  Rear brake is used for really tight hairpin turns and/or to settle the chassis. 'Normal' turns and sweepers have no need for rear braking.

[Nugroho]

Hm..999? Cool bike... Congratulation...!

[JoBu]

yes trail braking uses the front brake.  Rear brake is used for really tight hairpin turns and/or to settle the chassis. 'Normal' turns and sweepers have no need for rear braking.

Yup...when I first started riding, I thought the opposite, but was "learned" by reading Sport Rider.  I definitely don't trail brake, but I do drag the rear brake on occasions.  A big +1 on settling the chassis though...especially when I'm braking hard to set up for a turn.  I've also noticed that the rear brake is a little "soft" on my FJR, which is greatly appreciated when trying to negotiate a U-turn.  I have the AE version and it automatically drops into neutral when the r.p.m.'s drop below 1500 or so.  The brakes are also linked, so having a soft rear brake lever is greatly appreciated for those instances.

Cheers,

Joe

[Desmo Demon]

No I'm not intending to ride the 999 that sort of mileage...It's my "sunny day feel like opening up the adrenal glands" bike. I've done 500 mile days on the Sprint, I can't imagine doing half that on the 999, but I may be wrong...

Yes.....you just may find yourself logging more miles on it than you may think. I regularly do 300-400 mile days on my 748, and up to 1000-mile weekends. Heck, my wife did a SaddleSore 1000 on a stock R1 (and rode over 10k miles on it since January). You may find out that you like the 999 so much, that you can't imagine riding anything else.

I thinks it that same bike, 2003 model, with 2195 miles...It was definetly a cherry bike.

Yes, I'm sure it is the same bike. I thought they'd sold it months ago. We bought my wife's R1 in January, and I think I heard of the 999 around March (edit - It was listed on another forum on 1/30/07), when it was traded in. If we hadn't bought the R1, I'd have bought that 999 instead. For the price that I was told they'd let it go for, I'm absolutely shocked they had it long enough for you to get it.

[udukeshere]

The only thing I'm going to change is the bars. I've ordered a set of FBF riser bars to help with the ergs a bit. My wrists and back will love this "upgrade"

Trust me that wont be the only thing you change!!!! After getting the duc youll start to look at all the cool stuff for it, mmmm open clutch cover, mmm for that you need a billet anodized plate and SS springs or maybe a desmo times full monty clutch pack, mmmmm billet anodized clutch slave cylinder, mmmm boy that full boat titanium (or CF or ...) race exaust looks sweet and lets the Desmo sound out, and on and on, its completly addictive  

Welcome to the club!!

[Desmo Demon]

Trust me that wont be the only thing you change!!!!

Unless you are like me, that is.....the only real mod to my 748 is slip-ons. I have no intentions of doing anything else to it. The quick-change carrier was anothe rmod, but that was because it was cheaper than buying a standard rear sprocket.  

[vesteroid]

I actually saw you bike on the showroom floor there.  I belong to a vrod forum and we had a rally at the dragon in october.  We rode to SM harley and I couldnt believe they had that bike on the floor.

Grats on a nice bike.