Why I hate Ducati

[tourinoob]

Because everytime I convince myself thats its too expensive. maintence cost are too high, I`m not good enough for one, insurance will suck... blah blah blah.....then I see one in person and hear that GROWL!! and all my excuses go right out the window. Ducs are so damn sezzzy..I hate you Ducati

[R Doug]

I love bikes with character and Ducs have great character.  

[tourinoob]

I love bikes with character and Ducs have great character.  

So true. When someone asks, "What do you ride?"..."A Ducati"..."Ohhhh"....the bike just says so much...even just sitting there. Bank account and credit score be damned...I`m getting an 848

[atadaskew]

When someone asks, "What do you ride?"..."A Ducati"..."Ohhhh"....the bike just says so much...even just sitting there.

I've owned everything from VFRs to KLRs to Goldwings to Suzi Tls but I've never had the reaction that I get when people find out I ride Ducatis.  It is weird, funny and great.  Especially from women!
Thing is, it doesn't even matter what Ducati it is!  They'd be just as enamoured if it was a Monster 620 as much as it was a Superbike.  Just make sure it is red...

[RexRider]

Yellow 748's get pretty great reactions, so I don't think red is a prerequisite...  

[RickC1957]

Bahhhh the ST3 I bought in August of 05 was cheaper than an 05 Interceptor with luggage...expensive I don't think so....maintenance cost I have spent more on a Yamaha I was looking at a 07 MultiStrada...$9900 OTD....my only problem is how do I sneak it into the garage and claim it was always in there

[tourinoob]

my only problem is how do I sneak it into the garage and claim it was always in there

park it right next to your wifes new beemer...

[falcofred]

Love it when my Ducati is parked next my friends Honda. Everyone stops and looks at my Multistrada, ignoring his Honda. Say what you want about the Multi styling, or lack there of, but those exhaust pipes coming out under the tail, and the single sided swing arm, and total exposed engine draw the attention of people who don't even ride.
And if your a fan of racing, it's so nice to own a Duc and cheer for the tiny Italian company slaying the big four Japanese

[Grnarrowe]

my only problem is how do I sneak it into the garage

Put it in MY garage, It will be flogged loved thoroughly.

[highside]

Yellow 748's get pretty great reactions, so I don't think red is a prerequisite...  

The middle weight sportbikes are the single exception to the Ducati Rule of Red. Even then, it is only yellow that is an acceptable substitute.

[Mr. Whippy]

My Ducati makes me eco-unfriendly.  I tend to ride much more than I need to for standard commuting and I don't accelerate in a prudent fashion.

[st ryder]

....
And if your a fan of racing, it's so nice to own a Duc and cheer for the tiny Italian company slaying the big four Japanese

I bought a red Ducati in order to identify myself as a fan of the Corse team and show my support for their incredible accomplishments, though I myself could never be confused with a racer. They should call the colour "Vicarious Red."   Even Honda, the other "red" bike, calls their red "Italian Red." Guess *Italian* red is faster.   It's nice to be able to buy a sport bike, that doesn't have ridiculous "surfer dude" graphics regardless of colour choice or bike for that matter.

Because everytime I convince myself thats its too expensive. maintence cost are too high, I`m not good enough for one, insurance will suck... blah blah blah.....then I see one in person  and hear that GROWL!! and all my excuses go right out the window. Ducs are so damn sezzzy..I hate you Ducati.

One cannot "rationalise" the purchase of a Ducati. It is a decision made from the gut, not the head. Well not the big head anyways.  

[bahwolf]

Because everytime I convince myself thats its too expensive. maintence cost are too high, I`m not good enough for one, insurance will suck... blah blah blah.....then I see one in person and hear that GROWL!! and all my excuses go right out the window. Ducs are so damn sezzzy..I hate you Ducati

Just give in and buy one. I did.

[Hickey]

Oooo!  How do you like that Hyper?!?  

[Mr. Whippy]

Just give in and buy one. I did.

Bastard!

I want one! (or at least the folding mirror/turn indicators for my Multi...)

[bahwolf]

Oooo!  How do you like that Hyper?!?  

Love it so far!

Yeah, I hate it too when you ask a question and get that sort of answer. I actually typed a very long response on riding impressions, but then ST.N or my internet connection or something spazzed out and I lost it. %&#*#*%!!!

So, here's what you get instead. These were my first impressions when I test rode one back in August (nabbed from this blog entry of mine, http://www.rideok.com/hopkins/2007/08/h-is-for-hooligan-oops-i-mean.html):

With wide-spaced bars and an upright seating position that places you flush with the tank and almost over the front tire, tossing the Hypermotard around felt a lot like I was on my dirtbike -- except the little beast had ten times the traction that my dirtbike has on pavement (ten times the power, too, but we'll get to that in a minute). I can only imagine how well this thing corners once a rider has practice sliding out that rear end, motard-style. Ride it in a purely sportbike manner, and it'll carve corners with the best liter bikes. Power delivery was smooth and instantaneous -- none of the low rpm hesitation that requires me to feather the clutch on my CBR1000RR from a standstill. Probably the best fuel injected tuning I've ever encountered, in fact. It felt like there were more than 90 horses in my fist, which had a lot to do with the fact that the bike weighs nothing and even more to do with the Heavenly sound of that v-twin ... Oh my ... this is how a motorcycle is supposed to sound! (Of course, the test bike I rode was sporting the optional 2-into-1 race exhaust system.) Snap the throttle and the front lofts skyward faster than you can say "pop-a-wheelie," even with the seating position placing the weight bias to the front. Slide your weight back on the surprisingly comfortable seat and all-day wheelies are probably possible even for a sedate, mature rider like myself. The Ducati's brakes were incredible (as good or better than the CBR's, which are damn impressive); no problem standing the bike on its nose (or throwing the unwary or inexperienced rider over the bars). I'm thinking when the stunt community gets their hands on the Hypermotard, we'll see a new level of heart-in-your-throat bravado. I don't know stunts from shinola, of course, and the only time you'll ever see me standing on the seat or with my legs wrapped up over the handlebars is mid-crash, one of those "oh shit" moments that I do my best to avoid at my protracted age, but I can tell you that this bike is the sort of mistress that inspires one to misbehave. Inspire's probably not even the right word here, as this drop-dead-sexy, crimson-cloaked lady is undoubtedly something of a dominatrix. She would demand a fair amount of hooliganism on every ride.

But don't take my word for it. Go read reviews. If you check my blog (http://www.rideok.com/hopkins/brian.html) for the last six months or so, I pretty much gathered them all up for you (while I was obesessing on the bike).   And if you watch my website (http://bahwolf.com), I'll post ride reports and thoughts there as the bike and I grow accustomed to one another.

[bahwolf]

I want one! (or at least the folding mirror/turn indicators for my Multi...)

No, you don't want the mirrors. They're my only complaint about the bike so far. Great in theory, much less so in practice. They're very hard to keep adjusted and tend to be a distraction from the road ahead. I'd maybe even go so far as to label them a safety issue, as they add valuable seconds to my scanning process. With a cafe racer type bike (or any bike where you're leaned forward, sportbike-style), bar end mirrors make sense, but the upright riding position of the Hypermotard means you spend too much time looking down with your eyes off the road everytime you check your mirrors. I may eventually install regular mirrors on the bars, as many other owners are doing. There's a reason Ducati offers a mirror relocation kit as one of their aftermarket goodies.

If it's just the turn-signal-in-a-handguard setup that you're after, google the Zeta handguards. They make some nice ones with integrated LED turn signals.

[Desmo Demon]

One cannot "rationalise" the purchase of a Ducati.

Oh, sure you can.

My second Ducati purchase was completely rationalized. When the three-year old, brand new, ST2 was sitting on the showroom floor and I got it with the two-year warranty for $2000 under what used ones were going for at the time, I rationalized it by saying I could ride it for a year or two, sell it for what I had into it, and then get the bike I really wanted.

When I walked into the dealership, still on crutches from breaking my leg on a '99 SS750, I had no intentions of buying a bike. I definitely was not looking to buy an ST2......I didn't like the looks of the silver....I didn't like the bags....I didn't like the addiitional weight......I wanted a yellow 748. I was going to wait until spring and use my tax refunds as a down payent on a 748, but.....when you make a low-ball offer thinking there'd be no way in hell they'd accept the offer, and that offer was an out-the-door price being $4000 lower than the retail price of the bike......and then dealer accepts, it's a bit difficult to tell them you were only joking.  

What surprised me was that I'd fall in love with the bike and keep it for over seven years (I still have it).....I did buy the yellow 748 I always wanted, but it would be the ST2 that would probably be the last bike to leave the stable.

[jschmidt]

I scored an '04 999 with 680 miles on it today... for $8500. I'm thinking anyone can rationalize the purchase these days!

[71Fish]

I scored an '04 999 with 680 miles on it today... for $8500. I'm thinking anyone can rationalize the purchase these days!

Holy Shyt dude