Let's say you had about 5K or so to spend on your first motorcycle...

[agirls]

Now there's a true Ducati fan, lol. It doesn't matter what you ride, it's how you ride it. I love my Duc, but a Jap bike is good too.

[PhlypSide]

Italians are awesome, but even Rossi rides a Japanese bike

j/k I love Ducatis

[erics75218]

I just defend the brand strongly because I think there is a stigma that ownership is a pain in the ass.

I've owned my M750 since new. it has 8000 miles on it now, and it's an 01. I wouldn't even say I take good care of it...lol...it's had I THINK 2 oil changes in it's life....and it still has never been in the shop.

And the fact that it's a legendary bike, built by arguably the best Italian manufacturer or bikes and designed by a LEGEND...I mean how can you go wrong....seriously. :-)

And I like Jap bikes, they are awesome machines....but kind of like I said above..for me the joy of ownership can go beyond the riding/driving experience itself. It's why I love Ferrari and Ducati so much. The same company that goes to build your street bike/car also makes their awesome racing machines....and I really like that. I enjoy that somehow, I'm more connected to the Ducati MotoGP team via my Monster, than I would be Rossis if I had an R6.....I just "feel" that way, and it's important to me...even if it's really gay.

[agirls]

Originally Posted by erics75218

p.s. if you ever manage to ride your Ducati to Laguna Seca, you can park on Ducati Island..and they will check your helmet and your jacket. They provide free bottle water, sunscreen and food. OR you can not get a Ducati and be stuck parking in the dirt, hauling your great around with you all day.

If you are referring to MotoGP, they have a gear check for the lowly non-Ducati owner's too. Besides, when you park in the dirt lot, you get a free kickstand thingy to put under it.

You obviously have a brand loyalty. I don't. If it's got two wheels and a motor, it's okay in my book. Even a Harley. Ducati ownership does cost more, but yes, some people make it sound like it is outrageous. Parts cost more, insurance costs more. I could careless where I park my SV650. My Ducati, I'm much more picky.

[SweetDaddyD]

I don't expect it to be the popular bike here, but I love my Buell as much as the day I got it. And it actually is something different. I have an old 2002 Tuber and you just don't see them out there. It's been extremely reliable as well.

Oh and been riding since 2001 and never dropped one yet.

[erics75218]

maybe I'm not making my point clear. Since cost of ownership isn't more to own a ducati..and they are reliable...why NOT get one, since you get to enjoy the rest of the Ducati experience!?

And don't hate on Ducati island,it's cool man....it's cool to feel like your ownership gets you something..anything....and what it gets you at the track....with the sun blazing down on you...is COMFORT...which is nice.

I'm just saying, at the end of the day, you get more out of your 5K in terms of ownership experience with a Ducati Monster, than you will a 5K spend on an SV1000.

yeah the SV will be fun to ride...of course it will...but so would the Monster......of course the SV is reliable...but so is the Monster.....

knowhatimeanvern?

p.s. Of all the bikes Ducati makes, I can tell you that the Monster and the Monster "crew" is as unpretentious as you can get.....it's low key entry point......and the people aren't as snobby as....damn near any "enthusiast group"....

[Exigest]

There are some good answers here.

I ride a 2006 Yamaha R6 and wouldn't recommend it for a beginner. It's easy to underestimate the potential for disaster by thinking it's "just" a 600 but when you acquire more skillz you will realize it takes a LOT of skill to get a 600 around a corner fast. Lots of morons go get a 600 only to realize it's not the girls bike they thought it was. A great rider on a 600 will walk all over a liter bike in the corners, which is where skill really matters.

The SV650, Ducati Monster, Yamaha FZ6, Ninja 500, etc, are all great bikes for starting out. Don't buy a bike because you will grow out of something smaller. That's a load a crock. Buy what fits you skill lever, be safer, learn, get better, THEN get the bigger bike.

As for helmets. I wouldn't get an EXO 1000 if you can help it. I have one ($75 from the neighbor) and it's BIG. Not a small helmet. If you get an Aria or Shoei they should me more compact and get through the wind a bit easier.

Good luck! Keep the rubber side down!

[PhlypSide]

Originally Posted by erics75218

...I've owned my M750 since new. it has 8000 miles on it now, and it's an 01. I wouldn't even say I take good care of it...lol...it's had I THINK 2 oil changes in it's life....and it still has never been in the shop.

^^^ I could've bought an 848 or even a 1098 if I had wanted, but I average 1,000 miles a month. Not 1,000 miles a year.

PS: Honda is the only company I know of which had both cars in F1 and bikes in MotoGP, hows them apples for "connection to racing heritage"?

PPS: I'm a Honda fanboi.

[bgsterling]

I'll take the Dan Akroyd position to everyone else's Jane Curtain (you ignorant sluts!). Since it's your first bike and your experience sounds like it's limited to mostly the MSF course, don't spend $5k on a bike just yet. Buy yourself a used Honda Nighthawk, Yamaha Radian, Kawasaki EX500, or something similar. You can pick up a decent example of anyone of these for $1200-$1500. If you get lucky or are handy enough to wrench on a rat bike, you can find one for less than $1000. Arguably, none of them are as fast, as cool, or as pretty as the bikes mentioned so far. But all of them are basic, durable, easy and cheap to fix/repair, and more than powerful enough to get you into trouble. Ride this bike for a full season or two. Enhance your riding skills by putting in some seat time. Learn what type of riding you like and don't like. Determine if you even like riding at all. After a season or two on this bike, sell it for about what you paid for it originally and then go spend your $5k on a bike you know you'll enjoy whether it's a screaming 4-in-line crotch rocket, thumping v-twin cruiser, smooth 6-cylinder grand tourer, ultimately cool and rugged bobber, whatever. You may even find that a sweet, late-80's UJM that will keep up with a modern crotch rocket at legal speeds (*cough* Yamaha Radian *cough*) will be enough.

-Brad

[the1sen]

Originally Posted by erics75218

I haven't read the responses so far...

Oh, and to the individual who said a Ducati is as boring as a Honda...GET REAL!

I didn't say a Duc was boring , I just said the 800 he was pondering is boring to ride when compared to the SV650 . Having ridden both of them, the SV is a more fun bike overall . Reliability is a non-issue for the most part with modern bikes.

My F800 sounded like rolling thunder with the Akrapovic exhaust on there... awesome...

Agreed, there is something about a Duc. But as an Italian, a Duc is not considered an Italian bike, it's more like a weird Honda ... MV Agusta is rolling art, truly Italiano in every way .

I would get an SV650 as a FIRST bike - a Duc is a little too nice for a first bike... and then aspire to grab up a Duc as my skills and comfort level rise.

Twins in general are more fun for the street, IMHO.

[PhlypSide]

Originally Posted by erics75218

Oh, and to the individual who said a Ducati is as boring as a Honda...GET REAL!

.......

Join the club my friend....own Italian....seriously...do you want an NSX or Testerossa....get real..it's obvious.

I'd rather have an NSX, as I prefer seat time to wrench time and I also prefer reasonable running costs.

Then again my vehicles are not "lifestyle accessories", so I could care less about what image they project so long as I am projecting a big fcuking grin every time I drive/ride.

[agirls]

Yup, a lot of people hate on the Buell's, but I've ridden the Lightning several times on a track, and that thing is a blast! The first time I came off the track and went back to the Buell booth, I literally said, "that was ****ing awesome!" because I was so surprised. I love the sound and the torque. My first bike was a SV650. For my 2nd bike, I wanted either a Ducati Monster, Buell Lightning, or the Triumph Street Triple R. There was a monster for sale at a small shop where we were getting some work done on an older project bike. I drooled on it every time I was there. Last time we were there, it came home with me. Had one of the other bikes been there, it would have come home with me instead, lol.

And Eric, I'm not hating on the Ducati or Ducati island. I'm just saying it is not the only choice. You are hating on the rest of the bikes.

[the1sen]

Originally Posted by PhlypSide

I'd rather have an NSX, as I prefer seat time to wrench time and I also prefer reasonable running costs.

Then again my vehicles are not "lifestyle accessories", so I could care less about what image they project so long as I am projecting a big fcuking grin every time I drive/ride.

Not to disagree with you there, Honda boi , but modern air cooled Ducs are simple, and thus pretty solid.

Maybe not in a track environment, but any reasonably intelligent person would be using a liquid cooled Duc on the track which is why a lot of the tracked Ducs are in disrepair. You see, there is a WORLD of difference in maintenance between an air cooled Duc and a liquid cooled one.

[SweetDaddyD]

Originally Posted by PhlypSide

I'd rather have an NSX, as I prefer seat time to wrench time and I also prefer reasonable running costs.

Then again my vehicles are not "lifestyle accessories", so I could care less about what image they project so long as I am projecting a big fcuking grin every time I drive/ride.

+1

I love the look of the Duc's. Most of the turnoff to me about it is the superiority complex you encounter so often. I was always want to punch the yuppie in the teeth before he even finishes comparing it to the "Ferrari of bikes", the guy that spends more time standing by it and talking about it than putting miles on it. Then again I've also met (and ride with one guy) some pretty down to earth Duc owners that are just into riding and not just flossin. They do have the right name. Before getting one evaluate the amount of miles and thus maintenance the bike will need and if you are going to be tackling the Desmo drive adjustments yourself of needing trips to your dealer (and how far away they are).

Go out and get some test rides. Let us know what you get! Sooo much cool stuff out there and you certainly don't need the fastest thing on the road to have a ton of fun.

[PhlypSide]

^^^ W3RD up. Most Ducatis I see on the street have huge H-U-G-E chicken strips.... well except for my one buddy who actually rides and has 15,000 track/street miles on his 2008 1098.... he's the exception and not the rule though.... he has no strips on the fronts.

[erics75218]

I agree about that, I think that the more expensive Ducatis have that problem, but as of late they have been producing some lower priced bikes, not to mention the sheer number of monster owners.

I tell you what, I have never met a more down to earth group that the Monster guys..because mostly, they aren't rich, they just wanted that type of bike..that for the LONGEST time was one of a kind.

And I know all about Honda, they make amazing machines...but outside of Mr. Honda...can you mention the name of anyone directly linked to the company or it's success. I think of Honda as an engine manufacturer...it's hard to explain..but i'll never feel as connected to Honda as I am to Ducati, or Lotus for that matter.

As far as Ducati being the Ferrari of bikes...they are in the sense they make a good number of machines...most not made by hand...and they also compete in the highest forms of Motorsport and have succeeded there much more than they've failed. But unlike Ferrari, they don't have a massive budget, yet they still do very well, it's inspirational and makes it hard to not pull for them on the track.

MV Augusta has an old racing heritage, but no modern one. I liken' them to Lamborghini.

And as for the Brutale' and the F4 being beautiful, they are...and interestingly enough...it's because they were designed by NONE OTHER THAN MASSIMO TAMBURINI..the same genius who brought us the 916 and Monster. :-D

And what's wrong with liking something for reasons INCLUDING, but not limited to, the riding/driving experience?

But I'll stop being annoying...but to the original poster....I believe buying into a really cool heritage, and getting an amazing bike you'll love and grow with for a long time is an opportunity not to be missed.


p.s.s.s.s. My Monster has to few miles because I bought a 999 and rode it instead, much faster and more refined. And then I got the damn Lotus and that took all my love. I also lived in Dallas, Texas for a while, and call me a girl, but I have no fun riding in 100+ heat in a full suit..so the bike sat a lot there. :-D

[chotto]

I'm really surprised nobody has recommended a GSXR 750. For a guy that tracks his car a lot, I see this as a natural extension. It is only a matter of time before the track starts calling the bike and a gixxer 750 is such dominate bike.

[Lotus Fury]

Let me preface this with me being a 3x Ducati owner. Ducati's claim to fame is their racing heritage, mostly through the use of the Demsodromic Valve:Desmodromic valve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . It enabled higher and more reliable RPM operations. Before higher quality steel was used in valve springs they would go to crap at a high RPMS. Ducati was the big dog in racing until the Japanese manufactures were able to build better valves.

Any 2 cylinder engine with be HP and RPM limited but have good/great torque. Most sporty 2's will be limited to 10k or so RPMs. There are a couple types: Ducati's L twin - a 90 twin, V's - cylinders at less than 90 degrees, nomally either 45 or 65 degrees and parallel twin - the worst when it comes to vibrations. A 2 cyl will have a bigger cylinder and the sound they make tends to be deeper. A 4 cylinder will sound like a F1 car, a 2 will sound like it is ripping the air. In the case of a Ducati with a Termi exhaust, it sounds like it tearing the air apart and the air is screaming bloody murder.

R6 exhaust:

YouTube - 2006 Yamaha R6 Leo Vince SBK Full System

Ducati:

YouTube - Ducati 1098 S Test

Any 4 cylinder of equal displacement will always be more powerful than a 2 cylinder version. A 600 jap bike will be about the same as a Duc 848.

The jap 600's & 1k's are very similar to each other. It's more personal taste/ergonomics.

Triumph makes some great 3 cylinder bikes. They're different than either Italian or Jap. Very good hooligan bikes.

Aprillia's & MV's are great but uber exensive.

Ducati's are somewhat expensive too. But there are tons of older used ones that are cheap. The thing is that Ducati's use higher quality parts, mostly brakes. They are more maintenance. Ducati's are great handling bikes. Monsters are designed for city riding. Sporty but with ergonomics that allow longer riding. It's a trade off, they are more sport than touring, those of us with Monsters love them. It is a good bike to learn on.

A Ninja 250 is a great starter bike. You probably will sell it somewhat quickly as it is underpowered. The good thing is that they have great resell value. If you buy a 2-3 year old model will probably will sell it a year or two later for maybe 500 less than you bought it. Super cheap to insure too. It is a sport bike so track days are fine with it.

SuperMoto would be a fun choice too. I am thinking about getting one, not sure yet though.

[Alphonse]

Rich,

Also a Ducati fan and owner I say look for a 2 valve series older Duc. But don't go too far back. 797 or 98 would be about it with only an exception or two. I've got a 97 900ss which is easy to ride all day, performs well and for a newbie like yourself is an easy bike to ride. As eric and some of the others have suggested a nice M900 Monster wouold also be an excellent choice. That's what my wife has and she loves trhe bike.

Hey Eric, what's up? Been busy since the last Monster Challenge in Birmingham? Wifes Monster was in with you for the finals. Alumin alloy tank with red accents.

If you go with a Duc you'll be hooked into the Ducati mania just like the rest of us. THere is an excellent dealership in the Austin area and there is a boat load of web based support available, not to mention a large Duc riding crowd in the Austin area.

You know my size so fit for you should be perfect. Give me a call and I can give you more detailed info if you like.
If you start looking into Ducati you'll hear a lot of reference to 2-valve and 4 valve. That refers to the cylinder head configuration and air-cooled versus water cooled. The air cooled bikes are less expensive and a bit easier to maintain if you decide to do some of your own wrenching. The air cooling part is not an issue even with our somewhat warm summer days.
The 2v's may be lower on horespower, but they are still more than capable in the chuckle factor area.

Again, give me a call and let's chat. I'll be more than happy to bend your ear to the Ducati side.

Al B, Houston.
713-880-1242

[macdady2424]

Originally Posted by Minnis

I'm going to be getting an 06 Triumph 675 for my wife shortly. They are light weight (360lbs) and have the power if you need it- incase I want to ride it. Plus they are really narrow with a 3 cyl. And their not as common as every other Jap bike and they are British like our Lotus if thats a reason... I almost had one for $4k two weeks ago. Jack Trebour in NJ gets them as trades pretty cheap. The newest one is even lighter and faster. I've seen quite a few with over 20k miles which is a good sign.
If you want a cheap sportbike the CBR600 F2-F4i's are decent bikes for not a lot. We had one for our first bike and it was fun.

I have always wanted a 749 dark but without frame damage.

Gee's, you guys both ride bikes too? Does you wife have a sister for me? (just kiddin') But seriously, I think that's awesome that you are both into stuff like that.

Also, I say for for the monster, I think they are beautiful bikes and that's what I want. But I know nothing about bikes, so don't listen to me.