I came across this photo the other day , so I thought I'd ask the question . For me , it was watching Mike Hailwood on that red and green beauty , back in the Seventies . Then I was walking in town one day and someone cruised by me on a replica , and that sound , close-up , just had me hooked . That day I went from wanting a Ducati to needing one .... It took me another 20 years to get one of my own though , but that was mainly due to always traveling abroad for work .
I never wanted one, wasn't looking at them, just tried to walk past one in the showroom and it kinda reached out and grabbed me, I tried to walk on by but it had a tractor beam, just stood staring at it, 10 minutes later the £300 in my pocket was handed over as a deposit.
Had a friend who opened up his garage one day to get some paint and I saw his approx. 1980 fully faired, fully red 900 SS (not a Hailwood rep but same bike) which he then started up - leader of the pack sprung to mind, also had his mates approx. 1990 white frame 900 SS. I then passed my test and bought a 900 Monster (thinking I'd get something sensible like a GPz 500....)
When I saw a yellow 9**/748 being caned on the A23 to Brighton in the mid 90s. The sensual looks, the sound, the way it gracefully carved though the bends like a downhill skier...... I just had to have one and though it was about 8 years before I could afford and bought my first Duc in 2004, it's all I thought about during the time I spent in cheap Jap bike purgatory on a series of Bandits (which have an honest charm all of their own tbh), a Virago (sorry) and two R6s.
Pictures of Ducati Darmahs as a kid. When I saw then rode a Monster I simply went out and bought one.
My wife had a Monster 620 which I used to take out and warm up for her, liked it so bought myself a Ducati.
It was the launch of the 916 for me and Foggy winning stuff. I ordered my first Ducati (1098) back in 2007, but when 7 months after taking my deposit, they couldn't tell me when I would receive it I fell out of love with Ducati and cancelled the order. However I still had "the itch" to scratch. It wasn't until 2012 when I finally scratched the itch and bought my 848 Evo Corse SE. Since then I've had 6 new Ducati's
It was a review of the 500 Pantah in either Bike or Superbike, c1980. The journo was on an A road and being chased by a Jam Sandwich. The cop stopped him and said that in his Rover he could keep up with everything on the road, apart from the little Duke. I knew then I would have to have one at some point but TBH they were always out of reach cost wise when I was younger but the 500 somehow felt more close to me than the big V twins. First Duke I ever saw was at the age of 18 whilst camping with my girlfriend in Cornwall, we rode down from Swansea. Think it was a little 350 and I remember thinking how cool it looked compared to my z250. The desire never went away. Nowadays Im a lucky boy with a V4s. Still fancy a Pantah but not sure I could be bothered with keeping it on the road. Having said that, maybe this winter?
Unless that copper was Nigel Mansell, who, from memory was a Special Constable for a while, then I call BS (not that policeman ever lie or anything). "I can keep up with anything on the road in my Rover" has to be the most exquisitely crafted bit of bar room bullshit I have heard for a while though, so thanks for that .
two italian parents, a fleet of family Alfas, Fiats and Lancias meant that the garage had to be italian for 2 wheels once I'd got my NCD up to insure one, bought my first in 2001 (996, still have it) and have owned several, and still have 4 of them ....
Undoubtedly you are correct but being an impressionable 18/19 year old thats what the review said (not word for word obviously - I would be deeply sad if I still had the magazine).
My mate let me have a go on his 2010 Mutley from Newtown to Crossgates. I was in the local dealer the next day.
Rode a yellow 748S (P)S)) thing many many years ago and loved the look and sound. It was far less comfortable than the Gixer I had at the time but it had character.
