It was all to do about football. I know my casuals. I was a mod. But style would obviously be lost on you if you think JRM would wear a slim fitting italian cut. It surprises me not that you are unawares of how adidas, gabbici etc arose in the early 80s.
This thread is a bit like me taking turn 15 at Portimao......started well, but ran seriously wide of the original tight line on exit
Back on track.. Over sixty years of motorcycling and owning or riding all sorts and makes of bike, it's the only make of modern bike that truly has that indefinable Character.
I know I'm gonna get pilloried for this.... but back in the 90s I hired a Harley Heritage Softtail Classic for 3 weeks and drove all over California, Utah, Arizona & Nevada. And, yes 'branded' to the hilt it was but it certainly had character & not a little soul.
Funny you should say that because much of California, Utah, Arizona & Nevada does resemble a chuffing great big quarry... And on those roads anything other than a laid back cruiser would be a waste of machine and a self defeating exercise.... 10 miles at 140 mph and you'd still be in the same place.
A brand with heritage and soul, great looking bikes and consistency in brand values (most of the time).
As I get older and my wrist on my right hand aches on long motorway runs, I now have adaptive cruise and my left hand aches for pulling on the clutch is helped my using the quick shifter. When my mind drifts and I forget to look in the mirrors, the blind spot flashes to save me. When I forget to turn off the indicators, the bike does it for me. And when I can't hold the bike steady on a hill, the hill hold takes over. With my eyesight squinting in the dark, I can now see round corners with the cornering lights. What Ducati have done is made a bike for OAP,s
I was a teenager when Foggy was bringing the brand over the line to win championships and the love of Ducati started and never stopped. Always wanted one, even before I got bikes about 7-8 years ago knew it would happen one day and now I have the start of a collection and more coming (The wife calls its a Ducati problem, but I have no problem with it!) They are addictive machines, just something about them. Ive only had/ridden sports bikes but had Yamaha's in the garage, but also tested most Japanese sports bikes, The German one and even the F3-RR but keep coming back to the red bikes every time - just something about them I cant name/put my finger on directly but they are the ones for me. Till my spine gives up, ill keep getting Ducati sports bikes
the red when it catches the sun the twin engine the throttle response the way it tips over the acceleration the noise of the termis at low speed the noise of the termis at high speed the noise of the termis when they pop the quirky engineering the exclusivity the fact that people always comment on it because i own one over the last week or so its finally clicked as to why these bikes are so special (and different) from other brands ive had jap sports bikes, but these are different in many ways i never thought it was possible to love a machine more than a woman
