Thought about the 70's 900SS but TBH although the engine is a thing of beauty and the frame is gorgeous and the tank and seat hump look lovely... the clocks kill it for me As far as "the one you own" goes, definitely bought a 749 because I thought they were cool looking and kind of grotesque at the same time compared to other Ducatis. The 848 style of bike has never really done it for me, everyone coos over them and I just don't get it, so I can see how people might think my own choice is not right. Personal opinion I guess? As far as the Scrambler, no it should not have been a cool bike... but it is! It totally rocks and is a very cheeky and characterful little thing.
I think this is pretty cool. Met this lad at the tt this year.... This is an old st2 that he's converted into this.... This is cool... Not production but cool.... Built for 2.5k...
He reckoned it was good on the mountain... Either way we're not talking handling were talking cool... Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk
I think Ducatis are a little like German cars......they need to age before they become cool........5-10 years as a minimum. Up until that point, they're a little too "shouty". Given the above, I'd go for 749/999.....and anything air cooled
749/999...because Terblanche understood time doesn't stand still and designed something, which even I hated at the time, turning it into something I now adore in 2016. He done this by incorporating some of the 749/999 features to mimic old-skool Russian Locomotives, as he was into his trains. The guy was either a genius or high on drugs. Or both. How Cool is that!
IMO ... I think Terblanche should have gone to specsavers.. His real inspiration was probably one of these.... Minus the Cushtie geezers... TBF though Ferraris identity colour is yellow as opposed to Red! And how many yellow Ferraris do you see? .. If I owned one mind, I would go for black... But then I'd never want a black Ducati..
In the grand scale of things when I've recently purchased a 1299, I could afford an SL today (probably 8 to 9K for a minter if I could find one ) but in reality I wouldn't want to risk spoiling my memories. If I did have one, it would have to be a Mk1 in red with the Marvic wheels, upswept Termi's and carbon front mudguard. It may be a generational thing but my memories are that this was the epitome of cool and a coming of age for Ducati. I enjoyed the 888 ownership experience but long after they'd both left my oily hands, it's the 900SL that gives me the warmest feeling when I think about it. Strangely enough, it's the same kind of feeling I have for my 1299 even though they're chalk and cheese in many ways. I can ride it fast or slow, it's drop dead gorgeous and the sound with the Akras stirs my soul. The fact that my knee sliders are untouched by tarmac and my chicken strips will remain for the life of the tyres doesn't bother me these days. I ride my bike and smile at the wonders of progress.
I was also reliably informed by a mate who was following me last night, that the blue flames coming out of the Akras on a wide open upshift are pretty cool as well :smile: