Hi folks, I'm not a ducati owner (yet) but you seem like a friendly and knowledgable bunch so I thought I'd join up and hang out. I'm currently riding a Honda (have been for the last couple of years), but have spent the past few months pondering a change and have ridden all sorts in my search. Narrowed it down to a 1098s and I'm ready to pull the trigger, hence why I landed here! I'm lucky enough to live in the new forest and I ride to work every day. It would be unfair to call it a commute - It's only a few miles so most days I take the long route to maximise the fun... Do a few track days each year, would love to race but I'm too old and too poor Cheers! Matt
Welcome to the best advice on the web... Watch out for @Ducbird , as she is as mad as a box of frogs.
Hello and welcome to the mad house pauper Matt You have come to the friendliest forum but watch out for the locals they are :Clown::Clown:ead: They will sell you their granny Make sure it's red and pics of bike and bins please :Snaphappy: When you get your 1098s yiu know you will always be poor don't you
Hiya Dave and welcome. I'm going to the new forest tomorrow for a few days with SWMBO. We are stopping at The Pig hotel.
Welcome in, go for a nice clean bike with good service history, sounds obvious but there is a LOT of chuff out there. Also if u can buy from a ducati specialist you are on the right track. Just be prepared for quite a different experience, Hondas are generally sickeningly smooth which does make them bland IMHO, however once u get a feel for the 1098 u will just love it.
Hi all, thanks for the warm welcome. @Ducbird it will be a red one, and yes... I'm prepared to be poor forever more. It will be worth it Thanks @El Toro . It's Matt actually! The pig is just a couple of miles down the road from here, very highly regarded round these parts so enjoy your food and there are some lovely walks out into the forest from there. If you're on bike you can head out of brockenhurst down the ornamental drive, past rhinefield house, cross the main road and carry on up to bolderwood (a beautiful slow route through the ancient forest) then carry on under the motorway heading towards ringwood. The road opens out in an area which used to be an airfield with good visibility for traffic and animals and a nice place to give it some beans if you are that way inclined. Once you come back into the trees you have the red shoot pub, or the alice lisle a bit further on, to stop for refreshments. Enjoy! @phil748 thanks for the advice, exactly the kind of things i'm interested to know. I've been saving for a minter, something special to treasure (and use) for the next few years, not just to get in at the first scrappy opportunity. I'll certainly be keeping a keen eye on the forum classifieds. And yes, the honda is sickeningly smooth! I'm -1, +2 which is a great gearing for everyday use and for brands indy, but Revving to 14k just to get anywhere makes me sound like a hooligan, and thats not cool...
Buy a late 1098s, some of the early ones seem to have had some build issues associated with a new bike. It's obvious that termis are the law with these bikes but I would question an owner who doesn't keep originals. Only other thing I think is worth pointing out is that some have said that the Ohlins fork seals can dry up and leak but u should be able to see evidence if u test ride. You will want a 14t front sprocket and an Oberon Clutch slave I think, it was the two best mods on my 848 Evo, made the bike much easier to live with, that and a grippy seat so my nuts didnt get smashed every time I used the brick wall brakes!
Hi hi @Phill748 thanks for the tips- that's exactly the sort of thing that is really helpful. In regard to your earlier comment about buying from a ducati specialist, this may seem like an obvious question, but what are the main advantages? Is it that a specialist knows what they are looking at and therefore won't touch crap bikes because they have a reputation to uphold? Or is it more to do with setup and servicing? Any recomendations (in the south of England)? I once bought a bike from a dealer which turned out to be a bit of a lemon, and they must have known it at the time. They certified their own mot on it and truth was, it should have failed on a number of things. Fortunately i know a lot more than i knew back then, and could now spot things i missed back then, but I am wary of placing too much trust just on the fact that they are a 'real shop'.
Exactly that, if you were a Ducati specialist and someone tries to trade something in that's tatty or has a knock from the bottom end u would just 'know' as soon as you saw it. Where abouts in the south are u mate? I am near Newbury, so have some opinions on local dealers.
Ah cool. I'm about half way between southampton and bournemouth. About 25 minutes from here to the bottom of the a34. Anywhere south of newbury is good. Cheers!
Evening noobie. These guys are worth a visit. Very good for parts too. Moto Rapido Ducati Dealer in Hampshire Enjoy the ride.
So... An update. I did buy a 1200cc V-twin european sportsbike in the end. But.... It's not red; it's orange. *runs ducking for cover* No doubt I'll get a red one in due course, but am loving having a slice of the action, even if not 'the real deal'. Thanks for the warm welcome and helpful wisdom of all the ducati folk here anyway, and all the best. Ciao, for now.
He's pulling our leg don't worry. I'm sure he will post some pics of his beautiful 1098 soon, because we all know that if its not a Ducati it isn't worth having. Only messing enjoy your new bike
