I have a Suzuki to thank for getting me into Ducatis. I was more than happy with tear-arsing around on jap in-line fours until the TL1000S came out and did it's best to hospitalize every bike journo who rode it; the bad boy image immediately resonated with me and I was determined to get hold of one, which I did a few years later. Up to that point I'd never ridden a large capacity, sporty v-twin. The bike was delivered to our workshop, and my first ride was in torrential rain - as awkward first rides go, this one was pretty bloody awkward. But two miles later I was wheelying it down the sliproad onto the A3 and my license was never the same again. Now I understood torque
the styling an ipressionable 12 year old looking through one of my dads books found one of the few about bikes and among them was a 500 sport against all the others in the book the styling was something to remember years later i have one and i still have that book
There was a guy I was in the Army with when I was 16 who was right into them. We went to the local Ducati dealership and had a look at the new 900SS, this was in '92. And I loved it and thought it sounded amazing. Later that year we went to Phillip Island and I was standing outside the front straight when that 888 went riderless down the straight, banging into the wall and bursting into flames. The Ducatis were the bike to have, been fast all weekend and then that happened. I was mesmerised and I wanted one ever since. Then I saw the 916 in '94 in Sydney and I said to my mate I'll own one of those one day. My first Ducati was a 996. Which was replaced by a 998R. There was a monster 620 racebike in there as well and I've also owned a 749 racebike and I've now got an 848 racebike. Love Ducatis :biggrin:
There was this one time I gave my V5 on the 998R as security for borrowing a mate's racebike to race at Brands in '06. And of course it pished down .. I was super careful everywhere and bloody Antonye pipped me for a podium spot a few laps from the flag - bastard! I got my V5 back, no worries :biggrin:
I was more than happy with my GSXR1000 until my mate bought a mint 749. We go out usually in a pack of around six and hearing him slowing behind me as we enter big sweeping roundabouts with his unsilenced Terry Wogans does it for me. A few months ago my mate and I purchased x2 1098's from ducati manchester, both with Zards!
The style and the noise for me. Starting up my bike gives me goosebumps and even just washing her makes me very proud to own one. I can't actually see me owning anything other than a Ducati from here on in, they tick all the boxes. Goddamit! Now I need to go to the garage and get her dust cover off and have a good perv!
Would love to just have a frame and engine in the living room, but also love the noise of the engine.
......they are not run of the mill (whether you like the styling or not). I started researching bikes on the Internet after a 20 year absence from motorcycling. The Ducatis stood out from the boring mass of Jap bikes. ......the fact that my mate had recently bought a Panigale S and we both sat listening to the sound of the engine, what an awesome noise. ...I went for a Diavel in the end, not everyone's cup of tea I know, but having picked her up at the end of Sept and completed 750 miles and got the first service in before the winter, I can confirm that I have not stopped grinning ever since. What a truly incredible machine. ...when I collected her, I rode home the long way round, as you would expect. I stopped for fuel and some bloke stopped his car, wound the window down, and said "that is a fantastic looking bike mate!" I was so proud. That never happened when I rode Jap bikes years ago!
When I first got into biking around 16 years ago and started reading bike mags, the 916 was the first bike that stood out as something beautiful and special, not "just another sportsbike". Started reading all the articles about Ducati, and (as a klutz who likes naked bikes) really liked the sound of the minimalist Monster, especially when discovering it had a low seat height - it's about the only sexy bike a shortarse like me can ride. In my commuting into London days, while walking along nose in newspaper between the station and the office, there were a few engine notes that would make me prick up my ears and look round - burbling Scoobies, Aston Martins and Ducatis.
I find ducati have a certain prestige about them, it's not just another inline 4 which is out of date by the time next model is out. We all love our Ducati's and spend a small fortune maintaining them, Just don't let the missus find out how much you spend !!
The one thing that the others didn't have.....dry clutch noise.... altho the Termi makes up for that now I don't have a dry clutch!
I use to admire the 851/888, still got a brouchure somewhere. Bought a ZXR750K in late 91 as I wanted something special, then the blade came out, ZXR was a pig to ride & mates buying blades a few months later were leaving me behind. So by late 93 I joined the herd & bought a blade, then OMG I saw the 916. Late summer 95, guy walks into the car dealership that I working at, looking for directions to the Ducati dealer nearby (Fowlers Cheltenham), he was looking to sell his 800 mile 94M 916 Strada. He never made it to Fowlers... ...I admit that I enjoyed the crowds around the bike at BSB meetings (especially Mallory when it wouldn't start), Bike meets & Matlock Bath. Sadly it was written off in Feb 2000 & despite owning other brands since, it was only last summer that I finally got round to buying another Ducati & once more the winter seems so long.
