Anyone have or had one? What can you tell me about your experience with them.

I notice that most people have the mainstream brands, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, bla bla bla....

You don't see a lot of Ducati on the roads and I was wondering why. Do they break down a lot, too expensive, more expensive to maintain, ?????

Just curious.

__________________
What's COOKING?

Thrill Cycle!

haha.... ok, think I answered my own question... the one I want is.... 72,000

Ducati

Of course, the 848 is nice too and much more reasonable at 13k

Ducati


I really like this feature....

DUCATI DATA ANALYZER (DDA)
The DDA package consists of a real analysis system for data gathered during rides or track sessions. The kit, normally used only on race bikes, enables riders to thoroughly analyze the performance of their Ducati and the effectiveness of their driving style.

NICE!!!!!

__________________
What's COOKING?

Thrill Cycle!

the 848 is a bike i would like to have, it might be my next one, in a couple years. i hear all kinds of shit about ducs, oh they cost an arm and a leg to maintain, they are too expensive, they arent reliable. but i have absolutly no idea, but i love the 848 and the monster.

Bolded for emphasis. I've never owned a Duc, but even though the maintenance has been drastically reduced since the intro of the 1098, it's still significant. The Japanese sportbike offerings give you equal or better performance than the Ducs, with less maintenance. But the quality parts, signature sound, and overall "character" of a Duc seem to make it worth the price of admission. (IF you've got the $$$)

__________________
2005 Suzuki Hayabusa Limited Edition - lots of mods
2007 Suzuki GSXR600 - wifebeater and flip-flops optional
2000 Honda CBR600F4 - outfitted with the NRC case cover of invincibility
http://www.gleno.net

What ever happened to the 999 model? There is a YouTube out there showing it running a course faster then a Lambo....

Wonder if the 848 could do that or if you would have to bump up to the 1098, 1098s or 1098r to get that....

But yeah, I would have to agree, the Japanese bikes are less expensive and you seem to get more bang for the buck.

__________________
What's COOKING?

Thrill Cycle!

My husband has 2 ducs. Just sold his monster and has a 999s and a 996. He loves his bikes and really enjoys. He tells me they ride different than any other bike he's owned. He also just bought an MV Agusta awhile ago and just tells me that they're like night and day. I've never personally ridden one but I sure love the sound :)

The 999 is suppose to be something.... in the video they were saying that it was hard to keep the front wheel down because the bike has so much power. Being I never owned a sportbike, even the 848 might be a bit much as a 1st time sport bike. But I think if I just took it easy till I got use to it, I would be fine.

I agree with the sound... Kinda like with Harley... you can always tell the Harley engine.... not sure if it's the timing or what, but just at idle it has that something other bikes just don't have. Hard to explain.

__________________
What's COOKING?

Thrill Cycle!

I have some Ducati experience, last Ducati I owned was a 1999 Ducati 996S with #17 on the triple tree.

Ducati's are great machines, but the cost of maintenance is just too high compared to Japanese bikes. The only other negative was the time it takes to get into a dealership. For a valve adjustment on my Kawasaki, it costs around $250 and the dealership just needs a few days notice. For the Ducati, it was around $800 (yes, I know there's a lot of labor involved) and it was a few weeks wait to see if an opening came up - because you're limited to only authorized Ducati mechanics.

Why is it important to only goto Ducati dealerships with authorized Ducati mechanics working on your Ducati? Because of the day you sell your Ducati. When I sold that bike, I had more people interested but only if I provided proof of all work done on time by an authorized dealership. I sold the bike a few years ago, it was an 8 year old bike at the time and I received over $10k for it - but I had to have the records to prove it.

With Ducati, you are buying into a lifestyle. I swear what Ducati is doing wth licensing and their image, it reminds me of Harley Davidson. It does make things interesting knowing that HD bought MV.

Of the Italian bikes, MV's are more expensive but the four-cylinders are easier to work on. Ducati does have high maintenance costs but they also hold their value very well if you maintain and take care of them.

In terms of value/performance - I'm only buying Japanese and that gets narrowed down really easily to just Kawasaki. Maybe I'm bias.

__________________
Remembering Gleno

I have a Ducati GT1000 Sport Classic that I love. I bought the bike because it actually stirred my soul, so to speak. The maintenance intervals are a lot longer now so the costs are reduced from the older Ducs. And, I have no problem taking it to the dealer and paying them because the Duc dealer ACTUALLY does the work specified and does it well. I have had several Japanese bikes before this one, and most dealers seem to have kids in the back getting paid very little to work on the bikes. I never had a 100% positive experience dealing with the mainstream Japanese bike dealers, and have had a few horrible dealings with them. And like any other bike, if you are mechanicly inclined and wish to learn how to maintain the bike yourself, you can. Many Duc owners do.

Peace and grease!

David