| I know I could have bought a new GSXR1000K5 plus a 2nd hand Bandit to commute on for what I paid for my 996, but I've wanted a Duke since the 1970's 250 and 350 Desmo singles and, when they put the world's most charismatic motor in the world's most beautiful chassis and bodywork, no other bike would do.
Anyway, here are three reasons I would pay double what it costs to run an IL4 to keep my Ducati:
1/ There is no other bike on the planet that could give me so much pleasure, just looking at it standing in the garage.
2/ Accelerating past 7,000 rpm, with that unique roar growing and growing
3/ Riding on the track (even at my cack-handed level) everything just clicks into place. Riding my first track-day at Brands Hatch GP on my old Firestorm scared the sh 1 t out of me. When I rode the 996 there I realised why -compared to the Duke, riding the h0nd@ had felt like riding a carthorse in the Grand National .
At the end of the day, running a Ducati might be fiscally irresponsible, but what's the use of savings when a certain fat t055er's only going to tax you on them again. Buy a Ducati , enjoy it and spend, spend, spend..you know it makes sense .  |