Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Why do you ride a Ducati ?

[Herb]

Two bikes I always wanted when I first started riding, a Kawasaki Z1 and a Superlight.

Did the kwak thing. I still wish I had not got rid of it but to be honest things have come a long way since the 70's. Especially with respect to brakes. It was not good enough to do what I wanted.

Never did get a superlight. I have a 750 ss at the moment which is as close as I got.

Not sure what my next bike will be but I am not loyal to Ducati - shock horror - I fancy a Triumph next. Almost bought one a little while ago and have a hankering for a new shape speed triple.

[Gilps]

I had just bought a Triumph Sprint RS a few months before I went into Riders in Bristol. I only went in to get a pair of Draggin Jeans. I laughed at the Harleys on the way in, and figured I'd laugh at the Ducati's on the way out. You see, I don't like Ducatis. I'm not into sports bikes, too damned uncomfortable and who needs all that power anyway. The Monster is way out of date, so long in the tooth. And the Multistrada? What's that about? Then as I walked down the stairs I spotted a yellow S2r and that was it. I was hooked. I just fell in love with the looks. I told the salesman wanted one. My wife went nuts as I had only had the Triumph for about 4 months. They told me that there were no yellow ones left. I could have a red one if I wanted. But no, I wanted the yellow one. It's jsut such a lairy colour. I went home and phoned around the dealers till I found one at Ducati Aylesbury. I paid the deposit over the phone, sold him my Triumph over the phone (lost 2k there) and picked the bike up a week later. I didn't even test ride one before I bought it.
I am so glad I did. What a fantastic bike. I've chopped the tail off it, fitted Termis and a PC, and I'm not finished yet. I have never before had such a strong liking for a bike. I love it. The sound is great, now. The perfromance is fantastic. The people that I have met through both this club and the MOC have been so friendly and helpful. It looks awesome.
And I'm hooked on this whole Ducati thing now. After seeing Natty's 888 I want one of those next please. And I'm going to go DD racing next year.
You don't get any of that with a Jap bike. It makes me feel special when I ride it and that's what really makes the difference for me.

[phil_h]

Originally Posted by Gilps

It makes me feel special when I ride it and that's what really makes the difference for me.

Yep, all of mine manage to do that to me.
Don't know what the ilf fuss is all about Oh, yeah, its about scaring yourself witless with insane velocity. Whatever.
I'm keeping clear of parallel twins so I keep my own teeth
Tried shafty-drives, cant ride them fast enough without feeling the shaft is gonna blow

[MARTIN H]

Back in the early 80s I had a mate who always seemed to have plenty of different bikes about the place. I didnt pay much attention to most of them as I didnt ride back then. However whenever he had a Ducati (and he had a few) there was just something about it that got my attention. A mixture of the sound and the styling and the fact they seemed so different to other bikes. 10 or so years later when the 916 appeared I couldnt believe a bike could look so good, totally unobtainable for me back then as they were so expensive. A mate bought one to the dismay of the rest of the lads who ALL had fireblades. He let me have a go one day and I just fell in love with the thing. Still didnt buy one though, whenever I saw a 916 parked up I would go and have a good look and for some reason I was always drawn toward the top yoke and the levers etc as they just seemed so right compared to the cheapy looking things on whatever Japanese bike I had at the time. Fast forward a few more years and I decided I wanted something different to my usual Blades and R1s etc having read all the tests etc I decided I wanted a new Mille R (2002) in black. Being tall I decided it was the bike for me as some of the testers said the bike was too tall for them. I was ready to buy and a little impatient as I just wanted to walk in a shop and buy one but everywhere I went I was told it would be a minimum of 2 weeks before I could have one. I ended up speaking to Dave at Duc Manchester and he talked me into having a look at a 996S as they were doing a special deal on them as the 998 was coming out. 20 minutes after walking in the shop I owned a red 996s! Never looked back really. I did end up trading the 996 in for a Multistrada 2 years later but it didnt take long to start craving another. I still remember looking at the new 996r they had at Duc man and wishing it wasnt so expensive. I decided I had to get one as they were going for roughly half what they were new (Aug 2005) after missing out on a few that were sold via this site I eneded up with a mint example that I now cherish.

Theres really nothing like a 916-998 I love the solid feel of the thing and the committed riding position. I even enjoy the way it bucks and skips of imperfections in the road that the Multi just sails over. The way it picks the front wheel up over little crests in the road whether youre expecting it to or not. And the soundtrack from the Termis and airbox, sometimes I feel like putting the standard quieter cans back on just to hear the airbox noise more clearly. I remember one writer in a magazine describing the airbox noise as sounding as if an angry goose had been place under the fuel tank.

[rcgbob44]

I`ve had wop bikes for the last 32 years and honestly love them, they get into your blood and no matter what happens or what you do with or to them,you cant get rid of them.

I bought a 1975 750 Ducati sport for £1129 new and on the road. At that time a 750 Desmo was £1600 on the road and I just couldn`t stretch to that.

If only I new how the prices were going to go for those things even with there dodgy chrome and rough paint.

I rode it home from HGb in north London and as got home it went onto one lung as the Magneti Marreli plud finally sooted themselves up, but what a ride.

New NGK plugs cured that problem and when I installed a lucas Rita ignition system it transformed the bike even more, it was all gain with that unit and no losses.

I sold that machine after 9 years and bought the Jota. Now if ever there was a rude awakening the Jota was. Its performance was earth shattering compared the the duke, and for a 750 twin it did not hang around, but the jota was pure animal interms of shear acceleration compared to the Ducati.

I alsways regretted selling that 750 Sport and vowed never to make the same mistake with the Jota.

Then one day I picked up MCN and saw thie new 916. Love at first site and I had to have one but did not have the money to buy one.

Well, the years rolled buy, my sons were born, I got divorced, I got married again and my new wife was always aware that I wanted a 916 coz I always kept yapping on about them.

Then on day she said "Why don`t you go and buy one". I replied that I could not justify the finantial outlay to which she replied "your a long time dead".

That did it. I went out and bought my 998s Mono which I never regretted buying, and I kept the Jota as well!

Its given me endless hours of fun and enjoyment and since I had the bike I decided to join the DSC, which I have never regretted doing and have met many good people on here.

So you see Italian bikes do get into your blood, I know!

[Chris Wood]

It's an Italian thing....Alfa Romeo led my to Ducati.

Passion and interest of all things Ducati, putting up with them and loving them at the same time...'character' I think it's called.

The factory tour when you see real people putting them together, the history....

The brand thing gets me..mention you ride a Duc to a non biking group and they are interested or know something about them..

And the other 'Ducati' people you meet who just get it?! and understand why I have 4 in the shed....

[MARTIN H]

Originally Posted by rcgbob44

"your a long time dead".

One of my favourite sayings. However its usually me saying it to my girlfriend to justify whatever I've just bought! My mate (half german) has a good one in German that translates to "you last shirt (shroud) has no pockets"!

[Ozz]

Ridden since I was 9 (1978) but I still remember first hearing then seeing an 888 years later and that was it....

Now many years later I have a Ducati albeit only a 600 Monster and not the 748 I wanted. Am I enjoying it? Erm, I think so. I am not as one with it yet but I think it is mainly the tyres as it has Bridgestones like my Fazer had and every corner just feels like it is my last.

Hopefully I will get there and then upgrade to a 748 next year....

[749er]

initially the aura and the heritage of the brand, but since then the DSCis part of it too

[Lightning Boy]

I was in the market for a H*nda Fireblade and accidently bought a 748R instead.