just the looks for me, plain and simple. When race repped they look better but never bas good as a 916 race repped

just think some of th elater IL4 stuf is better looking to add to probably a better bike

Spot on!!

No no, you're right mate...all I ever see of anyone on the BHCN rideouts is their rear-ends...not sure I should be riding with you at all next year, to me you all seem to be getting faster and faster.

I may go into "semi-retirement" - pootle over for a brekkie and pootle home again.

BC

I'll be pootling around with you next year, I don't see Keefy & Co when I'm riding regularly, let alone when I haven't been on a bike since June...

Aww,c'mon guys,............

Just had a thought on the subject and was wondering if anyone else would concur.

Is the subjective beauty of a bike realised differently by different generations?

I.E do people choose their favourite looking bike from the generation they first really got intersted in bikes and tend to stick with it? Shunning newer designs cos they were'nt as good as the good old days? Refusing to move on?

Does your average 70 year old appreciate 916 any more than his historic Norton for example, im sure he finds his classic ultimately more beautiful?

Would this mean the average age of a 916 996 998 owner be slightly older than a 999/749 owner?

Whilst i love the 916 et all i genuinely think the 749/999 looks better, it's just more modern and to my liking. And perhaps to reinforce the point im making (as in sticking with what we like), i think i prefer the look of mine to the new 1098, altough i'll reserve this till i have seen a new un in the flesh.

By jove i think i've cracked it ;)

am sure you have something there and that influence need only be from bikes. I am sure part of the appeal of the 749/999 for me comes from the fact that I thought the original Audi Quattro was a really beautiful, with its rectilinear/slab styling that the 749/999 draws on.

1098 looks better in the flesh, but its nowhere near as radical as the 916 or 999, bit of an excercise in safe styling

That depends upon your point of view. I find the 748/916 far more involving and harder - harder as in more demanding and I prefer my bikes like that. The 749/99 are softer and friendlier...that doesn't float my boat. The older bikes look like they mean business - the newer bikes just look like lash-ups.

Mind you...then again I think the air-cooled 2-valvers are the ultimate. I think my tweaked 800ss rocks and it's scalped a fair few 999's both on and off the track ;)

May I say as a 65 year old rider say that I couldn't tell you the name of the first "Bike" I ever saw, I only remember as an 8 year old that it had a side-car and the guy that owned it was ex "RAF",and him and family lived in our flats. When I was 16 the first bike I bought with a mate , was a Norton 500. When the 916 was shown to the World it was akin to a jizz mag. It was 'kin amazin,. That is why I have in my lockup, a Honda SP2 and a Ducati 996R. Both of which I ride . Time moves on and some of us Oldies move with it ....

I have had a 748 for many years and covered many miles on it during this time I got to know it quite well, just updated it and was quite happy, had a few rides on a 999 it seemed better in some departments but as ever on a test ride I am usually careful.
I am now in the fortunate position of having both 748 and 999 types, 748 I will never sell as we have been all over together and apart from the usual breakdowns have had many hours of fun, usually due to the breakdowns have also met many nice people.
However I did notice during the summer the draw of my 999 was stronger when I went in the garage, perhaps it's only that it is less effort to ride than a 748 which involves a little more footwork !! or the fact you can shuffle about,
Out of all the bikes I have ridden over the past 25 years they are still the 2 that give me the biggest grin factor :) - as do many other Ducati models 888 etc, these days they are all good and it just depends on personal taste.
Do we really care what others think ?
If your having fun just enjoy it:eek: