A theory - am I nuts?
 

If you drop your bike there is likely to be some damage to some bodywork. Even through normal use, you will likely get stonechips, scratches, fading, etc.

The cost of new original panels is usually very expensive. Pre-crashed bodywork is very cheap but if you already have damaged panels then you don't really need another set.

But if you swap out your pristine (or new) panels for damaged ones straight away then you'll end up with one set of each for a fraction of the cost. Even if they never get used, you will likely get your money back if you sell them once the bike is gone.

In a way, this is what a lot of people do with trackday bodywork - I'm just applying this to the road.

As far as I can see, the advantages are:
price, don't have to worry about stonechips/vandalism/etc, and don't have to worry about washing it (the panels at least).

The disadvantage is that it will look like you ride a rusty old nail (although even that has the advantage of being less likely to be targetted by thieves).

Thoughts and comments?

Logic is good... but riding a bike, especially a Ducati is all about showing off, isn't it ? Very little of it is "i've got a bike and i don't care".... mostly its "look at my SHINEY DUCATI"

Makes a lot of sense, but i don't see many people following the trend.

No, you're not nuts mate.

One of the downsides of the otherwise joyous experience of 888 ownership is that things like plastics are becoming quite rare. My originals are not too bad at the moment, a few more stone chips than I would like, but largely OK and at least they're all in one piece with no splits or cracks so I could easily get them refinished to a high standard. If I lobbed the bike and cracked bits of bodywork it would take quite a bit of searching to source some original panels...they only come up about once every 6 months on eBay.

So as soon as I can afford it I'm gonna lash out on a set of QB self coloured GRP panels (so that stone chips will be easier to hide), get them sprayed up and get the right decals on there and the bike can wear them for everyday and track use.

Meanwhile, the originals will be bubble wrapped and stuck up in the loft

tiz just what I do Chi.
The bike spends it's life with the 'trackday' bodywork, and there's a sparkly set of panels bubble wrarpped in the loft for when she needs to look pretty.

Makes perfect sense.

I think Desmondo took this to the extreme - he bubbled wrapped all the Red Bull bodywork and stuck it in the loft, then proceeded to trash the bike ;)

What ever happened to Desmondo?

He is still around (in fact he's online now in MSN!) but his company is very, very busy and in his spare time he's still doing up his house. Then he has Welshy to contend with :devil:

He came along to the Essex xmas dinner which was great to catch up with him.

He's still around but just too busy to do much in the way of bikes.

Wish you'd come up with this idea before my road fairings got chipped and scratched, Chi. Once I put my track fairings on, I do tend to leave them on although I feel she's not looking her best when she's out in her scruff gear. On the other hand, it proves I really do ride the bike because the fairings are completely f***ed. :devil:

Chi - you are nuts, :D , but your theory is very sound. I employ a similar strategy with regard to levers and handlebars.
The current road fairings are looking a little second-hand right now. In due course I will get these re-sprayed and then my T9 will live in its rather scruffy track-fairings (or possibly in another odd-looking set I acquired last year and am still making up my mind about!).
Don't talk to me about scratches on the tank though, I may lose my happy thoughts! :(

but you're all talking about your number 2 set of fairings being quite nice - I'm talking about them looking like a dogs dinner so you don't feel like you have to cosset it!

On the FE, I have fitted the side and top fairings from my other 900SS (they are actually in very good condition but I didn't "pay" anything for them. In fact, if anyone wants to swap for some manky ones with cash my way, I'd be very happy to chat!).

Thanks to the benevolence of Lord Rattler, I have a complete rear seat unit and panels (fitted under the watchful gaze of everybody's favourite donut-muncher, and complete with electrical tape seat release). It is red but I have a half a tin of white emulsion left over from painting the garage that will help it blend in with the silver front... In fact, I might post a piccie of her in the garage.

All I need now is a manky SS carby fuel tank and some scuffed high-level pipes and I'm good to go. Anybody have either for a bargain sale? :devil:

The idea is quite sound esp if for a bike you plan to keep. I managed to source several new tanks and a new seat unit for my beloved RC30. All genuine stuff which cost more than my ducati's worth so fired it up into the loft for safe keeping.
8 months later i discovered to my horror that a rouge mouse had decided it prefered the taste of hand laid fibreglass coated in superb pearl paint to the pipe lagging and had procceded to eat part of my new seat unit.
Sadly it turned out to be his last supper (bit too rich for his stomach) and was found dead near the crime scene which is a blessing as i would have torn the roof apart hunting the little git.

Anyway i would have been better off fitting the new stuff to the bike and putting the 9/10 stuff in the loft just in case. on the upside it was an easy repair. At the end of the day its just a bike made from plastic and metal, well thats what i was telling myself riding the RC30 back from wales on a very wet march day on salt encrusted roads.