[Jools]

Originally posted by mab

See i dont understand when you say they're not like the real thing???

These 'jap bikes' are the real thing- look at the developement that goes into these bikes and the money each of the manufacturers spend getting the latest technology from the racetrack to a bike that anyone, ie myself, can go and buy for less than 9grand- its simply awesome!! The japs spend millions upon millions racing bikes every year and this then filtered down to me on my latest gixxer1000-not the real deal-i dont think so!!!

But like i've said before it really depends what it is that gives you your passion for a bike and for me its the thrill i get when i'm riding it-the power, the handling, the balance (the wheelies lol) etc thats what does it for me!!

keep 'er lit

Ps did i mention the reliablity lol lol

All bikes are terrific fun whether they're Japanese, Italian or British...It's just that like most people on this site Ducatis do it for me.

We don't all sit around polishing 'em, I've got a bike because I want to ride it, and I ride it every chance I get. I've got several riding buddies that do the same, all on Ducatis, and we regularly clock up 250-300 miles a day on rideouts. We don't pootle round either, I like to think we ride responsibly through towns and villages but on the open road we ride as fast as anybody would want to ride. I can easily scare myself witless with 80-100 bhp so personally, I don't need to go any faster than my current bikes can go.

My bikes are still faster than me in the fast group on track days as well - even my ST2, and I've been round the outside of bigger Japanese bikes on that (haven't tracked the 888 yet).

I'm a long way from being the quickest rider about, and I'm no track god, so on the road and on the track, I'm the limitation not the bike, so I'm not sure what I would do with 160 bhp that I can't do with 100 bhp.

I wouldn't go around corners much quicker with extra horses - if at all because it's always on corner speed that I go past more powerful bikes anyway. I wouldn't get more drive out of corners with 160 bhp because I would have to feed in the power much more gingerly, so I can't think what I would do with the extra power other than wind it on down the straight bits and try to keep the front wheel on the deck.

I guess after R1's, Gixer Thou's and the like a 749 would feel tame to you, and maybe you're a much quicker and braver bloke than me. Maybe you've got a higher fear threshold and need the extra power to give you the same adrenalin rush that I get at lower speeds.

Who knows! It's just that Ducati's do it for me and Japanese bikes don't so much. It's not an elitist thing, both my bikes combined aren't worth as much as a new Gixer thou.