ive not noticed any hatred towards ducati owners in the 7 odd years of living with them. a touch of jelousy maybe the reason behind snide coments. (maybe thats why kawasakis are green?)
i find you pays your money & takes your choice. earier dukes did have an issue with electrics & there were reliability problems in certain areas but nowadays i believe they are as good as any other manufacturer.
i guess there are just alot of uninformed riders out there...