[1982SZ]

Hp is no good w/o the torque which puts that power to the ground, literally. I hear you on 4 cylinder performance, but that comes from a GSXR, and not a Katana. Once you experience the Desmo 4 valve rush, and hear the intake roar as you decide to wind it up above 7K, the intoxication is on tap and it DOES become your daily rider. You will get interested in your wife/girlfriend/cousins yoga classes just to be able to run for 500-1000 mile days. That's no ****. All common sense goes out the window and you might as well start using heroin because that's as little sense as your life's twists are going to Ducati take you.

What's that Chandler line from Friends:" Joey, did a Ferrari throw up all over you?" Go to Indy for the Moto GP just for the Ducati Island experience. Italina fashion models. Cannoli. Beautiful. Mmm, thanks for re-directing my moto karma back to the Desmo!

I don't understand what everyone loves about ducs... No offense OP, if you like em I say go for it but "the Lamborghini of bikes" come on... I am unlikely to ever own a ducati, love the feeling of those 4 small cylinders taking me into warp speed trying with all their might to kill me. From a truly performance stand point 4 cylinders is better than 2. It is nice to have that torque but on such a light machine it is all about hp. Again if you like the duc go for it... That's why there are different options out there, because we all enjoy different things. And FWIW I think the duc is one of the most beautiful pieces of mass produced machinery there is(I could understand someone saying the duc is the ferrari of bikes if PURELY from a visual perspective)

[1982SZ]

Some Duc Island pics, 2009 Indy GP

[DClark]

Hp is no good w/o the torque which puts that power to the ground, literally. I hear you on 4 cylinder performance, but that comes from a GSXR, and not a Katana. Once you experience the Desmo 4 valve rush, and hear the intake roar as you decide to wind it up above 7K, the intoxication is on tap and it DOES become your daily rider.

I agree that the Ducati has a visceral quality that is unique, but if I had the $ (I think I need $9K), I'd buy the used (8k miles, I think) Suzuki Gamma 500 at my local dealer. There are some things only a four cylinder 2 stroke sport bike can do plus there is nothing like the smell of burning castor oil in the morning

[STULER]

Looked into buying one, gonna pass on the ducati. too expensive, and my zx14 gets more chicks than the ducatis )) maybe invest in a vtwin tl1000r or rc51

[STULER]

Looked into buying one, gonna pass on the ducati. too expensive, and my zx14 gets more chicks than the ducatis )) maybe invest in a vtwin tl1000r or rc51

[STULER]

Looked into buying one, gonna pass on the ducati. too expensive, and my zx14 gets more chicks than the ducatis )) maybe invest in a vtwin tl1000r or rc51

[1982SZ]

Looked into buying one, gonna pass on the ducati. too expensive, and my zx14 gets more chicks than the ducatis )) maybe invest in a vtwin tl1000r or rc51

I've still got my '03 RC51 race bike, clean title, and 2 sets of track skins, carbon fiber/kevlar race tank as well. Interested?

[stoocats]

my son's 748....like 1982 said, no other manufacturer comes close to the Ducati 's desmo 4 valve rush, and intake roar. when my son rides behind me on my kat , I often look up at the sky to see where the thunder is coming from, gets me all the time.


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpve3V-0u9U&feature=player_profilepage"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpve3V-0u9U&feature=player_profilepage[/ame]

[Rootzee]

That pinging noise is a little unsettling. I was waiting for the motor to blow up. Maybe it's the video, but once it revved a bit it sounded awesome.
My buddies 749 doesn't sound like that at idle, again could be the video. Either way the bike is sexy as hell!

[soulpatch]

It sounds like the cam belts are badly in need of a tune up. who knows though.

I know I can hear my cam chain on my 675 slightly till I throttle up though nothing like in that video...

[stoocats]

oh the bells, thats the dry clutch, my son gets a kick out of those bells, he took of the clutch cover to make them louder, that's bells and whistles for him...

[STULER]

I've still got my '03 RC51 race bike, clean title, and 2 sets of track skins, carbon fiber/kevlar race tank as well. Interested?

key words: race bike... not really interested. Im looking for something with very low miles and stock.

[coop2u407]

My cousins is a long time ducati tech and when he works on his monster 900 he cannot get side tracked at all. He will stay in his garage for a couple days. Literally he is out there with a sleeping bag. And does nothing but work and stay hydrated. They are lots of fun on the road but for his anyway he gets some hardcore maintenance time

[Shifty]

I recently rode both before buying my second Monster - an S4R powered by the 996 8-valve Twin. Both are incredible, but not particularly confortable. Although that's not a great concern to me now, my knees and back can't take much more abuse before they start bothering me. In the end I went back to the Monster with a Superbike motor.

Compared to a Japanese bike, you are indeed going to see more maintenance and costs, but I'm telling you it's so worth it. To feel the torque kick your *** every time you release that clutch is something you get spoiled by. Jump back on a Japanese bike and you find yourself waiting for that rush... and that's not to say that the 4's aren't fun in their own way, but for those of us who enjoy that feeling of instant gratification (i.e., thrust), Duc Twins are unbeatable.

There's also something to be said for the visual appeal of the machine. I literally just sit and stare at my Monster in awe sometimes. I've even parked her indoors when we have a party, as Ducatis always make a great conversation piece. And I've never had anyone, even a woman, comment that it was odd to have that bike in my living room. It was more like "holy crap, you have a Ducati in your living room, that's awesome". LOL... like displying a work of art I guess. There's something mystical about the name and the brand, like Ferrari or Lamborghini. When I had my little 620, people would comment "Wow, a Ducati?! That's a $15,000 bike"! Depending on the company I was in, I would usually dismiss that claim. Usually.

[STULER]

^^^^^ Agreed torque is nice, thats y i ride a zx14