school me on ducatis

[RoyalewitCheese]

Not pursuing one as of this moment, going to just ride my fiz and get back in the swing of things in terms of riding for a while, I'm not awesome worthy yet.

What is the best Duc in terms of reliability and excellence for a first time owner? I have always wanted one since I was 18, and I'm saving up for one in the next few years. I love the way the Desmosedici looks, never been on one, but is it worth searching around for? Going to save up a good 5-7 grand and then go hunting.


Gratzie

[markbvt]

I love the way the Desmosedici looks, never been on one, but is it worth searching around for? Going to save up a good 5-7 grand and then go hunting.

I think you might have a little trouble finding a Desmosedici for 5-7 grand...

--mark

[SRTie4k]

Having never owned a Ducati, take this with a grain of salt, but I have a feeling the most reliable model is probably going to be the Monster. Why? They've had decades to iron out the problems.

[RoyalewitCheese]

I think you might have a little trouble finding a Desmosedici for 5-7 grand...

--mark

ok so ... that sucks


so a monster would be the best fit for a first duc with that kind of cash? Unless i win the lottery, correct?

[maxim_X]

I don't know if your serious about the desmodicci but used they around $60,000. There is a guy on these boards with a 200,000 mile monster so reliability is what you make it. Most of the motors are in more than 1 model. For example the supersports use monster based motors.

[SRTie4k]

The Monster is also less of a "race bike", which typically equates to less stressed parts, which of course means better reliability.

[curiouser]

Never owned one, but I was told to buy the newest Duc you can afford, as reliability seems to have improved quite a bit in recent years. One caveat I've heard about recent ones however, is the problem with plastic fuel tanks:
http://www.google.com/search?q=ducat...ient=firefox-a

Personally, I'd get a Monster 696 as a first Ducati.. that's my plan, anyway.

[jwm2k3]

Fuck reliability, fuck cost..

I ride one beacuse its totally bad ass.

[bostongixxer]

Fuck reliability, fuck cost..

I ride one beacuse its totally bad ass.

Amen... Get the 1199 Panigale.

[RoyalewitCheese]

awesome info dudes, thanks for all the input


starting to put more effort into researching a monster now, the desmosedici is just a ridiculous dream at this point.

[BSR6]

The monster is the way to go. The riding position is almost perfect. It's a comfortable bike but sporty enough so can still take it to the track. I love the way the newer one's feel when you sit on them, there is almost nothing in front of you. If you put the right exhaust on it, they sound fantastic and have tons of character.

I am about 99% certain my next bike will be a Monster.

[backinthesaddle]

A friend put the performance pipe and carbon fiber tail section on his DEsmosedicci for about $8K. You would think a $60K bike would already have the performance exhaust.

[markbvt]

the desmosedici is just a ridiculous dream at this point.

At any point. They only made a very limited number, so they're highly collectible and their prices will never come down to the point that mere mortals can afford them. These are bikes that sit in rich guy's garages alongside their Ferraris or Vincents.

But the Monster is certainly a good choice; or if you want something fully faired, a 996 or 998 is a gorgeous bike in its own right.

Also worth considering: air-cooled or liquid-cooled motor? The air-cooled Ducati twins are relatively easy to do maintenance on at home; the liquid-cooled ones are more complicated.

Personally, if someone gave me a gift certificate for the lightly-used Ducati of my choice, I'd go with a Sport 1000 (part of the Sport Classic line that was discontinued a couple of years ago). Gorgeous bike, fun to ride.

--mark

[curiouser]

A friend put the performance pipe and carbon fiber tail section on his DEsmosedicci for about $8K. You would think a $60K bike would already have the performance exhaust.

You don't need a performance exhaust to ride to the local Starbucks.

[DesmoTull]

Having never owned a Ducati, take this with a grain of salt, but I have a feeling the most reliable model is probably going to be the Monster. Why? They've had decades to iron out the problems.

Many Ducati components are shared across different models... Even the Monster 696/796/1100 is essentially an evolution of the 2 valve Pantah engine that's been used since 1980.

The Monster is also less of a "race bike", which typically equates to less stressed parts, which of course means better reliability.

Monsters aren't more or less of a "race bike" then anything else in the Ducati line, IMHO.

[Doc]

Air cooled older Duc would be a good 1st Duc. Look for an older 900ss or 900 Monster, Heck an 800ss would be good too, then you could track it.

[Ryno]

ST2 is a great option

[dankatz]

Monster 696...that's what I have. Very reliable. Very economical. Very light. Very nimble. Lots of character (I like riding it more than my VFR). With a touring seat, can easily do 350 mile days. And, the price should be on target. Yes, the newer the Ducati the more reliable it is.

[backinthesaddle]

You don't need a performance exhaust to ride to the local Starbucks.

I don't think he has a local Starbucks, but he has one helluva collection from rc30 to Bimota. Better than riding to a bike
show.

[PhilB]

Any model with the aircooled 2V engine will hold up well, and not be terribly expensive to maintain. The liquid-cooled 4V engines take more, and more expensive, maintenance. The newer models are better in many ways, but the plastic tank issue is a big one, and there is no good solution for it. I'd suggest (as Doc did) a '90's 2V with a steel tank. Monster or SS, depending on your style and preference, would do great. A newer option would be a hyperMotard, with a replacement tank from CA Cycleworks (which is about twice the capacity as well), but that's above your price range.

PhilB

[Mike Qube]

I have an older Monster. It's been pretty reliable for its age. I did have a couple of shorts that were easily found and fixed. I have over 35k on mine and it actually runs better now than when I got it at 11k. Degsy did some good work on it last year.

[PhilB]

I have an older Monster. It's been pretty reliable for its age. I did have a couple of shorts that were easily found and fixed. I have over 35k on mine and it actually runs better now than when I got it at 11k. Degsy did some good work on it last year.

30-40K is just about when that engine is fully settled in and at its best. That's when mine stopped changing, and I was able to double the interval of valve checks (from 5-6K to 10-12K) after that.

PhilB

[darkduc7]

Get a 2v air cooled monster. Older 900 or newer 696/1100, I'd avoid the old 600/750 because they are kinda blah. S2r 800/1000 are wicked.

As stated, the air cooled monsters are comfy, sporty, look badass, and are reliable with low maintenance costs. Water cooled 4v's are reliable too, but require more upkeep that you may not be able to tackle yourself.

[SVRACER01]

monster S4R.....done. awesome bike with great usable power. handles great too

[Dannyf]

Well I've done 5k on my 1198 since I picked it up in March is this is what I've found so far.
-It consumes gas like Ted Kennedy consumed liquor.
-Compared to other sport bikes it is very uncomfortable.
-LOUD.
-Every Shmoe in the world wants to talk to you about it. And oddly 75% of the people you run into on other bikes just happen to have one at home.
-The handling, brakes, and power delivery are phenomenal.
-People who don't know what a dry clutch is will tell you your bike is broken.

Thats all I can really think of. The fact that is uncomfortable, thirsty, and noisy don't bother me in the slightest. I bought the bike knowing these things and I wouldn't give it up for anything. They are truly badass and I gotta say it again the power delivery on the street makes the thing one of the funnest bikes I've ridden.