[zeroselect]

Been too busy for a real ride this season.

 

[waveSounds]

@joseph69 Have you ever considered adding a Ducati Diavel or XDiavel to your stable? Looks of a cruiser, performance closer to that of a sports bike.

 

[Brava210]

Baby GS....very nimble.

 

[Brava210]

Also the much ridiculed SFV650

 

[joseph69]

@joseph69 Have you ever considered adding a Ducati Diavel or XDiavel to your stable? Looks of a cruiser, performance closer to that of a sports bike.

Beautiful machine that I'm familiar with, but no, I've never considered one. I did however consider the BMW K1600B & the Honda ST1300, though, but then came to my senses and realized 2 bikes is plenty considering I do ALL of my own work & maintenance.

 

[zx10guy]

If you're thinking about a Ducati, think seriously if you want to take on the commitment of owning one. I've been an owner of a 2009 848 bought new. Here are the list of things that I've had fixed on the bike: horizontal cylinder head gasket, clutch master, some LEDs burned out on mirror turn signal (can't remember which side), immobilzer antenna failure, condensation with both headlights, radiator, and let's not forget the infamous plastic fuel tank debacle.

For those that don't know about the fuel tank issue, Ducati sourced the plastic fuel tanks used in many different models in the same generation as my bike from Acerbis. Reports and complaints started to circulate as the bikes started to get some age on them about people not being able to re-attach the tanks after removing them from the frame. In addition, people started noticing bubbles and warping on the tanks surfaces. Eventually, the cause was found to be the Ethanol used in US fuels that attacked the plastic used in the tanks. Initially, Ducati was just swapping out the tanks like for like. Eventually, this developed into a massive problem where warranty claims where constantly coming in. Ducati's answer? Produce a new fuel tank which was a bit shorter than the original but used the same blasted plastic. The tank on my bike eventually started to show signs of Ethanol damage. So my dealer puts in for the new tank. I asked the dealer to ask Ducati if I could just get the aluminum fuel tank they had in their performance catalog. It was unpainted but I was willing to pay to have it painted. Ducati said no. Despite the cost of the aluminum tank at the time being the same as the stock painted plastic tank. Later Ducati jacked the prices up on the aluminum tanks which was their hint to stop asking for the aluminum tank versus the replacement plastic one. There was a class action filed which Ducati setttled which amounted to nothing for us owners, gave Ducati an out on dealing with this issue, and put a ton of money into some lawyer's pocket.

Recently, the clutch master is showing signs of failure again. Some LEDs are burned out again in one of the mirror turn signals (again can't remember which side). And I have to chase down an electrical issue where for some reason the headlights and gauge illumination would cut out for no reason. Make for a fun ride at night.

Also, while Ducati has stretched their maintenance windows further out from the days of the 748/998, be prepared for sticker shock when you have to get your bike in for routine maintenance. I had service done a few months ago which involves checking the valve lash and such. With a discount, the service was $1600.

I mentioned above the radiator needed to be fixed. My bike was the last model run where there was a design flaw in the radiator. There is a brace/bracket on the left side of the radiator which mounts the radiator to the frame. This brace/bracket was not properly reinforced. It carried too much load which wasn't evenly distributed along the top of the radiator. It created a stress point which led to the radiator leaking. Ducati came out with a redesign which provided extra reinforcement/metal to spread the stress load out. This was introduced in the 2010 model year. Ducati was good willing the repair for affected bikes a couple of years past the warranty expiration. I wasn't so lucky. Mine actually lasted for quite a while before failing. I replaced it myself last summer. Why I'm bringing this up is to talk about parts. Some times if you need parts, you might have to wait weeks to get it if you have to order it from a dealer/Ducati. This is because Ducati does not have a parts distribution system in the US. They did but killed it off. So a part either comes to you if you specifically order it or some dealer might happen to have it on their shelves. Getting back to the radiator, I priced out what a new OE radiator would cost. $1000. Yes, you're looking at that price correctly.....that's 3 zeros behind the 1. So parts are stupid expensive for these bikes. I managed to find a good used one off of Fleabay for $120.

Contrast this with my 2004 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. The bike has only had oil changes done to it. Other than that, there has been no failures at all on that bike.

Would I consider another Ducati? It's hard for me to go to the well again. Most likely my next bike will be a new BMW S1000RR. Having had extensive track time/experience with the RR makes it a logical choice. It'll probably replace my 848 and I'll just keep the ZX-10R; despite the 848 having a full Ohlins suspension and other aftermarket odds and ends.

 

[joseph69]

@joseph69 Have you ever considered adding a Ducati Diavel or XDiavel to your stable? Looks of a cruiser, performance closer to that of a sports bike.

 

[joseph69]

.

 

[iNeedCansBad]

Been riding for about 6 years. Hit a deer last year on my Ninja 1000 and broke my collarbone bad as well as my ankle, and big toe. Now I have a metal plate holding my collar bone in place, and it was done by a very reputable surgeon, but I still have pain nearly a year later... Now when I ride my collar bone hurts, it really sucks, and I'm not old at all. At one point in time riding ruled my life, its all I could think about, now it's like a forgotten hobby. I still ride, but it just doesn't consume me like it once did.

 

[CoryGillmore]

This is my beloved 2008 Honda CBR600RR. The top two pics are the day I bought it in June 2014 in pretty much stock form, the bottom two are the state it was in before I sold it in April 2018. I went through a year and a half long Xanax addiction with this bike and somehow managed to not die or ever lay it down. Which is a miracle in itself as towards the end I only ever wanted to ride it when I was zonked out of my mind.

This was my first motorcycle ever and I learned to ride on it. Way too fast for a beginner bike but somehow I made it through. I almost died on an interstate exit ramp my first week since I didn't know how to turn the damn thing. Pulled over on the side of the road and literally pulled up a Youtube video on how to turn a motorcycle. Then went on about my ride LMAO. Good times eh?

 

[privilege15]

OMG, motorcycles and their customization is another hobby of mine!

That's my R3:

 

[waveSounds]

I almost died on an interstate exit ramp my first week since I didn't know how to turn the damn thing. Pulled over on the side of the road and literally pulled up a Youtube video on how to turn a motorcycle. Then went on about my ride LMAO. Good times eh?

Uh... I don't know how you do things in the States, but in the UK you need to pass a basic competency test before you can ride even a lowly 50cc, let alone something of a larger capacity. How exactly did you manage to acquire a motorcycle without even knowing how to turn one

 

[CoryGillmore]

Uh... I don't know how you do things in the States, but in the UK you need to pass a basic competency test before you can ride even a lowly 50cc, let alone something of a larger capacity. How exactly did you manage to acquire a motorcycle without even knowing how to turn one

Oh in the states any ol moron can buy a bike, get insurance, tag it and take to the road to harm themselves or others. You're supposed to have a motorcycle license but it's rarely enforced if you're pulled over. Most cops just make sure you have a valid drivers license, insurance and tags. Lots of people die over here too on a bike they just bought. I'm lucky I wasn't one of them.

 

[zx10guy]

Oh in the states any ol moron can buy a bike, get insurance, tag it and take to the road to harm themselves or others. You're supposed to have a motorcycle license but it's rarely enforced if you're pulled over. Most cops just make sure you have a valid drivers license, insurance and tags. Lots of people die over here too on a bike they just bought. I'm lucky I wasn't one of them.

Let me correct this for you. In the States, any moron can get any driver's license to include an M endorsement. But I would have to say at least in my state, you had to show a little competency with handling a motorcycle by doing certain skills in a test parking lot. A friend of mine who lives in another state had the simplest motorcycle test I've ever heard. He showed up at the DMV. Lady went outside to administer the "test". He road his motorcycle down the parking lot and back. She said that's it. Pass.

What I did to get my license was to take the MSF BRC class. It provided instruction on the basic and administered the same test the DMV would have for me to get my license. Passing this class, I got a certificate I could take to the DMV to get my M endorsement. The draw back is the class costs money along with many times a long waiting list.

I feel the MSF BRC should be the minimum to obtain an M endorsement along with graduated licensing in terms of when you're able to purchase bigger displacement bikes. I started off with an old Ninja ZX750 and got cocky. I quickly ended up with a 04 ZX-10R. Lots of my bad habits and mental hang ups had to be corrected over the years because I went too big too soon. I've been doing track day classes for years now and wonder how things would have been had I kept a small bike to gain the proper experience on.

 

[waveSounds]

Oh in the states any ol moron can buy a bike, get insurance, tag it and take to the road to harm themselves or others. You're supposed to have a motorcycle license but it's rarely enforced if you're pulled over. Most cops just make sure you have a valid drivers license, insurance and tags. Lots of people die over here too on a bike they just bought. I'm lucky I wasn't one of them.

Let me correct this for you. In the States, any moron can get any driver's license to include an M endorsement. But I would have to say at least in my state, you had to show a little competency with handling a motorcycle by doing certain skills in a test parking lot. A friend of mine who lives in another state had the simplest motorcycle test I've ever heard. He showed up at the DMV. Lady went outside to administer the "test". He road his motorcycle down the parking lot and back. She said that's it. Pass.

What I did to get my license was to take the MSF BRC class. It provided instruction on the basic and administered the same test the DMV would have for me to get my license. Passing this class, I got a certificate I could take to the DMV to get my M endorsement. The draw back is the class costs money along with many times a long waiting list.

I feel the MSF BRC should be the minimum to obtain an M endorsement along with graduated licensing in terms of when you're able to purchase bigger displacement bikes. I started off with an old Ninja ZX750 and got cocky. I quickly ended up with a 04 ZX-10R. Lots of my bad habits and mental hang ups had to be corrected over the years because I went too big too soon. I've been doing track day classes for years now and wonder how things would have been had I kept a small bike to gain the proper experience on.

That's astounding considering the inherent dangers that come with motorcycles...

In the UK I had to first take a CBT (compulsory basic training) on a 125cc bike which consisted of an entire day of instruction both in a car-park scenario, and then an on the road competency. Following that I was then required to do a theory test, without which you cannot sit your practical tests. You're then required to complete a Mod 1 and Mod 2 test, the former where you're in a supervised (one on one) purpose built complex, where the test instructor tasks you with completing various maneuvers. If you pass this you move to the Mod 2, which is again a one on one instructor supervised test, but out on the roads. You are then allowed to ride bikes larger than 125cc. This again differs if you're under 21, where you are restricted to an A2 licence (47bhp max). Sure there are some other regulations for under 21s and the progression to a full A (unrestricted) licence, but as I did mine when I was 27 I'm not fully up to date on what they are. Then of course there are the extortionate insurance costs on top, unless you're either old or lucky enough to live away from a city.

My progression was essentially a 125cc which I rode for about 2,500 miles, trained for my full licence, then on to a Yamaha MT-07 for ~3 years and 36,000 miles. I'm now on the BMW K1300S.