Thanks for those vids Romans, man they were hard on those Ducatis though. I'd buy one just for the eye candy effect and that awesome sound.

Thanks for those vids Romans,

Any time Kruz. I use those vids to real me in once in awhile. I know just advertising but some truth in there some where.

man they were hard on those Ducatis though.

Were they ? I can't decide on that one. Bike could not even finish the test with out a break down. Also, at the end of each vid they seem to give The big Duc a little plug. Was wondering if they would do the same for a japanese bike ?

No matter what you decide, i'm sure that bike would be lots of fun to own. Look forward to reading your impression. Cheers.

You are correct on that DNF Romans, I went back and read all my old test articles on the 1098 and 1198 and most ended with some kind of mechanical failure or another.

It is hard for me to understand how someone with Ducat's mfg. experience has such an abysmal track record when it comes to reliability.

Well I'm looking for one right now but things may be on hold for awhile as my company is in the process of being sold. More than likely the new owners are going to be moving me to Mobile....... if they offer me a position. Lot's of if's, actually too many if's to be spending big money on another bike right now, so I'm taking a wait and see attitude.

As far as Ducati's being fast, they are fast but not in the sense most folks think of. They are not drag racers, that is not their forte especially with that dry clutch which can be tricky to modulate. They are not even fast on topend like a BMWS1000RR or ZX-10R. What they do well is to get around a track or down your favorite backroad very quickly and make it look easy. They're fun to ride, look gorgeous, sound even better and attract attention like a naked lady at a Tailhook Convention.

More eye candy, the 848 is arguably a better bike than either the 1098 or 1198 for the backroads if not for the track and looks absolutely stunning in the Arctic White..

* Last updated by: Kruz on 3/26/2013 @ 8:17 AM *

It is hard for me to understand how someone with Ducat's mfg. experience has such an abysmal track record when it comes to reliability.

2nd that. What is also hard for me to get my head around is that the motorcycle world has given Ducatis a Free Pass in the reliability area. It's as they can do no wrong. Do you know what I mean ??? It's like whenever the bike has issues the world will forgive in a instant because it's a Ducati. Any other bike manufacture would be burned all over the net. But, If it's the Ducati we except as it is expected. For the money very hard to understand ,,,,,, Sex on two wheels perhaps ? Yep want one lol.

True story, been hanging around the dealership a bit last year and while I was there one fine gentlemen purchased a 1199 Duc. Mechanics rode it around front. I waited and watched as dealer gave the new owner a run down on his new bike and installed his plates.

Then it happened,,,,,, you can guess,,,, bike would not restart. Mechanics come to the rescue (Ouch). I still waited, had to,,,, it was 45 min later I got to see him leave but he was most definitely not Happy. I always wondered if he made it home or the bike started after he shut it off,,,,, From that point I gave my self a little talking to lol. Still want one but,,,,,, I'm sure this was a one off situation but I can't imagine myself going through that with out cracking. Thought I would share that. Just a story. Cheers

I saw three brand new 1199s at the Grand Opening of the new Motoliberty store in Dallas a few months ago. Bikes looked awesome, $3000 full system Termignonis on all and dripping with carbon fiber do-dads. The thing that got my attention though was the jumbo chicken strips on the tires. Now I'm sure there is someone, somewhere that can get a knee down on his Ducati but I haven't seen him yet in my travels. These are $20,000 plus bikes before you tack on the extras and I think a lot, not all but a fair portion are bought by poseurs. These things are made to lean, that 's what they do best fer cryin out loud so these guys need to learn to throw 'em on their ear!

I've seen a few trading with 10,000 and up miles but many more with under 3000. They're for the most part, ridden to bike night once a week and then extensively polished. This is great for us if you can get one with all of the maintenance checks done, lots of gizmos and low miles for a good price. Then you could take it out and thrash it as it was surely intended to be ridden.

Yep Romans, it's the old double standard at work, a Ducati can get away with really bad behavior that you'd be crucifying a Jap bike over and it gets a pass because it's an expensive exotic bike. Similar to a Harley, they don't need to make power or turn without scraping hard parts cause they're a Harley and they're expensive. I posted my thoughts on that issue after being thoroughly underwhelmed by a ride on a friends '11 FatBoy.

Hey, I got a great idea, probably not original but why doesn't Ducati hire some Japanese engineers and the Big Four hire a couple Italian stylists? Think of all the beautiful bikes we'd have that actually started and ran reliably. Seriously, the Japanese draw too much of their inspiration from medieval Samurai armor and Budhist architecture. The front end of my ZX-10 looks like one of their houses, lots of triangular shaped shards of plastic attached to each other.

There is nothing wrong with falling in love with a Ducat, in fact, I fell under her spell too. She is like an ultra attractive woman, when you make love to her, you are reminded of just how lucky you are. When you are shopping with her, or taking her out, the other less attractive women somehow are more appealing. It's a bike you love to live with, that also happens to come with expensive consequences...

I lived with a very attractive woman when I was 28ish, 20 minutes of bliss a day unfortunately did not cement our relationship. But you know, I am married now 11 years, and from time to time, I still think about her...Just like the Ducati!

lived with a very attractive woman when I was 28ish, 20 minutes of bliss a day unfortunately did not cement our relationship. But you know, I am married now 11 years, and from time to time, I still think about her...

Don't ever tell your wife that wolfman....lol!

Yep, I hear ya Wolfman, I was 42, freshly divorced and lucked onto a stunning 25 year old, the kind that would have everyone stop dead in their tracks and turn around and look when you walked into a restaraunt together. Unfortunately it came at a high price, she cleaned me out of everything that momma didn't get. I suppose a Ducati is the same way....lol!

* Last updated by: Kruz on 4/1/2013 @ 11:15 AM *

Brother (wife-don't tell) Jes, very, very true. To come clean I only think of the twenty minutes of bliss, not much else. We lived together for a while and parted horrifically (like the Ducati). I'm 40, I hear your pain brother. The ZX has taught me two things...One I am still alive and happy to live on the right side of the grass. Two, she is a hell of a lot cheaper than a stripper girlfriend and a divorce lawyer. Sometimes you can have it all, LOL

In heaven, the police are British, The cooks are French, the engineers are German and the designers are Italian.

In hell, the police are German, the cooks are British, the engineers are French and the designers are.....Italian!

In heaven, the police are British, The cooks are French, the engineers are German and the designers are Italian.

Yep, WolfMeister, I tried the stripper route once when I was a younger man. It was fun for about two nights but then when I questioned her about some guy giving her an envelope stuffed with twenties it was game over...sigh !

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You know what scares me is the comfortable familiarity we both have in these endeavours. Like Dickens, I have a few novels in me, many of which would be true stories, mascarading as fiction. Sounds like you have a few too.

Yea, I've settled down a lot now but when I first got divorced I was like a kid in a candy store, hittin on anything in a skirt....lol! There is a lot of truth to what you're saying about Ducatis being like a high maintenance women though. You love being seen with them but there is always a cost. The down to earth gals I've been with were always steady, reliable and not too exciting. Kind of like riding a Honda...lol!

Duuuude, everytime I see someone out with the Ducati, I think to myself, been there, done that!!! Everytime I see someone on a Honda, I think to myself, been there done that!!! So what does it say about my ZX? Perhaps things have been too wild and too safe, so maybe I'm into ladies with big tits, nice attitude and ok faces? Dinner is on the table, my clothes laundered and every now and then things get a little wild.
LOL
Man I have a past too brother, a writer I admire said to me once, don't write a book unitl you've lost love, been with many, many women, taken a few prostitutes for a spin, had a near death experience, been to prison, lost your parents, and held your first born son. Suffice to say, I wrote my first novel in 2006.

Mad luv, Kruz

And??? What is the title of said book?? Let us check it out!

Young Lions,
It is a Master's Thesis, published and archived by York University.
It's a creative non-fiction about youth gangs, street life and a fatherless boy who makes his way through his teens as a member of the Rexdale Rude Boyz.
It's a humble manuscript. It draws on my experience growing up as a stranger in Rexdale and finding family in a street gang. In 2006 I was encouraged to take it beyond the university and to a publisher. I swore to revise it before sending it off. I put together an 11 track hip hop CD that went with it (my artist friend) Six years, a doctoral dissertation, two kids and and crash car of a career later, it still sits on my desk.
Life!
We all can't be heros, I for sure am not. As you can read from my above posts, I've fallen down and failed at most things in life. My specialty is failure at relationships and careers.. That said, the motorcycle is the only place where I escape all my failings and feel complete in a way that everything else does not complete me. It is my alpha and omega and my ZX is the conduit to my happiness.
Thanks for your interest, if your into this kind of theme, I'll send you a digital copy, email me if you'd like it. Peace out ZX
Wolfman