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I'd rather drop a beater bike at a standstill (common first bike problem) then a Ducati supersport. But that's just me.

That being said, you might not drop yours, so it might not matter. I'd still shy away from something as expensive as a Duc for a first bike.

"Remember, it's not your last bike, it's your first bike."

Ok, Back to the topic at hand. Do I recommend the Ducati? No - see the stickies in the beginner forum to discover why. The other point about the expense of Duc parts is also valid. Can you handle the power of the motor? Probably. Will it be comfortable? Probably not. But you seem to agree w/ Verm on alot of issues - so the comfort matter probably won't matter too much.

I really only recommend Ducs to those who are able to do their own mechanical work, because Duc dealerships take advbantage of the exclusive name to charge you exorbitant amounts for simple work. If you have no mechanical aptitude, it's another reason not to get the Duc.

WTF!?

i mentioned "it was accdg to ducati."

if you look at the link, it says it right there.

This is all well and good, but again I ask... how does it compare to the Monster? If not the Supersport, then can you name any other bikes that meet my requirements of being performance-oriented but with a milder engine than an RR bike?

I see a lot of "Don't do that!" from everyone around here but absolutely no "Do this instead". If you have other recommendations, I'm more than willing to listen. In fact, other recommendations are PREFERABLE since spending ~$5k for a first street bike isn't what I'd call ideal... but I'm willing to do so to get what I'm looking for.

Some points I should mention.
- I do my own maintenance. Always have, always will. I'm quite mechanically inclined so even the apparently complex valve adjustments pose no threat. I hope.
- Anything can be dropped at anytime. I know this quite well, and am not afraid of it. It's cosmetic damage and to be honest looks just don't much matter to me. I'd ride a bike that looks like a potato if it gave me what I wanted. So I guess that means I'd ride a Hayabusa...
- No matter what, I'm buying used. This helps lower insurance costs and takes the edge off of dropping it.
- Comfort isn't much of an issue. If I can stand to be on the thing for an hour, that'll get me to anywhere I go around here. I won't buy anything that makes me feel like I'm beyond my physical limits (like too much of a stretch to the bars), of course, but anything within that range I can deal with.

black mariah wrote:This is all well and good, but again I ask... how does it compare to the Monster?

The supersport and the monster are the same motorcycle with different riding positions, but different looks.

Now. Let's review.
You do your own maintenance
You don't care that you might drop it and have to repair it
Insurance isn't important, and ...
You don't care about Comfort.

Why the heck do you care what we think!?

Finally

I'd ride a bike that looks like a potato if it gave me what I wanted.

So. Go buy a potato and ride it for a season or two. What do you want out of it? Ohhhh... PERFORMANCE

You want a bike that is performance oriented. Brother, A 50cc Aprilia 2-stroke bike is "Performcnce oriented."

You want my opinion on a "Performance oriented" bike other than an RR? Go buy a used Aprilia RS50.

You're probably trying to be facetious, but a two-stroke Aprilia would be damn near ideal in terms of power and handling (at least the RS250 would). Were it not cost-prohibitive and of questionable feasibility I'd be all over one of those things.

black mariah wrote:You're probably trying to be facetious, but a two-stroke Aprilia would be damn near ideal in terms of power and handling (at least the RS250 would). Were it not cost-prohibitive and of questionable feasibility I'd be all over one of those things.

its like life dood


ya have to learn to walk before you can run



I dont know anyone who has bought a duc/busa/zx14r or any other hypersport for a first bike and if they did id prolly just laugh at them


as for the RS250 being in the same category as duc' supersport, them both being motorcycles is where their similarities end

If ya dont care what ya ride then go get a GS 500 or similar, acquire some road skills and join the ranks of the sane and normal

Anyone that would put a 750 Supersport in the same category as a Hayabusa has no clue WTF they're talking about. I suggest you check the specs, then report back to this thread.

I don't want to join the ranks of the sane and normal. I wanna race.

To a beginner w/ no experience, they are pretty much in the same category. i.e. the "It's better to learn on something else" category.


If you want to do something like learn to race, then you need a nimble bike that corners "Like its on rails" something that's easily tossable. With smooth and linear power delivery.

More important than this though is you need the support to be able to learn about the bike and the way to ride it.

If you want the most versatile bike with tons of relatiely inexpensive upgrades, a huge following, and even a track following among amateur racers, then the SV650 is your bike. Physically and statistically, this bike is everything you need to learn about racing, because it's the least expensive bike out there with a tweakable suspension, etc.

Now, the intangibles - Support for your riding. I find that you get more support from a club-racer bike like the SV than you do with the RR's like the GSX-R line of bkes. Why? It has something to do with the kind of people who buy the bike (Don't care about top speed numbers) and what they do with it (Go club racing from stock to modified, instead of buying the biggest and best all the time.)

You've seen tons of posts by Verm - What he wants to get, How he wants ot buy all this crap for trackdays, etc etc. You don't need all that Crap. Anyone who know motorcycles knows this. Verm is alot less likely to get help because he's looking to improve his motorcycle more than his skills. He's been preoccupied with having the fastest raciest bike possible. It shows on the forum, and no one with any experience really takes him seriously. Do you think anyone's going to take him seriously in real life either? Do you think anyone is going to want to help a guy on the track who makes a point of going out and buying race tires when he has no clue how to race?

You get a bike that screams "I'm a racer" and you can't back up that statement, you're not going to get the support you need from the experienced biker community. You get a bike that says "I'm trying to master the art of Motorcycling" and people will take an interest in helping you become a better rider.

Ducati is an exclusive name, and while many people race their ducatis, you have just as many people out there who simply bought ducati to have the name. Ditto for the GSX-R except the idiot ratio goes up exponentially with the people who buy these bikes. All you have to do is look at the Inventory at a national-level bike wreckers to see this firsthand. The SV is an Understatement. It's a bike for people "who know."

But maybe I'm just full of it. Anyone want to chip in on this?

The guy is not worth it. He is all talk.