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Are you referring to me? If so... I think you are way off My Honda 750 was slow, didn't corner/handle well, and I got sick of how it looked and rode... bored of riding on it... so I went and bought a bike I find exciting... Of course I could be wrong... you just may be the all knowing authority on what makes someone a biker and what should excite and bore them!

Sevulturus wrote:There-in lies the difference between a biker, and some one who just rides.

HandsomeRyan wrote:so i went to the "high end motorcycle only dealership" in town. i got hooked up with the owner when i walked in, an i asked him if they had anything for beginners. before he would show me anything he went to get some paper work about the safety course. i told him im already signed up.

Q:how many sales people at the japanese dealers even mentioned safety course?

A: none.

Well it seems you already have the right attitude to own a Ducati.

He actually sold you on the dark rather than the gloss versions? He really isnt trying to take money out of your pocket, the Dark is a cheaper model than the red or gloss black versions.

yea, he even told me it was cheaper (and we agreed the dark looks better)

i think about 60% of the reason i want that bike is how i was treated by the people at the dealer. even though i am a young guy who is obviously not independently wealthy, in a store full of very very nice bikes, the guy treated me liek a human being, and didnt try all those BS sales tactics. i would rather spend 2 times as much and feel good about it than give a penny to a someone i think is a crook.

i gotta wait till monday and make some calls about insurance, that is the biggest problem right now.

quick insurance question, when i do online quotes (i know they will be higher than a real quote) it asks what i will use the bike for- such as pleasure, to from work/ school, racing, etc.
I dont know if they willl ask this when i call, but if they do what is the correct answer? i was thinking pleasure because if you ride to-from work you probably ride at least 5 times a week, but pleasure might only be nice weekend days? but i dont know a lot about insurance so???? help me out here.

A few notes about ducati maintenance - (Yes, I'm a certified Duc tech)

Your valve check interval is 6,000 miles. This doesn't mean you have to adjust every 6k mi, just need to check the valves.

To adjust the valves, you just put shims on the valves ... not really a big deal (And a HELL of alot easier than some Japanese shim designs)

On a 2 valve duc, you check clearance on 2 places per valve - that's 4 checks per cylinder , 8 in total.

Air-Cooled 2v monsters are some of the easiest modern bikes to check the valves on. They are almost as easy as checking an old BMW boxer twin's valves.

If all of this seems like too much work, you can install Martin Brickwood Performance Valve Collets ($120 for a 2v bike) and your valve check interval goes from 6,000 miles to 18,000 miles guaranteed (Which exceeds many japanese vbalve-check intervals).

Basically, people who say modern Ducatis are overly maintenace intensive aren't as well informed as they should be. They require no more maintenance than a Japanese bike.

For Comparison, I give you the Valve check interval of other beginner bikes in this class -

the Suzuki GS500f - every 4,000 miles.
the Kawasaki Ninja 500 - every 6,000 miles.

So there you have it folks - With a $120 upgrade, the Ducati requires less valve maintenance than any of the Japanese motorcycles in the same class.

Why then does Ducati not use these collets straight out of the factory?

To be honest with you ... I would have to say "Italian Pride"

No one (especially some private tuner) is going to tell them how to build their bike.

Ducati has said that they have corrected the problem requiring the 6,000 mile interval - The problem was a round wire valve collet that was prone to becoming slightly flattened while in the engine, which could cause serious engine damage (valve falling into cylinder) if left unchecked. It rarely happened (If ever) but theoretically anyway, it was a problem. In reality, the 6,000mi interval was really to change out this collet - Valve clearance was a secondary consideration.

Since about 1998(ish) Ducati have manufactured a flattened steel collet that they claim has solved the problem. At any rate, they still recommend a 6,000 mile valve check - so the MPB collets are more for lengthening your valve-check interval instead of correcting a factory problem.

A secondary consideration is engine weight. MBP collets are a bit heavier than the normal collets, hence Ducati isn't as interested in the product for their factory machines because of weight gain. This extra weight probably makes no difference on the street (And because of the aftermarket parts' successful track record, I could say that it makes no difference on the track either)

Probably more than you wanted to know.

Whatever minimizes the amount of wrenching that needs to be done is good by me. LoL!

Sevulturus wrote:There-in lies the difference between a biker, and some one who just rides.

so you are saying that someone who just rides can get bored of a bike, but a biker has sex with his bike? or.. what?

Kal, I agree that riding any bike may be fun... but riding the same bike for a long time, or riding a bike that doesn't challenge your skills anymore or doesn't have the torque you want etc. can get boring. Cornering with a bike around turns that I can't lean over very far because the pegs are too low and the tires aren't made for leaning gets boring to me. Leaning back in a low seat that feels like I am sitting on a couch and hitting the throttle and not feeling a knot of excitement in your stomach from a bunch of low end torque over and over again in MY opinion is boring. See where I am coming from?