Review Sort of !!

[Keyboard]

I have seen allot of people telling their story of their first experience on their new Ducati. I wrote this a while ago and thought I would share with the masses.

My first Ducati.... Well it has been a week now since the shiny new yellow 2005 749 was delivered to my door and I think it is time to try to share my thoughts of the new toy with you all. You know at first I was going to spew all the numbers and Torque references and talk about how fast it is for only 748 cc's but you know now that I am here I think that is all irrelevant. We all know how powerful and fast Ducatis are and how well they handle. We also know how much attention they get when you pull in for gas! But for me my thoughts on the new 749 go a little deeper than that.... In 1988 I got my first bike, it was a Honda 450 night hawk and man did I think it was the end all and be all of bikes. I rode that thing everywhere, and for two seasons I really learned allot about riding. In 1990 I got my first of many sport bikes, all of which since then have had more power than I have ever needed or wanted. I have had 1 thousands, 600's, 250's and 1300's but for me the most fun were the 750's. The last one was a Kawasaki ZX7 in green and purple and man did I love that bike. It took me to places I only dreamed of and I will never forget it. I remember when the 916 hit the pages of all of the magazines and at that time my father was shocked when all of the pictures of the Corvettes and Ferraris that I had came down and up went the photos of anything I could find with a picture of a 916. To me that one machine changed my life forever, my thoughts of one day owning a super fast Porsche or Lambo were gone in an instant and only dreams of V-twin power existed. At that time there was no way possible for me to afford that kind of machine so the other Jap bikes filled the void for many years. At the age of about 32 when I got out of the Infantry, got married and settled down to a nice desk job I promised myself that one day before I turn 35 I would have my very own Ducati. This coming February I turn 35 so I just made it and boy am I glad I did. To compare the bike with all the other bikes I have owned is just not fare. It lacks the power, comfort, price, reliability and total cost of ownership of any Jap bike. So why did I want one so bad? I will be truly honest and say I wanted one because when someone asks me what I ride I want to say Ducati. Ducati is a name like Porsche or Lotus, you don't need to say what kind, you just say it. That word alone says that I am someone special, that I am of the elite. That word says that I am unique and I alone am individual among many. That word says that I am a member of something very special and historic. That word says I am important and successful. That word says that I am one of great taste and am a connoisseur of fine things. That word says that I am something different and do not comply with the social norm. That word says that I am confident enough to go against the numbers and go outside the box. That word says I ignore the magazines and go my own way. That word says that I am someone who just doesn’t dream but goes after it, and I think what out ways all of the negatives is the emotions behind that word alone. My first thoughts of what to change on the bike were to get a new seat. I can’t go more than an hour or so with out having to stop. Now that I think about it, I may just leave the seat as is, for with out it I would not have to stop as often and would not get to say those magic words to some guy who dreams of his own Ducati some day!!! It has been a while now and I cannot put into words the feeling I have for the sound of that machine when it is fired up. Every day little by little the memories of all of my jap bikes are replaced by the yellow rocket. More importantly I can not believe the feeling I have every time I tell someone who asks “ what do you ride “ and at that moment I realize that all of my dreams have come true and with a stutter of the lips and a shutter of the heart I say with allot of pride and little arrogance...... “ Ducati “


Well it has been a while now since I first rode the new toy and I thought I would add a few things to my initial review. First of all I want to say that I do not wish to change anything I said in my first review of the duc, in fact it has only gotten better. I must admit though that the past few weeks have really made me re-think my choice of the 749. I have been doing allot of riding, both highway and city and have of course come across many other riders on different types of machines. This is where and when for the first time I thought I might have made a mistake in my choice. I have owned many bikes in the past years and I must admit that my 749 is probably the slowest of the bunch. I have been past by almost every Japanese bike I see, with its aftermarket pipe screaming its high-pitched wail. The first few times this happened I of course tried to oblige my fellow sport riders and try to keep up and show them what I got. Yes I know that is a very foolish statement and it did not take me long to realize or maybe remember that the pure power and torque of those bikes is just unmatched by anything else on the street. For a little while I missed all the power of my old GSXR 1000 and wished that maybe I had kept it and not gone the dark side to the Italian Twin. So after I got home this one night I parked the duc in the garage, grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat and stared at my bike and thought long and hard about its future.

My first thought was that I should have gone with the 999 and that it would have made all the difference and I would be happy. After a while I starting thinking about what kind of riding I like, and why. When it comes to fast bikes I have been there and done that, as I am sure all of you have and to tell the truth it has lost its flair. Anyone with 10K can go out and buy a Ninja or Gixxer and do wheelies at 180 for miles down the road and “ Think “ that there cool and a great rider. I must admit that I was one of those guys once and I did in fact have a lot of fun. Now it seems that my views on riding have changed to a more purist form in the fact that I look more towards the “feeling” of the ride and not the “rush” of the power. “ Do I really need the power of the 999, or do I just think I do? “ that was the question I put to myself. Riding the 749 for me is more rewarding in the fact that I have to push not only the bike but also myself in order to see its potential. I can’t keep up with Gixxers or Ninjas and the fact is “ I don’t want to “. Ducati is very special and unique, and because of that I rather not associate the Duc with the Japenese sport bike world. Just the road and me is all I want to be with when I am out riding. Maybe some other duc riders now and then but most of the time I truly enjoy the solo rides best. Me and my thoughts and the sounds and shakes of the 749 as I “ try “ to test its capabilities. Would I get the same enjoyment out of a 999? I don’t think so. I have ridden a few and for me it makes me lazy or at least I feel lazy. I don’t get that feeling of pushing it to the edge like on the 749 and that really is what I am looking for. Not that I will ever be able to take it to the limits, but at least it makes me feel like I am trying when I am on it. I just don’t get that from the 999.

Am I going to get rid of the 749 and go 999? Am I going to go back to the Japanese litre bikes? NOT A CHANCE!!! I have come to terms with my new 749 and now that I have had it a while I think I have made the right choice. It has taken some real thinking about what I want from a bike but in the end the 749 gives me exactly what I crave. It makes me feel like I am in control and I can dominate it when I desire. I feel like when I need to I can really push hard and still be in control. I always feel like it has a little more to give and that I can some how reach it. For me it’s like this “ It always makes me feel like I am in control, but constantly reminds me that I am not, “ you just couldn’t ask any more from a bike

[Chuckracer]

Well written!!

[Leonard]

Great read. I feel the same way with my 748.

[lil]

You have put into words much better than I have evr been able to the feeling of riding a Ducati. I am always asked "why a Ducati?" and my response is that it is perfect for me! I don't need a hyper-sports, horsepowered-to-the-max, dead common, go fast bike. I love my goes-plenty-fast-enough, sexy, noisy, torquey, distinctly mine bike that I have never seen another girl (in Oz, anyway) riding.

I can ride it and I love it. My other half rode it for the first time yesterday and loved it, except that its soooo completely different to his highly predictable, completely unexciting bike (at least he had the good taste to get it in red! ).

People ask me when I'm getting a new bike and what will it be. I have been fairly heartbroken at all this talk of no new SuperSports as I can't imagine being on anything else. My baby is staying as long as she lasts, and if I have to find new bits for her to keep her alive, I will.

I never hear people talk about their bike or riding with as much passion as I do. I never had this level of passion until the 27th of July, 2002 when I took possession.

Long live my SS!!!!

[RedScare]

ttt for a great write up.