Ducati / Bike newbie

[myneny]

Hello everyone,
Well, I’m new to the bike scene and now I have the itch. Unfortunately I can’t decide which Ducati I want to buy. I guess I should start with some background information so people can offer an informed opinion. As far as bike riding experience goes I used to ride dirt bikes up in some logging trails by my grandfathers camp site 15 years ago. Rarely have I ever had the occasion to ride bikes on the street. I have been around some friends who have been into sport bikes and I have occasionally driven some of their bikes. One of my fondest memories is one of my friends at the time had 3 bikes and he wanted to bring them all to a bike show that was local. I got “stuck” with the Ducati (I don’t remember what it was) and it was the most surreal experience I had on 2 wheels. I just loved riding that bike and I knew at that moment if I ever bought a bike it would be a Ducati. It was been about 5 years since I was on a bike and a couple of moths ago a good friend of mine bought a sport bike and I took it for a ride and now I have the itch. Unfortunately my riding skills have eroded to the point that I almost forgot how to turn onto a corner. So I’m contemplating what I should buy. I’m tossed up between the Supersport 1000ds or the Monster S2R 1000. I want something light so I can learn how to ride again and something that I won’t be bored with after a year. It’s also highly likely that at some point I will be taking the bike to some road course once I get comfortable because I have taken all of my cars to the track at some point and I love it. I’m open for any suggestions that anyone might have to help me choose the right bike, and I’m not married to just those 2 choices either. Thanks ahead of time, I’d appreciate any advice anyone is willing to give me.

[CHRISMI]

The monster should be more comfortable of those two choices,and i personally think you can't go wrong with either one! And there should be some 800cc versions of both of those bikes available if you wanted to start off smaller! i have an 800SS and find that it suits most all of my needs just fine,but I would love to have the 1000!

[jbcaddy]

Take a rider safety class before you buy, the life you save may be your own. then after you have your ticket to ride get a cheap learner bike and get some miles under your belt before the Ducati. Then you can do some test rides and decide for yourself which one suits you best.

[badass916sp]

I think everyone here will tell you the same thing: start with an older Japanese bike and get used to it, let it fall over a few times, learn how it feels in depth, and THEN get a Ducati.

Unless you have lots of money, an older bike is a better bet as it's less loss if you happen to crash or forget to put the sidestand down.

I recently found a Honda Hurricane for 1K. The CBR600 F2 or F3 are also good fast bikes that are user-friendly too.

[amullo]

I´m gonna chime in with the other guys.

Doing a safety or refresher course before you buy the bike may be a good idea. In fact It´s a great idea. We aren´t trying to tell you NOT to get a Ducati, rather the opposite! Ducati´s are great rides and inspire riders to go faster and spend more time in the saddle.

BUT.. since Ducs aren´t exactly cheap (Understatement) it MAY be beneficial to get a lighter bike to learn on. Because there are two kinds of riders. those who have crashed and those who will. And chances that you will be taking a slide are alot higher when you are in the beginning of raising your knowledge and skill.

So you´ve decided to go for the 1000DS engine (good choice by the way), and your thinking about the monster or SS...

Both these bikes should work fine for you.
The monster is a great bike that works very nicely in town, on twisties and for everyday use. The upright position and wide handlebars make turning a joy and you will have no problem running away from newbie sportbike riders on the bike. You will NOT get bored with this! It will also work for moderate track use. It gets abit windy in high speeds, but that can be helped.

The SS is abit diffrent. More sporty and better groundclearance together with a grunter engine makes this the perfect twisty weapon. It´s also very competent at the track. For the town, the bike is okey, but it´s kinda hard on the back to ride in traffic. The design is also abit dated, but i still like it. An SS will also allow you long trips and touring with only small modifications.

So it´s really down to what your going to use it for and which one gets your heart pumping.. I like them both ALOT! But if it was my money? I´d get the SS, but that is only because i do 10-15 trackdays a year and almost never use the bike in town.

[Bodhi]

Yeah, I kind of think it's like a beginner pilot asking which jet he should buy.

[Bill_Anderson]

Ditto what everyone else has said about the three step program to motorcycle happiness:
1) safety course
2) light weight, used Japanese bike
3) move up to the Duc of your choice after a year or two

[butch]

The MSF is a good idea, also I would suggest reading "Twist if the Wrist" and "Proficient Motorcycling" they are both excellent books that will open your eyes to the physics of motorcycling.
Like everyone has said a cheap bike is a good place to start, but everyone has there own definition of cheap. If you found a nice monster 620 or older 750 that may be a good place to start. I will tell you that a good rider on a small bike will be way faster than a poor rider on a big bike.
Good luck. Have fun.

[grabdawg]

All of the above are right about starting off with less and getting used to it first. I think Butch may have the best solution for you...you have your heart set on a Duc, so get an older, smaller version to learn on. It will give you the same handling, V-twin feel, and you'll probably enjoy it more than a Japanese product!

[xseal]

After you do the MSF course and get some riding under your belt, do levels 1 and of Keith Code's school. Will get you ready to ride a higher performance bike on the street.

www.superbikeschool.com