buying first bike, ducati or japanese starter bike? - Ducati.ms

audi15psi · Jul 15th, 2008, 1:42 am

This is my first post. I have searched these and other forums briefly looking into what bike i would like to have. I really want a ducati 748, it is my dream bike at this time. While searching I came across people saying a used japanese generic bike would be a better starter bike to help gauge what I would like out of a bike.

Basically I am asking what most people did for their first bike? I have ridden dirtbikes for probably 10 years now and want to switch to street. Should I be looking at a 748 or something like a gsxr600 or ninja6 or f4i, etc. Price is also a factor as I am in college, but I'm pretty sure I could afford a 748 by the end of summer

TIA
Parker

dirkdiggler13 · Jul 15th, 2008, 1:54 am

If you can afford your dream bike right out of the gate, then by all means go for it man. Life is too short to settle for something else if what you want is within your means. If you've got 10 years of experience riding dirt bikes the learning curve shouldn't be very steep for you anyway. Truth be told those Japanese "generics" are incredible machines that will outperform that 748 in many ways, so it's not a question of getting your feet wet on a bike that's more tame. At the end of the day you've got to go with whatever makes you happy. If you get that Ducati and find out it's not for you there will always be someone out there willing to take it off your hands for you. Good luck.

tye1138 · Jul 15th, 2008, 2:06 am

This topic has been discussed so many times, everybody has a different background in riding... so its hard to give a definitive answer.

I always suggest buying a cheap bike to start with, maybe converting a dirt bike to a street bike so you can get the feel for the road. Once you've gotten that, you'll be fine with the Duc. Does a starving student need a Ducati superbike? Not really... it could be the biggest waste of money of your life. I have plenty of money and I can barley afford owning a superbike and car...

My suggestion, wait until your out of school. Get a decent job, get the fancy bike and have fun. Sure, you never get younger... but on the same token, unless you wanna be a racer, you can pretty much ride forever.

Bill_Anderson · Jul 15th, 2008, 3:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by audi15psi

This is my first post. I have searched these and other forums briefly looking into what bike i would like to have. I really want a ducati 748, it is my dream bike at this time. While searching I came across people saying a used japanese generic bike would be a better starter bike to help gauge what I would like out of a bike.

Basically I am asking what most people did for their first bike? I have ridden dirtbikes for probably 10 years now and want to switch to street. Should I be looking at a 748 or something like a gsxr600 or ninja6 or f4i, etc. Price is also a factor as I am in college, but I'm pretty sure I could afford a 748 by the end of summer

TIA
Parker

I may be one of the people from another forum that you are referencing. When I was 16, I wanted a Porsche or a Jaguar XKE. We can all imagine how that would have turned out.

My advice to all noobies is to get a used Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) and ride it for 2-3 years to decide which type of bike best fits your riding needs and style. It is also much cheaper to make the typical noobie mistakes on a used bike than a brand new bike of any brand.

l started riding ten years ago at the ripe age of 48. My first motorcycle was a 1980 Honda CB900C set up for touring. Very good bike and in some ways I wish I could have kept it as an around town cruiser. I thought I wanted all sorts of bikes during the three years I rode the Honda. I test rode an ST4 and decided it was the bike for me based on my experiences riding the Honda.

ThisEndUp · Jul 15th, 2008, 6:43 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill_Anderson

I may be one of the people from another forum that you are referencing. When I was 16, I wanted a Porsche or a Jaguar XKE. We can all imagine how that would have turned out.

My advice to all noobies is to get a used Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) and ride it for 2-3 years to decide which type of bike best fits your riding needs and style. It is also much cheaper to make the typical noobie mistakes on a used bike than a brand new bike of any brand.

l started riding ten years ago at the ripe age of 48. My first motorcycle was a 1980 Honda CB900C set up for touring. Very good bike and in some ways I wish I could have kept it as an around town cruiser. I thought I wanted all sorts of bikes during the three years I rode the Honda. I test rode an ST4 and decided it was the bike for me based on my experiences riding the Honda.

+1

Get an SV650, used, that you can learn on.

Ya gotta walk before ya run. Or in the 748's case, sprint.

Ducatibob749S · Jul 15th, 2008, 8:55 am

ThisEndUp's SV suggestion is probably the best so far, but if you want a 748, I don't think it will cause you any problems with your riding experience. A 748 is low in power, heavy, and a v-twin so it has a better power curve than an I4. Your only issue is cost. You can get one initially for pretty cheap these days, but you have the sizable possibility of paying out the ass for it in the end. If I was gonna get one it would be '02 model year only.

My first bike was an '05 749S with just an MSF course under my belt. Extreme, yes, but Nov. of this year will be 4 years of riding for me, and I am an expert racer in CMRA. You will crash, and the bike will be costly in maintenance, but any way you decide to go have fun, and don't regret it.

eviltwin · Jul 15th, 2008, 9:03 am

Consider everything you've read here...lots of good points to think about. The one thing I'd add is that in my experience, an aggressive superbike like the 748 is much less comfortable/useful in traffic so from a new perspective, if you've never ridden much/at all in traffic, it may be worth looking at bikes with a bit more upright riding position to give you better vision/awareness of all the things going on around you. Much more to deal with than when dirt riding. We need all the help we can get when getting in the mix with cagers.

Cattani · Jul 15th, 2008, 9:15 am

I got a 1992 Kawi ex500 as my first bike when I was 18. It didn't last too long before I wrecked it. I fixed it up and rode out the rest of the summer and sold it after a buddy of mine died on his bike. I just got a 00 750 SS and I love it. The bike is SUPER fun to ride and it gets some nice looks from other people too. Just my $.02.

ducat · Jul 15th, 2008, 11:13 am

If you really want the Ducati experience buy a used monster 620 or 750. It dosent have to be too pretty either with the after-market support you may make changes to it.

markg · Jul 15th, 2008, 12:30 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ducat

If you really want the Ducati experience buy a used monster 620 or 750. It dosent have to be too pretty either with the after-market support you may make changes to it.

+1. This route or an sv650. You could pay the same or less for one of these used than you could end up paying in repairs alone for a 748. An you will lose very little in real world fun.