Why buy a Duc?

[ptourin]

I'm into my ST2 for about a half year now, and can't resist writing one of those It's-Soooo-Nice posts...

I had 2 1-cyl Ducs some years ago, a 250 Diana and a Desmo 350 - my cousin roadraced a 250 for a few years - and I remember them as the most fun I ever had on a bike. Fast-forward a bunch of years - after not riding for 20 years while my kids were growing up, I got a cheap Honda CB550SC for daily riding and trips, and built a Norton MkIII - the Norton handles really well and reminded me how fun it is to have a good bike on the back roads. We won't talk about how the Honda handles - but it's indestructible....

I started dreaming about another Duc, decided on an ST, lurked on this forum for almost a year, and finally bought my ST2 - had never actually driven a modern Duc, or any 2-cyl Duc for that matter. Well, I gotta say, I'm a believer. Smooth operation, good looks, enough power to make me grin, brakes that actually work (not to insult the MkIII <g>...) - but mostly, it handles like a dream. I love that feeling of "decide where you want it to go and just put it there - and it does it". Bumpies - no problem. Rough pavement - no problem. Whoops, into that turn way to fast - no problem.

End of rant - couldn't resist saying it tho'...

[Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester]

yeah i feel the same way. had a bunch of random bikes, the ones i took the most seriously were old BMWs. lovely old solid touring things, and one of them is old enough that it actually looks good, before BMW decided that ugly would be their trademark. working at a bike shop, i get to test ride a lot of bikes, most of them don't make much of an impression. my favorites have been new bonnevilles and various monsters.

my first ducati, an early model st2, holy shit. i've never had so much fun. totally different experience from my other bikes. i will have no regrets getting rid of all the others and keeping the duc. (except the old /2)

now i just need to mess with the pegs and bars on the st2 so it's a little more "bmw" (comfortable)

[ptourin]

Whoa - yer my next door neighbor - I live in Jericho Center and work in Burlington. Haven't seen any ST's on the road - I'll be looking for you...

[mrturbozxj]

I ended up with my ST2 looking for something more long-distance oriented. Between a VFR800 of similar age/mileage, the ST2 wins hands down. The suspension alone blows the honda away.. Let alone the easier to fix electrical problems. Beside the plank stock seat, I really can't complain.

Here's to hoping that superquadro engine lets ducati make the next great sport-touring bike.

[ptourin]

Waiting to see if I can still climb on a bike and ride by the time they get to it <lol>...

[what broke now]

So, which is the tougher job... setting valves on the st2, or isolastics on the Norton?

[I know they both put out enough juicy drama when riding ]

[Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester]

Originally Posted by ptourin

Whoa - yer my next door neighbor - I live in Jericho Center and work in Burlington. Haven't seen any ST's on the road - I'll be looking for you...

fer sure, i don't think i've seen another on the road yet. mine is kinda hard to recognize, it's got all the body panels off at the moment. hopefully will be painted and reattached next spring, as i'm in AZ right now.

[Desmo_Demon]

Originally Posted by mrturbozxj

I ended up with my ST2 looking for something more long-distance oriented.

For me, it was late September 2000 and had just totaled a '99 SS750. I was eyeing the new 2001 748 in yellow on the showroom floor when I was in town (on crutches) for an appointment with the otho-doc. The poor little new ST2 had been sitting there collecting dust for nearly three years and the salesman told me to make an offer on it. I told him I wasn't interested in it, as it wasn't sporty, I didn't care how it looked, it wasn't yellow, and I was going to wait until my tax refunds in the spring and buy a new yellow 748. He kept pestering me and asked me what I'd pay for it. I'd seen used ones for $10k, so I low-balled them with an $8500 OTD with panniers. Naturally, they wouldn't take it. Over the next three days, they kept inching down until finally, they accepted my $8500 OTD offer. In a way, I was a little ticked off because I never expected them to accept it, but I am a man of my word. I figured I could ride it a year or two, sell it for what I had in it, and then buy the 748. Well, 11 years later.....

[ptourin]

> Well, 11 years later..... <

Jeez, you wuz had <lol>... Hope I'm still riding mine after 11 years - sure having enough fun with it now!...

As for isolastics - the ST is too new to me, haven't checked valves yet - after the snow flies. But the Norton is a '75 and has adjustable isolastics - no problem there! When we do restos on earlier Nortons at Classic Bike, we usually set them up with the '75 iso's.
Embarassing confession - when I had mine apart I was tight for cash (total engine rebuild - it had seized a wristpin and eaten a piston) - the iso's weren't ratty and rotted, but they had sagged from the weight over some years - so I pulled them out, rotated them 180 and reinstalled them - so now they raise the bike slightly instead of drop it <g>...
Another project for some later time...

[kaysystems]

Guess I'm lucky.

Still have my 1967 250 Mark3 that I bought as a daily rider in 1974 1970 Honda CB750 a few years ago, but sold it & bought a real bike - my ST3

No going back


David