[jimvegan]

Hi all,
I have seen the writing on the wall, and it said ,....."get rid of the rice rocket, and get a bike thats really cool"
So my girl and I sold our current bikes (2005 R-1& R-6), and are now looking into a couple of Strada's.
Can you tell me a few things about them?
1.How dependable.
2.Valve adjustment interval
3.Overall quality
4.Your general opinion on the Strada (620 for her,1000 for myself)
5.Handle bar vibration at cruising speed.
Thank you all for your input in advance.

 

[tweake]

i will try to awser some of ur questions atlas for the 1000s
fist off the bike isnt going to have the top end rush u get out of the r1 but it isnt slow mine has ecu open air box and fbf cans and arrow header and i can run with a zx7r np but a r1 will pull on me in a line . the twists are another story i can leave the r1 in the dust but the guy on the zx7r keeps up but its mostly riders . he tells me he has to work to keep up in the realy tight stuf but with the wide bars and the ohlins the tight stuf is ezay work for the multi the valves are every 6200 miles but after 12k or so thay are pretty much set in and dont need adjusting . and any thing above 4k on the tach is prety smooth not much vibes . if u can buy the 1000s the ohlins is sooooooo worth the extra cash imo .

 

[jimvegan]

Thank for the info,
I know its no R-1, but I have been on sportbikes for 20 years and over 100,000 miles worth, so I've paid my dues,..LOL
I am looking forward to the Strada, but my only real concern is the longevity of the air-cooled engine. Am I going to put 15,000 miles a year on this engine, and have it last a few years before it needs a rebuild?
I don't mind a rebuild, or trade in, but I like to keep my bikes for a long time, and put some miles on them.
Any idea how long these air-cooled engines last??
Thanks again for the info.

 

[vduc]

Ducati's air-cooled engines are probably their best in regards to longevity. I've owned 4 over the past 15 years, with only minor problems in street and racing applications.

My `04 is an early demo model, and overall has been a good bike with a few issues, defective gauge cluster, and leak oil cooler line both replaced under warranty. Most of the design short comings (kickstand, mirrors, seat) have been fixed in the later models. Mine has one problem that I hope to have soon addressed when I return to the USA and that is a front brake shutter at low speed. You can search this forum for more info.

Handle bar vibration for me is a bit of any issue at low speed, around town cruise, at highway speeds it's a little better. I've been looking at adding weight to the bar (filled the inside of the bars in the grip with steel shot in epoxy), different grips, but nothing has been 100% to my liking. I'll be trying next alum. bars.

Overall it one of the most fun street bikes for me to ride. I was looking at everything else because I didn't like the looks as something to supplement the 749S but one ride on a Multistrada changed my mind. A month later I had one in my garage. I wish the "S" model was available when I bought mine, the upgrades are nice especially for those of us that have switched from sport bikes (myself coming from a 749S).

 

[tweake]

doc has alot of miles on his and alot on the ducati monster fourms have got welll over 50k on there monster 1000 and some have over 100k on there 900

 

[jimvegan]

Yeah,
I contacted both dealerships a few days ago, and I am sad to say that I have not heard a peep from the Ducati dealership, I was expecting some kind of response, but have heard nothing. This is not what I am looking for from a place where I would be spending $20,000+ cash for 2 new bikes.
Yamaha on the other hand invited me over to test ride both FZ1& FZ6. I sure did like the way that FZ1 rode. My girl loved the FZ6,... everything but the paint (looks like a color change right off the bat for her bike) I also tried an Aprilia and it was like the Multi, but a little heavier.
Then, 2 Ducatis came into the parking lot,..a yellow supersport, and an older one with no labels. These 2 bikes sounded like thrashing machines. One was water cooled one was air.
I just don't know,....they looked great and that v-twin rumble was cool as hell, but that dry clutch, and some other rattle ??...man that did not sound cool.Not to mention the lack of interest from the dealer
Thanks for all the info, I think I will go with the Yammies for now, and pick up a 620 Multi to play with later.

 

[jimvegan]

Went out today and bought the bike,........06 White Speed Triple,...I am the happiest biker on the planet right now. This bike is everything the rest were not.
I was going to get The FZ1,...until I layed my eyes on this white beauty, and the sound,.....pure music to my ears.
I had the dealer put a plexi screen on the flyscreen, and it deflect the perfect amount of wind (no turbulence).
Personality from every bolt.
I would like to thank all of you who kept on the "bikes with character" coments.
I feel that my decision was well thought out and very satisfying.
I can't wait to spend more time on this pure motorcycle.
Thanks again!!

PS my girl bought a Suzuki SV650 twin, she loved the color and bike fit her well.
She was totally against the S3 until she saw it when she dropped me off.

 

[vduc]

Congrats on the bikes, nice choice on the speed triples. Too bad the Ducati dealer didn't show interest. To me the dry clutch and all it's noise is a positive.

 

[jbcaddy]

loud clutches save lives

 

[jimvegan]

Hey , Thanks again to everyone who responded, you were very friendly and informative.
Ride safe all.