[Namor]

i don't spend enough time partying on the internet to know if the forums for any of the Japanese bikes have a number of posts about mechanical failure remotely close to Ducati MS's. welllll doooo they?

not that i care about Ducati maintainance, I just wanted to know.

 

[Bill_Anderson]

Check the "Down Time" and "Recall" sections of Motorcycle Consumer News (the US mag, not the Brit rag). You will be surprised at the number of problems with some of the so-called "bullet proof" brands.

 

[nzkiwi]

Do they what

Yes sir They big four have their problems.

can u read Japanese?

If so I could send u some links.


Kiwi<kobe. Japan>

 

[migz123]

Yup they definitely have their share of nightmares, but they sell 100 times more bikes.

 

[Bill_Anderson]

I think it is the nature of these forums that members post up problems with their bikes and not a lack of problems.

 

[ShadowROne]

Yup they definitely have their share of nightmares, but they sell 100 times more bikes.

That they do... and they are also less expensive to repair. Hell, the frame for my 02 R1 cost a little over $800 online

 

[ShadowROne]

Oh yeah, not to mention that there are tons of parts for them on eBay (though I bet part of those are from stolen bikes )

 

[Namor]

can u read Japanese?
Kiwi<kobe. Japan>

watakushi wa nihongo wo yomimasen, keredomo chotto hanashimas.

i don't know if i'll ever get around to learning their charcters, got to speak it correctly first.

So its concluded then the CBVFGSX-Ninjas have a maintainance habit as well and their forum serves up the mechanical troubles just as much.

really though for the Ducs, i say this regarding the superbike cuz i don't know the preoblems of the 2-valvers, the only common problems are the flakers and electricity. not bad really. and the cost of part is proportional to the quality and cost of the bike, which i knew getting when i bough one.

end transmission.

 

[MikeM]

Around here the squids crash the Japanese bikes long before there's any chance of a problem popping up.

 

[Rainman]

Around here the squids crash the Japanese bikes long before there's any chance of a problem popping up.

+1 on that.
A couple of weeks ago I watched a squid try to do wheelies on his new CBR1000R.
It had like 600 miles on it.
We hear this *crash* and the bike doing end over end.
LOTS of plastic flying.

1 guy picked up a mirror and handed it to him.

"Keep this as a souvenier!"

We laughed our asses off.

 

[MikeM]

Ouch!

 

[smegtheprez]

i don't spend enough time partying on the internet to know if the forums for any of the Japanese bikes have a number of posts about mechanical failure remotely close to Ducati MS's. welllll doooo they?

not that i care about Ducati maintainance, I just wanted to know.

The only thing I've ever had "go wrong" on any of my Kaws-Hondas-Yamahas is broken clutch cables and I've beaten some of the poor things to death. But then I always do the schedule maintenance, well except replacing the clutch cable when I'm supposed to.

 

[LiquidSilver]

Well....

after 6 months of Ducati ownership, I have noticed that my Duc has been in for service 2 more times than all of my Jap street bikes combined... over 15 years of ownership. I've also never had to wait for 3 weeks for factory parts before.

If bulletproof-ness is one of your primary criteria for owning a particular bike... I couldn't personally recommend Ducati.

Now, if you like a raw-feeling gearbox, a marvelous array of noises and a sweet V-twin torque curve... then we're talking Ducati's charm.

My experience, anyway.

 

[richardtl]

In terms of Japanese bikes being quirky/problematic. I've come across one so far, in the guise of the TL1000S.

Problems on the original '97, frames crack, clutches slip, thermostat incorrectly placed causing fueling problems, surging at 3000rpm and handling skittish. Gearboxes and motor pick up oil starvation similar to Dukes when wheelied. They eventually detuned the motor to stop some of the probs along with minor mods.

There are some parallels here as well, was designed by one individual, no Japanese corporate commitee. A lot of effort went into the look of the bike.

Unfortunately the above along with "horror" stories put a stop to this bike.

The one thing is that if you don't abuse this bike, it is fairly maint free and the above problems don't show.

 

[Gallep]

Around here the squids crash the Japanese bikes long before there's any chance of a problem popping up.

+2, No too many squids live long enough to complain either... poor bastards, oh well more premium gas for us! :yeah:

 

[Buckelew]

That they do... and they are also less expensive to repair. Hell, the frame for my 02 R1 cost a little over $800 online

compare gas tank prices if you want a shock; $2500 for a Ducati Superbike vs $250/$300 for a GSXR.