MustangWorks.com : Ford Forums - View Single Post

Unit 5302 · 05-30-2002, 06:30 PM

Have you ever sat on a Ducati? I'd seriously suggest at least sitting on one before you think about picking it up. I disagree with the reliability maintenance issues and the Ducati. A 750 SS has been around a while. They have a lot more preventive maintenance than other bikes. Valve checks/adjustments every 5,000mi, rebuild every 15,000mi. They are usually not cheap to work on either. That being said, my friends shop did a LOT of Ducati work, and most of it was routine maintanence. The Ducati is finicky as all get out though and I wouldn't trust Joe Blow mechanic to work on it. The dry clutch sounds like your engine is coming apart, too, LOL. Basically, the Ducati looks killer, rides like a bear, is uncomfortable for most people your size, and is much more expensive to maintain. They aret not exceptionally fast, especially for their displacement, but that's not something you need any more of. Oh, the sound is better than any other sportbike hands down.

I think a Ducati makes a REALLY bad first bike. If you lay it down you'll be looking at 5 arms and 6 legs to fix it. Try to find factory tanks for them. LOL, get on the waiting list. You're also going to be spending a ton for a hobby you don't even know if you'll like. Not to mention insurance on that thing. OWWWWW!!

There are obviously going to be seriously biased opinions when you ask about bikes. Just like we like Mustangs, the owners of their respective bikes are generally in love with their bike.

Personally, for a first time rider, a Honda CBR F2 or Yamaha FZR would be my choice. The Kawasaki holds it resale too much to justify it, and the Katana isn't a liquid cooled bike. You should be able to pick up an F2 or FZR for well under $3000 if you look around, and if you drop it, there are a lot of parts out there. Also, if you pick up an inexpensive bike, you don't need to be as scared about having liability only if you're a younger guy. Full coverage on a sport bike is usually pretty lethal to the wallet. If I had to choose between the two, the F2 is the better bike. It's lighter, easy to increase the power, has more normal sized wheels that you can actually find tires for, and it doesn't have that early 80's lookin taillight. The older FZR's also have some gearbox issues. The other nice thing is those bikes will hold resale very well if you don't bust them up, so if you want to move up, you're not gonna be out too much.

I don't think I could justify an F3 either. If you do some shopping a lot of times you can find an F4 for just a few hundred more.

Stay away from the 900's, and don't believe what you read about the ZX9R. By today's standards it's a "touring" bike

but that same bike 10 years ago would have ruled the pavement. I've seen ZX9R's with a pipe and a jet kit put down over 120hp longer than the Hayabusa. I'm talking like 3500rpms of between 120-135rwhp.

Also, the idea you can handle the weight is a little amusing. A 200-250lb dirtbike you can manhandle a little. A 400lb-550lb street bike feels like it weighs a ton when you're trying to tug it around. Just doesn't work. I've ridden dirt bikes too. Believe me, for the first 5min of riding around on the FZR, it was night and day different.

05-30-2002, 06:30 PM	#9
Unit 5302 Registered Member Join Date: May 1999 Posts: 5,246	Have you ever sat on a Ducati? I'd seriously suggest at least sitting on one before you think about picking it up. I disagree with the reliability maintenance issues and the Ducati. A 750 SS has been around a while. They have a lot more preventive maintenance than other bikes. Valve checks/adjustments every 5,000mi, rebuild every 15,000mi. They are usually not cheap to work on either. That being said, my friends shop did a LOT of Ducati work, and most of it was routine maintanence. The Ducati is finicky as all get out though and I wouldn't trust Joe Blow mechanic to work on it. The dry clutch sounds like your engine is coming apart, too, LOL. Basically, the Ducati looks killer, rides like a bear, is uncomfortable for most people your size, and is much more expensive to maintain. They aret not exceptionally fast, especially for their displacement, but that's not something you need any more of. Oh, the sound is better than any other sportbike hands down. I think a Ducati makes a REALLY bad first bike. If you lay it down you'll be looking at 5 arms and 6 legs to fix it. Try to find factory tanks for them. LOL, get on the waiting list. You're also going to be spending a ton for a hobby you don't even know if you'll like. Not to mention insurance on that thing. OWWWWW!! There are obviously going to be seriously biased opinions when you ask about bikes. Just like we like Mustangs, the owners of their respective bikes are generally in love with their bike. Personally, for a first time rider, a Honda CBR F2 or Yamaha FZR would be my choice. The Kawasaki holds it resale too much to justify it, and the Katana isn't a liquid cooled bike. You should be able to pick up an F2 or FZR for well under $3000 if you look around, and if you drop it, there are a lot of parts out there. Also, if you pick up an inexpensive bike, you don't need to be as scared about having liability only if you're a younger guy. Full coverage on a sport bike is usually pretty lethal to the wallet. If I had to choose between the two, the F2 is the better bike. It's lighter, easy to increase the power, has more normal sized wheels that you can actually find tires for, and it doesn't have that early 80's lookin taillight. The older FZR's also have some gearbox issues. The other nice thing is those bikes will hold resale very well if you don't bust them up, so if you want to move up, you're not gonna be out too much. I don't think I could justify an F3 either. If you do some shopping a lot of times you can find an F4 for just a few hundred more. Stay away from the 900's, and don't believe what you read about the ZX9R. By today's standards it's a "touring" bike but that same bike 10 years ago would have ruled the pavement. I've seen ZX9R's with a pipe and a jet kit put down over 120hp longer than the Hayabusa. I'm talking like 3500rpms of between 120-135rwhp. Also, the idea you can handle the weight is a little amusing. A 200-250lb dirtbike you can manhandle a little. A 400lb-550lb street bike feels like it weighs a ton when you're trying to tug it around. Just doesn't work. I've ridden dirt bikes too. Believe me, for the first 5min of riding around on the FZR, it was night and day different.