CBTand buying a Desmo
Discussion
To be honest this isn't how I saw the thread going at the start!
When you first talked about doing the CBT then getting the Desmo I thought it was pure fantasy, when the Panigale arrived I fully expected you to scare the hell out of yourself and stop riding it.
I have known a couple of people that went straight to superbikes after passing their tests, but none that continued to ride in the longer term.
Nice work, and impressive and actually quite restrained collection. Are you tempted to try other bikes as your experience so far is essentially top shelf superbikes? Speed triples etc are a good laugh too.
When you first talked about doing the CBT then getting the Desmo I thought it was pure fantasy, when the Panigale arrived I fully expected you to scare the hell out of yourself and stop riding it.
I have known a couple of people that went straight to superbikes after passing their tests, but none that continued to ride in the longer term.
Nice work, and impressive and actually quite restrained collection. Are you tempted to try other bikes as your experience so far is essentially top shelf superbikes? Speed triples etc are a good laugh too.
Thanks all - I love ol'PH as for me it's always something that pushes me to achieve goals - I remember back in the early noughties when I went to a Virginia Waters for the early incarnation of PH Sunday Services and someone pitched up in a Lamborghini and I literally ran over to have a look at it - only hope I can do the same with the Desmosedici with trips this year and get it out so people can see the machine that most people wrap up in cotton wool.
It’s also been great to read the comments over the last two years on my journey into biking (and certainly wasn’t expecting my accident to come up, but I guess it’s probably relevant to why I’d decided to “go for it”
- its something that has really pushed me to get the licence, buck convention, be sensible (only just) and go after the bikes I love - thank-you all 
So Desmosedici vs. Panigale Tricolore (from a non-journalist/non-biking-god etc):
Looks:
Subjective, but I’ve always liked the look of the Panigale and how it moves to an “arrow” at the back and has a very tapered look to the whole bike, but the Desmo (hopefully I can use the shortened version of the name without sounding like a know-it-all) really is a sight to behold. To start with, when looking at them after an age spent looking on-line at pictures, the back just looks too big - kinda like a 90’s look, but after time you just realise how beautifully proportioned the bike is - a true classic
Finish:
Ok a Panigale is not a cheap bike and the finishing is wonderful…..but the Desmo is on a different level - everything has a totally bespoke look about it. All of the hangers/pegs etc are machine milled from solids, the wheels are magnesium, the shocks are space age (for the time) and the carbon fibre is proper motorsport (I dropped the McLaren in for a service at Ascot and they had one of Sienna’s F1’s in there - same look on the Desmo) - just amazing
Handling:
So, as is well established, I have little experience on a bike (just over 2 years now), but I do have the experience of someone who thinks “I’ve seen a nice bike - I’ve no idea how to ride them - what next?” and also being fortunate enough to get some nice bikes with relatively little experience. The Desmo is a strange thing - it’s massively stiffer than the Panigale and has none of the electronic aids (traction, braking and suspension), but it just feels so pure. When I mentioned that it just wants to Go! Go! Go! I meant it, it loves travelling fast and seems to love it. There really is nothing like bombing along with that sound and limited flex in the bike at speed - wonderful feeling and something I hope I can convey in words over the summer. On the downside there are two things that aren’t as good as the Panigale: Heat and Fuel Consumption. The bike is an absolute fire-pit if not driven at over 50mph The trip to the Ace is a little boring now as there’s average speed cameras round the North Circular, but at that speed the bike is around 95-100 degrees and starting to get a little toasty. Stop in traffic forget the bike cooking - you’ll be cooking Then there is the fuel - it drinks it - call it 70 (tops) miles to the tank
Cajones
Yes I have them - took me two years to get the insurance down to a level that felt right and to be fair to the early posters on this thread, I concur that a “CBT and buying a Desmo” was probably a step too far for my first bike
One thing though, I went out in the garage earlier and still had to pinch myself that I have one - feel very, very lucky! I can’t believe me, as a car and bike anorak, has one!
Spin out from the Ace:
https://youtu.be/39GwkDjtHNs
and my wonderful wife adding her bit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM5IZNbfxbA&fe...
It’s also been great to read the comments over the last two years on my journey into biking (and certainly wasn’t expecting my accident to come up, but I guess it’s probably relevant to why I’d decided to “go for it”
- its something that has really pushed me to get the licence, buck convention, be sensible (only just) and go after the bikes I love - thank-you all So Desmosedici vs. Panigale Tricolore (from a non-journalist/non-biking-god etc):
Looks:
Subjective, but I’ve always liked the look of the Panigale and how it moves to an “arrow” at the back and has a very tapered look to the whole bike, but the Desmo (hopefully I can use the shortened version of the name without sounding like a know-it-all) really is a sight to behold. To start with, when looking at them after an age spent looking on-line at pictures, the back just looks too big - kinda like a 90’s look, but after time you just realise how beautifully proportioned the bike is - a true classic
Finish:
Ok a Panigale is not a cheap bike and the finishing is wonderful…..but the Desmo is on a different level - everything has a totally bespoke look about it. All of the hangers/pegs etc are machine milled from solids, the wheels are magnesium, the shocks are space age (for the time) and the carbon fibre is proper motorsport (I dropped the McLaren in for a service at Ascot and they had one of Sienna’s F1’s in there - same look on the Desmo) - just amazing
Handling:
So, as is well established, I have little experience on a bike (just over 2 years now), but I do have the experience of someone who thinks “I’ve seen a nice bike - I’ve no idea how to ride them - what next?” and also being fortunate enough to get some nice bikes with relatively little experience. The Desmo is a strange thing - it’s massively stiffer than the Panigale and has none of the electronic aids (traction, braking and suspension), but it just feels so pure. When I mentioned that it just wants to Go! Go! Go! I meant it, it loves travelling fast and seems to love it. There really is nothing like bombing along with that sound and limited flex in the bike at speed - wonderful feeling and something I hope I can convey in words over the summer. On the downside there are two things that aren’t as good as the Panigale: Heat and Fuel Consumption. The bike is an absolute fire-pit if not driven at over 50mph
The trip to the Ace is a little boring now as there’s average speed cameras round the North Circular, but at that speed the bike is around 95-100 degrees and starting to get a little toasty. Stop in traffic forget the bike cooking - you’ll be cooking Then there is the fuel - it drinks it - call it 70 (tops) miles to the tankCajones
Yes I have them - took me two years to get the insurance down to a level that felt right and to be fair to the early posters on this thread, I concur that a “CBT and buying a Desmo” was probably a step too far for my first bike
One thing though, I went out in the garage earlier and still had to pinch myself that I have one - feel very, very lucky! I can’t believe me, as a car and bike anorak, has one!
Spin out from the Ace:
https://youtu.be/39GwkDjtHNs
and my wonderful wife adding her bit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM5IZNbfxbA&fe...
Edited by duggan on Friday 13th May 20:10
Well done on finally getting one! Lovely collection too.
Just out of curiously, how does it ride compared to the Panigale? I've always imagined the Desmo to be compromised on a road, imagining you have to push it hard to get any feedback from it, whereas the Panigale is obviously more road based. Will you be keeping both?
Just out of curiously, how does it ride compared to the Panigale? I've always imagined the Desmo to be compromised on a road, imagining you have to push it hard to get any feedback from it, whereas the Panigale is obviously more road based. Will you be keeping both?
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