Ducatisti!

[Grindle]

One for you Ducati fans.
Having had numerous Dukes over the decades i love them all for different reasons. The early 250/350/450 Desmo singles and 750/900 twins were a refreshing change to a CB750 or Z1. Then of course we got the 851 and 888 which meant business and were much quicker. When the amazing looking 916 appeared and Carl Fogarty put Ducati firmly on the map, the company never looked back. Soon followed 955 (mainly race bikes), 996, 998, 999, 1098, 1198 and of course latterly the incredible 1199 and 1299 Panigale. Numerous other bikes of varying sizes have also been made recently. Here's a shout out to the quite amazing 899 Panigale.
Which for you were the Ducatis that really 'did it'? For me the 851 started the fast Ducati era. The 916 turned bike style on it's head, then the 1198 personified gorgeous style and also sheer grunt in a bike, although it was a difficult bike to ride at times and would mis-behave if it was not in a good mood, so to speak. The 1199 Panny was so fast but wild and the 1299 Pan my favourite sports bike of all time. I sold mine only because our roads are too clogged, too camera-ed, too speed humped and the bike comes alive only at higher speeds. It's really a bike for say Californian canyons or the Arizona wilderness, places i regularly ride sports bike and always have done.
So, your fav Dukes please!

[Mr Dendrite]

900SS Bevel. Couldn’t afford one when I was young, certainly can’t afford one now, crazy prices but suggests a lot of people think the same

[Alex@POD]

I started to get interested in bikes at 12-14 years old, watching the racing with my dad, right when Foggy was winning on the 916. That started it and I still hope to own one some day...

[poo at Paul's]

MH 900E

[dibblecorse]

Different ones do different things and get abused in different ways ...

My 996 - Utterly gorgeous but abused like no other, over 50,000 miles, c150 trackdays and hammered, still have it, my first Ducati

Monster & Hyperstrada - Awesome city machines used to cross London extensively for work, great noise and utterly thrashable at almost legal speed ... so much fun.

999R - Replaced the 996 as my track bike, awesome but lively, can bite and loves to be caned, will miss it when it goes.

1199S - fantastic track bike, no intention of putting it on the road, waste of time in the UK, makes me look good with all the electronics, grin inducing especially down the ridiculous back straight at Aragon

Multis, had Gen one and have the current, current is too big in all honesty, may go back to a HyperStrada later ....

[obscene]

The one I'm lucky enough to own. The looks, the noise, the ride. 1098R

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

1198S. Beguiling thing. Wonderful to ride on the road, and all-day comfy for touring. Values should be skyrocketing. Ahem.

More seriously, I had a V4S Corse in for a fortnight and it was a good comparison – 1198 felt quicker around town where you're always low in the revs, and the tank's a better shape for locking in to. In pretty much every other way the V4 felt 20 years newer, not 10.

[Motorsport3]

I had three to date.
My first and pretty sure I will never sell the 899
The rare and gorgues 998s, which i sold last week.
The very yellow Monster 821 which i bought last week which i plan to use a lot more than the 998s.

[NITO]

For me, Tamburini's first Ducati...



I'd just started riding and thought it looked awesome. A bit of a Marmite bike, I love it, most don't lol! So much so, I picked up a beautiful low miler a couple of years back...

[dibblecorse]

NITO said:

For me, Tamburini's first Ducati...



I'd just started riding and thought it looked awesome. A bit of a Marmite bike, I love it, most don't lol! So much so, I picked up a beautiful low miler a couple of years back...

That so retro cool ....

[Gandahar]

Never ridden one so be gentle, but looks wise

Ducati 916 SPS


and superlegerra



Both are worth just parking in the front room...

The 999 was like todays Aston Martin Vantage, it just didn't work.

[dibblecorse]

Gandahar said:

The 999 was like todays Aston Martin Vantage, it just didn't work.

You sure about that .... ;-)

[Krikkit]

dibblecorse said:

You sure about that .... ;-)

Track fairings are cheating. I can see why people don't like the 749/999, personally I do!

For me it's the rumbling V-twin, spindly wheels, single sided swing arm and shrink wrapped bodywork that tickles my fancy.

[Zarco]

996 for me but I've actually gone off the styling these days (sacrilege I know!).

Prefer the later bikes now.

[Rubin215]

NITO said:

For me, Tamburini's first Ducati...



I'd just started riding and thought it looked awesome. A bit of a Marmite bike, I love it, most don't lol! So much so, I picked up a beautiful low miler a couple of years back...

Words right out of my mouth.

The 907ie was just a stunner when it first came out, I desperately wanted one but could never afford it.

I very nearly bought a rough one a few years back, but the spares prices and availability scared me off.



Edited to add:

Can I just draw your attention to these...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ducati-exhaust-set-1991...

That has to be a good investment, even if you never need them!

Edited by Rubin215 on Friday 23 August 22:38

[NITO]

Thanks for the kind words Rubin (and Dibble), nice to see there are others out there like me who appreciate these! It’s a fantastic bike and very ahead of its time with fully adjustable Marzocchi suspension (compression/rebound/preload) fuel injection, Brembo brakes all round, first bike I believe with integrated mirrors and indicators, so many Tamburini masterclass touches everywhere.

I actually have the original pipes put by safe...



Complete with the (Cagiva) CRC lucky Elephant mascot of Castiglioni

It’s a great touch, the little elephants appear all over this bike, on the yoke, on the tacho



as well as various other places, this touch is captured beautifully on the outgoing MV Agusta F4 Claudio swansong and it’s my favourite feature on that bike...




Cheers
Nito

Edited by NITO on Friday 23 August 23:56

[S2r]

I remember coming over all funny after seeing a 500 Pantah back in the day and even more so when the 916 came out.

I did a track experience at Cadwell on a 748 many years ago and ever since the dream bike has been a yellow 748s - I'm on my third Monster though, an S2r 800 (M750 and M900 before that) and it's everything I want from a bike so I can't see it ever being changed

Edited by S2r on Friday 23 August 23:40

[NITO]

There’s one available here Rubin that looks pretty good, just reportedly had a full service....

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Only 6 left in UK according to ‘how many left’!

[Rubin215]

NITO said:

There’s one available here Rubin that looks pretty good, just reportedly had a full service....

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2...

Only 6 left in UK according to ‘how many left’!

Yeah, I was looking at that last night and, with £3500 cash sitting in an envelope downstairs (long story), I was sorely tempted.

Mrs215, on the other hand, would go flipping mental...

[anonymous-user]

I liked the 750F1, the Supermono, the 749R and the Panigales but if i had to pick one bike over all the others

Tony Rutter's TTF2 please.......