I'm
as new as they come, having never operated a motorcycle in my
life until i took the MSS at the age of 47. At the same time,
i'm pretty well entrenched in automotive exotica and have owned
6 ferraris and driven many more in the past several years. So,
recognizing that i wanted some kind of hi-line bike but at the
same time knowing that i had no skills, and that the "image"
thing could be seriously, if not deathly, costly, if reason
didn't prevail, i stayed away from the italian "sports"
bikes and shopped BMW, Harley and the usual japanese suspects.
Frankly, the cruiser thing just did not appeal to me,whether
American or Japanese made (even though i could see owning an
older Harley, just for the pure funk of it), and while the Hondas
were eminently sensible, they exuded all the sex appeal of a,
well..., a Honda. The BMW bikes were beautifully built, but
a bit chunky and conservative, and did i say, heavy? Yeah, the
technology was there in the suspension, there were comfort and
convenience features galore (one of these would be my choice
for touring), but again, big, heavy bikes, not necessarily suited
to a person of my uniquely (unqualified)abilities.
So,
after much reading, shopping, talking to others, i finally let
myself try out the ducatis. The SS and others were off the table
immediately, as the rider position just felt too extreme. Also,
i'm not a small guy 6'1" 210lbs, so squeezing into that
cramped, racer boy position was not only uncomfortable, but
not very assuring.
The
Monster series was just about right, though. It is a more traditional
seating position, at least with the stock handle bars and pegs,
and the tank was not overwhelmingly in the way. The bike was
small (all the monsters have the same frame now, so its just
an engine/displacement difference among models, along with considerably
more expensive hardware and bits on the bigger ones). I opted
for a 750, cause given my size, the 620 didn't have quite as
much torque and the 900 seemed like too much bike to start on.
This
has been the best of both worlds. The bike handles like a champ.
It is small, lithe, and you start to connect with it quickly.
The "wet" clutch is easier to operate than the "dry"
clutch on the bigger and racier ducatis. The bike needs revs
to go, so you can dawdle along until you feel comfortable, and
you don't feel like you are sitting on a power keg. But give
it some hard revs and you'll see why the racing types seem to
like small displacement twins. I won't detail the specs here,
which you can get from the manufacturer web site, http://www.ducati.com.
This
bike is actually a sensible place to start (and if you aren't
as heavy as me, you might get away with the 620). You also get
a very well finished machine. ( Italian motor products are usually
known for their design, but not quality of manufacture, yet
alot of the modern products seem to defy the stereotype-this
machine is very well finished, better, in my view, than the
Harleys, which look like they are made on the same par as American
cars). Also, and while i can't vouch for parts availability,
the bikes now have fuel injection, and may be more reliable
than their reputation suggests. (We will see; i am fastidious
about vehicle maintenance, so driving the thing with no oil
is not my idea of a test).
And,
should you want to keep the bike (the 750 is not necessarily
something i will "outgrow" as is the case with alot
of starter bikes), there are tweaks galore, both from Ducati
and from a host of after market suppliers. I did add carbon
pipes and went up two teeth on the rear sprocket at the outset,
and am gradually de-plasticizing the bike as i go (replacing
fenders and the few other panels with carbon fiber, eliminating
the cheesy rear seat tray extension/license plate holder, etc).
Aesthetically, the bike is a "monster"; it is stripped
down, to the essence in appearance, with all exposed mechanicals,
no fairings, and the kind of beauty that only comes from clean
industrial engineering. It certainly gives up nothing in performance,
although for the money you could buy a quicker bike; but what
you get in terms of handling more than makes up for that.
Rider
Review: 2002 Ducati Monster 750 i.e.