What's in your Future?

[Sir Fallsalot]

9 minutes ago, XTreme said:

Are people actually buying them? 

Yes lots but it's more a full on race bike than a trail bike. A guy in the TRF has one says he feels beaten up after a day trail riding on it because its too aggressive and prefers his CRF250L for trail riding. its basically the same bike as the CRF450RX my mate traded in for the beta last weekend. Its not the L model that Honda normally produce and never will be because they don't have a road bike that uses a 450cc single cylinder engine

[Skippy]

I don’t need more power off road and the Himalayan will do almost everything I need but………….I’d prefer a 600 on road and there’s the dilemma because ideally I’d have another XR650L but they were never imported into Spain and so I’ve no chance of getting one over here.

That leaves a much smaller choice but if I can squeeze a bit of cash out of our house sale then I’d love another KTM690 Enduro R.

With a different power modes it was manageable on the dirt with my meagre skills and plenty quick enough on road. The only thing I’d change is the truly awful seat………….

[XTreme]

12 minutes ago, Mawsley said:

Not wanting to piss on your parade, but I’m not sure there’s a secondhand value in used Chinese bikes.

[XTreme]

1 minute ago, Skippy said:

The only thing I’d change is the truly awful seat

Yeh.....it does look a bit brutal! 

[Buckster]

9 hours ago, Mawsley said:

Sure you can p/x it in for one of them electric scooters the kids appear to love.

Probably made in the same factory.

[boboneleg]

11 hours ago, Sir Fallsalot said:

Yes lots but it's more a full on race bike than a trail bike. A guy in the TRF has one says he feels beaten up after a day trail riding on it because its too aggressive and prefers his CRF250L for trail riding. its basically the same bike as the CRF450RX my mate traded in for the beta last weekend. Its not the L model that Honda normally produce and never will be because they don't have a road bike that uses a 450cc single cylinder engine

What @Sir Fallsalot said 

[boboneleg]

10 hours ago, Skippy said:

I don’t need more power off road and the Himalayan will do almost everything I need but………….I’d prefer a 600 on road and there’s the dilemma because ideally I’d have another XR650L but they were never imported into Spain and so I’ve no chance of getting one over here.

That leaves a much smaller choice but if I can squeeze a bit of cash out of our house sale then I’d love another KTM690 Enduro R.

With a different power modes it was manageable on the dirt with my meagre skills and plenty quick enough on road. The only thing I’d change is the truly awful seat………….

and the injectors, and the chocolate rockers and the dodgy fuel pump and the fuel filler that lets shit and muck drop into the tank when you re-fuel.    Great bike but the list of faults goes on...................

[XTreme]

I gotta say that I am quite taken with the F700GS.......but it is a slight step up in weight.

[skyrider]

15 hours ago, XTreme said:

Yeh.....it does look a bit brutal! 

blade razor

[Tango]

On 23/11/2021 at 22:38, XTreme said:

You'll lose the offroad capability though Bob?

Maybe have an offroad bike as well? TBH there's not so many trails in this area, so something more road focused would be better I think.

[Skippy]

4 hours ago, boboneleg said:

and the injectors, and the chocolate rockers and the dodgy fuel pump and the fuel filler that lets shit and muck drop into the tank when you re-fuel.    Great bike but the list of faults goes on...................

I know

[skyrider]

36 minutes ago, skyrider said:

blade razor

and trials bikes dont have any seat at all 

[XTreme]

28 minutes ago, Skippy said:

I know

[skyrider]

10 minutes ago, XTreme said:

stand up dont sit down 

[Buckster]

6 hours ago, XTreme said:

I gotta say that I am quite taken with the F700GS.......but it is a slight step up in weight.

That will be the Kymco engine then.

[Pedro]

6 hours ago, XTreme said:

I gotta say that I am quite taken with the F700GS.......but it is a slight step up in weight.

You do like singles, so why go for a twin if you hardly go on motorways or carry luggage? 

[Buckster]

3 minutes ago, Pedro said:

You do like singles, so why go for a twin if you hardly go on motorways or carry luggage? 

That extra power means he can get a bigger top box to carry his incontinence supplies.

[XTreme]

5 minutes ago, Buckster said:

That extra power means he can get a bigger top box to carry his incontinence supplies.

What Buck Said!

[Six30]

8 minutes ago, XTreme said:

What Buck Said!

fares please ??

[XTreme]

56 minutes ago, Pedro said:

You do like singles, so why go for a twin if you hardly go on motorways or carry luggage? 

I do go on motorways......if I'm leaving the area I have to to get anywhere.

But I'm unsure yet if my bike requirements are going to change because I've been gradually scaling down the business over the last 5 years (since my boy left for Poland), and retaining the worthwhile clients, while offloading the needy bottomfeeders.

Of course, Brexit and Covid have accounted for quite a few dropping off as well.

The plan has always been to get a better work/life balance than I used to have, and bit by bit I'm getting there.

I'm not where I want to be yet, because it takes time. But I'm heading the right way.

[Pedro]

1 minute ago, XTreme said:

I do go on motorways......if I'm leaving the area I have to to get anywhere.

But I'm unsure yet if my bike requirements are going to change because I've been gradually scaling down the business over the last 5 years (since my boy left for Poland), and retaining the worthwhile clients, while offloading the needy bottomfeeders.

Of course, Brexit and Covid have accounted for quite a few dropping off as well.

The plan has always been to get a better work/life balance than I used to have, and bit by bit I'm getting there.

I'm not where I want to be yet, because it takes time. But I'm heading the right way.

Good to hear, that you’re heading towards some balance!

[XTreme]

1 minute ago, Pedro said:

Good to hear, that you’re heading towards some balance!

Oh yeh......I couldn't keep going like I was.

[DesmoDog]

I rode Ducatis exclusively for about 25 years, then strayed when I bought an Aprilia RSV-R for a track bike, and then a Guzzi V85tt for a street bike. I never bonded with either. The Aprilia was sold off last spring, and it's pretty much decided the V85 will be put up for sale next spring. I already bought a 900ss track bike to replace the RSV, the Guzzi wil likely be replaced by an older air cooled Ducati Monster, or if I decide to sell my 851 also, perhaps a V2 Streetfighter. I need to see one in person first but so far it's caught my attention. 

 

 

[XTreme]

10 minutes ago, DesmoDog said:

I rode Ducatis exclusively for about 25 years, then strayed when I bought an Aprilia RSV-R for a track bike, and then a Guzzi V85tt for a street bike. I never bonded with either. The Aprilia was sold off last spring, and it's pretty much decided the V85 will be put up for sale next spring. I already bought a 900ss track bike to replace the RSV, the Guzzi wil likely be replaced by an older air cooled Ducati Monster, or if I decide to sell my 851 also, perhaps a V2 Streetfighter. I need to see one in person first but so far it's caught my attention. 

 

 

What is it about Ducatis that attracts you to them over all others?

[DesmoDog]

3 hours ago, XTreme said:

What is it about Ducatis that attracts you to them over all others?

TL;DR version - At this point it's probably as much experience/familiarity as anything else.

30+ years ago when I was first getting into bikes, I wanted a Honda. Then I went down to Daytona to help out a friend who was racing there and saw someone racing a Ducati F1. That was it, I was hooked. The sound, the rawness of it. And they were the underdog, a small company going up against the Japanese brands. When the time came to buy something, I went against everyone's advice and bought a Ducati as my first bike. 

Soon after that someone saw the bike and asked if I was a machinist, or an engineer, as if those were the only choices. I told him I was an engineer, why? He said those were the only two types of people who bought those things. Back then there was some truth to that, most owners were rather mechanical. Insert jokes of "making mechanics out of riders since 1949" here. Anyway I have always been pretty mechanically inclined so I fit in. 

The Japanese companies make great bikes, but there is something generic about them. They feel like they were designed by comittee or something. Take all the branding off a new Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Ducati. The Ducati will be obvious just by sitting on it, without looking at the engine. The others? I'd be lost trying to tell you which was which. 

I dunno. They just feel right to me and I like the history of the company. Honda and Ducati started building bikes at roughly the same time. The same year Ducati announced they had built their one millionth bike, Honda built their 300 Millionth bike. Every Ducati I've ever owned was built in the same facility, from the '66 160 Monza Jr to the 2015 Monster. (Yes, I've been there, a few times). 

Bikes are an emotional purchase so I never put much effort into trying to rationalize why I like one more than another. I just go with the one that I keep thinking about. I bought a Hypermotard over an Aprilia whatever even though the reviews all said to buy the Aprilia. I liked the Hypermotard, sold it to buy a Monster 1200S which I REALLY liked. None of the enjoyment I've had riding Ducatis over the years has been lessened by someone pointing out the Japanese whatever is cheaper and makes 10 more HP. So what? They are emotional choices. Buy the one that makes you smile. Newsflash -  the bike has never been the limiting factor when I'm out on a ride. Well, aside from the 160 Monza. I'm slow on everything, I don't ride because I'm fast - I'm not. I ride because I like bikes. 

I once read something along the lines of "if you don't stop and look back at your bike after a ride once in a while, you bought the wrong bike". I'd agree with that.

PS - one of my absolute favorite bikes ever is a Honda RC-30. I searched for one once but bought a new 996 instead. Kinda wish I had continued looking for the Honda even though the 996 is the one Ducati I regret selling. Actually I found one, but the dealer still wanted MSRP for it even though it had been sitting on display for years. I passed. Oops, today it'd be worth a lot more than he was asking. But then a long time ago I also delayed calling about a '74 Ducati 750 Super Sport because it needed work and when I finally did call it was already sold. They wanted $700 for it IIRC. In good shape that's a $100k bike today. 

EDIT: 2003, I'm in Italy with my sister and brother in law. We're standing outside and I tell him there's a Ducati coming. He looks around, there's no traffic. "Where?"  Oh just wait, it's coming. Yep, down the street a bike appears and as it goes by he reads "Ducati" on the tank. "Really?"  dude... You doubted me??? And yes, I did name one of my dogs "Desmo".