Figaro, I'm the happy owner of a 998s and a 2011 Speed Triple. Speed Triple is a far more comfortable bike to ride over 100+ miles, plenty of torque and uncluttered with with bloody electronical tiding aide doodaah malarkies. It has ABS, but that's all it bloody well needs. Top speed of about 150 - maybe 15-20mph slower than the 998, but in all honesty, I never use those sorts of speeds on the road - I don't like track days, so probably don't normally do more than 120-130 on the odd occasion (I'm only pretending and making that figure up officer, to look manly in front of readers...). Anyway, my point is - I do many more miles on my Speedy than I do on my Italian mistress - by probably about 10:1. I did long for, and still do long for, a Multi, but as I said in my last post, they are too bloody tall for me! So I will be keeping the Speedy for a few years yet I think. I haven't got a problem with it's build quality...
My mate's got a 2004 Speed Triple with 80,000 miles on it. He's done about 15 trackdays on it and commutes on it every day. It's still mint. I don't think there can be too much wrong with the finish, although I was seen some howlers. I'll have to check out Street Triples, they might be in my price range now, I definitely fancy one of them.
I test rode the Speedy and the Street back-to-back coming from my 998. I did a 60 miler on the Speed then went straight out on the Street. I only got to the the roundabout 1/2 a mile down the road on the Street and went straight back to the shop and wrote a cheque straight away for the Speed Triple. The Speed blows the Street away with so much more grunt and usable torque!!! The Street was a better fit for my vertically challenged frame, but the grunt wins the day every time for a Testastretta owner!...
I've got a low mount full Arrow system on my 2011 Speed Triple now. It shouts and spits and growls SO much on overrun! even more than the 998 with 54mil Termis & chip . The triple engine is SO SO smooth compared to the V-twin (or L-Twin, depending on your point of view...). Don't get me wrong, the triple growls and rumbles and I LOVE it! .... but there is just that little bit more visceral rawness to my 998s with it's tractor-like technology which is just SO addictive....:Hungry:
I test rode an 848 evo and streetfighter back to back and had to buy the streetfighter. It's coming up for three years old now and was thinking of a change so test rode an 899. Seriously no where near as much fun as my streetfighter, and unless your into going everywhere at the top half of the rev range, no where near as good a street bike. To cut a long story short, I'm keeping it, it's a cracking bike
Yes but I can't touch the bloody ground on a new Multi! I WANT one! but it's too bloody tall for me! :Banghead:.... I'm a short-arsed bastard and I 7ucking HATE it for the ONE reason - I'm too bloody short for the bike of my dreams! :Arghh: ... if Ducati would come up with a way of dropping the new Multi by 2-3 inches from the factory, I would write a cheque for a new one tomorrow!
am I missing something here...are ohlins that come fitted to any Ducati inferior to those you buy then have fitted afterwards??? surely thats not the case...both my bikes have ohlins on as part of the Ducati SP or S version and I would be sorely miffed if it were the case....
@David998...considered Cuban Heels, I mean Italians are usually short so maybe they have motorcycle boots with a nice Cuban Heel
If I was getting another bike, I might well be trying to source a Bimota. Plenty had not overly-powerful engines, loads of exclusivity and top-notch handling equipment. They look pretty cool too. No doubt not that easy to find, but not impossible and likely to have very few miles on them.
i truly want to keep the fugly till the death. if finances allowed i would keep the 848 also. thing is deep down i know what i am gonna do. keep both and go looking for a pikes if nothing else grabs me by the time i can afford it. unless the shit hits the pan then they will all go. :smile:
