Featured Threads Archive

At last I have managed to get a ride on my new Scrambler,a red Icon.
Nice and easy to move out of the garage,not to heavy and with a nice low centre of gravity.Nice and easy to mount,the tail is a full 7" lower than my SF.
So, off we go.one of the first things I notice is how light the clutch is,difficult to believe it is cable operated.The wing mirrors actually work as well,I don't have to bend my body to see what's behind me.
This bike is acting like a little puppy,straining at the leash,and waiting to run away.Nice bit of torque,this thing likes a bit of a gallop.I like it.
Good slow speed running as well,nicely balanced and the engine very docile.I only encountered a bit of first gear 'over eagerness once'.Just a case of getting to know the bike I suppose.
Nice gear shift,I didn't encounter any false neutrals.Rev counter not that brilliant to read but luckily I can tell from engine feel that I am not labouring or screaming the engine.
After about 20 miles I...

Hey guys I've been doing some reviews of the Ducati's i've been trying whilst 899 is in for surgery. Here's the 1299 which i'm still riding. You may think it's a tonne of wank!
So far i have tried Monster 1200S Stripe, Monster 696, 1299s and 1299, Scrambler Icon (with panniers), 2016 Multistrada.

To say i am gutted about the fate that has befallen my 899 is an understatement. However a deep down feeling (and family request) that we never dance again is quite hard to ignore even with Ducati's finest looking after my 899. Every cloud has a silver lining and the dealers are doing their part by letting me use loan bikes.

I digress.

I was handed the keys to a 65 plate 1299 base with 7 miles on it. Between riding away from dealers at 2:30pm Tuesday and now, i've stuck 121 miles on it. Slowly at first to scrub in the Supercorsa SPs it's shod with.

Let's sort the bad out quickly:
1) Price. No getting around the fact that near £17k for a bike is obscene, and too much for any sensible...

My 3 year free servicing and warranty period runs out today. I took my bike in to JHP Ducati Coventry for its 15,000 mile service a few weeks ago and they are nearing completion.

Thankfully no issues have been found except the expected carbon build-up.
I have elected to to have the valves, pistons and crank out and cleaned even though it will cost me - two head gaskets at £180 each and 8hrs of labour - because it is cheaper to do it now whilst the bike is apart than later. I figure that if I do it now after 15,000 miles it likely won't need doing again in my lifetime as I am going to get my other bikes back on the road and use the D16 a lot less now that it is out of warranty.

I have given JHP a camera and asked them to take photos as they work so I'll give an update and put them up here when I get it back.

I was encouraged to make a more thorough introduction of myself and my occational ducati adventures, so here goes nothing

My Ducati journey started in 2002 with a 748, very nice bike it was and I kept it for two years. But by the end of the second season I was completely hooked on this MY2000 996SPS that was prowling the neighbourhood, asked the guy if he would sell it to me and much to my surprice a YES came back, not much to think about and I bought it.
I had already got mag wheels for the 748 so they were transferred over to the new scoot.
Looked like this first season (2004):
The coming winter (2005) I couldnt help myself tuning it a bit, as thats what usually happens to any ride I have, then another tune at 2007 and by now it had a lot of special bits in there, eventually a valve seat came lose and locked the engine, luckily at a stand still, but damage was financially enough to consider a more modern engine to go in there. Lesson learned from that is to avoid special...

I know.....I'm at it again,pestering you lovely people for more donations.
I hope to,if I get my target,Skydive with the Red Devils for the only other charity close to my heart.It might even scare my cancer away for ever!!
I've also chosen to do the jump on my birthday next year,fingers crossed I'm healthy and ok to do it.....
Please read the link below and donate WHATEVER you can for these wonderful heroes and heroines.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN XX
Jennifer Coates is fundraising for Help for Heroes

The 'Average Rider Review'.

I would imagine there's quite a few people out there who are pondering whether to swap their 848, 1098 or 1198 for a Panigale, and as I was a few years ago asking themselves if the Panigale is any better?, is it worth it? Or should I just stick with what I've got?. We've all read the reviews of the so called 'experts' with varying opinions. For most including myself the bike will only the used as a toy to be taken out after work or at weekends for general riding and a quick blast. All the reviews I've read talk about how the bike handles under extreme riding when it's being pushed to the limit. I consider myself an average rider of average ability who rides only on the road, so how fast the bike can hit the apex or how it handles when accelerating at 11k rpm out of a corner isn't relevant to me or many other riders. I'm lucky enough to own both a 1098 and 1199, so I thought I'd write this review comparing them both side by side based on an average...

I picked up the new DVT last night around 5pm and immediately it was obvious that the decision to trade up was the right move. I had done about 10,000km on the 2013 GT that I traded and I was really happy with it until about 5:01pm. The new DVT is completely different and although I had read every article written on it I was not prepared for just how different it is.
I'm no bike expert though I have been riding bikes all my life. (Started at 8yrs on the farm) I'm no boy racer however I was a motorcycle cop for 5yrs so I've chased a few guys that thought they were.... Here's my initial thoughts and a couple of surprises on the new DVT.
Please keep in mind that prior to the upgrade I had joined this forum and trawled through most of the posts on the DVT. I had also read every article written in bike mags and watched every You Tube clip so I thought that I was well informed.
The most surprising thing was that the GT and the DVT feel so different. The new bike feels lighter and much...

Got down to the bike shop late afternoon after a 12 hr shift down in Birmingham.
Paid up, sorted the docs out, jumped on the bike and rode off. They forewarned me that there was little fuel in it so headed straight to the petrol station.
It felt shite so after filling up I checked the tire pressures. Needed another 12 in the front and 4 in the rear. That's all it needed to feel right enough. After that I began to enjoy it more and more and to be honest, didn't find it any more uncomfortable than the 848 it replaced.
I think as soon as I get some new tires on and a few other bits that need sorting out, I'll have myself a mint bike!

Ducati to show nine new models at Eicma - Motorcycle news : General news - Visordown

Not seen it as it's over 200 mile away and the delivery will be a week or so, it's going to be hard to sleep for a while...:Wideyed:

A 1390 mile Streetfighter 1098S in Black :smile::Happy:

The unveiling of the new Monster 1200 R: the most powerful Ducati naked of all time

The new Monster 1200 R has been unveiled by Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding, during the Volkswagen Group Night in Frankfurt.

With its 160 hp, the Monster 1200 R is the most powerful Ducati naked of all time. Its key features include the Testastretta 11° DS twin-cylinder engine in its “R” version (EURO 4 homologated) and a revised chassis to ensure maximum effect and enjoyment on track. In addition, the brand new design of the tail and front section confirm the sporting credentials of this new version of the Monster.

Available in Ducati Red and Thrilling Black, the new Monster 1200 R will be on the market from early 2016.

The Monster 1200 R will be exhibited for the very first time between 15 and 20 Septemberon the Audi booth at the 2015 IAA (Internationale Automobilausstellung) in Frankfurt.

The new Monster 1200 R press kit is now available on Ducatipress.com and includes high...

That bloke who got banned (for no idea what considering how others behave, and his technical knowledge is missed) text me to tell me he's up as one of the finalists of Ducati of the year!

Believe Conquest Carbon are too, and wasnt Nutty Nick a previous winner?

Anyway, lets wish him luck as most of it has been done by him, sourced by him and it looks and goes mint!

And if he wins, I look forward to his mug and bike splatterred on the front page (with the banner 'banned member wins Ducati title')

Today was one of those days where the Gods were shining down on me.After a typically painful start to the day I decided that as the sun was shining I was going to make the best of it.
I had just downed a nice cocktail of meds when Mrs Mervyn,with a typical I know you smirk on her lovely face,handed me the phone.It was Peter from Pro twins Ducati-my new Scrambler had arrived.
So,I had a very careful ride over the dealership to do the paperwork,order a few goodies and pay for it.I did manage not to get sucked in too much to the 'Land of Joy' catalogue,and only ordered a few bits and pieces.:Angelic: My ride home on the SF was a little more confident and spirited
Mrs Mervyn was very keen to hear from me about the Scrambler and what it actually did.I eventually got her interested in Cafe Racers,pocket rockets,Sports bikes and others.Well,to tell the truth,after a couple of minutes she said she was bored, and went off to do some painting.
I shall now practise being...

Allegedly

We are now approaching my Multi's 5th birthday and I've lost count of the tours but I did notice the 50k miles pop up and stopped for the picture. We were in Bavaria at the time on the way to Mugello.
We leave for Misano tomorrow so we'll be well over 55,000 by the time we get home again. She's still the best bike in the world.

Anyone else seen that they are doing a 1200R monster ?

Living the Dream guys, Living the dream.

I got this last week from a forum member selling on here and I think he bought it from someone else on here but not sure. I have been thinking about getting one for ages so thought why the hell not. Just gave it a good clean and polish.

New Ducati China business unit to become official importer for Ducati products from 1 January, 2016
Ducati well positioned to continue its positive growth trend in China
Current Ducati network of 10 dealerships in China to increase in 2016

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 1 September 2015 – Ducati Motor Holding announces that the import of its motorcycles and related products (Apparel, Accessories, Spare Parts) into China will transfer from Jet Sky Development Ltd. (a company in the Denker Group) to Audi China from 1 January, 2016.

The mutually agreed decision is going to build upon the excellent work executed by Jet Sky Development Ltd, which has successfully established the Ducati brand in China with an efficient and professional network. The transfer will now enable the iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer to further widen the market in China, capitalizing upon Audi’s experience on the successful distribution of premium vehicles in the region.

Underlining China as a...