[plumbtastic]

NEW BIKE DAY!!
i'm looking to get a new bike and have it narrowed down to two.
Ducati sport classic 1000 or Triumph Thruxton, and i wanted some of your opinions on either. i understand they are different bikes.

i was leaning towards the Triumph and then upgrading a lot of the parts. The dealer i talked to offers free liquids for life (oil brake fluid) plus labor charges, or i can do it myself and they will stamp my maintence guide to keep my warranty. also 15% off any accesories i want for the first 90 days and 10% off from there on out.
triumphperformanceusa.com if you're wondering. cool guys.

The ducati is obviously gonna be more from the get go, and i'm assuming a lot more to maintain. i was told for a lot of things they have to drop the entire engine. but its such a sweet bike! going to look at one today.

its a second bike (other one is '76 cb400) i wanted something to ride long distances and not have to worry about it leaving me stranded. i'm not super rich or anything, but i could afford the duc.

do you think the ducati is worth the extra funds?? will one be more comfortable to ride?? which one will get me laid more??jk

thanks for your help ahead of time. there is a lot more knowledge and experience on this board then i will ever have.

 

[Geeto67]

as a 2006 Ducati Sport 1000 owner I can tell you the ducati is much better than the triumph in terms of performance. Whatever you spend on the thruxton it will have to be a lot to equal the performance of the ducati and by then you would probably be able to buy 2 sportclassics.

I am not so sure the ducati is going to be more from the get-go. The sportclassics have not been selling and it is possible to find 2007 and 2006 leftovers still around. There is a dealer here on Long Island and he has a leftover paulsmart he is willing to let go for below list. The list on my bike was $11,500 but I walked out of the dealership with it (in august 2007) for $9500 financed. The Thruxton is $8000 before tax, license, etc so they are not to far off.

with the ducati, maitenance depends on whether you want an 06 or an 07-08. the 2006 was the only year that the regular production sport 1000 (S1K) was mono-posto. It is also the year that has the service interval at around every 6000 miles. The 2007-08 models are all biposto (uglier exhaust, swingarm, pegs, higher clipons) but they also have a 7500 mile service interval (these are two valve dual spark motors - a staple in the monster for years). Yes the service is expensive for when it happens (my first service was $350 (@ a $90 labor rate that is standard in NY) and I imagine the next one is probably going to be about the same. Also the 2006 was the only year the standard S1K had a dry clutch.

I say standard S1K because there was a back in black special edition for 2007 that has all the mono-post bits of the 2006 models but all the great service intervals and reduced maintenance costs of a 2007 (if you haven't figured it out yet ducati just changed the interval not the bike). Ideally this is the one to buy as it also has the special gold over black 1980's 900ss style paint scheme (I really liked the tangerine yellow so I bought an '06).

If you don't mind buying used, there are plenty of 06 and 07 S1Ks for sale on the www.ducati.ms board, most of them already with termi's, tail chops, DP ECUs, low miles, and priced well below list. Also I would hang out there because they post the dealers that they spot that still have leftovers everly marked down. Ducati issued a large credit to dealers who still had leftover 2006 and 2007 bikes so you can probably get a new one cheaper than you think.

As far as riding the S1k, do not consider an 06 mono-posto one unless you are over 6' tall. the reach to the bars is going to uncomfortable. I am 6'5" and I have to say my setup is heaven. My only real compaint is I wish I was thinner so I didn't sit so far back on the seat and therefore closer to the pegs. the bike is only comfortable in one position - full on racer crouch - which is how I think it should be all the time.

The bike is tempermental, fidgety, and mean at slow speeds - like every italian bike or woman you have ever met. Plust she buzzes a lot below 2K rpm. Crank the wick and she is about as good as a riding expirence can get. 100 rwhp (I have mods to mine), and 380-something lbs in a 1000cc parallel twin can't be beat for making you feel like you are cheating death every second between that ride from your house to the local supermarket. My buddy's R1 may be faster but the ducati is more riding expirence than anything else. At 451 lbs and 69 hp - the triumph aspires to be a sport 1k but in my expirence falls short.

that being said I have been thinking about buying a triumph standard black bonneville or a used thruxton lately. To me my ducati is garage jewelry. I am as protective of it as I would be of any supermodel/girlfriend I could hope to have. when I ride it to worK I check on it 5 times a day and I try to find a parking garage that allows bikes. I want the triumph as a newer version of my honda 750 - disposable motorcycle transport. I like the idea of parking a new standard bonnie on a NYC street and not really have to worry about some schmuck backing into it. I want a utility racer!!!!, if I fall off it or otherwise prang it I don't want to look like a fuckin sissy crying in the street over my ruined beauty.

so to answer your questions:

Yes the ducati is worth the extra funds.

Yes the triumph will be the more comfortable and useful bike.

Yes the 2007 ducati S1K will get you laid more. The 2006 monopost will make all women feel jilted because it is a selfish motorcycle and women don't like it when they ask for a ride and you have to tell them no.

Think of the two as the difference between buying a New Masaratti (ducati) and a fox body 5.0 Mustang (triumph). both have their strengths and weaknesses, the question is which is more suitable to your uses?

 

[plumbtastic]

thanks for all the info!
being as i'm 5'3. long reach and standover height are a big issue.
i plan on riding to work and back 70+miles/day
and i live in so cal by a bunch of rich people that just buy stuff to buy stuff (not a real price break)

i guess i'm still leaning towards the triumph. i freak out about my stuff i really like and wouldnt want to ride the duc anywhere i couldnt see it parked. it'll be my commuter bike.

i missed out on a paul smart a couple months ago. had twenty miles on it and they were selling it for 11,500.

i'm still gonna go by the dealership today and see if it really calls my name.

thanks geeto!

 

[Geeto67]

not that it will help your decision making any but you could always go the hella rare and completely unuseable route:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ducati-Supersport-Mike-Hailwood-2001-Ducati-MH900e-VERY-RARE_W0QQitemZ220215313660QQihZ012QQcategoryZ49991QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Handbuilt and all that comes with it. The epitome of a real garage queen since she will fall apart as you ride it. Still I would park her in the garage and just rub up against her every once in a while to remind myself I am a man!

It may not be your style but while you are at the ducati dealer you should check out the GT sportclassic. Much more usefull than an S1K and just as classic looking. there are guys who have cafe racer-ized their GTs but it is not meant to be a replacement for the S1K, just something similar but different. Also while you are there you should look at a an S2R ducati. Not the S4R with it's superbike service intervals but the S2R, all the goodies of the S4R with the reliable DS motor.

the sportclassics are not flying out of dealerships (their largest demographic can't afford the bike) so you will be surprised at the kind of price break you can get. I'm telling you go over to www.Ducati.ms and run some searches in the sportclassic section. Dealers know about the price breaks ducati is giving them but they still try to get top dollar for these bikes anyway since it maximizes their profit. If you know you are in a better position to negotiate. I live in the king of all places where rich guys buy stupid toys and also live in the same city as the ducati dealer voted the biggest rip-off by ducati owners everywhere and I still got a good deal.

there are a ton of sportclassic riders in the LA area (did you know ryan reynolds is a paulsmart owner?) hook up with them through the message boards and you'll be able to get a better expirence of what the duc is like and how to get a better deal.

Also before I bought my S1K I rode one. I had to go to mid-ohio to do it but see if there are any local demo rides in your area. Once you ride the S1K you will understand.

I have met a couple of thruxton owners who wish they bought a ducati S1k, but I have yet to meet an S1K owner who wishes he bought a triumph.

 

[ProTeal55]

Go Ducati, you will thank yourself later..