DUCATI: The Harley of sportbikes?

[Hoblick]

i was thinking about this the other day..

i know there is a stereo type for the typical harley owner..

but most of it is the same with Ducati owners

1. most people buy it because of its name

2. when you buy one, you end up loading up on there branded gear and accessories

3. repair, and parts are super expensive

4. awesome bikes, but you could have gotten a jap bike that can outperform it

5. its considered fashion statement

6. most people who own them dont put many miles on them

7. people refer to the riders as Dbags

8. see them alot at star bucks

9. owners spend alot of time cleaning them

10. they spend more time in the shop then on the road

add more if youd like..

im just making comparisons about things ive heard about both brands

[Cdubyah]

You start a repair shop based on the brand...

[VanDy]

It's kinda like sex, if you have never had any you just don't understand what you are missing...

[C-bus]

11. I don't have either but would like to own various models of both.

[Zach]

[Coyote]

Funny that.

A couple days ago in my periphery I saw a Diavel pull up at an intersection. My first thought was 'Damn, Harleys are getting uglier. Sound better though. Oh--trellis frame...'

[redkow97]

It's a funny parallel, but most Ducs can handle pretty damn well, and they have a long standing race program that has produced real results fairly consistently.

Pulling out of WSBK at the factory level wasn't a great move for them, but Checa hasn't seemed to notice. The GP11 is a beast, but stoner was world champion on it not that long ago.

When was the last time a Harley was world champ at anything? Probably dirt track? But that's practically a spec class...

[Disclaimer]

If there was a for marketing, Harley would win that.

[NightRider]

The thing between HD and Ducati is...for me at least, that i would jump (if i could afford) to buy a Diavel or a Streetfighter. Those would be at the top of my list, and i wouldn't cry if i was forced to ride a 1198 or maybe even a Monster.

The ONLY bike i would even consider...from HD would be a V-rod.

It's all null and void...because i can't afford any of these.

12. I would have to add to the list that they are usually too expensive.

[Tpoppa]

This thread = Fail.

Other than being twins and having 2 wheels, not really much compares. The companies couldn't be any more different.

[Bellboy1]

Valid points on the Ducati, but its like comparing hot rods to sports cars. Each group likes their stuff for their own reasons and neither opinion is wrong, they are just different. I autocross and see Corvettes around town all the time. Great sports car, goes fast, handles well, but do you know how many people actually USE them to go fast and have ANY idea of the actual handling of the car? I can tell you its not many maybe 5-6 in the whole city of Columbus. Most guys just cruise around and polish them as a status symbol or at most do a quick blast on the freeway or stop light to stop light. A duc is the equivalent. Probably 1% of the owners actually have an appreciation of what they have. The rest just want to look good cruising around on them. The guys I respect and listen to are the ones out riding their bikes through the twisties, or up at the track and using them for what they were designed for.

Harleys on the other hand harken to the Hot rod crowd. Look cool, hang out with fun social groups at shows, go for group rides but not at speeds high enough to scratch the paint if a rock gets kicked up. (Sorry I'm not trying to be derogetory here, but its similar to the cruise ins that you do in hot rods. Speed is not the thing) Nothing wrong with that, its just how different people enjoy different aspects of this 2 wheel obsession.

It just kills me how groups try to justify their positons and convince other people to join their view. I guess its just human nature. Politics, religion, cars, sports, motorcycles, everyone thinks their's is the greatest and want other to share that enthusiasm even if they have to cram it down your throat!

[vf1000ride]

1. most people buy it because of its name

2. when you buy one, you end up loading up on there branded gear and accessories

3. repair, and parts are super expensive

4. awesome bikes, but you could have gotten a jap bike that can outperform it

5. its considered fashion statement

6. most people who own them dont put many miles on them

7. people refer to the riders as Dbags

8. see them alot at star bucks

9. owners spend alot of time cleaning them

10. they spend more time in the shop then on the road

I must be a bad Ducati owner.

1. I wasn't even aware they made my model bike before the first time I saw it in the showroom and was actually going to buy a Honda at the time.

2. The only branded accessory I own is a belt for my pants.

3. Repairs I do myself, will give you parts ain't cheap.

4. Handles about the same as any other motorcycle I have owned, had no trouble on it's track day.

5. Well yes, aren't most motorcycles regardless of brand?

6. 17,850 miles since spring of '08.

7. Only if they deserve it.

8. Don't like coffee, if you find mine parked good luck.

9. Only reason to clean it is because you have been riding it and it's dirty.

10. Other than general maintenance (do myself now anyway) it's only been in the shop three times and all for nagging gas tank issues.

[ohdaho]

Expensive is a relative term. Ducatis really arent that more expensive than a comparable jap bike (ie 1198 vs zx10r)...several thousand or so.

[Hoblick]

hey im not hatin on Ducatis. id love to own a monster, 848, 1098, or a hyper

and im not brand loyal either.. i like all bike makes and models

i just thought it was funny some of the comparisons

i think its also funny i get alot of shit now from people cause i ride a harley lol

stereotyping is fun!

[fizzer]

13. most have no sense of humor, apparently:D

[redkow97]

Expensive is a relative term. Ducatis really arent that more expensive than a comparable jap bike (ie 1198 vs zx10r)...several thousand or so.

work that "several thousand" out as a percentage of the total vehicle purchase price.

When two $80,000 sports cars are a couple grand apart, that's a 2.5% difference in price.

When two $15,000 bikes are a couple grand apart, that's 13.4% difference in price.

[ohdaho]

work that "several thousand" out as a percentage of the total vehicle purchase price.

When two $80,000 sports cars are a couple grand apart, that's a 2.5% difference in price.

When two $15,000 bikes are a couple grand apart, that's 13.4% difference in price.

Congrats you know how to compute percentages. Compute out the price per liter and its less than 10% (rough-back-of-napkin type of calculation).

So that puts it how many points above the "cheap vs expensive" threshold?

...disclaimer: didnt mean to sound like a dick.

Edited June 29, 2011 by ohdaho

[redkow97]

so you don't think a 13% difference in price is significant?

I kinda like Ducatis for their "character," but from a purely performance standpoint, they're not the best value. What they might be is the most convenient.

You can buy a Duc with brembo brake components and Ohlins suspension bits directly from the factory. Those are things you'd have to upgrade on most Japanese bikes. That's a point to consider when you look at the price difference, but I don't think it QUITE adds up.

Edited June 29, 2011 by redkow97

[redkow97]

Compute out the price per liter and its less than 10% (rough-back-of-napkin type of calculation).

compute the horsepower per liter, or better yet, horsepower per dollar.

(actually I'm legitimately intrigued by what the result of both of those might be. If i get some free time at work, I may throw some rough figures at it)

[bambam]

9. owners spend alot of time cleaning them

I definitely fit the overall profile but do agonize over this particular item. My SSie is never very clean, and other Ducati owners are not shy about mentioning it. I do understand the value of keeping your stuff clean and it seems a shame to see a nice bike looking scruffy, but I just don't see the need for it to look brand new. I should pay DucRX to detail the old girl every week. Pauly?

[RVTPilot]

Significant difference overlooked in this thread:

• Nipples on the bitch on the back of a Ducati - north of her navel, pointing forward
  
• Nipples on the bitch on the back of a Harley - south of her waistline, pointed at her feet
  

Please continue...

[ohdaho]

so you don't think a 13% difference in price is significant?

You can buy a Duc with brembo brake components and Ohlins suspension bits directly from the factory. Those are things you'd have to upgrade on most Japanese bikes. That's a point to consider when you look at the price difference, but I don't think it QUITE adds up.

Exactly. Its not really "expensive" when you consider the technology and components it has over your typical jap bike. For track guys, youre pretty much going to get rid of most of the stock components for the brembo MCs and cals, ohlins everything, etc. So at that point I would pay the extra premium for the ducati just to have something different and the pure hotness that is a duc.

[Bellboy1]

Significant difference overlooked in this thread:

• Nipples on the bitch on the back of a Ducati - north of her navel, pointing forward
  
• Nipples on the bitch on the back of a Harley - south of her waistline, pointed at her feet
  

Please continue...

Sorry I call BS on this one. Been to both Myrtle Beach and Daytona during bike weeks (long before I even had a bike!) and there were plenty of hot girls on Harleys. Now to be fair, the percentage of hot girls per cool bike WAS in favor of the sport bike crowd, but I don't think you can go as far as generalizing all of them!

[RVTPilot]

Sorry I call BS on this one. Been to both Myrtle Beach and Daytona during bike weeks (long before I even had a bike!) and there were plenty of hot girls on Harleys. Now to be fair, the percentage of hot girls per cool bike WAS in favor of the sport bike crowd, but I don't think you can go as far as generalizing all of them!

Fair play to you sir, I should have better qualified my bullet points. I oo have spent a fair amount of time in Daytona, having been a resident of Jacksonville for 6+ years. What used to crack me up was the hot chicks that were taken to a Harely dealership for photo ops or just as eye candy, and came on the back of a Gixxer, Ninja, or R1.

[Bellboy1]

What used to crack me up was the hot chicks that were taken to a Harely dealership for photo ops or just as eye candy, and came on the back of a Gixxer, Ninja, or R1.

While traveling around the Los Angeles area last year a buddy and I were looking for the Pamona drag strip. We got lost and stopped in the Pamona Harley Davidson store to get directions. Nice young California blonde girl is all too willing to help us. She goes and prints off a map and comes back to show us how to get there from the store and leans over the counter to show us the map giving us a good view of, well of a lot more than that map! Suddenly my buddy says I’m going to look at a Sportster over there and walks away totally red faced. I’m an old married guy, so I just kept going! Anyhow after we walked out of the store I asked why he walked away. He said something about not going home with a red hand print on his face since he couldn’t stop himself from staring!