10 dark Secrets Ducati Don't Want You To Know 

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These 10 facts could be a description of any company.

I've had three Ducati's. A 600SS, a 748 and a 916. They've all been brilliant to own. I owned the 916 for over 20 years. You can't skimp on the maintenance and the quality of parts. Once you're out of warranty, take it to a mechanic you can really trust. Don't bother with the dealers.

I have to totally agree with everything you've stated in this video , and yes the scrambler in summertime traffic gets unbelievably hot and I use my very capable water cooled Yamaha on very hot days for the reasons you outlined , so much for the freedom of a motorcycle with a Ducati !!!

Sorry , but I have the best Ducati shirt EVER!!!!! it says " THE BEST THING IN THE HARLEY SHOP WINDOW IS THE REFLECTION OF MY DUCATI "!!😊😊😊😊🏍🏍🏍🍺🍺

Yup my 2023! Panigale V4S can literally overheat in traffic in 40deg weather and burn your thighs at the same time. When you see a guy on a Ducati with will legs spread wide now you know why.

Started riding motorcycles in 1966. Rode and raced Norton's for many years. You think Ducatis are labor intensive. I used to say for every hour you ride a Norton, you put an hour of work into them. When I moved onto Ducatis, I didn't find the quirks and maintenance unusual. They were much more reliable than the Norton, which was a great moorcycle. In a 15 year span, I owned two 916's, an ST4, a 1098, a monster 900 and a Hypermotard. I put on over 100,000 miles on these bikes and did all my own maitenance. Track days on my 916 are dome of my best memories as was sport touring around western US on my ST4. I started a successful busness, EMS, manufacturing valve shims, MBP retainers and tools forvalve adjustment. I became very intimate with all things Ducati. What you say is all true, but Ducati is no different than any other manufacturer. The bikes are different and offer a style and,sound, and feel that is unique and in my opinion worth every penney. I have no regrets owning,riding and maintaining all my ducs. Plus, if it wasn't for Desmo, I would not have enjoyed growing a business from scratch. Ducati will always be dear to my heart.

I've had 4, I have a Multistrada now. No issues, just regular maintenance, most of which you can do yourself. Ervice Intervals, have greatly increased as well!

the bending of the WSB rules by Ducati doesn't surprise me at all, they have always seemed to benefit from FIM patronage, much as Ferrari does in Formula 1. Always surprised that non Ducati riders win the BSB as the main Ducati protagonist's bikes are all basically WSB spec (without electronics).

Say what you will but the desmoquattro period (748-996) made a GIGANTIC improvement in not only Ducati but motorcycle culture as a whole. Other than the desiseidici, Ducati died for me with the 996. I love the 1991 851 model most and have several in the stables. Computer control has killed racing!!!

I, very well, recall owing a 1098S back in 2010(?) It was a powerhouse, but a fickle partner! I recall the pain of my bum burning, any time I was caught in traffic. I recall how utterly uncomfortable it was, if ridden for any length of time. I recall who stupidly expensive the services were or, for that matter, anything you needed to have repaired. Spares? Ridiculously priced. Everything excessively 'over' what any other bike would cost. I also recall how, once i'd moved on, the Ducati 'family' disowned me. I also recall though, that it was ecstasy to own one.....but only one, and only once. Anything more would be a torture i'm not financially, nor physically, happy to revisit.

Some of it really is surprising to me. And as a MotoGP and Ducati fan it is such a shame to see those bikes with ugly winglets on them. I'd rather go back to an era where those Japanese teams were dominating, there is more pure racing back then.

I have owned Ducati's for over 25 years. Love them but they handle like a child having a tantrum they rattle like bolts in a cement mixer. The service costs the same as a decent used middle weight motorcycle. You need to have Zen level ankle and knee yoga skills to handle more 25 minutes riding.

very informative,,,,,, thanks

Ducati has always been exciting to me---used to have a collection of singles---2 350s and a 450Desmo that was raced at Westwood in B.C. Canada---the 450 had a twin plug head and I made it roadworthy at 240 lbs. My last Ducati was a 1974 750 GT. Love to have another but maintenance costs steer me more towards Japanese sportbikes.

Thanks again for a great video. I'm 57 and have owned over 20 motorcycles. I absolutely love Italians, so much so that I married one. But your right on the mark that you better have a lot money to own an exotic bike. First off I live in a city where we have 3 dealerships, one being Harley and the other 2 Japanese bikes. The best bikes I've ever owned where Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda. They don't require a ton of maintenance and basically run forever. But oh that Panagale, sigh...

I thought so! Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

I dearly loved mine, but I was working overtime to keep up with the running costs. Eventually it wore my patience away.

I was a part of the Ducati International Owners Club, DIOC, when the Castiglione’s “bought” Ducati. They saved Ducati from themselves. I agree with your “More Money than Sense”(Pro Italia discarded all bevel drive and early belt drive parts and bodywork…). IMHO THE fast By Ferracci Cortez was The One(opinions, we’ve all got one, eh?)

Ducati’s are beautiful and (mostly) great to ride. However Ducati and Ferrari have two thing’s in common: Red and a complete lack of sporting ethics. I shall now go into hiding 😂

When I was a kid back in the eighties there was a Ducati shop right downtown Kingston Massachusetts the only one around I would go there and just awe over the beauty of those motorcycles I still want one to this day more than I've ever wanted anything work of art they are

Ducati. Taking the piss since 1985.

Thanks for the interesting and informative video. I'm delighted to hear you speak about what has gone on in Moto GP. I was shocked when I read that Ducati would be running under open class rules in 2014. I just couldn't believe that ANY factory currently competing would be allowed to run as if they were a small private team. And then there's the issue of stacking the grid as you've highlighted here in your video.

Paying for pain and running cost just to say look at me I ride a Ducati..

This video has made me thankful for the aversion to the Scrambler line.

Thanks for the upload. Loved it. It clears up most of the questions I had according the rise in performance of DUCATI the past decade.

Back in the day Ducati's were beautiful bikes yet very poorly build, like Alfa's, Ferrari's and so on. My view is pretty simple: if you ride (or drive) a lot, you buy sensible stuff. I have ridden Italian bikes and driven Italian cars. And loved them. Eventually I grew up (or became old, your choice 🙂). So nowadys in my garage there is a Honda, a Yamaha, a Peugeot and a Mercedes-Benz. Perhaps not exiting, but they usually work and do not cost an arm and a leg to maintain. It's all a matter of personal preference.

Ducati was seriously po’d at our race team back in 2006. We had a wealthy sponsor who loves Ducati’s and bought us a V-twin 999 to race in the next big endurance race. I warned him that with a group of proper fast guys riding it that the engine would likely not survive the 8 hour race. It threw a valve out of the exhaust at the 2.5 hour mark. The owner of the dealership he bought the bike from guaranteed the bike would do the 8 hours no problem or he would replace the engine free of charge. He very angrily made good on his word and then resold the bike to someone else as a used bike with a new engine. Those big twins’ rod bearings and valves just can’t handle that kind of stress for very long. That said, the new V-4’s thankfully appear to be much more durable.

That is Good to know! Very well presented. Thanks

I can clearly remember the time that we were all screaming to give big corps all the power they wanted, and how they would 'self regulate'. Sure.

I was just talking about how many ducati teams are in motogp now. I heard they were talk about limiting it to 3 teams for each manufacturer which I think would be fair. Of topic but no suzuki this year is strange

I have a zx 636A1p from new and looks like one, you know why?..... because she's never been to a dealer apart from the six hundred miles service, every year has an oil change and chainc clean at least four, usual maintenance with minimum spannering! My recent second bike is the monster+...... and I definitely intend to do the same! Regardless of the threat "warranty is void" etc. It's unethical when you have to pay for the service light to be turned off when you are allowed by law to service your own bike! Excellent video 👍

I have three pre 2012 Ducatis, and I love the machines, but they can be maddening. If I was unable to do my own maintenance I could not afford to own them, but ridiculous dealer maintenance fees have become standard for all brands car and bike. ($180 per hour for Jeep service!!!) At least I can buy Ducati parts and tools. I have a BMW bike, and BMW will not sell their special purpose tools needed for frequent and simple valve adjustments to non-dealers. The Ducati dealer network is terrible. I took my 2002 ST2 to the closest dealer (40 miles away), and they told me that they did not work on older Ducats because there were too many problems. In other words, anything that can't be diagnosed with a plug-in electronic reader is not accepted. The same dealer charged me $170 to confirm that my plastic fuel tank had failed due to expansion, and then they told me that the 2012 bike was too old to get get a free replacement, so I had to buy a $1300 fuel tank which I no longer keep fuel in when I'm not riding it. Regarding 8 bikes on the grid in MotoGP: any of the other manufacturers are free to do the same thing, but aren't willing to make the same commitment as is Ducati, so that is on them.

The MCN reviews their sport line to have issues with the chain rubbing against the guard and/or swing arm. Some say it's the tension on the chain and others say it's tire pressure or both. Either way Ducati refuses to acknowledge this as an issue on their bikes.

...too bad that crotch rockets have gotten too fast therefore requiring technology advancements ( sleeper clutch, traction control, etc. ) in order to barely be controlled by top riders, let alone the regular Joe...such advancements increase the prize tag, return to last century when a race bike was unobtanium for Joe...lately the direction has been changing towards a product that won't murder the rider while street riding this 600cc are overkill for the public roads...my first monster bike a 1984 kawi 750 turbo with EFI ( first race and was moved to open production class ), 900 ninja, 1123 cc on a 750 gsxr chassis ( a pleasure to slide the rear wheel ) however, had the most fun racing the RZ 350 and after, the baby ninja...today, just a DRZ 400...being way underpowered forces any rider to improve drastically...

Hi, at 2:49 - "the 1914 ..........Grand Prix Prix cars" seems to be lost in editing? As an ex- bevel twin Ducatist, I was aware of the Desmo valve origins, but always regarded its use as being questionable on the 900 twins particularly in view of the rev limit. A friend used to half jokingly refer to crank replacement as a service item - around 20k miles? I ran mine on monograde as the bevel gears were claimed to destroy the viscosity improvers in multigrade oils. - It was always a DIY bike.

2008 BMW R1200 GS was horrible in city summer traffic. The big pots hanging out sideways still overheated. Ducati Scrambler ha zero chance, even at 10 mph.

I shy away from all Italian motorcycles in general, not because I think they’re ugly or unreliable, but because of💰. The funniest thing I ever heard actually referred to Moto Guzzi, not Ducati. “Moto Guzzi, turning motorcyclists into mechanics since 1922.” Yes, the Italian bikes have power, style, and panache… but I’ll take the reliability and affordability of a Japanese machine any day.

Had a 2003 DS1000 Multi. Great bike, almost the perfect bike on rough twisty mountain roads. Definitely experienced the swelling ultimately cracked fuel tank. Plenty of other things to worried about. But the 2V engine was easy to DIY for a reasonably mechanically inclined owner for valve adjustment, belts, and clutch. Had a 2004 S4R Monster. A Brillant and brutal street fighter, but alas, just too hard edged for my rough mountain roads. About 2010 seems like the magic I liked was removed from the Ducati lineup. I'm not interested in the new smooth gumdrops.

To be honest it’s fantastic to see VAG investing in Ducatis. Access to funds for R&D has put Ducatis at the front of the grid. They are head quartered in Bologna Italy and so for me they are Italian. VAG also own Lamborghini, this (to me) is also still Italian but with German quality controls. Perfect combination.

Your Ducati youtube was overdue - let the rider/owner beware - I have nine bikes, four of which are ground-up (not using a factory frame) special builds - no ducks.

You enlightened me: Ducati is a VW. That is very interesting.

Love to see a cagiva mito with a single swing arm. I have a Monster 620 and a Cagiva planet and they share so many of the same parts. love them both. I learned that the Ducati Tax is real most of the parts are from Alfa or FIAT even the oil pressure switch is from a VW and cost a £5 instead of £50

A great review, summary, praise and truth spread detailing the ins and outs of owning one of these incredible bikes- even if it does get a bit warm at times!! Not ever having owned one but rode with those that did I always found them to be a truly great engineering feat, everything strong but flowing and subtle and a lively engine. I have always lived way out away from normal areas of regular maintenance ( definitely DYI!) so favored other bikes for that but the Ducs ran well when no gremlins appeared and that was their thing. When you own a thoroughbred though you know strong maintenance comes with it. I had a Plymouth Roadrunner car with a built 440 Tripower and it was constant maintenance but super fun to drive. Again, DIY . Riding over 50 yrs I am not a bike snob, ride watcha got.. Every bike has its "thing", all have two wheels, well mostly, and a blast to ride. You get what goods and bads they come with and generally know this, especially these days of internet and reviews. Still Ducati is still an icon, still brings a "Wow"abd "I wish" from most of us when parked or rolling. So take it as it is, maintain it and like all bikes- ride them until the wheels fall off. I meant that figuratively not literally- maintenance remember?? Stay safe my friends.

Reminds me of mini with it`s union jack tail lights...they`re not british , they`re german.....really get`s my goat. I was a teenager in 70s / 80s, Ducati are like Alfa Romeos ..beautiful to look at, but best given a wide birth [ imo ].

if you live in italy a lot of italian use honda or japanese scooter or motorcycle bcoz its more reliable.... #torvstv

Nice designs, but I had my fill of shoddy italian worksmanship with far more simple mechanical devices (guns), so I wouldn't pay a dime for an italian motorcycle.

Have owned many ducatis and they have always performed amazing seems every year they have some issue but as of lately the issues are small an insignificant and covered by best warranty in business. My 2022 V2 has been the best Ducati I have owned with very little issues and I ride 90% of its time on track.

Hmmm....Ducati 787 Monster here. Its an amazing bike. It is truly an all around bike. Touring, sporting, adventure biking.... Ducati may have become somewhat unscrupulous in the moto GP world, but, they sorta have been the top dog for a long time. Many other companies have strategized how to take them out. Winning GP is more than rider and bike, its whole company strategy. So perhaps Ducati is just ahead of the curve. I am also glad that instead of going out of business, they are now owned by Audi. Audi is financially a very stable and productive company. I don't think Ducati ever claimed to be the inventor of the Desmodronic engine. In fact all valve engines were originally mechanically actuated by direct contact to main bearing. Overhead cam actuation was a later development. Ducati went with this tractor engine tech because of limited financial resources. They perfected it and won the world and built a name.

We done the timing belts on a 748 recently and it was no bother ! It's no worse than a car in fairness - Just make sure you know what you are getting into first and take your time - Like any bike - keep an eye on the mechanicals and don't scrimp and they will give you very little grief - They are no Honda but they are damn nice and sound amazing !!

Exclusivity, race bikes one could buy. Now though, so many manufacturers have stepped up their game in Ducati's arena it doesn't make sense to spend three times the money. Like Harley Davidson they're relying on branding that's getting less & less relevant as time & the competition move on. Didn't know about rule manipulation, did that contribute to Suzuki pulling out ?

Given the hideous cost of replacing the belts. Unless they go back to bevel driven desmo valving, my chances of going for a ducati are about the same as Jimmy Savile and Saddam Hussein's chances of making a spit roast art house film with greta thornberg.

I can’t see anything beautiful here. All the beautiful engineering art has been covered with shaped plastic, it’s coloured plastic!

Interesting video! I was never attracted to Ducati as a (now revived) Guzzisto. Friend was and is hard core Ducatisto and I admired the bikes but would never buy one. i prefer the practical engineering and (once) modularity of Guzzi. 25 years ago I sorted my Le Mans and it never missed a beat since, although I rode it hard. Oil, filters and fuel, that was all it needed for many years. I only hope the new ones keep up equally well

I’ve never heard anyone ever claim that Ducati invented desmodromic valves.

I was under the impression that Audi AG took control of Ducati holding in 2012, hence the Volkswagen Group, not in 2005. I recall vividly it was the last year of Rossi’s contract in MotoGP. As for a car company owning a motorcycle manufacturer, it’s such a bad thing, especially since it’s Audi, known for sexy clever automobiles… 🤔

I’ve been a Ducati fan since the 70’s and was lucky enough to own a 900ss back in the day. Anyone who has the slightest interest would know that desmodromic valves were not invented by Ducati. They did however stick with it for competition unlike Mercedes who arguably had greater worldwide success using the system. Including perhaps the most legendary performance of all time by Stirling Moss.

@ 2:08 interesting to see fork zip tie within 1" of full bottoming, think I may alter fork oil viscosity or volume. ps apparently excellently researched vid'.

Im a old man have put more than 500k miles on old BMW motorbike s if a person loves to ride motorcycles once in thair life thay have to own and ride a ducati. Ive still got a couple older bikes a 900ss sl. And hyper moto are my fave. I could afford the bike but not the maintenance so learned to work on them myself..

Well said, about time we heard some good old truth. To me I have always thought Ducati are over priced crap that cost a fortune to keep running on the road and as for Motogp and WSBK they have been cheating with there bikes and the rules for so long now it's bringing corruption to a new level. The new Motogp bikes are becoming so ugly with all the aero crap and squat devise they have on now, I'm losing so much interest in them. Cheers.

As a recent track test on a hot day revealed of the V4, reliable ball burner, it cut their track test short I have to see if I can find that one again? as they probably paid them to take it down or edit that part out or more likely threatened them with at the least not to give them bikes to test any more, probably both.

Why Ducati service cost so much. Have you seen the price of the tools to work on a Ducati ?

Love my F1 .

well said and very well put together [particularly the link to the full article]

Yeah! You were right! I didn’t want to knows I lasted 1 min before I fell asleep

Audi did purchase Ducati... yes, they are owned by a German car manufacturer. But like other vehicles Audi own, the bike is still designed and manufactured largely in Italy. So they're still an Italian Motorcycle manufacturer. Just as Lamborghini are still an Italian car manufacturer owned by the German brand.

l owned a bevel-drive 900 SS..made in Italia. in the late seventies. Back then Ducati wasn't really the motorcycling icon it is now. It was Italian exotica though, along with Moto Guzzi LeMans and Laverda..It had a big powerful ..(complicated) ..engine. It look beautiful, sounded great, albeit a little 'rattly' plus, handled very well when Japanese bikes had 'rubber' chassis, The down side was its finish. Okay for hot countries where l now live but the predominate weather in UK took its toll on poor electric and paintwork/ chrome.....Even back then they were expensive bikes to buy, 2200 pounds sterling. They demanded skilled mechanical knowhow to keep them running as the factory intended as well...Would l own a 900 SS now, nearly fifty years later.... damn right l would.

although the statements have some undeniable facts, the interpretation is debatable. However, you are permitted you opinion.

I work on a lot of these, and rebuild 748s,multis,998s,848s...Their ideas are great, but a lot of times executed poorly. As a mechanic, I would never own one for every day riding. Too many probs to justify the cost of the thing.

Nothing that HONDA might doesn't do. Look at the ABS of the CBR 1000 RR - Models 2009 up to 2016. They've put the ABS-Modulator between the engine and the manifold. Overheating of breakfluid is program and leads to complete malfunction. Proper change of breakfluid is a procedure of a couple of houres, as far as the breaklines were installed properly by the factory. Otherwise you've got a powerfull bike that won't stop at all ... Honda, the power of nightmares

Hi Ducati behaviour what do you expect from a VAG group company, I agree the old bevel drive bikes were beautiful unlike any of the rubber band drive but beauty is in the eye of the beholder I still think a gold star looks better than a h2 or bussa or anything made after 1990. As for high tech I don't think any more than any other manufacturer they only have one trick the desmo thing, is it really such an advantage there are many engines able to run to speeds just as high as any ducati. No I'm not a hater just see things for what they are

Thanks heaps for this information. I have never liked Ducati motorcycles . I have not understood why my recent return to motogp and superbike race veiwing has seen limited japenese bikes and massive amounts of Ducatis.. When I have always held the veiw that Japanese manufacturers build the best bikes. But please don't tell me anything bad about yamaha. Ha ha. I am a Yamaha nut... Thanks heaps again..👍

The recent Ducati line up is great. They are very reliable.

im just thinking of buying my first ducati , a 2010 696 monster, should i or no.

Yes!! totally agree, and I’m still happy to pay $$$$&$ for my bikes!! Having been around motorbikes for the last 25yrs! There’s something Ducati has, that other bikes don’t!! Yes I’ve owned other brand bikes, but not for long, as

I've owned several different brand of bikes and a Ducati multistrada and can honesty say nothing handles like an air cooled Ducati.

would like to put the new v-max engine on this chassie..or create a 2-stroke v5 with 250cc on each cylinder creating a 1250cc 2 stroke monster or go real bonkers and do a 300cc and that will do a 1500cc beast.

They're unjustifiably expensive. A twelve year old 1198 can cost the same as a six year old RSV4. The aprilia is superior in every way.

Nowadays the Ducati riders are total different as in the 70ties and 80ties. I bought my first Duc 1979, 900 SD Darmah and continued with Ducatis since now. But I never would buy a Ducati build after 2000. Multistrada etc is not my world.

One of the best RU-vid video I’ve watched. Thank you. I purchased the first year of the 916. One of the best looking bike of all time and wished I kept it as a piece of art. As an ex Australian Superbike racer (on a GSXR-750). No matter what I did in adjusting the 916’s setup it just wasn’t the best handling bike, plus the heat! Sold it and replaced it with the first of the Fireblades. A significantly quicker, better handling bike straight out of the box. Looking forward to watching more. Thanks again. 👍😎🇦🇺

Scrambler is a spin off from Ducati it doesn’t say Ducati on the bike and they are loading the field because they can and Honda can do the same but they don’t because they don’t like to share secrets and and only want there factory team to win so again not Ducati’s fault Also you don’t mention that Ducati AKA VW is spending millions to beat Honda the big bump hides all the tec to allow the bike to squat down at the start and before every turn making the bike turn in easily also they are probably using hydraulic valves New era new technology

If it is Italic in design or origin then it's usually just the looks, ergonomics is none, and failure are inbuilt into the system, buttons stop working or simply falls off. It's just an overpriced fancy name...

Ducati, if your not cheating your not tring hard enough.

Lol... 😂 Yup indeed. Every Ducati I had. Burns at least the right knee. I even have a 20 centimeter scar. the 888, the 999 also the backside got glowing hot in the summer. And now even my Diavel both legs when driving slow. I know Ducati has a lot of mistakes. I do repairs and maintenance myself. And only costs me the parts. So why so in love with those machines? Well, it's an unruly lady. But once tamed, the sound, the powerband. A Ducati sings when you tear it right. And certainly the 888 with termignonis, and dry clutch. A nutcracker, yes. But so rewarding. In 1992 I drove it from Kortrijk to Bologna. Really hell.... It's something like overly spicy "Bucatini all Amatriciana". An overdose of serotonin. O And BTW; I am not rich. But work overtime and save for it.

I’ve owned a LOT of motorcycles in the last 20 years- Ducati and otherwise. I currently own 8 motorcycles- 3 of them Ducati, ranging greatly in model year. First, I’ll point out that anyone in the USA (typically largest market) will hear that you have an accent. I’m not correcting you, buts it’s very possible that owners in other countries don’t face the same stereotypes that you propose you experience in yours as Ducati owners. Secondly, if you’re spending thousands on a motorcycle, do 10 seconds of research. If you’re commonly in traffic, maybe search coolest motorcycles to ride. Buy the right bike for you instead of bashing a manufacturer. Same with service. Again, I’ve owned a LOT of Ducatis. Service isn’t THAT bad. You point out heritage and where some models are manufactured… how about other brands? There are a VERY few who have not done this- most having manufacturing taking place not in the country of the brand. So why grill Ducati for it? I’m 99.9% that some of your information is not accurate as well- about timing of the company’s purchasing, years/ models of problems, racing rules, etc. I’ll stop there, but I have had amazing experiences on the brand- from adventure riding to racing. No brand is more exciting and fun to ride. I currently own Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, Aprilia, and 3 Ducatis, and the list more than triples that in the last 22 years. Speaking from experience.

Nothing stops the other teams from doing the same thing

Anybody any idea why their MOTOGP bikes seem to have much more power than their rivals?

I honestly don't get the point of your complaints. Would you buy a Lamborghine or Bentley (both Volkswagen, too) and complain that the service at Skoda is cheaper ? You need to know what you actually want. I started with a Pantah 600, first series frame #112, had a 1995 900SS and now a 1299S, one of the very last ones. All have been beauties at their times and still are, outperforming the competition if ridden as supposed to. Divas, to be taken care of, just as race bikes require. The Pantah was a revolution, not only for Ducati, race bike in disguise, no homogolation at that time, single approval only and the add-ons to make it roadworthy were not really executed with love to detail. But, with the mandatory open intakes, single-walled manifold, short dual Conti mufflers and some jetting as well as service, e.g. weekly cleaning of the Dellortos' float chambers and frequent synchronization, she did really run, well, very well. For well over 100k kms. The 900 SS from 1995 was excellent for fast road riding. The 1299 can, in my opinion, only be ridden in its's performance window on track days, e.g. Nordschleife or some other track. In my experience you might sense the expertise and dedication of the Ducati engineers and test riders only when you get, or try to get, close to the limit. If you are as an owner not ready to commit time, ressources and love, don't even buy one. But you'll miss a lot. I had no trouble road bikes like the BMW F800S (with suspension upgrades and an SR racing exhaust attached this was quite nice) and the perfectly rideable Super Sport bikes, the Daytona 675R. Fine, but nothing gets as exiting and breathtaking as a sports Ducati. I have to correct myself. The KTMs also perform better the faster and harder they are ridden. But that is another story.

In Holland we have a saying: Ducati..Stuk gaat ie! That's dutch for it breaks down..

Been saying it for years 916 is and always be one of the most beautiful bikes ever hands down 1995 was the year I got mine still have it with a shit load of mods

I did not realize that Ducati was now a VW. That is truly disappointing.

Had to be said. I've been riding Ducati for a very long time and it pains me that all this is coming to an end. Thanks to a greedy Ducati dealer screwing me at every opportunity. I'm selling the M1100 and buy a Yammy MT 900 SP.

The 916 is really a timeless design but three spoke wheels??? Wtf guy...

Wow, that was honest! Most of it was essentially news to me too.

True - but so miserable, I'd not want to spend tie in the pub with you ;-)

Not my pocket

My 92 super light absolutely destroyed my love of motorcycles... It was that much of a pile of crap it sat in the shed for 10 years as I wasn't interested in spending another cent on it...even the wheels( marvics) fell apart..I've owned 26 bikes in my time and I thought I was buying something special... they only built 650 of the things.....YEH REAL SPECIAL #524

Where’s this countryside at the start, the 911 ride?

Isn't bending the rules actually breaking the rules?

Still waiting to hear a single secret that anyone would give a flying fuck about