Dream come true...

LAfun2 · Jun 6, 2004

Ralph,

Thank you for the kind words. I will trade her for your beast

Pete,

THe handling is intense, and I am loving every minute of it. Thank you again for all the help and answers with the questions. Have you sold your race bike yet? Send me an email and let me know how things are going. I will try to come down one of these weekends and grab a cup of coffee with ya.

Tyler,

Thank you very much. I know its not much compared to some of the toys the members on this board has, but to me it is something. I enjoy just looking at it, and definitely riding it.

SBJ,

Yeah Sherpa has sent me tons of info on hop up and upgrade parts, and I have been reading couple of forums for info. However I feel that the bike is set up great as it is now, and when I am ready I will do more mods. Most likely, I will keep it exactly how it is now, and add a 998 to the garage 1.5 years down the road.

I agree that the acceleration rush is not there as I am used to on the gixxers. However, I can live with that. I would have opted for the R1 or the Gix 1K if I wanted straight line power. The twins sound intoxicating and you can definitely get lost in how fast you are going.

I live in area where people park inside in their 5 car garages and such, and I usually ride in the mountains early mornings without other idiotic cages around, but will take your advice on the car alarms next time I am more in town.

Ducman,

Very cool. I love the solid red bikes, but yellow is my fav color, thus I had to pull the trigger. Good luck with your service. Thanks for the warm welcome.

UroTrash · Jun 7, 2004

LAfun2 said:

Ralph,

Thank you for the kind words. I will trade her for your beast

Pete,

THe handling is intense, and I am loving every minute of it. Thank you again for all the help and answers with the questions. Have you sold your race bike yet? Send me an email and let me know how things are going. I will try to come down one of these weekends and grab a cup of coffee with ya.

Tyler,

Thank you very much. I know its not much compared to some of the toys the members on this board has, but to me it is something. I enjoy just looking at it, and definitely riding it.

SBJ,

Yeah Sherpa has sent me tons of info on hop up and upgrade parts, and I have been reading couple of forums for info. However I feel that the bike is set up great as it is now, and when I am ready I will do more mods. Most likely, I will keep it exactly how it is now, and add a 998 to the garage 1.5 years down the road.

I agree that the acceleration rush is not there as I am used to on the gixxers. However, I can live with that. I would have opted for the R1 or the Gix 1K if I wanted straight line power. The twins sound intoxicating and you can definitely get lost in how fast you are going.

I live in area where people park inside in their 5 car garages and such, and I usually ride in the mountains early mornings without other idiotic cages around, but will take your advice on the car alarms next time I am more in town.

Ducman,

Very cool. I love the solid red bikes, but yellow is my fav color, thus I had to pull the trigger. Good luck with your service. Thanks for the warm welcome.
Click to expand...

Hey Ryan, where you been for two weeks????

LAfun2 · Jun 7, 2004

UroTrash said:

Hey Ryan, where you been for two weeks????
Click to expand...

I was in TX for about 6 days. I looked at some real estate there, and went to Austin for 2 days to look at UT Austin's Law school. Currently started work at the firm, about 14-15 hour days, and taking a LSAT prep course. So haven't had much time. Nice name change, doc

LA Swede · Jun 7, 2004

Bike looks awesome, Ryan! Ride safe out there.

LAfun2 said:

I was in TX for about 6 days. I looked at some real estate there, and went to Austin for 2 days to look at UT Austin's Law school. Currently started work at the firm, about 14-15 hour days, and taking a LSAT prep course. So haven't had much time. Nice name change, doc
Click to expand...

UroTrash · Jun 9, 2004

LAfun2 said:

I was in TX for about 6 days. I looked at some real estate there, and went to Austin for 2 days to look at UT Austin's Law school. Currently started work at the firm, about 14-15 hour days, and taking a LSAT prep course. So haven't had much time. Nice name change, doc
Click to expand...

There's a thread for bike pics in the "motorcycle and car" forum, will you post some pics of the Duc?

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19708

LAfun2 · Jun 11, 2004

Doc,

I don't have a digi cam, so if I meet up with F chat members in So Cal in the upcoming weeks, I will get them to take some pics for you to add to that thread.

LASWEDE,

Thanks man. You will probably see me on or around Westwood on Tues/Thurs 10-2pm for the next four months. If you see a guy with all blue gear on a yellow Duc, you will know its me.

PCH · Jun 11, 2004

LAfun2 said:

As most of you have probably been fed up with my nagging posts, you don't have to worry anymore. I am spending more time riding the Duc, then on the comp!

I took my first ride a few days ago, and just wanted to give my impression of the bike. I walked into my garage and lifted the cover of the bike. Wow, was she beautiful. It felt like taking the bra of a hot girl with your trembling hands at 15. I looked at her sensuous curves for about 6 minutes, just starting at her without even letting my eyes blink. I then proceeded to take my hands and gently run them around the tank, and then ran my hands all over the fairings. They were so smooth and gentle to the touch, with nary a scratch. It felt like a baby’s bottom at 2 days old.

Well I couldn’t take the bike out without some modifications, so I decided to take the rear turn signals and full fender off. I put the plate in the toolbox under the seat, and proceeded to take the bike of its front and rear stands, and went ahead and started the bike. The sound, it was truly orgasmic. Nothing like my Japanese bikes. The angry, vicious sound of the bike was reverberating against my garage walls, and sounded like a symphony performed by 12 angry men. I was in heaven. After 5 years of waiting, I could hear my own Ducati in my garage. A true dream come true. I had bought this Ducati without ever riding one or sitting on one, so this was going to be the devirginizing of my Duc experience!

After warming up the bike, and suiting up in my appropriate gear, I sat on the bike. Ahhh, the downfalls of being short! However, unlike my Japanese bikes where the seat height is about 32.1 inches, the Ducati is a bit lower, thus giving me a bit more than tippy toe stance. I would need to lower the bike to get a bit more solid feel. (I called 2 shops, one in Reseda quoted me 2 hour labor $160bucks, and Evoluzione quoted me 1 hour for $75). I then went to take it for a ride. I rode it rather slow the first 7-8 minutes, just getting a feel for the bike.

The bike on the road is very narrow, considering what I am used to riding. It feels like my knees are touching. I do now know what everybody means when they say the aggressive riding position. It rake angle of the rider is much more aggressive than the Japanese bikes, in my opinion. After put putting around for a while, I decided to take it on the freeway. I could hear the FBF Forza cans through my helmet, and the sound was like a glorious woman moaning, it was truly beautiful. I enjoyed the thump-thump of the bike at the lights, and I was grinning from ear to ear underneath my tinted visor.

On the freeway on ramp, I reved the bike up pretty high, and here I started seeing the bikes shortcomings. The bike, as told to me by many, didn’t have the thrust as the Japanese bikes. Since I cancelled my order on the 2004 R1 to purchase this bike, I did buy it knowing the shortcomings. However before I knew it, I was doing 90, and decided to slow it down. The bike is fun on the highway, and passing power is adequate, but straight line is not the bikes forte. I wasn’t going to let this setback ruin my dream experience, as I knew this before I bought it, and I am aware straight line speed isn’t everything.

I then decided to exit the freeway, and take a glimpse of the beautiful cobalt blue Pacific, and run the Lattigo canyon/Rockstore/mulholland run. This is where the bike truly started to shine. The narrow frame of the bike, allowed me to toss it in the turns and gave me confidence to go a bit deeper. It handled far superior to any Japanese bike I had ridden, and the torque was there for great exit speed. I didn’t push the bike too hard, as it was very new, and I didn’t want to eat it the first day.

I proceeded to land on PCH (pacific coast highway), and decided to stop for a quick view of the ocean. The sunlight bouncing of my yellow Ducati was a marvelous sight, against the background of clear ocean view and nary a cloud in the sky. Wow, what a feeling of accomplishment, in not only achieving the dream, but riding the bike as it was meant to be. I did feel my wrist hurting a little bit, and the dry clutch was taking a toll on my left hand. I didn’t feel it was so bad, that I need to change to aftermarket parts, as I am sure I will get used to it. I will also not be getting the bar risers, as I feel it wasn’t really that bad. I won’t be making 300 mile trips to SF like I do on my gixxers, so the bar risers wont’ be necessary.

It was a glorious day for riding (as all days are in So Cal), and my first Ducati experience was something to remember. I cruised home at a leisurely pace, and parked the bike in the garage. After it cooled down, I put her up on the stands and put the cover on. In the last few days, I have caught myself just going in the garage, lifting the cover, and taking a peek at her. She is so beautiful, I feel like a silly 5 year old with a new toy.

It was everything I have dreamt it would be, and I wanted to thank Sherpa and Ferrari pete especially on this board for helping me out and answering many of my questions and putting up with me. Thanks guys.

I don't have a digi cam, so no pics at this time. Will upload photos soon, or when I meet some of the Fchatters some time at CC.

Click to expand...

Hi Ryan, Totally understand....Enjoy and ride defensive.

LAfun2 · Jun 11, 2004

PCH said:

Hi Ryan, Totally understand....Enjoy and ride defensive.
Click to expand...

Hi. Thank you. Glad to join the club.

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Dream come true...

LAfun2 Three Time F1 World Champ

UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ Consultant Owner

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LA Swede Formula Junior

UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ Consultant Owner

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UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
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