Duc 999 -- Booo

[**R1**]

i like them in yellow better... still like the 996 for looks but wouldn't buy a ducati because i don't believe they're good value for money performance-wise, i'm comparing them to a jappa though & i'm sure by the time You threw a set of ohlins forks,shock/steering damper & added some marchesini wheels & brembo brakes you'd be up there in price. I guess You're paying for quality & exclusivity...
i'd buy one if they were under 20k but look at the gsxr1000 which can be had for as little as $17500...bargain any way you wanna look at it & there's only a handful of machines that can compete or better it for outright performance.

sometimes ya get what ya pay for. i think in the case of the Duc you get a heap of good donor parts, but still to expensive, in the case of the thou well you are getting a whole lota bike for ya money but i would spend the extra and buy an 04 R1, Dam they look hot and i dont care how much of a suzuki freak some of ya are you cant say a gsxrthou looks hotter than the 04 R1

[Biff]

Are dukes really worth all that money? I also hear they're really unreliable. There's a bike mag in the UK (imaginatively named Bike) that claims to always take two dukes to the tracks when they need to test it (the model) in case one breaks down!

Looks ok - but give me a TNT (to play with) or the MV F4 1000 (to look at) any day.

[James Deuce]

Are dukes really worth all that money? I also hear they're really unreliable. There's a bike mag in the UK (imaginatively named Bike) that claims to always take two dukes to the tracks when they need to test it (the model) in case one breaks down!

Looks ok - but give me a TNT (to play with) or the MV F4 1000 (to look at) any day.

Not unreliable as such, they just need looking after. If you ignore a service interval it will be expensive.

[Hitcher]

Are dukes really worth all that money? I also hear they're really unreliable.

They're not unreliable. Like any Italian bike they just need to be perfectly maintained...

[Motoracer]

sometimes ya get what ya pay for. i think in the case of the Duc you get a heap of good donor parts, but still to expensive, in the case of the thou well you are getting a whole lota bike for ya money but i would spend the extra and buy an 04 R1, Dam they look hot and i dont care how much of a suzuki freak some of ya are you cant say a gsxrthou looks hotter than the 04 R1

Oh yes it does

[slob]

...or the obviously vision impaired crayon scrawling leper who penned such delights as the Multistrada and the 999/749?

True, true, but have you seen the Terblanche-designed Supermono? I reckon that's in the same league as the 916s and MV Augustas.

[**R1**]

Oh yes it does

YUK, and oh my god its blue and white how original.

[Biff]

Dave mate any bike in yellow looks better (c:<
the gsxr1000 at $17500 is the best bike for ya buck currentlybuying

hmmm - that's an immotive one. I could argue all day that a Super Blackbird at $17,995 is the ultimate deal at the moment. Although the Gixxer 1000 is a stonkin machine.

[Cajun]

hmmm - that's an immotive one. I could argue all day that a Super Blackbird at $17,995 is the ultimate deal at the moment. Although the Gixxer 1000 is a stonkin machine.

well how blackbird is good money, but its getting long in in teeth i think, really, i needs a good update.

[Biff]

well how blackbird is good money, but its getting long in in teeth i think, really, i needs a good update.

I doubt you'll see an update now. It had dual braking, oxygen sensors and EFI upgrades about 12 months ago and word on the street is they'll discontiune it in 2006 when Honda brings out a new VFR1200. The 2005 model has been upgraded slightly though.

I'm guessing the only reason you say it's long in the tooth is because it's been around for so long. That's because it's a darned fine bike and as such has been a huge success.

[matthewt]

Are dukes really worth all that money? I also hear they're really unreliable. There's a bike mag in the UK (imaginatively named Bike) that claims to always take two dukes to the tracks when they need to test it (the model) in case one breaks down!

Looks ok - but give me a TNT (to play with) or the MV F4 1000 (to look at) any day.

Bike mag are a bunch of twats.

Modern Italian bikes are reliable. I've done 50,000k's between the 2 MV's I've owned and had no major problems with either of them.

Prior to the TPG investment in Ducati the early 916's probably were a bit on the touchy side. With the TPG money CNC machines were brought to machine the heads rather than relying on Luigi and his mate doing them by hand. This and a number of other improvements helped make the brand far more reliable.

[**R1**]

Bike mag are a bunch of twats.

Modern Italian bikes are reliable. I've done 50,000k's between the 2 MV's I've owned and had no major problems with either of them.

Prior to the TPG investment in Ducati the early 916's probably were a bit on the touchy side. With the TPG money CNC machines were brought to machine the heads rather than relying on Luigi and his mate doing them by hand. This and a number of other improvements helped make the brand far more reliable.

Not so sure about that, you could be right but in the past 2 months i have stopped for 3 Du's i admit 1 was a poor dude had just hoped off going in2 a 65kph down hill right hander doing about 75kph. (could have been the poor handling)(and i took it at 125kph) but the other 2 were reliabilty issues the funny thing is both guys didnt seem to mind or they are just used to it, the first was a 998 that just stopped didnt seize,(electrical???) the other dropped a cam belt or sumthing. the guy said it has done it b4 that was a 996.

[**R1**]

and i forgot to say MV's look all good they way out do duc's for style

[Biff]

I've done 50,000k's between the 2 MV's I've owned and had no major problems with either of them.

When you say "no major problems", I take it that you have had some problems then. Is so what were they?

[James Deuce]

True, true, but have you seen the Terblanche-designed Supermono? I reckon that's in the same league as the 916s and MV Augustas.

Yes I know (I've saved the image btw). That's my favourite "modern" era Ducati. I think there was a bit of influence from the boss in there though, don't you think?