[Ducati] 2 threads in one (touring and bump starting)

Thu Jan 17 22:04:07 EST 2008

Well Rich,

 as Mick Walker used to say, if you only ride on Sundays, get a Ducati, but
if you ride all week, get a Moto Guzzi. Even my little 500cc 1981 Monza Moto
Guzzi clocked 100k trouble free miles in 3 years, no way you would get even
5 times that, or perhaps even equal that with a VFR. But I hear what you are
saying,  for the Honda you pay the price in extra weight, not quite as good
handling,  and longer maintenance intervals with a Honda VFR. But will a
Honda VFR get 500,000 miles or 1 million miles with the same ease that my
Ducati Multistrada got 50k miles? I seriously doubt it. And I doubt it would
make from Albuquerque to past St. Louis (nearly 1200 miles) in 17 hours,
which is the sort of thing Gary Egan needs to do (in a lot less time of
course). Add to that the fact then when I first moved to San Antonio, from
some folks on this list, I headed out sunday morning to a place where some
bikes met, and hooked up with a bunch of guys. The obvious fast guy was
riding a VFR, so clearly these were not great riders. They took me along a
bunch of roads, and to make a long story short, the road over the hills to
Leakey was the best I have found in Texas. On the second run, I led the way
back and the guy on the VFR was not all that far behind me, but when we
pulled into the picnic area outside of Vanderpool, he enthusiastically
exclaimed as how that was the fastest he had ever been on that road.  I of
course, pointed out that I had a far superior bike, namely my 1977 Moto
Guzzi LeMans.

Peter

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rich Roberts" <bigredxrunner at yahoo.com>
To: "Ducati Owners Group" <ducati at ducati.net>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 5:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Ducati] 2 threads in one (touring and bump starting)

> The real distinction here and the point that is missing, granted the Duc
is more visceral, more open, a little more raw. the Honda a bit more muted,
even refined from an engineering standpoint. My point is this, though some
would ride the 900ss or any other Duc across the country  and I would give
them  the thumbs up the whole way, a far more realistic choice I think would
be the VFR. I am sorry, A Duc would not be my IronButt choice though I know
Egan does it. With what amount of prep and support I am not sure. But the
Honda will typically take alot more abuse before it leaves you pushing it up
the street and for the most part will almost always start and get you home.
Not absolutely as I have had at least two Honda V motored bikes give it up
over of all things regulator rectifier problems. Sounds familiar huh? But I
have also logged 10-20 times more miles on a Honda than any Duc without any
issues that I did not create myself.
>   the VFR is a very balanced mix of all things good about Honda and V
motors in general. A bit more compact and likely more complicated than the
simpler 900SS. Personally I like gear driven over head cams. I liked some of
the earlier models before they did the sidemounted rads and were a bit
lighter. I still think my all time favorite was that 86 tarriff beating one
in pearl white with gold accents or the one year earlier 750 in RWB. Both of
which I think would pretty handily spank any 900SS. Does that mean I like
the 900SS any less, hardly.  For sheer fun the 900SS has it hands down. By
the way my wifes since sold VFR has graced the cover of the Whitehorse press
in the past.
>
> Bob Marren <bmarren at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>   A friend of mine has a VFR and is fond of saying that its almost a
> Ducati. I ask him if thats like being almost pregnant. Its over his head
> and so would a Ducati be.
>
> Kevin Kachadourian wrote:
>
> >Maybe the distinction should be between touring and long-distance riding
> >(and maybe "adventure" riding).
> >
> >Or, maybe it's like Starbucks vs Mama Cinnelli's cafe.
> >
> >I've owned 2 Hondas, a CB350 k3 and a VF750. They started every time, and
> >ran like dreams (with the VF, I had to get used to the clatter of the cam
> >chain). I would never go back to either of these bikes, if it meant
giving
> >up either the Aly or the SP.
> >A friend, who owned a VFR, said it best after riding the SP: "the VFR is
a
> >great bike, and everything is there; but with the SP, you know you're
riding
> >a motorcycle."
> >
> >I sometimes wonder if I should go back to the early kick-start 900SS.
> >
> >Kevin
> >
> >
> >On 1/16/08, Tony Pagliaroli wrote:
> >
> >
> >>On Jan 16, 2008 5:11 PM, Kevin Kachadourian
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>Whether you call it a sport-tourer, a touring sport bike, or a bloody
> >>>
> >>>
> >>beast,
> >>
> >>
> >>>it's always good to tour on a bike that you can bump start.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>C'mon Kevin - I could make the exact opposite argument for only
> >>touring on a Honda. If it never fails to start, that need is
> >>eliminated.
> >>
> >>Pags
> >>
> >>*****
> >>
> >>Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a
> >>motorcycle
> >>stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate
> >>shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike
> >>stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and
> >>discounts
> >>everything they sell. Check them out!
> >>
> >>Visit: http://mcstands.com/
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>Ducati mailing list
> >>Ducati at ducati.net
> >>http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati
> >>Mailto: kkachadourian at gmail.com
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >*****
> >
> >Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a
motorcycle
> >stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate
> >shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike
> >stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and
discounts
> >everything they sell. Check them out!
> >
> >Visit: http://mcstands.com/
> >_______________________________________________
> >Ducati mailing list
> >Ducati at ducati.net
> >http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati
> >Mailto: bmarren at bellsouth.net
> >
> >
> >
>
> *****
>
> Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a
motorcycle
> stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate
> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike
> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and
discounts
> everything they sell. Check them out!
>
> Visit: http://mcstands.com/
> _______________________________________________
> Ducati mailing list
> Ducati at ducati.net
> http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati
> Mailto: bigredxrunner at yahoo.com
>
> *****
>
> Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors!  It's a
motorcycle
> stand superstore.  Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate
> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike
> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and
discounts
> everything they sell.  Check them out!
>
> Visit: http://mcstands.com/
> _______________________________________________
> Ducati mailing list
> Ducati at ducati.net
> http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati
> Mailto: dsi at swcp.com
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.6/1229 - Release Date: 1/17/08
11:12 AM
>