Is It Possible to Have 2 Sex Machines?
 

Personally, I think the RX-8 is a beautiful Japanese Sex Machine, but meet her new cousin from Italy:

http://laureano.dyndns.org/ducati/images/new749.jpg

WOW! My friend would kill for that bike (I'd kill...myself)

damn... high rolla~~
that is an awsome bike!!!!
hehe~ u gonna be spoiled with HIGH revvving~~

You got good taste my friend!

Well, the GSXR 600 I had before it revved to 15000 RPM, but at least now my Ducati revs equivalently to my 8 where at 10K RPM, both are singin' music to my ears.

Thanks as do most everyone on this site who has an 8. Plus, in case the 350z guys come over to talk about straight line performance only, I'll see if that want some of this instead.

humm it seem to be on a stand.. how r u gonna park it outside w/o the stand?

The stand, as on most motorcycles, is on the other side. ;)

Looks essentially the same as last year's 749 when the introduced the flat black color.

You gotta love the sound of Ducatis... especially the air-cooled engines (Monsters, SS and Multi Strada). Although I have to admit I was very disappointed with the sound of the new engine in the 749 and 999. A guy in my riders club traded his 2002 R1 Special Edition that was all modded up for a 749R... the sad thing is that he rides like a grandma. Maybe it's the cat on the stock exhaust, but it just doesn't have that bitchass Ducati V-twin sound like 996/998 and 748 have.

Either way... unforunately as much as I love V-twins, I have to concede to the superiority of I-4s. The 04 R1, CBR 1000RR and ZX-10 would eat Ducs for lunch both in the straights and the curves. The Honda VTR-1000R (RC51) is an amazing bike, but I've seen them get utterly toasted in the straights at track races. What would be nice is if Honda produces a new superbike to replace the RC51 that used a RC211V derrived V5...

In a back to back comparison between a "stock" 749/999 and a stock Japanese I-4, I can't say I agree with you in terms of the sound. With the cat removed and the exhaust opened up, the sound of the Testaretta V-twin is incredible and definitely a lot more appealing than an I-4 hands down. Plus, I'm sure the 996/998 you heard in the past ALL had exhausts as it's rare that anyone with a V-Twin run in stock form.

It's always amazing to hear about those who "concede to the superiority of I-4s" over the V-twin; especially when they have never had the opportunity to ride a Ducati before. I've ridden I-4 Japanese bikes, and while I think their motors are incredible, I would never go back as the power of the V-twins are much more manageable for me. Plus, it's not only the performance of a bike that should appeal to the rider, my friend. When all is said and done, those who revert back to the argument that performance (especially straight line) is the only reason to choose a bike would be living a life of irony (or hypocracy) driving an RX-8.

Now when Ducati releases the Desmosedici motor in street form, after setting record speeds in MotoGP after a hiatus of severa years, people like you will have to come up with some other reason to make you feel better about owning "just another Japanese bike." Lastly, an R1, ZX-10, or CBR 1000RR will be outdated after 5 years; a Ducati will still be a sex machine much like its predecessors. ;)

OK, you are the first person on this site that I am actually jealous of. There is only one problem. The car should be black and the bike should be red. Thats the way I have it. Only my bike costs about 1/3 or 1/4 of that. 02CBR600f4i. I always loved the sound and styling of the Ducati. I was gonna get one, but couldn't find a used BiPosto in my price range. I could afford a new one, but I don't want to be ghetto rich. Well I guess that means I cant afford one. Anyway, nice bike u lucky bastard.

Hey thanks Joe. I had a black car once and that was enough for me. I do like the 2005 red 749/999 though but since I originally fell in love with the 04 749 Dark, I stuck with it for 2005.

I liked your term ghetto rich. That's probably how you could describe me...especially since Rich is my name. Ride safe on your CBR, bro.

There is a very easy to feel better about owning a Japanese bike... your bike will spend more time in the shop (although much better than in the past) and even worse are your maintenance costs. Regular maintenance of that valve system is nuts and you don't want to have just any yahoo doing the work either. The cost of parts... ouch! Your bike also costs 1.5-2.0 times the cost of a Japanese bike.

Re-read my post. Who the hell is talking about comparing the sound of the 749/999 to a Japanese I-4?! :confused: I said it doesn't sound as good as the 748/996/998 or the air-cooled engines. I was disappointed in the lack of Ducati v-twin sound from it... with the stock mufflers on it sounds pretty wimpy (everyone is pretty quiet, but this just wasn't right for a Ducati). You're sure wrong. I've heard 749/996/999 (all three actually) both with aftermarket cans and with the stock cans. Same goes for the air-cooled engines.

It is all about the performance AND the rider. The RX-8 is a drivers car... it isn't the fastest in a straight line or the ultimate best in handling, but it is an excellent package for the money. If you have more money you can get better or make the 8 better. Bikes are the same except the Ducati isn't an RX-8... it's an almost Ferrari... almost because Ferraris are among the fastest and best handling. The Ducati's compeition does it all and better for less money (unlike the Ferrari). The Ducati's are also like their italian brothers in terms of repairs and maintenance. To take this even further, your arguement holds no water because it is again fact that the R1, CBR 1000RR and ZX-10 are amazing handling bikes. The magazine journalists have just been in awe of these bikes as they do everything perfectly...

I am a certified v-twin lover. Until it died, I rode a Suzuki SV. I would prefer to never go back to I-4. I like the torque and power delivery of V-Twins over that of I-4's and Ducatis are sexy with a beautiful sound. But an I-4 is hands down faster everywhere and costs much less. That is just fact.

The Desmosedici is a great improvement for Ducati. But it's no RC211V. Been to MotoGP races... the RC211V is amazing. Ever been to the Japanese tuner endurance race at Twin Ring Motegi? The V-twins got killed. The BMW got REALLY killed... even the 600's were passing them! :eek:

Did I also mention the weakness of the Ducati suspension? It was a nice weight savings idea to mount the swing arm to the engine, but it unforunately isn't as rigid as a traditional frame mounted swing arm. That would be why no one else employs that setup... ;)

That is one beautiful ride. Congratulations.

Thanks doc and to the others who can just appreciate a bike for what it is rather than have to make themselves feel better about themselves for having less. I should have known better than to try and justify an Italian bike to someone in Japan.

Typical American and Ducati poser. Always the typical snotty attitude because I won't proclaim your bike to be the best thing since sliced bread. Anyone who read the posts can CLEARLY see that I like V-twins and I like Ducati's, particularly the older ones (even though the newer ones are more comfortable to ride). Ducatis are high maintenance, way too expensive ($30k for a 999R?!!) and don't perform better on any front than a Japanese supersport competitor. Does that mean no one should buy one? No. If you have the money for the bike, insurance and maintenance... hell yeah. Again like a Ferrari... they are sexy bikes (although those lights on the 749/999 took awhile to get used to). If you have to stretch your budget to get one, or if you are after bang for the buck like Ike... then a Ducati isn't for you.

BTW... for YOUR ignorant information, Japan is Ducati's second largest market after the US. Considering the population difference, you see a lot more Ducati's everyday here than on average in the US... especially in Tokyo. Your sad attempt at an ad hominem again just goes to show what I said at the beginning of this post.

Take a sushi break man. No need to hate. I hope you feel better expressing your opinion on Ducatis be it positive or negative. I still don't see how you CLEARLY like Ducatis, but I guess that's because us ignorant Americans don't have a clue. I forget how superior the Japanese are over Americans....especially during World War II. Tomo Aregato.

Okay, my last post left a bad taste in my mouth as I normally don't like to stoop as low as those who judge me without really knowing me. I do not mean to offend, but this is something that happens quite frequently ever since I bought a Ducati. Everyone wants to tell me how Japanese bikes are superior, how my bike is expensive to maintain, etc., and yet most of those who make a point to do this have never even ridden one.

Nonetheless, I apologize to those who I offended...including Japan8. See? Us ignorant Americans aren't that bad.

In my life time i went through a few bikes well actually 3 i had a gsxr 600 , yamaha 600 , cbr 600 and now going to buy a kawi 2005 636. i ride with lots of clubs and no offense but the ducati sound like crap to me .Many people like it but trust me they get ass whooping all the time i dont see me paying that kind of money for what i need my bike .i admit i ride hard and go to the track on weekends i say one of the best high performace bikes out there is the kawi 1200 it eats everything in its way. thats just my 2 cents from what i see . oh one more thing dont get me wrong the bike looks beatiful but not for my taste.

oh one more thing i cant believe you like that sound more then a 600 with a d & d pipe :D

I've always wanted a Ducati.

Awesome bike man!

Thanks. I hope you get one someday so can appreciate what only those of us who've ridden one do.

do balls count?

I offer the olive branch as well.

I know... there are MANY squids on Japanese bikes that will diss Ducati's and Aprilia's or even BMW's. They are all excellent bikes. The BMW's are expensive and aren't relatively fast, but that's ok. They are also reliable as hell and very comfortable from what I hear from people I know that have them. It's a good sport tourer. Ducati's aren't the fastest and are pretty steep, but they are beautiful bikes with an awesome signature sound. They got a bad rap on reliability from problems in the past (people I know that had older ones had plenty of complaints). From what I've read and heard... they've gotten much better and are still getting better. They are great bikes... if you can afford one. Aprilia are sexy too. The RS250 is one hell of a bike and the new RSV Mille R is awesome. Expensive bikes too and they aren't the fastest either. Buell's are interesting bikes too, although I doubt squids could appreciate them.

Actually now that's its daytime and I'm fully functional... you're right. Purchasing a Ducati is like buying an RX-8... it's an emotional decision. :p

I guess you love sound the VTEC I-4 of Honda Civics and Integras/RSXs then?

I prefer an American V8, Italian V8 or a NA rotary. :D

For bikes... you can't beat the manly sound of a V-twin and Ducati has the best V-twin sound around.

BTW, Japanese love Ducatis. But in Japanese style... it's a status thing...

They also love buying the biggest bike they can afford. Partially due to the licensing system, no one really rides 600cc bikes except women and short men. Everyone else rides a liter bike or 1100 - 1300cc bike (Hyabusa, ZX-12, etc.). What some sales guy told me about V-twins like the RC51 was that they are just too wide for the average Japanese rider... only the big guys can get on one and touch the ground comfortably. You've got me if that's true or not...