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Hi Everybody,

Just joined. Haven't got a Monster yet, but getting close. Will be looking for an S2R by Xmas, hopefully. A close second will be a Monster 1000, but I have heard good things about the 695 engine as well.

I'm in Adelaide, Australia now, but am from Canada. I was working at Ducati dealer in Toronto in 2003/04 just before I moved Down Under. I'd always loved the Monster but when I saw the S4R being uncrated, I thought it was the perfect incarnation of the Monster chassis. That was always my go to bike at the end of the day when we'd get take the demos home. While obviously no comparison with the 996 engine, I prefer the S2R's for ease and cost of maintenance, as well as the lack of plumbing, etc, that comes with the liquid cooled engine. Working at the dealership was great fun and I got to ride every model except for the M620 during that time. For two seasons I rode almost nothing but Ducatis, and the Norton, only taking my own bikes out now and then just to so they didn't seize up. Though I'd always loved Ducatis, it was only after riding them that I truly gained a passion for the Italian brand.

I've been riding since I was about 5. Started with a Honda CT70 which I rode until I was 17 and bought my first street bike, a 1972 Honda CB350. I moved through a series of 1970's Jap bikes, as they were dirt cheap in the 1990's. Did track days with Honda CB350's and a 500. I was at odds with my peers, as they were all buying the latest sports bikes, etc, but I stuck with machines older than me. Best thing was that it didn't seem to matter what bikes we had once we were scratching through the twisty lake roads, only good tires and fresh fork oil seemed to worry me at that point.
At 22 I bought a bike I'd been lusting after since I was 12, a 1972 Norton Commando Roadster, I still own and ride a 1971 Roadster and am Norton nut (President of our local Norton club).

Throughout the years I've had other bikes come and go, an 82 Suzuki Katana, BSA Bantam, 86 Suzuki DR600, 76 Honda XL350, 74 Suzuki TS185, 78 Yamaha XT500, and a few others.
In my garage now is the aforementioned Norton Commando, a 2005 Gas Gas EC300, an 81 Suzuki PE175 (selling it) and a pair of 72-73 Yamaha 175 enduro projects.

Just waiting now to sell the PE175 and save a few more dollars, then I'll be shopping. The S2R's are getting hard to find, unfortunately.

Donald

Ducati Monster Forum

Introductions => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Commando on August 18, 2020, 05:57:56 PM