Why did you choose a Ducati?

[JoeChieftain]

I, too, have to say all of the above. I will admit I am still a bit of a moto neophyte. I had a Sportster (first bike) that sat unridden most of the time becuase I never was able to make the 35 mile commute to work. Something about that bike and my body did not get along and I could barely walk when I got off it.

I had see a monster a long time ago, although I never knew what it was and liked it. I looked around a little and found other bikes that looked ok but felt "off" when I was on them. I finally went to the dealer that had Ducatis (honestly I went to look a the Triumphs) and saw that design I had liked years ago. I was also shocked at the price, expected much higher.

I felt very comfortable sitting on a 699, so I told the sales guy that if I felt as good riding it I wanted one. The sent me out on the demo, which had Termi's on it already. I had another pleasent surprise when the guy fired it up just inside the showroom overhead door. I didn't have to test ride it far to know that it was what I wanted. I ended up with a decent deal on that demo model, much to the disappointment of one of the shop guys who was on the schedule to take it for a date night later that week.

Now if it would just dry out a little and be above freezing when I have to leave for work....

Mike

[DucatiTorrey]

First time i saw a monster i was in awe. Then i got a job, then, while at lunch on said job, i saw the 696. Been in love over since. I did look into a street triple, but nothing was going to stop the purchase once i had sat on the bike and heard it rumble. Plus, it doesn't hurt to have the most pregnant dogen bike in the group (group meaning, thruxton, iron 883, iron 883, nightster, 1983 nighthawk, and okay... R1, mines still cooler)

love the bike. i'll have the first one forever.

[Willwork4aMonster]

I drove a friends 1995 M900 after riding a DRZ400SM for a couple of years.  The DRZ was my first street bike (if you can call it that).  I loved the m900, it was low, light, and had plenty of power.

I began a search for a s2r800/1000 and settled for a 2003 Monster 1000s with about 4K miles.

I really like the look of the naked bikes, and the Monster easily met all my requirements.

No regrets!

Glenn

[Clickjack]

remember seeing one about ten years ago, and somehow I just knew that I had to own one someday.  This was MY brand of motorcycle. 

That's the reason.  I don't know about the Superbikes, but this seems to be the common thread with the monster.    I was going to buy a Suzuki, but I had seen a Ducati and fallen in love.  So I sold my expensive bike, reasoning that I couldn't ride two bikes anyway, and against better judgment bought a Monster S4R T.

Like every beautiful woman I have known, she has taught me that Love and Hate are almost the same emotion. 

They are high maintenance, and it's ridiculously expensive.  Things will go wrong, dumb things that wouldn't go wrong with the bigger companies bikes.  The dealerships are kind of elitist bastards, half the time they aren't even that good at their job.   BUT you will put up with all of it, because when you look at it, it's like looking at a beautiful woman, and rolling on the throttle can only be describe as a sexual experience.     

[extra330]

What,did you say something? I was looking at my bike 

Mike

[duc996]

For me? one is because of the racing heritage that ducati has, the sexiness of that ITALIAN style,the sound of the vtwin engine and of course got to have soul!!!

[bdfinally]

In the mid-70's I thought this was the neatest thing evah!

[ducatiz]

In the mid-70's I thought this was the neatest thing evah!

oh, well at least that bike held on better than what i was thinking was neat:

[Desmostro]

A me piacce i cosi Italiano. La vita, le donne, i vini, moda di vita, le motociclette.

There is something really special about a bike made by Italian artisans. For me, Italian transportation design is some of the smartest most beautiful in the world.
There is a refined quality in manufacturing that just doesn't exist elsewhere that I've seen. Plus the inventiveness that Ducati has added to the sport is deserving pretty huge respect.
My bike has a bunch of Tech that came right from MOTO GP. That's pretty cool. That equals a very particular ride. One that Yamaha and others have been trying to copy for years. Yamaha's new GP bike's "Crossplane crankshaft" is an attempt at artificially replicating what comes naturally to the Ducati's V2's and V4's. It's the funnest bike I've ever ridden.
Not to dis Yam's. just to be all superior. The R1 is a solid ride for sure. But gaaawd it's a fugly biatch IMHO.
To each his own. Some people like Japanese design better. Ride what you got to ride.

[bdfinally]

oh, well at least that bike held on better than what i was thinking was neat:

She's having problems now, but 12 years ago those pencil erasers of hers were still looking good

[brentnclemson]

The first Ducati I can remember was in the arcade section of an Andretti Speed Lab (high-speed go-karting place).  They had it perched on top of a group of racing arcade games....yours for only 1,000,000 tickets...or something crazy.  Back then all I knew is that they were insanely expensive, and therefore extremely awesome.

My first Monster sighting was a Dark model before I ever got into motorcycles.  I remember saying, "I'm gonna have one of those one day..."  5 or 6 years later, I did!

[mojo]

It's not the fastest or the lightest bike.  My M900 will get smoked by nearly every repli-racer built in the last 20 years in a race, and I really don't care.
I bought my Monster because it has a look to it that is both sleek for a naked bike, and chiseled at the same time...if that makes any sense.  It doesn't have any of the latest/greatest gadgetry on it (i.e. steering damper, ABS, drive by wire), but it seems to have everything I want or need in a bike.  It isn't intimidating to work on and I can learn a lot of the little quirks it has because I can actually work on it without a scan tool.  It has an exhaust sound like nothing else I've ever heard another brand of engine make, and it just flat out tells everyone "Don't f*** with me".  I like the mechanical noise the Desmo engine makes, and I absolutly love the sound of the dry clutch with an open cover.

[ab]

After lots of research, in 2004 I got my 620M because it really fit me like a glove.

(Statler - what you got to say to this one)

[DarkMonster620]

Well let's see,
I was in Fort Lauderdale in at a friends house, he was telling me albut his racing days with Ducati and Honda...
We walked to the garage, and there it was 999R with more mods than n the accesoriies catalog...
He started it and I was hooked, the sound, the frame, the engine, the looks, did I mention the sound?
A Ducati is many things, so the sum of it all, is yur Ducati

[chas5131]

In 1964 my buddy and I wanted to see the  Hondas at a store 2hours away in Memphis.   My father drove us. 
Honda was new to the USA.  This was long before they made cars.
My father looked the Hondas over and declared that Honda would never make it. 
He bought a Ducati for me.  It had a toaster tank and 200cc.
About 6 weeks later he said he could not get insurance and took  it away.  (Mom must have been involved.)  I rode and lusted after other bikes but never bought one. 
Dad died in February.

My SO mentioned Ducaii the night before I was going to take a second look at a Harley.  I turned west toward the Ducati store the next morning, not east toward the Harley without hesitating.

Last week I bought a  696 to celebrate my looming 62nd birthday.  Was looking at a Harley and others.
Got very excited when I saw the Ducati I bought.  It fit, I am not overly tall.