Back in the fold

[nealenet]

Hi everyone,
well today I came back to the Ducati fold by stumping up for a magnificent S4R. The RS being a little beyond my reach at the moment. I owned a 96 M900 for 7 or 8 years and loved it. Sold it to a good friend and bought a BMW R1100S which is also a great bike. The BMW however is very uninvolving to own. It is an incredible handling bike, but it just doesn't get the pulses racing like a monster. (plus my wife said it was an old mans bike!) I was tempted by the new speed tripple but the styling is just too bizarre for my eyes. (chopped too much of the back)
So I will be keen to swap views on the latest monsters and find out where like mined folk meet in Sussex.

Simon

[Pedro]

Welcome!

Ped

[ricky]

I was tempted by the new speed tripple but the styling is just too bizarre for my eyes. (chopped too much of the back)
.

Simon[/QUOTE]
Welcome mate, im gettin a pay off next year and that speed triple is top of my list!! But the s4 is a fantastic bike and im sure you'll love it!!

[nealenet]

Hi Ricky
Thanks for your welcome. I agonised for ages over the choice between the Monster and the speed tripple. I think the Triumph has a wonderfull engine and does look much better in the flesh than in pictures. I really like the riding position too. I guess I will give the monster a year to grow on me and let the selection of used triumphs build up so prices soften. I still would be tempted.
One reason I still love the Monster is that because the styling was so "right" to start with, Ducati have wisely left it largly alone. So even an early Monster still looks cool. whereas if Triumph have fundamentally altered the whole bike style of the speed triple from the original cafe racer version. This means that owners feel they have "the old one" whenever a new model is released and it also slashes their residual values. I know manufactures have to turn riders on to their brand with new models but it does lead to people feeling that they can't keep up. BMW deliberatly keep their model changes to a minimum and their prices high to keep riders loyal. just look at the price of a used 1200GS, not a lot less than new.
The Monster has become a classic and I think will look good in 30 years time, classic design dates slower than the latest trick kit. Just look at the poularity of Triumphs range of classic rip offs. There is a French bike builder that shows just how sexy a Triumph can be and when I get the Lotto jackpot one of these will be in my garage. Follow this link
http://www.mecatwin.com/en/motos/triumph/tss/index.htm

Sorry to waffle on, a couple of glasses of red loosens the toungue.

Simon

[ricky]

:hail: WOW!


Im only startin on bikes but have loads of mates on bikes already, i pulled up the other day amongst all the guys and EVERYONE came over at some point to see and chat about the wee monster!! (the bike not me!) And then i realised what makes Ducati Triumph etc.. special, there so different from the jap bikes and are seen as so. Fair enough there was a few titters about my wee engine and the size of the bike (m620ie) but the respect was there which is hard to get on average bikes! Gr8 start to hopefully a long riding life :yoparty:

[JMo]

Welcome Simon - good to see someone else from Sussex, we've been a bit thin on the ground recently...

That said, there is usually a good bunch of us who get together regularly, especially over the spring and summer months - and often we'll head over to either Hampshire or Kent to hook up with those regions too.

Sussex and Surrey have a monthly get together at Box Hill in Surrey on the second Sunday of each month (starting this weekend infact), although there are concerns that the weather may not be in our favour on Sunday... still, we'll see.

The is a dedicated Sussex section in the Regional Events area on the website, and each month I send out a newswire PM message to the Sussexites and neighbouring counties to say what's going on and when - hope to see you along soon!

A quick recap - we have the Sussex/Surrey meet on the 12th March, there is an open evening on the 21st March (Tuesday) at CMW in Chichester. Then in April: 9th is Box Hill again, 23rd is Brands Hatch, and 28th to 1st May is the Monster Weekender in Stratford, with the National Rideout on the Sunday (30th) for anyone who wants to come just for the day...

Check out the National Events section too if you fancy a run further afield...

Best wishes, and welcome...

JennyMo

xxx

[nealenet]

Hi JennyMo
thanks for all that. I will certainly try to hook up with other Duke owners over the comming months.It's a few years since I have been up to box hill. It was a bun fight then, I imagine all these disperate groups of bike all in their little cliques. Fazer riders over here, CBR riders over there and all ignorning the cruiser riders.
I have never been a fan of getting obsessed with one type of bike the danger being that we end up like Harley owners. More interested in the "lifestyle" than motor cycling. I like all bikes. I would like to ride everything from a Honda C90 to an R1. I even like Harleys! (just don't like the clothes)

Cheers
Simon

[JMo]

No problem - Box Hill is a lot more laid back these days to be honest... we tend to meet there as it's a handy point to hook up with Surrey, and also and south London MOCers and even a few from Kent have been know to come over too...

We tend to meet up there, then head out for a ride to a pub for lunch - often coming back down this way, A29 A272 for example and heading over to Bury Hill (Whiteways) near Arundal for an afternoon cuppa too.

Whiteways is always a nice spot to meet up for a more local ride, and there are some fantastic biking roads from there as you head over Goodwood and into Hants - you're sure to have a lot of fun on that S4R!

xxx