gerald.hughes wrote on 09/07/10 at 11:32:22:There is no such thing as a free lunch. Power comes with a price. I would love to ride a Duck for a weekend, but I wouldn't want to own one. Ask a Duck owner what a valve adjustment on that Desmo runs. It is almost as much as a lot of people on this site paid for their Savage.
That is because evidently US mechanics aren't worth their ... elbow grease.
Ducati valve clearance isn't done with nuts, it's done with spacers, if you haven't got the spacer, you can't just "make one".
Quote: Mick said:
Unfortunatly it seems the ducati is a rich mans bike ,as much as I love them I would,t own one, A BMW more my cup of tea for an everyday bike,but I still miss my ninja.
In England we called the BMW the Rolls Royce of motorcycles.I have never owned one :'(
I have owned one Ducati single, and one roundhead BMW flat twin.
The Ducati was 1974 vintage, with 1974 electrics - reliable only in sunny weather.
The BMW was reliable, so reliable it threw the rocker bearings frmo the right cylinder and still managed to ride over 50 miles and get me home... but frame anbd brakes weren't worth half the Ducati's (which had drums, by the way)
I will get my (new? 5 year-old new) BMW tomorrow.
7000 Euro for a 5-year BMW is a lot of money, but Euro-Bluebook lists it at 9500 and the seller must sell... so I'm happy.
I could have bought a Ducati ST3 with the wonderful "desmo" engine for 5000 Euro from a Duke dealership (and a one year warranty) but the BMW has new tires, new battery, ABS and shaft drive.
Some of you may not like shaft drive... but if it's good enough for Guzzi, BMW, and other heavyweights (and vintage MVAgusta racers from the '70s) it's good enough for me.
As I said, Biddie, you have a thoroughbred.
Fix it and ride it, or fix it and sell it... just don't hack it to pieces.
Any horse that raced the Kentucky Derby is worth more as a "weekend ride" than to butcher for horse glue...