Purchased for $20,000 in 2007 from Speed’s Cycle in Elkridge, MD (highly recommended shop). Upgrades of $5,000 include full Termi exhuast system, sport clutch/brake levers, frame sliders, luggage mount. All upgrades and maintenance done at Speed’s. The black with red frame looks great, although the ‘black’ is more a metalic black vs. flat black (this blogster would have preferred the latter). The full termi race exhaust system with silencers removed is a must. Without it the bike doesn’t reach it’s potential powerband nor proper exhaust note. I find it odd that Ducati would let these superbikes loose from the factory without this upgrade – especially on the ‘S’ models. Another great upgrade would be the open clutch cover…serving no purpose other than style and sound. Because my bikes spend a lot of time outside and I often ride with sneakers I opted not to go for this upgrade (the open cover looks like it can attract more debris and shoelaces have been known to get tangled in them). I’ve seen a couple models with tail light eliminator kits. These defnitely add a leaner rear end look, however the stock lights are pretty flush. I cut throught the bottom reflector bracket on the stock kit which made it lean enough for me. Ducati in recent years has advertised lower maintainence costs but make no mistake a ‘cheap’ service on these beasts runs about $1,000 and full service with valve adj. etc. will run you about $2,500+. By 7,500 mi I’ve done one of each. Also I’ve had to replace the front tire due to tread wear and the rear tire twice due to nails. The premature replacement of the rears probably due to bad luck and riding on the construction laden stretch of 95 between Baltimore, MD and DE. Stick with Pirellis or Pilots for the rubber. I’ve used the bike for short hops to and from the office/around town in DC as well as a couple longer runs, DC to NYC. Only complaint on short rides is the heat generated by the undertail exhaust. When sitting in traffic you can start to cook at over 215 degrees F. Long rides are great except for the fact that you’ll have to either mail your going out gear to your destination OR carry a backpack. The latter creating a bit of strain on the lower back depending on how many shoes you pack. Riding with a passenger is possible but not desirable. The steeper/aerodynamic stance of the bike vs. other sportbikes in it’s class causes a bit of discomfort to both passenger and pilot. Other comps in this class are the MV Agusta F4, BMW K1200S. I didn’t mention any of the Japanese imports b/c although they may function just as well (and even more efficiently in some cases), they just don’t have that Italian sex appeal. After all, isn’t that why we love Ducati?

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We’ve noticed with the growth in sportives and cycling in general that riders are often unhappy with the ‘image’ of their bikes but because of budget concerns they forgo this for perceived performance values from some of the bigger more obvious... Do you always have to compromise your new bikes aesthetics v it’s function, shouldn’t all bikes be as attractive to look at as they are functional to ride - it’s a tough one - Should bikes that look stunning automatically perform at a similar level. Grupetto’s artisan frame building team are based in Italy’s cycling heartland near Bergamo and all the frames take their names from legendary cycling landmarks in the area. We offer a FREE fitting service either remotely or in person, that utilizes traditional bike measuring and set up methods to achieve the simple task of making sure you look and feel right on the bike” If you get it right you get so much more from... Working alongside some of Italy’s finest independent frame builders they have produced a sensational range that will simply out perform similar priced bikes on both specification and finish. Grupetto’s Nat Rizzi says “To get a half decent looking frame usually means paying a fortune or compromising quality for a badly ‘retro styled’ far eastern import. If you want an iconic bike that will not disappoint in comfort or performance in the colours you’ve always wanted, talk to Grupetto Italia. uk they offer clients the comfort of knowing that the bike they buy is created...

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