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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I can ride in the big ring and the big. Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) has bucked the trend of cross-country racers switching to 29in wheels, with great success. “With the three-by [-10], I'd ride in. my middle ring most of the time and just a little bit in the others," said Gould. “I feel like I use all the gears more, and I. can ride in the big ring more,” she told BikeRadar. It’s not to say she hasn’t tried riding with big wheels, but. one short track title) on her straightforward, 26in-wheeled Orbea Alma. She gravitates toward her 26in bike because it’s lighter and. While her ride is commonly outfitted, albeit with high-end components, Gould. She’s taken two consecutive US national cross-country titles (and. I’m in the big ring. on her 26in Alma, a title which she successfully defended in Sun Valley, Idaho this summer. “I rode them last year at. the Mellow Johnny’s Classic in Texas,” said Gould. Gould went on to win the 2010 US nationals in Granby, Colorado. [M980] 10-speed iteration of Shimano’s XTR group became available, she switched.

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