08-25-2016, 06:37 AM
(08-25-2016, 06:12 AM)The ferret_imp Wrote: Guzzi owners express a near identical "enthusiasm" for the brand. Even more so than BMW owners who occasionally defect (especially of late). A Guzzi owner may buy something else to ride (like Rboes CB1100) but most likely there will always be a Guzzi in their garage (like his Griso).
Just curious Ulva, you say you bought the Duc new and owned it for 20 years. Honestly, how many miles were on it when you sold it? I have known and seen many passionate Ducati owners. I have never seen a high mileage Ducati. Ever. 40K I think is the highest mileage bike I have ever seen. If they have accumulated 3-4K per year owned on them, that is a lot from what I have seen. I find their owners to be more "sporting enthusiasts" using them on only the best days and ridden in very limited areas as compared to say a Guzzi owner who for the most part are utilitarian riders (at least it used to be that way). I rarely run into a Ducati rider while out touring.
Actually, that was me, Ferret, not Ulvetanna.
Honestly, I think when I sold it, it had something like 18,000 or 19,000 miles on it. I'd have to look it up.
I've never been a high-mileage rider. In the case of this bike, it was partly because I've typically had two to five bikes at a time, partly because in the early days of ownership, I had a young family to enjoy, and partly because I was zealously climbing the corporate ladder over the years, which took a huge investment of my time (to the point now where I am a V.P. and part owner of the same company I was at when I got the bike!).
So, no really long term mileage to consider, just a really long period of time, at least from my point of view. I rarely keep a bike for more than 2-3 years, some even shorter periods. That I kept that little beauty for almost 20 just speaks volumes for me, personally.
And I can say that I never babied that bike. Almost literally from the beginning, I rode it like I felt it was made to be ridden. 99% of the miles on canyon and mountain roads. And it never once hiccuped. Yes, I took very good care of her, and definitely maintained it carefully - I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid
- but it was never ridden like I was afraid of something breaking. I still grieve the loss of that bike. It just came to the point that I couldn't fold myself up on to it any more, so riding it became nearly impossible. It then became a garage queen for a while, because I just couldn't bear getting rid of it (it was also a surprise Christmas gift from my late wife, so the emotions were complicated there), but I finally decided it was just too nice a bike to rot away in a corner. I still miss the sounds and the feels of riding it.
