I’m having mixed thoughts about riding recently. I like riding my bike to work, I like riding it to the super market or to Hawalli whenever I need to get something from Rihab or Ibn Khaldoon street and I like riding it whenever I am bored and have nothing else to do. Problem is the weather in Kuwait is terrible. This year has to be the worst so far. The weather is always dusty and winter was pretty much non existent. I hate riding the bike in the heat because it doesn’t make sense to me, why ride to work all sweaty when I could drive to work with my AC on?
Now though I’ve also gotten pretty bored of my bike. Last year when I had just started riding I was thinking about how fast my bike was and now this year since I’ve started riding a lot more I’ve been thinking about how slow my bike is. This is why I passed by TriStar today who are the Ducati dealers and the place where I had gotten my bike from previously. I didn’t know what I was looking for but I think I’ve found it.
They offered me a really great deal on a brand new glossy black Ducati 999. They’ve got an excellent buy back program so they would be taking my current bike for a really good deal and I would just have to pay the difference on a new bike. I’ve always wanted the smaller version of the 999, the 749 and never considered the 999 until today. Its a brutally violent and unforgiving machine which is why I think I’m attracted to it.
But, when am I going to ride it? Its already hitting 38 degrees so riding season is nearly over and when riding season starts again end of the year it will only last for 3 months tops (ok maybe a bit more I’m spoilt). Its a gorgeous bike though that scares the living hell out of me in a good way.
Just a small commercial break here, if anyone is thinking of buying a motorbike definitely pass by TriStar. They’ve got a really large collection of new and used bikes plus they offer training. Here is a link to their website www.tristarkw.com
16 replies on “New bike or not to bike”
Machinery always look nasty with glossy black/carbon fiber finishing.
IMHO its too late to trade in, as most bikers are hanging their helmet for the season. I would not recommend that you go for the 999 after only one year of riding under your belt, its a much better idea to stick it out with your current ride for another season and try to push yourself and the bike until you feel you are 100% in control, this means reving it into the red zone throughtout the gears, breaking cornering. The 999 is a beast and will be unforgiving with a rookie, if pushed too hard it can be a bucking bronco. As for the weather it has been a total let down for us all this year lets hope for the best for next and good luck with your choice.
I think this is the effluence of Marzouq and his Friday ride posts. I am starting to have the same idea’s but I don’t have the guts I am afraid 🙂
The weather hasn’t been good this year but we have enjoyed every moment when it was…
I really don’t think its a good idea that you get a Ducati 999, it is a beast of a machine with very little margin for error. Every biker takes a fall at some point but the faster the machine the harder the fall.
You can go for a faster bike but not the 999, a 749 is a very fast machine and you can see that from Monichum’s bike. I recommend that you go for that machine or a Superduke 990 which is an extremely good cornering machine and very fast off the line.
Most of the sportbikes will be and feel faster then your monster, but jumping to a 999 is as if you learned to drive in a Camry and you just decided to go with a Carrera GT, not a smart idea.
Let me know what your thinking before you buy any machine!
I have to agree with Zooq, just because you feel your bike a slow does not warrant such a major upgrade. Remember that bikes are not like cars, which can be more forgiving in turns. Accelearitng on a 999 out of a corner might spin your wheel referred to as a Power Slide, if not handled correctly, you will find yourself on the tarmac. I rode 5 years on small dispalcement bikes before switching to a 750cc. Speed is a tempting drug, as any other drug, it can kill.
There is actually a SuperDuke for sale and at a pretty good price. Maybe I should just go for that.
go a head and take it mark
I don’t think so. I asked the same question in a Monster forum and everyone thinks its tooo much of a bike to jump to from a monster.
TriStar offered me a 999 and i was about to take the deal
good thing i test rode Monichum’s 749 and found out that a SBK is not suitable for me,, i then traded in my 695 for a ’05 S4R
u’r in monsterforum.org ?! what’s ur nickname ?! “
looks like u found me already 🙂
yo Mark.
999 is too much for you at the moment, if you wanna upgrade, do like vampire did, or go for a 600cc 4 cylinder sports bike for a while.
anyway even if the 999 is cheap, the maintenance for later bikes 1098, 848 is cut by 50%.Also the 848 has the same power to weight ratio as the 999.
But get something less powerful for now.
the thing about a 4 cyclinder sports bike; they are revy machines where the actual power is higher. Twin cylinder machines like the ducatis have plenty of torque on lower rpms, so take that into consideration.
A 749 also is a good choice I think, but have a spin on one before just to make sure, you might be a naked bike kinda guy and would hate the leaned in position.
Best of luck :).
I meant…. the actual power is higher on the rpm spectrum.(for the 4 cylinder bikes)
mark
1) if u don’t like the weather in Kuwait then leave and go live in a country with better weather
2) if u don’t like the weather why did u get a bike in the first place ??
3) no 1 cares about ur monster … Or the 999 which btw the worest ducati … U want a bike get the 1098 R … I just got mine that’s a bike
Mark I would take the Superduke for a test ride since its a torquee bike at the same time its fast and managable, you can learn a lot about your riding on that bike, it will teach you how good you are on turns! Its a great machine to have
The 999 isn’t for you right now!
wow some FT gotten up on the wrong side of the bed today…
FT you don’t know bikes if you think the 999 is the worst bike ever, Ducati made huge technological advancements with the 999 but it didn’t strike well with the Ducati Crowd in design, that is one its only woes, they kept improving upon this machine.
Owning a fast bike doesn’t make you the best rider in the world, its the rider that makes the bike not the rider… and if you didn’t notice, its boiling hot in Kuwait, you would be blind not to admit that, I think his comment on the weather in the area is spot on..