So I made the purchase! After a while of deliberation and convincing myself to wait I have decided to get myself the machine which is nothing short of a piece of art. The Ducati 1098S has to be seen to be understood, it is a piece of art, the lines are amazing, the engine is exquisite, and the color is perfect.
I received the motorcycle on Wednesday Night, and rode it for a bit to try it out. What an amazing feeling, just wants to go looking for corners. My mind and senses are overload by this Ducati. I rode it to work and rode it around for the afternoon for a bit, but I am taking it very easy to break it in.
Break-In Procedure:
- 100Km to break-in tires
- 300Km max 5.5K Rpm
- 1000Km max 6K Rpm
First Service at 1000 Km.
I want to break the engine in correctly since it will help decrease the probability of problems, and it will run smoother in long run.
Race: 1 out of 18
Winner: Casey Stoner – Ducati Marloboro Team
Location: Qatar
This Moto GP race is going in history books because they lowered the machines size from 1000cc in 2006 to 800cc for the 2007 season, and from all the testing being done before the season these machines were going faster on the tracks then the 1000cc Moto GP Factory Motorcycles and breaking records. It was strange and exciting, and it was exciting as I thought it was going to be.
Casey Stoner was fighting with Valentino Rossi for the first place position throughout the race, but he managed to get a hold of it at the end. Casey Stoner is a great rider and it seems this year Ducati has a good machine on their hands. There are a lot of unknown factors coming in this season so its going to be interesting. Casey Stoner won with a 2.8 second lead and set a track record. It was a good race for a lot of people, Pedrose, Hopkins, and Rossi were all putting their full efforts in the race. Rossi and Stoner set such a high pace that the other racers couldn’t close the gap towards the end. This is going to be one hell of a season.
I wanted to pass by Tristar with the intent to order R&G Crash Protectors for Robo, but I completely forgot about that after going there.
I recommend that everyone who likes motorcycles to go because they do have a lot of new motorcycles.
New Bikes:
BMWs
- K1200R
- K1200S
- R1200S
- F800S
Ducatis
- 1098
- 1098s
- GT 1000
- Monster 695
- Sport Classic 1000
I was surprised there were so many new bikes and I fell head over heels for the 1098, and the GT 1000 looks pretty cool as well. There were just so many amazing looking motorcycles my senses were overwhelmed. I was annoyed with myself that I came in a dishdasha because I couldn’t put my leg over some of the motorcycles there. I could see the 999R and 999S in the back looking all quiet. Its a feast to the senses when I’m there and I can’t get enough of it. Then I was looking at the accessories available to the 1098s. It was a nice visit. Whats great is that lots of different people go there, even if they have different bikes it doesn’t matter, its a bikers haven.
K1200R & K1200S
I’m having these debates with people about the 999 and the 1098. I’m really split 50/50 between the two bikes. It is no question that the 1098 out performs the 999, but the 999 is no sloucher either but this is about the looks between the two. I’m thinking about the 999 since I could work on it and tweak but then there is also the 1098 which looks gorgeous. And now some people are talking about the 999 as an ugly duckling which it isn’t, its still something to look at and different, its something to work on. So what do you guys think.
Opinions Needed People
999
1098
Tim Cameron designed this motorcycle with extreme precision over a year ago now, and at last it has been built. The reason it has been built because Tim Cameron was approached by Christian Travert, who built the “Y2K” Motorcycle with the Jet Engine. He is an engineering genius who is able to see all the details of the design in his head to bring the design to reality. What is fantastic is that they are designing this motorcycle to make it into a production motorcycle and making it perform and functional. Now this is a cruiser I would love to get my hands on, but I can only imagine what the price tag will be. Who ever owns one will be happy for sure.
Thanks to Mark for pointing out that Scorpion has now come up with a new helmet. I have the EXO-700, and they also have the EXO-400. The new one is the EXO-1000 which is priced between $299 to $329 from the plain color to the graphics models. This comes with a few innovations such as the sun visor, and cheek pumps which seem to be something useful for someone with a thin head. I just really want to check out this helmet knowing that Scorpion make really good helmets.
Link: WebBikeWorld
This is one beautiful motorcycle that MV Agusta has twaeked to make. I like the Brutale 910, but since they came up with the 910R which is the more performance oriented version of the Brutale S, I really think its beautiful especially with its sutle combination of black and touches of red.
This motorcycle can be driven everyday but with its setup it can also handle the kinds of people who want to push the bike even harder, with better handling and stronger brakes this is one nice catch. Great styling with exquisite styling is what this Italian bike is about.
Whats different from the S:
- New R colour scheme
- New 910R logo
- Tachometer with new numerical scale and Brutale logo.
- Rider and passenger seat made of “Pieni Fiore†full grain leather
- Red valve cover
- Anodised black fork uprights
- Titanium treated surface applied to lower steering flange, fork, frame plates, and handlebar counterweights
I have been riding this beautiful motorcycle around enough to get a feeling for it. It has a special taste and inviting feel to it, the classic retro look of this motorcycle shouldn’t fool you it’s engine, suspension, chassis, and brakes is of the 21st Century.
The Look:
I really think that this motorcycle has attitude and pizzaz which other motocycles dont. Each motorcycle has its own character and this one stands out among all of them. This isn’t the fastest or the best handling motorcycle in the world, but it can clearly hold its own. The red paintjob brings out the beauty in this motorcycle, and the most beautiful part for me is the tank, it looks very inviting and you want to just hug it as your riding. It is the best looking retro looking motorcycle I have seen, with its large headlight, multiple spoke rim, dual side exhaust, naked look, and side view mirror on the handle bars.
The Feel:
This motorcycle has a grunt feel to it which is what you feel with a V-Twin. I started this motorcycle up and always gave it at least 3 minutes to start-up before any ride. It has this inviting rumble to it, and your power band is between 4000 to 7000 rpm. This is a motorcycle that is meant to be ridden, you have two clear things to you which is your RPM on the right dial and Speed on the left dial, within each there is the temp(right dial), time(right dial), odometer(left dial), and travel odometer(left dial). The brembo brakes have a very nice bite when you squeeze them, both front and break. While riding and going through the turns you really do get the right amount of feedback through the steering which tells you if you can lean more and if everyting is ok. Communication with the motorcycle is key, and this motorcycle gives you the right type of feedback. You really get a good amount of power at the bottom to midrange which is very usable while your riding. The one thing I wish this bike had is more top end power to make it easier to pull away without having to change gears. The gearbox is very well done, its smooth and easy, it has never jumped gears on me and has been smooth on very turn. The suspension does a very good job of soaking up bumps on the roads where you don’t expect. I really think the suspension is good overall, but for the highend version of the sport classic I wouldn’t expect any less. The one thing which is standard with any air cooled V-Twin is the slight vibration between 1K-3K rpm when your in a high gear and give it throttle, its virbration you get used to so you need to drop it a gear to get it going and get rid of that vibration. The turning radius of this motorcycle is very good you can easily make a turns, and when you are riding along its very simple to switch from lane to lane, the center of gravity of this motorcycle seems to be in the right spot making it easy for me to turn and change locations as I deam fit.
Overall:
A fantastic motorcycle that you really wish there were more curves to enjoy it with. Anybody who will own this bike will be quiet happy with it, it has the unique look, a real Cafe Racer, and enjoyable ride. There will always be faster, but I think this is more fun then most bikes I have gotten my leg over in a while. It has a few small drawbacks, but if you like this look this is the bike for you.
My motorcycle has been in the garage for the past two and half weeks waiting for some parts to arrive from Germany and the same time I got it some parts to be installed. I was told that I would get my bike by this weekend. After coming back from work yesterday night I got a call from the Tristar driver telling me that he is very close to my house and it was around 6:30pm.
I asked the man if he has my bike and he said yes, I asked him if they finished fixing my bike and he said yes. So I was surprised they sent my bike to me early and no notification. It felt like I was getting a present for no reason, I was completely and happily surprised. So I went outside to find my bike sitting in front of my house, it was like seeing an old friend. I wanted to hug my bike, I didn’t realize I missed him that much. I didn’t have to pay a penny even for the installation of the accessories or the warranty work.
There is no substitute for good service, let alone great service. After my constant interaction with Tristar on different occasions. I don’t think I will be buying from somebody else in Kuwait anytime soon. There are cheaper motorcycles out there, and some are faster, or might do something better, but the service they provide gives you peace of mind, and they really do honor their two year warranty. And my bike has completed year since this problem occurred. I have to say that I am impressed and I’m a very happy customer.
After winning the 2006 MotoGP championship Honda saw fit to make a replica for that occasion and its being released in Europe and America. I think the CBR1000RR is a fine motorcycle with great handling capabilities. The Repsol colors is not to my taste, but it represents a lot more then just style, its about the effort they put into the races day in and day out, its about the history and what the MotoGP means to a lot of riders. Its a great thing, and I think anyone who owns this limited edition motorcycle should know the history behind it. If I had one it would remain parked and for view purposes only, I would ride it every once in a while thats for sure.
