how many here are bikers

[Jacques]

Personally I never liked the L twin. But I do like the original 916.

And this:

 

[2GOOD]

916 - my old one a long time ago (before digital camera's)

[Jacques]

I like that! I notice a lot of nice details:

The upgraded Macchesini wheels

The real deal Brembo Goldline brake discs with the Black bobbins, and not the cheaper silver version

The Öhlins rear shock

The monoposto seat

The termignoni carbon exhaust

And of course all the carbon details and parts.

I have a few questions:

- Is it a real full carbon rear swing arm, or a comver of some sort?

- Did you change the injection computer and the fuel ppump relay?

- did you change the clutch slave cylinder?

- why on Earth did you sell it? (much nicer that it's successors)

Very nice bike indeed.

Cheers,

Jacques

[Loquacious Lew]

916s are very pretty but in a long history of making racks, they are the most uncomfortable street bikes Ducati ever produced.  

[2GOOD]

On 23/08/2017 at 08:08, Jacques said:

I like that! I notice a lot of nice details:

The upgraded Macchesini wheels

The real deal Brembo Goldline brake discs with the Black bobbins, and not the cheaper silver version

The Öhlins rear shock

The monoposto seat

The termignoni carbon exhaust

And of course all the carbon details and parts.

I have a few questions:

- Is it a real full carbon rear swing arm, or a comver of some sort?

- Did you change the injection computer and the fuel ppump relay?

- did you change the clutch slave cylinder?

- why on Earth did you sell it? (much nicer that it's successors)

Very nice bike indeed.

Cheers,

Jacques

I loved it @Jacques unfortunately a little old lady driving her car, with very poor eye sight didn't see or hear me coming on a main road back in February 2000

Don't think I would ever have sold it, owned it just short of five years when it was written off

It was an SP so came as a single seat version, it had the large motorsport ecu as standard, just the chip was changed, came with the brakes, although those were the second set of discs, came with the Ohlins & Termignoni's. I upgraded the wheels from the original 3 spokes & added all the carbon. It was a cover on the swinging arm. Oh & no I didn't change the slave cylinder but ran a different clutch (more plates & open)

Nice Jota! Have you still got that now?

On 23/08/2017 at 08:40, Loquacious Lew said:

916s are very pretty but in a long history of making racks, they are the most uncomfortable street bikes Ducati ever produced.  

It's not always about comfort, I did obtain a Technosel seat for it after that picture was taken, which helped.

Still the best bike I've ever owned

[Jacques]

Mine is not a Jota. The original Jota bikes were 180 degrees engines. later on came the 120 series, with 120 Jota, RGS, RGS Jota, RGS executive, RGS Corsa and finally mine, the SFC1000.

Personally, I HATE comfort as it feels sloppy, removes my feeliing for what I am doing and what info I get and makes my body sore, and fortunately my Laverda, my racebicycles, my MTB's, my Corrado and my Esprit are all pretty uncomfortable  

I always preferred it that way. As years passes by, most of my friends get stiff, less flexible and tend to chose very soft and comfortable Things, from home to moving. I don't, it's either the hard way or no way.

When I have tried to drive the 916 or the 888, they felt comfortable enough. Certainly shouldn't be any softer.

The clutch and throttle on a Lavera are very hard, hence the saying: Never shake hands with a Laverda driver

Cheers,

Jacques.

[2GOOD]

Apologies, I remember seeing the Laverda's around in the mid-eighties but back then I only had an interest in Liquid Cooled two stroke Yamaha's (I was young then) & trying to impress the opposite sex. So whilst I remember a local lad (to me) having an orange one I didn't know much about them.

[Jacques]

Get one and try it out! A Laverda tripple is one of the great Motorcycle Ethos that have to be sung out.

Cheers,

Jacques

[Loquacious Lew]

Comfort makes you sore?  That's a new one for me!  

My comments relate to use on the street, not in pukka racing.  The problem I have with the 916 is that like most Duacti race reps, the clip ons are lower than the saddle.  This in turn puts much greater weight on your wrists so it's a rack on the road in stop and go and makes things like seeing traffic signals much more effort.  Once at speed it's somewhat less an issue but for use as a daily it's out for most people.  Sure, being  too upright puts extra weight on your tail, raises the center of gravity,  and messes with mass centralization, but there are compromises that work for the street a lot better than the 916 or 999.  The 999 was of course a more successful racer but doubles down on the 916's dodgy street egos. For brief blasts on the right road, sure but I don't think there are too many 916 owners who see their rides as everyday drivers.  

 

[johnpwalsh]

OK. So in the late 60's I had a couple, biggest being a Royal Enfield 500. Fell off a couple of times then gave up and started on customising cars instead. Fast forward about 40 years and I bought myself a little winter project. A 1948 Velocete LE MK1. Sadly it has sat in the corner of the garage ever since and probably will do for a good few years more, unless someone takes it off my hands. Lotus seem's to take up any spare time I have these day's.

[Jacques]

I don't know how many 916 and the like are used as daily rides, but I notice them frequently during the Summer season. I only ever rode my Laverda on public roads, no racing. I did try some two stroke road racing. And I did help a few friends on their track days a couple of times. I just don't like comfort, soft springing, soft seats, soft handles, soft clutches, soft brakes, etc. I like the clips low and the rest hard. I'll probably never drive something soft, if I can avoid it. A friend went with me in my former Golf 2, kindly told me that it's like loosing the fillings, but keeping a Wheels firmly on the ground. So is my Corrado and so will my Esprit be.

Likewise on all the other things I mentioned

 

[Loquacious Lew]

The Jota is much more comfortable than any 916 I've ridden as is demonstrated by bar/peg/seat relationships in the photo of your (very nice!) bike.  The egos are  different between those two.  I could ride a standard Jota  for hours and probably still could.  On the other hand, a 916 is (and I think we agree on this) more specialized.  Far be it for me to tell anybody what should be comfortable for them, but the 916 was for me one of the most uncomfortable street bikes I have ever ridden.

 

Way back when (2000) I was interested in getting something that special for fun blasts and looked into buying a 996 (916s had just been discontinued) or a good used 916.Who could resist such a beauty?   I also looked at Japanese race reps and even an R1100S but  I ended up with an Aprilia Mille because it had the performance I thought I craved but the ergonomics suited me better than any of the then current top line sporting Ducatis.  

Even though it fit me better than a 916, I ended up not riding it as much as I'd hoped and sold it on about a year later.  I replaced it with a Falco (love that Rotax) which gave most of the performance of a 996 or a Mille but had much more relaxed ergonomics.  I'm not knocking the 916 or the Mille for that matter.  They're handsome classics but as I said, they're really quite specialized.  My observation at this point in our conversation is that your definition of comfort seems to favor feedback,  road feel and suitability for very high speed whereas mine suggests the ability to cosset a rider sufficiently to enable more than an hour or two in the saddle.  

 

I currently ride a Multistrada 1200S and (curiously!) an '05 Boxer Cup Replica. Either of those strike a good balance of comfort and prowess for me, but I thoroughly understand why some folks want to experience the maximum degree of handling dexterity and performance available.  I sacrifice the last 5% of that to allow me to feel relaxed and fresh after four or five hours of riding and can no longer submit my aged body to the rigors of a Panigale or a 1098, let alone a 916! But for those who can, I say "Bravo." I'm 72 now and it's a wonder I ride at all.  But it's in the blood.  I'll probably never sell my Multi even if I give up riding.  Motorcycles have been a primary passion for me since 1964.  

 

It all follows form of course.  My Lotus is an Evora 400.  Hey....72 years on and I still think I'm a sport!  Just a sport with the rough edges sanded off!

Edited August 28, 2017 by Loquacious Lew

[Jacques]

 good description and kudos for still riding bikes! I respect that! Way too many give it up long before of various reasons. My uncle kept on riding until a few days before he passed away. And that Summer he still drove from Copenhagen to mid Italy an back. Tough old man as he was 82. 

Personally I am created in such a way, that I feel pain and discomfort, if something is comfortable in the normal sense. So I litterally mean I dislike comfort. Sure a 916 et al are "brave" bikes. I've been on vacation on my Laverda in Germany, France, Holland and other places. I usually drive it in one straight trip. But lately my eyes are a bit worn, so I may not be able to safely drive that many hours any more. Nowadays I also turned into prefering stopping and seeing things, mountains, waterfalls, cities and other points of interest along the way, so that probably made it a lot easier. Willy nilly, I love my pretty stone hard Laverda. Time can be a tough teacher.

I tried a friends Mille, and it surely more acceptable to most people to drive, also in relation to pegs. He also sold it on quickly, but that was because of the gearshift. Like I said, I am not fond of the L-twin, but I like the original shape of the 916. In my humble view, the later models only got uglier. As can be said of most jap sport bikes. The original gsxr750 and gsxr1100 were very nice bikes, but after those, I think it went downwards.. But as they say, that is taste and personal choice. Each to his own of course. 

Keep on riding that Multistrada.

Kind regards,

Jacques.

[MPx]

As said already each to their own and not everyone finds the same things "comfortable".  I only tried a 748 and 916 at Cadwell on the Ducati experience day.  Despite the gorgeous looks, I hated them both.  Physically too small for me and horribly rattly - just didn't feel well put together.  I was mostly a Honda man and at the time had a Firestorm.  Loved the feel of the twin.  Bought an SP1 in 2000 and commuted on that every working day from Bickley Bromley into the City for over 5 years.  All the pub talk was how uncomfortable they were and how it really wasn't a commuter bike. Well I loved it, loved commuting on it and found it provided the perfect wind down between work and home.  It was also ideal for Brands Hatch....and a dash to Cornwall...and even a bit of Couriering, not to mention the Sunday jaunts. 

[Jacques]

Ah yes, that bright yellow Sp1 Firestorm. A friend at my old motorcycleclub had that one for two seasons, untill it spilled it's internals out on the pavement. Was a nice bike. A pity that Honda did not pursue that a bit more.

Where I live, a lot of middle aged to elderly men realised their biker dream, and while never having ridden a motorcycle before, tehy nearly all bought huge jap custum Harley copies. You now, the really heavy types. And they fall off like flies in the turns.

Now it seems to be more like big beemers with al the touring gear they can stuff into them and then some.

Me? I prefer it simple. Laverda SFC1000.

Tripple forever

Cheers,

Jacques.

[MPx]

Actually...my Firestorm was red....as is the SP1 that followed it...and the VFR 750 that preceded it...(saved having to keep buying new leathers!)  

[march]

1 hour ago, MPx said:

Actually...my Firestorm was red....as is the SP1 that followed it...and the VFR 750 that preceded it...(saved having to keep buying new leathers!)  

The alternative is to do what the first owner of my bike did - send the bike off to be painted to match his leathers! Certainly made the bike unique.

 

[dblakem1]

Heres my current bike.

 

[Neal H]

Ideal for crossing Australia!

[Dunc]

new commuter.

Go hard or go home.... :-)

[Jacques]

Nice bike, well equiped and has a nice Laverda orange

I like the new BMW R NineT Racer. Enough power to make the ride fun, woking well and a very nice vibrating engine. I don't need a copy of a track World champion bike. But I do like Classic sport Sort of why I also bought an Esprit.

kind regards,

Jacques

[Dunc]

Thanks Jacques,

I was driven to make a change by the upcoming Ultra low emissions zone for London. As of Feb next year, I would have been charged £15 per day to ride my old Kawasaki GPz500 into London. I fancied a big Z for a while and went to a local motorcycle dealer "just to try it, not to buy it...." as "I'm not so sure about the orange etc...". Within 5 minutes of the test ride I was hooked and had a grin as wide as the bars.. Some Scottish haggling resulted in it becoming mine. I've been riding it to work for the past month.

I do find it heavy, and its not nearly as agile as the GPz in traffic, but it is deafening with that pipe on and blisteringly quick. I had fitted a baffle to reduce the noise, but either somebody stole it or I blew it out the back under power as it has disappeared.

The only downside is that every other biker seems to want to race... I just let them go........ (mostly)  

 

I've still not fixed the laverda... will do it this summer...

[Daniel]

I decided to sink a few shillings in to bikes I like and that I consider to be near or at the bottom of their value....... so I've just added this to the Buell and the MV Agusta:

Love this pic...... it looks filthy

[Barrykearley]

Buying bikes is a slippy slope - you can fit loads in a shed 

[swindon_alan]

Tell me about it!