New Ducati 848

Z

ziggyiguana

New member
Hey everyone im new to the ducati scene. Well to be honest with you I am new to the motorcycle scene all together. I just got my (used 720miles) Ducati 848. I love it so far and I am learning how to ride it beter everyday. I have a tremendous respect for the power of this motorcycle that I once did not have when I drove cars. I was going to buy a 1098 but my friend really pushed me not to get it as a first bike. I really am glad now that I didnt get the 1098. The 848 is allot of power and maybe too much for me to handle properly right now. Just coming on here to tell you that I did for the first time yesterday loose control and crash her. Luckily it was in my front lawn in the grass and the only thing that broke was my front right mirror. It snapped off, but the rest of the bike is fine. I just want to say again that I have a whole new respect for motorcycle riders, and the bikes they ride. I drive a stick shift car, so i knew the concept of a clutch. But the wieght to power ratio is way different on the ducati. I definetly will be more cautious and take more riding classes.



Jordan
 
Congrats and good luck, I personally would of never got an 848 for a "learn to ride " bike, but you sound like a responsible dude and are welcome in the Ducati family. Those mirrors suck and sometimes fall off waxing the thing, so fear not! Even with your classes and mature attitude, invest in some front and real axel sliders, bar end sliders and under body frame sliders, you will not regret it. So Welcome and get back on her and tame that Biach...
 
Here we go again!

My advice to you, and I mean this with all sincerity, would be to place your 848 in the garage, and shelve it for future use. Go out and get yourself a smaller capacity bike (250-400cc is ideal) and do as much training/courses/schools as you can in the next year. Then (and only then) take out your 848 and enjoy it with safety to yourself and others.

The 848 is not an ideal first bike (how many threads do we repeat this on???), and you will drop and crash it with regular monotony if you don't follow the advice given here.

jdw
 
I say go for it.....its his money and his life....as its just as easy to die on a 250cc

just be responsible and take it slow for a long time and get used to it.....the bike can be a serious weapon


btw..welcome Jordan
 
yeah, give him a break...from what I've seen on here in the past an 848 is pretty restrained... he's not boasting about how fast he can drive or drift or whatever other shit they all usually do... and he's already crashed on his own front lawn !! at least it wasn't on the road ...well, maybe on second thoughts..

Jordan, do yourself a favour and listen to JDW ... even though none of us do...
 
Jordan,

I think you'll probably get quite a bashing from people here in deciding to buy an 848 as your first bike. That being said, I can't blame you. She is a beautiful bike, and very tempting to anyone at any skill level.

That being said, here are my tips to you.

1. Get some good protective gear, and wear it always. Remember "You Dress for the Crash, not for the Ride"

2. You tube Motorcycle safety drills. There are some decent technics you can practice for slow speed driving, that will help you with building your confidence in yourself, and in handling the bike.

3. Find and Pick a large variety of turns in your local area that are low traffic, and that you find challenging. Take them slow, and practice Marking your entry point into the turn, your lean angle in the turn, and your exit points out of the turn. Do is SLOW, and build up SLOWLY.

4. In the event of a crash, practice breaking hard, IN AN OPEN area. Build up to this. It just might help you when someone cuts you off on the road, as they will, or it just might help you readjust, and allow you to get out of a jam.
(Remember: There's 3 kinds of riders, Those who have fallen, Those who haven't fallen, and those who will fall again)

5. If you get to a point where you think you can handle your bike. Save your money, get some leathers, and save up for some track days. Start in the slow groups, and you will find that a decent track day will give you a wealth of knowledge of what your bike can do, and what you can do with it.

6. Lastly, Know your limits and ride within them.

My really long 2 cents.
 
As far as starting out on a smaller bike. If they made this bike in a smaller displacement I would have bought it. And im pretty sure if someone woul have sold you a 848, with addons, and only 720 miles on it for $9500 you would have taken it too. I didnt want to get a gxsr, or a r1 like evryone else. I wanted the italian beauty that eeryone else in here loves just as much as I do. I respect my bike enough not to push it to the limit. And I dont like how you put me in the same bracket as the people who get this bike to wheelie, and show off in front of some ladies. This baby is too beautiful to wore out like the other cookie cutter bikes. I work in the medical field so i know what people look like that dont respect the power behind the motorcycle. In fact I have seen far worse then that. I just wanted to ride this baby before I got deployed to Afghanistan. Because with all jokes aside, I wont know If im gonna be able to ride when I get back from there. I have 2 friends over there right now , and I pray for them everyday. Thans for the support guys. And to the negative feedback, Is it really neccissary? I just wanted to get something I wanted for a change. And I wanted this bike really really bad.

jordan
 
Welcome Jordan, i have to jump on this thread like hopscotch .

Grats on the new bike, i wish my first bike was an 848 Everyone is putting out some great advice, it my seem like bashing, but try to take it all in as friendly, life-saving advice.

Also, you will need the might of god not to , but if you are going to ride it, if i could suggest retricting yourself to just on your block where you live. Get extremely intimate with your bike (no homo) , learn as much as possible about its ride and feel.

While doing so....GO SIGN UP FOR THE BASIC RIDERS COURSE ASAP! oh and after that, ANOTHER COURSE!

You my also need to learn to, if you have not already, use ALOT of self -estraint, especially on a....130+ hp starter bike

Although "twin" engines are a little more forgiving than "inline" engines, there is still room for terrbile disaster.

There are my two pennies, I wish you the best of luck and look foward to chatting with you more in the future.
 
Great bike. And I completely understand your enthusiasm for owning a state of the art Ducati right from the get go. But just for perspective if someone had suggested to a group of experienced motorcycle friends 15 years or so ago a 916 as a starter bike he/she would have been laughed out of the building. That's well over a decade ago with little improvement in road quality, driver awareness of motorcycles, safety technology, rider teaching techniques etc. The 848 has a least 20 more HP. Have fun but take it slow and be careful.
 
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