I bought my first Ducati in 1992 after first considering the purchase of a BMW GS.  Now, there are two completely different concepts of how to build a motorcycle but that was my choice and it was a tough one. My only road bike for the previous nineteen years had been a 1968 BMW and I never really got excited about any of the Japanese bikes that came and went during that time. I fully expected any new bike to be a Beemer.

I was not aware of any Ducatis in the Wenatchee area and had never seen a modern Ducati outside of magazine photos. The articles I read about them got my curiosity up so I thought I should at least see if there were any dealers in the Seattle area where I could see one in the flesh.  This was before the Monster and 916.  I found Bellevue Suzuki Ducati had the various models on the showroom floor but quickly narrowed the choice down to the 900SS or the 907ie. Since my wife had agreed that it was time for a new bike I figured it was only prudent to get one with a decent passenger cushion. That would have to be the 907. After testing the Ferrari-red machine and the BMW GS I was in a complete quandary. The Beemer made so much sense but the Ducati was sex on wheels. I returned to Seattle the following week with my wife and we tested both machines again riding two-up. It might have been this one comment she made that turned the tide toward the Ducati. She said that the BMW was like “good sex” but the Ducati was like “Making Love.” …… OK. That’s it. I’ve got to have that Italian bike.

Now, after 16 years and over 30,000 miles of trouble-free riding, I have no regrets.  Ducati ownership is more like a love affair than a relationship with a machine. It is entry into a world of passion that transcends horsepower, dollars and practicality. There are a lot of bikes on the market that I would like to own but I could never imagine being without a Ducati.

The name motorcycle perfectly describes what I want in a bike – a motor with wheels.  The motor should sound like one and feel like one.  I like a visceral connection with the power plant.  It should put power to the ground right out of the gate, like a thoroughbred horse.  The Ducati twin makes lusty power right up through the rev range that you can really use on the street. I also appreciate the aesthetic nature of Ducatis.  They are a rolling art form and don’t rely on multicolored paint schemes and stick-on graphics to compensate for uninspired design.  There is a lot more to motorcycle ownership than specifications, shoot-out ratings and service intervals.  There is also romance.  I guess you either get that or you don’t.