2007 Ducati reviews

I keep telling myself that this is just a phase and eventually the newness of the bike will wear off, but somehow I don't think that is the case. I used to race motocross and I always thought that the street guys were nuts, but I have changed my view. This bike has renewed the kid in me!! I can't stay calm at work and I have found myself in the garage just staring at my new toy. Julie...you were right!! There will be no need to upgrade to the next larger engine. This is all I need. I hope to see all of you out there riding around on your new Ducati just like me. ENJOY! Show less

2000 trouble free miles. I've owned it since new and that's about 3 months. It's barely broken in, so it remains to be seen whether or not any problems arise. Handles/corners well, accelerates well, and has nice torque. Swapped exhaust to Carbon Cans, but other than a few other minor things, pretty stock. It's a great daily bike around town or for longer 2-3 hour rides. Anything 'all day' begins to get uncomfortable, but that's not the purpose of these Monster bikes. Everywhere I go, it's a comment here or there about how nice it looks. I have not ridden the R6 or the Suzuki or other 600cc-800cc competition (more later once I get a chance). I would say that I have felt the need to have a pinch more power at times. For entry to mid level needs and a bike with great style, you can't go wrong. I'll check in after my first track day in a few months. Show less

Just breaking it in. Only 500 miles. Good torque. Quick and very nimble/agile. This is it's strength. haven't gotten the chance to really open it up yet. Have kept it under the 6000 rpm range and have reached 90 mph. I would imagine the performance will improve after break in period. Some little things at times but will check with dealer and see how things are after 600 mi checkup. Great around town bike. Show less

I originally purchased this bike for my wife who is 5 ft 2 inches tall. Although she could get both feet on the ground ,the reach to the bars was a bit much for someone who has 13 discs fused. I have been riding for 40 years and have owned over 30 bikes in the last ten years. Have owned litre sport bikes, cruisers, supermotos, naked bikes etc. Imagine my suprise that the little Monster could be so much fun. After raising the bike back up to stock, it handles extremely well and takes all the bumps with ease. Most of my riding is for fun and on the roads north of San Francisco. The 1000cc Monster seems slow handling in comparison. It has more than enough power to handle the twisties and as a matter of fact is easier to drive than the larger engined Monsters. If you are looking for a beginner bike that you will not outgrow look no further. Show less

The bike is well thought out. It is very suitable for real world riding. It offers a very comfortable riding position, engaging engine, and suspension while not adjustable is spot on for spirited real world riding. Probably not the best choice to take to the track, buy a 999. Nothing drags with very spirited street cornering. The gearing sucks, I dropped the countershaft to 14 and find that a good compromise, though lower might be fun at some expense to the long leg highway cruise. I am getting close to 50mpg, but it only holds a tad over 3 gallons, they lie when they say 4. I ran it dry. Max range 130 miles to low fuel light then you have 30 miles left. Sorry for an all day sport tourer. The engine is great, the 1000DS makes the same power as the the 4 valve motors to about 7500 rpm, so in the real world you are not giving up much, unless you you want to cruise at 120mph, than buy something else, this one works great at 70-90. You need to augment the tools as basically there are none. The tubless tires are sure to make you mad if you ride it far enough. All in all I am super happy, a Ducati you can ride all day fast as you dare all while not looking at all like the squids. Show less

Good seating position, engine pulls very hard from about 3,500 rpm. Gearing is too high, I will replace the rear sprocket with 3 or 4 more teeth. Otherwise, excellent gear box, smooth shifting, first 3 gears are spaced adequately. The bike is easy to handle and holds its line under all circumstances. Throttle response is very quick, no hick-ups. Acceleration @ 2,000 rpm is possible if throttle is opened slowly. Best rpm range is 3,000 - 6,000. My wife, after 2 decades of non-riding, lost all of her anxiousness after a few minutes. Very un-intimidating. Wonderful sound with Termignonis! The original pipes are real "silencers"! I also installed Ducati Classic handle bar end mirrors. The bike scratches the roads surface on the left side with the exhaust underneath the engine, in right corner with the rear brake lever. This of course happens only in very fast ridden corners. On day-to-day driving conditions the clearance is sufficient. Vibrations, especially on the right side grip (here the rubber is thinner) make my fingers to become completely numb after about 30 minutes of riding the bike. I still need to find a solution for this. Apparently I can not say much about the reliability. However, the workmanship is 1st class, no matter where you look. The front brakes are very responsive, no fading. The front fork could be a bit stiffer; the rear is definitely on the soft side. (I think about upgrading the back to Oehlins) Seating for 2-up is OK; however, my wife is 5.8 and could use a bit more room. Driving at darkness, I find the front light too dim. I will need to find a bulb that offers higher output. Overall a wonderful bike and I am looking forward to put many more miles on it. (With some more upgrades ;-) Show less

Top rated for a sporty GT type bike. Performance & handling combined with excellent two up riding. Saddlebag option is a nice option with good looking mounts and very easy secure on/off. Show less