Heart and reason..... (Ducati or Triumph)

[tomaway]

Hi there,

Considering changing ride and going from maxi scooter to a roadster, i was more and more tempted by a Street triple R as the bike seems to be the queen of her category according to almost all the review.

The price is 460.000 thb on the catalog but i am receiving message on Facebook for a discount of 40k.... It is just enough money to get a proper exhaust on the bike!

But this weekend i was in Bkk and I stopped at the Ducati booth in Siam Paragon.... The new Monster 821 was there and since then.... I am in love with this bike!!! She is soooo sexy! I don't know if it is available in Phuket for test drive (not really popular in Thailand) but i'd love to try it. For 479.000 thb the price is close enough to the Triumph to not be an issue.

I heard a lot of good things about the Triumph but the Ducati seems to offer another kind of experience...

Anybody could give me feedback on the Triumph or previous Monsters to help me to make up my mind?

Cheers!!

[BSJ]

"Considering changing ride and going from maxi scooter to a roadster" What amazes me is you see these bikes as roadsters....not that there is anything wrong with that!

[papa al]

[Brit_Doggie]

Ducati any day over triumph.

[eeeya]

I read on ducati thailand facebook that they have 821 monster available at every dealer now for test ride.

[tomaway]

Sorry pal, English is not my first language and back home we call it roadster.... Let's call it naked bike if you prefer ;-)

[DILLIGAD]

I have owned both Italian and English bikes but over here I would (& have) consider the quality/costs & access to dealers in addition to the bike you are dreaming about

[tomaway]

Thanks Eeeya for the info!

Living in Phuket makes the things easy. The new triumph showroom just opened and the Ducati one is running since couple of years now. Both bike being assembled locally I hope i will not have to wait for any parts like in Yamaha.

In the end i am not expecting to have a 5 stars service but at least a serious one...

[hansgruber]

Ducati monster looks dated now and everyone has one. Go the triple R and be unique with a beautiful rumble.

[wowjudo]

Get what you really want else you will regret it afterwards and spend more money at the end

[maamoot]

I have been riding a BMW F800R for a year now , riding by the Ducati dealer in Chiang Mai today so I stopped in to take a look at the 821 . Took it for a test ride , only ten minutes .Beautiful bike and a completely different riding experience than my BMW of course . Tons of power , actually too much for me . Like the bike a lot but not for me . Take one for a ride , think that most people will love it .

[eeeya]

I have been riding a BMW F800R for a year now , riding by the Ducati dealer in Chiang Mai today so I stopped in to take a look at the 821 . Took it for a test ride , only ten minutes .Beautiful bike and a completely different riding experience than my BMW of course . Tons of power , actually too much for me . Like the bike a lot but not for me . Take one for a ride , think that most people will love it .

How do you find the F800R? good service from bmw? its a shame it just doesnt come up that often when its in the same price range as the duc or the Trimph.

wifes pops has got a BMW r1150r rockster. expensive to fix.. Bloody things as wide as a bus too with the heads hanging out the sides.

[Rhys]

In Thailand.. the Ducati...better service opportunities... better history in Thailand... more riders...

Good luck a tough call....move up.. the scooter is past your time now.. on the pegs

[tomyumchai]

walk away from both and test an FZ-09, if its a roadster/naked bike youre after you should not be disappointed........ive owned the street t and ducati...i would not look at either of them again as the FZ is by far the most rideable of all of them.

...i bought an MT-09 as well, so i can ride on both sides of the world

Edited May 16, 2015 by tomyumchai

[RamblingSam]

I too love the Ducati's, especially the 'naked' versions, and both have pretty good reputations. However, being utterly practical and logical, I'd ask myself the following questions before going for the Ducati, since absolutely stunning as it is, owning one comes some down-sides you might not be aware of, the main one being it's Desmodromic valve set-up, which is pretty complex, (or certainly used to be!) requiring a well-trained mechanic to sort out ... I'd suggest you get to see something like a Haynes manual so you can see just what's involved. You may well scream and run away from the 'love of your life' after looking at what's involved if you intend servicing this yourself. Here's a link, regarding the Desmo setup Ducati use:

http://www.seastarsuperbikes.co.uk/ducatiengines.html

I'm not too sure, but the Triumph may well be a better bet, and here is a link to Triumph's production set-up in Thailand ...

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/689/11346/Motorcycle-Article/Inside-Triumph-Motorcycles.aspx

This may well change your mind about getting the Triumph instead.

So, what is now going to rule your decision as to which to buy, your Head, or your Soul?

[maamoot]

I have been riding a BMW F800R for a year now , riding by the Ducati dealer in Chiang Mai today so I stopped in to take a look at the 821 . Took it for a test ride , only ten minutes .Beautiful bike and a completely different riding experience than my BMW of course . Tons of power , actually too much for me . Like the bike a lot but not for me . Take one for a ride , think that most people will love it .

How do you find the F800R? good service from bmw? its a shame it just doesnt come up that often when its in the same price range as the duc or the Trimph.

wifes pops has got a BMW r1150r rockster. expensive to fix.. Bloody things as wide as a bus too with the heads hanging out the sides.

Great bike , but yeah parts are very expensive . Service ok so far , If on any kind of budget go for the Honda or Kawasaki 650 . both great bikes imo (I used to own the ER6N) but the F800R is a better bike IMO , but the Honda and Kawasaki are much better deals for the price

[catweazle]

Hold your horses, Tomaway!

If you wish for a trouble-free big biking experience, go for a jap bike i.e. Kawa, Yamaha or Suzuki, they cost less, service costs are only a fraction of those you'd pay for Triumph or Ducati, plus does your bike lose less value as the initial costs are much lower. In my opinion, Honda does the best job in producing big bikes, second is Suzuki, then Yamaha.

In my opinion, Ducati, Triumph and BMW (whereas the latter seems to have the highest resale value) are senselessly overhyped, and don't get me started on Harleys, which in my opinion are outdated pieces of s... that don't deserve to be mentioned along with Dukes, Triumph or BMW.

Edited May 16, 2015 by catweazle

[smotherb]

If you want sexy, go fo a woman. Their exhausts do not get too hot to handle. However, you may want a bike to ride, rather than having one sitting in a garage--either yours or the mechanics. Suggest you see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm.

Not only are Ducati and Triumph less reliable than even Harley, you will also have a problem finding competent mechanics in Thailand.

[hawksway]

Buy the Ducati - part of Volkswagen Group so quality and reliability is assured.

[ttakata]

I would get a Triumph over a Ducati just to have something different.

At this level, they're all great bikes beyond most riders' capabilites so get what makes you feel good.

Everyone else's opinion shouldn't matter.

[DILLIGAD]

If you want sexy, go fo a woman. Their exhausts do not get too hot to handle. However, you may want a bike to ride, rather than having one sitting in a garage--either yours or the mechanics. Suggest you see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm.

Not only are Ducati and Triumph less reliable than even Harley, you will also have a problem finding competent mechanics in Thailand.

You comments surprise me, so just explain how many HD dealers there are in Thailand when compared to the other two brands mentions????

[bheard]

A motorcycle is a heart thing. Always. Go Duke!!

[tomaway]

I have been interested by the FZ09, i test drive it and it is great but I have to problem: the bike doesn't make me feel anything when i look at her and most important, i want to stop going to Yamaha Phuket....

I'll try to test drive both bike while i will be in Europe next month and then it will be time to have a new toy!

I don't know how was Triumph and Ducati in the past but lately I didn't hear much about poor quality or reliability. Anything I should know about that?

[warrimurf]

Been riding a bike for 45 years and got professional qualifications on Yam. Kwak, Suzuki and BMW etc.

Enough of that, just to let you know I know a bit about bikes

I ride a Ducati MTS 1200ST and live in BKK.

If you want a riding experience beyond the normal buy the Ducati, however there is a price.

It's not the service / servicing or reliability. The DESMO valve gear is no worry and only need looking at every24,000km, I'm coming up on 20,000km and it's by FAR the best bike to ride I have ever had. ABS, suspension, best ever performance ever.

On the right roads scraping the footrests or gear lever is not so hard.

The bugbear is the little things that go wrong, switches, fuel sensors (4 in less than 2 years) although they are covering that indefinitely until they come up with a fix. Small things like that just don't generally go wrong on Japanese bikes. Nothing wrong with the Japanese bikes at all, I rate them higher than BMW's but the Ducati will give you the ride to put a smile on your face.

They also look and sound special.

I can't comment on the Triumph except the last one I rode was a T140V and was a pile of sh.. The new triumphs look to be exceptional and I imagine they are excellent machines well worth a test ride.

The performance on the Ducati is exceptional, just be sure your ability is up to the ride as it will tend to make you ride, hard!

[Lokie]

Triumphs no big reliability issues across the range... Ducati - Italian, look beautiful and sound lush but reliable? serviceing costs...?? I have a Triumph Bonnieville T100 in UK, bought 2 years ago brand new, has never missed a beat, service costs same as the big Jap four, as som eone has said you really need to ride both models first, and the type of bike you are talking about then also have a look at the Jap offerings right now... Street triples are Hooligan tools and great up the twisties

[smotherb]

If you want sexy, go fo a woman. Their exhausts do not get too hot to handle. However, you may want a bike to ride, rather than having one sitting in a garage--either yours or the mechanics. Suggest you see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/04/who-makes-the-most-reliable-motorcycle/index.htm.

Not only are Ducati and Triumph less reliable than even Harley, you will also have a problem finding competent mechanics in Thailand.

You comments surprise me, so just explain how many HD dealers there are in Thailand when compared to the other two brands mentions????

Are you confused? I never suggested buying a Harley or that there were more Harley dealers here. I simply stated the facts as told by Consumer Reports, used Harley's poor reputation as a disclaimer, and reported what I know from owning and riding big bikes in Thailand for many years. The Japanese bikes are a much better bet if you want to enjoy riding instead of looking for someone to fix it, especially if you are new to big bikes.

[eeeya]

Why can't/when will Honda make an 800

[prestburypark]

Why can't/when will Honda make an 800

They do: VFR800 , my second larger bike and a hoot to ride. The new version recently released and looks great. As usual the best offerings are not available here unless you go the Red Baron route. I went to Spain, the Pyrenees, last September with my mate on my old VFR800 (1997 model) and me on a big Kawasaki...GTR1400.

Apart from motorways which are a drag it was great round the really twisty mountain roads and can march on a bit too, for an older bike.."El Classico "we told the Spanish who were quite amazed to see an older machine touring. I would have one here if they sold them but the Versys Ive had since they came out in 2010 still keeps me happy. The VFR1200 a bit heavy and expensive but is available here.

The OP's choice is so subjective , go with what will keep you happy, if you want a hoot either bike will oblige, sometimes sensible is boring. Enjoy whatever you finally decide on.

[eeeya]

Why can't/when will Honda make an 800

...and sell it in Thailand

[Beng]

Honda's CB 500 X is a reliable and very comfy bike with an excellent price and good service coverage.