Hi all, just bought my first Ducati… 2002 900SS…a yellow one…
Like the bike, I ain’t no spring chicken, 40+ years on bikes. Got into this via a long and convoluted route.
Current other bike is (a very dead) 2017 Yammy FJR1300…one of the ones now laid up waiting for replacement 2nd gear pinion under recall. No sign of it happening yet, so thought I needed a bike for the coming summer.
Why a Duke? Well back in the dim and distant I had a big Guzzi that I loved…not had another like it before or since. Always had a hankering after a Duke and the one I bought came up at the right price in the right sort of nick.
Had the bike a couple of weeks now, done a few (essential) trips to the shops on it…first impressions…rearsets and clip-ons just as much fun (pain) today as I remember from 30 years ago…
Bike is very light, 80-ish bhp is fun with the right frame…gearchange was diabolical at first, but raising the pedal by 10mm has made all the difference. Handling is like it’s on rails…very reminiscent of the Guzzi, but ride is, shall we say, a bit “direct”. Going to get that sorted with a new Nitron R1 over the next few weeks and will try and tweak the forks…
Bike seems to have a few flashy bits on it…it’s got a slipper clutch which seems to work well enough, but when I took the lower fairing off to top up the oil (fantastic design, btw…hmmm) I could see into the guts of the clutch and it was pretty manky in there, dusty/rusty, so I can see the big tin of brake cleaner coming out to play soon…
Usual crop of perished wellnuts, luckily got a big bag of 'em in me shed.
Also, the concealed bits of the engine (behind the fairing) could do with a bit of TLC so an SS fastener kit probably on the way…does anybody know if “kits” are available, btw? Emailed the old “go-to”, Middletons, but apparently they don’t do kits anymore but “if I measure the screws they can send them”. Well thanx for nothing and that’s one supplier I won’t be using again.
Great forum, btw. I can see I’ll be spending a fair bit of time here! So hello everyone again and hope to meet up on the road when this COVID bollox is over and done with.
When I bought the Duke, it was purely as a second bike…now, I’m not so sure…
Cheers
S23