Hi everyone. Just joined DOC so just a line or several to say ‘Hi’. I live near Ripley, Derbyshire. Several years ago and after dozens of bikes from the big four, along with BMW and KTM I fancied a change so bought a 1994 900ss. The charisma and sound of the Duke (Silencers were just empty cans I found) just gets to your soul and I was smitten.
It was not a match made in heaven though as one day there was a screech, bang and tinkle tinkle as bits of clutch bid for freedom all over the road, the clutch erupting like alien through the clutch cover. A push home and new clutch fitted with the offending centre nut torqued up with the longest torque bar available.
Exactly 50 miles later taking it for an MOT the engine partially locked up and stopped. ‘Is that one of the new electric Ducati’s?’ laughed the mechanics as I freewheeled it downhill to them. The rotor had fallen off the end of the crank sheering the woodruff key. One new rotor later and another session with the longest torque wrench in the world it was fixed but I felt me, and the Duke weren’t destined to be best buddies, so Duke had to go.
A few bikes later and missing the Duke I bought a 900ss ie. Blinkin quiet compared to the old Duke, (this one had original silencers) but it ran well apart from a small fuel leak where the hinge plate was fixed to the tank. This got worse so off to Baines racing to be fixed. Forgetting to take the fuel cap key held up progress (Dingbat!) but when all was together no other issues apart from my wrists that started to protest at the riding position, so Duke 2 went to a guy who worked in the Isle of Man and lived in Bulgaria, paying in manx notes. Well, they might have had the queen’s picture on them but handing them over at the bank was a ‘no sir’, any other currency could be swapped no problem including denarian popple beads but manx notes?? Drip feeding them into the Post Office was the only solution.
A few bikes later a neighbour of my sons wheeled out his Ducati Monster and I was smitten Later the same day I bought a local S2R800 off Ebay. That was almost four years ago. Nelly at Cornerspeed services it and apart from a chain alignment issue, no problems at all. Think me and S2R are good buddies. Miss the old 900 though!
Hope to meet at one of the clubs when were all vaccinated.
Cheers
Steve D. (Scooby)
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Welcome to the club. Sounds like you’ve had a good and interesting route into the world of Ducati ownership. 
Thanks Anton. 
Greetings Steve & welcome to the club. I’m over near Ashbourne so not a million miles way. Gotta love an S2R…
Cheers Rob, I run through Ashbourne when i have a Rideout around the white peak. Great place. 
Greetings, Manchester and West Yorkshire branches are frequent visitors to the Peak District, if you have Facebook join the branches to keep up to date
Cheers Martyn, Might have to join the facebook malarkey!