First Sightings ??

[bajabob]

What were your thoughts when you first saw the sport classics and where did you see it ???

I had seen pictures of the Sport Classics in a couple of magizines but I thought they were concept bikes or maybe custom bikes built for some rich guy. Then at last years MotoGP race at Laguna Seca there they were on display!!! HOLY COW !!!! They were even more beautiful in person. But again my thoughts were, that is big money and there is no way I would ever be able to afford such a machine. Fast forwad to the bike show in Los Angeles and HOLY COW !!!! and they dont cost as much as I thought they would. One thing let to another and now I have one, but I still have this feeling if "they" find out about it, they are going to make me take it back !!!

[AZ Scott]

As soon as they showed the first pictures of the concept bikes over two years ago, I said to myself "I gotta have one of those!"

Then my girlfriend (tattooskickass/Jessica) and I flew to San Francisco in Nov. '03 to see the bikes in person at the bike show. Unfortunately, they were only being shown at Long Beach that year. But I still knew I wanted one, anyway.

As soon as they announced that they would be produced (early in '04), I went and placed orders for both a Sport and a Paul Smart. I figured I would make my decision as to which one I would keep as they got closer to delivery.

Well, Jessica made my decision for me when she announced that the Paul Smart was hers! Okay, then. The Sport it was.

We finally saw the bikes in the flesh at Laguna '05, and we were more than impressed. We knew we had made a wise choice. The only thing I was a little jealous of was the fact that her bike came with Ohlins suspension.

Soon afterward, Ducati announced the color choices for the Sports and I had another decision to make...

I had already conceded that the bike would be yellow, but when I saw the options, I ended up changing to the black one. It just looked gorgeous in the few pictures I saw.

So just before Thanksgiving, Jessica's Paul Smart showed up, and my black Sport arrived in time for Christmas. The rest is history!



(Side note: My banker is going to be mad at me, but I think this entire process is about to repeat itself with the new Hypermotard we saw recently! )

[bajabob]

Az
Bike ho's are the best (Iam talking about you and Jessica is gorgeous as well. My buddy and I frimly believe that bikes are like surfboards. You should have at least a quiver of five to choose from.

[AZ Scott]

Yeah, people ask me why I have all these motorcycles... "Why do you need more than one bike?", they say.

I tell them, "How many golfers do you know who have only one club?"

[MHe225]

Originally Posted by bajabob

What were your thoughts when you first saw the sport classics and where did you see it ???

First thought: gotta have one. Many pictures later, I made an almost 600 miles roundtrip to see both the Sport and the PS in the flesh at AMS in Alvarado, TX.
Now for 2nd thoughts: if there is not a MH900e in your garage, the PS1000LE is the bike to get. If there is, the Sport is your bike
My personal view -please feel free to disagree and know that I do not want to offend anyone here- Ducati has spoiled us with the MH900e and the SportClassics aren't as exquisite (although the suspension on the PS trumps the MHe). To me, fit and finish on the MHe is just one step up, with some marvelous custom parts like the little aluminum "sleeves" for the brake- and clutch-reservoirs, the instrument cluster (that fails when it gets wet), the X-bracket (that's broken on most bikes with more than 2,000 miles) and of course, maybe the sexiest part on the MHe, the single-sided trelis swing-arm The MHe has its quirks (did I mention the 2 gallon tank?) and ride-ability of the SportClassics is up, but the MH900e is a love-affair like none before. In the light of that all, I would always compare the PS to the MHe and feel a little "disappointed" and for that reason -and the sweet memories of old GT's that I have never owned- the (yellow) Sport1000 is my bike of choice. All I need to do now is find (repeat 549,749 times).
Having said all of this, if $$ were not an issue, I would have both the PS1000LE and Sport1000 next to the MH900e and add some "originals" as well

RonB

[JoseLuis]

I felt in love... I saw the bike and I left my Monster and took one three days later.

[AussMax]

Originally Posted by bajabob

What were your thoughts when you first saw the sport classics and where did you see it ???

I've always loved the old bevel ducati twins, but they're getting a bit long in the tooth and I just don't have time to tinker and baby such a creature - I get my joys more from riding. So when I spotted a little 2"x2" picture of the concept bike in Cycle World 2 or 3 years ago, and learned about the DS1000 motor I thought, "this is the bike I've been waiting for" When I learned that Ducati would be taking orders I had a deposit on one within a month (March of 04).

I'm no rich man, its just that I have my priorities all screwed up!

So, my first sighting of the bike in the flesh - was when I saw my own bike for the first time nearly 2 years later. It's prettier in real life. And as a bike that I ride almost daily, it's been awesome. I love it (carnally) .

[AZ Scott]

Cyril Connelly?

[AussMax]

Originally Posted by AZ Scott

Cyril Connelly?

Hah! No, Eric the Half-bee. Carnally, as in: "relating to the physical appetites; carnal desire etc". OK, not really, but I had that Monty Python song in my head at the time.

[sscowboy]

Originally Posted by bajabob

Az
Bike ho's are the best (Iam talking about you and Jessica is gorgeous as well. My buddy and I frimly believe that bikes are like surfboards. You should have at least a quiver of five to choose from.

I play golf at least 40 times a year and I play with 14 clubs. I have 4 motorcycles and I would rather play golf with 4 golf clubs and own 14 motorcycles

[AZ Scott]

See, that's where you and I differ. I would rather not play golf at all, and have 18 motorcycles!