Thats it ladies and gentlemen... Today I nailed my first ducati on the VTR.
Now I've been hunting Duc's for years and I'm always suprised at how they aproach a japanese twin mounted apponent. Today was my first kill on the new vtr(previously I rode a halfabusa) and It was a battle of skills.
So there I am clipping up AZ. state rout 88 on my way to lunch in Tortilla FLat, when out of the blue this dood on a spanking new 1098R comes barrelling past me. Game on, I thought, so I gave chase.
He was good, and that bike is stupid fast. I would pass at the begining of a straight, and he would clear me by the end. But the corners are where I had him. We were both in our street gear and sure wished we had our knee sliders, but dood just couldn't hang in the corners... Lucky for me theres a lot of the on the way to Tortilla Flat. Anyway he turned out to be a really chill fella and was itching to know what kinda bike I had. When he saw my big bird he almost soiled himself, and said that mybe he shoulda bought one himself. Then he looked at his shiny new Duc and said " I will get you next time".

So anyway, I just thought I would share the latest kill with you. And be informed that I always ride with a good amount of gear and never ride in an unsafe manner that would endanger myself or the people i'm riding with. Keep it safe!

 

Ooh, that ride is one of my favorites, but on the wrong side of town for me so I don't get to ride it that often.

 

Yet again proof to a certain point rider skill is a much better way to be fast than outright HP. Good job getting the hawk some respect even though its consdered out dated.

 

Represent!

Word......

The VTR is a wolf in sheeps clothing on the street. Get the front end stiffer and more compliant, upgrade the brakes, and a real shock and it's nearly the perfect road carver. Nearly.

 

I dun all that, guess I'm the problem.

 

About a month ago, my nephew rode for the first time with my wife and I on a morning outing. She's on her 07 CBR600RR, me on the Superchicken and my nephew on his 06 GSXR1000. He trailed me into the first corner and I left him there for about the next 1/4 mile... Of course, at the end of that there was nothing but GSXR headlight coming at me in my mirrors... His first words at the next stop were "Holy Crap, that thing's fast out of the corners..." Then he mumbled something about age and treachery.. Good job on the Duc hunting! Ride safe!

 

My riding buddy, other than my wife, has 2 Ducs, an 851 and a 998. We're on the lower semi-straight section of Ortega Highway a couple of years ago when we got separated by a group of cars. He got around on his 998, but it wasn't safe for me. A short time later I got a long straight, passed and caught up with him.

When we got home he said "Wow, how fast were you going when you caught up with me? You were coming up in my mirrors FAST." I told him I only hit 115 before braking. He respects the Hawk.

A number of years ago Kelly Slater proved its the individual, not the equipment, when he took the bedroom door off the house he was staying in on Oahu, paddled out and started riding waves on it.

 

Sending conflicting messages here Gregw:

https://www.superhawkforum.com/forum...ad.php?t=15847

 

Not really, in the other thread I said the bike handled nicely.