About a month ago I picked up a 2007 Black STREETROD with 3000miles. I have a history on 1litre sport bikes and about 10 years ago treated myself to a Ducati SS800 after a friend and I switch bikes for an afternoon. The Duc's V-TWIN thunder rumbling out of twin carbon fiber cans ruined me for the inline 4 sport bikes. Torque and a linear powerband was such a pleasure over riding the 2-stroke like, rev happy inline fours. Yes the Ducati SS is an Air-Cooled bike.
I got old, and the wife wants to spend more time on the pillion. Were not 18 and 90lbs anymore. I did the only thing I could, I started to look at Harley-Davidsons. The Air-Cooled, potato-potato engine that produces 65 HP just wasn't an option and forward foot controls just scare me. My options were very limited! Lucky for me the low resale of the Streetrod made the bike a perfect match. Personally I blame the short production run of the Streetrod on two things; the tank graphics of the 2006 model and the economic recession of mid 2000s. The bike was never indented for Air-Heads, it was created to attract new buyers. With a very HIGH sticker price it was a big leap for happy Japanese bike owners.
All weekend I swapped rides between the Duc and the Streetrod and here are some early observations. I have been rocking the Ducati for 9 seasons. Road conditions were very poor and I was only interested in "sport-cruising" so that started to even the score card.
The StreetRod does not have an aggressive riding position, anyone that thinks that is wrong. Maybe compared to a fat-boy it does, but not compared to any other manufacturer. The Streetrod is not a sportbike and I don't believe any amount of money and modifications will ever have it in the realm of a late model 600cc sport bike. For $2000 bucks go get an R-6 and leave the mods to the V-Rods. It's extremely confident in the corners and it sheds hundreds of pounds as soon as you roll on the throttle. The long length, weight and front end rake does not make it well suited for flicking around. The power that the engine generates, especially after 5000rpm is incredible. Extremely FUN! The sound of the exhaust is wonderful, I don't think I'm going to pursue aftermarket pipes. She is whisper quiet at idle (makes the wife very happy) and at 4000rpm she really starts to rumble. It's almost magic! I was surprise at the lack of lowend torque, the REVOLUTION engine reminded me of a 750cc inline 4. The Ducati produces constant power from idle to the rev limiter, I compare the SuperSport engine with a rabid billy goat, climbing a mountain. With a passenger if felt like I needed to feather the clutch out to prevent from stalling. I'm sure more time in the saddle will help. I suspect some custom tuning would flatten the power band out.
Overall I am very happy, streetrod has serious street cruzer credentials that may help with my speeding tickets problem and she has some serious fangs when you summon the power. I like the "neutral" riding position a lot, I think I could ride for more then 2 hours without needing serious medical attention. The Ducati's riding style is killing me and riding with a passenger is no longer an option. Way to much pressure on my lower back. I look forward to wiping the gins off the 600cc squids but I don't think I'll be watching them from my review mirror. I am planning on keeping the Duc, possibly using it for track days only. Right now I have two choices when I walk out to the garage, and I like that! When people ask, "why do you need two motorcycles?" I answer, "You have more then one pair of shoes don't you?". The perfect tool becomes an extension of the craftsman's arm.
I never saw my self as an HD owner!
I got old, and the wife wants to spend more time on the pillion. Were not 18 and 90lbs anymore. I did the only thing I could, I started to look at Harley-Davidsons. The Air-Cooled, potato-potato engine that produces 65 HP just wasn't an option and forward foot controls just scare me. My options were very limited! Lucky for me the low resale of the Streetrod made the bike a perfect match. Personally I blame the short production run of the Streetrod on two things; the tank graphics of the 2006 model and the economic recession of mid 2000s. The bike was never indented for Air-Heads, it was created to attract new buyers. With a very HIGH sticker price it was a big leap for happy Japanese bike owners.
All weekend I swapped rides between the Duc and the Streetrod and here are some early observations. I have been rocking the Ducati for 9 seasons. Road conditions were very poor and I was only interested in "sport-cruising" so that started to even the score card.
The StreetRod does not have an aggressive riding position, anyone that thinks that is wrong. Maybe compared to a fat-boy it does, but not compared to any other manufacturer. The Streetrod is not a sportbike and I don't believe any amount of money and modifications will ever have it in the realm of a late model 600cc sport bike. For $2000 bucks go get an R-6 and leave the mods to the V-Rods. It's extremely confident in the corners and it sheds hundreds of pounds as soon as you roll on the throttle. The long length, weight and front end rake does not make it well suited for flicking around. The power that the engine generates, especially after 5000rpm is incredible. Extremely FUN! The sound of the exhaust is wonderful, I don't think I'm going to pursue aftermarket pipes. She is whisper quiet at idle (makes the wife very happy) and at 4000rpm she really starts to rumble. It's almost magic! I was surprise at the lack of lowend torque, the REVOLUTION engine reminded me of a 750cc inline 4. The Ducati produces constant power from idle to the rev limiter, I compare the SuperSport engine with a rabid billy goat, climbing a mountain. With a passenger if felt like I needed to feather the clutch out to prevent from stalling. I'm sure more time in the saddle will help. I suspect some custom tuning would flatten the power band out.
Overall I am very happy, streetrod has serious street cruzer credentials that may help with my speeding tickets problem and she has some serious fangs when you summon the power. I like the "neutral" riding position a lot, I think I could ride for more then 2 hours without needing serious medical attention. The Ducati's riding style is killing me and riding with a passenger is no longer an option. Way to much pressure on my lower back. I look forward to wiping the gins off the 600cc squids but I don't think I'll be watching them from my review mirror. I am planning on keeping the Duc, possibly using it for track days only. Right now I have two choices when I walk out to the garage, and I like that! When people ask, "why do you need two motorcycles?" I answer, "You have more then one pair of shoes don't you?". The perfect tool becomes an extension of the craftsman's arm.
I never saw my self as an HD owner!