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Build quality H-D vs DUC

Papi-C

Papi-C

DOGS = WIN
Joined
Mar 18, 2004
Location
Little Bangalore
Moto(s)
Many
Name
Luis
I know people here bag on both ducatis and Harleys as oil leaking bikes that missed certain benefits of the industrial revolution. Also H-D and Ducati sell a lifestyle vs a well made product.

The question tho is who's bikes are actually built better? Which will stand the test of daily riding abuse and commuting duties better?
 
Do you Ride a HD? know a lot of HD riders? HDs are pretty solid bikes. Sure the OLD ones lacked polish, but a 2010 Duc and a 2010 harley you prob spend about the same and the harley will hold value forever it seems.
 
I own neither. Most of the people I know personally ride either ducs or harleys. I'm attempting to broaden my horizons and see beyond just japanese sportbikes.:)
 
Well, iirc, and ask Teddy if im wrong, but HD will give ANYONE a test ride. All you need is to be wearing a helmet and have a M1.

HD has about the same racing tradition as Ducati, except it ended in the 70s.
 
Papi-C said:
Also H-D and Ducati sell a lifestyle vs a well made product.
Click to expand...

Really? And here I didn't think shitty bikes could win so many races and world championships. Have you actually ridden any of Ducati's current crop of motorcycles?

Sounds like you've just bought into the stereotypes.
 
Yeah I test rode an XR1200 the other day. It was not what I expected from a harley. Seemed fast enough handled well and would make a good daily rider.
 
Archimedes said:
Really? And here I didn't think shitty bikes could win so many races and world championships. Have you actually ridden any of Ducati's current crop of motorcycles?

Sounds like you've just bought into the stereotypes.
Click to expand...

If you actually read my original post I was commenting ON the original stereotypes as what I usually hear from posters on barf.
 
I don't know of tons of people that really use either as daily battle machines. I've done a lot of repairs on my Monster during the 50K miles that I've put on it and use that daily. In general I think that American products tend to be sturdier than European stuff and the Japanese products are superior to all. I've got no first-hand basis for that opinion though.
 
My moto experience-

Kawasakis- I have a sour taste from their old dirtbikes I rode as a kid, something ALWAYS was breaking. Could of just been my kid memories of them.

Hondas- Bulletproof, despite anything you tried, I miss the F4i still, and my old 90 dirt.

Buell- Things sound like their breaking, but its just the character and soul of the bike telling me it will break me financially later.
 
Papi-C said:
Yeah I test rode an XR1200 the other day. It was not what I expected from a harley. Seemed fast enough handled well and would make a good daily rider.
Click to expand...

pretty damn good looking bike too, imo. How many gallon fuel tank and do they get good gas mileage? i'll google it, but just sayin......
 
Ehhh...I just don't get Harley. If I wanted a Cruiser there's plenty of metrics.

The XR1200 weighs over 100 pounds more than it should for no apparent reason.
 
hophead said:
pretty damn good looking bike too, imo. How many gallon fuel tank and do they get good gas mileage? i'll google it, but just sayin......
Click to expand...

I rented the XR for two days in Hawaii, nothing special and it gets really hot (leg area). I exchanged it for a scooter and had a blast.


hardley.jpg


hardley2.jpg
 
Nice of them to put an unshielded exhaust pipe right where your shin goes.
 
I've owned 3 ducs

Monster, 748, and a 999.

The fit/finish and materials used are light years ahead of the Japanese counterparts..

The Ducs come from a completely different angle than what the Japanese do.

They actually made their fairings easy to remove, and bikes easy to service. Crashed your 748? No problem.. The fairing stay has replaceable 'ears' so you don't need a whole fairing stay to replace one broken piece. The bike's are so modular, it's not even funny. Everything comes apart easily and there is no second guessing.

I have the latest R6, to do an oil change, i'll have to remove one side of the fairing puzzle, and part of the rearset shift linkage. To me, that's insane. And what's with the inner fairings/tank covers/ram air covers that breaks so easily just by looking at them wrong?

The only problems with Ducs and other Euro bikes is that you'll need special tools to do common jobs. Like the rear hubs on the Agustas and later Ducs.
 
Well, pushrod motors arnt light...

Id go with a victory if i were getting a cruiser, or an old Honda magna... /drool
 
i dont know how it is with ducati the online problem i have with hd is making a freaking scheduled service appointment i have to make it a couple months ahead of time cuz they are so booked and since i live in campbell the closest dealer is fremont that services buells
 
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