Hi all- Does anyone own this bike or can say that they've logged any hours on this bike? To me it is an absolute work of art, I've not ever ridden Ducati but am in love with the v-twin l-twin setup on bikes. I've had two TL1000s (suzuki) and loved the bikes... if the MH is anything close, that would be a bike I could never sell. Although, I do not see a surface area that I could fit even the skinniest of models on. Oh well. Nick Image Unavailable, Please Login
Contact Chris Kelley at www.ca-cycleworks.com He has owned 2 and currently has one for sale - if you're interested. I'm sure he'll gladly go over it all w/ you.
Not everyone has been so enthusiastic about the Hailwood special. Many of them can be seen in reception areas in auto related businesses as static displays, originally seen as a limited edition "investment". A few guys I know who have/had them were not so inpressed with the quality of the bikes, which is nothing unusual if you are a seasoned Ducati owner. The problem being, that as such a low production special, there is no ongoing development, to iron out any bugs and an even worse spares situation compared to the mainstream bikes. IMO unless you really have to have one of these bikes, stay away.
I would like to know what your overall opinion is of ducati motor bikes. I would also like to know how well they sell..Are they a tough bike to move? Generally how are the bikes as far as repair and mantentance and dealer support. Are they as complicated as they say to service? Sorry for all the questions..any help would be much appreciated. Tom.
There have been a number of threads abou this in the past ... here's a good one... http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12806&highlight=Ducati
Don't discount the value of having a passenger seat. If you have a Ducati, girls will ask you for rides. An 851 or 900SS both have decent biposto seats. The MH900e has some very cool individual bits like the swingarm and exhaust, but as a whole I wonder how it will stand the test of time. I doubt if they would appreciate any time soon, although I've seen asking prices from $11k all the way to 18k. I think they made 1500 the first year and 2000 the second year, so they are not particularly rare either. It was the first attempt by Ducati at internet marketing which they've since used on the upcoming sport classic models and the 999R. They look great in person, I've never ridden one although tests at the time described them as basically feeling very similar to a standard 900SS, only less comfortable. If somebody already had one of the original Mike Hailwood Replicas, this would be a great bike to add to the collection. If you like it, get one and ride the wheels off of it.
Tom Don't know if this was directed to me, but I currently have a 999 race bike and a road bike. One of my social groups is "the ducati crowd" and includes dealer principals, workshop managers etc along with enthusiasts. I love Ducati's but clearly see their short comings. DNA has a god awful reputation BTW. With Ducati it is your dealer relationship that counts. If you've got a good dealer, you are fine. problem is that dealers are expected to pay for the costs of warranty parts themselves upfront, then apply for a rebate which can take as much as 90 days to process, to recover the warranty costs from Ducati. Not funny if you have claims for titanium exhaust systems, engine rebuilds clutches etc on a regular basis, which is why some of the dealers aren't that great on warranty support. Service costs compared to a Ferrari are nominal, but certainly greater than Japanese bikes. Electonics/elelctricals are always an issue, bikes use belts not cams, requiring regular maintenance. No wonder Ducati is thought of as the Ferrari of the motorcycle world!