There’s something deeply primitive and physically fulfilling about riding a motorcycle. Whether its the shots of adrenaline racing up your spine as you corner, the shudder the bike makes — shaking through your thighs as you open the throttle — followed by the exhilarating thrill as she leaps forward screaming down the road, or the firm pressure of the wind on your chest and shoulders as you race down the road at 70 mph, it just gets me.
There’s an excitement, a freedom, a thrill to life that I can only get on a motorcycle. I’ve won tense games, have had incredible moments of intimacy, felt the tired physical exhaustion from a thorough methodical work-out. Nothing delivers every time like a great motorcycle on the open road.
After a three year absence, it feels like I got my mojo back. But this time, it’s a little different. Why? Well I opted for a Ducati (full photo set here), the Italian motorcycle company, known for its racing bikes. While my GT1000 is not a true road bike, instead more of a retro standard, it’s all Ducati.
Here’s a description of what it’s like to ride (yeah, I really am wearing my motorcycle glasses):
Compared to my prior motorcycles – Honda Shadow, Harley Road King, and Yamaha V-Star Classic – the Ducati is just a superior machine. It’s a muscle bike, yet precision tuned, so that when you shift your hips to hit a steep curve, the bike just naturally swings, dropping you 30 degrees. There’s no fear. The machine clearly acts as it was designed to.
At the same time the gutural roar the engine makes is just sick. You really do feel it shutter, and leap forward, and the roar is amazing. Just a totally exhilarating experience.
The GT1000 is not unattractive either. Quite frankly, I get more head turns on this bike than even the Harley. The Ducati’s muscular, she’s fast, she’s nimble, and yeah, she’s red hot Italian. I highly recommend it, not for the new rider, but for someone who can appreciate a truly great motorcycle.
