Mid 2012, I had my heart set on purchasing a Kawasaki Ninja 650 Sport Bike. You’ve seen them before all over the place and if you haven’t, I have hesitantly included a couple images below. Sporty, sleek, easy to ride. That Spring I decided to put one in my garage. It was metallic black and silver and looked a little like a menacing insect. I generally liked it, rode it regularly and thought it was fun, though it wasn’t a perfect fit. I however, thought I had one sexy bike. That was until my friend Rob pulled into my garage one day on his Ducati 1198. Now, far be it from me to fall prey to ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ or being overly influenced by boys and their toys, but I could heard Rob coming from one city away. And it wasn’t just some loud, obnoxious noise- because believe me, I am not a fan of motorcycle noise pollution myself – but it was more like a deep, deep rumble and growl that I felt in chest and in my soul! VOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!! Came the roar from down the street. VOOOM VOOOOOM!! Again, as he pulled into my garage on his white 1200 cc super sport racing machine. And there he sat straddling her. Her curves, her look, her prowess, her pounce and her bite… It was all over for me. I had my brand new Ninja sold within 3 weeks and I never looked back.
Ducati Motorsport. Most of us don’t even know why it inspires excitement or know why it’s the best. But everybody knows when you say that name, it’s something special. I wanted to discover more about the mystique of this brand myself and immediately dove into a ton of online and in person research. Before I made my purchase I actually went out and rented several Ducatis for days on end. The first, essentially matched Rob’s bike, though he would snub me for saying so because I rented an 848cc and his beast without a leash is a 1098. Nonetheless we took our “matching” Ducatis out for the day up for a ride in the hills by my house. And I flew by the seat of my pants. It was memorably to say the least, including the fact that this bike produced so much heat in the groin region, it gave whole new meaning to the term crotch rocket. The second item of note, which I knew would be a problem for me, was that not only did it feel like this bike did zero to sixty with the tiniest flick of the wrist, she also was very pushy about not wanting to do any less than 60… ever. I’m stopped. Then I’m doing 60! I slow for a turn… back up to 60! Recommended 20 mph area… Nope, she’s doing 60! And that was a bit of a problem for me.
So I systematically made my way through Ducati’s entire lineup both renting and taking long test drives at Beverly Hills Ducati until I found the one that was right for me. It was a tossup between their iconic 796 Monster and their 848 Streetfigher, but it was another bike altogether that won me over. The owner of the bike rental company Racy Rentals had given me a call and told me he had gotten a new bike in and asked if I wanted to try. I said sure. When I went to go see it I was put off immediately. What was this monstrosity with ridiculously large windshield and that hideous large storage box on it’s tail? To add insult to injury it was bright red, and so large I wasn’t sure I’d even be able to ride it much less get on it. Oh how the judgments came.
But once I mounted this bike… and began moving, my world changed before my eyes! Unlike sport and super sport bikes that pitch you so far forward it’s like you’re riding the Devil’s pitchfork, this bike sat me straight up, but I could ride it and push into it just like a sport bike. It had buttons that adjusted the hydrolics and suspension to accommodate one or two passengers with or without luggage! The hand grips heated up. It sat so high, my riding position was well above almost every truck and SUV on the market. It was so comfortable, yet fiercely sporty, I didn’t know what to make of it. To top it all of it had a keyless ‘entry’ with pushbutton start. I was lost in the sauce.
Ducati calls it a Multistrada. Loosely translated it means “Many Roads” and it can handle just that. Most motorcyclists avoid a few things like the plague: water and gravel and dirt. The Multistrada rolls it’s laser sharp LED eyes at this. It’s a bike built for and intended to take through almost every riding situation you may find yourself in, including city streets, a track and off road.
This motorcycle was so outrageously fun to ride I could hardly contain myself, and that’s a tall order considering I had just tested the entire rest of the lineup! But, I didn’t want to want this bike. I wanted something super sporty looking or classic. But the more I was on it, the more it called to me until finally, I could not stop thinking about it, fell in love and you can imagine I had to have it. I purchased the latest and last year that they produced it in white, put on a carbon fiber windscreen and changed out a few other things… don’t get me started on that obsession… and was up and ready to go.
Now Rob and I are equals once again (don’t tell him I said that) and we ride regularly together. Plus we match in color and look damn good doing it. I’ve gone from knowing precious little about the brand to possessing a shocking body of knowledge.
So this section of the site is dedicated to Ducati Motorsport, my new found passion. Everyone has a strong voice when it comes to motorcycles, which carries in many different directions but I am thrilled with my choice. And as with the rest of my portfolio, if you need an Acro guy, who does gymnastics and dances AND rides a Ducati, (hey, it happens!) for your next movie or performance… well, I’m your man.
