Frasers Motorcycles at Fairymeadow had a Ducati test ride day today so I went along to have a look and to poach a ride or two. The whole fleet was there and it was really a matter of “name your poison”
Reaping the benefit of being there first, I had a good choice and I chose two very different and contrasting bikes, the GT1000 classic road bike and the brand new Monster 696.
Contrasting bikes but both with their charms.
The GT was true “old school” riding, but with modern sophistication. The bike felt light and even a bit “flighty” but the controls were all excellent. A light clutch (that never happened in the 70’s); a sweet gearbox (ditto) and fine handling (again) Not that we had much chance to explore handling on an escorted ride through the back streets of Fairymeadow.
The engine was flexible and with no hint of any attempt to make it civilised. This is a “what you see is what you get” bike. I loved it. Were I to buy one, I’d ditch the awful mufflers, fit a set of lower bars so that the riding position had just a bit more forward lean than it has, and I’d fit a little perspex bug-catcher screen just over the headlight, to keep the wind off my chest. Apart from that, I think that this 21st Century iteration of the classic 70’s bike is a great success. 
The 696 was totally different, of course, which was one of the reasons I chose to ride it. Firstly, it feels tiny, and that’s because it is. You feel like you’re sitting on top of the front wheel when riding it and the seat is by no means comfortable. It’s a shaped-type of seat and it forces you into a riding position that a woman would find OK, but a bloke quickly finds to be most uncomfortable, if you know what I mean 
The mirrors are utterly useless as well. So typical of the Italians to be more concerned with style than with functionality. Apart from the horrible seat, the rest of the riding position is fine.
And the engine, oh, the engine. If Ducati wants to make lots of money, all they need to do is to find some way of packaging the induction roar of the 696 under acceleration and they will make a mint. On the road the bike is light and responsive and engaging and I found myself slowing down and speeding up all the time just so I could listen to the roar from the airbox. It truly is that good.
Oh, and one of my forum buddies made a very interesting discovery. On the top of the tank in front of the petrol filler there is a “696” badge. If you look at the badge from the FRONT of the bike, it says “969” !!!!! 
The Test Day itself was excellently conducted; I’m guessing that the Frasers boys have got it pretty well sorted. Four riders in dayglo vests rode with us and escorted us around. Wherever we encountered a major intersection, one of the escorts would go out into the intersection and hold up the traffic to let the whole group go through together. Clever.
There was a barbeque and a coffee van and the whole thing seemed to go off like clockwork. 10 points to Frasers.
