Wife’s doctor received his Ducati Desmoto factory works edition, 3-4 wks back

30minmotos
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3/13/2026 10:28am
They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are...

They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are getting.  If I had a Ducati that needed service, I wouldn't want to send it to a non-Ducati dealership since their Desmo system is pretty unique in the motorcycling world.  

I'm not sure, does the Desmodromic valvetrain require much service, or is it pretty trouble free?

How many here use the dealer to service their bikes? 

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3/13/2026 10:32am Edited Date/Time 3/13/2026 10:34am
They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are...

They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are getting.  If I had a Ducati that needed service, I wouldn't want to send it to a non-Ducati dealership since their Desmo system is pretty unique in the motorcycling world.  

I'm not sure, does the Desmodromic valvetrain require much service, or is it pretty trouble free?

30minmotos wrote:

How many here use the dealer to service their bikes? 

I get it, but there are lots of people here that send their engines/bikes to someone to have them rebuilt, and unless whoever you send your engine to has experience with the Desmodromic Valve train, that might be a bit risky.  There aren't enough of them in the market for an aftermarket motocross engine builder to have become an expert at this point.  I honestly don't know anything about it.  That's why I asked.  I've done top ends on plenty of four stroke motocross bikes, but know nothing about the Desmos.

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30minmotos
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3/13/2026 10:42am
They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are...

They better be reliable!  The shop labor rate at our local Ducati dealer is over double what all the other motorcycle dealerships in our area are getting.  If I had a Ducati that needed service, I wouldn't want to send it to a non-Ducati dealership since their Desmo system is pretty unique in the motorcycling world.  

I'm not sure, does the Desmodromic valvetrain require much service, or is it pretty trouble free?

30minmotos wrote:

How many here use the dealer to service their bikes? 

I get it, but there are lots of people here that send their engines/bikes to someone to have them rebuilt, and unless whoever you send your...

I get it, but there are lots of people here that send their engines/bikes to someone to have them rebuilt, and unless whoever you send your engine to has experience with the Desmodromic Valve train, that might be a bit risky.  There aren't enough of them in the market for an aftermarket motocross engine builder to have become an expert at this point.  I honestly don't know anything about it.  That's why I asked.  I've done top ends on plenty of four stroke motocross bikes, but know nothing about the Desmos.

I agree with you for sure. I would be interested to see some input from the go to hop up shops to see what they think of them and how they respond.

3/13/2026 11:15am
I get it, but there are lots of people here that send their engines/bikes to someone to have them rebuilt, and unless whoever you send your...

I get it, but there are lots of people here that send their engines/bikes to someone to have them rebuilt, and unless whoever you send your engine to has experience with the Desmodromic Valve train, that might be a bit risky.  There aren't enough of them in the market for an aftermarket motocross engine builder to have become an expert at this point.  I honestly don't know anything about it.  That's why I asked.  I've done top ends on plenty of four stroke motocross bikes, but know nothing about the Desmos.

The major difference maintenance wise is that you have to set valve clearances for both the opening and closing. Get the closing valve clearance wrong and you can destroy the top end. They're quite picky about the clearances too....gotta have them right on

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The Shop

RealityCheck
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3/13/2026 11:25am
Well, I hope this doctor is comfortable with the possibility that he may never finish an entire race ever again.  Even after decades of building street...

Well, I hope this doctor is comfortable with the possibility that he may never finish an entire race ever again.  Even after decades of building street bikes, Ducatis are still pretty much the biggest piles of shit out there. Fast, beautiful piles of shit.  It's hard to imagine that Ducati suddenly became magically competent at building reliable motorcycles, especially one that will suffer the abuse typically suffered by motocross bikes. 

Beagle wrote:

Are you a time traveler from the 80s? 

Welcome to the future!

Welcome to the present.  Ducati is considered one of the least reliable new motorcycle brands available today.  Facts matter. 

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JAKEDOWN492
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3/13/2026 11:29am
BMc914 wrote:

That's a nice bike you bought your wife's doctor. 😉 

U should see what he bought his wife’s boyfriend!

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aeffertz
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3/13/2026 11:46am
enketchum wrote:

Those 10 less pounds and those 10 more horse power aren't going to make him any faster.....

For sure but people buying dirt bikes is what keeps this sport ticking. As long as he's happy, good for him and Ducati!

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seth505
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3/13/2026 12:40pm

Doctors buying Ducatis holds true for dirt bikes too, huh…

He was seen riding it down to the local coffee shop and sitting outside for 3 hours.

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rbot
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3/13/2026 2:01pm
Well, I hope this doctor is comfortable with the possibility that he may never finish an entire race ever again.  Even after decades of building street...

Well, I hope this doctor is comfortable with the possibility that he may never finish an entire race ever again.  Even after decades of building street bikes, Ducatis are still pretty much the biggest piles of shit out there. Fast, beautiful piles of shit.  It's hard to imagine that Ducati suddenly became magically competent at building reliable motorcycles, especially one that will suffer the abuse typically suffered by motocross bikes. 

Beagle wrote:

Are you a time traveler from the 80s? 

Welcome to the future!

Welcome to the present.  Ducati is considered one of the least reliable new motorcycle brands available today.  Facts matter. 

The Ducati passed a pretty good reliability test last weekend. Winning the Mint 400. 

1000000080 0
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ando
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3/13/2026 2:52pm
AMetts wrote:

What Ducatis are referring to that are piles of unreliable shit?

The Googles. Try it, you'll like it.In addition to list after list after list and survey after survey showing Ducatis are among the least reliable motorcycles...

The Googles. Try it, you'll like it.

In addition to list after list after list and survey after survey showing Ducatis are among the least reliable motorcycles on the planet,  I have friends who just had to have the "Ducati experience" and regretted it almost immediately.  For example, back in 2016 I purchased a new Yamaha R1M and a friend bought a new 1299 Panigale.  His bike had to be retrieved from the side of the road due to mechanical breakdowns at least 4 times (that I know of) in the first year of ownership.  I'm 10 years into the R1 and haven't had a single issue. Zero.  It's not just Ducati either.  There's something about Italian motor vehicles that makes them unreliable.  Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa, Maserati, Fiat, Aprilia, etc. - all unreliable. I thought this was common knowledge.

So about the same as American built cars then?

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ando
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3/13/2026 2:54pm
Hes drunk, 10lbs without fuel maybeDucati has a 1.9 gallon tank, 6lbs per gallon or 12 lbs. Ducati claims 231lbs no fuel, so 243lbsHonda claims 249lbs...

Hes drunk, 10lbs without fuel maybe

Ducati has a 1.9 gallon tank, 6lbs per gallon or 12 lbs. Ducati claims 231lbs no fuel, so 243lbs

Honda claims 249lbs ready to ride 

Try again with his pretentious ass, Ducati guys are always full of s**t. 

Now that I think about you’re right.  I’ve never heard followers of other bike brands make unfounded claims about the weight and/or power of their favourite bike.

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GrapeApe
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3/13/2026 3:06pm
AMetts wrote:

What Ducatis are referring to that are piles of unreliable shit?

The Googles. Try it, you'll like it.In addition to list after list after list and survey after survey showing Ducatis are among the least reliable motorcycles...

The Googles. Try it, you'll like it.

In addition to list after list after list and survey after survey showing Ducatis are among the least reliable motorcycles on the planet,  I have friends who just had to have the "Ducati experience" and regretted it almost immediately.  For example, back in 2016 I purchased a new Yamaha R1M and a friend bought a new 1299 Panigale.  His bike had to be retrieved from the side of the road due to mechanical breakdowns at least 4 times (that I know of) in the first year of ownership.  I'm 10 years into the R1 and haven't had a single issue. Zero.  It's not just Ducati either.  There's something about Italian motor vehicles that makes them unreliable.  Ferrari, Lamborghini, Alfa, Maserati, Fiat, Aprilia, etc. - all unreliable. I thought this was common knowledge.

ando wrote:

So about the same as American built cars then?

Huh?

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BAD10
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3/15/2026 12:11pm

She needs to tell the Doctor….

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3/15/2026 7:57pm

        Hey, I gotta say that if he is in fact a great Doctor, and he is doing right by my wife regarding her health care, who gives a fuck if he thinks his Duck has 200 horsepower and weighs 103 lbs. Pay attention to the medical care, and I will listen to any stories you wanna tell me.

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RealityCheck
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3/15/2026 8:57pm
rbot wrote:
The Ducati passed a pretty good reliability test last weekend. Winning the Mint 400. 

The Ducati passed a pretty good reliability test last weekend. Winning the Mint 400. 

1000000080 0

1 race, factory support.  Not the same experience your average schmoe racing local motocross will have.  Look, I think it's very cool that Ducati is getting into motocross.  I wish them well.  But the FACT remains that Ducati, as a brand, is among the least reliable motorcycles on the planet. 

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RealityCheck
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3/15/2026 9:08pm
cloverdale wrote:
First, let's stay positive. Doctors riding dirt bikes is great for our sport even if they get their facts wrong! However, please note the Ducati factory...

First, let's stay positive. Doctors riding dirt bikes is great for our sport even if they get their facts wrong! However, please note the Ducati factory edition has not had a full magazine test at this point. While it will not change the bottom line, I would venture to say it will be a few pounds lighter and possibly a few more horsepower. Regardless, the Honda is a safer bet for the immediate future.

My brother is an ER doctor.  We both bought new 1975 Suzuki RM125s when we were kids.  He never raced and sold it after a couple of years when he went off to college.  On the other hand, that bike launched a lifelong obsession with motorcycles and motocross for me.  I've raced motocross most of my life since then and have logged well over 100,000 miles on street bikes (crotch rockets), but he didn't ride again until 6 years ago, at the ripe old age of 60.  He bought a 2020 KTM 300XC and a Yamaha MT10 and has been riding the wheels off both.  He even tried an enduro race, but it went about as expected for a 60 year old who hadn't thrown a leg over a motorcycle since 1977.   But, to your point, his enthusiasm (my brother is very vocal about his passions) for motorcycles has caused some of his colleagues in the ER to start riding.  The more medical professionals with a positive attitude towards motorcycles, the better.

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