My apologies for the car reference... my example was admittedly a little abstract and could be misinterpreted - my only point was that, like with motorcycles, some cars are more expensive to service and maintain and may not be worth the cost to someone who's primary interest lay with cost-effecient transportation (e.g. cheap to fix and maintain). In other words, the
maintenance of reliability may cost more in some than others.
Moreover, although I agree that individual owners may treat their bikes differently, and, possibly, that owners of Ducatis are more careful with the care and maintenance of their bikes, I think that the measure of reliability lay ultimately with the manufacturer. If I wanted to know how reliable something was I would want to test each model by riding each exactly the same under the same conditions. On the other hand, the squid's attraction to Japanese bikes might be a consequence of another factor, like cost-performance or lower ownership costs, and may test the durability of their bikes, but such statistic fails to adequately indicate the overall reliability of the machine itself. Rather the squid may
diminish the reliability of the bike by neglecting service or by stressing the bike's integrity, but these human factors are so individualized that they should not be included when measuring the
overall reliability of the machine.
I agree that Ducatis are most likely on the high end of the spectrum of reliability, although not for reasons derived from ownership patterns, nor sales figures. Rather, I believe the engineering, construction, and manufacturing of the bike itself may offer stronger indication towards increased reliability and durability of Ducatis. Similar to the reputation which is seemingly attached to many German-designed auto engines, it seems the Desmo engine has been constantly refined to a point of being "overengineered" and "overbuilt." Moreover, the inclusion of top of the line parts (e.g. Brembo brakes, Showa forks) further supports what Daffe quantified as the different goals of the two groups of manufacturers in his earlier posts.
Nonetheless, I believe anyone will agree that the cost of ownership of a Ducati is higher than most Japanese bikes - i.e. the cost for a dealer to service your bike, change oil, valve adjustments, etc. is higher than the norm. Furthermore, the hyperengineering of the bike may require more routine maintenance than the Japanese standard (like valve adjustments more often). But with this cost difference aside, and for the reasons stated in the preceding paragraphs, I generally conclude that Ducatis are more reliable, more durable, and better built than their Japanese counterparts.
Jiro: Squids are generally inexperienced, unprotected, reckless, (usually) young riders, most often seen riding high cc sportbikes and sliding on asphalt. For illustration:
http://www.stlshockers.com/Videos/k...terview 5.wmv
