I’m just reaching the end of my first 12 months owning a Ducati 996 and want to add my support to the praise here for this outstanding machine.

Handling: - The handling is truly superb, as surefooted as a mountain goat. Even as a fairly experienced rider I’ve found that it’s really taken time to appreciate what these machines are really capable of in terms of just how far you can lean them over in complete safety. It’s been a combination of developing the confidence to push the machine to it’s limit coupled with overcoming an incredulous sort of – “blimey..you really can lean them over that far”…type scenario. My previous machine was a heavily worked on ZZR1100 and I thought I’d got good at handling that…. mastering the art, having reached 150mph in two nano-seconds, of how to get a 500lbs bedstead round the approaching corner, but it all pales into insignificance compared to the Duc’s glue like adhesion to the tarmac at angles that would make most things at Alton Towers feel like a go on a restricted moped.

Electrics - The electrics are totally improved and haven’t once given cause for concern or provided a problem. The bike starts first time every time and even fired up ok following a recent period of 6 weeks laid up in the garage. I still try to avoid the rain on the Duc but on a recent trip back from Bath to Cambridge it weathered several down -pours and subsequent M4, M25 and M11 (yawn) road spray without a misfire.

Tank range - Never bothered to work out the litres/mpg thing…and never have really, it’s not been a prime concern with my biking exploits but filling the tank right up costs around 13 quid and seems to last for about 125 miles - there is a fuel warning light on the dash which comes up at about 110 miles – which is fine but just be conscious if you’re travelling from Cambridge to Caterham via the M25 not to miss that one petrol stop at Stansted - Ducati’s looks much better being ridden than pushed.

Town traffic: The 996 is ok around town but extended slow riding in heavy traffic will have the thing heating up and starting to choke a bit. On a recent and lengthy detour round some roadworks in Worthing the bike did start to feel like a piece of Massey - Ferguson agricultural furniture and needed a bit of welly away from the lights to avoid those all embarrassing stalling moments (having burnt down the outside to the front of the queue) – quite acceptable though, it’s a V-Twin and I didn’t on the whole buy mine to go shopping. The way that heat is discharged from the engine through the ducted vents in the fairing means, when moving slowly, you will get blasts of very hot air across the bottom half of your legs. When the fan kicks in, it can be like gas mark 4 on a hot day in the Sahara down there so leathers are an absolute must…well, should always wear leathers anyway.

Dents, marks or imperfections anywhere especially in the wheel rims, they’re alloys and as with any alloy can get damaged. A mate with a 748R recently shelled out 600 quid as a result of a damaged front wheel (claim pending with the local highways authority) – plastic panels can be bought as pattern parts from a variety of sources and there’s always someone advertising fairing bits on e-bay.

Must have accessory - A paddock stand. The 996, as you’d pretty much expect, only has a side stand. A paddock stand is a must for those routine maintenance tasks and in terms of making life easier be sure to get a double-sided stand i.e one that can fit the bike from both the left and right hand sides.