what are the differences between ducati and aprilia sport bikes? they look very similar on the internet.

talk about the mv agusta if you like. they look pretty sweet.

I've been wondering about these two bikes myself. How do they compare to the Japanese bikes?

Both great great bikes. The Ducati's are high maintenance and require valve adjustments very often. I believe every 3k or 4k miles. A Ducati will not keep up with a Jap bike like a Suzuki GSXR1000 which is arguably the fastest best handling bike you can buy right now. The Aprilla is more user friendly and also has good power depending on the model. I dont particularly care for the looks of either manufactureres new models. They are going back to having sharp edges and angles. If youve got alot coin to through around, I ride with a guy that has a MV Augusta. Absolutley gorgeous sportbike but again, wont compare performance wise to a GSXR1000.
All these bikes have very radical riding positions as well.
I ride a Suzuki Hayabusa and its the first time Ive been staisfied with a bike. It the fastest production bike you can buy...I mean scary fast! Very comfortable. Draws tons of attention because of its unconventional looks and everyone knows what it is.

I have sat on all models from both manufacturers, and ridden a few of the Ducatis. I have always been partial to Jap bikes in this category, as they are faster, cheaper, and less maintenance. Let me say as far as Aprilla, they are MUCH more comfortable to ride than a Ducati (you can tell this just by the riding postion when you sit on them at a show/dealer one right after the other), aside from the Ducati Monster; totally different bike. The Ducati is shearly the Ferrari of that market. Purebred raw performance, but you can can get a sweet Jap bike that romps its ass. Kinda like getting a Corvette Z06, dumping in $100K, and romping on a Ferrari, with $100K left over for gas. However, that Ferrari gets all the chicks. Just ask Neda how many Ducati items she has around the house.

there's something to owning a duk!

I always loved Ducatis when I rode, and still do. The problem was, I could never convince myself to buy one. A few of my riding buddies had them, and they had far more issues than any of my Jap bikes. Also, as was said above, I used beat the snot out of all of them with my gsxr-1100.
The Ferrari comparison is perfect. Looks awesome, it's different, it draws attention, but in the end, the guy with the Acura NSX is going to be able to start his car every morning.

my buddy has a aprillia mille 1000. To be honest i don't like it. The vtwin sounds kind of crappy. The stock pipe is HUGE the engine throws tons of heat (in the summer its damn near unbearable to ride), the shift lever is backwards (like a porshe clutch, not 5 down,1 up), and to top it off the bike is VERY narrow and feels kind of top heavy. Also the kick stand stop switch has problem and teh bike woudl just stop every now and again ( i hear this is a very common problem) so most people just disconnect them.

ON the plus side the big has plenty of power I just hate the sound of the engine. I'd take a jap biek any day over it.

No contest between the duc and the aprilia.

Meaning you like which better???


Also, is the consensus among everyone that the thing to buy is the 'Busa?

Well, I don't have much Apprilia experience. However, I was parts manager for Cagiva USA, the US importer for Husky, Cagiva, and MV Agusta... So I have a little knowledge on the Duc and MV.
Our Cagiva Gran Canyon used a Duc 900 EFI, largely the same angine as the Monster 900, but with 750 heads to give more torque.
The thing about maintenance on a Duc is somewhat overblown. Guys that hold the throttle to the stop all day, will obviously need more frequent adjustments.. In the real world... I have seen the bikes go 9-10k before their adjustment. It does take a skilled mechanic to do the valves correctly though.
My Cagiva GC900 Demo, with pipe, and high comp pistons never got an adjustment in 7,000!

I have spent quite a bit of time in the FBF shop. THey have had Ducs in there that run every bit as well a a japper, but they are a different machine.. Much like a boat with OBs is different than a boat with BBC power.

The MV... Well, I got far to intimate with that bike... Each bike runs differently, out of the crate that is.. We could get an easy, free, 4-5hp out of the bike by simply running it on the dyno and adjusting the settings on the EFI. MV has a computer program that runs through yor laptop to aid you in setting the bike up properly... it's also compatible with most EFI Ducs. I don't remember the exact #'s, as it was a year ago since I worked for MV... but I believe a bone stock MV 750 was throwing out 125 hp at the rear wheel.

I could type for days here...
Everybody has a japper. I'll take a Duc or MV thank you.

the mv's look great, but they are a 750 cc 4 cylinder. i didn't throw them into the mix because the duc and aprilia are both v twins and seem to be very similar. the mv is sweet looking. there is a dealer not too far from me. i may have to add that the the list of considerations.