I still deeply regret not bringing my motorcycle back to Malaysia considering how expensive it is to buy one here. Truth be told I needed the money more than the bike at the time but now when I think of it money comes and goes but the bike still remains a memory. FYI, depending on the bike, the price difference between the US and Malaysia can be double or triple (cheaper in the US, of course). For example, the ever popular and reliable Super Sport (600cc) bike, Honda CBR600RR, which I used to ride costs about USD 10,000 brand new (about RM31,000). But in Malaysia the same bike costs about RM74,000 (USD 24,000) as I last checked at Naza Motors. That's a whopping 140 percent mark! Basically with the same amount of money, you can buy two bikes in the US, modded with aftermarket parts like Akrapovic carbon full-exhaust system, and still have enough in the bank for a nice gourmet dinner in a 3-star Michelin restaurant.
So now I'm taking off again, first to Germany then maybe Australia, which means that I'll surely, most definitely, positively get a bike to bring back to Malaysia. No more excuses this time! I still have that one (or maybe two, I'm not sure) AP I haven't used, which allows me to bring the bike back into Malaysia with minimal tax. Ever since I got the offer from Germany I've been dreaming about what bike to get. Well, I've always had preferences, and I least prefer easy riders and touring bikes like Harleys and all those big lumbering leather-clad machines you see roaring down your local highway. For me the biggest joy of riding a bike is to carve the corners like a surgical knife, which effectively rules out the big cruisers with their low ground clearance, leaned-back ergonomic and heavy weight. But see, superbikes like the Honda CBR600RR or Yamaha R6 is not exactly a practical daily ride. It's kind of hard to scan the traffic around you, and also not too add, much less comfortable, when you have to hunch over the tank riding in that aggressive ergonomic. As much as I love the sleek and powerful superbikes I would have to rule them out for my daily commute. It means that a bike I choose must strike a perfect balance between power/thrill/fun/fast and everyday riding practicality. It means that the riding ergonomic has to be more upright for better view of the surrounding and less stress on the back, which essentially narrows down the list to either Enduro/dual-purpose bikes or street-fighter bikes.
If you've seen the BBC TV series "Long Way Down" and "Long Way Around," which features Ewan McGregor and his buddy Charley Boorman in their motorcycling adventures, then the kind of bikes they used are dual-purpose (in this case, BMW F1200GS). Well, I love to own of these bikes someday especially after I watched the series. I seriously felt like selling everything I own, quit my job, buy a dual-purpose bike and just ride into the wilderness! Well, that obviously didn't happen but it's still a dream I have and I intend to fulfill it one day. But for the time being I need a bike that excels in ALL categories: comfortable ergo, friendly in low-speed riding but can turn into a beast when the need arises, stable and fast at high speed, sharp and precise around the bends, and all the while looks cool and unperturbed. The street-fighter bikes, which are specifically designed for urban riders, are the clear choices. I've whittled down my options to basically four bikes after a much agonizing contemplation and comparisons, and they are: Ducati Monster 796, Ducati Monster 1100, Triumph Street Triple 675R, and Triumph Speed Triple 1050.
My top two choices are Ducati Monster 1100 and Triumph Speed Triple 1050. I feel that I need a bike with bigger displacement (1000cc) for that extra oomph down the highway, and also I think I've outgrown the smaller cc bikes. Truth be told I haven't seen either of these bikes in person yet, so I'm not sure how it feels exactly to sit on them. On paper, the Triumph triumphs, hands-down (bad pun, I know). It's a highly rated bike that consistently wins awards and gets rave reviews from around the world. But so does the Ducati to some extent. But what the Duc lacks in features it more than makes it up in the styling and design department. Also it's a Ducati for Pete's sake! Simply put, it's to motorcycle what Ferrari is to cars. Owning a Ducati is not just about having in one's possession a sublime objet d'art and an engineering marvel; it's also to be a part its and illustrious history of motorcycle racing. In short, one becomes part of the select group of Ducatisti. Though Triumph also has an equally glorious racing tradition but there's no such thing as Triumphisti (not that it needs one). I think that a Triumph simply lacks the alluring mystique as the Ducati, that X-factor, though in Triumph's defense, its street-fighter and supersport (Daytona 675R) models are actually designed by an Italian firm.
Right now my mind is pulled toward Triumph but my heart is drawn to Ducati. Sometimes, if nothing else, I feel like I just want to own a Ducati for sake of owning one, regardless if the Triumph is superior to it in every category on the specs sheet. The best analogy I can come up with is to liken the Triumph to a (British) hooligan and the Ducati to an Italian casanova. The Triumph oozes with raw power from its three-cylinder engine and always ready to create havoc on the streets. It's fun, exciting, and wild! The Ducati, on the other hand, is sleek, sharp and refined with a well-concealed aggression and brute (it has a V-Twin engine after all). It's like a handsome Italian hunk dressed in a bespoke Armani suit who whispers sweet nothings into your ears, turns into a wild stallion in bed and then fixes you a nice truffle omelet breakfast the morning after. The Triumph is like your beer-swilling buddy, a bon vivant who's loud, full of dirty jokes, bursting with joie de vivre, highly likable, fun to hang out with, and seems to be perpetually going through life at 200km/h. So who do I prefer? Right now I just can't really make up my damn mind. Oh how I wish I'm rich enough to be polygamous and get both!
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