First of all, I've never been a fan of the term "ducatista", WTH does it mean anyway? Creates a connotation of some elitist club I want no part of. I've had a number of conversations with owners of ducati dealerships and service managers with countless stories of "ducatistas" that barely ride enough to require service every few years, ask dealers to break in their $70k Desmo for them, tires worn completely but only down the center, and collectors of toys purely for bragging rights. According to them, these types of owners are not the minority. Obviously I'm sure it varies by geography, demographics, etc. but it's anecdotal evidence that there's a large segment of owners that talk about demanding superbike performance, dynos, and Superbike shootouts but its just that - talk. I work on my own bike for most everything but the few times I've gone to the dealer for warranty work and updates the service guys go crazy wanting to just see a bike that's actually been at the track. I remember having a convo with the service manager of what other owners are experiencing above 8k rpm with the latest map update so I could make the proper gearing and suspension tweaks and his response was, "no idea, haven't seen a bike that's been over 8k rpm yet".
Unfortunately, there's a lot of posers among us in our brand and its been that way for a long time. If anything, I think the Pani has broadened the accessibilty and usability of Duc superbikes to enable more people than ever to ride closer to the bike's potential than any other Superbike in memory.
For that reason alone, the "Ducatistas" should thank the Pani for helping the image of the brand.
