Paivi

Not only, but apparently the first on the road in the UK!

No deal whatsoever, as they had reserved it for me for 10d before I came to test ride and buy it, with not even a deposit. They knew I wanted the bike, and they could have sold it ten times had I not reserved it. So, I paid the full £4,995 and the only thing they did say they'd do was to charge just £70 for the crash bungs and the fly screen (crash bungs retail at £70). They could have done the Datatool 4 for £350 but as a mate of mine fits them for a living and is offering to do it at £280, I didn't take them up on that offer.

I'm in downtown London, in Chelsea. Quite a few Ducatis here, including a friend of mine on his 620. I'm worried that one day I go to the bike and he's substituted his for mine, thinking I wouldn't notice.

It's my first Ducati and first big bike, so can't really do a write-up as have nothing to compare it to but I'll get this 620-riding mate to try it for size and see what he thinks. He loves the looks and was the one to convince me to go for the 695 instead of the 620 because everything would have been improved. One thing I will say: I'm supposed to take each gear up to 6,000 revs, and the only way I can get this on second gear is to take her up to 60mph. I've yet to try the fifth gear, just hasn't been necessary even on 70mph. All of Central London is strictly first or second, what joy!

I'll see you guys at the Ace on Sunday. Look out for the two Monsters huddled together. Mine answers to the name 'Duchess' by the way, or 'Your Grace'.

A couple of my mates are IAM observers so am getting some training from them. Give it a couple of months and I'll be brave enough to head out of London on my own, especially once I get a TomTom. (Since I moved to the UK in 1992, I've hardly left London, so am a bit lost even in the wilderness of Bucks.

A pic taken yesterday at the Ace. Spot the damage I did by dropping it...

http://londonbikers.com/forums/attachments/Ducati1.jpg