All Moto-GP'd Up and No Place to Go (Mortals, Money, and Unbelievably Capable Machines)

 

Ducati Streetfighter V-4 SP (Credit: Ducati Motorholding S.p.A.)

The photo you see above is the new Ducati Streetfighter SP in action. Like the Panigale V4, it's a technological and handling tour de force with unbelievable capability. It also costs $35,500. Achingly beautiful, it can be made even lighter and more responsive with $5,000 dollars in titanium exhaust and for another five grand, you can get gorgeous magnesium wheels. For that money, I could buy almost any motorcycle and many used sports cars that would be plenty capable, and every single one of them more capable than me.

Disclaimer! I've had the booming aftermarket stereo that cost half-a-year's salary. I put the most idiotic purchases on an already-bloated credit card. I've read the ads and thought material possessions could change my life for the wrong reasons. I wrecked a car when I didn't have the skills to back up my ham-handed inputs. In other words, I was an idiotic male, insecure from growing up poor; a marketer's dream from age 16 or so to 26, with another minor hiatus from 28 to 30 when I thought I was killing it in my first real job after the military and college. I speak from experience.

So... why do we do it?

To be the king of the streets?

Really? Like the Fast & Furious franchise or American Graffiti? I know in some circles, having the hottest car, a coveted Rolex (or Audemars Breguette if you're a real baller), or rare baseball card give you social capital. At cars and coffee a few weeks ago, there were plenty of dudes in their Lambos or a new Ferrari basking in their awesomeness. And then a Bugatti Chiron backed into his parking spot. You could almost feel the vacuum in the parking lot as everyone bolted over to the Chiron to see it in the metal. 

King of the Hypercar Hill (for now)!

 

For what it's worth, any of us can buy a unique vehicle with tons of character for very little money, throw a new coat of paint on it, and drive the wheels off of it. Just like our personalities, a little humor goes a long way and you'll have a seat at the table just like Johnny Hot Rod and his awesome lime green GT3.

At the end of the day, there's always a faster car, a better driver, or more coveted vehicle. Your 'king of the whatever', like the largest yacht, is always superseded by someone with a little more money, skill, or imagination.

Because we want the best of the best?

I have no beef with someone who simply wants the best. As long as one can afford it and has their financial house in order, go for it! There's a satisfaction to sitting in the garage and just basking in the amazing capability of the human race as you stare at your curvaceous machine. I feel the same way when I see a woman confidently wearing Chanel. It just makes me smile.

However, no matter how much money we have, there's a risk that our possessions come to possess us. It's a terrible feeling, and depending on your upbringing, it can be incredibly stressful. We generally have a high aversion to loss, and if you have kids, friends, or roommates that don't share your love and respect for what you've worked so hard to procure, prepare to be disappointed when they damage or ruin the thing you care so much about. I used to be that guy until I had kids. For the first several years of their existence, I was a real bastard about leaning bikes against the car, putting their feet against the back seat, or breaking off the turn signals on my motorcycle. I still cringe when my kids damage my stuff (...it's only a Mazda! ...dirt bikes are meant to be crashed!), but I've come a very long way. Hell, when I first moved out of the house at 17, I'd get upset if you tore off a chunk off of my Circle-K two-dollar styrofoam cooler. Seriously!

Getting back on topic, there's another small problem with 'the best', and that's keeping it on the road. Rare, limited edition machines often have spare parts made in very small production runs, making it exceedingly difficult to get the replacements you need in the event of an accident, even a small one. Insurance tends to be higher, and the vehicle you worked so hard to procure becomes an 'A-to-A' car. You fear leaving it overnight at a hotel, can't take it out in inclement weather, can't have your coworker take your car in the rain to grab lunch, and you can't use the amazing performance promised in the advertising copy because it's irreplaceable! It really bums me out how few Panigale V4s, Porsche GT3s, Ferrari F8s, etc., vehicles at the pinnacle (even Jeep Rubicons!), get used in anger in their proper environment.

Because we won't be competitive otherwise?

No way - Just the other week, a rider coach named Topo Lorenzo of Evolve GT jumped on his 400cc bike and smoked nearly every rider on track to a man, including guys on 200hp BMWs and Ducatis. Until we're truly expert, a master of our craft, the vehicle being driven hardly matters. On the street, even less so. I may beat out a less powerful motorcycle stoplight-to-stoplight, but at the first sign of a curve, a good rider will destroy me. This is why I study motorcycling like it's my job and keep signing up for track days. I want to learn to use a motorcycle to its limits safely and with confidence. The learning journey is amazing, and my track bike gets panned for having 'only' 129 horsepower and unsophisticated rider aids.

Look at a guitar or a horn. Really look at it. Every great solo, every amazing jazz piece is sitting in that instrument, waiting to be unleashed by the right hands. Cars and motorcycles are the same way. The best, most expensive instruments will sound amazing, but for the average peasant (most of us), it's not what makes the music beautiful. It's all in the playing.

Hmm... $35k sounds like a lot of money.

There's a cure for all of this! Most of the 'best-of-the-best' cars, bikes, etc. are halos for their respective brands. The CVO Harley Road Glide costs $41,899, but the standard 'Glide has 80% of the capability at a more reasonable (sort of) $22,249. The base Streetfighter V4 (what got me thinking about all this in the first place) is $19,995. The two cylinder 'Fighter is $3k less, and still has more performance than most mortals can use.

$35k is a lot of money! This gets to the crux of my issue. Even someone with serious wealth doesn't like to spend it foolishly. Wrecking a Porsche GT3 or a top-of-the-line motorcycle is painful. We get stuck in the conundrum where we own one of the greatest cars/bikes of all time, but can't afford (or have a serious desire not) to crash. As such, you don't push it to the max, thus wasting money and capability. We're better off scaling back, even a little. It's much more fun to push at or past the limits when the consequences are lower. Mazda Miata, used Porsche Boxter, or Yamaha R6- this is where you shine.

Of course, you can look into any number of Asian bikes, which offer amazing performance and reliability for the price, but don't seem to carry the glow of the European and U.S. brands. However, when it's really important to get somewhere reliably on road, dirt, or track, names like Honda and Yamaha come up as the sure bets. If you have a little more money for soulfulness, then by all means, look at KTM, Ducati, Aprilia, Guzzi, BMW, MV, Harley, and on and on and on...

So, what else can we do with that $35k or much, much less? How could motorcycling possibly be enjoyable at a lower price point?

At the end of the day, you can do track days and ride cross-country on a two-thousand dollar Ninja 250 and take it to 100k miles. Like cars, in this modern era, there's hardly a bad bike in the bunch. Depending on your specific needs, almost any category of bike can be found in the 5-10k range and will serve its owner very well. At this price point, the level of concern about keeping the machine perfect drops, and it's much easier to go on a trip, leave it out in the rain a few times, or park it for several days without constantly worrying about it getting keyed or stolen. Apply the money you saved toward retirement, and endless days riding off into the sunset will come that much sooner!

In conclusion...

If owning the best is what makes you feel alive and happy, I don't judge. But I'll say this- whaling on a more common, less precious (and less edgy) machine and shamelessly enjoying it in its intended environment is one of the greatest privileges and joys of our modern society. Of course, those dudes in the Ferrari challenge may look at their cars and think the same thing I do about a five thousand dollar Yamaha R6. For those of us who don't have Ferrari money, don't despair; it's very possible to live a rich life on the cheap!