A couple of weeks back I was smitten with idea of actually owning a motorcycle again.

Many readers (or anyone for that matter) might ask, "Don't you get to ride any bike you want, working for a magazine?" Not all of 'em, but, yes, for the most part that is the case. Eventually, though, they have to go back to their respective owners, and often that can leave Pete with a garage devoid of two wheels. Besides, a guy can dream, can't he?

I recall a friend who was well versed in the art of buying and selling used motorcycles saying that I would be surprised at how cheaply a relatively new Ducati could be had. He was talking about the 996 and 998 varieties. I didn't believe him, and at the time those machines were out of reach for me no matter how much of a bargain they might be.

It was a few years since my buddy Dave said that, and I felt that maybe it was time to take a looky look at what was on the market. I know there are much more practical bikes that can perform at levels close enough to a high-end Duc for most schmoes out there, but motorcycling certainly isn't just about practicality. If you've ridden only once in your life, you've ridden enough to know the visceral and emotional pull that motorcycling has.

With a quick search of Cycletrader.com I had dozens of 996s, 998s, and even a good showing of 999s. I clicked through eight or 10 listings before I started to realize that after moving up the social food chain and a sizable increase in gross income that I still couldn't afford one of those Italian Stallions. How could this be? Those models are only getting older, but it's almost as if their prices are going up!

Here are just two examples of what I'm talking about:

2002 DUCATI, 998, excellent cond, under 4500 mi, termignoni half sysyem, bmc high flow air filters, gilles billet rear sets, $12500...

2002 DUCATI, 998, 1093 miles, sat in living room for the first 4 yrs, took to Ducati for service and rode for past 8 mo, this 998 has a full Termignoni Exhaust system w/BMC Italian high flow air cartridges, no scratches anywhere, $12,800 obo...

There are many, many more just like that. Haven't these people read any motorcycle publications in the past six months? Don't they know that Ducati have stormed the world with the 1098 and 1098S? Haven't they heard how people have been raving about those bikes? Here's what the esteemed Lee Parks had to say about them after riding a 1098s at Willow Springs with MO earlier this year:

"It handles like the proverbial dream. In fact, I would say the handling reminds me more of a TZ250 GP racer than any streetbike I’ve ever ridden. It turns quickly, is stable down the straights and has a mid-corner composure that is second to none. Surely, Ducati’s MotoGP efforts have trickled down to the everyman — well every man with 20Gs in his bank account. While the Ohlins-equipped S model we tested is priced accordingly, the standard model comes in at $14,995. That’s only 20 bucks more than the original 916. And considering we’re talking about 1995 dollars, the 1098 is actually much less expensive than its forebears."

Bingo! I could ramble on and on in my own words, but Lee has pinned it down succinctly.

Why, in the name of all that is Ducati, would someone like me buy a five year old bike when I could have the latest and greatest for just two grand more? And that's at suggested retail. With some hard searching and time I'm willing to bet a 1098 could be had for less than MSRP. Or, if I'm not in a hurry (and I'm not) I could simply wait, say, six months, and start looking for a slightly used 1098. At that point they'll be as much as a roughed-up 996 or 998.

I've bought and sold my share of used bikes (all older Japanese) and learned the lesson quickly that what I think a bike is worth probably doesn't come close to what everyone else thinks it's worth.

So what is it with these owners of old Ducs? I can't quite figure it out. Drop me a note and let me know if I'm missing something. I'd love to know what some of you think.