2009 Ducati 848

Longterm Test

By John Zamora

2009 Ducati 848
John Zamora: Associate Editor
Miles Ridden: 5200
Modifications: Grips and mirror extenders

My list of gripes for the 848 is short. The Ducati is one of the best looking, riding and performing bikes out of the box and offers a huge bang for the buck. There are certain parts of a motorcycle that I refuse to comprise on though-one being the mirrors.

I've argued on several occasions that all streetbikes should have functioning mirrors and scoff at the claims that you really don't need them because you can just "look over your shoulder."

Bullshit.
Whether it's to confirm that I'm completely clear of the car I just passed, to see if that blonde in the convertible was checking me out or making sure the cop I just passed wasn't running radar, I need useable mirrors on a bike.

The grips are both soft and...

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The 848's stock mirrors are pretty useless and paint nothing more than a fuzzy picture of my elbows. I end up doing the chicken dance by constantly raising my arms to look behind me. But they do look trick, have built-in signals and flow perfectly with the bike.

To keep the look and solve the problem, I installed mirror extenders that move the mirrors out nearly two-inches. That small stretch was just enough to clear my arms and also helped reduce vibration. Plus, no cutting or wiring was necessary so it was a quick and easy fix. They look pretty close to stock once installed too.

I installed new grips a few months ago but ruined them on the way to the track with a set of tie down straps. I have a love/hate relationship with bar straps in that I love how they pull evenly from both bars, but I've ruined controls before and now, my grips. The hot sun made the soft grips malleable and they basically turned to mush. Then they cooled back down and held the smashed shape. Yuck.

In this case, more is bet...

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I swapped them for a set of dual layer grips from Renthal. The soft outer layer keeps my mits comfy and a firm inner compound prevents them from deforming for the best of both worlds.

Last but not least, I added one more bit of anti-bling, ironically from the blingmasters, Roaring Toyz. The trick gas cap is actually for a Yamaha but fits the Ducati perfectly. It eliminates the use if a key so be careful where you park because the cap doesn't lock.

Ducati Mirror Extenders
$29
www.ducati.com