Trial courses from Ducati: cycling for beginners

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Is riding a motorcycle really as fun as everyone says? Is the cornering feel really that unique and can I tame a powerful two-wheeled vehicle? Questions that SonntagsBlick editors Kim Hüppin (25) and Lorenzo Fulvi (22) are already asking themselves. Ducati’s invitation came just in time. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer, together with experienced motorcycle riding instructors, offers introductory courses for interested motorcycle riders who are still unsure whether the hobby appeals to them.

SonntagsBlick editors and four other young moped rookies meet trainers Patrick Straubhaar and Peter Studer at an asphalt clearing in the forest near Solothurn. Kim Hüppin rides a motorcycle for the first time in her life. Lorenzo Fulvi, on the other hand, has already taken a few tours of private property with a colleague’s machine.

Always look straight ahead

“It’s important to always look straight ahead,” says trainer Patrick Straubhaar. “It’s best if you smile. Then it will be easier for you.” He said and it’s over. We sat at “our” machines, a Ducati Monster and a Scrambler Icon. For our practice rides, both bikes were reduced to 35 kW/48 hp. Tall Lorenzo Fulvi from Monster is happy that he can keep his balance relatively easy. On the other hand, it is more difficult for Kim Hüppin, who is more slender and 1.60 m tall. The mixer is too big for them.

Now Fulvi starts the first lap and follows the instructor’s instructions: “Gently release the clutch lever until you notice that the bike is starting to slip.” Fulvi manages to walk away slowly, accelerating very suddenly at first and seems to be losing control. But he catches himself again and masters the first round. “Graduus lie!” he shouts.

Important: correct model

Kim Hüppin is doing her best. With a little help from Instructor Studer, the first rounds of practice look professional. However, he later realizes that he probably doesn’t like motorcycles that much. “I’m having less fun than I expected. The Scrambler is too big for me. I can’t quite put my feet on the ground so I feel insecure.” “Pity,” says the trainer. Maybe because it’s not the right bike?

Two SonntagsBlick editors are modifying their two-wheeler. Now Fulvi uses the Scrambler and the Huppin Beast. “Try to shift gears,” Straubhaar calls out to Fulvi. “If you feel comfortable, try not to accelerate while going straight, pull the clutch lever and push up the gear lever with your left foot.” Fulvi looks overwhelmed, but she’s slowly going through the steps again in her head. It actually works. He sums it up after a few rounds. «The key shop was easier than expected. Still, I feel more comfortable in Monster than in Scrambler.”

excitement and disappointment

So how does Kim Hüppin deal with the monster? “It appeals to me even less than the Scrambler. As the name suggests, that’s how the bike feels.” Kim Huppin is enough. He now knows that riding motorcycles will not be his new hobby. Colleague Fulvi wants to know again and snatches the monsters for the next rounds. “I could drive all day,” she says enthusiastically. While Fulvi seems to have found a new passion, Hüppin says with a wry smile about his two-wheeler experiment: “I probably won’t take the motorcycle test – I’d rather be on four wheels.”

Tested Ducati Scrambler Icon starting at CHF 10,790 and Monster starting at CHF 13,190. If, like our two rookies, you haven’t taken the motorcycle test yet and are aiming for a “class A” driver’s license, you can buy both bikes for CHF 1,000 less and with a throttled 35 kW each and restore them. then almost the original performance. Depending on the motorcycle, this ranges from 400 to 700 francs.

Source: Blick