If it has 'Ducati' written on it, then very probably! ;D

Why? Are they as bad as 'Yamaha'?

Joe - BIN THEM ASAP....!
...

Seconded! Bin them now!
 
Nothing takes the fun out of biking like tyres you can't trust, and waiting for them to wear out before you change them is just a false economy. If you don't trust them, you wont ride them. 1) If you don't ride them, they dont wear out, so you spend even longer not enjoying your bike. 2) If you don't ride, you loose your edge, so even small problems caused by the tyres become harder to deal with, so you trust them less. And the cycle repeats until you get a pipe, slippers and a car.

 

I had the ZX9R C1 and then the C2 and loved both deeply. The blue C1 is still the prettiest bike I have ever owned. The Fazer has 10% more cubes giving you more torque, and then the EXUP valve which makes that torque so much easier to access. Another difference you will notice soon is the off idle fueling is so silky. It just doesn't bog down. If you screw up badly and end up at 1500 rpm in top gear,  just roll on. On the kwaker, I had to slam down the box or slip the clutch until I got at least 4k showing, and doing either would advertise the fact that I have just f*cked up.  On the Fazer, it looks like I am deliberately riding the torque wave. 

Thanks for the tips. It doesn't seem as daunting as I thought it would.

Any suggestions for the best way to apply it? I presume there is more to it then just point and spray? [Sorry for the silly question but I have never tried painting anything before]

I bought my Aprilia Futura new in '02, and it was last touched by the hands of a 'mechanic' in '04. After that, I did full maintenance myself, helped by a superb support forum over on ApriliaForum. It had minor issues with reg/rec, wiring and a quick release on a fuel line, all of which could be quickley (and cheaply) fixed. Its achilles heel was the rear axle bearing. Like our EXUP valve, if lucky or looked after, it did its job and never intruded on your awareness. If unlucky, or not looked after, well... need I say more?   

I ran the Futura until 2010 as my main (and only) transport, and it was inexpensive, reliable and a hell of a lot of fun. It had the most comfortable saddle I have ever used and combined with its near perfect riding position, wind protection and handling meant you could ride for 500 miles to reach the roads you wanted to go mad on, unclip the panniers and ride like a loon. Go to bed happy then do it all again the next day. In the twisties, it could keep up with all but the best ridden sports bikes, helped a lot lashings of torque from very low revs.

After 8 years I knew I needed a change as the Fazer was begining to show its age and I suspected another Irish winter would begin to make it struggle. I only bought the Fazer because I knew no matter what I got to replace the Futura, I wouldn't like it because was not another Futura, and I hoped the Fazer would be the practical option until I found my next love.

Fortunatly, I was wrong about the Fazer and I have grown really fond of it. Comparing the two, the Futura is probably the better all-rounder, aided by better wind protection, better seat, and built in (removable) luggage. The Fazer provides better power, better milage, smoother engine, and a top end that would give a corpse a stiffy.
 

None of the 2 local tyre shops do bikes. My local bike shop want £20 a tyre to loose wheels. The nearest supply and fit is 20 miles away.

Oh..? My nearest trustworthy one is 90 miles. Good excuse to break the tyres in by taking the long way home. I have a local car place that will fit and balance on loose wheels for €20, even lets me use their tools to remove the wheels in their shop if they aren't busy.

8k from a set of tyres. . . . . . . .In my dreams
if you get that from a set of tyres perhaps you should sell your bike to someone who will ride it properly and get a batavus gogo

The wonder of modern tyres is that they really are stickier and do last longer. You should try a pair someday.

Once I started using my heel instead of my toe, I stopped having problems.

I spent years with Hein Garicke Voyager stuff and have nothing but praise for it, but... I don't wear it anymore.

I have always preferred the safe feeling I get when I wear leather as even the best textile jackets don't have the abrasion protection that even middle of the road leather will give, but I always needed the weather protection that you only get from textile because my bike is my main transport.

Around Autum 2011, I realised I was going to need a new jacket as even after reproofing, my Voyager just wasn't fully water proof anymore. Two or three wet days in a row and I started to suffer. To get me over a couple of especially cold and miserable days, I bought a builders Hi-viz jacket for £25 and wore it over the top. By Spring, the builders jacket was in a right state, but I had not been cold or damp all winter.

This year, instead of spending another £500 on a new Voyager, I bought a reasonable leather jacket (RST ~£200) which gives me all the security I need, and another builders jacket (£25) which gives me all the weather protection I could want.  Early days yet but so far, so good.

The rule of thumb is anything you buy new will  loose 1/3rd of its value as soon as you sign on the dotted line. Keep it for three years (in decent nick) and you will sell/trade for 5 or 6k pretty much regardless of the milage. That means it is costing you about a ton a month to ride a cracker of a bike. Not much more then your phone bill if you think about it. So get out there and ride it! The more time you spend in the saddle, the less you spend on the phone, so riding your bike could save you money!

I fitted a cheap and nasty pair of HIDs designed for a car (so loads of excess cable etc.) that cost   a grand total of £25 on Fleabay, to my '04 gen1 (no light switch). The hardest part was finding somewhere to fit the bits. No cutting or splicing was involved, just cable ties, and the whole thing could be removed from the bike in 20 minutes or less if you need to. I still carry a spare H4 bulb under the seat so even if it all blows up, I can just plug in the old bulb and carry on. 

Is it worth it? In my opinion, yes. It is probably the single best safety feature after my helmet that I have ever had. I am now visible to people who are not looking for bikes as well as those that are. On the rare occaision that I have to flash someone, they know they have been flashed! It has made my regular commute (15 miles main and rural each way) easier and more relaxing in two different ways. I can see further and better, and other road users react to my presence sooner.

... as the back wheel locked up and sent the bike into a snake...

What locked the wheel up? Was it your luggage, bearing failure, chain, gearbox or engine?

Before you go changing the bulbs, I suggest you check the alignment as if dips are only good for about 45mph for you, then I would suggest they are aimed too low. On a level road about 20~30ft behind a car, your dipped lights should be clearly light up their number plate but not shine in their back window.

If you are only lighting up the road just in front of you, it wont matter how bright your lights are. But after you get them adjusted, fit some HIDs, they are Amazing!