Ducati Monster 796

1199 Panigale

2011-12-26T16:15:00.000-08:00

Last week as part of the international motorcycle show taking place in Seattle, I got to see the 1199 Panigale in-person and have to say that it is one of the nicest looking bikes in the market. Got I I've it to he Italian's they really do know how to a design a bike. I'm still sticking with my Monster and 848 for now- maybe in a few years once the bugs of the new engine/ frameless design have been worked out. :)Anyway, here are some pics.

Nice- Ducati 1199

2011-11-07T10:45:00.001-08:00

Roland Sands Design's Desmosedici Street Tracker

2011-10-28T12:06:00.001-07:00

Cool, but I would rather have the original.

Best Criagslist ad evah....You want it...but

2011-10-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: 2011-09-21, 1:06PM PDT

Reply to: sale-xxxxxxx @ craigslist. org [Errors when replying to ads?]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can't have it.
Your wife won't let you.
Your girlfriend says it's unsafe. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Knock ...knock.....
"who is it?"
"We're men.... and we're here to take back your mancard."

This bike is not just a bike.... it's a muse.... it's a teleportation device.... hell, it's even like a bad assed medical tool. I once rode it by some guy who was constipated, just hearing me downshift from third to second emptied his bowels. I shit you not.

Hear that noise? That's not a dry clutch...that's a chick whistle. I'm tell'n ya...those Italians got that chick shit down. I left the exhaust stock because my buddy Phil upgraded the exhaust on his and I saw an elderly couple bust into flames when he bliped the throttle. (I have a conscience....that and I hate the smell of burnt flesh, so I left the cans alone.) It's got some carbon fiber stuff on it too, because carbon fiber is bad ass. Chuck Norris' beard is carbon fiber. Johnny Cash's suit was carbon fiber. Neil Armstrongs left arm is carbon fiber...... and we all know how bad assed that shit is. (Lance Armstongs ball is not carbon fiber..... but his bike was)
So.... you're asking yourself..."whats it like... riding a bike/muse/teleportation/badassed medical device like this? It's f'n AWESOME! Obama/Biden stickers melt off cars.... gravity dissapears around hot chicks undies....puppies weep..... people pay to be your facebook friend..... the Maricopa police dept. pulls you over just to get your autograph and thanks you having graced their tiny town with coolness the likes they've never seen.

If you're thinking about buy'n a Harley and have bought into that whole "chicks dig cruisers" thing....ask yourself .... when was the last time you saw Dan Haggerty get'n laid... hell... when was the last time you saw Dan period? The dude lived with a bear. Bears are cool and all..... but I'd rather be bang'n Keira Knightley than some bear. (google Keira Knightley Ducati.... you'll see what I mean)

What do you need to purchase the afore mentioned coolness?

Balls...

A valid state class M license....

Money.... 10k obo

And.... a willingness to step outside the "me too bike" box.

(you might also want to bring towels..... as the ladies tend to moisten up around the bike)

call me at 661-xxx-xxxx

•Location: Kern County

•it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

~7500 Mile Service

2011-10-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I was at 7,200 miles, but given that the riding season in the NW is close to an end (at least for me), I decided to take the bike in for service. I was expecting a hefty charge for this and was not disappointed. For the oil change, various checks, one valve adjustment (which was a culprit in the bike running a little rough) and a brake oil flush the total ended up at about $700, after a discount special that the dealer was running. So in the last few weeks with the new tires and service the bike had cost me a little over a G. The joys of owning a Ducati.

Oh, and I also finally had that carbon cannister removed from the bike. Not sure if that will have any performance impact, but the bike looks a bit more balanced. Now I need to save up for a few months before I get anything new done to it. ;)

Ducati 848 Streetfighter video

2011-10-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

Pirelli Rosso II

2011-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

My OEM tires finally reached the end of their lives- at 6927 miles. They did their job well and lasted, I think, longer than most sport oriented rubber but were at a point where they had a nice flat spot (thanks to some long rides on straight roads) and the wear bars were almost gone.

I wanted to stay with the Pirelli's since they have always performed well for me. So after reading some reviews and hearing good things about the Rosso II, I decided to go with them. I put about 50 miles or so on them today. They feel very planted, seem to warm up quickly and ride well - but I am also taking it super easy given the break in time of the new tire. Will update when I have a few more miles on them.

They look like any other tire, but here are some pics.

1199 Panigale

2011-09-21T21:13:00.000-07:00

Nice, but think this blog will remain the Monster 796 :)

Motorcycle roads

2011-09-19T23:33:00.000-07:00

Just on the road....

Review: Bell Star helmet

2011-09-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

I got a new helmet. It was time for one given, my Scorpion is almost five years old. The Arai is about three years old, but with the side shield cover issue, you never know when it will go out of commission (it broke again, third time in three years); plus I only have a clear shield for it given how complicated it is to change the face shield and I don't want to risk breaking anything else on it.

After looking around at a few helmets, decided to try out the Bell Star. It had received some good reviews and I really liked the Cerwinskie design, so decided to go for it. It is now a welcome addition to the garage. First impressions, it is very nicely made, the quality of the liner, paint, carbon fiber are all excellent. It also comes in a very nice fully lined helmet bag which is a plus. In the couple of short rides I have done, it fits me well, much lighter than my Scorpion (carbon fiber probably has something to do with that), my ear bud speakers fit nicely as there are some cut outs for ears built into the liner. Ventilation flows air well, so expect that this will keep me cool during the summer rides. The bad, it is loud - not terribly, but I would say at the same level as the Arai, but again, wearing ear buds or plugs, it should not be too bothersome.

As to the face shield, it comes with a clear shield. I got the transitions shield to go along with it, which changes depending on the ambient light. I have not had a chance to ride in the sun with this shield but it did well with overcast but bright skies. Lets see how dark it gets with the sun out.

Here are some pics.

Ride pics over the last couple of months.

2011-09-13T23:53:00.000-07:00

Been out riding for a bit, so this blog has been neglected. Some pics from the various rides over the last couple of months.

Westport, WA, on the way to Victoria, B.C.

Victoria, B.C.

Tied up in the ferry, always the most nerve wracking section of the ride

Crecent Lake, WA

Lolo Pass road close to Mt. Hood.

Some random pics around town

Update on the tail bag

2011-07-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

I got a chance today to get in a pretty long ride with the tail bag, and through the ride I never felt any difference in the feel of the bike, no drag or anything like that. I had the tail bag pretty full. Without expanding it, it fit in a SLR camera (with case), a netbook, sweatshirt and a bottle of water. With all that in it, there was still some room to squeeze in stuff like a phone, some engery bars, etc. It also felt very secure, which was one of my concerns.

One downside - there is pretty much no room between you and the bag when it is zipped to the seat, so no chance of carrying a back-pack, unless it is one of the super thin messenger bags. Also the bag is not super comfortable as a back-pack - at least not to walk around. Also, if you are installing the base with the passenger grab bars installed, the side pockets will be pretty useless. All I can fit in there is a tiny camera on one side and a phone on the other.

And since I did not post a pic of the bag on the bike, here you go.

Review: Ducati Performance Rear Tail bag for Monster 696/796/1100

2011-07-21T23:15:00.000-07:00

I have been looking for a decent tail bag for my monster and after looking at a few options, decided to go with the Ducati Performance (DP), rear tail bag, as it is designed for the bike and from the pictures I saw on the web, seemed to fit well with the bike. I was not able to go check it out in-person at the dealership, but went ahead and ordered it.

I also could not find any decent reviews on this bag, like how much it would carry (other than that it had a capacity of 18L, which to me means absolutely nothing!), would it fit a laptop, an ipad, a camera etc. Also if it would fit with the passenger grab bars installed on the bike. So with that in mind, some thoughts on the bag and pictures.

What comes in the box? - actually there is no box, the bag included the base, which goes on the seat, a rain cover and a strap to make the bag into a backpack. Oh, and some useless instructions.

Finish: A little disappointing for the price, which can range from $250 to $280, depending on the dealer. I needed it urgently, so paid in the middle. Back to finish, it had threads hanging in a few places (see pic), the zipper seems cheap (the expansion zipper stuck a little), but lets see if it lasts. The inside of the bag has sort of a cardboard piece which helps hold its shape. Overall, it is made of nylonishy, type of material. It does have some reflective material on the bag which looks good. The shape, if it holds it fits nicely with the bike. The finish of the base seems better than the bag itself.

Fit: The base goes on the back of the seat and the holes on it line up with the two screws that hold in the seat cover. Had to struggle a bit to get it all to line up, but overall it fit well. It was also super easy to zip/ upzip the bag from the base. Still concerned about the zipper, when the bag is full, as that is the only thing holding the bag to the base - no other supporting straps.

What can you fit in it? A laptop (10 inch netbook) or an ipad will not lie flat in the base of the bag, however, once you fill it up halfway you can lay it flat about mid-way. In terms of other things, with the bag extended, I was able to fit in 3 t-shirts, 2 pairs of shorts, a pair of sweat pants (the thin kind), pair of flip flops, 3 pairs of socks, a netbook, a charger and some toiletries - with a little room to spare. So from the looks of it, you can pack enough for a couple of days in here.

What about the base? The base has two little pockets on the side. These are zippered with a velcro flap covering it. Pockets are good enough for a cell phone, little camera, etc. With the passenger grab bars installed, your use of these pockets is limited.

So overall, the bag looks decent, seems like it will carry enough, but lets see how long it will last. I'm still not sure if it is worth the high price.

Monster reflection.

2011-07-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Took one with the 848 in the same spot so had to take one with the Monster as well. Vespa is next on the list.

Red Vespa

2011-07-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

I don't think the Red Vespa has been introduced. This is a 2006 150LX. It's a perfect bike for city riding, given its basically a twist and go. Fast enough for the side streets and manuerable, so I can really mess with the cars in town :).

Took a short ride out yesterday around town. Took my camera with me so here are some shots. Some great back roads around here that are super fun on a scooter.

Loop around the coast.

2011-07-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't updated this in a while - why? - well, the summer (sort of) decided to show up and have been riding quite a bit. I'm planning a trip to Victoria BC in the next few weeks on the monster, but here is a ride report from a trip around the Oregon coast on the 848.

I started off the ride with a few folks from Portland that were heading to Astoria, OR. Rode to Astoria taking the some back roads, avoiding any major highways, so a trip that usually takes about a couple of hours stretched to about four and a half. Plus, this group I ride with are fairly mellow rides with lots of stops, so by the time we got into Astoria, had lunch and were ready to get out, it was almost 4:00 pm.

My plan was to head down Hwy101 (which is very different on the Oregon coast vs. CA, more like PCH up here) for a few hours find a place to stay overnight and then ride back up to Portland on Sunday. Most of the folks with me headed back to town. Couple tagged along with me until about Wheeler, a coast town that lasts all of 2 stop lights, and I'm being generous here. We wanted to grab coffee, but realized that everything in that place closes by 5:00 pm on a Sat with the sun out - so no coffee for us. The other two headed back to portland and I continued down 101 finally stopping at a little motel (which was on the beach) around the Yachats area, which is mid-way down the state, as it was getting back. Picked a nice clean motel, they let me park my bike in front of my room, but it got lonely and I ended up sharing the room with it- don't tell the owners ;).
Sunday was just as nice as Sat. I decided to head East instead of going back up the coast. Took the Alsea hwy (Hwy34) east. This was an amazing road, with nice mixture of straights and twsties, so you got a chance to relax in between the technical parts. This road also had a nice selection of little towns along the way, covered bridges, etc. that was nice to see- so overall a very cool combination for all senses. That road along with a few addtional connecting back roads, got me home.
Fun couple of days, although I think I need a week to recover after doing this on the 848 wearing a backpack ;).

View from Astroria

On 101

Sunset at the coast

Filling in/ hiding the empty mirror slots

2011-06-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

Brian commented on my last post noting that a good way to clean up the handlebars with the empty mirror slots was to turn them around. I did that with my last monster and it worked great. With this one I just bought a couple of bolts from home depot and slotted them in. I don't mind how it looks as it fills up the empty holes.

Here is a pic.

Is it summer yet?

2011-05-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have been bad about posting . Have I been riding?, yes, have I been riding a lot?, no. As noted previously, I am a fair weather rider, i.e. I enjoy riding, when I don't have to worry about wet roads, slippery divider lines or manhole covers, so my recent rides have been somewhat dictated by the weather map. The riding prep now includes a look at the radar map and where there is a green spot (rain), don't go there. My rides have been limited to some local roads or down to the quintessential Ducati hang out, the coffee shop.

That said, I have managed to put on about a 1500 miles or so combined on the bikes, which even included an eventful scooter ride with a few folks that saw us dodge a couple of deer, pick up a fallen biker and see one of our scooter riders scoot break down :(.

The Monster is due up for an oil change now, so looking to get that scheduled in the next few days.

Solo ride to Tillamook

2011-05-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Left home to just run a loop around a local lake, but once that was done, decided to extend the ride a bit and head out to coast the back way. The road I took is one of the less travelled roads that follows the Nestucca river. My first time on this road this season. The road itself was in pretty poor shape with lots of debris and potholes through from the winter. There is also a short gravel section on this road, but fairly well packed. Anyway, quite an adventure, don't think I'll be taking this road again until later in the season :).

On the positive, the river was full and flowing and the views were pretty amazing. The road pops out in Beaver, OR by the coast, so rode that up to Tillamook and then Hwy 6 back to Portland.

10-24

2011-04-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting a wide angle lens for a while, but just could not justify spending a whole lot of cash for a lens that would go on an entry level Canon that is a few years old. However, I was at photo supply shop today and they had a Tamron 10-24 lens (which also got some good reviews)on sale, plus the sample pics I took at the store came out nice, so with that decided to take the plunge and get it.

The first pics of course are of the bike, so here you go.

And I did get a ride in today since the sun was out and from what I hear, it finally hit 60 degrees. :)

Yay! - another dry day.

2011-04-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sun decided to show up off and on for a few hours today and even through the temps did not go up more than about 50F, I decided to take the bike out for a spin. Took the 848 for a short ride around a local lake, which has a nice drive around it with some sweeping curves and little to no traffic. Needless to say, it was nice to get out, but really sick of the rain at this point (heard that we got over 8 inches of rain in the last couple of months) and ready for Spring to finally emerge.

As you can see still no leaves on trees.

First longish ride of the season

2011-04-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

The weather guys predicted a dry day with clouds with a high of 53F, so decided to take a chance and got out for a ride out to the coast. On the way, hooked up with a few cruisers and a BMW adv bike that were heading in the same direction. Roads overall were decent, some were a bit more chewed up than I remember last year, but overall fairly clean. That said, they were not dry.

As to the weather, although the forecast said fifty something on the coast, it was definitely not fifty something on the way there. 60 miles into the ride and my fingers were icicles (I still don't have decent winter gloves) and if the group did not stop every so often (benefit of riding with cruisers) they probably would have fallen off. The BMW rider noted that his temp gauge showed 35-40F, yes, it was a little nippy.;)- thanks to him though, he lent me some over gloves that helped a ton.

Net, net, made it to the coast in one piece, had some good fish and chips and took the fast way (hwy) back home vs. the twisties. Bike was super dirty from the ride, probably dirtier than it has ever been- could not let it sit that way, so ended up washing it- was still freezing, but had to do it.

Also decided, from here on, no more long rides for me until the temps hit at least 55 and above (through out any route I'm taking).

Anyway pics below.

Hooked up with some cruisers

Saw some Elk

Ended up at the coast.

This is what you get for getting the tail chopped.

Cleaned it up.

A few more shots.

The five min paint job is holding upwell.

Spring?!?

2011-04-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Not much new on the Monster front, other than the fact that we are still waiting for Spring to show up in the Pacific northwest. March ended with 29 continuous days of rain and temps in teh 40-55F range and April's forceast does not look any brighter. That said, got a couple of rides in the wet/ cold and got the bike dirty. :) Hoping for dryer days ahead.

Long rides

2011-02-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

I have been recently reading a lot of ride reports from the ADV forum and thinking that I need to get a longish ride in this summer. Last year I did a weekend ride from Portland to Victoria, which was fun, but stayed in hotels and didn't ride much, once we got to Victoria.

I don't think I'll ever get enough time off to do a cross country trip - although that would be awesome and I don't have a BMW GS or a standard touring bike- no intention of getting one either.

So what can I do with a Ducati monster? I want to get in at least 2-3 long weekend rides over the next season. Here is what I'm thinking -

1) Do the Victoria ride again, but extend it to 4 days or so.
a. Day 1- Ride up to Port Angeles
b. Day 2- Victoria to Vancouver B.C
c. Day 3- Vancouver BC to somewhere mid- Eastern Washington
d. Day 4- Mid-Eastern WA to Portland

2) Ride south on the coast line- east into Oregon and back up.
a. Day 1- Portland to around the Florence area
b. Day 2- Florence to Crater lake to Bend
c. Day 3 - Bend to Portland

3) Ride south on the coast like to however far I can get in a day- stay
the night and come back up.

I had friends that rode scooters from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine in about 10 days and then shipped their bikes back- but to do such a trip you need a bigger group- don't think I would want to take that one on with my limited mechanical skills + really need to save up for something like that. Maybe when I'm retired and ride a couch on wheels ;).

Cafes and customs

2011-02-06T02:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to ride much over the last few weeks even though the weather has been somewhat decent for FEBRUARY - but the pattern, as always, kind of sucks (for lack of a better word)- nice and dry during the week and rain throughout the weekend. Well, today I did get to check out some very cool bikes at a local motorcycle show called, the One.

Held in a warehouse in the industrial district of Portland, it was a mixture of ratty, cafe and custom bikes owned/ created mostly by local bike shops. There were some bikes with no front brakes (and I know for a fact that the owners still ride them), bikes with hot sauce bottles as oil catchers, hard tail customs with seats with no padding whatsoever. Also in the mix,active racers, bikes with cup holders and some very well preserved, Ducatis, Triumphs, BSAs, Hondas, Yamahas, and Kawasakis. Also a bunch of bikes that I had no idea what they were when they first rolled off the line.

Regardless it was fun to go check them out and hope that they make this an annual thing.

Blacked out fork update.

2011-01-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well the forks are back to normal (silver) again. I didn't care much for the wrapping, gave it too much of a home made look, so until I find somthing that looks a little more smoother/ professional, these are back to stock.

First ride of 2011

2011-01-03T16:09:00.001-08:00

So even though it was freezing outside, the sun was out and I just had a get a ride in. The 848 has been neglected (plus the monster has one fork wrapped), so decided to take it out. Average air temp freezing at 32F. I guess, it'll take me a week or two to thaw out but it was still nice to get a short run in.

Road conditions-

Forks

2011-01-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

Happy new year!! - January is living up to its reputation, with highs of 35F and ice/ gravel on the road, riding is not particularly fun, so decided to take a bit of time and wrap the forks black. I'm not sure if I like them, so holding of wrapping the other one. We'll see how it goes.

Here is what is looks like.

Oh, and here is a better shot of the sprocket cover.

Farkle

2010-12-17T21:12:00.000-08:00

Latest addition to the bike. Was at the dealership where they had a sale going and there was this cool looking black and red sprocket cover, that matched my new levers, just staring at me saying, buy me, buy me - so I just had to get it.

It was late in the day, so thought I would install the cover over the weekend, but Thursday night or should I say, Friday morning, suffering from jet lag after the recent trip to Dubai, I was up at 2:00 AM, so decided to install it then. It's a small piece, but I think it looks good on the bike and really like it.

Details: This is a speedy moto sprocket cover. It comes with two silver bolts, but I decided to use the stock black ones that blend in with the black frame.

Pics.

Levers

2010-12-15T16:04:00.000-08:00

Since the bike was in the shop for the oil drip issue, I also decided to get the levers. I like CRG's but the problem was that the levers I liked came with a silver pivot and I wanted it to be all black. So went and spoke with the guys at Motocorsa to see if they could get CRG folks to switch out the pivot with one of their all black ones. Well, they were able to work their magic and got me what I wanted. First impressions, in the short ride home, I like them. I got the shorties, so on the brake side, no issues as I'm a one finger braker. On the clutch side, however, my pinkie kinda hangs out there, really not knowing what to do :)so need to get used to that.

As always nothing is without its quirks - just realized that on the clutch side, the switch that lets you start the bike in gear does not engage in the first and second setting. Not a big deal, but as I said, just quirky. :)

UPDATE: Fixed the issue with the clutch by sticking a small piece of tape to the lever, the kind with the foam to depress the switch when the clutch is pulled in. :)

Ducati Dubai

2010-12-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

In Dubai for the last week or so and had recently read that they opened up a new Duc dealership here, so decided to go check it out. Nice shop, but nothing to write home about. It was like any other bike dealership out there, actually really small compared to some of the shops that I have been to in the U.S. In stock there, a couple of monsters, Hypers, one Multi and an 848. It also had a beautiful 1198R Corsa edition on display and that was about it. Prices for the bikes are higher here. A monster 796 came out to be around $14K.

Other than that it is really nice to be in 80 degree weather with clear skies and sunny days, while it is cold and rainy in the Pacific NW. Not many bikes out here (other than the Sub-way, Pizza Hut and Burger King, delivery guys on 150cc Hondas) in the street- have only seen one Duc, a red Monster S2R 1000, a few BMW's and a couple of Harley cruisers.

The pics.

Oil drip?!?

2010-11-28T23:19:00.000-08:00

I thought I was done with riding for the season, but yep, I got to ride the monster this weekend.

For the winter I basically end up putting the bikes on a battery tender, but even so, I still like to go out and start them up, hear the rumble - try running a 848 with Termi's (no baffels) and a 796 at the same time in a garage (with the door open), neighbors hate you, but they sound awesome and its fun ;). Anyway, was running the 796 and after about 5 min or so, saw a little puddle form at the bottom....hmm.., looked a little closer and it was oil - crap! Dug a bit more and looked like it was coming from the oil filter, not a whole bunch, but a steady drip. Turned it off and as the bike cooled down, the drip stopped.

Called up the dealer and he said to bring it in so yep, in the 15 mins where it stopped raining on Sat, rode it out to the dealer to have them check it out. I was concerned that the 796 may have inherited the "oil leak from the engine block" issue that the 696 had. So the guys at the shop call me up in the afternoon and tell me it was just a bad seal on the oil filter- whew! - so a minor thing, something I probably could have fixed myself, but did not want to mess with it if it was something else. Regardless, a WTF moment, courtesy of Ducati.

Now I need to find another 15 mins of dry weather to go get the bike back from the shop. :)

And here are the pics.

The "drip".

And the Monster 696 oil leak. I got this pic of a bike I was looking to get early this year.

And its snowing!

2010-11-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Snow in November. Last year I went out for a ride out to Crown Point in the Columbia river gorge in November. This year, as with the sucky summer, it is snowing! so yet another gear entry. This time around the jackets. I have 3 that I wear regularly .

First and my favorite is the Dainese Vintage jacket. This is a full leather jacket with armor built into the shoulders and elbows. Zips up to Dainese pants. It does not have any back protection (not even a foam insert). That said, there is a pocket built in if you want to get the Dainese G2 protector. I usually end up wearing my regular back protector underneath and it fits just fine.

Fit- when it is all zipped up, armor hardly moves*, which is super important if you go down. It was a bit tight at first but as it has broken in, now it just feels right, even with a thin fleece under it for those cold days.

Breathability - very little. This is a jacket for the cooler days. It has a couple of air vents under the arms, but that is about it. No liner in this one either. So a very basic jacket, but great build and quality.

The 2nd one, the Dianese Portland jacket, is my summer jacket. This is constructed with Dainese d-skin fabric with a mesh back. Armor in shoulders/ elbows. The cool thing about this jacket is that it comes with a removable back protector, which is super convenient as I don’t have to wear another piece of riding gear and it keeps the jacket in place. The bad, no zipper to attach to pants and the back protector does not fit in my other jackets - I tried :(.

This jacket has been road tested and worked flawlessly. It took brunt of the impact on the shoulder. Armor stayed in place and did its job. If it had moved or not been there I likely would have ended up with some broken parts.

And when I really want to pimp it up, out comes the Tattoo. This was more of an impulse buy while at the Dainese store in Italy (first stop after checking into the hotel ;), but I do like the detailed work that went into it. This is more of a summer jacket and has a combination of leather (perforated) and d-skin material, so is breathable. Armor in shoulders/ elbow, nothing in the back. Includes a zipper for pants. I was a bit disappointed in the build quality on this one as a month into owning it, some of the stitching at the edge of the jacket started coming apart!!! Called Dainese, and they did fix it, but left a bad taste. Other than that, this too has worked well and it definitely gets some attention.

*I recall my first jacket. I had no clue what I was doing, the sales people were unhelpful and I ended up getting a jacket which was super comfortable to wear while walking around, but 3 sizes to large.

Back to rain

2010-11-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

I like Indian summers, too bad that in the pacific northwest it decided to come about in the middle of the week for three days (with near 70 degree weather) and the on schedule the rain returns on the weekend. So what is one to do, but take off early from work, even if it is just to ride the bike out to a coffee shop and work from there. Given the timing of the weather, I was not able to get a long ride in, but did get in a couple of short rides, which included detours on to bike lanes and some pics among the leaves.

No new mods on the bike. I'm thinking about powder coating the exhaust as a winter project, but need to find someone local who can do a decent job and does not cost an arm and a leg. Also want to get new levers. Ducati put on adjustable levers, but only if they could have made them black.

Also looking for some winter gloves. Riding in 45-50 degree weather is not kind on hands. Rev-it seems to have some good options, so need to go down to the bike shop and see what I can find out - I have ridden with glove liners which works for short distances but not the most effective, so think it is time for proper gloves.

Riding in the leaves does tend to make the bike a bit dirty, so washed the bikes yesterday and then, of course had to take a couple of shots. :) My perferred washing materials: Honda Brite for washing/ taking the grime off, Plexus for polishing (awesome stuff), followed by a quick 10 min ride to blow off any remaining water; warm up the chain a bit and then finish off cleaning/ waxing the chain with Chain Wax.

Gear- Back/ Knee protection

2010-10-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

When it comes to gear, often overlooked are a back protector and some sort of protection for the knees/ shins, when one is not wearing riding pants. When it comes to jackets/ pants and overall protective gear- I love the stuff put out by Dainese. It is well made (most of the time), provides great protection and just fits well, at least for me/ my medium build.

For back protection, I have the Wave Air protector. It fits nicely underneath jackets, covers the full length of the spine and is built in pieces so it moves with you, so as not to restrict your movement. Luckily (knock on wood), I have not road tested it, but seems like it would do the job. One issue I'm having with it after owning it for a couple of years is that the velcro is starting to wear out. So either I need to lose* or gain weight so I can close it at a different spot.

For knees/ shins, when I'm not wearing riding pants, I usually wear the Dainese Knee - V Protector underneath jeans (and I know, people say it's overkill, but hey, I kinda like my knees, no matter how knobby). These are made of hard plastic with padding underneath and three straps, one above the knee and two around the calf. Compared to what other manufacturers (Icon/ AlpineStars) offer, these are pretty streamlined, cover top of the knee and the shin and fit very nicely under jeans- inside boots without sticking out or being overly bulky.

*Really not gonna happen

And here are the pics

Fall riding

2010-10-24T15:23:00.001-07:00

Have not had much of a chance to ride in the few weeks - gotta work as well to pay for the toys. We got a couple of dry, sunny days last week to took the 796 out as riding days in the NW are now numbered. Went west of Portland to one of the well know motorcycling roads and had a blast. Roads were still clear(can't say that after this weekend), weather in the 70's and hardly any traffic. Went down a side road into a camp ground and took some pics.

What roads looked like today.

Gear- Lids

2010-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pouring outside, so no riding today, instead some more gear reviews. This time it’s the helmets. I have two that I end up wearing most of the time - an Arai Vector and a Scorpion EXO 400. I bought the Scorpion about three years ago and have had the Arai for a little over a year now.

The Scorpion, cost me about $160 and has been a great lid. It fits well, the lining can be taken out - so when I sweat and stink it up, I can just take it out and throw it in the washer (cold water and air dry). It is also not very heavy, hardly ever any fogging on the shield and most of all, it is really stable at high speeds, i.e. no bobbing of the head due to the wind.

The other really positive thing about this is how easy it is to change the shield - just twist the shield holder on the side and it pops out. That said, I usually just have the tinted shield on this one and use it when it's sunny/ when I'm not expecting to ride in the dark, etc. In the three years I have had it, I have had no issues with it, other than the snap on the strap that melted because I hung it from my foot peg and it touched the hot exhaust - so completely my fault.

Now the Arai. Cost about $400. The positives - great fit; a little more comfortable than the Scorpion, but I don't know I that is good or bad - helmets are supposed to be super snug. It is very "pretty" :), paint job on it is amazing, colors just pop. Venting is good so you get good airflow, however, it can get cold when the temps drop.

The negatives (or as we say in the biz world, "areas of improvement"). It would be nice if I could take the liner out; even though the shield has air vents, it does not prevent it from fogging; noticeable headshake at speed and worst of all, changing the shield is a pain (that is why I only have a clear shield on it and wear it in the evening/ cloudy days, etc.). Also, in the year and a half, the side-pods that go over the shield have broken twice, for no reason whatsoever, i.e. I was not changing shields, taking it off or anything- it just broke off - the strap also frayed bad enough that I could not snap it shut.

Now that said, Arai's customer service has been amazing. They have replaced the side pod twice and fixed the strap as well (although I had to send in the helmet for that to be done), but it was all very easy, I contacted them via email, they replied within a day and fixed the problem. But should the helmet really have had these issues in the first place?!? oh well.

Needless to say, of the two, I would say I end up wearing the Scorpion about 70% of the time.

weekend rides..

2010-10-03T22:22:00.000-07:00

Weather in the Pacific Northwest is unpredictable, especially in the fall and spring seasons, one day it can be beautiful, sunny, temps in the 80's and the next day it is raining (sometimes, snowing/ hailing) with a high of 50. And I am not fond of riding in the rain - I mean, what is the point of riding, when you are slipping and sliding around on the street.

Well, that is what the last week has been like- great during the week and cloudy and somewhat on the cooler side on the weekends. I did, however, get out for a ride or two. Took the 848 out, better wind protection, plus I have been neglecting it a bit since I got the 796 and was missing it. Great ride out in wine country and the bike just felt great, focused, power on demand and it just felt very connected.

I also continue to notice the differences . The seat, the 848 just has a plank after spending a few hours on it, the 796 feels plush- I would also say the same for the suspension, monster is akin to a grand tourer, it just soaks up the imperfections in the road and is much, much more forgiving on the family jewels. Both bikes have their pluses and minuses but again both are super fun machines.

Can't be a post without a Monster photo :)

signals...

2010-09-24T21:21:00.001-07:00

After replacing the OEM signals in the rear, the front seemed d out of place, so decided to replace them with the Ducati LED's as well. Well, they look good, very visible but of course, nothing with Ducati is that simple. The blinking frequency is off (and yes, these have resistors built-in) i.e. when the bike is running, they blink at a normal rate (most of the time), but at a standstill, blink fast- like one of the bulbs is out.

The dealership noted that is normal as the circuit is off when the bike is not running, but I don't know.

Separate note, I also got the Rizoma sport grips today. Installed them and they left a gap of about half an inch on one side of the controls- kinda sucks and ruins the look/ feel. Controls can't be moved since there is a pin and the bars would need to be drilled. Ended up taking them off and just returning them. Next up- thinking of CRG shorty levers.

More tail chop pics.

2010-09-18T20:50:00.001-07:00

Some better pics/ details of the tail chop.

Tail chop and new blinkers

2010-09-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

So I finally got my tail chop kit after waiting for about two months. Super excited to get it on, so decided to be adventurous and try to install it myself. It was not super hard, but pretty tedious and time consuming- definitely some lessons learned in Italian engineering and design.

Also as I was installing the fender kit, I realize that the stock signals will not fit on the short tail given the fact that I installed the passenger bars a few weeks ago. So this meant going and getting new smaller signals - I was going to change those out anyway, but this just made it happen sooner. I looked at the Rizoma's but really liked how the Ducati performance ones looked and ended up with those. Anyway, its all installed and looks, I must say so myself, pretty good.

So what I got in the the fender kit-
- a plastic undertail
- short lock cable
- led number plate light
- European licence plate holder (metal)
- some hardware and brackets for signals
- NO instructions

With the LED signals
- Two signals
- wires with resistors
- plastic adapter to center it in the stock hole
- hardware
- instructions - YAY!... but mostly in Italian.

Lessons learned:
- DX and SX in Italian stand for right and left
- Red wires don't always connect with red wires, black wires don't always connect with black wires. (For the LED lights)
- Metal work will be required
- Don't expect any instructions.
- Wire harnesses SUCK!
- Short lock cables SUCK even more.

Some additional things I have received questions on and some high level instructions.

1: Take off the seat (duh!)
2: Remove 2 bolts in the tray which holds the toolkit
3: Remove the two bolts that hold the servo unit; disconnect the servo harness; move out of the way; Also disconnect the light harness.
4: Remove 4 bolts that hold the metal section on the top (tip: the bolts probably are marked from the factory (the yellow marker). Place or mark them to make sure that you put them back in the slot they came out from; that way you can align the lines back, especially if you don't have a torque wrench.
5: Remove the bolts with the rubber housing: you have to hold the bolts underneath while unscrewing the top
6: You can now remove the entire tail section.
7: With the tail section removed,
i. Undo the lock assembly (loosen the plastic nut with pliers, once it's loose, its easy to screw off.
ii. Brake light (you'll need a torx driver for this (think it was #20))
iii. Take off the signals, wires should be marked dx and sx, see above for what they mean

Assembling the DP tail kit:
1: Cut the Euro frame. If you cut the legs right below the two middle bolts you'll be good to go.
2: Install the LED plate light/ brake light; fairly straightforward
3: Install the lock (reverse of how you took it off)
4: Install signals; you will not use the stock bolts. This is where the right angle brackets go. One side acts as a spacer for the signal, the other side aligns with the hole where one of the bolts with rubber top goes. This supports the signal and makes them secure, otherwise the plastic is super thin there. You will use the bolts that came with the kit.
5: Lock cable: this is a pain the DP replacement lock cable is super short, so install it while you have everything open. When putting the section back on the bike, you will need some help to hold it there while you screw in the lock to the metal plate.
6: Put everything back together in reverse. Remember to thread the light cable and the servo through the metal plate before screwing everything together
7: Also make sure that there are no wires obstructing the servo; it could screw up your throttle response in neutral.

So here are some pics.

The hardware:

Tail kit

Signals.

Two tails together

The LED and the signal

The full chop

Gear- Kicks...

2010-09-11T23:15:00.000-07:00

strongly believe in wearing some sort of protective gear when riding- a helmet, jacket, boots, gloves, back protector and some sort of knee/ leg armor. I've been lucky and have not had a bad crash, but when I "bit it", wearing good gear is what saved me a$$ - And having the right armor and the right fitting gear is key. I know tight fitting stuff seems like overkill or uncomfortable or you end up looking like you have just come off a race track, but when you go down, you don't want that armor moving. I'll throw up pics of what I wear with my thoughts, so starting off with shoes.

I have two pairs, Sidi Vertigos (full boot)and Puma Flat v2 (half boot). I can't say enough good things about the Vertigos, they are comfortable when riding, have armor in all the right places, have an adjustable calf, so if you are wearing leathers or knee guards, etc., you can tuck them in, have couple of air vents for those hot days and just overall I think are the best riding boot out there. It is also cool that you can pretty much replace everything on the boot from the toe slider to the sole. :)

In terms of daily wear, they are not designed for walking or hiking long distances. You can loosen the calf adjustment for walking, or wear them to work if you are a desk jockey but don't expect to run laps anywhere, anytime soon.

The Puma's on the other hand are designed as an urban boot. I usually wear them when riding my scooter. Comfortable, but not much protection, more of a glorified high-top sneaker. They look good but I probably could have spent fifty bucks more and bought Sidi's streetburners.

The pics:

Sidi Vertigos

Puma Flat V2.

Solo ride out

2010-09-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

No new upgrades, just a few pics from a ride last week.
Still getting used to the passenger bars ;)

Grab bars....

2010-09-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

Got the rear passenger grab bars today (still waiting for the fender kit), and just so everyone know, they did not come with any hardware or instructions. I didn't realize that they are and stick out a bit from the rear but are designed well and do not detract from the lines of the bike. Lets see if these grow on me otherwise I may have to take them off.

The install was fairly simple. #5 hex key to take off the two bolts that connect the rear exhaust to the frame, take out the spacers and fit the bars in, using the same hardware. You then need on M6 bolt (not included) to connect the last part of the bar to the frame and that is it.

Some pics:

The bar and the bolt that does not come with it

The two bolts that need to come out.

Installed

With the seat on

Ride to the coast

2010-08-29T08:44:00.001-07:00

Rode out to the coast today on the monster taking some back roads, including a one and a half lane side road used mostly by ATV's and off-roaders (it was paved), but had to keep a look out for riders crossing the road at any point. 70 degree weather throughout and the bike, as expected, was fun to ride. I do need to remember to let it get to temp before taking off, however, as it does tend to spit and sputter when cold.

Pic for the day.

79.6

2010-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Yes that was the mileage on my trip meter today as I parked the bike at work :)

Even spiders like Monsters

Puma

2010-08-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not big on stickers and decals on bikes, but the one I have on all my bikes is a Puma logo. Somehow I just like the look.

BTW, still waiting for the fender kit and the passenger handles, both have been on order for about a month now.

And just for fun, the other two cats....

848 today

2010-08-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

After about a week of riding the monster, I took the 848 to work today and WOW!- the bike felt completely different. Guess I did not feel the difference when that was the only bike I was riding. Power; I can tell it is a superbike, even though the engine size is about 50 cc more, the water cooled, 4 valves and the 134hp vs. 87hp make an impact. Steering was super focused as well, slight adjustments, pressure on the handlebars and away it goes. I don't feel like I move around on the seat as much on the monster and I really need to on the 848. Anyway, it was cool to experience the different bikes.

Painted calipers

2010-08-12T23:07:00.000-07:00

Similar to the 848 the 796 does not come with the painted Brembo calipers, so took out the touch up paint for my red vespa and here you go.

Before:

After:

And some more details:
Tank closeup

Headlight

Commuting

2010-08-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

Have not commuted much on the Monster yet, but in traffic, the exhaust does get hot! - Hot enough that if you are not careful you could burn. Think somone needs to come up with better heat shields for it. Other option, getting ceramic coating on the pipes. Will see what comes on the market, otherwise this will make for a good winter project.

First 1000 miles

2010-08-09T16:05:00.001-07:00

I have had my M796 for about two weeks now and am nearing 1000 miles (that included a ~700 mile trip up to Canada). As the miles have racked up, its running a bit smoother, even at the lower rpms, but again, it is happiest in its power range of 5-8k rpms, although I have not really pushed it too much at the higher end, given the break in period.

600 mile service (@about 800 miles) was done last week - included an oil/ filter change, cleaning of the oil screen, chain was way loose to tightened it up. That was about it. Cost $160.

In terms of mods, the mirrors have been replaced by bar ends. And waiting for the fender eliminator kit to get here. There are a few more mods I'd like to do, but at this point think this will be it.

Close ups

2010-08-08T20:44:00.001-07:00

Pics of some of the details, from the instrument cluster to the detail stitching on the seat and the 796 decals.

first real ride

2010-07-28T07:24:00.000-07:00

Picked up the bike yesterday. It is black with a red frame. Rode it about 200 miles, mostly freeway, given we had to drive to a dealer out of town, but it was still fun. It does not have the clutch issue (no friction zone) that I experianced with the demo ride, so must have been an adjustment thing. Overall rides great, really like the handling and the ergos.

It's here.....

2010-07-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

The problem,however, is the fact that I'm about 3000 miles away from it, so can't really pick it up until next week, so more to come then.

Test ride- Duc Monster 796

2010-06-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

The premier of the Ducati Monster 796 was yesterday at Motocorsa in Portland with about 15-20 people there, nevertheless, folks were huddled around the bike so did not get a chance to look at it.

So went to the dealership today and just my luck, the bike was there and they were willing to let me take it for a test ride - no complaining that it takes them 30 mins to prep the bike, etc. like I have heard salespeople say in the past. Took about a 25 min ride on the back roads. First impressions - very different power delivery vs. the 848 (ie.not a whole lot of power) but enough and very manageable. Bike was happiest around the 5-6k rpm mark and seemed to sputter at lower rpms. Power delivery was smooth, very linear, but that is what I was expecting from a Ducati L-Twin.

Very pleasantly surprised with the handling and ergonomics. Coming from a Monster S2R and a 848, the bike was amazingly comfortable with more of an upright position. Felt super light in the corners again more like a dirt bike or the Hyper. All of this helped me get comfortable on it really fast.

What I did not like as much was the clutch. It was super light, but hardly any friction zone there. It was either off or on. May be in need of adjustment, but that was the one thing I needed to get used to.

Fit/finish of the bike was what you would expect from Ducati - with the single sided swingarm, the 5 spoke wheels, it looks the part. Things that you would absolutely want to change as in any Monster, the mirrors. The signals seem unusually big, think aftermarket Rizomas would look cool on it. Tail section needs to be cleaned up. The stock exhaust has a good sound, but it as well as the heat shields did get get hot - so if nothing else, carbon fiber heat shields may be a good addition. Other than that not much to change here.

Overall, a really fun bike to ride

Waiting...

2010-06-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

Ordered a Monster 796 on April 22nd, it was expected first week of May, but still not here. National launch on June 25 and dealer says that it will be here early July. Lets see.....

Color: don't know. I'm being surprised.

The red vespa is waiting for some company in the garage.