31 - Aug 2006 - I am worn out. I just spent an 8 hour day working on 2 customer bikes - an '06 MTS1000 and a stubborn '02 998. The 998 has no spark. I've surmised that it is the ECU. When troubleshooting electricals it often comes down to replacing parts to find the culprit. Tomorrow I'll hook it up to my diagnostic software and make a final determination. Everything else checks out - fuel, compression, just no spark!! In between boxing with the 998, I installed a header on the MTS and a Powercard EFI enhancer. Bike fired right up, but the horizontal cylinder is making an awful racket. I'm going to pull the valve covers in the morning and check the clearances. The bike only has 188 miles on it, so valve clearance shouldn't be an issue. While I'm in there, I'll give a tug on the valve stem to check the exhaust valve guide -- a problem on some DS1000 motors.

Working in the shop is great until I have to start up a bike - then the door has to come open and a wall of 100 degree humid air hits me like a wall. God, I hate Florida summers. Waaahhhhhhhhhhh.....

That's about it. Tomorrow I'm going to get an early start in the garage -- I want to be out there by 0600. I need to finish the MTS, get my track bike out of the shop (new fuel connectors and she's good as gold), and start tearing into Gregg Kirby's '04 ST4S. Looks like a fun day. I think I'll make tomorrow a Western Day in the old garage --- Clint Eastwood day - Hang 'Em High, High Plains Drifter, Pale Rider, and the Unforgiven. That should make the day go fast.

This weekend I need to get some new products up on the website - Single-sided Ducati left side sprocket carrier nut tools, MTS/749/999 fender eliminator brackets and Brass 748-998 male fuel connectors.

30 - Aug 2006 - It's rumor time for the 2007 season. Everything from the 07 bikes to the 07 race team lineup is being discussed on the message boards. Here's what I gather the rumors to be:

• Rumor - The SS series is being killed. My response - Until the 2007 lineup is released this fall nobody knows other than the dealers that were at the dealer convention last week. I think they'll use '07 to clear out any remaining inventory but that no new production will take place.
• Rumor - Hypermotoard will come in basic and an "S" or "R" variant. My response - It certainly makes sense that it will come in 2 variants.
• Rumor - 2 valve bikes will increase in displacement another 100cc. My Response - That seems to be the way of the world, but it may not yield much in HP. My magazine just tested the new Monster 695 and it has less power than the 620. The problem is the Euro-3 emission standards. The bikes are coming so CO strangled that performance numbers are poor. Still, Ducati likes to take incremental steps, so another 100cc boost in displacement to the 800 and 1000 would mean a 695, a 900 and an 1100. This may not happen for next year though. Ducati is spending $$$ on redesigning the Superbikes and coming out with the Supermotard.
• Rumor - Superbikes will be redesigned and have a boost in displacement. My response - Yes, both will happen, and probably at the same time. Ducati will announce this in a few months. I'd like to see the 999/749 platform for another year or two, but Ducati feels pressure to do a redesign to keep up with Japanese sportbikes.
• Rumor: Capirossi is in again for next year, but Gibernau is out. My response - Ducati would have to buy out Gibernau's 2nd year. His original contract was for 2 years. Rumors also are floating that Nicky will jump ship to Ducati. I don't think he or Honda wants that to happen. More likely, Biaggi and or Toseland will be on B-team Ducatis.
• Rumor: Ducati will announce a new ST4RS with a testa motor in it. My response - Actually this is a rumor I'm trying to spread. Ducati is focusing more on the MTS as a tourer, and is keeping the ST3 around to recoup development costs. The testa will end up in a Tourer, but I don't think it will happen for '07.

There you have it - all the rumors that I've heard floating around. Time will tell which will pan out. All I care about is that Ducati stays solvent.

29 - Aug 2006 - I worked on a 998 and an MTS1000 today. I removed the fairing from an MTS for the first time. What a PITA. Worse than any ST bike. The front fairing uses a combination of screws, pins and dzus fasteners. Also, the airbox is almost as bad at the ST2. All kinds of hoses and parts attached to it. The air filter on the MTS is very restrictive. On top of the OEM filter is a pre-screen of foam to keep bits from getting into the paper filter. It should work great, but it also is restrictive. I'm also not impressed with the new stepper motor on the throttle bodies. You can no longer adjust the idle with a fast idle cable or at the throttle itself. Adjustments to idle have to be made at the throttle bodies, which, in the case of the MTS is a nightmare with the fairing on.

I attached a Power Card to the MTS and will tune it on TH. I decided against dynojet Power Commanders for a few reasons. First, the Power Card is about $100 cheaper, it is smaller and is easier to tune. In short, the Power Card is a winner. The Power Card was designed by Techlusion, the founder of which was one of the principals of Dynojet who left the company some time ago. Installation is foolproof and it isn't invasive into the wiring of a Duck. It simply wires inline of the injectors downstream from the ECU. So it doesn't fool the ECU, it simply modifies the pulses the ECU sends.

28 - Aug 2006 - So Ducati has signed Capirossi for next year. Not a big surprise there. It's a shame another competitive rider can't ride alongside him. A few years ago, Ducati thought Bayliss was the solution, but nobody except Capirossi has experienced success with the Demosedeci. I don't know of any competitive riders floating around to replace Gibernau, but it wouldn't take much to match his performance this year. Let's see, Sete is in an uninspiring 14th place. His most significant accomplishment this year is taking out Capirossi and ruining Loris' title hopes for the year. Well done Sete. I'm not disappointed about Sete's performance, but I am pissed about what he did to Loris. Frankly, I'm enjoying the curse that Rossi put on him when he stated that Sete would never win a MotoGP race.

I expect the 800cc MotoGP bikes to be twitchy next year... kind of like the old 500cc two strokes. FIM was stupid to lower the displacement, for I don't see it doing anything to stop top end speed. What it has done is raise the cost substantially for development and it will give the riders bikes that are more on the edge of tune than present GP bikes.

I know I'm crazy, but my money is still on Rossi. If Yamaha would have put a reliable bike underneath him, he'd be on top already. If he makes up 8 points per race, he'll win it. That would require a miracle, but its doable. Just so long as Nicky or Rossi wins it. If Pedrosa wins, you can skip his acceptance speech. He's got the personality of a popcorn fart.

A final note on USA performance. We're 1,7,8 and 9th in the points race. Not too shabby when a few years ago we only had KR JR to look to.

I taught all day today. Tomorrow I'll get an early crack at working on bikes, working on them for about 7 hours, showering and changing clothes, and then teaching 3 hours tomorrow night. My "real" career is really cramping my spending time in the garage.

27 - Aug 2006 - Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, but it rarely is around my house. First, we made a trip to Walmart to stock up for hurricane season - water, batteries, fans, extension cords, candles, flashlights, etc. Then a few hours working on the lawn, and then 4 hours in the garage. I worked on 4 bikes simultaneously. First, a case saver on a customer's 998, then the Full-Monty clutch install on Gregg Kirby's ST4S, then new reservoir covers on my track bike, then a new chain and sprockets, a CF rear hugger, and a fender eliminator kit on my MTS. Poof, another day shot. My air conditioner in the shop can barely keep up with this heat, but it takes the edge off, which is what matters. I hate sweating when I'm working on bikes.

I'm really impressed with the design of the MTS. Definitely more sportbike than touring bike, but it is really comfy. I sent off the right engine side cover to machined, so the bike will sit for a few weeks. That's fine, because I don't need to be working on my bikes right now anyway. By the time I get the current round of bikes out of the shop, it will hopefully start cooling off a little. Then I can concentrate on renovations to the shop property. I'm dropping 25K into improvements this fall.

26 - Aug 2006 - I've spent a little time trying to jump-start a Pensacola area Ducati club. I put signs up at the local Ducati dealer and have had a few people show up at my weekly get-togethers, but getting a local Ducati club going is a tough nut to crack. Few are sold locally and fewer are seen. Many moons ago I started a successfull all-brands sport bike club in Pensacola. It died in Pensacola, but is alive and well elsewhere. Getting a Duck club going will far more difficult.

Today is a washout. That means no yardwork. Oh darn... Instead, I'll be heading with Suzi to see the inlaws.

I'm all caught up on orders except for RAM mounts and the fairing brackets. The brackets will ship on monday and the RAM mounts get here on Tue. I lose sleep when I'm backordered stuff. It drives me crazy.

I mailed a bunch of stuff off the one of my friendly machinists today. Some for me, and other stuff to replenish inventory --- engine side covers, cam belt covers, and a single sided carrier cover. Again, there is a delay in getting the stuff. I wish I were in a different part of the country, but if I was I'd probably be swamped with bikes and would be hating life. I get a slow trickle of bikes in Pensacola, which is fine with me. I've found that I'd rather make money selling parts than sweating over a customer's bike. Call me lazy.

I went to a few message boards this week to see what the latest gossip is with regards to the next gen superbike. Man, I love how gossip flies... like any of the digital creations by ducatisti will be the actual product. MCN had a what-if shot of the bike 6 months ago, but nobody knows what it will look like. I have my own expectations, but we'll see. I do know that the first year won't be the year to get. The platform will have substantial changes, and it will take Ducati a few years to work out the kinks. Look at the multistrada. The mirrors, seat and sidestand had major revisions. And the 999 -- revisions to the front fairing and a new swingarm. I'm more concerned about the powerplant. If the new superbike is significantly different in terms of bore, stroke and components, expect problems. Yes, I'll get one, but I'll wait until Rev 2 or 3. And since that will be the next bike I get, and will have quite some time to save up, I may even do an "R". I need that like a whole in the head, but by then I'll be getting close to 50, and late-mid-life crisis will be in full swing.

Gregg, your fairing comes off tomorrow and I'll start working on her on Tue. Getting her done by next Sat will be chore, but we'll see. I already laid out the full monty clutch upgrade parts next to her on the lift. I swear your bike giggled when I walked past it. Man, I can hardly wait for you to ride it with the parts I'm going to install. :-)

Gotta go. Time to grab a quick workout.

25 - Aug 2006 - I spend 8 hours working on Ducks today. The day started when I tried to remove the spark plugs on a 998, only to find that none of my spark plug sockets would fit... and that Ducati doesn't make a tool to fit it. No fear. Out comes a brand new 5/8" deep well socket. Take said socket over to the grinder and 10 minutes later have a custom fit spark plug tool for the testastrettas. The OD has to be 20mm in order to fit around the spark plug. Things are narrow in there. I did as much on the customer's bike, but am waiting on new fuel disconnects and an F/I modifier. Once I was finished with the 998, I tore into the MTS. The usual bits --- pull out the clutch innards and then the clutch side engine cover to be milled out. Then pull off the stock sprocket for a quick change hub and different gearing. I'm hot, sweaty, and ready for a nice dinner with Suzi.

I'm backlogged about 20 order, waiting on 2 parts. I hate it when I stock out, and I hate even more waiting on vendors. Another problem is my location. 99% of the vendors are in California. That means 5 work days to get the products to me in Pensacola at reasonable shipping rates. Oh well, no sense bitching. That's just the way it is. I've tried ordering a full week before I stock out, but still end up having to delay customer shipments.

I broke my trusty digital micrometer yesterday and had to use digital calipers in a pinch. They worked great, but I'm used to a micrometer. Shim measurement isn't rocket science, but once your used to a certain way of doing things you show favoritism.

I get to rest up for a few days. The fall term starts next week, and I've still got 3 customer bikes sitting in the shop. Something tells me next week is going to suck.

24 - Aug 2006 - I took my first spin on my MTS1000 last night. What a fun bike. Great motor, although the DS puts out more vibration than other 2 valve motors. My editor thinks it is due to a primary imbalance from the connecting rods. The MTS is much more of a sport bike than my Gran Canyon. It is nimbler and has much more horsepower. Once I get customer bikes out of the way, I'll set up the MTS to my tastes.

Yesterday I worked a few hours on a customer's 998, a task that I'll repeat today. Both my 748 and his 998 experienced blown quick disconnect elbows in the same day. I'm going to start carrying brass replacement elbows for the 748-998 superbikes. The elbows are still cheaper than the Ducati OEM part, and will last the life of the bike. Today, I dived into the valves, finishing the vertical head and taking measurements on the horizontal head. I have to change out every closing shim... $*^%)() that depresses me because closers are a pain in the ass to remove and install. I hate working on 4-Valvers. Give me a monster 2-valver any day. Not much to comment on. Its blistering outside, and I'm couped up all day in a 24x24 shed... with air conditioning, a refrigerator, a DCD player and a television.... and 3 customer bikes. I'm living large....

23 - Aug 2006 - I'm just back from Austin TX. 36 hours, 1200 miles, and 1 MTS1000. The traffic along the I-10 corridor from Baton Rouge to Houston is awful, but attempts at alternate routes were met with similar construction and delays. Now that I've got another toy, its time to work on bikes. I start this afternoon, once I put a few hours in at the office.

So call me a clairvoyant. DNA is out of AMA. Aside from Mladin's stupid comments, I think Ducati is right to pull out until AMA gets its stuff together. In case you didn't read it on Superbikeplanet, Mladin was quoted as saying that it isn't the bike, but rather the rider. I'd love to see him try to win on the Ducati. Actually if he rode the Ducati, I'd probably rout for the bike to explode. The decision to pull out was, in part, about ego. Ducati hates to continually lose. Their press statement was matter of fact. I don't see what having a Ducati tent at AMA races will do. I mean, who wants to cheer on the Japs while standing under a Ducati tent. I think they should divert the AMA funds into company-sponsored customer events - like a rolling track-day tour around the US. Partner with other vendors, set up tents and have Ducati-days around the US. That's about as likely to happen as me waking up satisfied with my bike collection.

Okay, so I promised some comments about WSB and Ducati. in 2007, Ducati will have to soldier on another year in WSB with the same platform. That's gonna be tough. Ducati caught the japanese manufacturers flatfooted this year with Bayliss' skill and some tweaks on the old 999. Next year, expect some new japanese hardware. To counter, I'd like to see Hodgson team with Bayliss, and another team with Xaus and ????. Ducati shouldn't have let Toseland go, and I think Honda will hold onto him. Perhaps another Brit. There are rumors that Biaggi will be back next year, but I hope Ducati doesn't sign him. He's cursed just like Gibernau. The advantage of Ducati running two corse teams will be more parts on the track and a better chance at victory. The big decision will be announced next year when Ducati has to decide if a 1200cc streetbike is feasible without WSB approval. That decision has already been made, we just don't know it yet. Oh, and about my speculating, it's just that. I don't have any "ins" at Ducati or through my motojournalist contacts. I just think and write.

21 - Aug 2006 - Well, it was another Suzuki-thon at VIR yesterday, wasn't it? Hodgson managed a 3rd in Race 1 though. Rumors continue to swirl about Ducati pulling out of AMA. Personally, I don't really care, as I haven't watched a full AMA racesince Nicky left. Kudos to AMA for dominating the series, and thumbs down for AMA's policies resulting in factories pulling out. Yamaha and Kawasaki's pullout of AMA Superbike was a result of continuously changing rules. With Kawi already back in and Yamaha expected to come back in next year, things would seem to be getting better. They're not. Other than Spies, new talent is a little hard to identify for the factory teams. Yates will switch brands next year, but the rest is standard fare. B Boz will be out of Ducati while E Boz will be in on the Yamaha, Hodgson will fly back across the pond to Europe, Ducati Austin stickers will be a collectible, Duhamel will soldier on with sponsorship from AARP, and Mladin will... well, who cares. Specifically with regards to Ducati, the L-Twin superbike is competitive in some series, but costs too much for private teams. To make them competitive requires a state of tune that is wallet-killing. That fact that Ducati can compete at all is amazing given their size. That aside, Ducati doesn't like to race unless they can win. They know that to sell bikes to the masses, the bikes have to be competitive with the marketplace. So, if 1200CC is the self-felt need by Ducati, then until the series change to accept the handicap, Ducati will be out, for while they love to race, selling bikes is most important. I know all about the "race on Sunday, sell on Monday" mentality, but it isn't that simple. Racing is a nice to have. It costs a shit-load of money, most of which could have been better spent in other marketing venues. For Ducati, racing, supposedly comes first, because of their passion for the sport. Well, if they're contemplating pulling out of AMA, then what does that tell you about AMA? As we say in the Army, AMA is about as Fu$%ed up as a soup sandwich. Ditch FX and Superstock, be more stringent on timing rules to get rid of 1/2 of the back-markers, and give twins a displacement advantage.

Comments on WSB and MotoGP on Wed. I'm off to drive 1500 miles round trip for an MTS.

20 - Aug 2006 - Whereas the past two weeks have been military-based, yesterday was a total Ducati day. I blitzed home the 750 miles to Pensacola on Friday, awoke Sat morning, and within 12 hours 3 customers had dropped off their bikes. A dead 998 with an electrical glitch, a MTS1000 that is running too lean, and a routine service on an ST4S. I spent the day with Suzi catching up on orders and getting things out in the mail, restocked inventory, organized the shop and prepped the truck for another trek this week to get my MTS. Whew!!! Typical day for me in Pensacola.

Tomorrow I take off for Austin to get the MTS, get back on Tue night and wed start wrenching on customer bikes. I work on a first come, first serve basis, and am full for the next two weeks. There are 10s of hours of work waiting for me in the shop already. The good thing about me shop is that I learned several years ago when to say "no". I don't keep bikes for weeks and weeks. That aggrevates me and my customers.

My favorite customer, Gregg Kirby showed up last night. Gregg drives far and wide in his work truck, most of the time with his ST4S attached behind on a trailer. Whenever he works in a locale with good roads, he unloads the ST and hits the twisties. When its time for a service, he drops the bike off, stays the night, and then heads out the following day, only to return a few weeks later to pick up the ST. Great guy, and a nice ST.

On the product front, I have to arrange my dealership setup with Dynojet this week, and order a few Power Commanders so that they get here in the next week for customer bikes. I foresee a dyno in my future within the next few years, but there's a lot I have to do business-wise before that will become feasible.

17 Aug 2006 - Today was a total military day. I proctored a test in the morning, worked on a briefing I'll give tomorrow morning all afternoon, and went out with about 20 of my students this evening. I had a blast. I don't get a chance to got out often with those that like to discuss politics and world events, much less do so with people who know what's going on. A great group of soldiers and Americans.

I have to teach tomorrow AM and then get in the truck and blast 750 miles home to Pensacola. I can't wait to get home. The best part of leaving home is coming back. Next week at this time I'll be up to my armpits in Ducati parts... Ahhhhhh....

Oh, I almost forgot. I created a comments board on my message board just for the DD. If you liked or disliked a particular editorial, you can vent there.

16 Aug 2006 - I had a chat with my friend Charlie Smith today. Charlie makes quite a few of my products. Anyway, Charlie and I were discussing fuel injection setups and we got into a history of Ducati F/I. I have to admit, that I'm not impressed with the advances made to F/I in the last 10 years. The new ECU that Ducati uses is much smaller and lighter, but it isn't nearly as adjustable as the old P8 or 16 ECUs. In fact, the new closed system F/I has a C/O header plug so that Ducati can pass the new Euro 3 emission standards -- which are very stringent. This makes Ducati's very lean. However, from what I've been told, the computer only uses the C/O header probe inputs at idle rpm, thus possible benefit of having a C/O senser optimize the fuel air mixture over the range of rpm and loads. The solution is to replace the ECU, but this is costly. The next best thing is to install a Power Commander III or Techlusion Box -- both of which violate Ducati's warranty. Ain't life fun. So, before owners take their bikes in for any service, they need to remove any F/I black box modifiers. Sounds like a good reason to do one's own service. The problem is when customers come to me to fix chronic lean problems with the newer 5.9 ecus and the real solution is PC it. When I tell them I can fix it, but it violates the warranty, they get a puzzled look on my face. I tell them not to feel bad, because working on Ducks often leaves me puzzled as well.

15 Aug 2006 - After teaching for 7 hours today I'm smoked. Nothing is quite as rewarding as teaching, but I'm as beat after a full day of teaching as a full day of riding. Guess which I'd rather be doing?

I met another Ducatisti today at the Special Warfare Center. A fellow Major acosted me during a break to tell me he rides a M900ie. Seemed like a nice guy. He also rode a GS1200. I'm going to go out later this week for a dinner with the students of mine that ride to talk safety issues. I feel obligated to discuss such things with junior riders. I'm not the fountain of information, but with approximately 200K under my belt, some things seem to work for me to stay out of trouble.

No Ducati news to speak of. It looks like I'm going to do a blitz run in the truck next monday to pick up the MTS. In the meantime, folks needing servicing will start rolling in this weekend. I'll be working on a 998 next week, with follow on plans to work on an MTS1000, ST3, ST2 and ST4s. Looks like the rest of August and Sept will be busy. If you need your bike worked on, let me know. I only do a bike at a time, and will shut down again in mid October for another 2 weeks to pull more Army duty.

14 Aug 2006 - Every once in awhile I need to be slapped upside the head. Let me explain. It is rare that I ever get an email with a product problem. One of the reasons is because I sell good stuff. Take the deluxe vacuum bleeder. It is 1/2 the cost of comparable bleeders and I've found it to work great. Unfortunately, when you mail such parts overseas things happen. So I sell a bleeder to a gentleman in Europe and get an email 2 months later that the bleeder has a vacuum leak in the reservoir -- the cap doesn't seal. Now, remember that I'm military, and discuss some life and death stuff. So when I get an email from a customer complaining about a product, my first reaction is bow up and say "well, he's out of the 60 day window for a product return, so he's screwed... and 60 more people died today in Baghdad and I hate Hezbollah....etc...". In a moment of semi-lucidity I sent him an email saying that if he pays return shipping to the EU I'll send him a replacement cap. Then I snap back to reality and comprehend that it isn't his problem, and that the only reason I bowed up to begin with was that I sold a $30 product that now will end up costing me money because I have to pirate a part of another one in order to send him a replacement part. And the goddam Chinese made the damn thing anyway. So, a free of charge part goes out when I get home. Remind me again why I started a business? Oh yeah, it must have been to cure my awful people skills, 'cause it sureas hell wasn't to make money.

Ah I feel much better. No time to chat about other things motorcyclewise. I have a 6 hour block of instruction to give tomorrow and have to rewrite a bunch of the instruction notes. Grrrrrrrrrr... Your taxpayer dollars at work. Oh, one little tidbit though. Two of my students ride --- one a KTM 640 adventure and the other a brand new S2R... and it's his first bike...Imagine your first bike being a Ducati. Wouldn't that kind of spoil you?

13 Aug 2006 - I've gotten a few emails the past week asking for details of our Triumph Scrambler vs Ducati GT1000 review. In order to honor my commitment to the magazine, I can't make any comments until the article comes out. It will be published in the October issue.

Now back to Ducatis. I'm very much looking forward to my main supplier completing his relocation from Las Vegas to Missouri so that I can get fully restocked and come out with a few products that we are designing. He should be set up in Missouri by October, so I'm hopeful I can have a few product launches this fall.

I was disappointed that I didn't get to test the new Monster 695 when I was in California. There was a new one sitting in the magazine's garage, but I was just too busy to ride it. Oh well. My question is, because Ducati boosted the displacement of their entry level bikes, what will happen to the 800 motor? I mean 105cc of a difference isn't really big enough to warrant a different bike. I'm guessing the following will happen.. The 800cc motor will go away and Ducati will launch a big-bore desmodue motor. The 1000cc motor has peaked out at 93 horses. Ducati will probably have the desmodues follow the 4-valve bikes over the 1000cc threshold. So, there will be a 695, a 1000 (possibly with a wet clutch), and a 1200 desmodue. That's a guess anyway. My hope is that Ducati doesn't give up on the dry clutch. I'm a fan of it, like the accessibility it offers and the styling and performance of properly set up dry clutch.

12 Aug 2006 - Once again, I wasn't able to post while on the road. I spent the last few days convalescing in Myrtle Beach SC. Tough life, eh?

Okay, so I've been thinking about the next move for Ducati's 4V bikes. I just read an interesting story in Roadracing World. It interviewed Claudio, asking him why Ducati needed a 200cc handicap when it is beating the competitors right now. Well, it looks like Ducati wants to add displacement to its street bikes to compete against japanese bikes. This makes sense, given the HP numbers that the others are reporting for liter-class bikes. Of course, I wonder how much more horsepower is needed for a street bike. The numbers my 999s puts out are already getting scary for the street.

I think that Ducati will release their replacement for the 999 for 08, as it is getting late in the game to announce something for 2007. Expect a 150-200cc boost in displacement. I'm hoping Ducati doesn't increase the stroke of the bike, as I like the way the 999 revs. In return for this CC handicap, Ducati will probably allow the japanese factories to share in its superior traction control system. Speaking of which, expect traction control in streetbikes within a few years. By allowing traction control on race bikes, it is natural that they will end up on street bikes. This will also make higher horsepower bikes safer for the street. I'd speak more to the technology, but I don't know enough yet to offer an opinion. I'd love to get my hands on a Ducati Corse WSB-spec bike, and no, I don't plan on purchasing one.

I'm looking forward to returning home in a week to relax a bit. Handling orders from afar is getting old, both for Suzi and me. I've got new products to put up on the website, and, hope to, finally, get to work making more axle plates and fairing brackets for early ST models.

9 Aug 2006 - Today was a good day of teaching at the Special Warfare Center. I can't discuss the topics, but it's good to be able to impart knowledge that I know will help soldiers.

I finished my story of the Triumph Scrambler vs Ducati GT1000 and sent it off to my editor. Now that it is complete I can move onto other backlogged pieces. I hope to write a lot this weekend. My buddy in Fayetteville also owns a condo at Myrtle Beach, so I'm escaping there for the weekend. Tough life, but somebody's got to do it.

I received word that the much desired and long-backordered billet clutch pushrod bushings are on the way to me from STM in italy. I only have 10 coming, but I'll pop them up for sale when I get back. Good stuff.

I'm excited to get my Multistrada... and tear it apart. The only thing better than buying a bike is tearing it apart to make it better. I don't go crazy on my touring bikes, so I'll leave it to clutch mods and few other bits. The ecu has already been remapped, so no work to do there. I'll probably check the valves so that I can forget about them for 10K. Ducati is much better about their valve lash from the factory, but they're still not perfect. Besides, it takes a few thousand miles for the shimstack to bed in.

That's about it for today. Tomorrow I want to talk about my predictions for Ducati's future and start discussing racing stuff again. With Ducati pulling out AMA and running possible 2 teams next year in WSB, there's a lot to discuss. Cheers

8 Aug 2006 - Today was a LONG day. Up at 0430, on the road at 0515 and administering PT tests at 0545. This afternoon I taught a 3 hour class, and was shagged out at the end. Nothing like a class of officers and NCOs asking questions to wear you out. It is an honor to get to train the soldiers entrusted to me. I take it very serious, and believe in what I'm doing. Soldiering isn't about questioning what the State Department is doing and what policies they are making. We implement policy rather than make it. The fact that the war in Iraq is unpopular yet we have the support of the American people means everything to us. It makes the BS we have to deal with trivial, for a pat on the back from a civilian is worth all the crap that soldiers have to endure while overseas. Still, I wouldn't trade the life of any American soldier for that of an Iraqis, or Afghani, or any other nationality. Life is precious to us, and what separates us from many parts of the world where life is cheap.

In the midst of this day, I had a chance to swap a few calls with a dealer who had an MTS1000 that I was interested in. After getting a hold of some digital pics and talking about them with the salesman, I got out my wallet and made a $500 deposit. I usually don't take very long once I've set my mind on a particular model. The MTS makes sense to me. It will be my next touring bike, and is my first DS1000 motor. I'll take possession of it a few days after I get home. The MTS in question is an '04 model with 3000 miles. Black bodywork with a red frame and wheels, termi slip ons, DP seat and windscreen. The price was more than reasonable.

Time to now cross-talk with Suzi about orders of the past few days, and walk her through filling them. What a great wife.

With each passing day, another day of summer heat is endured and put behind me. By the time I get home, there will only be another 6 weeks or so of the bad heat, after which I can pull the bikes for 7 months of riding. I can't wait.

7 Aug 2006 - Today I got set up at Fort Bragg and met the class I'm helping to teach -- 71 active component Army officers and NCO. Tomorrow I help administer a PT test at 5:45 AM and then teach a class. It's a completely different world in the Army. You constantly see old friends as you meet new ones, but the whole thing is very transient. People come and go, and you have to get used to that.

I handled a bunch of email questions about products and will chat with Suzi about a few of the orders. I got confirmation that my clutch hubs are on the way, and that some other stuff has also shipped. By the time I get home I'll probably be out of other stuff and will have go through the whole reorder process. Like I've said, ordering the parts isn't a problem, getting them is.

Well I won 2 ebay auction for MTSs and still no MTS. A lot of bike auctions are what I call fishing efforts. Owners put a high initial bid price, not telling people that their reserve is much higher. As a result, I win the auction but that's about it. No bike. The owner was merely fishing to see if he could land a sucker who would bid the price up above the reserve price. Without knowing an owner's reserve you can't win. Tomorrow make a few phone calls to see what I can line up. Sometimes you have to take a long term approach to bike hunting. I have a set price range and bike condition expectations. Plus, I can't do anything for a few weeks anyway.

I'm enjoying a year of not writing a maintenance book. It's the first full year that I haven't written one of my Ducati books in 5 years. I won't divulge any future plans, lest I get emails of "when are you going to write your next book". Let's see...delete, delete, delete.... :-)

Off to bed. Eary to bed, early to rise, helps Reserve Majors beat the North Carolina heat.

6 Aug 2006 - I'm all set up at my friend's house in Fayetteville, NC. I got in last night, after driving 750 miles. 250 of the miles were solid rain, making me thankful that I wasn't riding my Gran Canyon any more. The Avalanche plowed right through the rain, while the puny small-cagers cowered on the shoulder of the road with their emergency lights flashing. Wimps!

I spent all day today writing up my GT1000 vs Triumph Scrambler comparo. I hate writing up full reviews, as they are an endeavor in wordsmithship - an effort I find tedious. I'd much rather just give a thumbs up or down. I do the chore because of my fondness for my Editor, Dave Searle... fondness, not gayness. Get a grip.

I just set up my friend's computer with my favorite html editor program and an ftp client. I'm all set to post for the next few weeks.

I've already had to field a few strange customer requests, but Suzi is on the job back home to help out. I don't know what I'd do without her. She's a godsend.

When I drove up yesterday I did so with the cover off the bed of the Avalanche, and with my ramps and front wheel chock installed. I'm on the prowl for an MTS. We'll see.

Tomorrow I convert back into an Army officer. It's a mental conversion to do so. The land of the military requires a different face, and as a field-grade officer, I have to be particularly keen as to my appearance. That means no bugger-picking and butt-crack plucking in the presence of junior officers and enlisted types. After all, I'm a classy guy.

More products to be added when I return home. Throttlemeisters and Power Commanders are next. Yippee!!!! Poor Suzi.....

4 Aug 2006 - Just as things are getting somewhat back to normal around here, it's time for me to take off again, this time for some Army training. The next battle roster is being fielded for the 07-08 rotations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and HOA, so I'm off to Ft. Bragg to train deploying soldiers. I've almost fully stocked DT. Procutting Clutch packs and V2 clutch hubs are on the way and pushrod seal kits have been ordered. The rest of DT is fully stocked. I stuck my neck out and began selling Arrow exhausts online. Great product and a great supplier. I probably won't sell many systems, but that's okay. At least, I can now offer the option to customers. I don't have up the systems for 748-998 superbikes. I'll do that when I get back. Unfortunately Arrow never made systems for the ST series or the 749/999 superbike. I don't know why, but they didn't.

I'll try to post to the DD while I'm gone, but I didn't have much luck doing so last time. As I mentioned on the main site, Suzi will make weekly shipments while I'm gone. Orders during the week of Aug 5-11 will ship on the 12, and orders from the 12-18 Aug will ship on the 19th. I'll be back on the 19th to clean things up.

3 Aug 2006 - Today its time to discuss my sport-tourer - the Cagiva Gran Canyon. When I tested the GC for MCN about 5 years ago, I had no idea it would one day be my tourer. My main gripe with the bike was that it was underpowered and prone to cross-winds. I still have this complaint, but in terms of a great all-around bike, the GC excels. Here's my analysis

• Durability - The GC has been bulletproof for 18000 miles. Not a false start, not a hiccup, and never a disappointment. Cagiva took a great motor and mated a well-thought out chassis, computer and component location setup.
• Fun Factor - the GC excels in tight twisties and on bad roads. The worse the road is, the more likely a sport bike or traditional sport tourer will have difficulty. The combination of the GC's dual purpose tires, long suspension travel and ergonomics mean you can have a blast in the twisties, yet tour comfortably. In my 20+ years of riding, its the best all-around bike I've ever owned.
• Motor - The 904cc injected motor has M750 heads. This supposedly increased low end torque. This is true with the stock 45 tooth rear sprocket. Unfortunately, when the tooth count is dropped to a more respectable 39 tooth setup for touring, the motor needs some help. I now have to drop a gear during passes, but the upside is that the motor isn't pulling 70000 rpm during cruising. In stock trim the GC pulls 5K at 60 mph. That's high for a bike that redlines at 8500 rpm. The desmodue motor is easy to maintain, although the rear exhaust cylinder is a bitch to get to.
• Transmission - The GC's tranny is smooth. It would be nice to have a close ratio tranny, like the one on the 748, but it is smooth.
• Brakes - The GC's brakes are uninspiring. I've tried changing pads, but it hasn't helped. On the plus side, the rear brake actually works, so when stopping quickly, I apply both brakes. Still, you need to grab a handful in order to stop.
• Instrumentation - GC's instrumentation is outdated. Analog-look speedo and tach are easy to view, but the speedo's inner mph reading is too small. Additionally, the speedometer has a 10% error. I mounted a sigma computer in the middle of the stock speedo in order to know how fast I'm going. The low fuel light hasn't worked on the bike since I got it. I ran the bike out of gas in order to determine range. - It gets approximately 43 mpg and has a range of @ 200 miles.
• Styling - The GC is strange looking. The side-by-side headlight makes the front end look like a bug, and the tall-sitting bike is intended for long-leggers. The undertail exhaust is great for maximizing saddlebag storage.
• Handling - The GC is easy to handle, thanks in part, to a lightweight package (around 500 wet with bags, aftermarket exhaust and a full tank of gas). It turns in quickly and transitions nicely. There is no pogoing on the GC, at least on mine - Traxxion valving up front and a Wilbers shock on the back.
• Comfort - The GC offers a plush ride. By adding a Laminar Lip to the tall screen, I have found it perfect for touring. The seating position is upright, there is plenty of legroom and wind protection for the upper body is above average.
• Attention to Detail - Cagiva thinks a lot about their bikes. The GC fits this penchant. The saddle-style tanks lower the bike's center of gravity and the location of the fuel pump and other components facilitates roadside repair. I would prefer the wheels didn't have tubes, but beyond that, the bike suits those that want to use it for touring. The fit of the front fairing upper to the tanks needs some fiddling, but otherwise the fit of GC is excellent.

How does the GC compare to the multistrada? Well, the GC is much more suited to conquering fire roads and broken tarmac compared to the MTS. The MTS will be my next tourer, but compared to the GC, it will be hard-pressed to come out on top.

2 Aug 2006 - There are many things I learned (or re-remembered) during my last long tour.

• First, riding at night is dangerous and unwise, particularly if you are solo. One of the reasons Brad turned around in Williams and didn't join me for the rest of the trip is that he knew that I planned on riding at night. In my mind, the risks of riding at night are a tradeoff against the heat and traffic of summer touring. The answer to me is to improve the headlights that I have. Hence, some good riding lights will adorn the Gran Canyon for next year.
• Second, it is very difficult to find somebody to ride with that complements your own quirks. Brad is a great guy and a welcomed tourer. He knows my quirks and I know his. But there is no such thing as the perfect touring partner. I can ride farther and longer if I am by myself, free of the encumberance of caring about what the other person thinks or does. However, that doesn't mean that I prefer to tour solo. Being able to share experiences is worth any aggrevation. I missed Brad on the return trip, and probably wouldn't have risked riding at night in the rain were Brad with me.
• Third, this country is freakin' huge. It takes days to ride between nice destinations. Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and California have enough tourist attractions to keep you busy for months, and most of that month will be spent driving boring expanses to see each one. While our trip revolved around Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Monterey, the ride was really the vacation... not the destination.
• Fourth, it takes years of touring to properly pack for one. I pack light and wash my riding clothes each night in the shower. Even so, I was loaded with riding gear to deal with temps from 40-120 degrees. Wet weather and cold weather gear are essential, even on summer trips. Unfortunately for me, approximately 1/3 of my storage space was occupied by tools and repair stuff. Tire irons, tube patch kits, chain lube/oiler lube, etc. can take up a huge amount of space. Don't skimp on tools though. You won't find any laying around if you break down in the middle of nowhere.
• Fifth, plan on high-tech stuff to let you down. My hard-drive based GPS crashed 250 miles from home. I've come to rely on my GPS and, in fact, would never tour again without one. But not having maps with me isn't an option. My experience this year reminded me of this fact. Having backups, and backups for backups is essential for touring.
• Finally, its important to be able to enjoy a vacation without worrying about what's happening on the home front. At every gas and rest stop I was checking emails, talking to my wife and dealing with problems/issues with my business. It's kind of hard to relax when you are dealing with that. Next year, Suzi and I are going to do a week of white-water rafting down the Colorado River (we did the same trip 12 years ago). One nice thing about that location is that cell phones don't work and their is no access to email or land line phones.

Tomorrow I'll discuss the vices and virtues of the Gran Canyon

1 Aug 2006 - I awoke early on Tue in order to beat the heat across the Mohave desert. I passed through Needles CA at sunrise, and was in Williams before 10:00 AM. Fortunately, I had prepped the motel that I stayed at in Williams the previous week for my early arrival. I checked in, and relaxed in Williams that day, visiting an internet cafe to catch up on emails and enjoying some good home-grown cooking at a local restaurant.

A view of downtown Williams, AZ

I slept during the afternoon in Williams AZ on Tuesday July 25th, and headed out on I-40 eastbound around 9:00 PM. Before departing, I checked the weather channel on local storms. Radar showed occasional thunderstorms, but most of these were early evening storms, or so I thought. Shortly after descending from Flagstaff I began seeing lightning flashes to the North of my path.... then to the South of my path... then directly in front of me. I ran into the first storm approximately 150 miles West of Albuquerque NM. Now riding at night is stressful enough. When rain is added to the equation, white knuckled terror results. I drove in terror for 150 miles as wave after wave of torrential downpours cascaded over me. As soon as I exited one storm, I entered another one. The only way I managed to survive was to stay close enough to the taillights of a tractor-trailer. There was no visibility of lane lines, so I had to orient off of the truck's tail lights. Fortunately, traffic was sparce at that time of night. Also, because I had dual-purpose tires on the Gran Canyon, the water didn't cause the bike to shimmy. Still, it was a nerve-racking night of riding. The simple solution would have been to stop, but I had just slept 6 hours, and was determined to plow my way through, what I thought, was a light rain storm. By the time I descended into Albuquerque, I was mentally spent. I continued to ride until mid-morning - about 700 miles from where I started in Williams AZ. By that time I was East of Abilene Texas. I stopped at another Route 66 stop in Shamrock Texas. The town was deserted, a typical sight on any Route 66 town during the week. I holed up in a motel, and slept all afternoon in preparation for my next night of riding.

A restored 50s era Conoco gas station in Shamrock Texas (the gas station is now the Chamber of Commerce)

I departed Shamrock at 9:00 sharp on Wed night, heading towards Memphis. I planned on stopping for the night just West of Memphis, and then ride home on Friday. I rode all night, but started to get sleepy around 4:30 AM after passing through Fort Smith Arkansas. I slept on a Rest Area picnic bench for about an hour and then drove through Little Rock Ar. prior to rush hour on Thursday morning. After passing tourh Little Rock the skies again darkened. Thinking it a rogue thunderstorm, I kept riding. After about 50 miles of continuous worsening rain, I exited the freeway and called Suzi to see what the deal was. She looked up radar and told me that the tropical storm that had entered Texas fromt the Gulf had made its way up to Arkansas. I was exhausted and prepared to stop for the night, but there were 2 problems; first, it was much too early to check into a motel, and second, the storm front was heading North and East and would be blocking my path for several days. Suzi said that it wasn't raining as yet in Memphis, so I put on every remaining bit of rain gear I had and hit I-40 once again. I ran out of rain just West of Memphis, and continued through Memphis, turning South on a secondary highway towards Birmingham AL. As I approached Birmingham the skies continued to clear. This was bad because a clear sky meant the heat index rose significantly. Once I hit I-65 in Birmingham, I committed myself to making it all the way home that day. The run from Birmingham to Pensacola on I-65 is a drag-strip. I've done it many times, and knew that I could run as fast as I wanted. I set the Gran Canyon on light speed and blasted down the Interstate, passing through Montgomery around 3:30 PM. About 60 miles from Pensacola the skies ahead darkened --- a dreaded afternoon thunderstorm in the Panhandle of FL. I exited I-65 to don my wet-weather gear, refueled one final time, and headed into the blackness. This one was a real nasty one. Within a minute of hitting the rain, sideways driving wind began tearing into the left flank of the Gran Canyon. The GC is tall and prone to cross-winds, particularly because of the flat-sided panniers I had mounted. After another few minutes of the deluge, hail started raining down on me. Then I began seeing the emergency lights on the vehicles ahead of me as they slowed and pulled off the road. I slowed to a crawl and crept my way past the cars. Unfortunately, the sideways driving rain was making it difficult to stay on the road. I pulled behind a car alongside the interstate for a few minutes, bracing myself against the wind gusts. After a few minutes the wind lessened, so I took off again, riding past rows of cars. One can only guess what they thought of the view of me riding past on a motorcycle. I ran out of the storm a few minutes later and exited the interstate one final time to shed my rain gear. I then made my final dash home, getting in around 6:00 PM. Actual mileage that last day was 1116, with a total mileage of 7142 (actual mileage - not speedo mileage). Tomorrow I'll conclude with lessons learned, and comments about the Gran Canyon.

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