What is the Daily Desmo? The Daily Desmo consists of brief editorials on my thoughts about my business - Desmo Times, or about Ducatis in general. Whenever I feel the urge, I'll write a bit.

30 Nov - Today Luiggi was itching to pack boxes, so he woke me up at 0330. We did invoices and packed boxes until 0700, then grabbed some breakfast with Suzi and made a Post Office run. By 0800 I felt like I had already put in a full day. Whew..

The wood was delivered for the bridge today. 4-8"x8"x24' pressure treated southern pine beams. Man are those suckers heavy. I wish I could blink and the bridge would be built, but that ain't gonna happen. Looks like I'll get to do it over Christmas break. I'll need about 3 other guys to help me move the beams into place once I set the anchor posts and pour the slabs for the footers. I'm guessing each beam weighs about 500 pounds.

I just rolled John Dean's M800 out of the workshop and into the garage for pickup. The lift his bike has been sitting on for the last 2 months was unoccupied for about 5 minutes. Brad's ST2 is now up on the lift for the ST fairing bracket install, a new comfort fairing, and a few other items.

I decided to hold off on the tuning of the 748 until tomorrow. I was hit with an unexpected office duty this afternoon. More phone interviews with potential candidates. We made 2 offers to other people and were soundly rejected, so it's back to the pool of applicants.

I'm pleased to announce a new member to the DT family. Guido Gaducci joins the team as the customer affairs rep. Guido is fresh off the boat, and speaks broken English. That's fine because now customers won't know what he's saying when he's swearing at them. Hey Guido, introduce yourself to the DT fans out there...."Yo, howz it goin. If anyuze guys don't like the servis at Dezmo Times, yuuz just call ole Guido. There's nothin' I like more than puttin whiny customers in dare place. After all, that's why I'z here. Luiggi packs it and I'z send out the trackin numma. What, you didn't get a trackin numma? What do you think this is, a full-time buziness. Fogataboutit."

That's enough Guido. Needless to say, you're best served by sending me an email. Guido has anger management issues.

New product up today... Nice digital multimeters...

29.5 Nov - This month was a blur. I can't believe it is over already. I wish that things would slow down. The next week will be crazy for me. I plan on finishing the bikes in the shop by Friday, but Chris Turner ordered some stuff, so I can't finish his bike until it gets here. Chris, all the stuff is already on order and will ship to me tomorrow. I should have it all by next Monday. Next week I give oral comprehensive exams to 68 students on monday-thursday. That will take 22 hours next week, followed by grading 68 20-30 page term papers. This weekend I get to load out the race trailer with the 748 and the gear I need to do a trackday. I leave a week from Friday for a conference, a track day, and 2 weeks of military duty. Welcome to my life. It's all self-inflicted, but sometimes I get tired of juggling. Jack of 3.5 careers, master of none.... Between now and then I have 5 orders sitting here waiting on clutch tools and reservoir covers. Wish my suppliers had the same priorities as me. Grrr...

Good news on the Axle adjuster front. The machinist in Alabama has redone the ST4S plates, and another machinist just sent me the drawings for the cloning of the ST2/3/4 and 851/888 plates. As soon as I get the plates in my hand I'll send out emails and activate the ordering link. If I get any before my departure next week, I'll be surprised.

Suzi is dreading my leaving because she'll be doing the shipping. Still, I have about a 95% stock status, so there shouldn't be delays.

29 Nov - Today is off to a good start. I finished John Dean's M800 this morning and got Turner's 748 TPS reset. Tomorrow The M800 comes off the lift and the 748 gets tuned. Hey John, I had to remove your gel tankpad in order to get the tank repainted. I have replacement gel pads in carbon pattern if you want one. I hate to have you ride the bike home and scratch the tank. Let me know.

Time to shower up and head to the office. Its another muggy day in Pcola. I was going to ride, but there's rain in the area and it's nasty outside. Oh well.

For those of you that ordered during the sale day, but didn't get your package, I stocked out of 2 items that are holding things up -- clutch hub tools and MTS/ST reservoir covers. Both vendors are slow to get things to me, and the parts were actually ordered prior to me stocking out, so please be patient. Everyone else should have their stuff by now.

28 Nov - Today didn't go as planned. I couldn't manage an early start in the workshop. My body just told me NO when I asked it to get up at 0430 again. Instead I packed some boxes and started in the workshop mid-morning. The rest of the day was spent trying to order parts and talk to vendors. After I teach tonight I have to run a few errands. Tomorrow I've got a full day of teaching. I must be having fun, because the days sure are flying.

Nothing new on the Ducati front. I'm getting in a cool new STM pressure plate that I've been trying to get a hold of for the last year. They're hard to explain, but they're very strange shaped. I've got to test them before I sell them. Nothing gets sold until I've had a chance to try to break it.

The weather today in Pensacola was a balmy muggy 78. It feels like summer out there. It's so muggy that as soon as I opened the shop door the damp air combined with the cold air inside the workshop. The result was an instantly damp floor. Pensacola sucks, but it is nice to be able to ride all winter. :-)

27 Nov - I was out in the worksohop by 0430 today. I finished the 748's valves at 0830. In all, it took me over 8 hours to adjust the valves. Wow! And owners wonder why it costs so much to do a valve adjust on a Duck. At least there weren't any more surprises on the valves. In all, I replaced 6 rocker arms, 13 of 16 half-rings, and changed out every single shim. By the time I was finished with the valves, it was time to shower up and head into the office. I'm swamped with grading student papers. The end of the semester looms, and all their assignments are due in the next few weeks. I can't complain about grading though because it's a self-inflicted wound. If I didn't assign it, I wouldn't have to read it.

I'm tied up teaching all day, and will probably be grading papers tonight while watching the football game. Tomorrow I hope to button up the 748's motor and start on the fuel injection. The last shop screwed with the TPS, so I've got to reset it. That takes time and a bunch of fiddling. I like the newer TPSs. Simply close the butterflies, hit the zero key in the F/I diagnostics program, and the TPS is reset. Tomorrow I'm also going to put John Dean's fuel tank back together and get it mounted on the bike. If I'm lucky, I'll even finish his M800 tomorrow.

Okay, now to products. Here's what I added over the weekend -- the helmet visor and bike windscreen cleaner I use (plexus), the gasket sealer I use (3bond brand), the threadlock I use (3bond), an option for changing out some fasteners with titanium ones (very pricey, but now folks will stop bitching that my stainless fasteners are expensive), clear lense modifications for the old rectangular turn signals used throughout the 90s, anda chain wear gauge for determining when it's time to change out the chain (in the maintenance section). This week I'll add MTS/749-999 clear tail lights, 749/999 clear turn signals, digital multimeters, 525 chains, and a few other items.

26 Nov - Suzi and I got all but 3 orders out yesterday. I'm awaiting a Throttlemeister and a few MTS/ST Billet Reservoir covers. I rolled out 10 new products this weekend. I haven't had time to put them on the main page, but you'll find new stuff under "liquids", "fasteners" and "modifications. I've been changing the content of the web page a lot lately. Subtle things, but changes nonetheless.

After I got the orders out, I ran errands and then headed over to the local computer parts shop to get the parts to build my next computer. I used to have my own part-time computer business, so building computers and configuring networks used to come easy. Man, it's been awhile. I had to self-educate about SATA drives and figure out all the connections. My new machine will scream though. 160 and 80 GB SATA drives, 256 megs of videocard, and an intel duo core E6400 processor on a good Intel Moboard. It will take a week or so for me to configure all the software and get everything set for the data migration from the old machine to the new one. I was just going to tear apart the old machine, but I need it to run DT. All the data is backed up, but I didn't want to mess with problems. Last night I sat in the middle of the living room floor and built the machine while Suzi did crossword puzzles and watched the Notre Dame/USC game.

Today I got to shake the cobwebs out of the MTS1000 in Blackwater. Brad and Mark were in attendance. The weather was almost perfect. The clutch on the MTS needs some work. The slipper clutch on the MTS is functioning well during downshifts, but is slipping during acceleration. I shimmed the clutch .5mm and we'll see how that works.

Later in the day I did some work on the house, watched some football and began configuring the software on the new DT machine. The machine is now running in tandem with my old machine. I'll pull the plug on the old AMD computer later this week.

It's supposed to be in the low 70s all week, so it looks like I'll be commuting. All hell breaks loose tomorrow. I'll start by getting up before 0500 to work in the workshop before going to work. I've got to finish all the bikes I have before the weekend.

I'll chat tomorrow about expansions to the product lineup and where they fit into maintaining/modifying your Duck.

25 Nov - Remind me again never to have a sale. So much for me thinking that nobody reads my DD. Between the DD post, the message on the DT board, and it popping up on Ducati.ms, I got flooded with orders. Please be patient while I pack things and get your orders out. All orders will mail this coming week. Some items stocked out, but I've got 95% of all the stuff ordered in stock and will honor stockout order fills with stuff coming this week. If you pester me with an email about your order, I'll cancel your discount, and do a voodoo curse on your Duck. I appreciate your business and the comments directing all orders to Luiggi. Luiggi is stressing over the business.

I'm rolling out a bunch of piddly little products this week - threadlock, gasket sealer, windscreen cleaner, titanium bolts and other fasteners, and a few other odds and ends. I'll post here as I add things. I'm going to pack things today with Suzi, go for a ride tomorrow, and start working on bikes and teaching on Monday. I've got to get all services to customer bikes completed this week.

Again, thanks for the business. I wish I could meet some of you one day. Pensacola is a long cry from the haunting grounds where most of you ride. There is a DT open house after the Stagecoach Run on 30 Dec though. :-)

Here's the post from the main page about the event:

11-24-2006 - The Annual Stagecoach Run is coming up on Dec 30th. General event info is here. Desmo Times' plans for the event are here. Come join us for the only organized regional ride that us sportbikers participate in.

Greg K, I need to know if you and Lorraine are staying with us. I think Frank plans on coming up with you for the event.

24 Nov - In celebration of Black Friday and my deposit on a Ducati 1098, Desmo Times is offering a one-day special. I'll refund 10.98% of any order made for Friday 24 November. That's 10.89% of the order, plus shipping. Simply enter "1098" on the customer code of the order page. So, if you've been holding out for some Desmo Times products, now is a good time to get 'em. This is the first time I've been able to muster the financial means to offer a discount over my already discounted prices*.

* The Fine Print - The discount only applies to products that I have in stock today, and does not include those products listed as out of stock or produced for people on waiting lists (i.e. Axle plates, LCD Voltmeter Kit, etc. :-) There are no rain checks for discounts on out of stock products. Discount does not apply to Desmo Gift Certificates.

23 Nov - Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Here in the Panhandle, we'll be celebrating the day with the usual family get-together, followed by a trip to the movies to see the new James Bond movie. I'm a sucker for a James Bond. He's the ultimate cool dude? Of course, I'm pretty sure he isn't worth a damn when it comes to working on a Ducati, so he would be of little use to me.

We had our usual get-together last night. There were two couples plus Brad. I always enjoy seeing Brad. He's 10 years my senior, but he's really a kid at heart. He's always up for a ride and eager to purchase another bike. Only his wife's evil eye can keep him in check. Otherwise he'd have the garage filled with toys. Of course, he's not roughing it either -- an ST2, a Honda ST1300, a Harley-Davidson Road King, A Buell Ulysses, 2 4-wheeler ATVs, a Chevy 1/2-ton diesel truck, and 2 Corvettes. Quite frankly, I don't know where he'd put another bike.

I've got lots to do, but my hands are tied today. If it was up to me, I'd be in the shop working. When I'm in the right frame of mind, there's nothing I'd rather do more than wrenching, so long as I keep it down to a few days a week. I'm itching to finish Chris Turner's 748, and put the fuel tank back together on John Dean's M800. I'm getting another bike in tomorrow. I had ordered Brad a Comfort Fairing for his '98 ST2, and it came in earlier this week. For those of you that don't know, the comfort fairing was Ducati's fix for the lack of clearance around the bars on the older '98-'03 ST Series. The kit consists of a new 2 piece top fairing, a new windscreen, a new inner fairing shroud for the instruments, and 1/2" bar riser spacers. I'm also installing the fairing bracket mod on Brad's bike and switching to dzus fasteners on the midfairing to topfairing link. The Comfort Kit allows bar risers to be installed without worrying about clearance around fairing. No more scraping of the clutch or brake reservoir on the inner fairing. The windscreen is also shaped much differently and moved forward. The result is a cleaner flow of air. The downside is that nobody makes a taller aftermarket windscreen for the Comfort Kit. I've found it comfortable for short 300-400 mile days, but I don't think I'd want to Iron-Butt with that windscreen. The look really cleans up the front of the bike. Unfortunately, because that generation of bike is now 3 years old, Ducati no longer makes the Comfort Fairing. Some dealerships may have a few lying around.

I updated my personal bike page. Some tweaks and verbiage changes. If you haven't perused my convoluted ownership history, click here.

22 Nov - Today is another teaching day. I'm looking forward to a day off. Suzi has promised to strap me in my easy chair to keep me from doing any work on articles, desmo times, or customer bikes. I find it hard to sit still. Quite a revelation eh?

I got to talk to one of my favorite people yesterday... Chris Kelley. Although we've only met once, I've known Chris from the old Ducati.net listserv forabout 10 years. He's a classy businessman, a fellow Ducati nut, and an all-round good egg.

I got my batch of Pitbull stands in the mail today. I even had time this morning before 0400-0600 to create the webpages. I'm both stocking the stands and shipping them. If I was an enthusiast, I'd own at least 2 - one for each end of the bike. The only other decision is whether you want to lift the front end from underneath the triple tree or the front forks. Each type of stand has its advantages and disadvantages. Today I got in a batch of single-sided swingarm stands that are reversible to lifting from the left side (for wheel removal) or right side (for sprocket removal). Pitbull is also the only manufacturer of stands for the wide rear swingarms on the sport-classics.

Parts from my Tucker Rocky order should begin dribbling in over the next week. I'll be surprised if 1/2 of the order ever comes in. Parts distributors like Tucker Rocky, Lockhart-Philips and Parts Unlimited don't have the best track record in filling orders. I don't know how they can do business that way. My customers expect to get products that they order. If I have it on the website, and the "add to cart" button is active, I've got it in stock. Nothing pisses off a customer like waiting. When it does occur, it's always because I'm waiting on a vendor's promised delivery.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Football and Turkey - a good combination if ever there was one.

Over the holidays I'm determined to get some used parts out of the shop. Everything from reconditioned Monster Forks to stock triple trees, to other new and used parts have got to go. I hate having parts laying around that I know I won't need. Plus, they take up too much room. I used to keep all my old stock exhaust systems. Now I just ditch them. Do you know how much room a dozen stock exhausts take up on the shelf?

I just got off the phone with my painter. John, your tank and seat cover are ready to be picked up. Now if I could just split myself into 2 and pick it up while I hold office hours today, I'd be all set.

There were also packages on the doorstep last night. Chris, your rocker arms and half-rings are in. Maybe if Suzi sleeps in late one day between now and Sunday I can sneak out and work in the shop.

21 Nov - There are days when I wish I was just a simple enthusiast. Today is one of those days. In between teaching and preparing lectures, I did a little bit of business -- contacting vendors. One of my favorite people is the owner of Pitbull Stands. Pitbull is in Huntsville, AL. I've reviewed their products for MCN, written a case study on the company for use in the classroom, and have known the owner for years. I'm proud to carry Pitbull Stands now. I'll put them up on the website later this week. One of the reasons I decided to carry Pitbull is the quality. They aren't the cheapest stands out there, but they hold up, are reasonably priced and they are the ones that come up with the innovations. For years, Charlie, the owner of Pitbull, has recounted his efforts to try to protect his products from unscrupulous vendors. No sooner does he come out with a new stand design than other companies rip him off. While paging through the Tucker Rocky mega-catalog this weekend, I saw countless designs from Pitbull that other stand manufacturers have ripped off. Many of the rip-off artists come from China, which has cheaper labor costs. Charlie protects his business by making quality stands and standing behind the product. The welds are all TIG, and the steel is beefy. A slew of them support my herd of bikes in the showroom. I also use them in the shop on customer bikes.

Other than commiserate, there was no way for me to relate to what Charlie goes through... Until today. I've purchased a few items from one particular vendor who competes with another one of my favorite vendors -- Motoreva. Motoreva has had several of his designs ripped off for Ducati tools. The ripoff artist would copy the design, underprice Motoreva and sell them on eBay. The tools were minor, so I thought it was just a coincidence, until today. The ripoff artist sent me an email saying that he had a bunch of other products that he was going to begin offering, one of which was an almost identical clone of my axle plates. I gave the vendor a chance to fess up by asking how long he's been selling them. One month was his response. I emailed him today telling him that the copycat product was a no-go in my book and that unless he stopped its manufacture, I wouldn't do business with him. He emailed back that he got the design from Chris Kelley. Chris designed his plates after mine, and I didn't mind that they were the same basic shape as mine because I know and like Chris. Plus, he decided to make plates for bikes that I didn't support. The only thing I hate more than a cheat is a liar. I already let my little network know of the issue, including Martin at Motowheels and I will go out of my way not to give him any further business. The Ducati market is so small, yet it is flooded with enthusiasts that have machine shops. I mean, how many vendors of engine turning tools does the industry need? I know of 4 different vendors. In the meantime, I'm working hard to get another batch of my axle plates made that will look better and be more functional than ever. Fortunately, the copycat forgot something in his design. :-) I can't stop ripoff artists, but I can inform my friends to discriminate between those companies that come up with solution and those companies that are parasites, feeding off the ideas of others. For those of you that are interested, patents aren't worth much. By the time you get somebody in court, the damage has already been done. And the legal fees will take whatever profits you made from the few items you sold to Ducati customers. It's a tough world out there folks.

I spent the morning sorting the ST4S axle plate issue. They go back in the mail tomorrow. I think the machinist and I are on the same page now. The ST2/3/4 plates and the 851/888 plates get mailed off to a different machinist later this week.

I spent a few hours on Chris Turner's 748 this morning, changing the fluids -- oil and brake. The last technician to bleed the rear brake decided to strip the bleed nipple. Wonderful. At least the last guys to service it changed the fuel filter. A BMW filter was in there. Those things are pain to get out, hence my use of the NAPA filter. The insides of the tank were clean, which is good news. I changed the filter out again anyway while I was in there. I'm still waiting on the rocker arms and half-rings to finish the valves. Then I'll reset the TPS, clean the throttle bodies, and try to fire it up. Of course, that will be after Thanksgiving.

Some news on the 1098. Ducati isn't sure whether they'll offer Red and Black colored bikes for sale in the US, or Red and Yellow. The Black 999 didn't sell well here. The Black with the Red frame looks the business, so I hope they decide to bring it over. My supplier is unsure whether they will get the Termis in with the bikes or not. With the 999 there was a delay of several months. Who wants a Ducati with the stock exhaust... not me!

All for now. I've got to prep for a night of teaching.

20 Nov - Brrrr.. We were damn cold on the ride yesterday, but still had a good time. I had so much gear on that I felt like the Michelin Man. Mark and I had an esteemed colleague join us. Grant Lopez, formerly an AMA stud in Superstock and Supersport, joined us for the ride. He entertained us with the occasional wheelie. Grant retired from RoadRacing and is now a Police Officer here in Pensacola. Police Officer? Wheelies? Maybe I was mistaken about the wheelies. Unfortunately, Grant was mounted on a naked Suzuki Bandit and froze more than us. He turned around at the first pitstop to head back to the house.

Kim Cannon picked up his ST2 yesterday, so the shop now has room for one of my bikes. I'm rolling in the 916 for a bunch of minor things - replace the 12 year old coolant hoses, speedymoto top triple, mesh over all the bodywork vents, and few other minor cosmetic things. I also need to send the forks off to be reworked. I can't do that until I finish Chris Turner's 748 though. I need the hoist to suspend his rear end so that I can lube the rear spindle bearings.

Today it's back to teaching all day. I'd rather be home with Suzi for her vacation. Oh well.

19 Nov - Yesterday was a very productive day. I got Ken Ford's ST4S sorted and he picked it up. Then I finished Kim Cannon's ST2. That leaves only the 748 and the M800 in the shop. Things are looking up. This week I hope to pick up the M800 bodywork and tear a chunk out of the remaining services to the 748. I hope the rockers and half rings get here tomorrow. While I like eating and watching football on Thanksgiving, the holiday is going to mess with my "me" plans, which means they'll mess with my DT plans. I won't have TH and FR like most weeks to wrench. Plus, Suzi took off all week for vacation. I may have to switch to late night mode to accomplish what I want to accomplish this week.

I'm doing phase two of my product rollouts in the next few weeks, adding about 2-3 products per week. I'm going back to my maintenance roots, so expect to see more essential things -- threadlock, gasket sealer, titanium bolts... Doh, did I say titanium?

Yes, I know I said I was against first year bikes. But there's no promise that follow on years won't have problems either. Look at the 1000DS motor. There are reported cases of bad exhaust valve guides from 2003-2005. I'm hoping the 1098 is like the 916. My early VIN 916 is one of the most desirable ones to have. Either way, I don't think I'll be too bad off. I mean, it isn't like I put high miles on my Superbikes, plus if there's anything wrong with it, I'm fairly comfortable fixing it myself. So long as there aren't major screw ups to the bottom end, it wouldn't be very time consuming. Besides, I'm really buying the bike for all of you... you know, so that I can tear it apart and write it up. Isn't that magnanimous of me? Mark, magnanimous means showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit. I know you were a pilot and cop, so I thought I'd be nice and define complicated words for you. :-)

I'm heading out the door with all my cold-weather gear on. The wind chill is 35 degrees, so I'm counting on the 916's electrics to keep my electric vest full of heat. It's going up to 59 today, so it should be nice. I hate getting bundled up to ride though. It makes me feel like a mummy, and mummy's aren't very graceful in the twisties. Then again, neither am I.

In between running errands and relaxing this afternoon, I need to start thinking about prepping the 748 for a trackday. There's one in 3 weeks that I hope to attend. New stickies and rims are sitting in the corner of the garage for her.

18 Nov - I trashed myself yesterday. I worked on Kim Cannon's ST most of the day. Mid-project I decided to smash my thumb with a rubber mallet. Nice!!! I cured his brake shudder with a used set of full-floater rotors and new steering head bearings. His tire is a bit cupped, but a new tire should have the front end feeling like a superbike.

Last night I packed boxes and updated the website. Suzi was out of town on business, so I was able to work all night. I started stocking the chain tool that I've been using for the past 15 years -- the DID Pro Tool. It's a bit pricey, but it has never failed me after installing hundreds of chains. I also put up a product to gauge interest - my digital voltmeter kit. It there is interest, I'll do a run of them. No more getting stranded due to bad voltage regulators.

The ST4S axle plates came back again from the machinist... and again they are still wrong. It was too late to call back and bitch about them... good thing. I've had it with this machinist. (*^()*($$&^.

Today is a house day - yardwork and cleaning up. I'm looking forward to a Blackwater blast tomorrow. Hmmm, what bike to take? It will definitely be a 4-valver day. Lows tonight in the 30s.

Suzi will be back in a few hours, so it's time to get busy. Workout on the treadmill, prep Ken Ford's bike for a pickup, and put hte fairing on Kim Cannon's ST. Michigan and Ohion State today. I've never liked either team, so I'll pass on the 1 vs 2 matchup.

17 Nov - I have a bit of an imposition today. We're getting new windows in the house, including my showroom, and I have to cover all the bikes so that debris and dust doesn't get everywhere. Half of our windows have been fogged for the past two years as a result of Hurricane Ivan -- the storm broke the seals. I don't like letting strangers into the showroom. I hope they don't mind me standing there with my pistol holstered. Man, for the cost of these windows I could have purchased a few sets of BST wheels.

Okay, so it shoudn't come as a surprise that DT would be interested in the 1098. Although the views of the heads I've seen make them look a lot like the testa head, I'm assuming they're a little different. Anyway, I'll need one to wrench on one when I decide to write my next book... so... the decision is either an S or a Tri-Colore. Personally, I'm not a super-bling-bling type. At least insofar as colors are concerned. I'm a basic one color guy. The Tri-Colore is just too flashy for me. Now if you mix carbon with red bodywork, now you're talkin'. So I'm plotting, and scheming, and drooling. I don't have the right to drool, but I am half Italian, so it's natural for me to lust after Ducatis. Like I told Mark/Shelby and Mike on Wednesday night... I don't have any other vices. I don't drink or smoke and other than the house I don't spend money on anything other than motorcycles. The fact that Suzi and I don't have kids makes easier to justify bikes. After all, if you total up the cost of raising a single child through college, you'd have more invested than I do in Ducatis.

I've got a bunch of stuff to do today... another run to the Post Office, swing by the painters to look at John Dean's parts, go by Brad's to have the bottom race pressed out of the steering tube of Kim Cannon's ST, then fit different rotors and bolt everything back up. I'm confident my fix will correct his braking shudder. If not, I'll have a lot to explain. Doh.... Suzi is staying over at a friend's tonight, so I get to run around the house in my underwear all day and night. Yippee... The ST4S axle plates are supposed to get here tomorrow, so I'll probably stay up and polish them while watching some TV. What a way to spend a Friday night.

Before I close, I thought I'd relate a funny series of episodes.. Every once in awhile I get a call from a customer who doesn't know that I'm a one man show. The phone will ring and I'll just answer it with a "hello". The caller will usually ask for "parts" or "customer service". I always say "hold on", pull the phone away from my ear, and then put it back to my ear and use a different voice. I guess from the looks of a webpage a customer has no idea how big or small a company is. If you saw the order volume I get you'd laugh. If Motowheels had to survive on my sales, they'd be firing a lot of people. So, if you ever call me, instead of asking for parts, ask for Desmo Times, then ask to speak to Luiggi in Parts. That will let me know that you're part of the in-crowd, and I'll delight in using my fake Italian accent. "Hey, this is Luiggi and I got your parts right here".

16.5 Nov - Flash: I lied when I said I was discontinueing the ST fairing brackets. I just got 15 sets in. Come and get them. Somebody please tell the folks on the Yahoo ST list.

I worked on the troubled 748 for about 4 hours today until I ran out of collets. I finished the vertical cylinder and started on the intake of the horizontal cylinder. Same settings on the horizontal cylinder -- openers at .006" and closers set at .012"...Awful. Both intake opener rockers were bad, which exhausted my supply of spare rockers. I've got more rockers and half-rings coming on Tue. In the meantime, I replaced his slave cylinder, and bled the brake lines. She'll sit until I get the replacement parts. Chris, your clutch has about 3-4K left on it. The plates are notched, but I've seen worse. I'm guessing that I'll have to put the TPS back to its original setting. With the valve lashes optimized it should run like a top. We'll see. It's a shame I had to stop work on it. I hate stopping in the middle of a valve adjust. It's like giving somebody open heart surgery and stopping in the middle to order more parts for your innards.

I also replaced the slave on Kim Cannon's ST2 and pulled his steering head to convert it to tapered roller bearings. I'll replace his front rotors and pads tomorrow and send him out for another 40K.

Still waiting on word that John Dean's tank and tail are ready for pickup. All I do is wait these days. Tomorrow I'll do some odds and ends, but without parts I'm stuck. That's okay, because I have a bunch of piddly things to do around the shop. I've been meaning to buy a press, and will probably get one tomorrow. I love tools.

16 Nov - I had a good time with the Pensacola Ducati contingent last night. We talked bikes and things Ducati. I've been mulliing over the new 1098 coming out. From all indications, the only difference between the 1098S and the 1098 Tricolore is a full termi system with ECU and the paint scheme. I'll be damned if I'll pay 5K just for a termi system (that I can get for less than $2K) and paint. The 5K boost between the base model and the S is a bit closer to the mark - figure wheels that are $500 better, A $200 telemetry system, $1700 for ohlins forks, $800 for ohlins shock and $200 for a CF front fender. So I could get a base model, use my reseller account with Ohlins to outfit the suspension, and add aftermarket wheels that are better than what Ducati will put on there anyway. After seeing the photoshopped black with red frame bike, I'd really rather have that, but I don't think Ducati will go there. They've never made a black superbike. All this is just pondering mind you. I still have to come up with 25K to build my property improvements. Let's see, I make $10 profit per book, and sell a book a day, which means that in 10 years I could use the profits from my books to purchase another Superbike. Or I could just sell my BMW Z4 that has sat for 2 years collecting dust. I've got an 04 model with 11K on the clock. Damn shame too, because it's a sweet car. It's just that when it's nice weatherI want to be on a bike, and when it's hot or rainy, I wan't to be in my truck. The Z4 is stuck in the middle. The good news is that it depreciates like a Harley. I'll probably sell her to finance my property improvements. We'll see.

Today is an all day bout in the workshop. I'll be working on three bikes at once. I think I'll make it a John Wayne western day. You can't go wrong with the Duke. I'm hoping for better luck on Chris Turner's 748. Maybe the horizontal head won't be as screwed up. Yeah, and I hope to one day become a Chinese Fighter Pilot.

15 Nov - I worked 3 hours on Chris Turner's 748 yesterday. I didn't even get to finish the vertical head. As I surmised in an earlier DD post, Chris' valvetrain is a mess. I had to replace both exhaust opener rockers, every opener and closer shim in the head, and every collet (2 collets per valve x 8 valves). The vertical head used up my whole stock of spare collets. I ordered a whole new batch of collets, which will be here early next week. What caused the collets to get destroyed you might ask? How about closers set to a gap of .012 (.3mm). At that gap, the collets are slammed to death and the rockers get beat up. Not good. I'll finish the vertical head on thursday, and start on the horizontal head, but without collets I can't replace any shims. Wouldn't you know that the local dealership doesn't stock collets. What a surprise. If I sound pissed, I am. I'm sick and tired of cleaning up the mess of inattention by other technicians. I know I'm not perfect either, but this is ridiculous. The loose clearances in the 748 didn't just happen overnight. Chris says the bike has 10K on it (replaced speedo so I can't tell). All of the shims should have been replaced at 6K. Hey Chris, I'm not trusting the fuel filter was changed either, so I'm replacing it. And I'm not calling the last guy that worked on it. Anyone who tries to troubleshoot the fuel injection setup without first verifying the valve lash is an idiot, or lacks the knowledge. or both. Good thing I'm teaching all day. I get to cool off.

A note to those of you with bad rockers. Ducati is NO LONGER warranteeing rocker arms. Instead, they lowered the price on replacements from $150 to $45 each. A nice gesture, but I think it's bogus. Let's see, you design a part that wears prematurely and expect me to be glad that you lowered the price instead of giving it to me for free? Not cool.

I did get to have a bit of fun yesterday. I got a call from my friend Greg Ames. He was in town, so we went to lunch (Greg, sorry about forgetting my wallet), talked about Ducatis, and how weird Ducati owners are. In particular, we talked about a certain owner who runs 90 minutes a day just so that he can try to outrun bumblebees. I know you're out there Bryan... lurking, and reading, and plotting. :-0

Tonight I have my meet with the Pcola Ducati Club - all 2 other owners. I might as well start a Communist Club in Pensacola. I'd have about the same number of members. Today's a washout in the Panhandle. A good day to stay inside.

Above - Bits and Pieces of a destroyed set of closer shim collets sucked off the Vertical Exhaust valve from an '00 748

Above - If you ignore it, it doesn't get better - An exhaust opener rocker from the same '00 748

14 Nov - Mark Dill's FBF CF cans for his ST4S came in yesterday. Of course, he was at my house within minutes to pick them up. I was busy packing DT boxes after a long day at the office.

I've got some good news on the product front. I commissioned 10 sets of the Billet Anodized Coffin Covers to be made, and they arrived yesterday. You can find them here. I also have 15 sets of the discontinued ST fairing brackets on the way. Get 'em while their hot. I'll activate the order link when they show up. I hate taking money early. I'm still awaiting the ST4S axle plates, but I've also commissioned runs of the 888 axle plates and the ST2/3/4 axle plates. That should shut folks up for awhile.

Today will start out with a cleaning at the dentist's office. I've known for awhile that I need to have a crown on a tooth, but it isn't giving me trouble so I've been delaying. After the dentist, I'll spend a few hours in the speed shack, and then head off to school again. I have student team case assignments to grade and then teach a night class. I'm looking forward to TH and an all-day bout with Chris Turner's 748.

13 Nov - Some problems take me months to rectify. Take the same ST4S that I talked about yesterday. This ST is probably the nicest ST4SABS you've ever seen. AK-20 cartridges in the forks, reworked Ohlins rear shock, carbon everywhere, and Cyclecat rearsets. Unfortunately, the Cyclecat rearsets didn't agree with the stock sidestand. There were two problems. First, because the owner had the rear ride height raised a lot, the bike leaned over way too much on the sidestand. Second, the sidestand was in the way of the shifter on the Cyclecat rearsets. I tried every sidestand and mounting bracket that I had, including a sidestand made by Cyclecat for the Monster. Nothing worked. I then tried using a shifter extender from Cyclecat to no avail. After the customer came back for another round of mods, I found the solution. I had just performed a sidestand upgrade on my MTS. The '03-'04 spec sidestand on the MTS is short and angled incorrectly. Ducati updated the sidestand to correct this. The new design is a beefy long sidestand with a massive bracket. Voila.... Instead of putting it on my MTS, I tried test-fitting it on the customer's ST4S. Perfect... almost. The sidestand is longer than the stock ST4S sidestand, and the angle of attack puts it perfectly out of the way of both the shifter and the exhaust. Better yet, it is longer, fixing the leaning Tower of Pizza look of the bike. The only problem was that on the MTS the sidestand switch mounts to the backside instead of the front. So, instead of the switch activating when the sidestand was up, it activated when the stand was down. Not a problem. I cut open the wiring harness of the sidestand, tested a new wiring configuration, and used marine-grade splices to seal it up again. I've since ordered another sidestand for my own MTS. All is well.

Yesterday I watched some football, ran on the treadmill, and did a 70 mile romp on the old 916 with the boys. It was a bit nippy heading out yesterday. The overnight lows dipped into the low 40s. Brrrr... It felt good to don the electric vest and warm riding gear. And, of course, 4-valve Ducatis LOVE cold air and give off plenty of heat.

Today it's back in the classroom all day. Tomorrow, I'll be back in the shop. Another long-time customer popped by on Friday with his ST2. I've been servicing the bike since new. The bike now has 41K on it, and needs some help. The owner has the dreaded ST front end shudder when braking. One or more of four things cause this - a cupped front tire, shot/loose steering head bearings, pogoing front suspension (which helps cause front tire cupping and hence vibration), or dirty/warped rotors. It's hard to diagnose the ultimate culprit, so I do things in stages. First, I like upgrading the steering head bearings to the tapered roller bearings I sell. Tapered roller bearings have more contact area and are less prone to pitting and deformation. They work particularly well on the ST. Because the bearings haven't been lubed in 20K, it's time to do it anyway. If that doesn't fix things, I have a few sets of perfectly straight used rotors I can try. I'm also going to check the suspension up front. Those fork seals/bushings are the original as well and really should be replaced. The '99-spec ST also had the last generation of clutch slave, and his piston oring has blown... so a new slave cylinder with an adjustable bar lever is in order. That will about do it for the ST. The owner is trying to pinch some pennies, so other things I'd do will have to wait. His digital readout on the display is cracked from sun fading, but that piece is $300... Maybe next time.

I'll be working primarily on Chris Turner's 748 this week, and will take breaks and work on the ST2. I got word on Friday that John Dean's bodywork is in the midst of painting, so that's good news. The sooner I can finish that bike, the better, as needed work on my bikes is piling up --- full service on my 999s, and bits and pieces for the 888, 916 and MTS.

I started stocking Billet ride height adjusters. I put one on the MTS, as the stocker was gouged. It's a good inexpensive functional mod that looks great. No more fumbling with spanners when changing the rear ride height. FBF sells a unit with the bolts, but I've found that the stock fttings shine up nicely and function great when lubed. Don't we all?

Above - An '06 Spec MTS sidestand on an ST... A perfect fit.

Above - Testing the new sidestand switch wiring configuration.

12 Nov - My good friend Scott Wibel forwarded me an Italian site with a lot more 1098 pics at
http://www.hfalex.it/1098.htm . I think the bike looks great. Shame there aren't any dzus fasteners on the side fairing. That would have to change. Too many standard screws.

Your tip of the week is fuel tank rust. The pic at right is of a customer's ST4S. Bike is a 2004 model with 1000 miles on it. Notice the corrosion up around the cap. Pic was taken when I had to pull the fuel pump to replace the fuel gauge. The solution to such rust? ... Keep the tank absolutely full while adding gas dryer, or keep the bike in a climate controlled location. I keep my bikes in a humidity controlled environment. If you don't you've got rust. POR-15 makes a good product to reline tanks, but the process is a pain. Of course, rust on the sides or bottom of the tank is more severe, but corrosion can ruin a steel tank in short order.

11 Nov - I've been raped. Well, it feels that way. Somebody posted my Clutch Article on Ducati.ms. While I love sharing my works, I don't write for free. That article in MCN took me quite a few hours, needless to say the years it took to develop a level of comfort in talking about clutches. I hate posting, but I posted on the site about the violation of MCN's and my own copyright, and also sent a note to the list owner. The last time I felt like this was when I found out that that guy in New Zealand was copying my manuals.

I rode the 999s to breakfast this morning. Man, I've got to tell you that the 999 is the finest superbike Ducati has yet produced. I don't listen to the naysayers who say they liked the 888 more or the 916 more or the 998 more. Unless you own all 3 generations you can't comment on a side by side comparison of riding experiences. I've taken spins on all 3 back to back to back and can report that the 999 handles better, is quicker, is more forgiving of rider error and is more comfortable. Notice I didn't say anything about looks. I love all Ducatis, so I don't get into the "my bike looks better" discussion. I'm looking forward to the 1098. It will have to be exceptional indeed if it can surpass the 999 in terms of functionality. I don't buy bikes based on horsepower alone. In fact, it isn't in the top 3 of my criteria.

New products on the way -- the STM Billet Clutch Pushrod Bushings and Billet Anodized Coffin Covers. They aren't actually new products, but rather I've been able to secure another batch. I'm activating the order link for the STM pushrod bushing today. I've only got 12 coming.

I'm also carrying Chris Kelley's mammoth 5.1 gallon MH900e fuel tank kit. The puny OEM tank only holds 2.2 gallons. Yuck.

10.5 Nov - Today I puttered around the shop. I finished Ken Ford's ST4S and did a few things to my 999. I remembered after I changed out the rear rotor bolts, that only the OEM bolts will trigger the speedo. Grrr...Today I began prepping Chris Tuner's 748 for a service. He's been having running gremlins with the bike. He gave me the phone and name of the technician who worked on it last. I'll give him a shout tomorrow perhaps. Before I troubleshoot bikes, my first check is the valves. Not that I'm a distrusting person.... well, yes I am distrusting. Everything starts with the valves. Without proper clearances you can chase your tail for years looking for tuning problems. I tore the 748 down for a service for a few hours today and decided to open up the vertical intake valve cover to check on the clearances.... Holy Cow!!! I ain't never seen valves that loose. .006" on the opener on both sides and .012" on the closers. .006" on the openers isn't too bad, but the closer clearances are HUGE. If the rest of the valves are set like that it's no wonder the bike had running problems. Strange to see gaps that large after only 10.5K miles. I pulled that cam to look at the rockers and all was well. With gaps that wide, I'm guessing no shims have ever been changed. The bad news about that is that I'm probably going to find that the collets on the closer shims are smashed to pieces. When the closer gap gets over .008" or so, the banging destroys the collets. Then the end of the valve stem mushrooms. Getting off the closer is a process of securing the base with forceps, putting a rag in the chamber and banging on the edge of the closer shim to free it up. Then I suck out the bits of the collets with a magnetic pickup tool and use emery paper to carefully sand down the top edge of the valve until the closer shim can slip off. It's a PITA, but it's the only way to do it.

Well after 645 consecutive positive responses on ebay, I got my first negative response. Some Spaniard slammed me for selling him a photocopied book in black and white. Nevermind that the book has always been in black and white and my ad on ebay states so. I got pissed at first, but then I realized that I'm well ahead of the one-percent curve. If, in fact, one percent of Duck owners are wackos, I should have had at least 6 negative responses by now. Still, I hate having an idiot spoil my perfect rating. I wasn't particularly fond of the Spaniards due to the likes of Pedrosa (who has the personality of a ham sandwich), and for bailing on us as a member of the "coalition of the willing". Now I have another reason. I blasted back at the ebay idiot, calling him a stupid Spaniard. That comment doesn't belittle all Spaniards, just one-percenters like him.

Instead of dwelling on the one-percenters, I'm going to dwell on the 99% who don't give me a hard time. Thanks for supporting my little one-man company. There, I made nice with my inner self.

I spent the remainder of the day ordering parts. That's all I seem to do. Order, and wait, and wait, and wait. The worse part of running a business is the delays of suppliers. Most customers are happy just to get the product in a reasonable amount of time. Suppliers lie in their availability predictions so that I don't cancel the order. If I did that with customers I'd lose sleep. Advertising stuff that I don't have in stock is unethical. Sometimes I'm caught offguard and a customer will order something before I can update the website, but usually I announce any stockouts and shut off the "add to cart" button for that item.

My Dry Clutch Setup article breaks cover in MCN in the Dec issue hitting mailboxes this week. I've already seen a few posts on Ducati.ms asking for somebody to scan it and post it. Sorry to say, but MCN owns the copyright for first print rights and I own it thereafter. So, unless I post it here, I'll fight its printing on the internet. I will include it in the next book though. It's just a 5 page crunch of the 14 page clutch section of my book anyway.

9 Nov - Well, it's time to look back to my guesses from October 6th to see how wide I was from the mark. Here' a recap of my expectations:

• Widely spaced headlights with a center intake like an RC51.
  • Nope, I was off here. Intakes are reminiscent of the 916 series. I was hoping for a MotoGP style intake grill. The front is more sharklike.
• Width at front similar to 916
  • Yes, front end width very similar to 916.
• More of a pressurized airbox than on the 999, but airbox less exposed than 916-series.
  • Yes on the pressurized airbox and yes it looks less exposed than the 916 airbox.
• Radial Calipers w/10 spoke wheels.
  • Yes on the radial calipers but the wheels have more spokes in a Y pattern
• New engine configuration with Desmosedeci Style Valvetrain - perhaps gear driven with larger valves and possibly larger valve stems.
  • No gear driven cams, but larger valves. I'm guessing valvetrain is similar to Testa.
• Pain in the ass to work on -- just an assumption given current trends.
  • Unknown until I get to work on one, but it looks easier to get at stuff. More like the 916 than the 999.
• 916-style exhaust cans but they protrude ala the 999 exhaust.
  • The cans are 916 styled, but they don't protrude like the 999
• Beefier single-side swingarm.
  • A big yes. Cast aluminum and sheet metal.
• Lower fairing doesn't extend as far back as 999.
  • No, the fairing is similar in coverage to the 999
• Side fairings a combination of the 998 and 999 - somewhat angular.
  • A big yes.
• Gas tank more like the 916 or motoGP bike.
  • A big yes.
• Tail section more reminiscent of the 999.
  • A big yes
• New instrumentation but with the damn immobilizer.
  • A big yes
• 600-CC class in size.
  • A big yes. Only 400 pounds wet.
• Termi exhaust, ECU, and conversion from closed to open-loop F/I will be must if you purchase the first batch. Euro-3 emissions are a killer on performance. It will take until mid-'07 for other aftermarket manufacturers to catch up.
  • Closed loop, but unknown if CO sensor is wide band. Exup exhaust to beat EPA will complicate full-exhaust replacement.
• Carryovers - rear wheel hub from other SSS models, radial calipers from 999, starter, dry clutch, transmission from 999 (749 would be better), injectors and quick disconnects from 999, 59a ECU, CAN wiring, and tall gearing.
  • A big yes.

So, most of my guesses were on the mark. Of course, it didn't take a rocket scientist to predict the changes. I'm pleased with the result in pics, which should mean it will look better in person. The big news for Ducati is that they should sell well. I'm also proud that I have the 916. Nothing flatters more than copying. :-)

8.5 Nov - Well, MCN broke cover on the 1098. I'm reserving judgement until I see it in the flesh. It is definitely an evolution, rather than a revolution. The 999 was a revolution. The maintenance on the valvetrain will be different with new heads, so I'll probably have to get one...Grrrr...

Today is an all-day teaching bout. Tomorrow, I'll be back in the shop to finish Ken Ford's ST4S and prep the troubled 748.

On the product front, I have some new stuff. First, I rolled out Coolant System Flush Brushes. I've been searching for a long time for a way to clean out the inside of hoses when doing a valve adjust. That's a good time to clean the radiator and hoses. Coolant congeals in the lines because Ducati's coolant mixture is thick. Coolant often congeals in the line running to the overflow bottle, clogging it completely. My brushes are various diameters for cleaning it all out, including the insides of the overflow bottles. I'm also now carrying allen socket sets with the elusive 14mm allen. That is the size needed to pull the oil screen on post 2002 Ducks.

Next up is the elusive STM Billet Clutch Pushrod Bushing. You know, the center portion of the pressure plate that peeks through the bearing. I've got 10 on the way. My supplier called me to tell me they just showed up from Italy. Next, I'm going to start carrying clear lens replacements for the 999 and Multistrada. They'll be here next week. I've got a few more tools to develop, such as cam wheel holders for the testastretta. I've got my Duck meet tonight. I rode the 999s into school, so I'll ride that tonight. Throttle response is sloppy, but then that's usually the case until the first valve adjust and F/I tuning.

Bad news on the aftermarket belt front. The supply of Bucci belts has dried up. Lockhart Philips no longer has access to them. I have a few sets of the 4V belts left. When they're gone, I'll start stocking the OEM belts, which are over $120/set for the 4V and $65/set for the 2V.

8 Nov - Some people shouldn't own a Ducati. I group the "shoudn't own a Ducati" group into two distinct sub-groups. First are those that are too cheap to pay for maintenance costs, expecting a Ducati to be like a Honda Civic. This group of owners is sometimes penny-wise and pound-foolish by skimping on necessary maintenance items. The other sub-group are those that abuse their bike. If you let your Duck sit outside in the rain and only think of maintenance when something breaks, then you fit the mold. Ducatis are works of art that you can ride. But the cost of admission includes expensive maintenance items. Even if you are doing your own maintenance, the cost of tooling can get expensive. For this reason, I wasn't surprised to see the results of my age poll. Most Ducati owners have been there and done that, and both know the ownership costs of a Ducati and the maintenance requirements. Still, I have to laugh at the extremes some people will go. I had a guy call me to order a sprocket for a 996. I told him that he'd be better off purchasing a quick-change hub. He expressed no interest. Unfortunately for him, the original owner performed a 520 conversion and changed the number of teeth on the sprocket. The only manufacturer of that sprocket was DP... with a price tag of $220... and the sprocket was aluminum. For that price, the owner could have had a quick change hub with a steel sprocket. Still, I ordered the sprocket that he wanted. He is a self-proclaimed DIY type, but asked me how to set up the timing on the bike. I told him to follow the pictures in my manual. He said that he didn't have it. When I suggested it to him, he balked. $30 was a lot to pay for a manual. I didn't hang up on him, but I quickly ended the conversation. You can't fix stupid.

I got the 999 front wheel back on and shimmed up. It looks the business. You can see pics of the 999 under the "bike of the quarter" selection from the main menu. I'll run her a few weeks before tearing in the bike for a full service.

Scott Armstrong sent me the latest pics of the supposed 1098. I hope the bike is like the 999 was, meaning it looks better in person. I already have a 916 and a 999. I don't want a superbike that is combination of the two. Still, as long as the engine architecture is different, I'll probably get one.

I'm in the middle of giving a midterm exam, and writing the DD is more fun than grading papers. Gotta run though..

7 Nov - I just got around to paying my business sales tax for Oct to Florida. Approximately 90% of my sales don't have sales tax applied. I ship very few packages to Florida customers, so my service shop sales tax is the only real business I do as far as Florida is concerned. Unfortunately, there is a growing pressure from states to pay sales tax on products that are shipped into their states. California and New York top the list, but many states expect vendors to collect sales taxes for their state. I don't know about you, but collecting and paying sales taxes to 50 states each month is untenable. In fact, I'm about taxed out. I have friends who tell me that they were me, they'd keep my business below the radar screen and not claim a penny of sales. I guess I'm too legit for that. I don't mess with the IRS. That means I run the business above board. That also means that I lose 1/3 of my sales to taxes. As they say, that's the cost of doing business. While that's true, I feel I'm doing more than my share to pay government coffers.

Today is vote day, and I've gotta say that I'm uninspired. The government's fraud, waste, and abuses of taxpayer dollars is as alive as I've ever seen it, and my vote will be for what I perceive as the lesser of two evils. I think both parties suck. Politicians suck, the government sucks, non-coalition governments suck, the global war on the concept of terror sucks, and one-percenters suck. That being said, there is one group that definitely doesn't suck -- motorcycle riders. I find that the unspoken bond between riders transcends politics, cultures, and other differences.

Due to my university job, I have to stay in touch with current events both domestically and internationally. The more I read, the more I want to lock myself in my shop and forget about it all. Global warming, the AIDS epidemics in Africa, the spread of Leftist regimes in Central and South America, Iran's and North Korea's expansion of their nuclear program, the flood of illegal immigrants into the US, the world dependency on oil, and politicians who treat their interns as sex toys leave me feeling tired and dismayed. My way of coping with it is to wrench and ride. All the world's problems melt away every time I hit the starter button. It may be an escape, but there's a reason I try to be somewhat obscure -- the world is fucked up, and I'm trying to both not contribute to how screwed up it is and not be affected by those that are fucked up. Sometimes I wish I'd wake up and find myself in one of those old Hollywood westerns. You know, the ones where it was easy to tell the good guys from the bad guys by what they wore. The good guys rode red Ducatis, the bad guys rode black OCC Choppers, and the Indians rode Japanese sportbikes with stupid multi-colored graphics. And the good guys always rescued the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, life isn't like Hollywood, and my taste in movie genres is probably a bit skewed anyway.

6 Nov - Today is a washout in Pensacola. That's okay though. Who cares if a Monday is a washout, so long as things clear up for the weekend. This week I'll be spending a lot of time in the workshop, and writing for MCN. I have an easy week of teaching -- giving tests and sitting through student presentations.

I'm out of some inventory items, some of which I have no control over sourcing --- sprocket covers, footpeg lowering kits, eccentric adjuster wrenches, ST fairing brackets. All are made for me by a single vendor who is still in the process of moving and setting up shop in a different locale. Until he's set, I'm screwed. I need to order more rotor bolts, make up more cooling fan kits, and get more clutch pushrod orings. Everything else is in stock.

I'm having a problem with the fitment of the Dymag front wheel. There weren't any spacers included, and the wheel isn't close to fitting. I've got about 2 inches of slop that needs to be made up with spacers. I'll call Cyclecat today to see if they have them in stock. If not, I'm hoping Alex can cut some for me. I can measure the gap with a set of calipers and have spacers made. I shouldn't have to do that though on such expensive wheels.

Tomorrow I finish Ken Ford's ST4S. His fuel level sensor has been acting up, so I'm going to pop in a new one. Then I'll roll John Dean's M800 off the lift in prep of the body parts coming in from the painters. That will leave the troubled 748 as the only bike left to service. I'll tear into the 748 on either Friday or next Tue.

Still waiting to see the first clear images of the 1098 and the rest of the Ducati lineup. I wish I could go to the Milan show, but then again I'm all travelled out this year. I've been gone a total of 9 weeks this year. Quite frankly, I'd rather be at home.

That's about it for a dreary Monday. Tomorrow I'll try to snap a pic of the confines of the workshop so that you can see what organized chaos looks like.

5 Nov - I had a few spare hours today and read the latest issue of Road Racer. What a great magazine. There's a good article in there about Ducati's withdrawal from AMA. It recounts the history of Ducati's succcess and near-successes. In the end, the article points out that Ducati has nothing to be ashamed of in its AMA effort. I agree. While they only garnered a few championships in the 30 years of racing in AMA, Ducatis have made a lasting mark. Readers know I hold no high opinions of the AMA. They are the perfect organization for reinventing the flat tire. The races are disorganized, the practices are disorganized, and the series dilutes the talent. Other than that, the AMA is great. I hope Ducati will return to the US soon, but I understand their withdrawal.

I heard from the dealer meeting that Ducati is offering incentives for dealers next year, but the incentives won't apply to bikes that are discounted. If you haven't heard, Ducati is changing away from a rush to sell volume in favor of selling bikes at MSRP. As a customer, I'm disappointed. As a business-person and fan of Ducati, I'm delighted. Only by towing the line, will Ducati make it in the US. That means that they need to get the biggest margin per bike. If it were a choice between getting Ducks at bargain prices or see a more certain financial future, I'd rather pony up the $$$. But then, I've done my part. I'll ante up a free Case Saver insert for the person who guesses how much I've invested in the Ducati brand. It includes the bikes I've purchased, the modifications I've made, and the amount of parts I have sitting in inventory. Sorry, but I don't have time to list all the mods I have on my bikes, and I don't share my inventory assets. You can get the list of bikes I have from the Membership section of the main site. I've created a thread under "desmo times business Stuff" on the message board.

3 Nov - Boy, am I tired. I lectured for three hours today. I got a frantic call from a fellow instructor this morning, asking me if I could lecture early. The first presenter from the Pentagon finished up 2 hours early. I was in the midst of polishing my briefing, so I tidied it up and headed to Post. I think the briefing was well received, but I never know what impact my words have. I hate lecturing with a remote mic, but for a class that big, it was the only way to be heard.

I snooped around a little more today for news of the 1098. Only 2 weeks until Milan.

After doing a bunch of teaching the past few weeks, I'm ready to lock myself in the shed and relax while wrenching on the Ducks. I hope to pick up John Dean's parts later this week. The bummer about my painter/restorer is that it doesn't do any good to call. I have to drop by to see the progress. I'm planning on getting the Cagiva painted next, so when John's M800 is ready, I'll drop off the body parts of the Gran Canyon. The original owner ran through some brush and there are a lot of scratches to the front fairing and saddle fuel tanks. The rest of my bikes are good from a paint standpoint.

This week I'll get the 999s wheels on to see what a difference carbon/magnesium's make. I don't expect anything more than I'm used to with the switch. The only bike's I own that have the stock rims are the Gran Canyon and the MTS. The M900 has 5 spoke sand-cast marchesinis, the 900ss 5 spoke Marvic Piumas, the 916 5 spoke Dymags, the 888 3 spoke Marchesinis, the 748 5 spoke Marchesinis, and the ST2 5 spoke BSTs. Editor Searle is interested in an article on aftermarket wheels. Add that to the to-do list.

So, what do you think of the rumors of Hodgson teaming with Fogerty in WSB and Ferracci fielding an MV team? I love to see exotics race. I ride Ducatis because I think they are functional artwork. And there's nothing wrong with artwork winning races. I'd rather see a Ducati crash in a race than rot in the living room.

2 Nov - Okay, so I lied. I'm taking a break from working on my briefing tomorrow. I had an uneventful flight up from Pensacola yesterday. I got a POS Pontiac Grand Prix as a rental. It has a bad wheel bearing. Whenever you brake the whole car shakes. It feels like when you brake while riding Gregg Kirby's ST4S... Doh!!! Don't worry Gregg, there's a set of Braketech Axis floating rotors with your name on them... somewhere.

I've got the first third of my briefing finalized, and the rest of slides jumbled after that. I'm in good enough shape to finish it off tomorrow morning. I'm not on the podium until 1:00 PM.

I took a break and surfed around for more spy shots of the 1098. I'm not overly impressed thus far. I do like the component shots that Minoli put on his blog site. The looks of the instrument panel, the swingarm, the calipers and the rear wheel all look tasty. Duct tape does in fact hide the lines of the bike. While most people are excited, I just shrug my shoulders. For me, it means a new platform to learn. I'll have to purchase one just to tear it down and find fixes for stuff. Oh woe is me.

I ran on the treadmill before heading out the door this morning. I'm quite satisfied with my cardiovascular tune, but I need way more strength training. I'm planning on a track day or two in the next few months, and if I'm out of shape the track beats me up. Slinging around a 748 sounds easy, but after 3 or 4 20-minute sessions I'm usually shagged out.

I ordered the parts to start working on my next product. I'll put things together next week and test fit it and check out the functionality. I should have it up on the site by the end of the month.

The axle plates are safely in the hands of my machinist. He should remill them next week and mail them back by the 3rd week of Oct. We'll see. I think I have enough interest to do a run of the ST2/ST3/ST4 plates. I'll schedule a run of them in Jan. That's probably it for the "new and exciting" stuff. I now resell for both Galfer and Braketech, so I just have to find the time to pop up the products for those of you needing brake upgrades.

1 Nov - I'm busy at the office this morning, frantically throwing together my presentation for Friday. I thought that I had a good shell of a presentation, but I've decided to revise most of the presentation I gave earlier this year.

I had ran out of 2-valve book last week, and just got a fresh shipment in yesterday. I got up early to pack backorders of books. If you ordered desmodue books in the last 5 days, they'll all ship tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but I had a run on the books.

Mike Anderson (form Down Under) and Greg Weaver took pity on my and placed orders yesterday. I wish I could predict demand. It would make inventorying a whole lot easier. I'll go several days without orders and then get a rush of 10 orders in a single day. Weird.

I'm tied up at the office until 5:00 today. Tonight I've got the local Ducati meet to go to. I'm busy, but I need the time away from the office. I wish I had enough time to throw the wheels on the 999, but there aren't enough free hours in my schedule.

Tomorrow I've got to get orders out, head over to the airport and fly to Fayetteville NC. No more DD until Sat. When I get back this weekend I'll be planning out my wrenching activities for next week. I've also got to outfit my next product offering. It will prevent the event last Sunday that I experienced on my 888.

Desmo Times

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Pensacola, FL. 32534

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