Returning to the ranks of Ducatisti

[glazwegian]

Dave
N.E. Ohio
'09 M1100(incoming), '08 Ulysses XT(9,400 miles), '00 R1150GS(85,000 miles - outgoing)
39 yrs. riding experience

I started riding in 1970 on a Honda CB450.  It was stolen the following year.  I replaced it with a '72 Norton Commando 750.  After many intervening years, and bikes, I purchased a Monster 900 City in 1999.  Liked the bike...except for the low ground clearance and resultant limited lean angles.  Consequently, I sold it the following year.

After taking a demo ride on the new M1100 and seeing it is a "whole different animal" from my Monster City, I placed an order last week for one in silver, with the red trellis frame.  I've been waiting for a redesign of the Monsters, particularly the 2V models.  Ducati didn't disappoint.  The redesign, in my mind, is outstanding......so much so, that I went against my instincts of buying a first year model and will be an enthusiastic Beta tester for Ducati. 

I would have brought donuts for everyone, but there's no Timmy's(Tim Horton's) nearby and everything else around here is almost inedible......maybe next time!

[BumpaD_Z28]

NICE ! Welcome back ... I ride a 1999 M900 city !!!

~DaVe

[somegirl]

Welcome Dave, congrats on the new Duc.  Looking forward to seeing and hearing more about it.

Sounds like you've had a colorful riding history.

[Sleeper_I]

Howdy and welcome to the forum Dave,

wow, 85,000 miles?! Any pics of your old rides you'd like to share?

Of course we'd like to see your new ride too once you have the keys 

[glazwegian]

Sleeper,

I'm in NC for the next 2 or 3 weeks.  My Monster should be at my dealer when I return to OH.

When I get back I'll post some pics.  I don't have any digital pics of the Norton or Honda, however.  I've been meaning to "digitize" my older pics/slides, but that's pretty low on the priority list.

I've been almost everywhere in the U.S.(except the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest) and eastern Canada on the GS.  My wildest trip, however, had to be when I went to CA to visit a good friend in 2003.  That's because I left N.E. Ohio on Feb. 3rd.....not exactly prime riding season in Ohio.  To make a long story very short;  I couldn't go over the mountains during winter, so I took a route that went through Nashville, Dallas-Forth Worth, El Paso, Phoenix and finally to Concord, CA(S.F. Bay area).  It took me 5 days to get to Concord(450mi, 750mi, 600mi, 600mi & 600mi).  You have to remember I couldn't leave as early or stop as late as during the summer, because of extreme cold at night and the threat of  black ice.  Another thing, my GS is a naked bike.  It does, however, have heated grips w/handguards and an accessory outlet for a heated vest.  I couldn't have made the trip during winter without either.  So, keeping that in mind.....that's pretty good numbers each day considering the time of year and type of bike.

The best part of the trip was when I went through Death Valley on the way home.  Lot's of neat dirt roads to explore(great fun on the GS) and no one within many miles.  The fact the temperature only gets up to around 80 degrees during  the day, at that time of year, made the experience all the more enjoyable.

I only had to pull off the road because of weather once during the trip.  On my way home I was just south of Louisville, KY and it started to snow.  Soon the banks and median were covered, so I got off at the nearest exit and found a room for the night.  The roads were clear enough to leave about 10:30am the next morning and I was home by that evening.

I was gone for a total of 3 weeks and accumulated close to 6,600 miles and almost as many memories.  I was fortunate, however, not to have any weather related problems.  On the way home, I was between storms the whole way and the Weather Channel became my best friend.  In fact, when I checked into a motel, the first question I asked was if they had the Weather Channel on their cable.

Why did I make this trip during the winter?  Because that's the only time I could take 3 weeks away from work.  I had a small business at the time and it was our slow time of year.

Looking back......I'm glad I made the trip when I did.  It's definitely among my most memorable and unique adventures.  However, the time I toured Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola(a fellow rider was good friends with the warden) and was able to ride my GS(along with several other riders) behind the prison gates to tour the grounds, buildings and facilities.....and visit with inmates, now THAT was unique and memorable(and almost unprecedented)!