Back in the saddle

[billschusteriv]

Bill Schuster (just keeping the username simple)
Hanover, PA
2012 M696 Dark Stealth
"M" class license endorsement since 2002
Owned bikes from '02-'06 and as recently as March 2012.


Hello! I just picked up a '12 M696 in Dark Stealth and am looking forward to racking up the miles by occasionally commuting to and from work (~60 miles one way). I haven't ridden in about 5-6 years when I parted with my last bike - a custom 900SS with a Ferracci big bore kit. I am sure there is a lot to learn on here... I'm looking forward to sharing what limited knowledge I have with others.

[Raux]

Bill Schuster (just keeping the username simple)
Hanover, PA
2012 M696 Dark Stealth
"M" class license endorsement since 2002
Owned bikes from '02-'06 and as recently as March 2012.


Hello! I just picked up a '12 M696 in Dark Stealth and am looking forward to racking up the miles by occasionally commuting to and from work (~60 miles one way). I haven't ridden in about 5-6 years when I parted with my last bike - a custom 900SS with a Ferracci big bore kit. I am sure there is a lot to learn on here... I'm looking forward to sharing what limited knowledge I have with others.

oh man,  900SS custom... pics?

[billschusteriv]

oh man,  900SS custom... pics?

Thanks Raux.  

I have two and will need to scan in others...let me preface this by saying any purists on here may not be happy.

So I found a customized 900SS on eBay back around 2003-2004.  This guy found a 900SS but really liked the 916 body style.  So, him and a friend made brackets to attach the body work to the 900SS and had the exhaust re-routed under the seat.  

When I saw it, I had just started riding (a Yamaha YZF-600R Thundercat) but always had a thing for the 916.  I was a young foolhardy sailor with money burning a hole in my pocket - so I decided to pick it up and make it my own.  I won the auction and ended up flying to Chicago and riding it back to Albany, NY.

After owning it for a while I searched high and low for mods and stumbled across Ferracci's website.  While the bike was there getting serviced and "winterized", I pulled the trigger on the big bore kit - increasing the displacement to 944cc.

I don't know if I have any pictures from right after the initial purchase, but the fairing was Ducati yellow and had all kinds of stickers on it (Agip and some other sponsor-type advertisement stickers).  I found a local paint shop and had it resprayed yellow and decided to do away with the decals.  The tank/fairing text (Ducati/944), number plate, and tail section were done in a translucent white color to give everything a "ghost" look.

The custom modifications made raised some issues I didn't have time to fix (and I disclosed to the buyer) and the bike ended up going up for sale when I bought a house.  Eventually, I found a Ducati enthusiast in Florida who was really looking forward to tinkering with the 900SS and took it off my hands so I could take care of new home ownership issues.

Enjoy!

[Raux]

  

[billschusteriv]

Thanks Raux.    

It was a really fun ride...