The 999

I've had the Ducati for a few months now, not that I've had that much time to ride it. My impression of the 999? The most awesome motorcycle I have ever swung a leg over. Wow. Performance wise this bike is great, I mean it was designed for racing, but it's performance seems to increase exponentially the faster you go. It's awkward to ride around town, it's geared very tall and doesn't like to go slow. The faster it runs, the more stable and precise it becomes.

It's not the most comfortable bike, i'm working on a few adjustments to make it more so, but I didn't get it because it was comfy. I may opt for some new clip ons that will bring the bars up a little and offer some adjustability, but all in all I think I just need to get my body used to it with some longer rides. Upgrades and parts are cheap either, I could buy another bike for what a new Termignoni full system will cost me, but the sound may be worth it. I've only managed about 700 miles on it so far, but as soon as school lets out, that may change to 1,700 in one weekend. I want to hurry and get another 1,300 miles on it so I can start the big service and have it ready for my Colorado trip in Sept.

What's Italian, fast and red all over?

My new Ducati.

Been a while

As you can see, it's been a while since I've posted anything on my Motolife blog. For good reason though. Not long after the last post I no longer had a Motolife. I sold the Triumph to free up some money while Ashely quit her job to focus on school. Ashley put her head down and worked hard to graduate early and get a job right out of school. SO from about April 2009 to now, I've been Moto-less. I actually completely disconnected myself from it, I even stopped getting on the many motorcycle forums so that I wouldn't think about it. After a while it worked, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed riding and wrenching on a bike. UNTIL The weather started warming up and when Ashley started bring home a paycheck, I started to get the itch. I began looking for an RC51, but found none worth buying. I was set on a twin engine layout so I began to look somewhere I didn't think I'd be able make happen. Ducati. Ducati. Ducati. It's fun just to say it. I found a nice 2005 999 for sale at a BMW/Triumph dealer that had been traded in. I went down one Saturday (03-05-2011) and test rode it. All of a sudden I was back. It was as if I'd only been sleeping and just woke up, the 2 year hiatus seemed more like hours. The bike was phenomenal to ride, I took it easy as I was a bit rusty, but I did manage to double the speed limit in front of the Police Academy to help release my inner hooligan. The ride made a lasting impression on me. Time to convince the wife that this was the bike and the time was now.

I've been busy

I rarely get a chance to get out on the bike anymore, but I made it up to see the leaves changing
This is Old Snow Basin road.

Fuel Filter Change

I caught up on some maintenance that I needed to get done. I changed my fuel filter. The Fuel filter is inside the gas tank with the fuel pump assembly. I learned via thespeedtiple.com that the maker of the "Triumph" brand fuel filter also makes fuel filters for Ducati And BMW. Leave it to triumph to charge twice as much as the others for the same filter that says "Triumph" On it. And of course leave it to Accolade to charge even more. I go thte BMW filter for $20, Accolade quoted me $53 for the Triumph filter. (Accolade is also where I bought the BMW filter)

So enough of that, the swap was pretty simple. There's some things to watch for if you've never taken your tank off before, but it's an easy job.

First of course, remove the seat and disconnect your battery.

Remove the side panels (this will make accessing the underside of the tank easier) and then the tank. (Make a mental note to run your bike empty, anything less than a 1/2 gallon will be great) When removing the hoses on the tank, mark the thos smaller vent hoses on the lef tside of the tank, make sure to put them on the same nipple they came off.

Take a good look at the top of your bike's engine, don't let your 2 year old get a handfull of packaging styrofoam and put it into the narrow recesses of your engine. (it added 30 mins to this job)

Notiec I set the tank on a towel so I wouldn't scratch it's pretty paint. now tha tthe tank is off, remove the fuel pump assembly from the tank (the six little bolts on the only metal part on the tank)

I diddn't get any pictures of the fuel pump assembly (my hands were covered in gas) but I did get a shot of the infamous inspection stickers that you occasionally see floating around in your tank.

And I took the time to remove them, not that they're hurting anything - I just want to be different, my Triple's that much more custom now.

These are the vent nipples, no that not a technical term. those two hoses you pulled off? If you diddn't keep track of whch one was whice, your bike will run like poo and you'll hear a sucking sound when you open the tank. If that's the case, switch the hoses around. (Mental note to pick up two new rubber grommets for those nipples)

Identical, except for the markings. Again, sorry for not getting any pictures of the actual fuel pump assembly and how the fuel filter fits in. But honestly, if you got this far, you can figure it out.

Now go put it back together.

Did a little dirt biking at work

Casey took us for a little ride down the trail. Once the asphalt ended the fun began.




I doesn't look like much but these little trails were pretty steep and very soft. Looking at it, you wouldn't think about taking a fully dressed bagger down there, but we did. Casey and I did a lot of this in our Motors Training. Only in Motors Training you're folling someone 2 feet in front of you. I don't know about Casey, but I hadn't practiced off road since the class, it was fun.

The Triple's for sale.....Again

I've gone back and forth with this decision for some time now. But the last few times I've gone out on the Triple, I've wanted something else. So I told myself I'd put it up for sale for a reasonable price this time and if it sold, I'd find something else.

What I've been desiring is this:

Mostly riding position. I want a race inspired bike, something with clip-ons and a full fairing. I feel like I can't move right on the Triple, it's just me, there's plenty of others that can do it.

A different engine design. By this I mean engine layout, a twin to be exact, or a four cylinder. The Triple is unique, but it's all I've ever ridden (aside from the Police Bike, but Harley's don't count) I love the thumping sound of an uncorked twin engine. Twin engines are great for torque too which is important to me because this bike will spend the majority of it's time on the street. I'll want the extra torque when Ashley decides to come for rides with me, or for long rides, when I'm loaded down with gear.

Something I can take to a dealer if I need to. I really like working on my own bike, I find it fun and somewhat relaxing, even when things don't go right and I'm throwing tools. But there's some things that are over my head and I'd like to have some faith in a dealership to get those things done at. Accolade is the only Triumph dealer in the state and they've more than lost my faith. I cringe at the thought of buying parts there because I don't want to give them my money. I'm sure there are Honda Dealers that are just as bad or even worse, but with a Honda, I'd have options.

To try something new. As I said earlier, the Triple was my first bike. I want to try other bikes and get a feel for them. Whatever I get will be replaced sometime, I'll always be getting a new bike, it'll just be a matter of whether or not I can keep the old one. I look forward to the day that I have to get rid of a bike because there's no room for one.

There's some more feelings I've had about it that I just can't nail down. Don't get me wrong, I love my Triple. It's a great bike and it's perfect for the street, it does great at the track too. It's unique, looks great and rides great. I've had a lot of fun on it, but now it's time for something else.

Meet the Contestants.

There are two main contenders here, read on and vote.

Honda came out with their new 1000 RR. When I first saw pictures of this bike I did not like it. When I saw this bike in person, I wanted it, WOW it looks really nice in person. The 1000 RR is actually lighter than it's little brother the 600RR. For those not in the know, weight is a big deal. The lighter a bike the faster it will accelerate. Placement of weight is also a big deal, the lower the weight the better. The new 1000RR also uses an electronic throttle, something that I got used to this year on the new Harley, it won't be long till all new bikes and cars have em. I like the look of the RR in person too, it looks mean, purposeful.

Another Honda, the RC51. This is the bike I think I'll end up with if I do sell the Triple. The 1000RR would be too expensive for me right now. Not that the RC51 is a slouch or cheap bike, but Honda quit making it in 2006. Truly, the RC51 hasn't been developed since 2002, that was the last year any changes were made to it.

The RC51 was purposely built to compete in the World Superbike Championship. In 1988 The WSBK rules were changed to allow twin engines up to 999cc's. Inline four cylinders were allowed to 750cc's Ducati began to dominate the series, but Honda answered back with the RC51.

I really like this bike and with it not being made anymore, it'll likely soon be a classic. Although there are rumors about Honda making an RC61 now that WSBK allows twins up to 1199cc's. Ducati seems to have this year's Championship all but in the bag.

Those are the two main contenders. I'd also consider a GSXR-1000 or 750 or maybe even a 600. First thing's first though, the Triple has to go. I took it out for a test ride and errand tonight and really enjoyed it, it pulls hard and is fun to ride. If it doesn't sell, oh well, I like it and will continue to ride it.