[Ducati] Ducati Open House

[Peter Bonner]

Saturday was a windy but sunny day, and quite a few riders gathered at KC
International, the San Antonio, TX Ducati dealer for the open house and a
look at the 848 Model on display. A very good bike for sure! Nice to have so
many folks ride in including a number of the European riders group that I
know, many of them friends of the new KC International manager Frans. Frans
is well known and respected in the Euro bike group, having owned one of the
best shops in Austin some years ago and a long time experience with Moto
Guzzi as well as Ducati. Just to add some true variety for the meeting
though, Corey showed up on his 1958 Velocette 500cc Scrambler. What a great
symbol of those bygone times, as he arrived and we quickly found a piece of
cardboard to put under the leaking primary chaincase. Brought back a lot of
memories of my leaky limey bikes that went through a whole new revolution in
1964 when I bought my first Ducati, and found that the only time the Ducati
really leaked oil was after doing a wheelstand that was a block long or so.
Then it would gush out the large diameter breather hose attached to the left
rear side of the crankcase.

Still working on arm strengthening which makes waiting for the HM to arrive
not seem bad, would like to be fit when it arrives. Who knows how much of a
kink in the delivery system the 3 day truck strike in Italy made, but
friends in Italy are not happy about the Christmas flow being interrupted.

Peter