[Ducati] Kevin's Summer Trip

[mike major]

Glad 2 hear you made it back and the problem with the oil leak was fixable.
I'm at a relatives place in south eastern Montana about to head back
tomarrow.  I rode the old buzz bomb (R100RT) as a lot of the riding in this
corner of the world is on gravel or dirt roads and I couldn't submit my
pretty Duck to these conditions, no one wants an ugly duck.  Nothing makes
me appriciate our corner of the world like coming over the Serras after a
heat blasted trip.  Later, Moonbeam

On 6/29/07, Kevin Kachadourian <kkachadourian at cv.k12.ca.us> wrote:
>
> Has ended. I'm now home safe, preparing to deal with the disasters that
> occurred during my absence (completely NDC).
> Doing your own wrenching makes sense, and it was I who found and fixed the
> root problem (with the help of listers, and advise from Scott back at
> Desmoto). Once the residual oil was cleaned off, no more leaks have
> appeared. There were other factors that resulted in the return home
> decision. The weather on the route home was looking a lot better than that
> headed towards the northeast, I was looking at days of straight-line grind
> coming back through the south in the muggy July heat (1 day in ID and NV
> gave me a small reminder of how grueling it can be), and other things in my
> life are now less likely to spin out of control with me home.
> In addition to the bike having problems, my notebook computer shut down,
> and greatly reduced my internet access (which is why there have been no blog
> postings for a few days).
> So, here are a few observations (which may get to the blog at some point):
> Start to finish, we covered 3,569 miles in 10 days (1 of which was just
> going the 7 miles from Seattle to Bellevue). The first and last days were
> the longest and hardest. Yesterday, I rode in or through 3 states and put
> 694 miles on the bike in 13 hours (about 10.5 hours saddle time)
> Even leaking oil, the bike was stunning. With new M3 tires, it rolled into
> curves quick and easy. With the FCRs, it had pretty much all the power I
> ever needed (a little too much for toodleing around parking lots). I was
> very restrained for almost the entire trip, not wanting to have even the
> smallest accident or get a ticket (I succeded in both goals). Once in
> Montana, on some small 2 lane country road, and once in southern Idaho, on
> I-84, I pushed the bike to see what it would do. Got it to about 105 (speedo
> read 120) in Montana, and 120 (speedo read 135+) in Idaho. Power was still
> there, though definintely tapering off. I'm sure the weight of my gear, plus
> the air drag, held me back. Also, I get pretty nervous going those speeds on
> public roads (how much is a ticket for going twice the posted speed limit?).
> As hard as it is, the Corbin solo seat was so much more comfortable than the
> stock. The only problem there was the bang my nuts took when I hit a bump
> (and the Bay Area, right back home, takes the prize for those bumps). The
> cramp-buster was the thing for saving my right hand. Later today, I will
> look to see what oil consumption was on that last day through the desert
> (Nevada,...lots of desert). Day before was about .4 quarts in 400 miles (as
> opposed to about 1 quart every 3-400 miles). Fuel consumption ranged from a
> minimum of 46 to a maximum of 58, with most tanks going at 54 mpg. Haven't
> measured, but the tires look in great shape with a lot of tread left (maybe
> only one fourth or one third used).
> Okay, enough of that. There will be more to come, but now I've got to try
> and fix the computer, sort out the home front disaster, and start prepping
> for Laguna Seca.
> Later,
> Kevin
> '96 900 SS SP (now only burning oil)
> '85 650 Alazzurra (don't even burn oil)
> *****
>
> Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors!  It's a
> motorcycle
> stand superstore.  Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate
> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike
> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and
> discounts
> everything they sell.  Check them out!
>
> Visit: http://mcstands.com/
> _______________________________________________
> Ducati mailing list
> Ducati at ducati.net
> http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati
> Mailto: textike at gmail.com
>