[Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article

[Ronald Betts]

I ride my 95 SSSP on a daily basis to work and back and on some weekends. I still think it's alot of fun anytime I'm on my bike. I have a car at my disposal but choose to ride, rain or shine. Kinda makes a small adventure out of another day at the job. I tell all the new guys to take the MSF riding course, gear up, chicks dig it, and ride like everyone is out to kill you, but have a good time....;-}>
 
 
 
 
Peace...Ron"Desmohead"Betts 95 900 SPI've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!> Subject: RE: [Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:03:04 -0500> From: jvwhiting at palomaresources.com> To: ducati at ducati.net> > I started on dirt bikes in the 70's, left them from 73' to 84', then got> back into bikes in the mid 80's on a flying brick Beemer K100RS, and> then entered the sport bike world in 94' with my purchase of a 900 SS> SP. I then started training in 97' on tracks, after MSF and MSF> advanced schools along the way (notice I did not obtain any formal> training for 11+ years of street riding). I rode/ride within my limits> 99.95% of the time, but scat happens, and I have been down twice on> pavement in 22 years. > > Anyway, I had, for the first time in my life, the opportunity to ride a> full dress Harley up in Michigan on a perfectly beautiful summer> morning, and I gotta tell you, I couldn't wait to get off the thing. I> rode so slow to compensate for what I felt was the lack of basic machine> responsiveness and my conservative level of 'attack', that I realized> that the experience was leading me more towards the sightseeing aspects> of riding than the visceral normalcy for operating a machine on curvy> roads that is what I look for and get out of riding: It is 100%> concentration for me with the bike on the road. Anyway, I digress. > > I realize that many if not most people do not ride a motorcycle for the> same reasons that I do, and therefore, are in a separate reality when it> comes to what they know, what's important to them, and what they ride> and why. Training seems so obvious to me, but to many, they never> really consider it. Then again, I wear a back protector, leathers,> helmet, gloves and boots EVERY time I ride. I would feel bloody naked> and tempting death without them, although I smoke cigs like a chimney,> especially during breaks on the road, but that is another discussion> altogether.> > We can't lead most riders to water, much less get them to drink, but I> diligently talk to folks on the road, strangers and friends, about my> philosophy of survival. I pay my dues semi-annually to the insurance> company of choice, and I always set out on a bike with the deliberate> and conscious intent to return safely from my rides, every time. I have> that pattern ritualized to make sure I am in the proper state of mind,> and I will not get in a hurry regardless of any outside pressures or> distractions, because I only ride for fun and not for transportation,> and that makes a huge difference. > > Just my 2 cents, FWIW. My apologies for being so long winded and soap> box mounted.> > John W. > > > -----Original Message-----> From: ducati-bounces at ducati.net [mailto:ducati-bounces at ducati.net] On> Behalf Of Rich Roberts> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 5:09 PM> To: Ducati Owners Group> Subject: Re: [Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article> > But you know in different areas of the country there is an incredible> increase in RUBS or mid life crises folks on Harleys, unfortunaly I can> site a few that resulted in injuries and fatalities, most of those guys> not kids but grandpas or almost grandpas. maybe they rode when they were> a kid and now 30-40 years later with retirement in their face they jump> back on a bike with little to no training. Unfortunatley i look at my> neck of the woods as being the perfect model for all of the trends> nationwide...we have an incredible population of young military> folks...who crash routinely doing all sorts of dumb things...this area> has one of the biggest Navy bases and the AirForce at Langley etc etc.> Add to that a fairly large retired population of military folks who> simply stay in the area and weather that allows for a pretty long riding> season and you see it all, 4 young uns running off the backroads on> their sportsbikes one day and a 40-50something on his> Harley T boning a retirees Camry the next. Demographics are a funny> thing, likely a fairly homogneous population of riders across most of> the country and then real hotspots depending on the uniqueness of the> population. I would not expect the sort of thing you might see in NYC to> be anything like what we see around here. And anything common to small> town America to be nothing like either. The extremes have always got to> have an effect on the norm....I have literally sat in a group of young> sailors and watched them brag about their bankrolls of> tickets....knowing they would soon not ride legally if ever again. And> I have known many many folks either teaching MSF or just crossing paths> with them, guys with 10 year old Harleys with 800 miles on them. I can> not tell you how many folks I know with motorcycles who are just plain> scared to death of them and you wonder why they ride. Guys who are> simply afraid to lean a bike at all under any circumstances,> and they are all over the roads, everywhere, there are simply too many> people who ride motorcycles only for the image. Somneone who rides who> does not understand or appreciate the simple mechanics of how a bike> works, I mean folks who are deathly afraid of a simple lean in a turn> and ride like automatons should not be riding I am afraid to say. They> are an instant away from a panic just riding normally. And there are too> damn many of them, unfortunately they are getting passed by maniacs on> GSXRs or my favorite, the good friend who insists on doing burnouts on> his Goldwing when he leaves work about every day who about lost it when> he went from old apshalt to new base course with lots of fresh ooozy> asphalt. You gamble long enough , the house always wins in the end. > > *****> > 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: ronaldebettsasalc0015 at hotmail.com
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