Ok, so now it's been 2 months on the Aprilia. As I sort of expected I've had to do some work to the bike that cost me about $500-600. But if anything it's been a bit of a re-awakening. I have gotten back in touch with my inner gear-head.
To be honest, the Aprilia (or Ape, pronounced Ap-ay) is pretty close to my personality. It's exotic and possess a very narrow focus (ie: racing) but is not as snooty as Ducatis are but is no less a bike. Not to knock Ducatis: they are some seriously refined machines now-a-days. But there is a certain spoiled rich kid aspect of newer Ducatis. I have a number of fiends who do not fall into this set. They have older Ducs that demand a lot of attention and they reward them with outstanding performance. But there is another set of Ducatisti that expect to get pampered and apparently do not wipe their own arse without a certain expectation of someone doing it for them and unfortunately it's hard to separate the boys from the men (or women from the girls).
I have a new set of friends who bleed racing gas and ride Ducatis and I have a lot of respect for them. The ride beat to hell, 749s with one faring that says 999 and one that says 749. I have friends that ride 748s and 996s and old-ass-Ducs that spend more time in the shop than they do on the road. But there in is the nature of Ducs. They understand that you get what you pay for.
What I like about the Aprilias is the fact that spoiled rich kids (kids or old men) are almost precluded from them since the factory refuses to cater to them the way Bologna does.
So, Aprilia owners are largely on their own and honestly, I like it that way.
I have always had a taste for the road less travelled and this feels right. A few years ago I finally bought a "new" car: an Audi A4 and a good friend of mine that put up with various beater VWs said "I never knew you were so classy. This is soooooo you!"
No one has said this per-se about the Aprilia, but often people gaze upon the Aprilia with wonder and admiration. Mostly, it seems, because most people have never heard of Aprilia.
"Who makes Aprilia?" people say.
"Aprilia does" I say.
"Huh?" they say.
"It's a....like a Ducati" I say.
"Huh. Never heard of them. But that's a cool bike. Kinda of a beater, huh?" they say.
"Yeah, thanks for that." I say.
But truth is, my Ape IS a beater. It's been neglected, it's flat black and now it's been dropped.
Yeah, you heard right. I went down on the Aprilia.
To be honest, I think it was bound to happen. The bike is a dream to ride at speed but give no quarter at downtown speeds. However, I am pleased at how it happened (if one could ever be pleased with such an event). I didn't go down at 100+mph, or 70mph or 30mph even. This happened at the whopping speed of....wait for it....10mph!!!!
Yes folks, I was in stop and go traffic in the on ramp to the 805 after 200+ miles of some serious canyon carving. To demonstrate how benign this was, it wasn't even on Palomar. This was a Southeast county ride with some Ducatisti: the mixed fairing, "I race on a SV650" kind.
It was the end of a very happy morning. I spent a good 3-4 hours having a nice conversation with the Ape. She revealed her steady nature to me and I was able to go faster and faster.
I was in traffic trying to get home so I could take advantage of the rest of my day, but the guy in front of me was quite impatient with the traffic and when there appeared a slight gap in front of him, he gunned his huge SUV and then stood on the brakes. I followed suit thinking "why would someone gun it like that if there wasn't clear road in front of them"....silly me.
All of a sudden saw a beige SUV stopped and my eyes grew as big as saucers. I grabbed my front brake (if you read my first post about the Ape, you should be cringing at this point as I noted that "grabbing" the front brake a recipe for disaster) and....well there was a whole bunch of bucking (a tank slapper is the term, I think) and the next thing you know I am on my right side sliding along for a whole foot or so.
I think I knew immediately that my shoulder was knackered. I got my right leg out of from under the bike and assumed a Muslim prayer stance (I know this since Mom was Muslim) and the pain hit like a frieght train. Bystanders asked if I should maybe lie down. I knew for a fact that would cause misery like only Jewish people know. I sat there and rode the searing waves of pain till the paramedics showed up. As I kneeled there people kept asking stupid questions that I could barely percieve above the horrid din of a broken collarbone.
Some guy who obviously knew a thing or two about medicine started asking the typical 1st aid questions to make sure I didn't have a concussion. He also instructed me on how to keep a broken collarbone stable. That saved me a lot of anguish.
I expected a certain amount of head shaking, finger waving..whatever...since most people consider riding motorcycles as pure idiocy, but the EMT folk spared me that. They were quite relieved that I was wearing full gear. Seriously though, all that gear saved me major injury. The finaly tally on damage was a clean break collarbone, bruised ribs, bruised shoulder and a bashe up hand. No blood or scrapes or lacerations or even concussion. However, based upon what my gear took, it could have been infinitely worse. My helmet is cracked, as are my gloved (complete with destroyed carbon fiber knuckles). Could have been worse. Thank you Dianese and Alpine Stars.
So, this happend the Saturday before last and I am about a week and a half into what is typically a 13 week recovery period. There is not a lot to be done about collarbones, so all the doctors can really do it give you a harness thingy and a lot of pain killers. I started off with about 30 Percocets and in about 3 days I was down to 10. Percocet is a crazy strong narcotic and it barely touches this. Fortunately, I got a 120 pill refill and it's the only thing keeping me sane. Only now can I take a shower by myself and sleep without heavy medication.
So the moral of this story is WEAR YOUR GEAR! The other thing is: other people poor driving is you biggest risk. You must pay attention!!!
The thing about this that is weird is that the primary reason this happened was because the Aprilia has such good brakes...almost too good. People have complained about how excessive the brakes are on the 1098....now I know what they mean.
So, what am I going to do now? I am going to recover and get back on the bike ASAP. I really miss riding, but I am going to pay a whole lot more attention to Ape. One finger on the brakes at most.
What is also happening is that Ape is becoming more of a beater bike. I am going to have to repaint some fairings and in keeping with the trend of the bike, it's going to be flat black. All business, all the time. No fancy fire truck red paint, no fancy decals. The guy who owned the towing yard who had tattoo sleeves looked upon the Ape with much admiration. Most guys like that who are all about the choppers don't even give Italian Exotica half a look, but this was different.
I don't pretend that I am some sort of hard ass, but I know I have spent a good portion of my life with gease under the fingernails and callouses due to wrenching for a living. I somehow think that the Aprilia reflects that experience and that I am not afraid to get my hands dirty and figure sh!t out.
The Ape is a little scraped up, but she reflect her owner.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Coping
Since I proposed to my Fiance Suzanne, life has been good. Very good, in fact. Living with Suzanne and doing all the couple-y thing we do is quite nice. We have bought a house and we like it very much.
What comes along with sharing a life with someone often includes new relatives, commonly called "The In-laws". In a lot of cases these in-laws cause a lot of strife if so-and-so's uncle does not like you. This happens so much that Hollywood has made many movies about in-laws that are so difficult that one would rather poke oneself in the eye with a rusty pitch fork than deal with.
Fortunately, my soon-to-be-inlaws could be more pleasant and more-over interesting.
There is Suzy's Mom, Georgia who is the sweetest, most doting things since my own Mom. There is Reeve, Suzy's Dad who is a tough cookie. He sails (quite well) and plays handball and is good enough that he can give pros a good game. He's very adventurous and they (Georgia and Reeve) routinely go camping and traveling.
The is Walt, Reeve's brother who despite not so great health, still goes sailing up and down the West Coast with Reeve. There a host of others who's relationship, I am a little fuzzy on the details so I will not embarrass myself with botching them.
One of the more notable, or at least more memorable is Aunt Macia, Reeve's sister. She is a mathematician and is quite nice. Unfortunately she is dying from terminal cancer.
It is unlikely she will live till the end of the year and as the case with these really aggressive metastatic cancer, there is little that can be done. It is no longer a matter of mustering the will to fight like the dickens to beat the cancer. It has already won. It's just a matter of maintaining dignity and making Marcia comfortable.
Reeve is understandably, struggling with this one. This clearly is tearing him up inside. I can see it even when he desperately tries to hide it. I really feel for him.
This ugly, somber process brings me back to how my parents left this world. The ordeal of fighting everyone to be allowed to let my father pass with what little dignity he had left along with having to take care of my Mom with Alzheimer's at the same time and then having to deal with my own Mother's less than dignified passing, really taught me a harsh, harsh lesson. I am infinitely stronger as a result of it.
But, 7 years later, I still miss my Dad very much. There have been so many times where I was struggling on what to do and I found myself wishing I could ask my Dad.
My Mom's passing was easier (if the passing of one's mother could be) for a number of reasons: I was at least in control and could take care of her, I had already dealt with one death of a parent and my Mom was essentially lost to me long ago as a result of the Alzheimer's.
Since their passing, I have taken up certain things as a way to remember and honor my parents. I learned how to machine and to refer to Dad's teachings. I've learned how to cook Persian food.
What comes along with sharing a life with someone often includes new relatives, commonly called "The In-laws". In a lot of cases these in-laws cause a lot of strife if so-and-so's uncle does not like you. This happens so much that Hollywood has made many movies about in-laws that are so difficult that one would rather poke oneself in the eye with a rusty pitch fork than deal with.
Fortunately, my soon-to-be-inlaws could be more pleasant and more-over interesting.
There is Suzy's Mom, Georgia who is the sweetest, most doting things since my own Mom. There is Reeve, Suzy's Dad who is a tough cookie. He sails (quite well) and plays handball and is good enough that he can give pros a good game. He's very adventurous and they (Georgia and Reeve) routinely go camping and traveling.
The is Walt, Reeve's brother who despite not so great health, still goes sailing up and down the West Coast with Reeve. There a host of others who's relationship, I am a little fuzzy on the details so I will not embarrass myself with botching them.
One of the more notable, or at least more memorable is Aunt Macia, Reeve's sister. She is a mathematician and is quite nice. Unfortunately she is dying from terminal cancer.
It is unlikely she will live till the end of the year and as the case with these really aggressive metastatic cancer, there is little that can be done. It is no longer a matter of mustering the will to fight like the dickens to beat the cancer. It has already won. It's just a matter of maintaining dignity and making Marcia comfortable.
Reeve is understandably, struggling with this one. This clearly is tearing him up inside. I can see it even when he desperately tries to hide it. I really feel for him.
This ugly, somber process brings me back to how my parents left this world. The ordeal of fighting everyone to be allowed to let my father pass with what little dignity he had left along with having to take care of my Mom with Alzheimer's at the same time and then having to deal with my own Mother's less than dignified passing, really taught me a harsh, harsh lesson. I am infinitely stronger as a result of it.
But, 7 years later, I still miss my Dad very much. There have been so many times where I was struggling on what to do and I found myself wishing I could ask my Dad.
My Mom's passing was easier (if the passing of one's mother could be) for a number of reasons: I was at least in control and could take care of her, I had already dealt with one death of a parent and my Mom was essentially lost to me long ago as a result of the Alzheimer's.
Since their passing, I have taken up certain things as a way to remember and honor my parents. I learned how to machine and to refer to Dad's teachings. I've learned how to cook Persian food.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Ape (Aprilia)
Ok, so it's been a while since I posted here last. I am not even sure if anyone reads this thing anymore.
ANYway, lots of things have changed since I posted last. But that's not what this post is about.
This post is about the Ducati's replacement...
Yes, you heard right: I am replacing the Duc. It just isn't what I wanted. It's great for kind of tooling around and some spirited riding, but it's not really a sport bike and I realize now that's what I really want. The nice salesman at Moto Forza didn't really see the point of getting another sport bike and gently guided me to the Sport 1000. But after about 1200miles on it, I am just not that excited about it.
So, after doing a lot of research into a replacement, I came up with a fairly short list.
Initially I was going to a new bike and just pay cash for it. I really like the power of V-twins and wanted to stick to that.
My first choice was probably a Ducati 848, but at $13,000 I thought that was a little much and the ergos on that are just not that compatible with my...ahem...current figure.
The real gem I thought was a Buell 1125R. Their first real sportbike. I was pretty much set on that but the reviews stated that it just wasn't ready yet.
"Give Buell a year and this one will be a hum-dinger" to paraphrase the motorcycle critics.
I was almost willing to take a chance and just get it, but the plans to buy a house got moved to the front burner and I need to conserve cash.
So I decided to go for something that would cost me less that what I could get for my Duc.
The list became:
Ducati 749 - nice, very good handling, but high maintenance. About $9000 for a good one.
Suzuki SV1000 - much more affordable ($4000-$5000), but not as nice pieces (suspension, brakes, etc). Not my first choice.
Honda RC51 - Considered a real competitor to 999 in that you could hang Ohlins and brembos with a PCIII and get pretty close to the 999 but at thousands less. Only downside: the thing ways almost 500lbs!!!!
So I was kind of at a loss.
I read somewhere about something I hadn't considered: An Aprilia RSV Mille R.
Turns out that bike uses a custom designed engine from Rotax, the same Austrian engine MFG that makes the 1125R's engine. Considered very reliable.
Milles are widely considered the somewhat homlier more sensible sister to Ducati. More reliable, very comparable to the Ducs but just doesn't have the cache that the Ducs have. So they cost less but are a little more tricky to own as Aprilia dealers are few and far between and parts are a little hard to come by. Duc owners are used to being treated like royalty and rarely do anything to the bikes themselves. Aprilia owners HAVE to fiddle with theirs.
Unfortunately newer ones are still in the $9000-$10000 range. Still too high. But low and behold, the Mille (or the RSV1000R as they are currently know) have been produced since 1998. Lots of old ones around, but not a lot for sale. I found myself a 2001 RSVR with Ohlins, OZ wheels and Akrapovic exhaust being sold by a poor guy who "used" to be a realtor until the market took a crap. So he begrudgingly put his beloved Mille up for sale. Sucks to be him, but good for me as people aren't turning these bikes over.
The guy was in Vegas so I had to venture out to Sin City to check it out. I was pretty sure that was the bike for me as I couldn't find anything comparable.
I drove out there with my trailer and a cashiers check. I could not get there fast enough I was so excited!
I get there at about 4pm and it's something like 110f! Fvcking hot as hell. I check out the bike and after handing him the check for security, he lets me ride the bike around.
I really took it easy since I knew exactly how much bike this was so I didn't really get a chance to open it up. The bike was fine and we did the paperwork and I put it on the trailer and left for home at about 6:30pm.
Fast forward 4 hours later to my driveway:
I get the bike off the the trailer at about 11pm and I am desperate to take it for a spin, even though I am totally beat.
I gather my gear and start her up. The distinctive low rumble of a 1000cc v-twin is just delicious!!! I get geared up and roll off.
The bike is remarkable easy to ride other than it's kinda high like the Duc. The shifter is so tight that I can't feel the shifter move, but I know it's in the next gear. Even though the bike is a good 30lb heavier than anything I've ridden, it's so flickable. Totally turns in with the least input but is totally stable. The very opposite of the Duc which is twitchy but not responsive.
As I get near the freeway I get some room to open the throttle...
Oh....my! I was getting quite giddy to get on the freeway after this little taste of thrust.
I get on the 5 and then to the 8 before I really try to open the gas......and then the fun began!!
I didn't get on it too hard...mainly because I ran out of room!!!!! I barely got it above 8k rpm in 5th and I was already doing 90mph.
OMG! Oh my freakin' god!!!!! I am not worthy...I am so not worthy!
I get it into 6th and all of a sudden I am doing 110rpm before I have to grab some brake because of slow moving traffic (read: 70-80mph).
But I have to qualify "grab some brake": you don't grab these brakes, lest you want to get catapulted into next week!
This brings to the next amazing thing about this bike...the brakes. Full 320mm brembos. These things can stop global warming! I purposedly only use one finger and that almost stood me on the front wheel.
So I've had the Ape (because it is)...or more like a gorilla...for almost a month now. I am slowly getting used to it. Thing is I still haven't gotten the thing past 110-120mph. Just no room! I have barely use half it's power band. I can't get above 7k rpm in 6th and it goes till 10,500! Can you imagine how fast that would be? Holy cow!!!! I ain't getting into that till I take it to the track.
Everything else I have ridden up till now has been the equivalent to little bicycles with training wheels and tassles....yes, that goes for the Duc.
This just goes to show how insane modern sport bikes are now-a-days. This bike is 7 years old and at the time was pretty much the fastest thing there was at 120hp. Now it's positively middle of the road with top end bike like the 1098 and 1098R topping 160-180hp...in a TWIN!
That's almost inconcievable! I actually though about a 999 a while ago. Not anymore. Stupid to own that much bike. Hell, it might be stupid for me to own this much bike.
I wanted to post pic, but Blogger is being difficult. I'll post some later.
ANYway, lots of things have changed since I posted last. But that's not what this post is about.
This post is about the Ducati's replacement...
Yes, you heard right: I am replacing the Duc. It just isn't what I wanted. It's great for kind of tooling around and some spirited riding, but it's not really a sport bike and I realize now that's what I really want. The nice salesman at Moto Forza didn't really see the point of getting another sport bike and gently guided me to the Sport 1000. But after about 1200miles on it, I am just not that excited about it.
So, after doing a lot of research into a replacement, I came up with a fairly short list.
Initially I was going to a new bike and just pay cash for it. I really like the power of V-twins and wanted to stick to that.
My first choice was probably a Ducati 848, but at $13,000 I thought that was a little much and the ergos on that are just not that compatible with my...ahem...current figure.
The real gem I thought was a Buell 1125R. Their first real sportbike. I was pretty much set on that but the reviews stated that it just wasn't ready yet.
"Give Buell a year and this one will be a hum-dinger" to paraphrase the motorcycle critics.
I was almost willing to take a chance and just get it, but the plans to buy a house got moved to the front burner and I need to conserve cash.
So I decided to go for something that would cost me less that what I could get for my Duc.
The list became:
Ducati 749 - nice, very good handling, but high maintenance. About $9000 for a good one.
Suzuki SV1000 - much more affordable ($4000-$5000), but not as nice pieces (suspension, brakes, etc). Not my first choice.
Honda RC51 - Considered a real competitor to 999 in that you could hang Ohlins and brembos with a PCIII and get pretty close to the 999 but at thousands less. Only downside: the thing ways almost 500lbs!!!!
So I was kind of at a loss.
I read somewhere about something I hadn't considered: An Aprilia RSV Mille R.
Turns out that bike uses a custom designed engine from Rotax, the same Austrian engine MFG that makes the 1125R's engine. Considered very reliable.
Milles are widely considered the somewhat homlier more sensible sister to Ducati. More reliable, very comparable to the Ducs but just doesn't have the cache that the Ducs have. So they cost less but are a little more tricky to own as Aprilia dealers are few and far between and parts are a little hard to come by. Duc owners are used to being treated like royalty and rarely do anything to the bikes themselves. Aprilia owners HAVE to fiddle with theirs.
Unfortunately newer ones are still in the $9000-$10000 range. Still too high. But low and behold, the Mille (or the RSV1000R as they are currently know) have been produced since 1998. Lots of old ones around, but not a lot for sale. I found myself a 2001 RSVR with Ohlins, OZ wheels and Akrapovic exhaust being sold by a poor guy who "used" to be a realtor until the market took a crap. So he begrudgingly put his beloved Mille up for sale. Sucks to be him, but good for me as people aren't turning these bikes over.
The guy was in Vegas so I had to venture out to Sin City to check it out. I was pretty sure that was the bike for me as I couldn't find anything comparable.
I drove out there with my trailer and a cashiers check. I could not get there fast enough I was so excited!
I get there at about 4pm and it's something like 110f! Fvcking hot as hell. I check out the bike and after handing him the check for security, he lets me ride the bike around.
I really took it easy since I knew exactly how much bike this was so I didn't really get a chance to open it up. The bike was fine and we did the paperwork and I put it on the trailer and left for home at about 6:30pm.
Fast forward 4 hours later to my driveway:
I get the bike off the the trailer at about 11pm and I am desperate to take it for a spin, even though I am totally beat.
I gather my gear and start her up. The distinctive low rumble of a 1000cc v-twin is just delicious!!! I get geared up and roll off.
The bike is remarkable easy to ride other than it's kinda high like the Duc. The shifter is so tight that I can't feel the shifter move, but I know it's in the next gear. Even though the bike is a good 30lb heavier than anything I've ridden, it's so flickable. Totally turns in with the least input but is totally stable. The very opposite of the Duc which is twitchy but not responsive.
As I get near the freeway I get some room to open the throttle...
Oh....my! I was getting quite giddy to get on the freeway after this little taste of thrust.
I get on the 5 and then to the 8 before I really try to open the gas......and then the fun began!!
I didn't get on it too hard...mainly because I ran out of room!!!!! I barely got it above 8k rpm in 5th and I was already doing 90mph.
OMG! Oh my freakin' god!!!!! I am not worthy...I am so not worthy!
I get it into 6th and all of a sudden I am doing 110rpm before I have to grab some brake because of slow moving traffic (read: 70-80mph).
But I have to qualify "grab some brake": you don't grab these brakes, lest you want to get catapulted into next week!
This brings to the next amazing thing about this bike...the brakes. Full 320mm brembos. These things can stop global warming! I purposedly only use one finger and that almost stood me on the front wheel.
So I've had the Ape (because it is)...or more like a gorilla...for almost a month now. I am slowly getting used to it. Thing is I still haven't gotten the thing past 110-120mph. Just no room! I have barely use half it's power band. I can't get above 7k rpm in 6th and it goes till 10,500! Can you imagine how fast that would be? Holy cow!!!! I ain't getting into that till I take it to the track.
Everything else I have ridden up till now has been the equivalent to little bicycles with training wheels and tassles....yes, that goes for the Duc.
This just goes to show how insane modern sport bikes are now-a-days. This bike is 7 years old and at the time was pretty much the fastest thing there was at 120hp. Now it's positively middle of the road with top end bike like the 1098 and 1098R topping 160-180hp...in a TWIN!
That's almost inconcievable! I actually though about a 999 a while ago. Not anymore. Stupid to own that much bike. Hell, it might be stupid for me to own this much bike.
I wanted to post pic, but Blogger is being difficult. I'll post some later.
Monday, January 28, 2008
The simpler things/My new toy
Ok, I am going to admit that I am a big kid. I like my toys and I probably will never tire of them. I don't "need" toys, but they bring joy to my life. I think that maybe it's my engineering DNA that makes me covet toys or more specifically, cool mechanical widgets.
As of late, I have realized that motorcycles are probably the most practical of all toys. I mean, thing about this: A motorcycle, almost any motorcycle, gets better gas mileage than most cars, is infinitely easier to park, is cooler than almost any car and is arguably more fun than any car.
So, I knuckled under and relented to my moto lust. Specifically, my Ducati lust. I didn't, however, go totally overboard. I got a...modest... Ducati.
It's a Sport 1000 and a beautiful bike. Even Suzy said so, which is pretty serious since she could care less about motos.
I have ridden the Duc for about 200 miles and it's quite sublime. But there is something quite strange going on.
I took the SV for a little spin last weekend and noticed something somewhat surprising: The SV is easier to ride. Or more specifically, it's less intense to ride. It's not as fast nor as exotic, but it has a precision and accuracy that the Duc doesn't have.
It maybe because I have to spend a lot more money to have a Duc that is so surgical.
At any rate, I will be taking the SV to the track this weekend and not the Duc. The reason why is that even after only 4000-5000 miles, the SV feels like a favorite....bike (the ones you pedal).
I could buy another SV for the down payment on a new Duc. There is something to be said for the simpler things.
As of late, I have realized that motorcycles are probably the most practical of all toys. I mean, thing about this: A motorcycle, almost any motorcycle, gets better gas mileage than most cars, is infinitely easier to park, is cooler than almost any car and is arguably more fun than any car.
So, I knuckled under and relented to my moto lust. Specifically, my Ducati lust. I didn't, however, go totally overboard. I got a...modest... Ducati.
It's a Sport 1000 and a beautiful bike. Even Suzy said so, which is pretty serious since she could care less about motos.I have ridden the Duc for about 200 miles and it's quite sublime. But there is something quite strange going on.
I took the SV for a little spin last weekend and noticed something somewhat surprising: The SV is easier to ride. Or more specifically, it's less intense to ride. It's not as fast nor as exotic, but it has a precision and accuracy that the Duc doesn't have.
It maybe because I have to spend a lot more money to have a Duc that is so surgical.
At any rate, I will be taking the SV to the track this weekend and not the Duc. The reason why is that even after only 4000-5000 miles, the SV feels like a favorite....bike (the ones you pedal).
I could buy another SV for the down payment on a new Duc. There is something to be said for the simpler things.
Friday, January 18, 2008
To those who deserve it...
Over the course of my life, there have been people who have really made a difference in my life and it occurred to me just recently that I may or may not have given them recognition for said difference. Those people are (in chronological order):
My Dad: the single biggest contributor. He instilled in me the basic work ethic and that being an engineer didn't mean I was exempt from that ethic. He also was my rock. Even in death when I had to fight to end his life so that he wouldn't have to endure as a vegetable, he steeled me to do what was necessary for my Mom when it came down to the same decision.
My Mom: She believed in me when no one else would, she loved me unconditionally and showed me what it meant to be the David against the Goliath.
Scott Saifer: He enabled me to actually realize my dream (and my Dad's) of being an engineer. He endured many years of annoying and irresponsible behavior on my part and I appreciate everything he taught me.
Scott Storms: He is the closest thing I have to a brother. My time racing with him as my teammate is irreplaceable. He pushed me (or just made me realize what skills I already possessed) and helped me coalesce as a bike racer and as an engineer.
Claudia Santucci: This woman taught me the meaning of the word "determination". I have never seen someone with such dogged resolve to do what she wanted. She came to the US from Germany as a pregnant, 15 year old high school drop out who followed her boyfriend. His promise to take care of her and provide for her turned out to be working as an usher and screwing every other girl in site. She set out on her own with her Autistic child and did just make do, she excelled. She is now a ER doctor that owns her own house and has never had to make payments on a car for more than 6months before paying it off. She "trained" me on how to be a man, or at least how to be a grown-up.
Suzanne Earlene Peterson: What can I say about Suzanne. She frustrates me, but I love her so dearly. She is the sweetest, most loving thing on the planet. Unlike most people (and very much like the animals she loves so much) she loves so unconditionally that it's almost painful. She is so beautiful and lovely. She made me see who I could be, how happy I could be and gives like only my parents have ever been able to. I so wish they could have met her.
To all of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
My Dad: the single biggest contributor. He instilled in me the basic work ethic and that being an engineer didn't mean I was exempt from that ethic. He also was my rock. Even in death when I had to fight to end his life so that he wouldn't have to endure as a vegetable, he steeled me to do what was necessary for my Mom when it came down to the same decision.
My Mom: She believed in me when no one else would, she loved me unconditionally and showed me what it meant to be the David against the Goliath.
Scott Saifer: He enabled me to actually realize my dream (and my Dad's) of being an engineer. He endured many years of annoying and irresponsible behavior on my part and I appreciate everything he taught me.
Scott Storms: He is the closest thing I have to a brother. My time racing with him as my teammate is irreplaceable. He pushed me (or just made me realize what skills I already possessed) and helped me coalesce as a bike racer and as an engineer.
Claudia Santucci: This woman taught me the meaning of the word "determination". I have never seen someone with such dogged resolve to do what she wanted. She came to the US from Germany as a pregnant, 15 year old high school drop out who followed her boyfriend. His promise to take care of her and provide for her turned out to be working as an usher and screwing every other girl in site. She set out on her own with her Autistic child and did just make do, she excelled. She is now a ER doctor that owns her own house and has never had to make payments on a car for more than 6months before paying it off. She "trained" me on how to be a man, or at least how to be a grown-up.
Suzanne Earlene Peterson: What can I say about Suzanne. She frustrates me, but I love her so dearly. She is the sweetest, most loving thing on the planet. Unlike most people (and very much like the animals she loves so much) she loves so unconditionally that it's almost painful. She is so beautiful and lovely. She made me see who I could be, how happy I could be and gives like only my parents have ever been able to. I so wish they could have met her.
To all of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Steel is real
Ok, ya'll remember that my fancy S-Works Tarmac got totaled when that silly car got in my way a while back, right? Well, since then I have been riding my "backup" bike: my Blue steel Landshark that I bought in 99 as a gift to myself for successfully graduating from engineering school and getting a job. I mentioned this a while back when I was gushing about how much I like bikes.
I knew that I needed to keep the Landshark but I was almost beginning to forget why. This scenario reminded me why I have to expound it's virtues once again.
It's been 3 months since my accident and probably 2 months and change since I started riding full time again and I have to say, I love my Landshark. It's such a great bike. It's no wonder that I haven't felt any need to get a replacement racing bike and no wonder why I have no intention of getting rid of it anytime soon.
Initially, the S-works was actually kind of weird to ride. It weighed 5-6lbs less than the "Fish" (as some friend would call it) so it handled differently. I would dive into a corner and would have to compensate since it was sooooo responsive. Eventually, I got use to it and then the Fish would feel sluggish by comparison.
But sometimes I would bring out the Fish just to give her a spin and there have been people who tell me I should put it on eBay, like it was some Centurion or Novara(REI house intro bike) budget learners bike that was destined to used and then discarded. The whole idea that someone else would own my beloved Fish is just offensive. This is MY 'shark, made for ME! The whole idea of selling a custom made bike is just outside my box of thinking.
But in light of my accident, it's a good thing I didn't, huh?
I have my new SL2 on order and it will be even fancier than ever, but I have no intention of getting rid of the 'shark. This is my second 'shark and I rode the first one into the ground so much so that by the time it failed it wasn't even worth saving. That was a sad day when I had to put the first one down. Mr Slawta (he who is Landshark)is a fine frame builder and is only surpassed by his artistry with the paint gun. Go visit him.
I most likely will disassembly the Landshark and send it off to be repainted. It's due, I think. The once spectacular iridescent blue/green paint job that made me think of the ocean is scratched , scuffed and has lost it's luster. Now it's just a matter of what to do next. I had my first Landshark repainted with a pearl yellow and this really cool black with a gold pearl clear coat in an 40's-50's hot rod style scallops. I think I might have it painted like that. It was such a cool paint job and I miss it.
I knew that I needed to keep the Landshark but I was almost beginning to forget why. This scenario reminded me why I have to expound it's virtues once again.
It's been 3 months since my accident and probably 2 months and change since I started riding full time again and I have to say, I love my Landshark. It's such a great bike. It's no wonder that I haven't felt any need to get a replacement racing bike and no wonder why I have no intention of getting rid of it anytime soon.
Initially, the S-works was actually kind of weird to ride. It weighed 5-6lbs less than the "Fish" (as some friend would call it) so it handled differently. I would dive into a corner and would have to compensate since it was sooooo responsive. Eventually, I got use to it and then the Fish would feel sluggish by comparison.
But sometimes I would bring out the Fish just to give her a spin and there have been people who tell me I should put it on eBay, like it was some Centurion or Novara(REI house intro bike) budget learners bike that was destined to used and then discarded. The whole idea that someone else would own my beloved Fish is just offensive. This is MY 'shark, made for ME! The whole idea of selling a custom made bike is just outside my box of thinking.
But in light of my accident, it's a good thing I didn't, huh?
I have my new SL2 on order and it will be even fancier than ever, but I have no intention of getting rid of the 'shark. This is my second 'shark and I rode the first one into the ground so much so that by the time it failed it wasn't even worth saving. That was a sad day when I had to put the first one down. Mr Slawta (he who is Landshark)is a fine frame builder and is only surpassed by his artistry with the paint gun. Go visit him.
I most likely will disassembly the Landshark and send it off to be repainted. It's due, I think. The once spectacular iridescent blue/green paint job that made me think of the ocean is scratched , scuffed and has lost it's luster. Now it's just a matter of what to do next. I had my first Landshark repainted with a pearl yellow and this really cool black with a gold pearl clear coat in an 40's-50's hot rod style scallops. I think I might have it painted like that. It was such a cool paint job and I miss it.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Moto High
You know, way back when (like when I was in high school) I used to bitch about how most cyclists rode bikes that could cope with abilities that were way beyond anything that they could even hope to achieve. I have been racing for a very long time, have mad skill yet I still can get a bike that is more than I am worthy. It takes individuals of REAL, singular talent to be able to push anything available in any bike shop to it's limit.
At some point, I just learned to shut my mouth and resign to the fact that modern mass production engineering has been able to produce bikes that exceed the capabilities of the most talented pros and that there are endless Freds who have more dollars than sense and feel like they are capable of mustering such skill in a couple of mid-life crisis saturated years that it took the rest of the world 20 or so years to do. Who am I to preach such things. I just ride my bike with what skill I posses.
Since I have bought a motorcycle, it's like that all over again. I have friends who have skill beyond my wildest dreams and they ride the most modest of motorbikes. I know people who were skilled enough that people PAID them to do something that most people do for fun. Think about that; getting paid to ride a motorcycle (or a bicycle) for a living. Does it do something that is inherently useful for anyone? No. Does it enhance world peace? No. Does it save poor starving children in 4th world countries? No. Does it help poor work-a-day folk have a better life? Only marginally. It's like getting paid to eat ice cream: you got to be doing something pretty darn special for someone to pay you to do it.
The skilled and former moto racers appreciate the "lesser" motorbikes and even get excited about them: Motorcycles with 50hp and only weigh 270lbs. They don't lust after 150hp motos. They are done with that.
But yet, Ducati has made available to the public the Desmosedici RR. In classic Italian motor sports style, they have release the closest thing to a MotoGP bike the world has ever seen. By any standards imaginable, they have released a widow-maker. This thing is so stupid fast and exotic that you know there will be no end to all the morons who will feel the need to posses this gift from the Gods of motorcycling even though they will never posses the skills to even begin to appreciate what it's capable of. There will probably be lots of Darwin awards given out on this one.
I wonder if the people at Ducati planned this. I wonder if they decided to give these folks what they wanted and gave them a big "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) and said "ok, this is what you wanted. Are you sure you are ready?"
Italians seem to be the only ones who are capable of brazenly giving to the public machinery that is blatantly only meant for the uber-talented. It's as if they want to allow the foolish the means to tempt the Gods as Icarus and Dadelus did, only to find themselves woefully inadequate and exquisitely mortal.
At some point, I just learned to shut my mouth and resign to the fact that modern mass production engineering has been able to produce bikes that exceed the capabilities of the most talented pros and that there are endless Freds who have more dollars than sense and feel like they are capable of mustering such skill in a couple of mid-life crisis saturated years that it took the rest of the world 20 or so years to do. Who am I to preach such things. I just ride my bike with what skill I posses.
Since I have bought a motorcycle, it's like that all over again. I have friends who have skill beyond my wildest dreams and they ride the most modest of motorbikes. I know people who were skilled enough that people PAID them to do something that most people do for fun. Think about that; getting paid to ride a motorcycle (or a bicycle) for a living. Does it do something that is inherently useful for anyone? No. Does it enhance world peace? No. Does it save poor starving children in 4th world countries? No. Does it help poor work-a-day folk have a better life? Only marginally. It's like getting paid to eat ice cream: you got to be doing something pretty darn special for someone to pay you to do it.
The skilled and former moto racers appreciate the "lesser" motorbikes and even get excited about them: Motorcycles with 50hp and only weigh 270lbs. They don't lust after 150hp motos. They are done with that.
But yet, Ducati has made available to the public the Desmosedici RR. In classic Italian motor sports style, they have release the closest thing to a MotoGP bike the world has ever seen. By any standards imaginable, they have released a widow-maker. This thing is so stupid fast and exotic that you know there will be no end to all the morons who will feel the need to posses this gift from the Gods of motorcycling even though they will never posses the skills to even begin to appreciate what it's capable of. There will probably be lots of Darwin awards given out on this one.
I wonder if the people at Ducati planned this. I wonder if they decided to give these folks what they wanted and gave them a big "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) and said "ok, this is what you wanted. Are you sure you are ready?"
Italians seem to be the only ones who are capable of brazenly giving to the public machinery that is blatantly only meant for the uber-talented. It's as if they want to allow the foolish the means to tempt the Gods as Icarus and Dadelus did, only to find themselves woefully inadequate and exquisitely mortal.
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