We’re on the road invading Atlanta as we explore a new venue in Atlanta. It’s a classic envelopment strategy, as forces from the East, North, and West converge on the holding force in Decatur to fix the enemy in East Atlanta. This is the only thing to do on a Tuesday night motorcycly-speaking. This is a new place for us, they have a pretty kickass restaurant, beer selection, and wine bar, and have gotten great reviews. Eschew the normal weekday routine and come check it out. Ed Milich will be our guest and will be reading from his book of moto-poetry and we will be getting together with y’all trapped in the urban jungle for pretty much the first time this season actually on our bikes now that the snow and rain have receded. All brands welcome, bring your partner for a break from the usual crappy biker grub and cheap beer!
Wrenched! AHRMA Racer and Bon Vivant Ed Milich brings his west coast attitude tinged with midwestern sensibilities to Atlanta as a special favor to us on the long haul back from Daytona. He’s fresh from winning a bunch of races on his vintage Ducatis and a book tour on the West Coast. “Wrenched, Man and Machine” is his first book of free verse documenting his experiences racing, wrenching, and riding and explores our motorcycle culture. Ed will read several selections and sign copies of his book. Don’t miss this if you are jaded Copies of the book will, of course, be available. Questions, email me at paul@nprducati.com or call me at the shop 706.310.0002.
The Glenwood is at: 1263 Glenwood Ave Atlanta GA 30316 404.622.6066. Check out their website www.theglenwoodatlanta.com/

Friday night at our Designated Daytona Depot-9pm.
Fun starts at 8pm at:

Barcode
166 East Clayton Street
Athens, GA 30601-2703
(706) 613-5557

You’ll recognize it by the red Ducati Banner in the window! Our host, Chad Fallows, is a long-time Ducati enthusiast and currently owns a loud and rapid HyperMotard. We’ll have some spaces blocked off so you can park your bike in front.

The Daytona 200 is the proverbial American motorcycle roadrace spectacle. Thrill to spectacle of pace cars and safety ponies as we wish all our mates the best of luck in the 200 mile AMA race season kickoff.
Our very own Vic will be there in all his um, lengthy splendor. He’s crewing for Melissa Paris as she competes in the historic 200. Probably the only time I’m rooting for that funny fork brand.
The race is broadcast live on SpeedTV starting at 9-be there around 8.30 and reserve your spot upstairs as Barcode has graciously provided us with an eyrie from which to peer. This is not an all-ages venue, so leave the kids home this time and come have an adult evening watching the races. You deserve it. 2010’s riding season starts now!

Any questions? Give me a call at the shop 706.310.0002 or email Paul@NPRDucati.com. This party will go to very late. NPR Ducati believes in the Designated Driver Program-please make arrangements if you are going to celebrate, I have!

We loaded up Michael’s UAV and fortified ourselves with Transamerica Beakfast en route to the IMS show last weekend in chilly Greenville SC. Apparently there was some religious festival going on as we were challenged at the stoplight pulling into the Carolina First Center by one of those Porsche Cabanas full of someone that wasn’t willing to burn the gas necessary to propel the hard move. We glided into the parking area and set forth!

The smiley goth girl at the front gave us our passes and we sallied into the hall. Behold, the new Ducati booth greeted us. Pretty cool, if I say so myself! The block thing they had the last couple years has been relegated to the annals of history (hooray) and the cool new booth has a center raised platform, there’s a cool new Service area staffed at our show by the Inestimable Elliott Cho, some very presentable young ladies Rachel, Jillian, gracing us with their smiles. Danny, whom lots of you know from the Ductruck, the Indy GP, our annual Spring Demo Events, or the Twilight Bicycle race last April, kept everything humming and made the PA and Powerpoint thing work when I did my spiel on the Multi. Thanks Gents and Ladies. (Jillian, Michael thinks you’re swell.)

Lots of familiar and unfamiliar faces at the show-feels good in these times of uncertainty to know that there are still people excited about the new bikes. Feels really good to see people I only get to see occasionally, customers and old friends that live some distance away. Glad to know they still love the sport and are interested enough to come say hey. Also nice to see newer faces, and from my point of view there’s nothing more gratifying than having someone come over and introduce their friends when they need a new Ducati (especially those who are from other brands!)

Michael got people up to speed and explained what was cool about Mark’s race bike, the #278 848 Ducati graciously allowed us to display (thanks Chris, Ray, and Kristina) which garnered a lot of attention and looked right smart, as they say here in the woods. He’s a little miffed about the 1198S tank, but he’ll get over it. Emulation is the most sincere form of flattery, I would say. (Unless of course, you’re big H and trying to coopt the ELF swingarm-then it’s all lawyers and nastiness.)

Paula got her head stuck in a hat appropriate to her distinctive shape, thanks to Rob and Brianna at the Service Pavilion, Arai fitters extraordinaire (thanks y’all-did Rob get over the giggles yet?) That proved a battle, but now she has a helmet that will provide superior comfort and safety for many years to come. She smiled her zillion-watt smile at the showgoers and talked herself out pointing out Ducati features & benefits. Have to watch that or she’ll out-sell me. At the end of the show she got the reward though, I looked around for her and of course, she was over making friends with the 796, her dream bike. (I promise we’ll find a way to afford one for you this year! Donations gratefully accepted.) I didn’t want to disturb her, but couldn’t resist and went over to where she was sitting on it, not quite making riding noises but close to it. Looking pretty scintillating, I have to say.

Jim did his usual kickass job with a zillion people throughout the day. Sure is cool to have him around-the guy is a pro and has been involved with Ducatis for lo these many years. (Don’t ask me how many…) He has a way of passing his enthusiasm along that’s unique, but never misses a trick. It’s cool to see people respond to him in these events.

Eventually the show wound down and there were plenty of festive types, but we had a ways to get home and I had trees to chop down the next day so we just went to dinner with some friends and a well-deserved glass or two of wine and then homeward bound. (Sorry to all that wanted a rousing finish a la Milan or Indy but I was tired! Besides, I didn’t have KS to bail me out.) Lots to work on for this season, and we’re booking along with some uber-cool things to do in the coming season. Lots of riding of all shapes and fashions, some track stuff, some racing, some riding, some partying, some horizon-chasing, some exploring, all kinds of stuff. Keep in touch!

PB

Kick Some Ass this Year Nicky!

Doing my spiel on the cool new MTS1200S

mark your bike misses you

Business end. They got the bars right for me. Dash nice and big. Adjustable shield.

Gotta show your colors girl.

Elliott, where the riding mode for bunny hop?

Best part of the Show for me:)

PB

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2010 and the new decade. Ducati is ushering in the new era with the stunning new MTS1200, given its first local look at the Greenville, SC International Motorcycle Show this weekend. Now that the holidays are over and the kids are back in school and the significant other has been mollified, treat yourself to a motorcycle event in preparation for the coming riding season-less than 8 weeks away! New bikes are arriving every day at NPR, but I thought the Multi needed a little more than passing attention, as it raises the bar in several different ways for both Ducati and the rest of the industry. Voted best in show at EICMA, the world’s premier industry event for motorcycling, it encompasses performance features with a real world sensibility like no other machine available. Interested? Me too! My opinion is the this bike will be a breakthrough for Ducati to the same level as the 1098. How about them apples, as my grandfather used to say.

NPR will be hosting three exclusive, in-depth special looks at this bike this weekend at the show that you will not be able to get anywhere else. Join me at the Show in the Ducati booth on Saturday, Jan 9th at 2.30 or 6.30 for what promises to be an interesting occasion with the new bike, or with Jim on Sunday at 2.30. We’ll be looking at the technology of the Multi, explaining what makes this bike interesting and different, and exploring its place in your and my motorcycle lives. We’ll have some special offers and some swag of course. Space is limited, however, and I’ll have to get everyone’s name on the sign-up list at the desk in the booth to keep from getting overbooked.

Looking for something racier? The new 1198S Corse will be on hand as well as the usual stunning array of world conquering Superbikes and our own Mark Keown’s #278 848 WERA racer, built by our own incomparable tuner Vic Fasola.

If you’re unable to make it this weekend, keep in touch via the NPRDucati website for more info on the 2010 models and especially the Multi 1200. Next our media guide will be ready and we’re looking for advance registrations for several exclusive events in the spring and fall.

For those of you in the market for a new or pre-enjoyed Ducati, until Feb 2nd (Groundhog Day) NPR Ducati will be chattering our teeth along with the rest of you in this unseasonably cold winter. To put the chill at bay, with each bike delivered before the yankee hedgehog comes out and wanders around, we will be giving a Gerbing Heated Jacket Liner free. They are the bees knees for winter riding.

My best to you all and a grateful thanks for all the support in 2009! Buon anno!

PB

NPR Ducati www.NPRDucati.com 706.310.0002

Happy 2010!

Now we have another decade to decide what to call it, since the ought’s or oh-’s are officially gone. Be sure to keep up with What’s Going On at NPR Ducati this year, because it’s going to be the best yet! We have all the latest and greatest Ducatis in the store and in the works, but better than that (even) is the veritable spate of activities that will be coming your way this year. Check out the calendar and mark your dates so they don’t take you unawares…

Such as: Greenville International Motorcycle Show

What’s the Greenville Show? Well, the IMS show is the biggest and baddest that the motorcycle industry can bring you for 2010. All the new Ducatis will be there including the Multistrada 1200, 796 and of course the new Superbikes including the bitchin’ 1098S Corse. Just incase you’ve never attended one of these, the IMS show is an all-industry show featuring the best in new bikes from the major manufacturers, even those that begin with H or K or maybe S or Y (but not A or T), as well as well as a bevy of aftermarket manufacturers and some things that have to be experienced, like the Ducati Freestyle Team.

Looking for those cool molded earplugs? Get them there. How about some premium suspension components? Look at the latest in dirtbike goggles? Anyway, they’re all there. Come check it out. Here’s a link for the show info, it’s Friday, Saturday, Sunday 8,9,10 January 2010.  http://www.motorcycleshows.com/SouthCarolina.

See you there!

BRAVERY or STUPIDITY? We perform, you decide!

So, 25 degrees? Wintry Mix? No fear, time for a polar bear trackday. Saturday night I decided we were going to go minimalist and loaded the pickup with bike and various necessary implements of destruction such as EZ-up, leathers, tools, gas, etc and managed to make a tidy load instead of hooking up the trailer and bringing Every Last Thing I Could Think Of. Trusty Paula arrived with guard dog Toffee and hopped in. Almost forgot the antifreeze but no worries remembered at the last moment. We were cozy but not overloaded. Still managed to get the table in.

This was the first real outing for the new bike, we did one day at Barber last year but the guessing I did on the setup made the bike unrideable (Vic, take note) even at my limited velocity potential. However, an adjustment session promised big benefits for the winter outing. The advance party with those lucky enough not to have jobs necessitating Saturday employment were already enduring near-record lows at Talladega GP Raceway under the watchful eye of the Ed Bargy Racing School squad. We proceeded towards the track under the dulcet tones of the radio soothing us with the account of the Crimson Tide football team rolling over #1 ranked Florida in the SEC championship. People in the South take their football as seriously as any Manchester United fan.

We checked in to the hotel in Anniston, ironically enough no ice in the machine, guess they saved it for the parking lot. In the morning the Weather Channel’s talking head informed us that it was 25 degrees, so we did what any enthusiast would do, we went to the Waffle House and drank coffee. Anniston has an excellent Waffle House by the way, top marks.

We rolled into the track at 0830 local time, with the worst of the frost melted off the bike and most of the riders thawed out. After unloading and solving some issues for friends, I returned to the truck for long johns and another layer on top. The only problem teching the bike was that Tony was a little astonished that my bike looked so sanitary and well-setup. He’s used to my 750 which has 5 different colors of bodywork, a few crashes, and many many miles on it and I think he was suffering a little shock from the Sport’s shiny paint and high state of rightness. I quickly pointed out the one scratch to reassure him.

We visited with friends and got the ice out of Mark’s 848, and talked with the some of the guys who were of limited experience and generally hung out til the first session after lunch and then tried to stay warm while riding 120 miles an hour in the sub-50 degree weather. Surprisingly, once it warmed up little and especially when the sun came out around two o’clock we managed pretty well. Tally is a small track in northern Alabama that is great fun, www.tgprace.com Close to North Georgia and the Atlanta Area and convenient.

It’s wide, mostly grippy, and pretty smooth. only one slow right-hander and all the rest a bunch of various lefts and more lefts. Moderate brakes and moderate speed straights, no elevation to speak of but the nice thing is there’s lots and lots of grassy runout with no hard barriers close to the track. The owners, Dave and Mike Upchurch have been involved in racing for a long time, and are good folks. The track is “technical” although there are some parts that can be a bit eye-opening for the new rider. The first session was a re-acquaintance with the place, since the last time there was March, when we took the DucTruck to Tally and did Demo rides there. No worries, tires started to work a little after a few laps and then came in and tried to stretch my left leg and hip out. (Remember all those lefts?) The funny thing was it felt fine when I had the bike on my knee but I had to sort of work myself back up into the fairing on the straights. Little flexing and walking around and we were good to go. Next session was a little better, tried to get a little smoother and figure out where all my turn-in points went. Took it easy in the right-hander, a very slow corner with a narrow exit-first corner where I ever dragged a knee-wondering about ground clearance. We had dropped the front end a little and raised the rear looking for better turning and it had whacked hard at Barber in T12, which is bloody fast. Wasn’t looking to repeat that. No worries, didn’t touch even when when an old friend tried to sneak up the inside and had to gas it a little.It’s a wide turn that isn’t particularly creepy but if you have large anatomical devices you can stuff it in super-narrow and block the exit for the other guy and ruin his drive. I once learned not to do that to a motard there. That time, the corner worker radioed to the course marshall that “the girl with the Ducati just went off in the grass going like hell!” We had a good laugh about it later in the pits, but I wasn’t laughing while trying to get slowed down in the grass on a bike with hot slicks with the cheesegrater up ahead.

Next session I went to go chase the kid on the Moriwaki 250, which is a tiny 250cc single four-stroke purpose-built wunderbike meant to replace the 125cc two-stroke screamers for the USGPRU series that the hot kids race in training for professional careers in roadracing. He’d gone under me three session in a row and though no one was passing me I wondered if I could learn anything from riding around watching him. No luck there, he would run through the corners and gap me enough to make it hard to see him and then I’d get a bunch back on two of the straightaways. He started to go into the last corner which is  a left chicane with a bumpy exit really really narrow, and my closing speed was pretty good so I wanted to make sure he had all the room he needed with the strange line he was running, and gave it a little more braking than previous laps. In retrospect I should’ve just gone and passed him since he probably was doing just fine without my paternalistic over-simplification and I was now riding a 100+ mph lockedslidingfront tireandthebarswerebeginningtoturneversoslightly and boy sure seems like you accelerate with the tire locked where before you were slowing rapidly at max braking and golly that corner ends pretty quick…I’m sure the words in my helmet were not “boy” and “golly” but you get the general impression. Friend Don was right behind, I learned later, also with the front locked and his little Yamaha doing a killer stoppie. He was sure there was oil on the track, or something, but I feel just as sure there was just water on my brain. Zipped around behind Pete on his 848-those things sure look cool from behind. He went straight in the same corner, and I thought about that a little. Pete’s not a bad rider and if three of us were having little issues there I’d like to know what can be done to correct them.

Next session I worked a little on that last corner, as it seems I do every trackday at Tally. I remembered to start braking at the 2 mark and downshift right away so that the bike was settled and slowed enough that I could start turning after the patch instead of all this coasting nonsense, and get the damn thing accelerating again over the left side alligator bumps while staying a little more off the bike and got some good speed into the front straight, passing a guy on the inside when I got particularly hard shift into fourth when things went all funny and the bike was trying to whip the bars out of my hands, full lock left and right for about 50 yards. Even though I was at full throttle in fourth gear at over 100 mph, it was really quiet except for the blood pounding in my ears and the clacking of the bars as they double-timed back and forth. I was talking my way through it as the wheel being disconnected from the road isn’t that big of a deal normally but it just kept going and I was telling myself don’t let go of the throttle, don’t you close that thing, don’t do it mfer! and the bike settled back down on the both wheels and the front stopped the oscillation and we were balling along the front straight with an extra 10 mph over normal. Cool! After I stopped panting…

An old friend who was a pretty good AMA racer and a great smartass in the proud southern tradition that I worked for once gave me a funny look-not that he wasn’t always giving me funny looks-when I asked him what to do when the bike went crazy while accelerating. He was wiping a wrench clean and closing the toolbox very gently and he quickly looked at me very seriously and said “Nothing, you do nothing”. I opened my mouth for more details, and shut it again (for once). Good advice, and thank you.

The lap after that I pulled in and readjusted my shorts. Then I went out again for one more good session, and called it a day as the sun was getting low.

Everyone had a good time and no one used the ambulance or the toolbox, so we’d have to consider it a good day. We’re all looking forward to another day at the track with a bit more ambient thrown in:)

PB

Here’s some videos a friend made from his on-board camera if you’ve never been to the racetrack you can get a general idea what it looks like-http://www.georgiasportbike.com/showthread.php?t=26354 Come out and join us next time!

Pics to follow. Shameless plug-the Ed Bargy practice days (he also has a race school) are a great value if you’re looking for track time. There never more than 20 people on the track at one time, 135 bucks if you preregister, and the crew is experienced and efficient. It’s not particularly well-known, and the squid coefficient is almost always low. It’s nice to ride with (mostly) racers and people that have a lot of time on the track as they do a lot fewer Stupid Things, and generally the sessions go more smoothly. Disclaimer: They Don’t pay me, this is just a a Thing I Think is Good. (Ed-you could pay me though, I wouldn’t complain.)

It’s a beautiful afternoon, shortly becoming a beautiful evening. Let’s go ride, might be the last nice one and this weekend will be hectic in town. Leaving at 6pm!

Paul

So it’s a beautiful day. So it’s an October-ish day in the middle of November. Let me tell you, despite global warming and and the current glorious Indian Summer, we will soon be riding along dressed up in twenty-seven layers like Nanook of the North. It’s getting cold very soon, and I don’t see King the Wonderdog anywhere around here. But, you have a ride planned, and it’s pretty frosty on the horizon? 

To make things easier for all of us, Craig from Gerbings is coming tomorrow from 9-5 to shed a little light on how to stay warm (of course with the help of some heated gear provided by his company.) He can answer any of your questions with authority-this guy knows his stuff! If you’re interested, come by and see and feel the differences between our Gerbing’s jacket liners, gloves, and controls and the rest of the stuff out there. This company has been around for a long time, and really focuses on being the best in the heated gear field. From their product line and constant innovation to their warranty and customer service, they kick ass. Those of you on sportbikes need to pay attention-heated gear is not just for the Wing and BMW fans out there, it should be part of every serious rider’s kit. Also, if you’re into other outdoor winter activities, you may want to check out some of their hunting or winter sport clothing and accessories as well. There’ll be some specials and coffee and donuts if you get to them before Nathan discovers they have chocolate ones!

I’ll be warm tomorrow, you should be too.

PB

Go Nicky!

Well, I suppose it had to happen. An unexpected turn of events presaged the annual grudgefest known as the True Grits Fun Run in beautiful downtown Suches GA last Oct 31st. We were preparing like mad, the shop was a beehive of activity and various iron like the Hodgson Malaguti, Butler Racing TZR (don’t laugh too much, John won about 5 WERA mini championships with the thing), a special one-off Vespa P50, and legions of trick YSR50’s and NS50’s and even an NPS50 were torn apart, put back together, tuned, torn apart again and put back together correctly this time, and lots of boasting and mean-spirited texting occurred with the younger crowd. Some were sent off to specialists with crates of money (oh yeah you know who you are!) Some were fettled carefully in clean rooms by tuners powered by bacon, custom trick carbs caressed into place with promises of BIG (well, relatively) horses. Some were rescued from anonymity, their hiding places in OEM warehouses no longer sufficient camoflage against the incessant search of the hopeful for the Perfect Pit Scooter. Some were less-than-Ruckusey in their turn-the-other-cheek-I’m-too-good-for-your-tomfoolery aka my parts to get the Ruckus running again haven’t arrived yet. Some had teeth gnashed over. Some were causes of concern.

I went home and drank a beer, moved the piles of bikes, parts, and boxes for an hour to get the Secret Weapon (not that one, the other, legal one) out of its 24 month hole and on the bench. I felt a little silly putting a 50cc motorcycle (as in, actually 50cc not a cheater bike) on the bench, but I was anticipating a late night after so much neglect! I kicked the lever through three or four times to make sure it moved and then looked at it for awhile. Jim watched with curiosity. I said, “You know, if I was smart, I drained the gas out of the carb when I put it up two years ago.” I peered at the clear plastic fuel filter. It was absolutely clean and, more importantly, dry. Smelled the gas in the tank, could be worse. Turned the choke on, turned the gas tap on, and kicked it over. Ang nanga nananan  nagga anag a aaa an nang nang. Victory just got one step closer! Icalled the Ruckus owner and held the cel phone in the general direction of the pipe. Didn’t say anything, just held it there and warmed the engine. Finally put the phone to my ear and he said, “Awesome. I’m going to dream about that noise all night.” I fixed the frozen front caliper and debated putting air in the tires. That could wait til the next day, we were approximately 48 hours ahead of schedule! Various texts were sent promising the destruction of all my co-racers dreams and crushing of their hopes. Most, wisely, declined to respond.

Raceday dawned and we started loading up on the much-vaunted orange crush trailer. It was a hoot seeing a 19 foot trailer with two scooters and a fitty on it behind B-Rad’s BigAss diesel. Phone calls were made asking if we were still doing it, despite the pouring rain. I affirmed, noting that we were heading northwest currently. Directions were given and ignored, and then corrections were given and ignored, and then complained about despite the vehicle operator growing up less than 25 miles from the transport hub. We were now getting into the spirit of things!

Pulling into the nerve center of the whole expedition, Two Wheels Only Motorcycle Resort in Suches GA (stop by if you’re ever in the area, good place to hang out and do bikes!) we eased onto the shoulder. “Hey, that’s a No Parking Sign” B-Rad worries. “Ah, don’t worry about it, the truck is in front of the sign. Can’t give you a ticket for parking just the trailer behind it” I say, intent on getting into race-prep  rally-on-minature-bikes mode. “But, it’s still attached to the truck” he says with a doubtful look. “There’s Elmer the Baconista and Webmaster Rusty. Come on” I say and welcomed old friends. The rookies were introduced, and I announced I had already won grudge matches as, surprise, four of the loudest squeaky wheels had failed to show. I’m sure the incesssant, late fall rain had no effect on the no-showers. I attributed their nonappearance to the massive intimidation campaign I had waged. First step in battle is good preparation. I’m kind of glad Paula talked me out of the the air-dropped leaflets, though. That would have escalated the expense to unacceptable levels. Tying the anonymous derogatory note to the dog’s collar of the one opponent was a stroke of brilliance though, if I say so myself. No TZR, no Ruckus, no Parts Unlimited Hodgson Malaguti. They were cowering in claims of parts unavailability, bogus brake BS, and inadequate interest. The sweetest was the scooter no-show after a lot of talk. I thought about painting scooters and minis with X’s through them on the tank of the Secret Weapon to promote the vista of invincibility, but the rain dissuaded me. Otherwise, it was a pantheon of punishment.

Soon enough, it was time to race  rally. Instructions were given, last minute tweaks were made to engines and suspension, weather checked on cel phones-surprise, no coverage. The wisest of us checked when crossing the last county line! I put air in the tires. Topped off the oil too, which gave me a moment’s pause since I slopped a bit and it ended up running out the overflow and putting rainbow spots on the wet pavement-so much for my greentitude. Luckily I figured it out and kept it to myself. Eyebrows were raised when I told the onlookers it was nothing to worry about. Ledfoot has dountfully discarded his MX boots on my claim that “For God’s sake, those things weight ten pounds! That’s Horsepower baby!” He retains the rainsuit though, and receives doubtful looks from other racers road rallyists.

Strangely, we were on the second row, preceded only by the jet black Yamaha of a south of I20 type (peotic license Ron . Usually we start near the back and pass everyone. He motored off in the staged, Isle of Man style start. And we were off! We made it at least 40 feet before two of our cadre pulled to the side of the road with quizzical looks on their helmets. I looked over Rusty, and yelled something indecipherable at him, and he yelled back equally indecipherably. We opened the throttles and hauled ass gently accelerated up the hill. Arcing through the tiny town of Suches we drew on into the twisties and saw almost no one on the road. Race Director  Rallymeister Ben had cautioned us in the rider’s meeting about the debris on the road due to the weather, and he wasn’t kidding. We had about a two inch clear-ish strip and the rest was all slippery stuff. Luckily, my tires on the Secret Weapon are about an inch and a half wide, so I had a pretty good choice of lines to take in the corners. A few miles up, the road widened and we began to experience the full thrust of our magnificent machines. Literally. I found my mount had lost a good 3 or 4 mph, while Webmaster Rusty with his cheatin’ calamari YSR! had not only made it further than he usually manages, but easily pulled me on any straight, hill, downhill, or whatever. I did pull one stuff on him in a right-hander and didn’t see anything except the back of his leathers for the rest of the run up the mountain. Hmmm. Time to revaluate. But we passed the inky black racer of the Floridian (Hey Ron) going into a particularly hair-raising banked left-hander. Funny, it looked like he was sitting straight up in the seat, not tucking in at all. Must’ve been the rain on my faceshield refracting the image. Out of the way Nissan! We were in the lead exceeding the calculated rally speed!

Of course, our route sheets and timesheets were immediately soaked into uselessness by the rain, which then mercifully slackened by the time were started back for the home stretch. He’s getting pretty far away, I wonder when it’ll break. He hasn’t finished in years. Nothing that fast and legal could sustain such a pace! (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.) Ah, ok, slowing and pulling over. Turns out his pipe has fallen off. He crawls under the bike in a pale imitation of Al Ludington (except Rusty would never talk like that), and proceeds to fumble with the exhaust pipe and gasket. “Happens all the time,” he says. B-Rad looks doubtful, again. I help him straighten it out and thread the pipe on, including the gasket this time. I’m getting nervous, and we can hear other bikes coming up the hill. B-Rad comes out of the woods with a log, “Hold on, I’ll get this” he says with a confident look on his face. Two more bikes go by. I’m beginning to sweat. Team unity is one thing, but the awesome horsepower of his cheaterbike has begun unraveling me. I wonder if I’ll be able to catch the others now steaming by with frightening regularity. I had counted on the thing not being able to make the distance, no worries there-that happened no problem. But what if, this year, he actually fixes it? And what are you doing helping him, stupid? “Uh, I’m gonna take off, ok?” I stammer as I ease back to the saddle. “Huh? yeah whatever, go ahead” he says from between the front wheel and the fairing as B-rad pounds on the bike with the log.

Ha-ha! Off we go. Slowly. I swear the Secret Weapon is slower up the hill than it was prior. Can’t be too bad as I reel the raven YSR of the Costa Rican (Hey Ron!) in and pass him easily in a flurry of two-stroke rattle. Thank god I think it’ll make it!  Just like Schwantz passing Doohan with a lap to go! Wait, what the hell? There’s a blue cheaterbike and another-there they go! Make that 5 or 6 mph dofference now. Time to grit teeth and get down to it. Pass those next two cheater dirt bikes-almost looked like those guys were just tooling along, I swear they were talking to each other. I guess it was just the dim lighting under the trees through the twisty bit. I remember this part, arc left, then right and bend it in gently on the wet pavement-holy shite! Grab the front brake! I know it’s hear somewhere but I haven’t used it in so long it might, no, there it is. Down three gears to regain powerband, shake my head and remember no, that’s where Elmer the Baconator crashed two years ago. Commit that to memory (again) for next year, arc left, then right, then hard effing left, NOT bend it in gently. Anybody see it? No, thank god. Last checkpoint, still haven’t seen Rusty’s bike on the side of the road. Maybe he pushed it out of sight, that would be a masterful psychological stroke! Pass the guy on the Aprilia, no worries. Almost looked like he had his hand in his pocket, must’ve been down on the opposite fork tube, Mile-style. Wait, is that a naked woman crouching down behind that white Cadillac on the side of the road? No, it’s two women, but only one is naked. Rusty must’ve hired them to sidetrack me and give him time to repair his cheaterbike. Hah! Little did he know a nekkid woman and a helper chick ain’t enough, baby. Gonna take two nudies at least to make me get off the thottle!

Finally pull in to Race Headquarters  the lodge at TWO, and dismount in disbelief. I’m third. The blue YSR and the cheater P200E are tinkling softlyas the rain, which has started again, hits their red hot pipes. Dismay falls over me like Pedrosa at Indy as I realize that I will have to protest Rusty and his cheaterbike in order to maintain my streak of success. Mull that over and look for an ATM machine. Ben looks at me funny when I hand him my soaked timesheet. None of the checkpoints scribbling is still there except the first and the last. Remembering that I had asked him if he wanted us to put them in plastic, and the stupid look he gave me then, he gives me another one now, and mutters something. I drink hot chocolate and try to join in the glorious conversation of the circle. “You know Rusty, you could probably go a tooth smaller on the countershaft” B-Rad is saying. Hands out in a defensive posture, Rusty replies “I don’t know what that means!” I spit my hot chocolate on my lap, and explain to B-Rad that Rusty is a WERA champion, yes, but that he is non-technical. Elmer has now arrived, after making a slow start, and offers affirmation.

We load up, the other racers road rallyists finally having arrived. the awards ceremony is subdued, all chance of glory having passed as I was looking for loose change in my gearbox for the protest fee and ran out of time. Ben announces something about the $5000 race contingency charitable donation to the Union County Volunteer Fire Dept, and my name is announced well down the order in the trophy presentation. Wait, what’s this? The fella handing out the plaques hands a 1st place! Did someone file the protest for me? And why aren’t they tearing the Cheaterbike down? Do they have of those things to measure the bore through the spark plug hole? They must, how else is this possible? Plaque-guy gives me a knowing look. All faith restored, we get in the truck sans Ledfoot who is riding home with his fan club. Truck gunned, then stopped, after a slight but perceptable tangent motion. We’re now dangerously close to that No Parking sign, which has become the demarcation between the truck and trailer-a good 6 inches inboard of the trailer’s outside edge. Brad, southern gentlemand that he is looks at the 6 feet of squished mud and refrains from mentioning that he didn’t want to park there so I help him unhitch the trailer and guide him back at an angle so we can keep the truck on pavement. That was close.

As we get in cel range the phone starts beeping with calls from Vegas, facebook postings, and other announcements of victory, regret, counterclaims, and trophy waving. A pretty girl half my age promises me champagne on my return. 

Next year’s race Fun Run is the last Saturday in October. Mark your calendar!

Ciao Bella

I read this morning that the Motor Company is shutting down Buell for good and planning to sell MV Agusta as well. This is tragedy that’s the spotlighted example against the backdrop for the economic downturn, folks.

Those of you that know me well will snort disgustedly and say, “Well, damn, you never had anything particularly good to say about those wierd Wisconsin bikes anyway” or “But you always made fun of their alternative engineering and silly brakes.” This is true. But you also would have heard me say that Erik Buell realized his dream and made a difference in the motorcycle industry landscape. As bizarre as some of the features were, this was indeed an American Sport Motorcycle. And a pretty good one, even if they resorted to that quasi-Teutonic engine. I first met Erik in 1985, I think, when I was working at a BMW-Honda-Kawasaki dealership in Milwaukee, and he was already known as an eccentric that was friends with my eccentric boss at the time. Watching him craft his bikes and build his business over the years has been edifying for me. Pretty valuable foil too, I hear you say. Maybe that’s true, as Buell’s have required all sorts of rulemaking twists and gerrymandering to remain competitive on the race scene in the USA. Even this year with their latest and greatest. Fine by me. I like some diversity, although they seemed to be over the top this year, and it got a little ridiculous. But the fact remains that Buell made a lot of people happy with their weird and sometimes wonderful bikes, and they were a source of not a little pride to those looking for an American Sportbike.

Good luck to you in the future Erik!