Tuesday, October 04, 2005

RIDE REPORT


The Author will soon be Riding this Rocket. Here is the Madness (ride report) as posted by the Author in the Ducati "Big List. Posted by Picasa

RIDE REPORT:

Per my post of a couple of days ago, I am getting a 999 yellow monoposto. It will be a couple of weeks before I pick up the bike.

I test rode a demo 999 monoposto. The ride reports and reviews of the 999 were glowing. But I had not been on a bike since June 2003. So my ride was a clean slate. And it was a ride down old US 66, Central Avenue, in Albuquerque, NM, and then out of town on the old “mother road”. I am not a nostalgia person, but FWIW.

First, I was amazed at how the bike rode in low speed in stop-and-go traffic. Not much lugging and first gear power delivery was good in traffic. The rear sets were a little off for me, but no problem. They can be adjusted.

When I got out of traffic I hit 2nd gear and rolled back the throttle. About 8000rpm it hit the power band and it hit the band hard. I put some weight forward. Then I hit third at about 9000-9500.

The road was empty and the rear mirrors unadjusted. I saw 100+ on the speedo and I backed off a bit. But at 100 the bike felt like it was hardly moving. Rock solid and responsive.

I rode a couple more miles and then turned around. Coming back I noticed the very effective braking. No problem, but it is a one or two finger stopper until a rider gets the full feel of braking.

Going forward, Fred on his reply, gave me some good advice. Start slow and learn the bike. It is far more bike than I have ever owned and I want to rebuild my skills safely and sanely. But I think that my SS experience in Minnesota is helpful. I understand the bike’s wide turning angle at slow speed and know the brakes take just a light touch.

It is October here in Albuquerque and fall may hang on through November, maybe even into December. In Minnesota it could end in October. I was skating and shooting pucks on Thanksgiving days in Minnesota. Here in NM, I could get a ride in.

Please Check Out These Sites

The Author's post from yesterday received a link and a trackback on one of the TOP science and evolution sites on the web, http://pharyngula.org/. The Author considers this a very high honor, especially when one considers this is an economic and investment blog, not a science site. Further, the Author does not use Spell check and has only been blogging for two weeks.

The Author will continue to address science and evolution issues as they present, but the focus will always be investment and economics.

THE TENT IN THE DESERT OF THE REAL IS A BIG TENT!