Salutations folks
It transpires I was never actually a member of the previous forum, so best I introduce myself as a ‘newbie’ despite having been a member of the club for about twenty years. Resident since 1994 in the Peak District, I’m about 45 minutes drive from Donington in a stone built hovel complete with tumbled down outbuilding that I share with a motley collection of old Ducatis in various states of disrepair, though I prefer the term 'work-in-progress". Yes, there’s a couple inside the house - they’re Italian, they need cosseting.I even have one or two that are roadworthy.
I was recently described as a ‘middle aged part-time hooligan with a long term obsession for all things Ducati’, which pleased me huegly and seems fair. One thing I have noticed is that the older I get, the older the bikes are that I become interested in. I bought my first Ducati, a 500 Pantah, in 1986 and so far I’m back to the narrowcase singles of the mid sixties…
On the flip side, I started saving to buy a Hypermotard as soon as I saw the prototype pictures. Hopefull this will arrive as a birthday present in a couple of years time although I may be forced to sell one of my other bikes to help finance it. Yeah, right. (I once promised my ‘Ex.’ that I would sell the Pantah to facilitate the purchase of a new Superlight. She never actually pinned me down to WHEN I’d sell it. It’s currently on loan to a mate.)
For my sins I’m responsible for the club tool hire scheme, having taken over from the legend that is Steve Wynne. He was so traumatised by the experience that he emigrated to the other side of the world. One room of the house is therefore strewn with various tools. I even know what some of them are for.
A recent phenonomen has been some poor misguided people actually asking MY advice about things mechanical. Fortunately I know enough people who actually DO know about that sort of thing to point them in the right direction.
My ‘Significant Other’ knew little of bikes 'til she met me, but she’s learning - and has even taken the first part of her bike test. Howevefr, her first love is narrowboating - which is almost the complete opposite of ‘biking as it’'s very slow and very relaxing. Very enjoyable too, although I’m a bit ambivalent about the whole scene at the moment as I fell off one of the damn things last year and injured a knee pretty badly. Several operations later and I’m still having a few problems - but at least it gives me an excuse to buy that Hypermotard.
“But darling, it’s SO much better for my knees than some head down, arse up sports bike” …
New Years intention is to get the knee sorted enough to be able to wobble around on my head down, arse up SS by joing Ains and others at the Classic Bol D’Or in April. One possible complication is yet another op., currently scheduled for March, but we’ll just have to see about that!
All the best
Rob
Bevels: Team FMoB (Fat Men on Bevels. Me and Keef are life members)
Modern: Team Fruitbat (The ‘Flying Fox’ is the largest of the bat family. It spends most of it’s life asleep. It’s landing technique is to crash into the shrubbery and hand on)