Perhaps somethings in life are not meant to be… I was just about to hit 2,000 miles on the ‘03 749 when it got stolen. Today, I was microns away from 2k with the ‘04 999 when all hell broke loose. I hate to say it, but after today I think it’s time has come.
Unfortunately it’s been a bitch of day and right now as I sit here typing this, I find myself questioning my loyalty to the Ducati Ownership Experience. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the …

While swinging around a rather decent sweeper on Encinal Canyon this morning about halfway through the ride I was struck by the thought that over the course of my life the word ‘relaxation’ has continued to evolve in its meaning. Almost to a point where sometimes I think it seems like an organic concept, not a definition in a book. Originally relaxing seemed like such a simple idea - have a day off, go do something you enjoy and feel refreshed afterwards. Yet these days, as more and more of …

So often the concept of time seems to escape me. Whether it’s because I’m day dreaming about the future or stuck in the past, I rarely have the ability to just buckle down and focus on the present. Perhaps thats why I so enjoy riding, because it affords you the chance to think of little else besides the journey. And today was one of those magical rides that simply didn’t allow for any thoughts that didn’t concentrate on the road or the ride.
For the first time in what feels …

So MotorMilt & I just got back from our first ride in what feels like forever. The roads were in much better condition than the last time we rode, although they still weren’t quite up to par for SoCal this time of year. A ton of that light dusty dirt is still spread all over. According to the rumor mill it’s supposed to lightly rain tomorrow so hopefully that’ll help wash some of this gunk away. It’s the kind of muck that makes you wonder just how much traction you’ve …

Today’s ride was absolutely glorious. For much of the morning I felt like I was perpetually stuck in that wonderful moment when you’re slowly waking up after sleeping in on a quiet morning. Strange analogy I know, principally because it sounds greatly unsafe. Yet this morning ebbed and flowed in the most unlikely of manors. I started out feeling rather unsure of myself since I’ve been under the weather for the past few days. It’s funny how when you’ve had a head cold just getting back to normal can feel …

Woke up this morning to find clear skies and bright sunshine. What I would best describe as a very, very LA winter. So after a couple of cups of coffee, MotorMilt & I hit the road for a short loop through the Santa Monica Mountains. As luck would have it we got up the PCH and hit Topanga Canyon between the major chunks of traffic. One of those few times when you realize just how much fun certain roads could be if everyone else in the greater Los Angeles area …

It’s 3:30pm on an 80 degree Saturday in December here in Los Angeles and the ride is still echoing through me. Nothing brings out my admiration for Southern California like great weather on a winter day. After spending the past several weekends feeling semi-freezen on our various rides up and around the pacific coast, finally a SoCal Winter has hit and it feels great. On a day like today, there is truly no other place I’d rather be.
As MotorMilt & I were rolling around the canyons of the Santa …

When I die, I want to be reincarnated as a 999.
Just give me an open road with lots of curves and no traffic and I promise I’ll be a happy camper. The 999 is just that damn special. That amazing, really… At various parts of our ride today I not only stood in awe of what this bike can do but felt simply amazed at the opportunity to ride it. So many thoughts were running through my head while MotorMilt & I were hitting the canyons on what turned …

There are rides that you enjoy and rides you take. Rides where your mind wonders uncontrollably, rides that are simply beautiful and rides that get edgy as they go on. Yesterday however was a ride for the ages. I’m still reveling in it now, a day later. My body is sore - especially the wrists and my ankle - but man was it sweet. I had for whatever reason assumed that even though it was Thanksgiving people would be doing their normal weekend morning rides and then going to their …

Got up this morning determined not to make the same mistake as yesterday and go riding lacking the proper amount of layers. So out came the thermals for the first time in a long, long time. Funny thing is they didn’t matter that much. I still frozen my ass off. Amazingly the Duc’s temp guage was relatively high and the usually hot running seat didn’t feel very hot at all. As I sit here now recounting my desire for a hot seat, I find slightly ironic that now that it’s …