Back in the Saddle Again !

Finished Getting Mistress put back together enough to ride today! It's been waaaay too long. Took her down to Bikers Bay in Bedford to get her Texas State Inspection back up to date, it was several months out. Inspection complete I took her for a real short jaunt on the freeway to make sure she was running alright. Got back and still had some minor adjustments to take care of.

I had to adjust the clutch lever back to its correct position and angle. Then tightened up and set the left rear-view mirror. Lastly, I tightened all the saddle bag bolts because one was real loose. Then I gave her a bath.

Now all is ready to start commuting to work again. Next I need to replace the damaged leather bags with some hard bags.....

Ride on,
Torch

Working on Mistress, My Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic

Made some progress today fixing Mistress, my 2003 Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic. Ordered a new Light bar kit to get the hollow bolt to remount the left side driving lamp.

Remounted the windscreen, tightened the handle bars & reinstalled the clock & temp gauges.

Removed the saddlebags and left rear turn signal & straightened the mounting bar.

Still need to order new clear turn signal lenses & Star eyebrows.

Fast Cages / NASCAR

Videos & Photos From My First NASCAR Experience

Taken on my HTC EVO

Parking at Texas Motor Speedway

It was a very windy Saturday

For a moment I thought I was at a People of Wal-Mart Convention.

It is larger than it looks just driving by on the freeway.

I will not disclose how much I $pent.

Bunch of 200 mph left turns. 

Row 6 Section 128, Just outside the Pits where they gunned it to get going.

At speed they go around the 1.5 mile tri-oval in about 38 seconds.

Some Clips:

Ride on,
Torch

Donate Your Scrap Bike to Charity in the UK

I was contacted by the nice folks at Giveacar in the UK  and asked if I would spread the word that you can now donate your scrap bike and the funds will go to good charities. Here is the blurb from there website:

At Giveacar we’re not just about cars. We arrange the donation of all types of vehicles to charity. From mobile recording studios to campervans, we can turn your unwanted vehicle into much needed funding for your favourite cause. This includes Motorbikes, which despite their small stature can still raise a hefty sum for charity.

So if your bike has seen better days or, perhaps, you just don’t have the time to ride it anymore, Giveacar can offer you a simple, free and ethical way of getting rid of it.

Just like with our cars, no matter what state your bike may be in it will be collected free of charge and at a time to suit you. Once you have arranged to donate your bike with us we will pass you details on to our partners in your area, who will organise the collection with you. They will take your bike to their nearest site, dismantle it, and sell on the working parts. A donation will then be made to the charity of your choice based on the price of your old bikes parts.

When donating a bike with Giveacar, you are not only helping to support your favourite charity, but you are also helping others to keep their beloved bikes on the road. As well as helping out fellow bike enthusiasts, this also has an environmental benefit. By keeping old bikes on the road you are reducing the demand for new bikes, thus reducing the significant environmental damage caused by their production.

Motorbike donation is a relatively new initiative here at Giveacar, but it is something we are sure will raise a great deal of money for charity while helping us to fulfil our green objectives.
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So, if you are in the UK and looking to upgrade your motorcycle, or have an unused one lying around please donate it to a worthy cause.

Ride on, 

Torch

2011 MotoGP Season Starting!

Yes, 2011 MotoGP Season Starting!

Yes, the 2011 MotoGP Racing season is underway at the Losail Circuit in Qatar and MotoGP needs more fans. The first race will be on the Speed Channel Sunday March 20, 2011, so check your local listings for times and set it up to record if you have too.

 This season is shaping up to be another exciting one with a lot of great talent on the tarmac. Be sure and register at MotoGP.com to watch the live timing of the practice and qualifying sessions and to learn more about MotoGP Racing. 

Also be sure and sync up your calendar to keep up with future races in the MotoGP season. 

Race on,

Torch

New Online Ducati Hangout!

A new Ducati Forum has opened up and I was asked to share this with my readers so here is a copy of the press release:

Desmodrome launches the FIRST SOCIAL NETWORK for Ducati enthusiasts

By Desmodrome
Dated: Feb 17, 2011

A new social media destination is being launched specializing in bringing together motorbike riders who
are fans of the Italian brand, Ducati. Founded by Daniel Rongo, Desmodrome is an international
community for the Italian two-wheeler fans.

It’s a Ducati, Signore!

 Where the Pneumatici da Moto Hits the Social Media Road

 LONDON, UK – February 17, 2011 – A new social media destination is being launched specializing in
bringing together motorbike riders who are fans of the Italian brand, Ducati.

 Pneumatici da moto is Italian for motorcycle tyre, incidentally.  www.desmodrome.com is the FIRST
SOCIAL NETWORK for Ducati enthusiasts, Ducati motorbike owners or simply people who are
passionate about the Italian two-wheeler.

 Founded by Daniel Rongo, Desmodrome is an international online community where you sign-up for free,
speak with like-minded people who are all about Ducati’s.

 “There are already a few online forums dedicated to Ducatisti but no one had ever thought to build a social
network around them,” says Rongo.

“Desmodrome is special because it completely revolves around members and it has been conceived to give users the same engaging experience of Social Networks like Facebook.  And it embeds an online forum too!”

 Described as, “Completely committed to and excited by new technological possibilities” by Computer
World UK, Rongo is no stranger to building successful social networks to satisfy specific societal needs.

  “Ducati is an Italian pride worldwide and it is more than a motorbike manufacturer.  We felt the need to
create something that would have been much more than an online forum for Ducatisti.  We wanted to
combine the latest internet technologies with an Italian fantastic tradition.”

 Of course, one of the key assets of Desdmodrome is the integrated online forum where users have several
participation options.  They can share feelings, stories about their motorbike, ask for technical help or
discuss accessories, parts and clothing – or just discuss the Ducati brand in general or organize meetings
and rideouts.

 But the most innovative categories include: Wishlist (What would you like to see or not to see on a new
Ducati?), Riding School (Tips and tricks on how to ride your Ducati, both on a track and on the road),
Internet Retailers (Good and bad experiences with online parts retailers), Product Reviews (Here you can
review bikes, parts, accessories and clothing. You are the judge) and the Best Price Competition (Ready to
buy? Ask the forum where you can get the BEST price for it).  There is a classified section where members
can buy and sell motorbike, parts, accessories and technical clothing. Users can even upload videos on how
to perform specific technical tasks, as well as the movies of their trips filmed with an on-board camera!

 The website includes also real-time chat, a photo section, and news from Ducati.  Regarding the photo
section, the most beautiful members’ photo of the week will automatically be published in the Desmodrome
home page.

 Desmodrome is NOT affiliated in any way with Ducati.com or Ducati Motor Holding S.p.a.  and arose
from the passion of the founder towards Ducati and with the mission to connect Ducatisti worldwide.

 www.desmodrome.com


 For more information contact: marketing@desmodrome.com

Ride on,
Torch

Two Wheeled Riding Withdrawals

Two Wheeled Riding Withdrawals

Anyone who has been addicted for any length of time to riding on two wheels, specifically motorcycles, and has been denied access to that mount, may come down with Midlife Motorcycle Madness. (Click the link to go to the definition.) With Mistress down for repairs I have been acutely aware of the symptoms and peculiarities of this disease.

Riding on two wheels is akin to an alcoholic or drug high. You just can’t seem to get enough of it. Several things start to happen when not being able to ride, mostly just substitution. One is that you be spending a lot of time working on your bike performing upgrades, maintenance or repairs. You will probably spend every other free moment reading everything you can find about motorcycles in hard or electronic copy. You may also be spending a lot of time on forums & social media discussing everything two wheeled related.

When not doing these things you may develop some other peculiar symptoms of the disease. You will find yourself being a lot more sensitive to the sound of a v-twin or sport bike revving, even in the distance and it will draw your attention directly to it. Your right hand occasionally will twist like it is time to accelerate, usually right after a left foot shift twitch. You might find yourself driving along the far left lane of the freeway hugging the left stripe to see around the traffic in front of you. You may also find yourself wandering around the house leaning yourself around the corners.  Don't ask me how I know.

Truthfully there is only one cure and that is riding a motorcycle on the open road and the open road is optional! The acceleration, adrenalin, twisties and wind take away all the bad side effects. See you on the road soon.

Ride on,

Torch