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September 20, 2007
Ducati Nerddom
This weekend past was the Sandia Classic. I missed it again.
Also, on Saturday, I noticed on eBay a Ducati F1B much like the one that ended up selling for more than I was willing to spend. This one was listed in Belen, about 50 miles south of Albuquerque. I placed a bid for it that was quickly and automatically superseded, and sent an email to the fellow selling the bike whether it would be possible to take a look. After a brief phone call we arranged for me to take a look at the bike(s) (a 250 single racebike was also listed).
The ride to Belen was uneventful. I would have taken NM 47, but I did not want to keep the seller waiting. I planned on returning through Abo and Mountainair in order to have at least some fun in the twisties.
The seller had four Ducati's and a 50's Chevy pickup in his immaculate garage. Outside, a race trailer had a large Ducati logo on it. The Ducatis inside were
- A 999 racebike (on the lift)
- The 250 racebike in Paul Smart livery
- The Ducati F1B
- A 900 Supersport
The Supersport is a "project bike". It is one of those bikes that appears stock at first until you really pay attention to it and notice all the goodies. The PO wasn't too careful about tightening things down however.
The F1B was immaculate. By the time this post goes up, it will likely have sold for more than I can afford. In any case, I can afford to bid somewhat more for this bike than the previous one since I can literally ride this one home. Should I be so lucky. One of the nice things about it is that it comes with both stock mufflers as well as a Bub exhaust (installed).
We chatted about Ducati's for what seemed like hours. As Jerry Seinfeld put it in "Comedian," everyone needs to have one really stupid hobby. By that I think he means that everyone needs to validate the myth that there is some socially redeeming quality to our passions. In the instant case, the common ground was discussing the weakness of Ducati clutch slave cylinders and aftermarket alternatives. Also remarkable is that despite the seller's age and experience, he has never owned any motorcycles besides Ducati's.
Turns out that the seller took a bad spill at Sandia racetrack, when a passing motorcyclist took out the rider in front of him. The bike had some pretty severe damage. Though the frame sliders did what they could, the bodywork was thrashed and his 2000 dollar leathers had to be cut off of him. The damage to person, leathers, and bike might explain why he is cashing in on his fleet. Also, his long-term prognosis as a rider is not yet clear. Certainly, four bikes (two streetable) seems a little excessive.
Posted by Underblog at 1:16 PM | TrackBack
Little Heartbreak
The F1 sold for just a little bit more than I was willing to pay. If it is meant to be that I have one, I will just have to be patient.
But still.