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April 30, 2008
Riding Impressions: 1990 Ducati 750 Sport
Until Saturday, I had only ridden the Sport around town i.e. to work and back and of course to PJ's. Saturday, I was able to take it for a spin up in the twisties and along some of New Mexico's scenic backroads.
First of all, I love the power the bike makes. It does not scream away like the 851, but pulls away cleanly and nicely. The acceleration is doubtless improved by the substantially larger-than-stock headers and aftermarket cans mated with 36mm Mikuni flat-slide carbs. It is easier to use more of what the bike has to offer than on the 851, while the latter bike in comparison is a shot of adrenaline.
The notchy-shifting problem I noticed before the fluids were changed and the clutch adjusted and measured is gone, though it is still challenging to find neutral unless the bike is rolling along. I do wish the bike had a six speed gearbox; an extra gear up top would allow for higher cruising speeds, though I suspect I will rev the engine more freely once I am used to it.
I have been taking the handling slow for the most part, since I am probably overworried about hitting the brakes mid-turn. I noticed no real problems, though I confess I was trained in the old school method of getting all one's braking done before entering the turn. In all the twisties I went through the motorcycle handled flawlessly.
Every review I have read of the 750 Sport complains that the idiot lights are invisible during daylight hours and that the reserve light is more or less continuously on. I echo those criticisms, though I am used to the faults since the 851 is guilty of the same defects.
Overall, this bike is definitely a keeper until such time that I can afford an F1. Given the recent sale prices on eBay, it may take a protracted recession for that time to arrive. In the meantime, I have a nice second bike to ride while the 851 is ridden by a guest or is in the shop being serviced.
Posted by Underblog at 7:25 AM | TrackBack
April 26, 2008
Madrid Loop
Saturday, I took the newly serviced 750 for a little spin along two routes I have ridden numerous times, though never in the same day. Oddly, the one time I did such a loop, I was in a car. (I cannot yet bring myself to say "cage" for car.) I began up 2nd St, taking it to the northern terminus of NM 47. From there, I rode a block of Roy Rd to NM 313. NM 313 is a lovely straight stretch along the western edge of Sandia Pueblo to the Town of Bernalillo. Like 2nd St., it is part of the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66. Above Bernalillo, NM 313 turns into Old Route 66 and snakes through larger rural lots and structures whose business for the most part abandoned the road when I-25 came through. Beyond Bernalillo, one enters Santa Ana Pueblo, a small hamlet surrounded by irrigated farms. There are some nice curves on the way to Algodones, but one must be mindful of the presence of vigili. Above Algodones, Old Route 66 opens up to several long straights. And indeed on one of them a sheriff's SUV was parked. Where Old 66 drops off at the freeway, it is possible to squeeze a few more interstate miles in by heading west toward San Felipe Pueblo, and then back east toward their casino on the interstate. After 10-15 miles on the interstate (basically climbing La Bajada grade), it is possible to take a frontage road from the Waldo Crossing exit near the rest area. The frontage road is nearly as fast, though the road is somewhat less maintained than the freeway. Where the frontage roads ends just past the National Guard Armory, NM 14 crosses. After a quick pit stop (45 miles to the gallon!) at the Allsup's, I proceed south toward Madrid.
NM 14 goes up and down several hills, past the prison and the Santa Fe Adult Detention Center (located across the street from one another). A little farther down NM 14 is the Cafe San Marcos, where Roomie and I ate when we drove this loop in the Miata. There are a few curves before passing the village of Los Cerrillos. Madrid is three miles of S-curves away. Motorcycles abound.
After a quick stop to stretch and drink a cuppa Earl Grey in Madrid, I continue down NM 14 to another Old Route 66 segment, now a frontage road for I-40. Right around Carnuel, the odometer reads 100 miles so far. It is only another 2 miles to PJ's, where I am delighted to tell them how well the 750 is running.
Please see the map below for the route information, even though the map displayed does not seem to display properly in Firefox. According to the vast project that is the internet, folks are working to make GoogleMaps and Firefox play better together.
Click and zoom out 3 or 4 clicks to see the route.
Posted by Underblog at 2:40 PM | TrackBack
April 20, 2008
So Close and So Far Away
I took the 1990 750 Sport in to PJ's January 17th, or thereabouts. While I was at a conference in CA week before last, I got a message from Mike that the bike was ready to be picked up. I explained that I had a ride coming up on Saturday, and would get there Tuesday to release it from custody.
It turns out that Tuesday my usual ride over to PJ's was going to be in Portales, so I asked a ride of one of my co-workers. Come lonche, he drove me over stopping once at his brother-in-law's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition new house (airs April 27) and again Bangkok Cafe (IMHO the best Thai in Burque). It was close to 1:00 pm by the time I arrived at the shop.
It took some time for the paperwork to be processed, but it was my understanding that that would be the only delay. While I waited for the bike to be rolled around, I walked around to the back of the shop, where T Technician Shannon was making some last minute adjustments to the cables. The PO (or his mechanic) had installed spark plug terminal screws in line around the choke cable inners. So I waited for about one hour while Shannon removed them. I was 2½ hours into my lunch "hour" by the time I left.
The bike ran great back to the office. In fact the shifting was easier, the clutch action felt lighter, and the carburetion was definitely improved. When I parked the bike at the office I smelled a slight whiff of gasoline. Looking around the bike, I saw no puddles, and so I decided to ride it home (it was my only way home at that point) and see if the smell went away. I mean, these things go away on their own some times, right?
The ride home was worse. The bike ran great, but the gas smell, especially at stop lights, was beginning to make my head light. I worried that a windblown cigarette butt was cause me to torch up completely. I noticed that the smell was stronger on the right hand side of the bike. When I pulled up to the house, Roomie right away asked "What is that smell?" Clearly this bike was going back to the shop where it had just had a large one's worth of service done to it. I called Mike and explained and arranged to bring it back on Friday.
On Friday, I ride the thing over to PJ's, and it took no more than pulling up to the service department door for them to all acknowledge that something was amiss. Mike rolled the bike back into the shop, and Shannon, Mike, and I all put our heads underneath the bike to see what was going on. A fuel "Y" was at first suspected, but then I noticed the overflow spigot from the float bowl (which should have been routed underneath the motorcycle as did the LH carb) was dripping gas onto the case. No wonder the fumes were overwhelming! The gas would pool there and evaporate.
My guess is that the float is not floating or the float needle is not sealing and the bike overflows gas. In any case, it is definitely something they should have caught going through the carbs for its "altitude adjustment."
So the bike is back at PJ's. Roomie noted that the 851 took a while to leave PJ's last year.