A Decade Under the Influence
When I stood in the driveway putting my gloves on, I could hardly believe that my gorgeous, red devil is now 10 years old. When I look at it, I still think it is one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made.
In some ways when I look at my Ducati, memories of it being my daily rider seem like yesterday. And yet, they seem like a whole lifetime ago. The 996 was always an extreme relationship.
Riding it always touched an emotional part of me that no other bike had. It has something special in it’s feel, it’s sound. Grabbing a fist full of throttle unleashes an exhaust note from it’s Termignoni cans that can set your heart on fire with a deep, resonating rumble.
When I returned home from my ride, I was tickled pink. It just felt so good get to know that bike again.
It was wheeled in to the garage and put back on the battery tender. And then,… the strong smell of gasoline filled the garage. ::drip::drip::drip:: Drops of gas fell from the underside of the tank. ::sigh::
There’s that wonderful Ducati-mystique I missed so much. Pfft.
I know everyone of those feelings all to well when it comes to the Italian brand lol
Someday you will own a daily rider bike that is trouble free. And one day you’ll wake up and go… Why did i put up with that shit for so long?! 🙂
But, you’re still young & flexible. You’ve got plenty of time to figure all that out and to “enjoy” being crumpled up on a beautiful Italian bike with plenty of “soul” and to work through it’s “idiosyncrasies”. 😆
Hahaha I love hearing all those words such as “soul” and “idiosyncrasies” because all Ducati riders know full well in the back of their mind it really means “Error Codes” and “Electrical Gremlins”.
I love your 996 by the way such an amazing bike.
And a trouble free daily rider? I have a couple in mind just not yet……I can deal with the 1098 a bit longer. But I have to say I do see the light in Jap bikes thanks to the DRZ. I won’t be owning another Ducati ever again but I won’t be selling the 1098 ever either.
I’m lovin’ that photo. You took a mechanical work of art, put it in an ideal setting, and used photo-magic to make it extraordinary. Gorgeous presentation.
Since a big part of the allure of motorcycles is their beauty and romance, I understand buying an unreliable bike. Understand, but personally won’t. Having once stood on crushed debris on the side of the GCP at 3 in the morning, I value reliability more highly.
Thanks, R 🙂
I’m with you. This could be the reason that I still say that my Triumph is the best bike i’ve yet to own.
When you can’t leave your house with a trust (real or imagined) that you will make it back home – it gets old fast. had a Monster that was like that with electrical gremlins. You were never sure if there would be something that would go wrong while out on your ride, leaving you stuck. I’m glad that bike left with the ex 🙂
Ditto what ShyB said about the pic. It’s awesome!
<3 Thank you, Kathy 🙂
Glad to see you emerging from the shadows!
I didn’t know you had a Ducati, what a nice machine and beautiful shot you got of “her” 😉 how many bikes do you have? I love Ducati and if I owned one it would be red 🙂 Love the exhaust pipes, must sound awesome. I am afraid they are expensive to maintain just like a Ferrari 🙁
What can I say, George. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. 🙂
How many? I prefer to say… “a couple” otherwise I feel weird about it.
The sound of the 996 is like music. Unmistakable and reaches some animal place in you.
They are expensive to own and maintain. On that note – I will probably never, ever buy another one.
It’s only marking it’s territory. The same as our Guzzi does on occasions, espically when it has been standing for a while
Cute, BikerTed 😆
Your photo immediatly brought to mind the 1979 Berliner Motor Co. print ad for the Ducati 900 Super Tiger, featuring the bike parked in front of the St. James General Store. Deja vu all over again!
Wow, that’s really cool! I just googled the ad. Small world 🙂