A different direction…

Well, I sold my ’03 Honda Shadow ACE. I had intended to have AFT turn it into a firearms-themed bobber, but I decided to go the Goldwing route. I love to ride and I am certain that the Goldwing will log more miles than a custom bobber would rack up. By opting completely out of the custom bobber project, I decided to sell the Shadow. I hope Dan is happy with the bike – it was in immaculate condition and we agreed on a fair price.

I have been interested in a Ducati for some time, and my visit to the Ducati display at the Chicago motorcycle show was the final straw. I joined the ducatimonster.org and read and read and read. I learned about air-cooled vs water cooled Monsters. I learned about problems that come up more often than others, I learned about exhaust and engine performance mods, I learned about the differences between models. The main thing I learned was that the forum members are knowledgeable, proud of their bikes, and passionate about their choice of motorcycles.

I’ve figured out part of what draws me to this machine – it’s the mechanicalness of it. The trellis frame, the lack of bodywork, the exposed engine, exposed exhaust, the adjustability of the controls, all of it speaks function first, form second.

The result of all of this was that I found a good deal on a 2007 Ducati Monster 695 Dark. The bike is in Florida, which means I will have a 1000+ mile ride to get it home. The problem with the ride home is that I will have to ride through the mountains of GA/NC/TN; what a terrible situation to face. The good part of the ride is that I may have to ride through the mountains more than once. I know, I can feel the sympathy from here.