The Motorcycle Diaries...

A recent post from my friend Slowburn has stirred some of my deep-rooted thoughts regarding motorcycles. I've been a long time motorcycle enthusiast (bought my first motorcycle, a 1990 Yamaha FZR400, back in '94) that has, for one reason or another, been forced to put those motorcycle desires on the backburner for a long time (haven't owned one since '98)...possibly for good. Of course, this has mainly been due to the "responsibility" of getting older and having other people that rely on you or that might rely on you in the future (wives, kids, dogs, etc.). Life was different when I was only responsible for my own "existence"...not the life and livelyhood of others. But times change, people get older, and responsibility to others comes with the territory. That's just the progression of life.

If you've ever been a motorcycle enthusiast, you know that those desires to go out and ride, no matter how long you've been "away" for, will never completely leave you. While we may choose to "do the right thing" for our families and for our future, the itch to experience the open road in a way that only a motorcycle can provide is like a bad case of herpes...it sticks with you for life. It never wanes...never goes away. Of course, that is only exacerbated by seeing other people, on a daily basis scratching that same itch...riding their motorcycles of all shapes, styles and sizes around enjoying the weather and living life. Not to mention that here in LA, splitting lanes is legal and riding a motorcycle can usually quarter your commuting time through LA's insanely unpredictable traffic.

Of course, my parents have never supported my liking for motor vehicles of the 2-wheeled variety...obviously due to the danger involved. In fact, they think it's downright ludicrous...especially considering that I lost one of my best friends in '91 to a hit and run motorcycle accident and that I myself took a pretty bad spill on my first motorcycle back in '94. But that was when I was young, inexperienced, and stupid. It was a cold day in November (Thanksgiving morning actually) and I was riding more aggressively than my cold tires were realistically capable of handling. I went into the turn on a highway off-ramp too hot (fast) and made a crucial, newbie mistake. I had the bike at full lean when I realized I was going too fast and I decided to tap the brake mid turn. Big mistake. The second my finger touched the brake lever the front tire lost traction and I hit the pavement travelling in excess of 80+ MPH. I slid for a good 60 feet, skimmed off of a guardrail with my lower back, and slid probably another 50 feet or so before grinding to a halt. Luckily for me, I walked away from the incident with nothing more than a damaged bike, a bruised ego, and a bruise on my lower back the size of Texas. After this little setback, I gave myself some time to recover, licked my wounds, and later bought a new, bigger, motorcycle - A 1995 Kawasaki ZX-7. Of course, the second time around, I was smarter and more cautious. Pain is a good teacher.

I rode that ZX-7 uneventfully for a few years before selling it and haven't bought another bike since. But the desire to buy another one has never gone away. It's like a thorn in my side that gets poked at every time I see other people out riding. It's like that fly the buzzes around your head that you swat at, but never goes away. And it'll be there probably till i'm old and decrepit.

Both of my bikes were made by Japanese manufacturers but my deepest motorcycle desire was for an Italian made bike. One made by Ducati. My dream bike back then was a Yellow Ducati 996 like the one pictured. In my opinion, it's one of the sexiest looking bikes ever built and has been the object of my affection for years. However, these days my desires have shifted a bit. While I would still love to have a 996, i've also come to love the "naked" bikes like the Ducati Monster. It's a little simpler and more understated, yet can provide similar performance as the all-out sportbikes like the 996. Something like that would probably suit me better now, in my older years....not that i'm planning on buying one or anything.

I've also, over the years, grown an appreciation for motorcycle customization and "choppers". Some of the bikes built by people like Jesse James and the modern crop of custom bike builders never cease to amaze me. I've always thought it would be kinda cool to build a chopper of my own and a few years ago a crazy little idea popped into my head. Wouldn't it be cool to combine the two? To build a customized "chopper" out of an italian bike like the Ducati Monster. Now there's a crazy idea! I envisioned a lowered rear suspension so that the rear tire tucks close to the rear seat and fender area. Then increase the head tube angle to increase the rake of the front forks to match the height of the rear suspension. It would be low and mean looking, yet still have near-superbike performance. That's been on the "If ever I had the time and spare $$$" list of things to build for a long time. Anyway, I recently got a little curious and decided to do a little photo chop work in Photoshop...just to see what it'd actually look like. Took that photo from above of the Monster and altered it a little using my rudimentary photoshop skills. Here's the finished product...what I like to call, "The Ducati Monsrocity":



So what do you think? I think it turned out pretty cool looking. Yeah, many Ducati fans would probably think it's a bit of an abomination (hence the name I gave it), but I think it looks pretty badass. It's a Ducati with a little more attitude. I'd love to go and cruise the streets of LA on a beautiful Sunday afternoon on this thing. Or better yet, take a cruise up PCH by the beach. Aaahhhh...if only I had the time and $$$ to build toys like this. Oh well...I can dream, can't I?