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It looks like the Ducati 1098 Suoerbike will have a little brother “if you want it”.  The 848 has been confirmed to replace te 749 series of motorcycle.  It will be the same bike as the 1098 with a smaller engine.  It was only a matter of time.  Not much detailed information is available at the moment, but we can hope for the track guys at least that the parts will be interchangeable between the two as in the past. 

From motorcyclenews.com:
November 30 2006

Ducati President Federico Minoli has today confirmed Ducati will offer an 848cc version of the stunning 1098 – if you want it. 

The announcement was made on Desmoblog, which is written personally by Minoli, who also showed three

I’ve always been a fan of the heritage Ducati Red for their sports bike - 916/996/998, 999, and now the 1098.  Personally, I think the tricolore is pretty ugly, but I like subtle.  Even though they are rare, the black versions look great too.  Anyway, it looks like Ducati will be releasing yellow and black to compliment the red and the tricolore.  Check it:
Ducati adds extra color options to the 1098 Powersports Business Thursday December 28, 2006 Ducati North America’s 1098 Superbike will be made available in two additional colors, black and yellow.
The 1098 Superbike was launched at the EICMA Motorcycle Show in Milan on Nov. 14 and won the “Most Beautiful Motorcycle in Show” award.
The 1098 yellow scheme

I have no idea if this guy is local, regional, or national, but if you’re in the California area and get injured on a motorcycle - AND IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT - you may want to consider going with a guy who is also a rider/racer.  I tend to support those that support our sport with my money where applicable.  Yes, I even bought a pair of Lee Jeans because a). I needed a pair of jeans and b). I chose their brand because they sponsored a MotoGP team.  Anyway, this guy has also put up contingency money for WERA West.  Check it from roadracingworld.com:

Law Firm Posts $17,000 Contingency Program For WERA West Regional Series

Dec 23, 2006

From

This morning I was honored to participate as a member of the Patriot Guard Riders in escorting Ed Coleman, retired USAF veteran, from his mortuary to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  From there, he will be making his way to his final resting place in Wyoming.  I didn’t know Ed, but it was his request to have the PGR escort him when he passed (I found this out this morning). 
Air Force veteran Ed Coleman of Phoenix, AZ passed 21 DEC 06. Mr. Coleman was a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross during his service in the Air Force.
This was my first ride with the PGR.  They will get together for many reasons:

• Escort a retired veteran who has passed away.
• Meet and ‘receive’
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This year I asked the parents to spare me actual gifts and send the best gift one can receive - CA$H.  I did this because as I am ramping up on the moto-commuting, I am in need of some gear.  I’m a simple guy, but I am particuar about motorcycle-related purchases, especially gear.  So this Christmas I have acquired the following thorugh gift cards, cash, or simply knocking the dust off my wallet and spending some of my own hard-earned dough:

1. Luggage Locker tank bag
2. Under Armor cold weather balaclava and shirt
3. Gerbings heated jacket
4. Toshiba Gigabeat MP3 player (GRRRR - being serviced)

I need to do a few maintenance items while I have some time off over the holiday.  I have a feeling

Picking where I left off on my cold weather commuting learning experience here, I picked up a little more experience and wisdom about widgets being wired to the bike.  I also learned the difference between 45F comfort and 33F comfort.  Finally, creature comforts need to be reliable for them to be enjoyed.  As you might be able to tell, day #2 & #3 of riding downtown was not all hugs and puppies.  In fact, some of it sucked.

Day #1 was in the 40’s in the morning all the way in.  I wore my jacket with a heated liner, boots, and street gloves.  Day #2 I wore the same gear and froze my arse off everywherre that was not covered.  I have

I was strolling down the street this summer looking forward to the end of another work day.  It was around 90 outside and I was looking forward to my ride home along the lake.  I ran into Dave sitting having a smoke and solving the world’s problems.  We started talking about a bike he had built and sold then the conversation moved to BCCOM.  Dave is one of the hierarchy in the BCCOM organization.

BCCOM is the British Columbia Coalation of Motorcyclists.  They have a rather strong voice when it comes to lobbying the goverment on behalf of all motorcyclists.  They lobbied to have us included in HOV lanes, and priority loading on BC ferries, to name a few.

Anyhow they are now tableing

Ugh.  I have been commuting on the bike this week to a training center in downtown Phoenix by the airport.  I chose the bike as the urban mode of transportation since traffic here is disasterous during rush hour going ‘inward’.  Motorcycle out here have the luxury of using the diamond (read: carpool) lane which cuts the commute in half at least.

Anyway, for someone like me who lives on the edge of town and drives away from traffic each part of my commute, I had forgotten what rush hour was.  I have been a little consumed with other people doing stupid stuff affecting me more than anything.  Why not?  I’m a good rider and have been on two wheels for decades

I just found out yesterday that a friend of mine was killed in a motorcycle accident back in mid-August.  It’s kind of a funny thing about my frienship with Jim.  One would think that if I was friends with him that I would have found out sooner.  That’s not the way it was.  We weren’t best friends or even close friends, but we were good friends when we were together.  Make sense? 

He was the semi-crazy guy that was always broke but it was worth payng his fare every now and then just have him around.  We hung out a couple times as we had other common interests in guns and bonfires (heh - separately).  I was even his wing man one night trying

It only took 25 years, but I finally commited to decorating a room in my new home to reflect my passion for motorcycles. I made a few half-hearted attempts in the past; a helmet here, a poster there, maybe a few models on a shelf. But present circumstance has finally provided the opportunity I was seeking. Combining sole occupancy with a substantial collection of moto-related items pushed me into the display zone. The “entry” room in my new domicile was pretty much useless as any kind of functional living space. A good description of this square-footage is a temporary holding area. It seems it was designed to be occupied either by people who won’t be spending much time in your