Traded in.

Having no success at selling the Hypermotard this summer, I decided to trade it in. I looked at several options like a Ducati Sport 1000, Triumph Street Triple and even the Suzuki Bandit 1200n. Eventually something completely different came on offer and I didn't hesitate to make the deal. 

I present to you… 

…a 2011 Ducati 848 EVO. 

As you can see from the options of bikes I looked at I didn't expect to get this bike in the first place. But I'm very happy I did; What a machine. 

Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to really take it for a spin. The weather just wasn't cooperating. So next season I'm hoping to have a blast getting to know this bike. That isn't to say I'm already enjoying this motorcycle. It's a joy to look at, a beautiful thing to behold. The stance with the low front end and the pointy high rear is really aggressive yet with a certain amount of elegance to it. The Italians sure know how to design a motorcycle. As with every Ducati there are also many things you can bolt on as aftermarket parts. And I'm already looking into things to modify. It's like an addiction…   …only more expensive.

As said I didn't have the chance to really explore the characteristics of this 848 EVO. But what I can say that this is a whole different motorcycle than the Monster 1100 or the Hypermotard. Not only the seating position but also the engine and it's power delivery. I didn't expect such a difference between a 2-valve Ducati and a 4-valve Ducati. This is something I have to explore further next season. For now the bikes are nicely tucked away in the garage waiting for spring 2014. I can't wait. 

Ital-dag 2013

On 18 August 2013 there was an event in Beusichem, The Netherlands called Ital-dag (or Ital-day in English). It was a one day event where owners and clubs gathered with all kinds of Italian motorcycles. There were some nice exotics and rare models on display. Below are some pictures to give an impression.  

Marco, from MarcoMoto.nl was very kindhearted to have my Hypermotard on display at his stand. It's for sale, so it can use some attention. 

Annnnnd.... it's done.

After several months of work the Hyper is finally done. From a poorly maintained and frankly neglected motor to a well running, rather sinister looking machine. The result is a bike that I really come to appreciate. I'm still not convinced by the overall appearance of a Hypermotard in general but it's handling and drivability compensates a lot. It very much likes to be chucked trough traffic and you tend to drive it like a regular bicycle. Except it has an engine... ... and this engine can't be ignored. At start-up it sounds as if a thunderstorm suddenly appeared somewhere in the distance. On the move the thunder seems to close in right behind you as the exhaust rumbles and thuds like nothing else. Combined with the rattle of the dry clutch the ride is very exuberant. But alas, it's time to let this beast go. The Hyper has to make room for something else, another project for next winter perhaps?

Project 2.0 M10

Following the CX500 Cafe and the Hypermotard this engine rebuilt is actually project number 3. The 2.0 in the title stands for the capacity in liters of the M10 engine we are building. We made some good progress on this project. The engine has been completely striped down and we're in the process of refurbishing parts and putting things back together. We've come to learn that the pistons we are using are called "piano top" pistons. Combined with the crank it should give a capacity of 2.0 liters with a higher compression. Because we are using different parts from different engines we will be opting for programmable injection. This will give the flexibility to the fueling we probably need. 

As proven with the battery box debacle sometimes things don't go according to plan when you do things "learning by doing". You see the bold in the picture below that hold the hubs of the crank in place?

This is what happens when you over-torque them:

One of the bolds snapped and left a part of the bold in the engine case. Luckily we were able to retract the part of the bold without any damage to the case. We found that I looked up the wrong torque setting in the Haynes manual. Instead of 190Nm the bolds had to be tightened at 60Nm. Oops... 

The ports of the cylinder head have been polished and we will grind the valves to give a nice airtight seal. 

Rollin' on Gunmetal (Grey).

After having seen a set of BMW wheels that have been powder coated in Gunmetal Grey (or Smoke Silver) I decided on this color for my Hypermotard wheels. It's a color you don't see very often on motorcycle wheels. But in my opinion the color suits them very well. The quality of the powder coat is top notch and should prove durable agains brake dust and other sorts of external influences. Combined with the black elements from the rest of the bike it's become a very moody looking motorcycle as you will see in an upcoming post. 

The battery box debacle - Part two

It's been long overdue for me to update my blog. I'm ashamed to see my last post has been from May 20th, more than two months ago. A lot has happened with regards of the motorcycles I've written about on this blog. 

Some time ago I've posted something about the battery box that had to be fitted to the Honda CX500. I tried to drill some holes into the stainless steel to mount some brackets. Since then I decided to weld the mounting brackets onto the battery box instead of putting them on by nuts and bolds. My welding skills are rather poor thus decided to powder coat to mask off the ugly welds. Meanwhile I did however improve on my skills to drill into stainless steel and I manage to drill plenty of holes into the bottom of the box. 


The battery now has a nice place underneath the engine/gearbox right between the two exhaust manifolds. On the picture below the box is held into place by a screwdriver but has since been replaced by some bolts. 

We then continued to mount the license plate and some other odds and ends to make it legal to ride on public roads. Bart decided it was time to take it for a spin. He thus proceeded to take the CX for a ride around the neighborhood. All went well and he returned safely back to the garage. Exited about our accomplishment he thought it was alright to take it for another spin. Fortunately the bike didn't brake down and held up nicely but unfortunately he did run into the law, which is a different story...

Les Ardennes

Group riding: as a motorcyclist you likely will have the opportunity to drive in a (small) group. For instance when going on a road trip it's the perfect chance to have this experience. I wasn't used to group riding until recently.  A few weeks ago I went to the Ardennes in Belgium with five fellow motorcyclists. The group consisted of five quite different motors and drivers. There was a Suzuki SV650, Kawasaki ZR7, Suzuki Intruder, my Ducati Monster and a Triumph Speed Triple. Also the characters of the drivers were very varied. From zero fucks given to almost obsessive-compulsive disorder (me).  

When driving in a group it's like a rubber band that is being pulled and released. The motorcyclists are constantly changing their distances to each-other in a more or less noticeable degree. You have to be, even more so than driving alone, very aware of your surroundings. Because of the constant (minor) change of speed and place on the road you have to be very cautious not to crash into each-other or to lose track of the group. I may be exaggerating a little but you still need some basic rules just to keep out of trouble. There is some very useful information to be found on the internet. Something I found very informative is the article called "The Pace" which can be found here.

The Ardennes is a perfect place to hone your driving skills and cornering ability on a motorcycle. The road surface is not that perfect which keeps you alert at all times to what is going on underneath your bike. Here are some pictures of the individuals of the group I went with. 

Suit up

One of the major parts of the motorcycle experience is your outfit in my opinion. Good clothing is very important to feel comfortable on a bike. It just have to fit right and give you peace of mind that you are relatively save. I'm in the fortunate position that I've acquired what most people consider to be some of the best gear available. 

Now I didn't get it right the first time. My first set of boots were just a fraction too small. It was the most annoying thing... all the vibrations of the bike went straight through my toes and I could barely walk when stepping of.

Luckily I got my helmet right first time around. A friend recommended the Arai helmets which I found rather expensive. But I'm very glad I purchased one (at a discount). The fitment is excellent and wind noise is kept to a minimum. Also they are considered to be very save, which I only can take Arai's word for it. 

Most recent purchase were the winter gloves and Dainese leathers.  

With recent outside temperatures this has been a wise decision. I would have frozen my *** off in my E-squad jeans and summer jacket. 

Now I must emphasize that I'm in no way affiliated with any of the above mentioned companies. But if your budget can stretch a little bit more expensive gear, please don't cut corners on this stuff. Be save.

Start of season

The last couple of weeks I haven't posted on this website because... ...well, quite frankly there wasn't anything to post about. According to my insurance company the motorcycle season started on 1st March. On 3rd March Bart came to pick up his Speed Triple. The weather was slightly overcast with a temperature of about 13 degrees Celsius. A perfect day to ride a motorcycle. Unfortunately my Hypermotard wasn't ready to be driven yet and also the Monster had some minor things to be done before it was drivable. Of the bikes you see here below only the Speed was able to be taken out for a spin. 

I was a little bit disappointed not to been able to go on a ride that day but thought there were many beautiful days to come. Since then however the weather has been less than perfect to say the least. The temperature has been around 4 degrees Celsius and even today, 31st March, it's snowing... Not really what I expected.

Despite the temperature I've pushed myself to take the Hypermotard for a spin. The last bits and pieces have been put on and is finally ready to hit the streets. 

There are still some small things that need to be done and I'd like to change the wheel color too. But it's drivable and boy does it go. It's a whole different experience than the Monster. Even the characteristic of the engine seems to differ from the Monster. Which is odd as the basis of the engines are very similar.  

When the weather improves I will probably write a more detailed comparison. And perhaps the CX500 will also be ready for its first outing... who knows.

Loose ends

The Hypermotard is at its final stages of the rebuild. There are still some things to sort out but the end is in sight. 

I'm very pleased at how this bike turns out and am anxious to take it for a spin.  

Before it was taken apart I haven't properly ridden it. The only times I did was at the guy who sold it to me to take it for a test drive. And the time I drove it home after I bought it.