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Long time no post... I've been super busy.

Well a couple of updates.. I did lay down my Ducati. Horrible! Tragic! But the bike is ok. I only had to replace a turn signal.

We were out on a group ride, I was taking a corner, and my rear tire started to slip. I go "WTF", check traffic, kick the rear end back up straight, apply brakes, go across the corner to the other side of the road, and proceed to travel on grass. Being that it is grass, I am attempting to slow down very gently... slowing... slowing...slowing... GODDAMMIT! There was a big pile of dirt on the side of the road. So I hit the dirt pile, the bike just kind of stopped, I tumbled off, the bike tipped over.

I had a sore shoulder, the bike had a broken turn signal, but I was able to drive it home.. luckily there was no other damage. I was probably down to around 5-10mph when I ran into the dirt.

Sooo, what caused the accident? I was going kind of quick, but not too quick. The tire started slipping LONG before I was down to my normal lean angle. There was sand in the road, but on top of that, I noticed that there was lube on my tire from when I lubed the chain earlier in the morning before we left. "DOH!". So, I don't know which one was the actual cause, if not both.... my speed was a contributing factor, and I felt really mentally challenged. I just hate that my first falldown was on the Ducati!! Why couldn't it have been on the VFR? The VFR already had broken fairings from the last owner.

Other than that... No real bike news. That was a while ago, I just never posted it. I haven't been on much to do work.

Good news: I got a new truck! w00t!
I traded in my 2000 Ford Ranger Supercab 3.0L 4x4. It was crap. I hated it towards the end. It was clunky, slow, guzzled fuel (17-19mpg for a 3.0L V6? wtf), had a leak in the driver's side window, had a CEL for the EGR valve which I had fixed a year ago, and the tires were about done.

I didn't even plan on getting a truck that day (Tuesday of this week)... I just wanted to go look and see what was available, and maybe test drive some stuff to get an idea. I forgot it was the end of the year... so I didn't realize the deals, oh my! the deals!

Not only did they give me more than I was trying to sell my Ranger for privately, but I ended up at $9k below sticker price! (or $6500 below invoice).

My new ride:

2006 Dodge Dakota 2WD Quadcab SLT Sport model
4.7L V8
5-Spd Automatic 545RFE Transmission
Lock-Up Torque Converter
3.92 Axle Ratio
Corporate 9.25 LD Rear Axle
Anti-Spin Differential Rear Axle (Limited Slip)
AM/FM CD 6-Disc MP3 Radio, Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Ctrls, 6 Alpine Speakers, Sirius Satellite Radio free for a year.
Heated seats, overhead computer thingy
17x8 chrome rims with sport rubber
Power everything! Cruise control (none of my previous vehicles have had this)
Tow package (up to 6850 lbs), heavy duty suspension option, anti-lock brakes, and a partridge in a pear tree!

Seriously, I love this vehicle. Not as much as my Ducati, but I really like this truck. Even with the V8, I'm getting the same gas mileage as the ranger.. and it is suppose to get better after break-in. It had 34 miles on it when I picked it up.




It even matches my bike's color! I need to go snap a picture of them together once I get a chance.

Nice truck man! Out of curiosity, what do you do to make such good money? Sorry to hear about the bike, happens to the best of us! Anyway, have fun with your toys and have a great day, glad to see you're back!
Wrider

I'm an engineer. But I haven't graduated yet, still working as an intern. I make alright money as an intern... but it will be pretty darn good after I get hired full time.

The trick is that I have a roommate that splits the mortgage, and I'm not married, and generally keep my expenses low. I've cut back on eating out, and only spend about $200/mo on food. Other than that, I never keep a credit card balance, and I always make sure bills are paid first... haha.

We had a group ride on Saturday! It was quite enjoyable. We hit some of the best roads in Florida (in the Clermont area).

Here are a couple pics of the crew that went, and our bikes:




It was a decent sized group. 3 VFRs, an SV650, SV1000, ST1100, R6, F4i, and little old me on the duke.

The trip totaled around 160 miles. We were out about 6-7 hours, stopped for lunch and gas in there somewhere. I averaged about 45 mpg with heavy riding... So I was definitely impressed with the economy!

I really like our group, we all ride our own rides, don't really rush. I started out in the front group, but I wanted to play around with my lines at different speeds, so I dropped behind with the ST1100 and the red VFR guy so I would have more space. As a general rule, I like a buslength or two between the people in front of me... I have seen too many videos of people going down, and everyone crashing on top of them.

It was a good ride, lots of fun, next time we'll get more pics (and maybe video... my roommate has a camera mount, but didn't put it on for this ride).

EDIT: By the way, my ergos weren't that bad, considering it was an all-day thing! At the end of the day, I definitely wanted to get off my bike... but I wasn't sore or anything the next day (or today). I am thinking of getting some risers in a few months after I graduate. With an extra inch, I think I could stay in the saddle all day with no ill effects.

So jealous of your weather right now. It's 10 with a feels like of -6 here.

That's a nice truck!

It's about time I got these up






Now I just need a new avatar picture like the one I have up... but with the duke...heh.

So what's your address? And where do you keep your spare key? That's a very nice bike! Plus, it matches the truck! So now you can haul it without having to worry if the colors clash! Anyway, have a good day! and again... wow...
Wrider

Heyyyy, that's pretty!

Pics of the the M50 and the Duke! Don't mind the appearance of my brother and myself... we have helmet hair from riding all afternoon..

The M50:


My Brother on the bike:


Me on the bike:


Me on my bike:


The bikes:


The bikes (part 2):

Whoa! you have a really big tree in your front yard!






no just kidding, nice bikes