Hello from the Yorkshire Dales

06-09-2011, 07:35 AM

And a cold,wet and windy Yorkshire Dales it is this morning.
Just awaiting delivery of a new Evo. Cobb and Jagger are due around 10am. My first Ducati although I've been biking quite a while.
Had the usual Japanese stuff then, in 1990, I bought a knackered '66 T120 Bonneville. Did it up, with a lot of help from a few mates, and ran it for 11 years. We (or rather, they)must have got it right 'cos it always started first boot, never leaked oil and ended up on the front cover of Classic Bike. I decided in late '01 that there was a gaping hole in my self-esteem that could only be filled by a Harley so the Bonnie and an NTV650 I had were sold and an XL1200S was bought. Nice bike, uncannily similar to the Bonnie to ride. After a while that was traded in for the same money I'd paid for it and a Twin Cam 88 Lowrider came next. Cool bike. I stripped it and had it painted at Roadhouse in Leeds. Silver and purple flames over candy black, really nice. Got a good offer for that and replaced it with a Softail Springer.......bad move. I don't know if you've ever ridden a springer but the best way I can describe it is.....it's like running behind, and trying to hold on to, a 90mph garden rotorvator. O.K for cruising Ventura Boulevard but not the roads around this country. Replaced it with an FXD35 SuperGlide. Swapped the fork springs and shocks for Progressive Suspension ones, tweaked the motor and had a Harley that actually went well and handled too.
If you're into Harleys, sooner or later you're bound to end up on an ElectraGlide. I bought a plain black FLH Standard. Lowered it, blacked it out and went everywhere on it. Awesome bike. While I had the 'Glide I bought a little BMW F650GS as a winter run-around. That did'nt have the power to pull the lid off a Muller Rice so I sold it and bought an R1200S. So much for the "winter run-around" idea. That was an ace bike, BMW's idea of a sports tourer and it worked. Grunty motor, Ohlins at both ends and comfortable enough for me (I'm 6'5") to do 9 or 10 hour days in the saddle. A favourite trip was up through Teesdale, Northumbria and The Borders, breakfast in Jedburgh, across southern Scotland and back down through Cumbria and the Dales. Great fun.
In early '09 the Sterling/Euro exchange rate went bonkers so I sold the 'Glide and made a few bob and off it went to Germany. A few mates had R1200GS's so I booked a morning's test ride on one from Allan Jeffries in Shipley. Took it back after 20 minutes and ordered one. Between May '09 and last week I'd covered about 23k miles on my GS's (the first '09 one and then a DOHC '10 version) and they really are superb bikes. They've been happy cruising M-ways two up with all the luggage or scratching pegs around some of the better roads in the U.K. The nice little A134 Downham Market/Thetford/B st E springs to mind (I was on the way to Ipswich to see a band) as does the AWESOME A835 Tore to Ullapool road. No traffic. Smooth tarmac. Bliss. If you're ever up there book into www.theceilidhplace.com Excellent food,beer,comfy beds,lively music and a good craic.

A low speed slide off on the gravel tracks of Kielder Forest along with a back injury (better now, thanks) sustained while mountain biking on the moors above Haworth convinced me that I could do with something smaller, lighter and agile-er. I'd decided on either a Monster or a Daytona 675R. The 675 was too small. Monster it is then. Uno rosso, per favore.
I'm really looking forward to getting this bike and, hopefully, I can get some miles done before the snows come. I feel a strange urge, as it's a Monster, to go up and do a lap of the roads 'round Loch Ness. Fill the Great Glen with the roar of Termigioni's.
Maybe that'll have to wait 'til Spring but I'll certainly be heading up to South West Scotland to have a blast around some of the quiet roads there.

I'll probably have the usual dumb questions about the bike and I'll no doubt meet some of you soon. Cheers.

LouSCannon · 06-09-2011, 07:42 AM

Hey and welcome!! Not the best of weather to get the new Evo but then in this country it doesn't come often anyway!

J.P · 06-09-2011, 08:03 AM

Welcome to the club and the longest 'hello' message I've seen. Great to see so many bikes in your history and I'm sure you'll love the light and very nimble 1100Evo. There are a good few owners on the site already. Check out a thread from 'Singletrack' to see what she's done to her 100Evo, looks lovely.

06-09-2011, 08:25 AM

Welcome - I will keep any eye out for you in the normal places (Helmsley, devils bridge) - enjoy the evo

06-09-2011, 09:59 AM

Welcome ... Enjoy the new bike !
From someone who endured Harleys ( no more! Yippee) once you've had Ducati your hooked!
It's ok I type as I talk as well so don't worry.
Enjoy you have the roads for it up there.

Yorkie · 06-09-2011, 12:22 PM

Welcome to UKMOC, im just up the road from you, see you about some time.

Yorkie

Char · 06-09-2011, 12:24 PM

Small Clanger is digging away at a sort of quarry. He uncovers something that reflects, he clears a piece of mirror surface inside the gravel and sees his face in it. He grubs it out. It is a piece of mirror-like material. It is to a Clanger about the size of a good wardrobe mirror. Small Clanger takes it outside and shows it to Tiny Clanger. She looks into it and admires herself but Small Clanger pushes her away because it is his mirror and only meant to reflect him.

Welcome to the mad house

06-09-2011, 07:35 AM	#1
Small Clanger Guest Posts: n/a	Hello from the Yorkshire Dales And a cold,wet and windy Yorkshire Dales it is this morning. Just awaiting delivery of a new Evo. Cobb and Jagger are due around 10am. My first Ducati although I've been biking quite a while. Had the usual Japanese stuff then, in 1990, I bought a knackered '66 T120 Bonneville. Did it up, with a lot of help from a few mates, and ran it for 11 years. We (or rather, they)must have got it right 'cos it always started first boot, never leaked oil and ended up on the front cover of Classic Bike. I decided in late '01 that there was a gaping hole in my self-esteem that could only be filled by a Harley so the Bonnie and an NTV650 I had were sold and an XL1200S was bought. Nice bike, uncannily similar to the Bonnie to ride. After a while that was traded in for the same money I'd paid for it and a Twin Cam 88 Lowrider came next. Cool bike. I stripped it and had it painted at Roadhouse in Leeds. Silver and purple flames over candy black, really nice. Got a good offer for that and replaced it with a Softail Springer.......bad move. I don't know if you've ever ridden a springer but the best way I can describe it is.....it's like running behind, and trying to hold on to, a 90mph garden rotorvator. O.K for cruising Ventura Boulevard but not the roads around this country. Replaced it with an FXD35 SuperGlide. Swapped the fork springs and shocks for Progressive Suspension ones, tweaked the motor and had a Harley that actually went well and handled too. If you're into Harleys, sooner or later you're bound to end up on an ElectraGlide. I bought a plain black FLH Standard. Lowered it, blacked it out and went everywhere on it. Awesome bike. While I had the 'Glide I bought a little BMW F650GS as a winter run-around. That did'nt have the power to pull the lid off a Muller Rice so I sold it and bought an R1200S. So much for the "winter run-around" idea. That was an ace bike, BMW's idea of a sports tourer and it worked. Grunty motor, Ohlins at both ends and comfortable enough for me (I'm 6'5") to do 9 or 10 hour days in the saddle. A favourite trip was up through Teesdale, Northumbria and The Borders, breakfast in Jedburgh, across southern Scotland and back down through Cumbria and the Dales. Great fun. In early '09 the Sterling/Euro exchange rate went bonkers so I sold the 'Glide and made a few bob and off it went to Germany. A few mates had R1200GS's so I booked a morning's test ride on one from Allan Jeffries in Shipley. Took it back after 20 minutes and ordered one. Between May '09 and last week I'd covered about 23k miles on my GS's (the first '09 one and then a DOHC '10 version) and they really are superb bikes. They've been happy cruising M-ways two up with all the luggage or scratching pegs around some of the better roads in the U.K. The nice little A134 Downham Market/Thetford/B st E springs to mind (I was on the way to Ipswich to see a band) as does the AWESOME A835 Tore to Ullapool road. No traffic. Smooth tarmac. Bliss. If you're ever up there book into www.theceilidhplace.com Excellent food,beer,comfy beds,lively music and a good craic. A low speed slide off on the gravel tracks of Kielder Forest along with a back injury (better now, thanks) sustained while mountain biking on the moors above Haworth convinced me that I could do with something smaller, lighter and agile-er. I'd decided on either a Monster or a Daytona 675R. The 675 was too small. Monster it is then. Uno rosso, per favore. I'm really looking forward to getting this bike and, hopefully, I can get some miles done before the snows come. I feel a strange urge, as it's a Monster, to go up and do a lap of the roads 'round Loch Ness. Fill the Great Glen with the roar of Termigioni's. Maybe that'll have to wait 'til Spring but I'll certainly be heading up to South West Scotland to have a blast around some of the quiet roads there. I'll probably have the usual dumb questions about the bike and I'll no doubt meet some of you soon. Cheers.

06-09-2011, 07:42 AM	#2
LouSCannon These must fit a Monster? Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stockton Heath Bike: Multiple Monsters Posts: 1,036	Hey and welcome!! Not the best of weather to get the new Evo but then in this country it doesn't come often anyway! __________________ "Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of fuel before you can think straight."

06-09-2011, 08:03 AM	#3
J.P No more Monster... Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: London Bike: Other Not a Ducati Posts: 4,326	Welcome to the club and the longest 'hello' message I've seen. Great to see so many bikes in your history and I'm sure you'll love the light and very nimble 1100Evo. There are a good few owners on the site already. Check out a thread from 'Singletrack' to see what she's done to her 100Evo, looks lovely. __________________ J.JP ------------------------------- My Mum says, there's no such thing as Monsters.

06-09-2011, 12:22 PM	#6
Yorkie Anglo-Saxon Warrior Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: North Yorkshire Bike: M900 Posts: 2,485	Welcome to UKMOC, im just up the road from you, see you about some time. Yorkie __________________ NO ICE, GUN IT!

06-09-2011, 12:24 PM	#7
Char We're all mad here Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Wiltshire Bike: Other Not a Ducati Posts: 1,536	Small Clanger is digging away at a sort of quarry. He uncovers something that reflects, he clears a piece of mirror surface inside the gravel and sees his face in it. He grubs it out. It is a piece of mirror-like material. It is to a Clanger about the size of a good wardrobe mirror. Small Clanger takes it outside and shows it to Tiny Clanger. She looks into it and admires herself but Small Clanger pushes her away because it is his mirror and only meant to reflect him. Welcome to the mad house __________________ If you don't know where you are going any road can take you there

06-09-2011, 08:25 AM	#4
smiler996 Guest Posts: n/a	Welcome - I will keep any eye out for you in the normal places (Helmsley, devils bridge) - enjoy the evo

06-09-2011, 09:59 AM	#5
He11cat Guest Posts: n/a	Welcome ... Enjoy the new bike ! From someone who endured Harleys ( no more! Yippee) once you've had Ducati your hooked! It's ok I type as I talk as well so don't worry. Enjoy you have the roads for it up there.