Ducati Monster Forum

Name: Dan
Location: Boston (ok, next to Boston..but I work in town)
Bike(s): 2006 Ducati Monster S2R 800, 1978 Honda Hawk CB400A Hondamatic (yes, I actually do own a Hondamatic)

I've owned bikes for almost 12 years now, but I missed out on several seasons of riding due to the Hondamatic (AKA, The Angry Mosquito) being "tempermental" and me having too many other things taking up my time/money to figure it out and fix it. I bought that thing from my g/f at the time's father right after graduating high school in 96', but couldn't afford to get it running and on the road until the summer of 97'. It spent the better part of 98' in the shop while they tried to figure out what was wrong with the electronics, which resulted in the single best line I have ever heard from a mechanic...."Dude, your bike is haunted." Back on the road for 99'-00' seasons, and briefly in 2001 before being turned over to a couple of buddies to be "fixed" using whatever could be easily swapped over from what was left of a basket-case parts bike. Unfortunately the forks were basically toast, so after everything else was fixed it was (very) carefully ridden home and tucked away in the garage, where it still sits waiting for me to feel masochistic enough to get back to work on it.  After a couple of years of being the poor college/grad student and a couple of jobs that paid the bills but weren't enough to finance a new bike, I finally landed a job that lets me afford to do (some of) the things I want to do and decided that it was time for a new bike. So as of last year I am the proud owner of a Monster, and back in the saddle.  ;D

Welcome and sounds like you have a cool stable. I like the old sckool and unusual. I myself have a '78 CB750. Not as unique as yours but I like it, and personally think it's one of the prettiest aircooled engines ever. [thumbsup]

Welcome and congrats on the bike! [thumbsup] Hope that ghost doesn't decide to transfer its affections. [cheeky]

Thanks :D

The old Hondamatic was a matter of being the only thing I could afford at the time (at $400 the price was definitely right!), but all the time and effort I've put into it has turned it into somewhat of a matter of pride that I've been able to keep it alive. I've even been sort of toying with the idea of turning it into a chopper, just so that I could have the only Hondamatic chopper I've even heard of ;)

So far the ghost has been content to stick with the old Honda...well, that or it's gotten trapped in a layer of old engine sludge ;)