Ducati Monster Forum

First the disclaimer/preamble … anybody that has tried to carry a conversation with me will know that I am pretty boring but once I get started I get even more boring and keep rambling on with inane crap that nobody really … oh yeah the point: you may want to stop reading now. I apologise in advance for all the carry-on but will try and include a decent amount of Ducati content but mostly focussed on ‘the incident’. But I fear many of you have already heard it all by now - so as we go if you have any queries just let me know.


PART 1

Well for those of you that don’t know Julie and I ventured out of the South Pacific for the first time last May/June - and our destination … Italy! It was to be one of those ‘once in a lifetime’ type holidays but we had a few hiccups along the way, a couple of disappointments and a bit of a disaster just to top it all off.

We put quite a bit of time into the planning (besides my anal retentive mood swings) because we wanted to get everything right with a brief outline being:
•   Land in Rome and spend a couple of days finding our feet
•   Spend most of the next two weeks on a coach tour taking in as many of the tourist hotspots as we could
•   Then spend a few days in Cinque Terre taking it easy and enjoying the coastline of the Italian Riviera, possibly get a dive in the Med
•   The climax of the trip was to be a week riding Ducatis through the Tuscan Hills including a trip to the factory and museum before heading back home.

But before we even left we had a few issues to deal with such as a coach tour being cancelled about four weeks before departure. A further frustration was having to pay for the trip (much of it in euros) and purchasing our foreign currency when the Australian dollar was at its worst. However, that was not enough to dampen our enthusiasm because this was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

So if I haven’t already bored you with all the details, it’s about to get worse … much like a slide night at Mark & Julie’s without the pretty pictures. Our first couple of days were hectic trying to take in all the hysterical sites of Rome and we covered most of it on foot … much of it more than once. We also enjoyed a Segway tour which is a fantastic way to see the sites … bloody good fun too. Unfortunately the season (and pollution) was taking its toll on the Boss and she was suffering from the world’s worst case of hayfever … it was a gamble we had to take to avoid the summer heat of July/August, but summer came early … just for us. On occasion the temperature climbed into the forties, in May!

One of the most disappointing things for us was the lack of Italian bikes on the road (or side of the road). We thought it disgraceful that we saw (and heard) more Harley Davidsons than Ducatis. With regard to the Ducatis that we did see we weren’t surprised that the most popular model was the Monster … almost exclusively 600 series Darks.

It also won’t surprise you that the streets are dominated by scooters - unfortunately very few of the traditional two strokes … with only a few Vespas spotted and one Lambretta from a bus window. The majority of scooters were Japanese ‘Maxi’ scooters - you know the Honda SilverWing type. As the motoring public is obsessed with anything to do with Valentino Rossi, the most popular ‘Maxi’ seemed to be the Yamahas because they are just like Vale’s … umm, factory … ah, well, umm … they have a tuning fork symbol on the front.

.... to be continued ....

  Do go on ,with pictures please ;D

Rob I thought you wanted only 5 words a day.


.... and who said anything about photos .... whaddya thing I am Vasilescu or something

yep, so few ducatis.....and guzzis...and mv...and ferrari's......and not a single zonda....or a benelli....it's all a bit industrial. I supect transport is transport and not a status symbol!

I honestly believe you'd make a million friends riding a symbol of there country around.....and if the polizia caught you speeding, I suspect they would ask you to go faster!

ready for the pictures and the next chapter, I have the popcorn ready!  [popcorn]

Do carry  on Betty  [thumbsup]

Ummmm yeah you did buy a Canon G camera so we all expect photos.
And something more than the dotted line, I do remember seeing some pics sometime.

i thought he already has, and you still want more [roll]

But we love Betty-ism's

lets me know what to expect in  :o 5 weeks time at Turismo  :o  [laugh]

not long to go now.

So just in case there was a crappy snappy or two (thousand) in existence - what did you want photos of?

Betty, youhave been busy writing this. Waiting for the next chapter

HOT Italian men? [laugh]  ;D :P

Those that saw the Mo may be surprised to hear that it was not a subject I was all that keen on. As the story unfolds I will keep your requests in mind ... I need to keep them in context ... no promises though you understand.

How is this Heather? You will notice there is always an ulterior motive for taking a piccy of a bloke ... as for their relative position on the temperature scale - that is for others to decide.

On the streets of Rome:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4238967410_2cb07892b0_m.jpg)

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2676/4238967596_c20ab4b12d_m.jpg)

The open shirt and handbag must count for something

Ha ha - well done Betty  [clap] [clap] [clap]

... this bit probably should have been at the end of PART 1 (for those of you that don't know we have a bambino) ...

In addition to the traditional scooters the FIAT bambino also enjoys favourable registration conditions to try and keep them on the road. There are still quite a few of the old Cinque’s on the road but the new FIAT 500 is the popular fashion choice … they were everywhere.

... now ... being continued ...

PART 2

Anyway our trip rolled on and all the advice about the relentless pace of a coach tour was largely unfounded … particularly when compared to our first couple of days. Obviously you spend a bit of time on the coach as thousands of kilometres need to be travelled and you sometimes wish for a little more time in some locations, but I found it a good compromise to see the major sites/sights without having to worry about logistics. In quick succession we had visited Rome, Vatican City, Pisa, Florence, Milan, Lake Maggiore including a quick trip into Switzerland. Then we went though Verona to Venice, Assissi, Pompeii and Sorrento before returning to Rome.

There was a smattering of Ducati memorabilia in the trendy centres of Milan and Florence including ‘Ducati’ watches for sale on the Ponte Vecchio starting at a mere 650 euros and posters of a leather-clad Casey Stoner flogging Oakley sunglasses.
 
Our first sighting of a Streetfighter which was still some time from its Australian release was in, of all places, Switzerland. Our two hour stop at Lake Lugarno had us seeing more moving Ducatis than at any other time of our trip … again a little embarrassing really. We also came across a poor unfortunate 1198S owner at Lake Maggiore who I thought may have been a little surprised at being molested by a slightly unbalanced Aussie girl. But in hindsight the Ducati was a rarity in Italy (particularly anything higher up the pecking order than a 620 Monster) it is quite feasible he was well rehearsed in a response. Unfortunately his English was not quite as good as our (practically non-existent) Italian and communication consisted of shrugging shoulders, a little groping and pointing at Julie’s Ducati shoes.

Our coach tour was coming to an end around the time of the MotoGP and we came across a group of Monster riders heading in the opposite direction on their way to the races. Communication was a little easier when we had some digital photos to show … the Monster boys seemed quite impressed, not so the bus-load of tourists we kept waiting though.

Next on the agenda was a quick stop back in Pisa as we had scheduled a final fitting for our new leathers. We had figured it would be bad enough carrying helmets, boots and gloves around for a month so took the opportunity to get our leathers while we were there and just bring them back home. Unfortunately, as we found out, a scheduled appointment may not mean what you expect. With a public holiday on the Tuesday our ‘leather lady’ had decided there wasn’t much point in working on Monday and as we were told … this is Italy, that’s what happens.

So with our Ducati Tour starting on Thursday and our fitting re-scheduled for Wednesday the trip to Cinque Terre was cancelled. Joe (the Ducati Tours owner) in an apologetic fashion put us up in his apartment for a couple of days so we could get everything sorted. In a way this was a good thing because Julie had a chance to rest and if I had dragged her up and down the mountainous coastline of Cinque Terre it is quite possible her head may have exploded. As we were staying within the walls of Lucca it also gave us the chance to experience a less ‘touristy’ Italian town.

... more again later ...

Some more photos for Heather

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4069/4256435836_27917d2cc3.jpg)

Technically not an Italian ... and a fake ... but a rock hard body


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2593/4082468566_9ac7095a91.jpg)

Julie and the molestee at Lake Maggiore


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2786/4255673589_b84a30fb60.jpg)

Smokin' hot Italian in his prime (assuming its a bloke) ... is it still poor taste after 2000 years ... yep your right. From Pompeii


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4256436320_2c6194d653.jpg)

Meeting the Monster boys at the Autogrill

Well ... that was obviously inspiring.

Its OK people, go about your business ... I'll just keep myself occupied.


PART 3

Seeing Joe’s garage was the first chance for us to see more than a couple of Ducatis in the one location with basically the entire current range represented. Although they are fleet rentals, the bikes are well maintained but ‘aesthetically pleasing performance modifications’ are kept to a minimum … particularly by Ozmo standards. But hey, it was quite a display and there was the odd open clutch and Termi or Zard exhaust to pique the interest of the enthusiast.

Our first fitting (when it finally occurred) was a little entertaining as it seemed the measurements had become a little muddled, Julie’s pants (she requested a one-piece) were probably sized a little too big for me. Suffice to say some small adjustments needed to be made … and fast. We had a quick visit to Ducati Pisa to help pick up an 848 and it was a good thing to now be seeing a few Ducatis including a Bayliss Edition 1098. Later on I was asked to help pick up the Streetfighter which had just had new tyres fitted.

I think I had already agreed before I realised I didn’t have any riding gear and that I was about to be riding in Italian traffic. I am normally an ‘all the gear, all the time’ kinda guy … but when in Rome … ahh Lucca, do as the Wog-boys do - so a borrowed helmet and gloves was as good as it gets. Prior to this the most powerful bike I had ridden was my sweet and innocent little S2R800 which for those of you who have been on a run with me will know I ride at a pace that would hold up the stereotypical Morris-driving Granny.

Just sitting on the Streetfighter it felt right – I had this strange feeling that it was built for my odd proportions, but maybe it was just because I was unencumbered by the usual riding gear. So with obvious trepidation I set off into the inner city traffic with only one thing on my mind: don’t lose sight of Joe, don’t do anything stupid, remember you are on new tyres, right/wrong side of the road, probably too much power at your disposal (reportedly more than twice that of my baby), bloody hell this clutch is heavy … now what was I saying, oh yeah one thing on my mind.

By this stage I had been closely monitoring Italian traffic for a few weeks so I knew the protocols … rules are simply very broad guidelines and bikers are EXPECTED to lane-split and filter through to the head of the traffic (moving or not). Not much chance of me doing that I had no idea where I was and no idea where I was going. Moving along, a quick glance to the right showed a white van pretty close, a corresponding glance to the left showed a truck even closer. Looking back ahead it was clear I was in the centre of my lane … it was the heavy vehicles doing the lane-splitting. Easing on the throttle should take me clear I thought …holy shit (oops, I mean gee-whiz) this thing has some power … are they sure it is only a twin? Before I had finished that thought process I was clear of the converging traffic and the 10 minute ride was soon over.

... I'll keep going until you make me stop ... more again later ...

Sorry Heather I am getting a bit short of photos of the "HOT Italian men" you requested

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2791/4271366946_af1fcfc054.jpg)

Managed to find one of Manuel* our waiter in Stresa - judging by the amount of sweat he could produce, he was pretty hot


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4271366942_27a0cd674a.jpg)

Service Manager at Ducati Pisa (Joe on the right is not Italian) ... and I thought it was the Greeks us blokes were meant to worry about


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4271366944_30715f7343.jpg)

Maybe just to pad things out a bit I will throw in a picture of Joe's garage ...


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2799/4271366940_d865ceb55a.jpg)

... and a picture of this little pretty, you likey?




* Not his real name

Oi where's my photo?   [bang] Just joshing ya.  Keep up the good work  [thumbsup]

Buggar you were reading my mind whilst I was typing the last post - weren't you?

I said Hot guys - not gays!!!!  [laugh]

Nice bikes tho.

Oh no Betty all very good. [bow_down]
Carry on [thumbsup]

I was waiting till the final chapter to  pass comment  on what i think will be a very good story.As possibly others were to.
But a name change to the thread  could be in order

Miss and her adventures in Italy [laugh]

awesome Mark, keep going!

loving it.....and I'm booking in Italian tours as I read and type....Lucca is coming up next, does Joe rent them out for a single day trip?

Its all here, but I was told instalments ... so I'll post again in a few days.


Yep ... and generally (I think) either Joe or Jamie will 'show you the way' if that's what you want. You don't want to be paying all that money and missing out on the good roads ... and don't worry they won't be holding you up.

Very much enjoying the story, do keep it coming.  =D

Hey Betty

Heather has had pictures of Hot Italian guys [puke]

How about some pictures of all those Hot Italian Babes you took.

and don't tell me you don't have any ;D ;)

Sorry Rob, not only are there no photos I didn't even see any "Hot Italian Babes" ... but I have been reliably informed I walk around with my eyes closed most of the time.

I do have a lot of photos of one particularly hot female specimen but she isn't Italian either.

That'll get you in the good books Betty.   [thumbsup]

Alrighty, I figure I'd better start getting these out a bit quicker so I am done well before Turismo.

PART 4

Next we were off for the second and final suit fitting. Mine was OK, Julie’s was now sized correctly and only one piece but still needed to be stitched together … it was not going to be ready for the first ride later that day. So our first ride was off into the hills around Lucca. I was on the brand new 1100S Monster and Julie was on the 696 with the Termi pipes. I had never worn leathers before only textile style gear and I felt quite restricted (still do actually). Julie was only wearing jeans and the borrowed ‘divorce’ jacket. We were joined by three others Jamie (the guide) on his hot and streetfightered 1098 and the two Als one on the Streetfighter, the other on an S4R.

As we moved out of town and the accompanying heat we started to get a feeling of what was ahead … as the traffic thinned, so did the roads and as the altitude increased, the corner radii decreased. Some of these roads were quite technical - hairpin after hairpin and watching the guys with us we could see that the riding style was quite different. The approach to a right hander (remember wrong side of the road) was made on the left hand side of the road … not the left hand side of the lane … well there were no marked lanes, but you know what I mean. It was a concept that self-preservation always over-ruled and we knew we were never going to keep up on the tight twisty sections.

By the time we had come to a stop at a coffee shop at the top of a mountain it was quite chilly, the snow on the adjoining mountains was quite a contrast to the 30-odd degree temperatures we had been experiencing a short time ago in town. We were soon back in town to discuss the merits of the ‘new-style’ Monsters which were quite different to our ‘old bikes’. It was interesting that we were both struggling a little … it seems there was a more ‘front-weight-bias’ than what we were used to but with a similar upright seating position it made the back of the bike feel slippery and unsettled. Odd for us but the sportsbike riders prefer the ‘new-style’ Monsters to the ‘old-style’.

Next day was to see us visiting the Ducati factory and museum which was probably THE ‘must see’ of our entire trip. So we would again enjoy a trip through the hills before jumping on the autostrade to get us in to Bologna. Julie now had her leathers so was feeling a little less vulnerable but we were both still being careful on the bikes.

And that was when it happened.

... well it will happen next time ...

A couple of dodgy photos:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4278828690_1ef59276b7.jpg)

Firstly the obligatory photo for Heather (yes I know its out of context, but hey I just don't have any)


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4278828892_51974a3fe2.jpg)

The 696 with the special order kiddies seat


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/4278829066_8e1f1b8599.jpg)

The 1100S

We have very different tastes in men Betty.  [laugh]

Hey he's Italian, a man and very hot (it was about 40 deg.) ... I'm sure that's what you asked for

PART 5

We came through the cash lanes of the autostrade toll and continued straight ahead. ‘Mr Audi’ came through the electronic toll lane which was the inner-most (left) lane, problem being his exit was on the right just after the tollgates. So he carried his speed straight across about four lanes of traffic. As he cut in front of Julie I think he realised the error of his ways and hit the brakes stopping right in front of her.

I am pretty sure I would have just slammed straight into the numpty’s door but Julie initiated an emergency swerve, missing the right hand side of the car, but as the bike has stood back up we think the handlebar has grabbed the left hand tail light throwing the bike off balance and giving her a close-up view of Italian road surfacing. As she made her way to the relative safety of the guardrail I am sure there can’t have been too many people in the greater Bologna area that didn’t know her opinion of Mr Audi and his driving skills.

The Polizia were there before I could park the bike and run back to the scene and had already called for an ambulance. Between further obscenities in the general direction of Mr Audi Julie declared she didn’t need a bloody ambulance … until she tried to stand. Yeah sure, her foot was sore, but there was this rather uncomfortable feeling in the midriff. Once the ambos arrived she was assessed and found to have no broken bones, but was sent to the local hospital to be sure. Looks like we will have to miss our visit to the factory. We didn’t know it yet but it was going to be a very long day.

We found out which hospital she was going to before I waited for help to arrive and rescue the little Monster. It was probably an hour and half before I got to the hospital by which time Julie was still in triage and nobody had seen her. She was surprisingly relaxed when I saw her quietly resting and in enough discomfort to keep her still (can you imagine?).

Now it was decision time for me … do I wait with her at the hospital or take the bike to our next point of call and come back in the van. Julie helped me decide the most gentlemanly thing to do was abandon my wife in a foreign hospital and come back later. As the hotel was about 150kms away (by the most direct route) I was going to be gone awhile … but it was a trip I didn’t particularly want to make on the bike in the dark.

The hotel was a converted, but stately, residence perched on a hill … and the gently curving roads over undulating hills on the approach were the best roads I had experienced so far. This was the type of riding we were looking forward to but I think my mind was a little too distracted to really enjoy it.

By the time I got back to the hospital it was early evening, we were expecting to hear Julie may have cracked a couple of ribs, but were expecting to be bringing her back to the hotel as we had been told we would be called if there was any news. But upon arrival the Doctor informed us that Julie was going to need surgery. Apparently she had ruptured her spleen in the accident and had been bleeding internally for about six hours before somebody saw her.

Two lessons learnt. One, if you are in an Italian hospital make lots of noise until you are attended to and two, if Julie is quiet and relaxed you know there is something seriously wrong.

Once she had been seen things happened pretty quickly we predict that within an hour she went from x-ray, through a couple of ultrasounds, to ECG, CAT scan and then surgery. They were just putting her under when I arrived.


... to be continued ... again ...

OK Heather I'll keep trying:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4287085849_771b83f6a2_o.jpg)

Maybe a Venetian glass blower?


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4287085855_e82d067945_o.jpg)

The Polizia in Sorrento?
Well I am sure there would be some happy with the choice of bike at least


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/4287085859_e3e1d75108_o.jpg)

... and one of the Boss (beforehand) ... couldn't help herself ... so helped Joe in the garage

Hmn Venetian glass blower nice bod. Thanks Betty  [clap]

I would like to add, having worked in Oz hospitals, that ruptured spleens are a difficult diagnosis.  Things are on the improve in mainstream medicine where truama is concernced but I always wondered why this condition wasn't suspected sooner. (No I'm not a doctor or nurse, just an observant person who can put two and two together)  And yes Betty, you are very correct to assume there's something very, very wrong with a quiet, relaxed Julie (in the absence of illicit substances).

620 multi's - what were they thinking?

Oh, that's right, they can probably catch most of the scooters on the road there!

 [roll] You know I didn't even think about the engine capacity of the Multistroodle [laugh]

But lets be realistic most people must avert their eyes after only a momentary glance, afterall you don't want to turn to stone ... no wait that is something else isn't it :-\

If you were to look at it realistically they are a big bike in Italy ... and somebody had to buy all the the 620s they made ;D

+1 Heather.

We saw it on our last ride, very warm making our way through the City traffic to our destination.
On arrival there was a very quiet and ill Jukie from a touch of heat stroke.
It took her a little but she came back to us.

Do continue Betty.

and the rambling continues ...

PART 6

Alright so in the lead-up to the trip I had been trying pretty hard to learn a few simple Italian phrases, but all that had been forgotten now … the first few weeks we simply didn’t need to speak Italian. All the ‘tourist’ places we had been to were geared towards the English speaking tourist, a few conversation went something like this:

I would start with an Italian greeting and then try to convey my message
This would be followed by a reply of “It’s OK I speak English”
To which I would try and express my willingness to try and converse in Italian
"OK, but I’d prefer you used English" would be the reply

Now it was a different story. We weren’t dealing with people in the hospitality industry … we were dealing with people in the hospital industry. They were more or less a closed shop and had no need to speak English, so for the most part, they didn’t. This made it pretty stressful at the start when we had lots of questions but Julie’s doctor was excellent. He would come back and explain things as best as he could once everybody else had moved on. The nursing staff spoke very little English but some made a huge effort. We were trying as well but I think it if safe to say they learnt more English than we did Italian.

Travel tip for those susceptible to hayfever there are two possible solutions: either have your spleen removed or have a couple of feet of spew tube shoved down your nose. Something did the trick because Julie’s hayfever cleared up overnight.

Joe and the Ducati Tours guys were also very helpful. It was a tough situation for them trying to run the tour for their remaining customers and day-trippers while trying not to abandon us. They found me accommodation a short walk from the hospital and made numerous trips back and forward. It must be a tough business to be in sometimes for a bloke with only two part time staff … especially when there is an ‘incident’.

So we ended up spending a week in Bologna without getting to the factory. People I have spoken to since always cut in about now with ‘ah, Bologna is a beautiful place’ … but the few hundred metres between the hospital and hotel that I covered several times a day didn’t really offer that much. So no, I didn’t see that much of Bologna. There was however many conversations with home (very difficult), travel agents (complicated), hospital admin (very stressful) and the insurance company back home (just as difficult, complicated and stressful).

After Julie was released we went to the police station to retrieve her licence (which was taken at the scene) and it would seem that the Police and Insurance company had differing views on who was at fault as she was able to re-claim her licence without incident or fine. We then headed back to Pisa as we had pre-booked accommodation … as this was supposed to be our last night in Italy. But as Julie was not allowed to fly, we would be staying a little longer.


... yes there will be more ...  [roll]

Alright the obligatory photo for Heather:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2192/4296445828_6f35dbe44b.jpg)

Dr Gregory ... awesome bloke despite being a Yamaha fan (its a Rossi thing). Of course also showing the Ozmo cake!


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2708/4295701619_4fb9641385.jpg)

Somebody up and about ... I have never understood the female obsession with Italian footwear


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/4296446342_58fcc64785.jpg)

Crappy shot but I just had to get something across the crowded intersection on the way to the Hospital ... and I concede that yellow monsters have been replaced with mauve as the 'chick's Monster'


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2557/4296446098_bf0c42ac4d.jpg)

Tourist shot ... the leaning Hyper of Pisa

Ahem...  [roll]

Sorry Dave ... its an old joke (mostly with Jukie).

For a while it seemed every second yellow monster we saw was ridden by a girl, rarely seeing a female monster rider on anything other than a yellow 600 series.

I actually love the yellow ... almost had one myself but the S2R 'acid yellow' would have looked wrong alongside Jukie ... certainly less cliche than red and better than black.

Mauve on the other hand (I have just remembered I think they call it lilac) ... not exactly manly is it?

 [laugh] OK... forgiven.


We all know yellow is the new black. Is lilac the new yellow?  ...err, no.

I thought pearl white was the new yellow.

Saw one of those lilac monsters in Duc city two weeks ago with a sold tag on it.  [puke]  Not my cup of tea.  You can get burnt orange too.  [puke]  I didn't mind the metallic red one though.

you shut your filthy mouth, scoundrel!

 ;)

So, not a big fan of the pearl white Spider?

Well it does look pretty ordinary in photos and a bit ostentatious up close maybe a little euro-wanky for some tastes.

But wait, there's more ...


PART 7

So we spent the next week back in Lucca (just outside Pisa) where we were around familiar faces and some English speakers. A convalescing hospital escapee is not the same as a tourist so our final week in Italy was a pretty low key affair. Joe and the guys continued to help us out where they could including hosting us for a couple of dinners, organising accommodation, providing us with a local SIM card for the phone and helping Julie with her blood tests.

But the biggy was Joe driving us back to Bologna so we could see the factory and museum … Joe’s 2 year old daughter had affectionately named Julie ‘Granny’ but nothing was going to stop her hobbling her way around the factory floor and museum. We first stopped at the ‘factory outlet’ just up the road. Next time we will remember our passport for duty free shopping … the prices are cheaper there than the small shop at the end of the museum just remember they are slightly discounted Ducati prices so don’t expect any real bargains.

We quite enjoyed the short walk around the factory (no photos) which is quite clearly a place that has been cobbled together over the decades. The assembly is still done by hand and they seem to make quite a big deal about the number of females on staff … I reckon smaller hands would be a big advantage. Basically one person is responsible for the assembly of an entire bike … not only does this give the workers more variety it also allows them to take some ownership of the final product.

We saw a couple of Streetfighters enter the Dyno booth while we were there as this is the final test procedure before they are packaged up for shipping – the old guys seemed a bit smoother on these poor bikes than the youngens … and then they go and rev-limit your bike during run-in ??? [roll]. We were surprisingly happy about the factory tour – I mean it is just a factory/assembly-line right? – but it would have been so much cooler if we had have been able to it a little earlier when we would have been able to see the ‘old-style’ Monsters coming along the production line.

Then it was on to the museum … a brief rundown is not likely to spoil any future visit you may have in mind (especially as I have since heard that they will be re-building the factory and (bigger) museum a little further down the road. The foyer has a couple of the more recent models on display while we were there this included a Streetfighter and a Desmocedici. The hall leading into the museum had a few Ducati artefacts/curios in cabinets such as cameras, typewriters and radios … and then all the bikes.

It starts with the Cucciolo and comes right through to the modern day. Perhaps unsurprisingly the focus is on the racing bikes from the early stuff to the modern WSBK and MotoGP bikes with a section dedicated to each. We were given a brief run-down by our guide before being left to wander/wonder and take a photo or two (hundred). Not being mechanically inclined (and with a pretty limited knowledge of the old bikes or the racing scene) my observations were pretty much limited to “ooh, look at the pretty bikes”. If you want to know more you may just have to take a visit yourself.

Like all museums it is difficult to be all things to all people when you have such limited space – and dare I say it – a limited stock of bikes to choose from. But the bikes on display are immaculately presented. I understand that the early (bike producing years) of Ducati were filled with some pretty bespoke machines and there have been some unique bikes produced. But there were no scooters on display and a section dedicated to the Apollo … a bit more attention to their most recent saviour (the Monster!) would have been nice for us. But I suppose the image is all about racing so it is fair that that is where the focus lies.

Funniest part of the tour was when the guide (whose father’s race bike is on display) started giving the safety apparel speech and about how dangerous it was back when her dad was racing and talking about injuries. Julie couldn’t help herself, exclaiming “like this” as she showed off her recent belly re-structure … this only reinforced how revered the girls seem to be at Ducati. It turns out that the accident site was only about 4km from the factory … so we had almost made it a week or so earlier.


... stayed tuned for the last boring instalment ...

OK my indoor photo skills are even more ordinary than my ... ahh .. who am I kiddin' they aren't skills at all.


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4303406704_68dc432225.jpg)

Heather you have already met Joe who is a Pom and doesn't count, but what about Livio Lodi!!! Like I have said before location on the temperature scale is up to you, but as the Curator of the Ducati Museum he does have other things going for him.


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4302657181_1249fab561.jpg)

Where it all started ... the Cucciolo


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4302656923_537698b445.jpg)

Where they have really made their name ... WSBK dominance


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4302657355_7e869d4fb3.jpg)

And MotoGP bikes as far as the eye can see

Awesome story so far.  Very much looking forward to the next one, shame it's the last. 

I'll try to remember to post up the last instalment tonight but I don't think anybody could really stand much more of my crapping on. After that if anybody wants me to elaborate any further just let me know ... like I said it turned into a bit of travel diary with a leaning towards the Ducati side of things ... and although it may not seem like it I tried to keep it brief.

What you have all been waiting for ... the end ...


PART 8

Once the factory and museum visit was out of the way it made it a bit easier to start thinking about home … and there is only so much you can do when you have had your guts cut open - getting anything out of the travel insurance company was becoming increasingly difficult however. We only found out we were going home at 2:00am (local time) on Friday morning and it was not until then that we knew we had to be at Pisa airport by 9:00am. Talk about cutting it fine … but apparently the insurance company had sorted everything out.

We were held up in security for a while – if you are going to take the advice of the check-in staff (to take something you planned to check-in as hand luggage) just remember what is in the bag before you agree. Then the plane was late and delayed by about an hour. When we arrived in Rome all of our baggage did not! We only had about half an hour to file our claim for lost baggage and get from the domestic to the international terminal and then on the plane to Dubai … a nice low, stress way to end the trip.

Once at the international terminal we still had to sort out some administrative issues and pay some fees (twice … and in a different location of course), then Julie was told that she couldn’t fly without a Doctor’s certificate. So much for the insurance company sorting everything out! We managed to negotiate our way onto the plane before a nervous break-down and we were on our way home.

Next tip for the weary traveller is to ask for a wheelchair at airports, not only does it give you priority access onto the plane you are also given your own wheelchair pusher who guides you through terminals, security, customs, etc. Although I was able to negotiate a business class return for Julie it was not all good. Firstly I was stuck with the rest of the cattle without my usual miniature travelling companion so was bunched in by hulking snorers and secondly once you (or somebody) has flown business class you will never want to go back and join the plebs.

Our lost luggage (predominantly riding gear) arrived about a week later and about two months later Julie was back on the bike. As I type she is starting to get her riding mojo back, so things are looking up. Once we had the chance to settle in at home and look through the photos we realised we did have a good trip despite the little … umm …hiccup. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime but not for all the reasons we expected.

We have since decided that we need to make a return visit as we have some unfinished business … it could also truthfully be said that Julie has left a little piece of herself in Italy. The questions that remain are do we want to ride there again. Understandably Julie is not keen and I am in two minds (better than the usual three I suppose) which to a normal person would probably indicate riding over there again is a bad idea – maybe we can just settle for some track days next time!

If you are still with me at this point I thank you for joining us on our little adventure, hope I didn’t bore you too much. But if you want to know any more feel free to ask.

Some more photos of course ...


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4312834135_1554683bb8.jpg)

Heather I don't think this counts because he should be Swiss


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4312834291_2c6ddd2116.jpg)

Maybe the Carabinieri ... apparently they are employed for their looks


(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4313570460_126793d323.jpg)

Julie obvioulsy doesn't mind a rock hard Italian bum either


(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2696/4312834461_9dbc67077b.jpg)

Cliched tourist shot to finish off

thanks for that! and definitely ride....I mean we see idiots do that lane change crap in Melbourne....could happen anywhere!

There will always be the nagging doubt of bad memories plus you have to also contend with somebody elses bike and riding on the wrong side of the road.

Each of which can be overcome but together :-\ ... doubt is not a good thing ... Italian roads aren't for the timid.

Thanks Betty all very good. [clap] [clap]
You get an A  for that. [thumbsup]
Try a little harder on the girly photos next time you will be up for an
A+ [evil]

RobS he was on holiday with his wife - I don't think girly pics were an option.  Julie looks like she was enjoying herself though.

Trip home sounds like a bit of a horror.  :o

Think you have to go back now you know how the system works it should go much smoother (yeah right)

Is there some smaller (quieter) towns in Italy where you could ride without the dramas you speak of that would help build the confidence again.  I hate riding in the cities here let alone bigger cities overseas and being on the wrong side of the road!!

Well that was basically how it was meant to be ... the trip on the autostrade was just to get into Bologna to get to the factory. But in reality you can't really avoid traffic in Italy and all the other road users (where ever you go) are consistently inconsistent. The speeds may vary but this was actually quite a low speed incident by the time contact was made. Trust (whether it be blind or otherwise) is a big part of riding I reckon so there is a big psychological barrier to overcome.

In Australia it is a bit easier you just have to look out for old folks wearing hats, volvos, taxis, qld plated vehicles, doof-doof hoons in their wrxs or pretend evos, girls texting, white van drivers, 4WDs ... umm, OK I see your point Spider [cheeky] [laugh]

qld plated vehicles?
oh yes, hogging the right make the beast with two backsing lane! yes?

paul.

Hehe ... went fishin' ;D

My ex-boss after returning to Sydney from Qld was surprised to find he had so much more space on the road ... seemed that people had all of a sudden become courteous. Once he had the car re-registered on NSW plates all the gaps closed up ... everybody had been keeping their distance for their own safety [laugh]

I love stereotypes [cheeky]

nice right up mark , over here you must leave enough room from the next vehicle so the log truck can lane split the camper vans  [bang]

the other day I looked at the girl behind me:

blond
mobile phone (tell by the head looking down at her feet)
grey fwd with bull bar
lives in Malvern/Toorak

I just took the nearest left exit I could  [roll]

stereotypes save lives!

 [laugh]

you should be a righter i enjoyed reading that [thumbsup] and spider your raciest  [cheeky]

yep, anyone from my neck of the woods in a fwd is considered 'concerning' considering we are inner suburban and the cars are silver and gold Porsche, Lexus and Mercedes Benz....the mentality that exists to buy that car means there is a lack of thinking 'share the road' / 'what about others' / 'get out of other peoples way'. It's a space war and they want more than anyone else.

Spider ... quite clearly you live in the wrong neighbourhood ... sounds far too affluent for me.

shit and there was no smiley face either well you better lock your bike up when i get driving over there  [laugh] but what i dont get with vic drivers is they drive around in four lans packed like sadines and when they come over here they need the two lanes to drive in i know our roads are narrow but its like there scared of the guide posts or some thing like the dreaded drop bear is gunna get them  [cheeky]

Now Heather can't you see what your saying here. :-\
Should read Julie was on holiday with her husband. ;D
And with equal opportunity . [thumbsup]
And if was ok for Julie to pose with every guy she could find.
I can't see an issue with Betty doing the same with the female variety.
Now as Betty commented previously he didn't see any. [roll]
Yer right.
Betty's a cool customer 8) don't upset the cook ;D [thumbsup]

Umm Julie always enjoys herself!


But she doesn't pose ... she just embraces the situations she puts finds herself in.

Well there were occasions [evil]. Certain things do catch my eye ... I mean I am only human right? (debating that point can be made elsewhere thank you very much). I did notice this poor old girl in some trendy boutique (that doesn't sound very Italian) in Florence:

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4317318345_f1469e1104.jpg)

Everybody was walking past blissfully unaware ... but when I stopped to ogle and take photos a crowd started to form.

... and since you were talking about equality I found another for Heather (don't think I have posted this one before):

(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4318051200_40f21596cb.jpg)

Don't know how many boxes he ticks for you, but he does ride a Ducati

Lucky you only got the abridged (and polite) version >:(

cant weight toooooo hear the uncensored verson  [clap]

Riding a Ducati is about all he's got going for him.  How can people ride so unclothed!!! So I suppose you're gonna tell me he was/is hot? Hence the lack of riding attire.  [roll]

Well yeah, it was hot ... we were on our way to go and see Popey. Other things ge has going for him: he has managed to get his helmet on the right way, wear eye protection ... and he makes the Hyper look small without seeming overweight.