Ducati Monster Forum

OK - I FINALLY decided to tell this story of what happened last summer .

I passed a Desmosedici on a double yellow.

It's true. My husband was there to verify. (sorry, no pics!)

We were on a ride here in NY State, going across the Bear Mountain Bridge at a "T" intersection. 
There was a Ducati coming down the hill from the right, which is a known FUN motorcycle road with tight twisties along the Hudson River.
Behind the Ducati was a HUGE line of cars which made it obvious that the Ducati was holding up traffic.
He stopped at the intersection and pulled over to the side , and the cars proceeded to file by, so there was quite a wait.
We looked at him and gave him the "thumbs up" sign, asking him if he was OK.  No response.  Again. No response.
When the cars finally started leaving some room, we went to make the left, and he took off, going straight, right in front of us.

Let me just say this - I DO feel a kinship with those that ride Ducati's, and like seeing and waving to them on the road.

As we sat behind him on a 40 mph speed limit road, (straight and clear) I was wondering to myself why he had been pulled over, and figured that maybe he
was over-heating or something, that's why he had stopped.

We went a ways down the road, and he had his speedometer STUCK on 40 mph.  In a 40.
Now I ride my bike like I drive my car - between 5-10 mph over the speed limit.  If I get stuck behind a slow vehicle (not a bike) I can mostly relax and enjoy the ride, look at the scenery, sing a song in my head, etc.
 
BUT... I don't know how all you feel, but if I get "stuck" behind a bike, it makes me COMPLETELY MENTAL!!!!!!!!  (Usually it's a Harley!)
I think it's common courtesy as a biker, to move a little to the right, and wave someone by if they want to pass.   I do that when I feel I'm holding someone back from enjoying the "open" road.  At least ride in the right "lane" of the right lane!  Am I WRONG?!

THIS guy stays RIGHT at 40, and I'm following my husband.  My husband gets close to the beautiful red Ducati and SITS THERE!  I don't know WHAT'S going on, as I'm expecting him to pass him if he won't go ANY faster!  He's in the left side of the lane, and just taking his time, and I'm really starting to get ANNOYED!!
I'm actually embarrassed  for him, on his fully faired red Ducati, as now I see why he was holding back all those cars!  He maybe is new and doesn't know a lot of bike etiquette, or have many riding skills.  So move over!!!!!!!!!!!!  Actually one thing did bother me that he did. He actually took his left hand off the bars and put it on his hip. Too "cool"?  Too bored?   MOVE OVER!!!!!!!!!!   Go faster...... SOMETHING!!!!!!!

So.... now we're sitting RIGHT on his ass, and I'm now starting to foam at the mouth, as I don't understand WHY my husband doesn't PASS this guy!!!
By now I'm blaring my horn constantly (and I have an AIR horn) and I'm screaming in my helmet to "JUST PASS HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

FINALLY my husband passes him, and now my stomach is in a knot!  WTF?
When we finally stop later, my husband said that the guy was on a Desmo and he was sitting close "just to hear it!"
Now, I got even ANGRIER, thinking what a total disgrace it was to see such a magnificent machine ridden like a Prius.  If he WAS a newbie, WHAT IS HE DOING ON A DESMO???!!!
In hindsight, if I KNEW at the time it was a Desmo, I KNOW I would have given him the one-finger salute as I passed!  I was so angry!
Am I WRONG???!!!  The ultimate Ducati ridden by the "ultimate TOOL"?

In a way, I'm a goody-two-shoes when it comes to passing in a no-passing zone. I never do it in a car.
BUT when I'm on a bike, passing a bike, I look ahead and see "nothing but lots of room and road" and do it a lot. - (There are a lot of Harleys around here!)
Keep in mind, I don't fly by people like a lunatic like some crotch-rockets do to me.  I try to be as courteous as possible, while not crazily exceeding the speed limit, and only when I feel it's safe to do so.

So... what would you have done and felt being "held back" by a Desmosedici?
(If it's any of you guys... sorry for YOU!)


 

So on a D16 40mph is what... first gear, second?

That is pretty nuts, though. I guess if he wanted folks to remember him, they do. The downside is that he's remembered as a total knob. [laugh]

I'm not sure how I'd have responded if I'd been there. How do you non-verbally communicate "Really... Really!?"

Kick him over when you pass him.

And take his bike.

you are totally wrong.

sure the guy was going the speed limit you don't know his story.  maybe he already has 3-4 speeding tickets and didn't want to speed on a road that is known for maybe having  [leo] on it since its known as a biker place.

if the guy was going 35-39mph in a 40mph zone, then maybe he was wrong, but you said it was pinned at 40mph in a 40mph zone, WTF? you are mad for smoeone actually following the rules.

i can understand your frustration, heck we have all been there,  but you were the one honestly being a tool, what you could have done if you didn't like it is just pass over the middle and risk your life, nobody is stopping you.

yes i agree its a shame that you someone riding a beautiful what is race bike at pit lane speeds but he isn't on the race track so he should be abiding by the speed limit lest he risk his license.

If you're riding a Desmo, they'd have to catch you to give you the ticket  [evil]

So what's the big story here. You're probably making a bigger deal out of it than he did. It likely has something to do with him being on a D16 and you not being on one. Maybe he just wanted to ride his bike 40mph in a 40mph zone. So what. It's called abiding the law, and it's not a crime. What's it to you anyway? Because he got in the way of you riding too fast? Or is it that you think anytime somebody swings a leg over one they gotta go a bazillion miles per hour no matter what or where? If he's doing the legal limit, does that mean he has to let you pass so that you may exceed it? He certainly has no legal obligation to do so. The usual scenario when someone is trying to be a douche on a bike like that is that they go way too fast.

The mature thing for you to do would have been to pull over and take a break which would allow him to get ahead. Zen and the art of ignoring other people. You could then have resumed your spirited ride through the mountains unimpeded. It's not like you own the place. Sounds to me like you care too much about what and how others are riding. Envy much?

I'm pretty certain the guy wasn't doing anything intentional and he certainly wasn't harassing you in any way. You probably have convinced yourself he was, because maybe you're a type A who thinks everything is about you when it's not. What you don't want to be doing is harrassing somebody else on the road. A lot of people out there carry firearms. Those on $75,000 bikes are likely candidates. And some people out there just live to stomp additional holes in the asses of people like you. I'm serious, the world is just like that. Live and let live, and you'll live longer.

Flame on, flame on....

in situations like this I always find it best to just pass if you can (easy on a bike) or just pull over if you can and have a quick stretch or gaze at my beautiful monster!

Getting worked up over something like that is just bad karma, life's too short! and good moto days are even shorter!  Why let someone else ruin your day of basking in the sun and  [moto] around twisties.

I'm on your side with the whole people doing dead on the speed limit/just under.  Only due to the fact it makes other people go totally loco and do stupid things that put others lives at risk.

I could go on but all this talk about the desmo has got me wanting to youtube that baby and listen to it purr  [moto] [moto]

id be more pissed at your husband for being an ass and getting in your way,if you were alone you would have just passed the guy and that would have been the end of it. I dont think you are wrong for being annoyed though.btw love your bike [thumbsup]

The only time I don't get bent out of shape with slow drivers is when I'm on the bike. I could ride behind someone doing 55 in a 65 all day. Weird, huh?

However, if I'm in my truck and you aren't going at least 5 over, I'm right behind you plotting a swift and violent end to the entire universe.

If he was not endangering you, then i see no problem.  I mean he is riding his ride. 

I know I simply just pass him and wish that I was riding that bike.

No big deal here.   ;)

slow drivers piss me off, but if there was room to go by i would have just blown by and never looked back.  i've noticed, in cars, people with the most expensive sports cars are also the slowest drivers.  some things in the universe just don't make sense.   

So I was riding my Desmo the other day and while taking a break from my 100mph+ adventures I decided to go a bit slower so that I dont kill my tires and start blowing lines. all of a sudden  two squids show up ON MY ASS, well I can either speed up and have them catch me later or go the speed limit and wait for a safe passing area (as I had done just a moment before) I decide to go the speed limit and this pregnant dog starts honking her horn and eventually they passed me in the oncoming lane WTF?!

in all seriousness, you need to relax. getting that worked up over someone who did NOTHING to you is not a healthy way to ride and WILL get you killed.

If I could ever afford to buy a $72,000 bike, I'd ride it any damn way I pleased.  But I do agree, it would have been courteous for him to move to the right.

I think I would even ride a Ninja 250 any way I pleased.  Getting pissed because someone is doing the speed-limit is like getting pissed at a cop when you go over... they aren't the problem, you are.

I'm not saying that I don't go over the limit from time to time, and I'm not saying that I don't get annoyed when on a spirited ride through the twisties when I get held up by grandpa and grandma going 10 under.... I am saying that expecting someone else to break the law or change their riding habits because you want to go faster is ridiculous. 

I'll also point out that I ride the speed limit 95% of the time... I usually find myself catching up to the guys doing 10 over at the next light.  A good lesson taught me to hold back on the throttle about two years ago, and I will NEVER change how I'm riding because of someone else.

Would you be mad if you got held up at a bar because the "jackass" in front of you in line only ordered one beer when you wanted to tear it up with three or four tequila shots?

I would just pass when you can. No reason to get all frustrated, it may cause other problems. If it was a Desmo and I was on my 690 Duke, I would pass while riding a wheelie.  :D

The other day I was riding the Monster with a buddy on his Electraglide. We came up on a pick-up truck who was doing the posted 45. He heard me and looked in his mirror. He was puffing on a smoke, and when he was done flicked it out the window. (no worries).

I was hugging the center line and my buddy was back to my right. The guy put on his signal, so I down shifted to get ready to pass. As he turned in the gravel driveway, I blew past, but he stopped with the length of the tail gate still in the road causing my buddy to make a quick move on the big Harley.

We easily could have stopped and between the 2 of of us made pudding of his bone structure, but not worth the hassle.  ;)

I'm going to disagree with most of the folks here:

If you buy one of the fastest bikes on the planet and don't ride it above the speed limit, I think you're a tool.

A lot of designers, engineers and craftsmen put a lot of effort into building a machine that's meant to really sing when ridden hard, and if you tool around on it at the speed limit you're not honoring their work.

To hell with the "you spend the money you do what you want with it" attitude. It's vulgar consumerism at it's worst.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

I don't know why, but when I read this, I hear it in Don Draper's voice.

And I think you're absolutely right.

I kinda agree with the "his license may be in jeopardy" post. If he normally did ride the D16 like you would, he probably is nearing the limit on points.

When I was a kid (early 20s) there was a horse farm we would go ride at. Most of them were trail horses, nose following the tail of the one in front, kind of horses. But there was this one, had real spirit, and I asked the owner why no one was riding her. He said people don't like how she likes to run off on them. So, me being me, I said I'll take her out. The owner actually was happy as the horse was usually pissed being penned up. Of course the horse wanted to run, but instead of fighting her, I went with it, we ran it. It was great and the horse loved it and responded to my every wish, even when i wanted to slow it down later.
But there were some other "experts" out there that felt I was abusing the horse by pushing her too hard. Which I was only going as fast as she wanted, but whatever.
When I came in the owner was confused, but not pissed. He could see the horse was tired, but her demeanor was great. But the 'experts' had told him I was pushing her, I told him I didn't hold her back. But he still wouldn't let me ride her again.Every time I went riding I would visit the horse and she was superfriendly to me, but would nip at others... was I wrong??? I don't think so.

Point of the story, everyone has their opinion of what a horse should do and how they should be ridden. Ultimately, it's up to the owner on how it's ridden.

I'm with DrunkenMonkey too.  The only time I'd ride such a bike like that is within a known speed trap area outside a residential/business district and I'd try like hell to avoid those places. Sorry, a bit only, but, about the rest of you, and you know who you are, I have my doubts.  [moto]  [laugh]

Let's just say the day before that ride, a friend of his was killed in a Moto accident. Who knows what was going on in his mind at the time.

Very amusing post I reckon.

I understand what people are saying about letting the D16 have a go ... but seriously! Its a race bike with a licence plate ... it should not be ridden the way it was intended on the street. For all we know (though I doubt it was the case) he was riding gingerly because he had just about shredded his tyres but still had to get home. But he was just riding the way he wanted for his own personal comfort zone at that time.

He was not being a completely inconsiderate arsehole as evidenced by his pulling over to allow cars to pass. It is not inconceivable that he wanted to ride with other riders and felt that if you wanted to pass it was more possible on a bike if you weren't happy to follow. Ironically your hubby was happy to follow which just makes it all the more comical.

To be honest if I had someone tailgating me and leaning on the horn I am the sort of person that would probably move to a couple of kms/hr below the limit and not move aside so long as I didn't endanger myself or anyone else.

However, if he was flogging it on the straights and dawdling round the corners so as I would catch him mid-corner ... now that would really piss me off. If I couldn't safely pass I would pull over and give him space.

Oh the horn blowing thing. I almost forgot. Lame at best.  :-*

Next time lay off the horn and GO AROUND!!! if you want to ride like a bat out of hell (which I do) just do it and don't get so pissed off when others follow the law.

Ps... why are you holding onto this for so long, gotta let some things go  [coffee]

I have a guess.  :D

I ride like I'm the Prince of the road .

When ever I encounter a slower rider(s) than me ...I just blow by them as soon as there's daylight between us.

I don't give it a second thought.

Let them ride however they want to ...I'm on a mission from God !

Dolph        [moto]

I think that having to sometimes follow slow vehicles on fun roads is just a fact of life...I learned long ago that getting mad or frustrated about it doesn't do you any good.  And it doesn't matter if it's an old Ford pickup or a Ferrari Enzo that is holding you up - you can't do anything about it so chill out and pass when you can.

Don't forget that any energy spent frustrated or angry takes some of your attention off the road and puts you at some level of risk.

The best thing you could do next time that happens is hang back in the straights so you can still have fun in the corners...that way you catch him coming out of the corners and can enjoy the sound of his bike. 

Oh yeah...and...chill out...

(http://www.inkycircus.com/jargon/images/mountain.jpg)

(http://www.humeseeds.com/molehill.jpg)

   Well said, Privateer.....

Not to ruin the moment for you, but I look far more like Don Knotts than Don Draper [laugh]

(http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/hollywood/portraits/don_knotts.jpg)

Who cares why he was riding so slowly or whether his dog just died or his best friend make the beast with two backsed his wife or whether he's just a douche who doesn't know how to ride?  Just pass him and be done with it.  There's no way I woulda sat behind him.  However, I totally agree with your "MOVE OVER" sentitment.  if he was riding in a way that kept me from passing and wasn't checkin' his six, he might hear about it from me after (or as) I passed him.   [evil]  

classy

Ah, sorry.  I didn't do my usual "don't write how you speak" thing.  I'll delete my last comment to DM and send it to him in a PM.   ;D  Better?

Time and place for everything...

much.

The guy on the D16 didn't know that ... and apparently your husband didn't know what it meant either [laugh]

Totally agree.  A ton of hard work went into crafting that Desmo, it should be honored. 

Not sure I agree about DM's resemblance to Don Knotts though, maybe an older Donna Karan? ;)
also, I think Spidey, was actually referring to himself earlier, he just left out the yarmulke on that penis

You never know, he may have just moved from Victoria in Australia, for the Horrendous crime of being more than
3kph over the Speed limit you are fined, hit with Demerit points and then branded a "Hoon" who kills Puppies and
Kittens.

I think 15 kph over the limit means you are run off the road and shot!

But I think Privateers post summed it up the best...

I don't have to take that kind of crap from a hairy little homunculus...

you you.... LAWYER!  [laugh]


I just Googled Donna Karan.

I'm scairt paw.

Heh heh. I'd post a pic if I weren't on my phone.  Ya look just like her, minus the long hair and plus some grey.

ok ok, she was the only moderately famous Donna I could think of. Cause you sure as hell don't look like Donna d'Errico...