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DESMOPHILES The Newsletter of DOCNZ Ducati Owners Club of NEW ZEALAND August / September 2013 Issue 62
REGIONAL CONTACTS Auckland Chris (Haldane M/C’s) 09-579-6020 Wayne Lyons 027-4728-343 Waikato Heath (Hamilton M/C) 07-849-1919 Manawatu Trevor Smart
027 727 1883
Bay of Plenty Lindsay Beck (Bayride) 027 248 2367 Hawkes Bay Nigel Taylor & Claire Miller
021 273 9450
Wellington
COMMITTEE
Todd (Motomart) Chris Marer
0800DUCATI 027 447 4299
Richmond Grant
03-528-0086
Greg Monahan
021 851 916
Motueka
President
Greg Monahan
Nelson
021 851 916
Marlborough Graham McDonald
Secretary Brent (Molly) Meldrum
021 280 3371
Christchurch Craig (Casbolts M/C) 03-366-4401 Phil (Desmocycle) 03-318-8061 021 137 0309
027 490 3408
Dunedin/Deep South Gary Winter
Treasurer Nigel Taylor Editor/Publisher Richard Sabiston
editor@docnz.co.nz
webmaster@docnz.co.nz
Communications Coordinator Greg Monahan
03-476-7515 021 206 9866
the above members and also the Ducati Dealer Network
All Magazine contributions and Membership Enquiries to:
Webmaster Nigel Haworth
03-578-2490
docnz@docnz.co.nz
DOCNZ P.O.Box 6537 Marion Square Wellington 6141 NEW ZEALAND Email: secretary@docnz.co.nz
www.docnz.co.nz
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EDITOR’S SAY
Gidday all, I have been practicing my sun-dance, in the fervent hope the clouds and rain would go away and leave me with a calm dry sunny weekend, unfortunately I must be a really bad dancer. Yes the wife has concurred that I dance like an electrocuted pig. As you are aware Wellington has been having a few minor shakes lately. Well unfortunately my office mid year function was cancelled owing to the Wellington Old Town Hall needing a structural engineering survey. So here I am with a really nice Tuxedo and nowhere to go. Well, have Tux will travel, so I might as well go for a quick ride. It is not often that you see somebody on a bike wearing a Tux. So here it is with a cinema James Bond twist, but stirred not shaken. I am not even going to attempt the quake dance. Well enough jibber jabber, we have a great issue for you all to read. We have the Doug Fairbrother Isle of Mann fundraiser (Unfortunately Doug crashed and
5 broken his collarbone during practice, so that's his racing done for a wee while. Ah well, such is racing). We also have Ian Falloon’s article on the 750GT, Lynda’s article on their trip to Phillip Island for the World Superbikes and our treasurer/resident metallurgist has written his report and unveiled his new wheels. We need some new articles for the magazine. So get writing and it will be great to hear from you. Well that is me done for this issue. Safe riding and have a keep warm this winter. Cheers Richard
PRESIDENT’S PRATTLE
Ciao a tutti Hello everyone, where has the year gone! It only seems like a few weeks back we were at NDR in Taupo, now we are starting to book for NDR in Hanmer Springs for next March. All the planning is now done! The guests are confirmed. This time we will have Paul Smart joining
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PRESIDENT’S PRATTLE
us from the UK, sharing some stories, and generally enjoying what NZ and NDR has to offer. We also have Robert Taylor of Kiwi Suspension Specialists joining us to show us all how to get the best from your bikes suspension. Be it Öhlins, Showa, Sachs or Marzocchi. With a workshop on the afternoon of the Concours. So if your bike is really “out” let me know and I’ll try to use your bike as the demo. The Hotel have fantastically come on board with similar offerings to last time, so help them out by getting your Hotel bookings in as soon as you can. Italian Beer Giant Peroni - Nastro Azzurro have also renewed their support and commitment to us, with a similar sponsorship package as this previous NDR. What’s not to come for! Beautiful Setting, Beautiful Scenery, Italian Beer, Italia Food (Friday night), Fantastic Gourmet Food (Saturday Gala Dinner), Legends in Motorcycling circles sharing their stories with us...the list goes on! Did I mention the hot pools? For those that are interested, there is even a ‘Track Day’ available to Ruapuna Raceway on the Friday. Call me for more details. March 14 – 16 2014…set that date in your diary. Book your leave, Book your room, then send in your entry form to us. It’s that simple! You WILL love it! I guarantee it! Until next time, when I want to be able to report hundreds of entries… Arrivaderci Gregorio
SECRETARY REPORT “MOLLY’S SAY”
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My accommodation is now booked for Hanmer, and although not into bikes Sally is keen to go pillion so the Hailwood will be our steed fabulous! So much work goes into these events and Greg is already working his magic, it's going to be another amazing event so make sure you book the weekend off and join the party. Speaking of NDR, I hope you all grabbed your copy of August's Kiwirider with the article on this years event. Thanks Rodney and thanks Kiwirider! I've been having a bit of a spring clean this last couple of months, lots of parts sold, Guzzi sold with my Moto Morini on the block also. I would have thought that would have cleared some space but a Gilera Saturno 500 has just found it's way into my garage, and a gorgeous wee thing it is too! So that's one bike sold and three bought this year, mmmmm something not quite right there (or maybe there is) My health seems to be back to where it mostly should be and my first ride in a couple of months was on Mark Sampson's 'new' Sports Classic. I thought he was popping by to collect a rim he'd bought off me but I heard the familiar rattle of a Ducat dry clutch in the drive way. Take it for a spin he said, very persuasive indeed so I had no choice - very nice indeed. "After all that there was no space for the rim". Remember there was a prize last year for the first NDR entry received and Pete Mallalieu walked away with a very nice book courtesy of Ian Gowanloch. Get your entries in early :-) Ciao Molly
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DOUG FAIRBROTHER IOM FUNDRAISER
BY RICHARD SABISTON
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It is not every day that you attend a lunch for a VERY GOOD CAUSE and come away with a couple of great stories for the magazine. The most important was attending Doug Fairbrother fundraising lunch to help him and his crew get to the Isle of Mann (IOM) to race in the Classic TT.
The second is about his 851 Tricolour which he raced in the IOM in the 1980’s and over a period of time has morphed into what you see now a very well used 888 and the third is finding a really good motorcycling book. It started with a call from Hamish (Lynda’s better half) asking if I wanted to go to Doug Fairbrother's fundraising lunch in Masterton? I immediately said yes and before you knew it, I had paid the money and got a ticket. The lunch was to raise money for Doug and his team get to the IOM to racer their classic 1970 BSA Racer in August this year. Graeme Crosby and Aaron Slight were guest speakers for the lunch and there was also an auction organised after the lunch as well to ensure that your wallet was the lightest it had been since you bought it. A few weeks later an email came through from Lynda wanting to know if we could get some bikes to be inside for the lunch. I said yes as I was going over on the 996 and Chris said he would be taking the New Blue over. On the day the weather was terrible, but I went anyway on the bike. Chris drove over in the Ute with the New Blue on the back (Chris kindly took over my spare set of clothes and paddock stand). The ride over reminded me of a trip I took from Christchurch to Westport in my very younger days to meet up with a good friend that I had not seen in a while. It seems I have not grown any more
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DOUG FAIRBROTHER IOM –CONT
but the sheer joy of being out on the bike and prevailing (knocking the bastard off) against the elements won a smile on my face. It is a pity that I could not feel my fingers or toes. Eight bikes were positioned in the reception area, half of them Ducati’s the other half a collection of interesting bikes, some of which I had never seen before. Doug’s Ducati as well as his fully original Greytown raced bike (and I do mean original - not another one in the world) were lined up with our two bikes. You can guess what the others were. Some are easy others are not.
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The Ducati has had an interesting history. It started out as an 851 tri-colour, after buying the bike from the Ducati factory, Doug immediately rode and ferried the bike to IOM, where he promptly raced the bike. I have been told that this was the first time an 851 had been raced ever. Over the years Doug continued to race the bike and after various crashes and amendments to the bike, the bike was transformed into a sneaky 888. There are more stories about this bike and its rider, but that will have to wait until another time.
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DOUG FAIRBROTHER IOM –CONT The lunch at the Copthorne was fantastic and it had a really good atmosphere with approximately 160 attending to support Doug and also chat about bikes and racing. Both Graeme Crosby and Aaron Slight were great guest speakers. Graeme has raced the IOM before to great success and he knew what Doug would be up against. Aaron has never raced the circuit, but one bit of information he did pass on indicated the challenge ahead. Doug’s qualifying average speed will have to be over 90 MPH (approx.). When his BSA rolled off the production line their maximum speed was less than the required 90 MPH.
Doug was invited up to the dais to answer a few questions. Doug is the Master of the “bikini theory of public speaking” - knowledgeable to cover all the questions, but revelling enough to keep the audience entertained. During and after the lunch, motorcycle paraphernalia was auctioned off to ensure that Doug and the Crew would be able to buy a few beers while over there.
13 The items consisted of gift vouchers, photos, shirts, motorcycle apparel and equipment, as well as a 2m x 1m wide painting of the 1965 IOM poster (on steel and wooden framing). The painting reached an impressive $660, so at least they would be able to buy an expensive beer.
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DOUG FAIRBROTHER IOM –CONT
Graeme Crosby had also brought a few of his books over as well, with the proceeds going to Doug and the team. Graeme signed the book for me and I have to say that I have really enjoyed reading the book. It has a lot of history and enough technical bits to keep the enthusiast interested, but it is also balanced just right so that people (aka wifey) who are not greatly interested in motorcycles will enjoy the read. I would thoroughly recommend the book to anyone as it is great to see a Kiwi making it against the odds. The ride back was worse, the silly things that you do. The engine temperature did not get over 60°, but I still had a smile on my face and it was all for a great cause (Another big thank you to Stewart from TSS who brought my backpack and paddock stand back over the hill). It is great to support a Kiwi going for it and I encourage you to help out others wherever you are. It is not everybody that takes up the mantle and decides to give it a go (time and monetary wise), but it is great to see them give it their ALL.
DUCATI 750 GT
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In the 1970s motorcycles were simple and individual. This was the era before electronic fuel injection or even electronic ignition. Points ignition, carburettors, and air-cooling ruled. Because most bikes were unfaired the engine was visually dominant, generally fours or parallel twins, but if you liked V-twins there was really only one contender, Ducati’s 750 GT.
In 1971 Ducati was a minor Italian manufacturer known primarily for producing smaller capacity overhead camshaft singles. But everyone wanted a Superbike and Ducati was no exception. Without the resources to create a three or four cylinder Superbike Ducati’s chief engineer Fabio Taglioni was asked to design a pragmatic 750. He took two existing 350cc singles and placed them on a common crankcase with the cylinders 90-degrees apart. As an engineering purist, Taglioni chose the 90-degree layout for several reasons. He preferred 90-degrees because it offered perfect primary engine balance and with this layout the engine could be very smooth, with only some high frequency secondary imbalance. Also, theoretically the twin could be little wider than a single so the engine could be kept low in the frame while maintaining good ground clearance. Taglioni called it an L-twin, and established the trademark engine layout that has been associated with Ducati ever since.
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DUCATI 750 GT With 30mm carbs and low compression 8.5:1 pistons the 750 GT provided only moderate performance but it was the way the engine performed that was appealing. The power delivery was smooth and effortless, the engine relaxed and loping, even when running close to the 8,000 rpm redline. And there was a lot more to the 750 Ducati than the engine. The handling was class leading. Taglioni eschewed the almost universal double cradle Norton “Featherbed” style frame in favour of an open cradle design using the engine as a stressed member. While other Superbikes featured forks with skinny and flexible 35mm tubes the Ducati had a beefy 38mm fork. Those bikes in the early 1970s with disc brakes mostly had stainless steel rotors and floating piston brake calipers. The stainless discs didn’t rust but
BY IAN FALLOON
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they didn’t work in the rain either. Rusty discs didn’t worry Ducati. They wanted the brakes to work every time so they fitted a cast-iron disc rotor with a racing style twin piston caliper that gripped the disc from both sides. Taglioni also knew the benefit of minimising unsprung weight, fitting the 750 GT with beautiful Borrani alloy rims, a 19-inch on the front and 18-inch on the rear. The weight was only 185kg and the 750 GT was one of the lightest Superbikes available. Over the years the 750 GT evolved into the 1974 version here. Steel replaced
fibreglass for the fuel tank and side covers, painted steel mudguards replaced stainless steel, the carburettors were Dell’Orto instead of Amal, and the brakes Brembo instead of Lockheed or Scarab. Considering production numbers were quite low there were an astonishing number of variants. A few also had an electric start but despite the problem of hitting your shins on the footpeg every time it was kicked over, compared to a Norton (Continued on page 20)
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MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
07 April
Qatar*
Doha/Losail
21 April
Americas
Austin
05 May 19 May
Spain France
Jerez de la Frontera Le Mans
2 June
Italy
Mugello
16 June
Catalunya
Circuit de Catalunya
29 June
Netherlands**
TT Assen
14 July
Germany
Sachsenring
21 July
United States***
Laguna Seca
18 August
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
25 August 01 September
Czech Republic Great Britain
Brno Silverstone
15 September
San Marino & Riviera di Rimini
Marco Simoncelli Misano
29 September
Arag贸n
MotorLand Arag贸n
13 October
Malaysia
Sepang
20 October
Australia
Phillip Island
27 October
Japan
Motegi
10 November
Valencia
Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
* Evening Race ** Saturday Race *** Only MotoGP class
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DUCATI 750 GT (Continued from page 17)
Commando starting a 750 GT was easy. The engine layout dictated a very long 1,530mm wheelbase, and with an extreme steering rake of 29 degrees the Ducati 750 provided unparalleled stability. This played dividends in 1972 when Taglioni took a batch off the production line to prepare racing machines for the Imola 200. On 23 April 1972, the 750 Ducati humbled the world’s best, including Agostini and the MV Agusta and the finest Norton, Triumph, Kawasaki, Honda, BMW, Suzuki and Moto Guzzi could offer. It was the beginning of a new era for Ducati and the rest is history. FIVE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE DUCATI 750 1. On 20 March 1970, Ing. Fabio Taglioni made his initial sketches for a V-twin. His second drawing was exactly one month later, on the 20 April 1970, and here he indicated a projected power output of 80 horsepower (SAE) at 9,200 rpm from 750cc.
BY IAN FALLOON
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2. Development of a prototype took place almost immediately, and within two months an engine was running. A complete bike was on the road by August 1970. 3. The first production examples took a year to materialise but it was a slow seller until April 1972 when Paul Smart won the Imola 200. Ing. Fabio Taglioni said in 1974, “When we won at Imola we won the market too". 4. 750 round-case production continued through until September 1974 when US regulations demanded all motorcycles shift on the left side. 5. Total 750 GT production between 1971 and 1978 was only 5284 bikes.
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TREASURE’S REPORT
Now where were we – wheels I think; leading on from the last article I have since been advised the wheels I have came in two distinct rim widths; which is a bit odd as there was only one size of tyres ever made to fit these rims. The sticky, but short lived, Pirelli MP7 130/60/16 (F) / 160/60/16(R) and the Michelin variety of the same sizes A59X front and M59X rear; both of which are out of production. So why am I building a bike when you can’t buy OEM tyres – that’s because I have 2 sets of new rubber all wrapped up against nasties like chlorine free radicals, oxygen and some lesser know refrigerants. All is not lost long term as an after market tyre company called Golden Tyres (Italy) is now producing said sizes; take note all you Paso, 851 Tri Colour and sad 750S owners. I got side tracked there for a moment as this article was supposed to be about brakes. The DB1 comes standard with ø280mm fully floating cast iron rotors on the front and a ø260mm rigid cast iron rear rotor. The callipers are old school Brembo “Gold Line” P7s – when Brembo say gold line here they just took the black ones and painted them gold. I was after something a little more contemporary and settled on Brembo 4 pot 32/34 callipers for the front and a matching twin pot rear. Road and Race in Australia do a nice mounting kit that slots the 4 pots onto the M1R front forks nicely. The rear bolts straight onto the original hanger. However we come back to the wheels and the ones I have chosen have a different width hub to the original DB1 items; this pushes the front discs out by 8mm and the rear in by 12mm. Off to the drawing board – I decide I can make my own carriers so draw up what is required and buy in some Aluminium 7004 tool plate – not the rubbishy chocolate 6063 most manufacturers use for this item. The front carriers machine up nicely and are sent off to Alert Anodizing in Auckland for a hard matt black finish – only draw back with 7004 is it doesn’t take colour too well, I am happy with black.
23 The rear brake presented its own challenges so I decided to complicate theses by converting the disc to a full floater, I had a spare fully floating front carrier and bobbins that bolted straight into the rear hub. I turned the hub centre out of the cast iron disc and machined in some bobbin cut outs – the nett result is an assembly a whole 300 grams lighter than the old one. The offset difference was solved by machining up a new floating carrier for the calliper hanger. All this is coming together nicely and I am now looking for a set of braided lines to suit – which brings me to another story about brakes and home built specials. Fast Bikes in the UK were testing some readers hottest newest thingy with braided lines he had installed himself – only problem is he measured the length with the forks compressed – come the first mono the FB journalists are prone to popping the lines parted company somewhere between the master cylinder and the callipers…now where’s my tape measure. Next issue exhausts. Current account: $8469.25 Deposit Account $5703.52 Buy for now Nigel
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
A story in two parts….. Part Two To start with, let’s go back a few years. At both Phillip Island, and latterly Salt Lake City, I have spoken with my hero Carlos Checa. He is a lovely man, and always gives me a hug and a kiss (on both cheeks, like all the Europeans). At first he remembered me because of my Ducati earrings (I have about seven different pairs, however that’s another story) but a couple of years ago he gave me his email address and I’d send an email on special occasions, such as when he won the championship in 2011, or to wish him “Merry Christmas”. I also gently ribbed him about not having New Zealand included in his helmet design, and have said to him that if ever he wanted to visit New Zealand I would be happy to organise it for him. So a couple of days before Christmas last year, I emailed him a card. I got a reply back, saying “I’m thinking of visiting New Zealand after Phillip Island, tell me what I can see and do in about a week”. So I got online and put together a schedule and sent it over. I knew he was into things like rock climbing and mountain biking, so included lots of that sort of thing. Carlos said “let me think about it for a few days” and then I didn’t hear any more for a while. But then, one morning, I opened up my emails and there it was…. “Yes please, I’d love to come to New
BY LYNDA BLAIR
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Zealand!!” I was delighted, shocked, and scared, all at the same time. What a responsibility to organise a holiday for a man who is not only a Champion but one of the most experienced riders on the World Superbike Championship grid and one of the most experienced motorcycle riders to be competing today with a career spanning 20 years. What an honour, to be trusted with such a task and how fantastic, to be able to showcase our beautiful country to such a star. I wanted to keep the visit very low key and under the radar, as he was coming here as a private individual. I have a good network of Ducati people, so I chose three in various parts of the country, and asked if they would be able to escort Carlos in their area. After they half-pie believed me, they of course said “yes”, and that they would keep it very quiet. I trusted these folk implicitly. I must say that until the air travel costs were reimbursed from Spain, I couldn’t quite believe it myself! We fine-tuned the programme and I did all the bookings. So when we got to Phillip Island we had a drink with Carlos and some of the team and we went over the programme in detail. It was surreal. Me sitting with Carlos Checa talking about a trip I’d planned for him. Two of his team members, both named Marco, were very interested as they are both Britten and Fastest Indian fans. Because of that, I phoned home and arranged for
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our Kiwi mates to buy Britten and Indian t-shirts before they left NZ, and bring them over for me to give to the two Marcos. They were absolutely stoked. As we all know, in Race One on Sunday Carlos had a huge crash and was knocked out. I thought that was the end of the visit. But Carlos’s manager texted me from Melbourne Hospital on Sunday evening to say Carlos was still very keen to come over, but would need the Dr’s clearance on Monday before they would know. Around 2.00pm on Monday they texted “it’s all go!!”. We all met up at an airport hotel on Monday night and Carlos was on the same flight as us back to Wellington on the Tuesday morning. He was limping from Friday’s crash, and still very stiff and sore from Sunday’s crash. Prior to leaving for Phillip Island, I had invited 18 especially chosen friends to come to a “special event” at our place on the Tuesday evening. I told them no more, but they all said they would be there. Some of them asked if it was a special anniversary, or birthday, but I wouldn’t tell them anything. I wanted it to be a real surprise. I had also spoken with Aaron Slight, and he was able to change his schedule to be there too. Our plane was late leaving Melbourne, so by the time we got home it was almost 5.30pm, and everyone was due at 6.00pm. Luckily Hamish’s parents had bought all the food for us and we just had to set up the garage for the BBQ. I’d had some “Welcome to New Zealand” banners produced which looked really neat along the garage walls. One by one the guests arrived. They saw Aaron first, and were pretty excited about that. Then, they saw Carlos. Most of them were speechless. It was fantastic to see the looks on their faces. The ladies (all of whom are big Superbike fans) were all absolutely smitten with Carlos’s good looks and dark brown eyes….and I have to say I count myself among that group. But it was his humble nature, the way he was so relaxed and natural, and spoke
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SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2013
30 Date
Counrty
Citcuit
WSBK
WSS
24 February
Australia
Phillip Island
x
x
10 March
India
Buddh Cuirciut
x
x
7 April
Spain
Aragon
x
x
x
28 April
Assen
x
x
x
12 May
The Netherlands Italy
Monza
x
x
x
26 May
UK
Donington
x
x
9 June
Portugal
Portimao (STC)
x
x
x
23 June
Tba
Tba
x
x
x
30 June
Italy
Imola
x
x
x
21 July
Russia
x
x
4 August
UK
Moscow Raceway Silverstone
x
x
x
1 September
Germany
Nurburgring
x
x
x
29 September
USA
Laguna Seca
x
6 October
France
Magny Cours
x
x
x
20 October
Spain
Jerez
x
x
x
* TBA = To be announced
STC = Subject to contract
STK
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
(Continued from page 28)
with everyone at ease, and listened to us and never tired of answering our questions, which really blew us all away. And to listen to Carlos and Aaron talking to each other about bikes and racing was a real privilege. A bonus for me was that Carlos signed one of my babies.
My schedule for Carlos was very tight, and much as I would have liked to have kept him to myself in Wellington for the nine days he was in New Zealand, we had to put him on a plane on Wednesday morning. It was so funny at Wellington airport. One of our bike mates – let’s call him Dan – was passing through the concourse and saw us so came over to say hi. I introduced him to Carlos, and he asked Carlos where he was from. “Spain” replied Carlos. “Ah” said Dan, “so you’ll be a Lorenzo and Pedrosa fan then”. To be fair, you don’t expect to see Carlos Checa at Wellington airport at 8am on a week morning. I took Dan’s arm and said “Dan, this is Carlos Checa”.
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While in Christchurch for a few hours, my mate Stu Jordan took Carlos to see some of the Britten bikes and around the red zone to see the earthquake destruction. He also made an impromptu visit to the Ducati shop. Carlos also very kindly signed Stu’s bikes for him.
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DOCNZ CLUB NIGHTS
Auckland Birdcage Bar & Grill , 133 Franklin Road , Victoria Park , Freemans Bay 1st Wednesday of each month from 7.30pm
Hamilton Hamilton Motorcycle Centre, Te Rapa Road, Hamilton 3rd Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm
Wellington The Featherston Bar and Grill, Corner Featherston & Johnston Streets, Wellington 3rd Tuesday of each month from 6.00pm (although Lynda is usually there from about 5.15pm)
Nelson Verdict Bar, Bridge Street, Nelson 1st Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm
Christchurch Dux de Lux on Montreal Street. Start time 7.30pm—1st Tuesday of each month from 7.00pm Our Advertisers and Sponsors Support Us Support them and Support your Club Whenever you see the services of one of our advertisers (and isn't that all the time?) let them know that you saw the ad in DESMOPHILES. That way they will know that their advertising dollar is being spent wisely. It will help your club, the service provider and above all it will help you (there may be a club member discount available). DISCLAIMER Unless expressly stated, the opinions and comments in this newsletter are those of the contributors only, and are not club policy. Nor does the club guarantee any advertisers products or servicing suggestions made. Although all material is checked for accuracy, no liability is assumed by the editor or DOCNZ.
PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
Then it was on to Invercargill where my Ducati mate Andrew picked him up and showed him Oreti Beach and Burt’s Indian bikes in the hardware shop.
The next day it was on to Queenstown, with a short stop at Mandeville where Carlos was taken for a joy ride in Andrew’s Tiger Moth. They also stopped to look at the Kingston Flyer that was all steamed up (a bit like me around
37 Carlos!) They had three nights in Queenstown. Due to Carlos’s injured foot, I had to re-jig the schedule a bit as he couldn’t do a lot of walking or any mountain biking. However, Friday he enjoyed a trip up Skippers Canyon on the jet boat, followed by a trip to take in the view from Coronet Peak. Saturday they went up to Glenorchy and did the Dart River jet boat and “Funyak” trip. Carlos also managed to fit in half an hour at the Red Bull Roast It BMX dirt riding competition that was being held in Queenstown.
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
Sunday morning Andrew put Carlos on the plane to Hamilton, where he was picked up by my third “guide”, Jamie Littin. They headed south and stopped in at the Glow Worm caves at Waitomo. The original schedule had them black water rafting and climbing underground, but that wasn’t to be. However, Carlos enjoyed the spectacle of the glow worms. After a night spent in Taumarunui, they took a 45 minute scenic flight over the central plateau. Although it was cloudy looking up from ground level, at 10,000ft the view of the mountain tops and the crater lakes was superb. The flight was followed by a trip up Mt Ruapehu in the chairlifts to take in the view and have lunch. So far no-one had recognised them yet. After a long soak in the thermal pools at Tokaanu they found a place that did great black angus steaks the size of your head – they were hungry boys so they tucked in before hitting the sack.
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
41 The last full day in NZ for Carlos started with a white water rafting trip on the Tongariro River, which was a real hit (I should go into this “organising trips for World Superbike Stars” business full time!), with both the lads having the time of their lives amid white water and unspoilt nativebush . This was followed by a three hour charter cruise on Lake Taupo. No sooner had they put the lines in the water than a huge trout attached itself. They decided to throw it overboard and wait for an even bigger one, but the only ones they caught after that were a bit smaller. They couldn’t take the trout with them so one by one they were put back into the lake, to swim and live another day. Then there was a little surprise for Carlos….because of the altered schedule, I was able to fly up to Rotorua and join Carlos and Jamie for the last night and last day of the trip. Carlos got a real surprise when I popped out of my motel unit to say “hello” as he arrived at the motel. We had a lovely meal at an Irish pub, and chatted away for ages. We had hoped to meet up with Fred Merkel, who now lives in Taupo. Unfortunately time didn’t allow that, and on the last day of the trip we headed north from Rotorua towards the airport. On the way we called in at Jamie’s place, and Carlos signed one of his babies. Andrew Stroud just happened by, which
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PHIILIP ISLAND WORLD SUPERBIKE 2013
was great as he and Carlos discussed the many similarities between the Britten and the Panigale. Not to mention the fact that in the mid 1990’s they had raced in the same GP races together – small world huh? All too soon I was standing at the Departure Lounge door and Carlos was gone. In a short time (nine days) Carlos had seen quite a bit of New Zealand, even though he hadn’t been able to do all the outdoorsy physical things I had planned for him at the beginning. As I had hoped, we managed to keep the visit totally under the radar, with only a couple of people recognising Carlos. Carlos, it was a privilege, an honour, and an absolute pleasure being able to organise this trip for you. Thank you for trusting me with the task. You have captivated everyone that you have met here in New Zealand with your quiet and unassuming manner, and they will all be cheering for you to win the 2013 championship. Thank you for sharing your very limited time with some Kiwi fans.
DOCNZ MEMBERSHIP FORM 2013
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I................................................................................................ first name(s) surname of.............................................................................................. postal address suburb / city postcode ................................................................................................. home telephone mobile phone ................................................................................................. email address - PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY □ Happy to receive Ducati related emails? Membership fees (please tick & circle as appropriate) □ Single / Associate $70.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - hard copy) □ Family $85.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - hard copy) □ Single / Associate $40.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - electronic copy) □ Family $55.00 (DESMOPHILES Club magazine - electronic copy) You may include a cheque with the membership form, or you may pay by bank transfer: If you wish to pay this way, the details are:
DOCNZ National Bank-Palmerston North 06-0746-0276337-000 (NB: You must still complete and post the membership form if you wish to pay this way). Please note that memberships expire on the 31st of January. Applications and renewals received between November and January are registered as a membership for the following year Particulars of motorcycle/s: Make & Model Year Rego Nbr ___________________________________________ _____________ ______________ ___________________________________________ _____________ ______________ ___________________________________________ _____________ ______________ ___________________________________________ _____________ ______________ I hereby apply to the Ducati Owners Club New Zealand for membership. In the event of my admission as a member, I agree to abide by the Constitution and By-Laws of DOCNZ. Signature: .......................................................................... Date: ......................... Either post to: Ducati Owners Club New Zealand. PO Box 6537, Marion Street, Wellington 6141, New Zealand Or scan and email to: secretary@docnz.co.nz
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CLUB REGALIA CLUB REGALIA PRICE LIST Shirts $25 Caps $15 Beanies $15
Anyone interested please contact secretary@docnz.co.nz
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DUCATI GOLD INSURANCE A specialised tailor-made insurance package for Ducati Owners featuring:
Highly competitive rates Sensible excess Flexible payment options Bonus – interest free monthly payment scheme Reduced premiums 0800 helpline service for policy holders Accessories and riding gear cover included in each policy
Phone, fax or e-mail for a no obligation quote
CASBOLTS MOTORCYCLES 39 MANCHESTER ST CHRISTCHURCH Ph 03-366-4401, Ph & fax 03-366-4402 E-mail sales@casbolts.co.nz
DESMOPHILES ADVERTISING RATES
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IF YOU'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF DUCATI MOTORCYCLES YOU MAY WISH TO REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE THROUGH THIS SPECIAL INTEREST CLUB MAGAZINE Payment is due at the time of placement of advert.
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MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTIONS Magazine Contributions should be sent to: The Editor P.O.Box 6537 Marion Square Wellington 6141 NEW ZEALAND Email: editor@docnz.co.nz Deadlines are the 1st February, April, June, August, October and December for issues due out towards the end of the month. Display advertising is available for business – please contact the secretary. Rates above.
PICTURE CREDITS Cover photo: Ian Falloon. Doug Fairbrother IOM Fundraiser photographs: Richard Sabiston and Hamish and Lynda Blair. Ducati 750GT: Ian falloon Treasurer’s report photographs: Nigel Taylor. Phillip Island World Superbike 2013: Hamish and Lynda Blair.
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