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DESMOPHILES
REGIONAL CONTACTS Auckland Wayne Lyons
027-4728-343
Waikato
The Newsletter of DOCNZ Ducati Owners Club of NEW ZEALAND October - November 2014 Issue 67 COMMITTEE
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 Todd (Motomart) Chris Marer
0800DUCATI 027 447 4299
Richmond Grant
03-528-0086
Greg Monahan
021 851 916
Motueka
Nelson
President
Greg Monahan
Heath (Hamilton M/C) 07-849-1919
021 851 916
Marlborough Graham McDonald
03-578-2490
Secretary Brent (Molly) Meldrum
027 522 5185
Treasurer Nigel Taylor
027 490 3408
Editor/Publisher Richard Sabiston
editor@docnz.co.nz
webmaster@docnz.co.nz
Communications Coordinator Greg Monahan
Dunedin/Deep South Gary Winter
03-476-7515 021 206 9866
the above members and also the Ducati Dealer Network are a very good way to find out more about the club.
All Magazine contributions and Membership Enquiries to:
Webmaster Nigel Haworth
Christchurch Craig (Casbolts M/C) 03-366-4401 Phil (Desmocycle) 03-318-8061 021 137 0309
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
Well here is “Issue No. 67” and boy do we have a jammed packed magazine full of articles. We start of with Nigels report on his progress with the Bimota, next is a Book review for Ian Falloons “The Art of Ducati” - This would make a very nice Christmas present. Following on from the book review is Dave Clare’s article on a trip through Southland and last but by no means least is Neil and Perry’s big Ducati adventure Well enough talking, have a read and go for a ride, stay safe, summer is here and Ducati’s look great in any weather. A few more articles would not go amiss. Cheers Richard
PRESIDENT’S PRATTLE
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Ciao a tutti, buon natale, Hello everyone and Merry Christmas. A lot is going and with the Christmas period almost upon us, it is important to remember that the new drink driving laws are now in effect! Christmas parties will be on the near horizon, so enjoy yourselves, and take care and we will hopefully see you all at NDR and Turismo in March in Taupo. Entry forms and info packs are in attached to this issue, but are also available to download from www.docnz.co.nz in the national events page. The AGM is also coming up. It will be held at the NDR after the bike show on the Saturday afternoon. I'm extremely busy with work, and really love being the president, and organising and running the National Ducati Rally, I'm happy to continue for another year... So please, show me your support by coming to the rally. I haven't been out on the bike as much as I'd like, but summer is here now. I just need to make the time. Have a great Christmas everyone and a safe summer riding period. Arrivederci, until next time. Ciao Greg
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SECRETARY REPORT “MOLLY SAY�
One thing leads to another. The joy of social media, I was talking TT2s with Mike Lind and discussing TT2 seats and what was correct and what wasn't. I mentioned I might be looking to sell the seat I had and after a few email conversations a deal had been done for the bike! After spending many years dreaming about it, years gathering bits from all continents and another year (or so) finally building it I had my dream of a TT2. It was a fantastic project and I love the bike, but other dreams come along. Mike is at the TT2 stage of his life and so now becomes the guardian of this treasure. I trust you will get the same pleasure of ownership and tinkering as I did. Enjoy, I am stoked it has gone to a great home and has stayed in the 'family'. On the membership front we're slowly climbing, now to 207 members which is fantastic. This does include complimentary dealer members etc but I am very pleased with where we are. We're only a couple of months away from renewal time so the challenge starts again. I have decided after 3 years of Secretary it is time to pass the baton on. Secretary is a great job but with all my other commitments I haven't felt like I have done the job justice. Have a think about it and raise your hand at the AGM at NDR. Speaking if NDR... I can't wait, get your accommodation booked and your registration form to me. This is a great opportunity to renew acquaintances and meet new people. I hope to have as many Bevels there as we can so if you have one tucked away, dust it off. Ciao, Molly (Brent)
CAPTAIN NIGEL’S TREASURE REPORT
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A few of the evenings over the last few months have been taken up browsing through one of Ian Falloon’s latest publications, reviewed elsewhere in this magazine. However that is not why we are here in this column. I posed the question last time “does the frame get reacquainted with the engine???” and I am happy to say they become intimately entwined. The swing arm and rear wheel are safely ensconced off the back of the engine but beyond that the rebuild has been in the detail. Every time I think I have the last of the fasteners off to the platers another lot spring out from somewhere and demand attention. To fix this issue once and for all I spent a whole Saturday looking through every box and nook in the garage hunting down nut and bolts – even removing the little screws that hold the switch gear together – off they went and back they came. It was then I reminded myself the brakes were still to be stripped and rebuilt so I now have another stack of cap screws waiting to go on their merry way and find some salvation in the hot acid and zinc baths at Currans down the road. When you look at some of the earlier pictures you come to see why I have sometimes described this bike as tatty when I purchased it. When I go back and have a look at those I realise the effort so far has been both rewarding and worth it. So the brakes are all in bits and the calliper parts are busy looking for an ultrasonic cleaner to get to those awkward places. The suspension is also getting some serious attention. I have spent the last month chatting to a helpful bloke in Cheshire about what can be done. Some of you may guess who this is but others will have to wait until next issue to see the end result.
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CAPTAIN NIGEL’S TREASURE REPORT
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Needless to say many mock ups were done along with hours poring over a drafting board trying to figure out how to fit things into places where there are cigarette paper clearances, to use a highly technical engineering term. The forks and old shock (which will not be coming back) have been sent to an address that looks something like: Canal Bank, Spotwood, Futtock, Underscroat, Cheshire. No numbers just some ancient runic script. TNT confirmed the parcel arrived and the carrier pigeon confirmed the intended recipient has the bits in his clutches. The end result will look something like the sketch. Next – how to fit a battery in that doesn’t block the air flow to the rear cylinder; Liam Venter at FastBikeGear appears to have some interesting solutions with modular Ultrabatts. The 851 has found a new home down south in Dunedin with what appears to be a very happy new owner. The S2R has been registered for the summer. Two bums in the
BY NIGEL TAYLOR
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house and only one bike; I better get a move on. See you at Wanganui; have a great Xmas Break and fine weather for the New Year tour. Current account: $9652.05 Deposit Account $5915.84 Buy for now Nigel
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THE ART OF DUCATI BY IAN FALLOON
I recently had a “significant” birthday and one of my very good friends who couldn’t make the celebrations sent me a copy of The Art of Ducati instead. This is Ian Falloon’s and James Mann’s take on significant Ducati models and their efforts to catch the “essence” of Ducati is well worth the read. It is not a comprehensive coverage of all things Ducati, rather a family snapshot album where only the pretty members are allowed into the studio. The storyline is introduced with a foreword by Pierre Terblanche – the designer of the Supermono, possibly the rarest of all the production Ducatis. Ian works himself into a suitable lather extoling the virtues of the likes of the 175 Sport, a bike that won Best In Show at Hanmer NDR2012. The photos of this particular model are exquisite. Next single off the production line is the 250 Mach 1 followed by the 350 Mach 3. The 450 Scramble and Desmo round out the singles section before we head into the first major change of direction for Ducati with the land of Bevel twins; this is where Ian is really in his element dedicating many a fine story to the 750GT, 750 Sport, 750 Super Sport (aka Green Frame) before rounding this section off with the 900 NCR and 900 Super Sport following up in the rear by the MHR. There is a brief history of each model along with potted notes of history about various riders; think Paul Smart, Mike Hailwood et al from this era. The 900 bevels have always presented a striking pose and James Mann weaves some magic over the examples here with his lens. We now move into the 3rd phase of Ducati evolution with the Belt Drives kicking off with the 500 SL Pantah – including a pitstop with the TT2s, 750 F1 in it’s various guises along with the by-lines of how the Montjiuch, Santa Monica and Laguna Seca all cam by their names from various race tracks where notable victories where won by the race versions of the F1; the production replicas moving from production racer to cosmetic makeover only as the F1 worked it’s way through it’s lifespan. Next up we enter the realm of the Superbikes with the 851 Tri Colour and my personal favourite the 851 SP3. At this point Ian resurrects the mythical SP3 SPS of which 16 were allegedly built for an Italian home market race series but none of which have ever been seen, the 851/888 forum wags comparing this beast to another one – The Unicorn. At this point Ducati start winning Superbike titles and the 851/888 models develop year on year through
JAMES MANN AND PIERRE TERBLANCHE
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the SP5 and SPS. The aforementioned Supermono slots in here and those who saw Dallas Rankin’s own bike at NDR2012 in Clive will remember something very special – a shame it never made it into serious production, a sentiment also expressed in the book. Next up is the 916 Foggy replica, a bike only sold in the UK to an SPS spec so you find the expected assortment of Pankl con rods, Ohlin’s finest and Brembo Goldlines. After this we have an odd fish, the MHE900e probably here as Pierre Terblanche designed it and contributed to the forward but it is not a bike you hear Ducatisti rave about. This is followed by the sublime 998R and a significant engine configuration change for Ducati; outwardly this bike is a beautiful refinement of the 916 but internally we find there is a Testastretta engine, so named because of the narrow valve angle. The following model is one that handed Ducati more Superbike wins and titles than any other model but polarised the punters when it was launched. This is the 999 Xerox which has since become a classic and is now regarded as ahead of it’s time. At this point in time Ducati start exploring the retro market and introduce the Paul Smart LE, go for the outrageous with the only modern era MotoGP replica in existence, although the bore and stroke information offered here would suggest it has a capacity of 2400cc not the 990cc it actually possess. We move on to the 1098 Bayliss replica, penned by Rossi helmet graphic artist Druidi, is Sex on Wheels - definitely centre fold material. Next is another polarising odd fish – the Diavel; nothing like stirring up a bit of controversy Mr Falloon. The final chapter of the book is fittingly dedicated to the next chapter of Ducatis evolution from singles, to bevel twins to Pantahs through to the Superquadro motor fitted with gears and chains driving the cams. This motor is of course found in the Panigale S and will be the backbone of Ducati superbike development for years to come. If you want to discover what is quintessential about Ducatis you don’t have to go past this publication. A great one to leave on the coffee table and drool over.
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A TRIP THROUGH SOUTHLAND
I woke up to a rainy Sunday. Unfortunately, it was not just any rain. A driving and typically Southland rain rattled on the ancient corrugated iron above our heads and streamed off the fire escape outside the window. The view from my room, upstairs in the Globe Hotel on Riverton’s main street, took in the garage, where we’d been allowed to stash the bikes, and on towards the river estuary with beached fishing boats in the distance. It would be very picturesque on a sunny day but it all looked grim and depressing on such a sodden, Sunday morning. ‘Perhaps if we had gone to bed before 3am I’d be feeling a little more resilient?’ I hear you say. Perhaps, but I’ve often heard Stu Jordan complain in a similar situation that it’s the coca cola that makes you ‘feel crook’ not the whisky that you mix with it. Maybe that was it; I’d had a little too much cola?
BY DAVE CLARE
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The Riverton locals had been very welcoming and there had been no shortage of conversation as the night (and then a good chunk of the morning) rolled by. We’d read grim tales of small country pubs closing through lack of patronage in the paper, so we’d made it a rule to stay in every one we could find. My $30 upstairs room sported a softly sprung bed, somewhere to hang my leathers and a heater to dry my gloves and socks. With a massive bathroom just along the corridor, I was well set up. Downstairs there was a roast meal in the dining room waiting for me and with no shortage of drinking companions-what more could I want? The Globe Hotel had been an inspired choice at the end of a perfect day. We’d V-twin rumbled through some empty but marvellous roads the day before as we made our way South from Te Anau. That town had been busy although it was more than a week past the New Year’s Day. We three had found a bike-friendly lakeside motel, the night before, which had offered us a carport and comfortable rooms. ‘Mine host’ had even agreed to store our stuff the next day while we rode to Milford Sound so we didn’t have to carry it there and back again. The Milford road had been a stunner too. We’d left early enough to avoid the coaches going in and the day was perfect, wind free and sunny. I’d stupidly left my helmet with my bike when we went for a stroll in the forest so I was horrified when a tourist wandered up to say that some ‘big green parrots’ were having a go at it. The helmet had at least distracted them from butchering my bike. The kea’s beaks had shredded the AGV lining and they had just turned their attention to the bike seat as I arrived. A tourist, who was photographing the ‘cute parrots’ in action, was dismayed as I drove them off with bellowed
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A TRIP THROUGH SOUTHLAND - CONT
obscenities and gestures, before he could take another prize winning snap. Only the presence of a busload of watching tourists parked alongside prevented me from embedding my Sidi boot in the same photographer’s colon. Why the f@#k hadn’t he moved them on? It had not occurred to me that there would be keas this low but locals assure me that they infest both sides of the Homer tunnel, encouraged by tourists who feed them. We gassed up at the pumps at Milford, blew the sand flies out of our helmets, and made ready to face the potholes in the tunnel again for the ride back to Te Anau. It proved to be another great ride. We three had left Christchurch some days before and taken the Tekapo road as it was the only route that promised sun. It was peak holiday time so we anticipated more than usual traffic and impatient drivers. It wasn’t long before our vigilance was tested. Luigi squirted ahead on his red multistrada leaving Chinese Rog and I on our black bikes to wait for a break in the traffic before we could overtake and join him. A Jeep driver ahead had the same plan and he moved out to overtake an SUV with a trailer with the quick flash of his indicator. The SUV driver didn’t check his mirror (‘I didn’t see you’) and moved out to overtake at almost the same time and, faced with an oncoming
BY DAVE CLARE
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tourist bus, trying to squeeze three vehicles in to a lane made for one, something had to give. The jeep hit the trailer in a cloud of burned brake linings and rubber. As panels crumpled, a huge chunk of plastic mudguard liner launched itself into the air. It sailed over Roger’s helmet with metres to spare before crashing onto the road in front of me. Roger rode on, oblivious to his narrow escape. I’d started braking at the first impact so I was able to avoid the obstacle, switch my hazards on and roll to the edge of the road beside the wrecked jeep. Two angry carloads, facing ruined holiday plans, calmed down when I explained I’d seen the whole thing and could provide the insurance companies, or if necessary, the cops, with a summary. We regrouped in a backstreet Queenstown motel, which also proved to be biker friendly. The proprietors might have changed
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A TRIP THROUGH SOUTHLAND - CONT
their views if the unit fire alarm had actually gone off later that night. Luigi cheerfully (and for reasons that were never made entirely clear) set fire to his chest hair in a cloud of evil smelling smoke, just after midnight, before throwing himself on Rog for a late night wrestling match over a drunken chess game that had turned ugly. In the ensuing struggle they both fell to the floor, Luigi’s glasses fractured and sharp bits jammed into his face. I calmed things by pronouncing the game a draw. The bleeding stopped eventually but the scars and bruising raised some eyebrows when we made our way to the superb and complimentary cooked breakfast just a few hours later. We took some slack out of the multistrada chain, (it had stretched in places and really needed replacing), checked the oil and tyres on all three bikes and headed south to Te Anau. You don’t need me to tell you that it hadn’t been a great summer, (we’d gone to the Burt Monroe in a car, it had been that bad!) but on that day the roads were dry all the way to Riverton and the air was mild and scented with mowed grass and flax flowers. It had been a sublime experience gliding through the little used roads of Southland so the next day we resigned ourselves, without too many obscenities, to a wet Sunday ride to Invercargill. The Globe Hotel was like the abandoned Marie Celeste that Sunday morning, with no one to be seen anywhere. Rooms that had been full of singing and laughter just hours before were damp and deserted. The bottle store window was shattered but the room behind it was left undisturbed and the contents unrifled. Most likely, a local simply fell into it on his way home. A café offered pancakes just down the street so we wandered down. There was still nobody about after our artery hardening breakfast to answer our calls or the banging on the doors at the sleeping hotel so we had to ‘loid the door on the garage to get our bikes out. We left Chinese Rog at the Lorneville turn-off to ‘Gumboot’ and Luigi and I headed north into the deluge. We had lunch at Gore where an amused busload of pensioners watched water run out of our boots and clothing to form pools beneath the Formica table. My Dririder gear was keeping me tolerably snug but Luigi’s expensive Alpinestar suit had a soaked lining and pockets he might have used to store gold fish. With no sign of a ‘let up’, we reluctantly saved the Catlins road for next time and stooged north. At Dunedin the plan was to look up an aged Aunt of Luigi. By now the rain was officially torrential and the streets we had to use were slippery and very steep so this project got my very reluctant support. We practised our hill starts again and again at traffic lights on slick and nearly vertical roads that ran with water. Thankfully our torquey V-twins took it in their stride (try that on an R1) and we found the hilltop home of the elderly woman eventually. The Aunt was said to be very ill and ‘circling the drain’ so Luigi, to his credit, was determined to see her one last time. ‘She looks fine to me’, I thought miserably in sodden socks, as she served us mugs of tea and sweet biscuits. She was to my eyes, alert and quick as a sparrow. (She proved me wrong by dying three days later!).
BY DAVE CLARE
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North of Dunedin the rain disappeared and the roads dried out. Sadly, by now it was time to find a country pub as the Sun was going down. The Palmerston pisser proved to be another cracker. Great food and the publican, Gor Bless ‘im, moved his mower out of the shed so we could put our bikes under cover. Outstanding!
We rumbled out early as Luigi was making a dash for the ferry and I needed to get home before my wife and family forgot what I looked like. It had been a top trip all round and I’d finally sorted my itching head or ‘helmet head’ issue that has driven me mad over the years. Some people can wear helmets no bother, Chinese Rog for example wears his all day long but me, I can’t wait to get the damn thing off. After about 45 minutes, the itch starts and it builds to a frenzy that gets utterly consuming. At the next gas station I get off and trowel my head with my finger nails, blissfully, until it hurts. Gradually it calms down while I pay for gas and then it starts up 45 minutes in the helmet later. It’s worse on a hot day so I’ve bought helmet after helmet in search of better ventilation, different lining materials etc. I got so desperate last year I drilled holes in a nearly new HGC lid compromising both the warranty and the structural integrity, to improve airflow. It made no difference. I‘ve washed the removable liners and tried several helmet shampoos and spray-on cleaners and various haircuts without improvement. That itch has been driving me nuts since my first bike when I was 15, and remains the one distracting drawback to motorcycle touring. Then one day in desperation, I soaked my neck scarf in water and put it on my head under the helmet. Perfect. Itch gone.
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A TRIP THROUGH SOUTHLAND - CONT
Maybe it keeps my head cool, increases the humidity or perhaps reduces the build-up of static electricity in there. Whatever, it works so I pass it on in case there are some other sufferers out there. So now, rain or shine, day or night, winter or summer, as I gas up I soak my neckerchief and wear it under the lid. Water running down my neck and the occasional disbelieving glance from other motorists at the pumps seems a small price to pay. I know when the scarf is drying out, my head starts to itch. Anything that makes me keener to get out on the bike, can’t be bad. Best wishes to club members and all those out there doing it, (who should be club members). Dave P.S. those of you at the National Ducati Rally at Hanmer who felt Luigi had broken his shoulder after his slow speed ‘off’ while attempting to adjust his dry clutch ‘by ear’ were right. After riding his multistrada back to Poverty Bay a surgeon found he’d broken his scapula in two places and grafted part of his ass-bone onto the cracked bits.
NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE
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Thursday 10 July Well, the big adventure began when we arrived at Vienna Airport at 5.45 in the morning! Fortunately, Nick Marer from the Nelson club had already arranged a taxi to the hotel, so we shared it with him. It was a very interesting ride, with the Romanian taxi driver hitting 140 kph. The Hotel did kindly let us book in early, so had a shower and took another taxi to Ducati Wein, this time with a Hungarian taxi driver! The Ducati shop was great, with lots of gear to check out. We swapped some T shirts with the staff and gave out some stickers to them. Next another taxi back, this time with a Karkestan driver, into the city centre, through the local market and saw the magnificent St Stephan’s Cathedral, a real Gothic masterpiece. Exhausted by sightseeing, we walked back to hotel, crashing into to bed at 3pm and waking the up next day at a very presentable 6am.
(Continued on page 26)
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MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014 Race Calendar 23 Mar Qatar, Losail International Circuit (Evening race) 13 Apr Americas, Circuit of the Americas 27 Apr Argentina, Aut贸dromo Termas de Rio Hondo 04 May Spain, Circuito de Jerez 18 May France, Le Mans Circuit 1 Jun Italy, Mugello Circuit 15 Jun Catalunya, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya 28 Jun Netherlands, TT Assen (Saturday race) 13 Jul Germany, Sachsenring 10 Aug Indianapolis GP, Indianapolis Motor Speedway 17 Aug Czech Republic, Automotodrom Brno 31 Aug Great Britain, Silverstone Circuit 14 Sep San Marino & Riviera di Rimini, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli 21 Sep Arag贸n, MotorLand Arag贸n 28 Sep Brazil, Brasilia - Subject to homologation 12 Oct Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit 19 Oct Japan, Twin Ring Motegi 26 Oct Australia, Phillip Island 09 Nov Valencia, Ricardo Tormo-Valencia
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SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2014
Race Calendar 23 Feb Australia, Phillip Island GP Circuit 13 Apr Spain, MotorLand Arag贸n 27 Apr The Netherlands, TT Assen 11 May Italy, Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola 25 May UK, Donington Park 08 Jun Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit (STC) 22 Jun Italy, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli 06 Jul Portugal, Aut贸dromo Internacional do Algarve 13 Jul USA, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca (STC)* 07 Sep Spain, Circuito de Jerez 21 Sep Russia, Moscow Raceway 05 Oct France, Circuit de Magny-Cours 19 Oct South Africa, Phakisa Freeway (STC) 02 Nov Overseas TBC * WSBK class only. STC = Subject to contract. TBC = To be confirmed.
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NATIONAL DUCATI RALLY - CONT
BY BRENT MELDRUM
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
(Continued from page 19)
Friday 11 July The next day after breakfast we met some people from Ducati, who had just arrived, and enjoyed helping them unload forty eight Diavels, ten Monsters, one Hyperstrada and a Multistrada from the trucks. Each bike had the rider’s name on it and it was fun to see what bike we had been allocated. Perry found his bike, a Diavel, and rode it down to the car park. After all the bikes were unloaded we decided to go to the bike shop for wet weather gear as the weather forecast was for thunder storms. One of the Americans, Mike, asked it if he could come with us. No problem! We decided to go by train so found our way to the train station just as the train was coming in. We all ran to the train, but the door closed before Mike could get in! He probably thought we did it in on purpose. As the train took off with us, Mike was left standing on the platform. We did get off at the next station and Nigel went back to find him, but he had got on the next train and we didn’t see him again until the Presidents Rally. Whoops! We got to the bike shop and bought some wet weather gear. While we were there we had a game of foosball at the shop and Nigel was the champ.
BY NEIL & PERRY
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We then went back to the Cathedral, going to the top to take some photographs of the stunning view. Back at the hotel we met a lot of new people. One lady from Norway wore her leathers on the plane so she could pack more dresses and shoes! When we were talking to her we told her that we had Kiwi stickers on our bikes so we could find them easily. It wasn’t until she saw a photo of the bike with the stickers on and she said: “Oh that’s a Kiwi.” She thought we had put a sticker of a Kiwifruit on the bikes. I suppose that happens when you are speaking in another language. At around 9pm we went out to dinner – they eat late in Europe. Saturday 12 July We received our welcome packs containing T shirt and patches etc. We then decided to take a taxi out to Hein Gerick Motorcycle shop to look for thermals for Nick, as we were told it was going to get cold up in the Alps and you would need to be prepared. The only ones available were on the mannequin, which then had to be disassembled to get them. After arriving back at the hotel, Nick and Neil went on a short sightseeing tour around Vienna to catch the sights, as we had to be back at the hotel for the technical brief and handing out of bike keys. After the briefing we headed to Schweizerhaus, a famous restaurant in Austria that is renowned for its massive meals of roasted pork hocks and apple strudel. Overindulged to the max, which included large steins of beer, available for the keener drinkers. It was an interesting experience, eating and drinking in the centre of the amusement park where the restaurant was located. Sunday 13 July 2014 Time to leave Vienna, an exciting city with a good mix of the old and the contemporary, and head to Linz. We stopped for lunch between Alternmarkt and Grossraming. The Speed Limit on the motorway was 100 kph. We had the police following us at 130 kph and they didn’t seem to mind too much. We had been told to take it easy by Guisappe (he was the tour leader from Ducati) and not to get speeding tickets as we would have to pay. Funny how he got two speeding tickets on the way to Linz! The roads were awesome, wet but it didn’t slow any one down but Neil. Neil found that the Diavel takes some getting used to, with the rider having to pick the right place to drop it into the corners. This is probably because of the large rear tyre, but it was really good. The Diavel was a 2014 model with only 1000 kms on it, so pretty much brand new. Upon arriving at the hotel in Linz (overlooking the river Danube), we all received a welcome pack for the Linz club containing stickers, a neck sock and even their own brand of Strawberry jam! In the evening, there was a dinner organised by Ducati Club Linz to celebrate WPM’s arrival in Austria, with a band for entertainment. The Linz Ducati club are a very proactive club and even have their own brand of clothing, right down to underwear.
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
Monday 14 July - Tour of the lakes Left Linz early to ride through the lakes of Upper Austria: Traunsee, Attersee, Mondsee, Wolfgangsee and stopped for lunch on Postalmstrasse, one of the most scenic roads in the province of Salzburg. However the roads leading to the Das Alpenhaus hotel, our destination for the night in the ski resort town of Zell am SeeKaprun, were very narrow and rough. The riding was a little smoother coming down, but the roads were wet and covered with small gravel with some tight corners. One rider slipped off the road. He wasn’t hurt and the bike wasn’t too bad. Just a reminder that it can happen anytime. Tuesday 15 July 2014 - Crossing the Dolomites We left Kaprun and stopped-off on the slopes of the Grossglockner – Austria’s highest
BY NEIL & PERRY
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mountain (3798 m) – and its glacier, the Pasterze. Crossing over to Italy you can notice the difference in roads, not as smooth and less maintained. Our first stop was at Cortina d’Ampezzo. Lunch was at the Giau Pass which is the sixth and steepest of seven Dolomites mountain passes. After lunch we rode from Giau pass to Bolzano. On the way to Bolzano the roads were awesome. We did two passes through the Dolomites. The tour leader (who got the two speeding tickets) riding a Pikes Peak multi had a lowside on the way up too. He had a pillion passenger on board, Ludovica one of our tour hosts but she was not hurt. The fall was at low speed fall and there was not much damage, just bruises. The Austrian Alps are amazing. So many people on bikes. The Ducati people are really looking after us. The top of the Dolomites was supposed to be 0.1 degree Celsius, but it turned out warmer. We were warned we
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
would be cold, so everyone put on heaps of clothes. Then we boiled for the rest of the day! Only a short bit of rain, but the roads were wet and most people went just as fast. I was following Robbie, the intrepid Scot, on the way up the Dolomites and saw something fall off his bike. It was his GO pro camera. Lucky for him he was able to turn around and found it was undamaged. However, the President from the Nashville club also lost his Go pro camera. He turned around and found it but couldn’t quite reach down to pick it up. So he moved to the side of the road to park, when a car came around the corner, ran it over and knocked over the Armco. He looked for ages to try and find the Sim card, as he had all of his film of his rides on it. He found everything but the Sim card and was not happy. Robbie from Scotland came to the rescue and said to him he would send all his film he had taken to him so he felt a bit better. Our destination for the evening was Hotel Werth. We went Go Kart Racing, followed by a BBQ and a live band. The prize for first place was a ride around the Misano racetrack in a Lamborghini. This was won by Luis, the president of the Portugal Club. Wednesday 16 July 2014 - Val di Non We left Bolzano and travelled along the Val di Non, the widest valley in Trentino. The riding was once again thrilling, traversing steep mountain passes on very small, narrow roads. The Diavel really needed to be thrown into the corners on these tight windy roads. Lunch was on a panoramic terrace looking out over the lake. After lunch we all rode around the
BY NEIL & PERRY
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lake and then went up to the top of hills to take photographs. Tired but happy we arrived in Verona at Hotel Villa Quaranta. That evening we were given a Guided tour around Verona. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Verona, a historic city, which has a real medieval-renaissance ambiance. We chilled out over dinner at the Piazza Bra, which had a stunning view of the Arena of Verona. It was nice to sit outside at 10pm and still be toasty warm and dry.
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
Thursday 17 July - We get ready for World Ducati Week (WDW) We left Verona, but unfortunately we motorwayed all the way to Venice in really bad traffic. The continual lane splitting in Italy takes some getting used to, with lots of speed cameras, ready to catch out unwary tourists! We arrived in Venice and went for a boat trip around the Lagoon. We thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and uniqueness of a city built on water. Gliding through the lagoon, we saw amazing architecture: palaces, churches, bridges and even gardens, all lining Venice’s watery streets. Lunch was once again in a stunning location, taken on a motorboat with panoramic view of Venice and the lagoon. We took the coast road to Misano which was really busy and very hot, but we did stop for an aperitif on the Adriatic coast. The group arrived quite late at the motel and most people were really tired after a long day riding, however our view from the hotel was great as it overlooked the Adriatic Sea. We were then taken by bus to a very flash dinner organised by the Clubs in Romagna. Considerably enjoyed by all!
BY NEIL & PERRY
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Friday 18 July –WDW starts. Up early for photo shoots overlooking the Adriatic coastline and then onto WDW. Perry attended the World Presidents meeting. There were so many Ducatis for the eye to see, it was overwhelming. Standing at the outlet shop, where bargains were to be had, the line had about 200 people in it, with heaps of people pushing in. There were all sorts of exhibitions, shows, even wheelie machines to practice your wheelies and every type of Ducati: customs, vintage, bevels, everything. It was very hot, about 34 degrees c. Had to find the shade often and drinks heaps of water. We found a few other people from our group and travel back with them to the motel. The best moment was racing back to the pool to cool off. Perry stayed on and did the ride to the beach for the beach party. Although he got lost on the way home, having to ask a local to ring through to Stephano, one of the Ducati tour leaders for directions back to the motel.
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
Saturday 19th July - WDW Got up and had breakfast. We didn’t rush to get to WDW, as we were starting to run out of energy! We left about 11:00am for the track. Masses of Ducatis. So hot, we had a good look around at all the stands. Perry had his photo taken with all the girls he could – aww Perry!! Raced back to the pool, desperately needing to cool off. Dinner was organised by the Portugal and Italy clubs. The road outside the restaurant was set up with tents and banners. The atmosphere was electric. The owner was really happy to have so many Ducati people in his restaurant. All the different clubs were putting up their stickers up on the walls. The food came out and it was amazing. Different pastas and seafood. We didn’t get a chance to finish all the courses as we had to get back to the track as all the presidents had to be at the WDW for the night show.
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NEIL & PERRY’S BIG DUCATI ADVENTURE - CONT
We arrived back at the track at 10:00pm to get ready for the DOC flag bearing. All the presidents came out on to the track waving each clubs flags. Perry and Nick were interviewed as they were the ones that had come the longest distance. The show carried on with a stunt show and interviews etc. The show finished 12.30pm. After the show we headed back to the motel for a well-earned sleep. Sunday 20th July It was the last day of the show so went around all of the tents to check that we didn’t miss anything. We had another look in the outlet shop and bought a couple more T shirts. Perry had his photo taken with more girls. We looked over the many bikes in the car park. It is really hard to image just that there were so many Ducatis in one place. Monday 21st July Left Misano for Bolonga to return the bikes back to the factory. It was motorway all the way so not all that exciting. We were beginning to realise that this trip was nearly over. Arriving at the factory we rode right around to the back and finally got off the bikes for the last time. I was starting to really like the Diavel. It had been good to ride, was very reliable and grew on you the more you rode it. I would miss it. We picked up all of our luggage and made our way out of the factory. We had booked into a hotel just around the corner from the factory, all ready for our factory tour the next day. Tuesday 22nd July We made our way to the Ducati factory in the morning, as we were booked onto the first tour. The tour party was broken down into about 10 people in each group. It was really interesting looking at the way the bikes are put together. We heard how the factory have modified their quality program to ensure that all the stages are signed off. If they have a problem with any part of the process they can backtrack and find out who did the work. I did ask what happens to the person that has made the problem, did they get fired? “No” said the tour guide “we send them to work for Honda!!” We then had a look through the Museum. It was awesome to see how many bikes were in there and to see the history. That afternoon we went to the Ducati outlet store to see what was on offer, made a few purchases for the folks back home and then it over. We had a great time, met some amazing people who we will definitely keep in touch with and would recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to do this trip - do so, you won’t regret it.
DOCNZ AGM
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The annual general Meeting for Ducati owners Club of New Zealand will be held at 4pm, 14th March 2015 at the NDR venue – Wairakei Resort Hotel, Taupo. The following committee positions are open to nominations from now:
President Secretary Treasurer Editor Webmaster Those members who are financial as of NDR are eligible to vote, but everyone can join in on the discussions are raise any new business. We hope to see you there.
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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 Speight's Ale House , 99 Quarantine Road, Stoke, 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
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TURISMO 2015 THE TWIN ISLANDS
l annua
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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: Membership form still required please). 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 ____________________________________________
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CLUB REGALIA CLUB REGALIA PRICE LIST Shirts $25 Caps $15 Beanies $15
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DUCATI GOLD INSURANCE A specialised tailor-made insurance package for Ducati Owners featuring:
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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: Neil and Perry. Treasurer’s report photographs: Nigel Taylor. The Art of Ducati (Book Review): Ian Falloon, James Mann and Pierre Terblanche. A trip through Southland: Dave Clare. Neil and Perry’s Big Ducati Adventure: Neil and Perry.
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