Bubba

Danielle: Hope I didn't scare you off with the route description. All roads are paved, just a bit more technical than your typical urban/suburban pavement. I didn't want anyone to be surprised by the conditions. Still should be a good time, and we only go as fast as our slowest rider.

Tom: Glad yer coming along. Hit the McD's early enough to sip a coffee to warm up. Kickstands up at 12 PM sharp! See you there.

Northern KY Ride--Thursday, Nov 15 at 11:30 AM, Edgewood, KY Alright boys 'n girls, here's the plan. Meet up is at 11:30 - 12:00 at the McDonald's on Dixie Hwy, 3050 Dixie Highway, Edgewood, KY 41018. Take I-75-South through the city and across the river into northern KY. Take I-275-East (Exit 185) and get off at the first exit, Dixie Hwy. Turn right off the ramp and go 4 lights on Dixie to the McD on the right, just past the Shell station. There's lots of options to gas up here, so do it! We'll probably grab a coffee and a quick lunch while we're waiting. Kickstands up at 12 o'clock sharp. There will be a few places to stop and take a short break and gas up if needed along the route. Mileage is about 155-160 and I'm guessing based on previous rides in this area that ride time will be 4 - 4.5 hours, not including stops. Ride pace will be 'spirited' but not exceed 10-20 over the posted SL, so not gonzo-crazy. Return will be along I-275 from the west back to I-75-North and home. Temps aren't predicted to get above the low 50s, so gear up accordingly. I'll have route description for anyone who shows, and no one will be left behind--we wait at every corner for the group. I do want to note that these roads vary from smooth 2-lane rural state/county roads to narrow, rough, 1-lane goat paths with lots of sharp turns, blind corners, elevation changes and of course, gravel, so please be an experienced bike handler with at least average skills. Let's go have some fun!

I have one installed in my box trailer that I used to haul 3 bikes out to CO this summer. They're pretty well made for a 'cheap' wheel chock. Come with mounting hardware and are adjustable for different size wheels. They won't hold up your bike by themselves, i.e., without tie downs, but are very secure once you're settled in. Look online or in the back of most auto or MC enthisiast magazines. They usually have a coupon for an additional amount off or better, a 20% off anything coupon. Good deal.

Downtown Cinti shouldn't be bad mid-day, and going back north at 5-ish won't be too crazy until you get to the northern connector with I-275 in Sharonville. With the limited amount of daylight, adding an extra 40-50 miles to your trip doesn't make a lot of sense. Even if we meet here, we still gotta head downtown and cross the river to get to the goodness, or take Anderson Ferry, which is a nice alternative but adds still more time to the ride. That being said, if you want to meet here, post up and I'll PM you my addy. I'll prolly have to make some cuts to the route to get y'all back home in time for beddy-bye. Lemeno.

I'm gonna say that the easiest place to meet would over in NKY. I'm in the farthest corner of SW OH, so out of the way for you to come to me. Go south on I-75 thru town and across the river into KY and take I-275East to the 1st exit--Dixie Hwy. Turn right from the exit ramp and go 4 lights to the McDs: 3050 Dixie Highway, Edgewood, KY 41018. It'll be on your right immediately after the Shell station. You'll have to figger out what kind'a time you need to make the run from Dayton and let me know. I can meet anytime from noon on. I've run this route in 4 hours before, but if we take longer than anticipated due to stops for pix, there's plenty of opportunity to jump on 75 and slab it north if you need to split for darkness. I'm not a big fan of the X-way in the dark, either. Talk to you tonight.

No way, Dude! It's a secret;)...just me and Bitani. Nothing carved in stone yet. Gonna settle on a meetup time/place tonight, and then either I or Bitani will post up details. If yer coming south on 75, you might want to hook up with him for the run south. PM him for his tel #. As it stands now, he's gonna plan on getting here noon-ish and we'll meet at a local McDs for a warm-up coffee and maybe lunch, then head out for what should be about a 4-4.5 hour ride, not including stops. Guessing about 160 mile loop, not including your cruise time from parts north. There will be gas available at the start and several places along the way, but you should have at least an 80-100 mile range due to the rural nature of the route. Roads will be everything from smooth 2-lane to rural goat paths. On the route, there WILL BE: bad pavement, gravel, lousy cagers, blind corners, lots of elevation changes, small to medium size wild/domestic animals, meth heads, zombies, and perhaps the occasional banjo. If yer still interested, check back here later today.

I've never used Canyon Dancers; always looped the soft strap around the lower fork clamp and used tie-downs. If the CDs attach to the ends/outside of the bars, don't they tear up the grips and put a lot of stress on the throttle tube? Sounds less than desirable...

PM sent.

I'll put some time into working up a route. We can hit everything from single lane goat paths that wander along hilltops and down along streambeds to smooth fast twisties....or a combination of both. What's yer pleasure? And how many miles/hours do want to shoot for (i.e., distance/time from our meet-up in Cinti, NOT including your commute from the Great White North). Lemeno.

This ^^^ or tie the bike in diagonally with the wheel stuffed in the L or R corner of the bed. Depending on wheelbase, you might even be able to get the tailgate up and latched this way. Every bike is different when it comes to tie-down points. The more Tupperware they've got on 'em, the more difficult it is to find a place to hook to without tearing sh-t up. I'm guessing a Monster shouldn't be too bad. I like to use these http://www.bikebandit.com/steadymate-soft-loops and hook 'em around the lower triple clamp so the tie-downs don't put any stress on the bars and controls. If you've got a clear shot, you can loop 'em around the handlebars as well.

Tues is gonna be pretty brutal for super-slabbing to Cinti. Morning low in the mid-20s and a high only in the mid-40s. Let's see how Thur looks (as of now = 30s-50s and sunny) and connect on Wed to set up a meet. I'm under-employed--life is good--so any time after about 10ish works for me! I'll see if any other Cinti riders are interested; feel free to bring other riders along from your neck of the woods. Ciao--Bill @ 513-5nine8-8ninenine2

If you don't get any takers on hooning it around CC area, think about rolling south and I'll meet you somewhere in Cinti and we can ride a few of the NKY roads. Lemeno.

Nice video and a spectacular November day's ride! If I may ask, who's the artist on the background track?

Whenever I go faster than 13 MPH, I just tense my abdominal muscles and create ass-suction to grip the seat...

Oh boy, here we go again! The ol' countersteer argument. Mods, get ready to move this to the "Oil" thread....

When I've visited, I've stayed here: Sheraton Chicago Hotel 301 East North Water Street Chicago, IL 60611 Right on the river/lake and within walking distance of nearly everything you'll want to see/do in the downtown area--parks, museums, pier. Ask for a water view (my preference) but there aren't any bad views. Very cool area along the River Esplanade with lots of bars/restaurants. A bit of a splurge, but you can call last minute and get discounted rates; just don't try to go during a busy convention week. Why stay outside of the downtown area and have the hassle of driving in and parking every day...As Loreal says, "You're worth it!" https://plus.google.com/107753058936437881920/about?gl=us&hl=en One last warning...Most of the downtown hotels charge an ADDITIONAL $35-$50 per day to park in their garage, and you'll pay to go in/out as well. You could prolly find a lot with a cheaper per diem, but less convenient and not as secure. Plan accordingly.

I would take an educated guess here an say it's prolly the same as for a car: if it falls under routine maintenance, you can take to anyone or even do it yourself as long as you can document that the work was done according to specs. As far as repairs under warranty or recall work, that would obviously fall under the dealer's umbrella.

Chicago, for sure! Not cheap by any means, but a vibrant downtown with tons of activities, places to eat, sightseeing and entertainment. A great city for a walkabout at any hour as a bonus!

Heard thru the 'hunter's grapevine' that this big boy may have been bagged by a little old lady in her Buick just a half mile from here last week. Damn shame if it's true....

So, would this make you feel any less stressed? Taken in my backyard, 100 ft from the porch, 3rd year he's showed up...

No. Yer a GOOD boy. You listened to yer mutha! Mom knows what's best for you... Nice pix, BTW. I'm jealous!

Dude, nobody pays NADA Retail for a bike in a private party sale. You'd be foolish to pay that from a dealer! NADA price is an average of all the regional dealer sales from the previous quarter, so you're looking at peak season prices as reported by dealers from 1-3 months ago. Plus, the value set for a used 2012 is likely based on a very small number sold of that model, so one or two high sale prices are gonna skew the number significantly. A used bike, end of riding season, priced at $10k? Not likely.

Spoken like a true Ducatisti.... I've always found it much easier to go bike shopping with other people's money, too!

^^^^ This ^^^ seems reasonable as long as 1) you're sure this is THE BIKE you want; and 2) you're sure that he is accurately representing the condition of the bike. Might want to get the VIN number from him and pay for a vehicle check on-line to make sure of it's history. Also, you might be able to have a local Duc dealer run the VIN for maintenance/repair/recall history as well. Good luck!