The state of California gives you 10 days from the date of sale to the time you must report new ownership (and pay the government). Today was 9 days, so I figured I should get that taken care of before I had to pay the government even more money in late fees.
Headed into the DMV at 7:45, 15 minutes before they open. In retrospect, I could have made an appointment but I lucked out and the wait wasn't long at all. 15 minutes after 8, I walked out with a new registration card in my name (and $180 less in my bank account). The new title is supposed to be mailed to me in about 3-6 weeks. Now we play the waiting game...
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Cruisin'
I'd been itching all week, so when I went out on Friday and my good friend Julius suggested a Sunday ride/drive, I couldn't resist. Julius has been my driving partner since I've had my M3. He's owned two s2000's (the first one met an unfortunate end on a rainy day in San Francisco) and drives relatively conservatively, so I was happy to go with him on a jaunt to the Malibu canyons.
We took PCH to Kanan Dume to the Mulholland lookout point just east of Kanan Dume. Enjoyed the view, took a few snapshots, and headed back the way we came.
The ride was great - mostly sunny, 70 degrees. Following some advice I found online, I worked on using my legs and abs to keep my weight off of my wrists, which prevented the pain I experienced during my very first ride. I also got more comfortable with higher speeds, starting to lean into some 50+ mph sweepers on Kanan Dume.
Two hours later, I pulled into my driveway and kind of wished for more, but I had other commitments, so the bike got locked up and covered for another day.
Time: 2 hours
Miles: 55
We took PCH to Kanan Dume to the Mulholland lookout point just east of Kanan Dume. Enjoyed the view, took a few snapshots, and headed back the way we came.
The ride was great - mostly sunny, 70 degrees. Following some advice I found online, I worked on using my legs and abs to keep my weight off of my wrists, which prevented the pain I experienced during my very first ride. I also got more comfortable with higher speeds, starting to lean into some 50+ mph sweepers on Kanan Dume.
Two hours later, I pulled into my driveway and kind of wished for more, but I had other commitments, so the bike got locked up and covered for another day.
Time: 2 hours
Miles: 55
Friday, May 18, 2007
Night Ride
I've been itching to take the Duke out all this week, but work's been crazy, so when I was actually home before 10pm last night I decided to go for it.
First hurdle: getting the bike out of my driveway. As I mentioned last time, our driveway is pretty sloped. Fortunately, the bike is much smaller than a car, and I can actually disengage the clutch almost fully before I even hit the uphill.
As it was 10pm, there was basically no traffic around my neighborhood, so I just cruised the streets for a bit. Our neighborhood has a plentiful supply of stop signs, so I got to practice 1st gear/2nd gear/neutral/stop quite a bit.
I didn't feel as solid on the bike as I did on Sunday, but I chalk it up to being tired from work and feeling nervous because it was nighttime. I also felt bad about maybe waking some neighbors up with my nice loud exhaust. I called it quits pretty early, but still got some reasonable riding time in. I pulled up onto the sidewalk and managed to back my bike down the driveway incline and park it right where I wanted to.
My bike cover came in the mail, after making a detour to Hawaii. I pulled it out and put it on my bike to keep the dust off. It fits very well and the bungee cords go underneath my bike and through the front wheel. I wasn't sure how I could make it work with my alarm, tho. I could probably lock it and pull the cover over the lock as it's arming, but to take the lock off, I'd surely bump it with the cover. The lock's motion sensing feature is mighty sensitive, and I couldn't figure out a good way to use both the lock and cover, so I ended up taking the alarm out of the lock (it disengages using a provided alan wrench) and just locking my bike up with the cover on, but no alarm.
Verdicts:
1. As long as I park the bike facing the street, getting out isn't a problem, even with both Corey's and my car there.
2. Even with both cars in the driveway, it's not particularly difficult to back the bike down our driveway.
Miles: 3
Time: 15 mins
First hurdle: getting the bike out of my driveway. As I mentioned last time, our driveway is pretty sloped. Fortunately, the bike is much smaller than a car, and I can actually disengage the clutch almost fully before I even hit the uphill.
As it was 10pm, there was basically no traffic around my neighborhood, so I just cruised the streets for a bit. Our neighborhood has a plentiful supply of stop signs, so I got to practice 1st gear/2nd gear/neutral/stop quite a bit.
I didn't feel as solid on the bike as I did on Sunday, but I chalk it up to being tired from work and feeling nervous because it was nighttime. I also felt bad about maybe waking some neighbors up with my nice loud exhaust. I called it quits pretty early, but still got some reasonable riding time in. I pulled up onto the sidewalk and managed to back my bike down the driveway incline and park it right where I wanted to.
My bike cover came in the mail, after making a detour to Hawaii. I pulled it out and put it on my bike to keep the dust off. It fits very well and the bungee cords go underneath my bike and through the front wheel. I wasn't sure how I could make it work with my alarm, tho. I could probably lock it and pull the cover over the lock as it's arming, but to take the lock off, I'd surely bump it with the cover. The lock's motion sensing feature is mighty sensitive, and I couldn't figure out a good way to use both the lock and cover, so I ended up taking the alarm out of the lock (it disengages using a provided alan wrench) and just locking my bike up with the cover on, but no alarm.
Verdicts:
1. As long as I park the bike facing the street, getting out isn't a problem, even with both Corey's and my car there.
2. Even with both cars in the driveway, it's not particularly difficult to back the bike down our driveway.
Miles: 3
Time: 15 mins
Saturday, May 12, 2007
First Ride
After several weeks of negotiation, I purchased my bike today. I really should have started recording this stuff earlier, since there's a lot of planning that goes into this kind of purchase, but I'm going to save that for a later date (or maybe I'll back-date some posts). Either way, here's how today broke down:
I was buying the bike from a guy who lives in Simi Valley. I live in Santa Monica, about an hour away. The first step was getting a ride from my roommate up to the guy's storage unit where the bike was. We met up and he had the bike in the parking lot. He and I filled out the paperwork and exchanged money. I paid for the bike full in cash. Have you ever touted several grand of bills around? Yeah, it was a new experience for me, but I found that it fit reasonably well into a normal US postal envelope. As for paperwork:
He detached, filled out, and signed his Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. He will send this into the DMV and from there on out, any traffic violations or parking tickets will become my responsibility. For more details, the California DMV site is here.
Then we both signed the title, indicating what the current mileage was (roughly 17,000). On the back, I filled out my address and information. I have 10 days from the date of sale to take this into the DMV and pay sales tax and registration fees and then the bike will be legally transferred into my name.
With all that taken care of, I donned my protective gear (helmet, jacket, gloves) and he showed me how to start up the bike. I knew the basics, but the Ducati's engine kill switch, when pushed into the "Start" position, sends power to the fuel pump. Make sure you do that before you start up the bike. After that, just push the starter and she should fire right up. A little twist of the throttle if need be, and make sure the oil light goes out. If it stays on for more than 10 seconds, you should shut the bike off and figure out the problem.
One thing worth noting here is that my bike will not start unless the kickstand is up and the bike is in Neutral. I have no qualms with this, but I guess some people like to just start with the clutch in? If you want to bypass the sidestand check there are products from companies like Evoluzione that can help you out.
So back to my experience. Now I'm on this beast of a bike, with my only previous experience on a 250cc in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, which took place in a parking lot. Fortunately, I remembered most of the drills we went through, and the very first one was just learning how to engage the clutch, give it a bit of gas, and get going from a standstill.
Unfortunately, the parking lot for the storage facility was very small. I ended up just being able to get going before I'd have to hit the brakes, stop, and slowly make a u-turn to go back the other way. The bike was very stable once it was moving, so that instilled a lot of confidence. The clutch itself has a very short distance between fully engaged and fully disengaged, which could be a problem for some people, but I'm used to the same feel in my car (1995 BMW M3).
After several passes of start/stop/u-turn, the gas light came on, so it was time to take my new baby out on the road and fill 'er up. I got directions to the nearest gas station and prepared to step out into traffic. Simi Valley at 2pm on a Saturday wasn't particularly crowded and the streets are pretty wide, so I didn't have much trouble. One left turn, two stoplights, and a right turn and I pulled into the gas station.
Turns out gassing your bike is way different from gassing your car. Yeah yeah, big surprise. Basic steps are the same: shut off the engine, turn the key to "off." Now take off your gloves and helmet. DON'T sit on your bike when you're fueling, unless you enjoy a crotchful of gasoline. I certainly don't. I had an issue getting the automatic shutoff valve not to stop the flow of fuel. With only a 4.5 gallon tank, my bike is more like filling one of those red portable gas canisters than filling a car.
Well, topped off on fuel and resuited up for the road, I took to the street. Two right turns later I found a residential area with wide streets and no traffic. I cruised around, practicing shifts to second and third, stop signs and clutching, and finding neutral from first before I came to a stop. Conveniently, I happened across a school parking lot, where I was able to work on some of the turning manuevers that we learned in MSF. I circled around there, both left and right, for a while, then did some more stopping and starting.
After that I started to head for the freeway, but ended up in the wrong lane of traffic and missed the turn. I'm not used to the limited visibility the motorcycle mirrors afford and was too nervous to attempt even a slightly sudden lane change. This worked out in my favor, as I ended up in an industrial area, which had a maze-like series of parking lots. I zoomed around there practicing left and right turns keeping the throttle steady. I also got a change to see what speed bumps are like. As long as you slow down and lift a little on the footpegs there's no problem at all.
I took a brief break in the shade to rest my wrists. The forward riding position wears on you after a while. I got off the bike and stretched my legs and wrists for a little bit before heading out for the freeway again. I found a good open stretch of road with no cars that had a 50mph speed limit and was able to work my way up to higher speeds. I found the onramp and... deep breath... my first freeway ride.
Turns out 65 mph isn't really that scary on a sportbike. As it was a Saturday afternoon, traffic was light so I didn't have to worry too much. I hung mostly in the slow lane, riding very conservatively, but flexing my abs and using my legs against the tank to take some of the weight off my wrists. A nice long freeway jaunt later, I got off at Kanan Dume to take the canyon road through Malibu instead of the dreaded traffic on the 405 south. I think this was an excellent choice. Kanan Dume is a well-paved wide canyon road with many passing opportunities so I wasn't going to hold anyone up. I worked on making smooth turns and keeping a nice constant throttle. Man, my bike makes a real holler through those tunnels, tho!
The Pacific Coast highway was more of the same. It was great to taste the salty sea air and you couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I hit some minimal traffic at the Santa Monica Incline, but nothing too bad.
I got home, and managed to get the bike down my driveway. My and my roommate have tandem parking, with the first spot covered by the first floor of our apartment, and the second spot on and incline. My M3 will scrape if I'm not careful, so that gives you some idea of how steep the incline was. My car was parked on the street and Corey was out, so I was able to pull in nose first and turn the bike around in the bottom spot without any trouble. I pulled out my new Xena lock and locked the front hub, then went inside to relax for the day.
Miles: 65
Time: 4 hours
I was buying the bike from a guy who lives in Simi Valley. I live in Santa Monica, about an hour away. The first step was getting a ride from my roommate up to the guy's storage unit where the bike was. We met up and he had the bike in the parking lot. He and I filled out the paperwork and exchanged money. I paid for the bike full in cash. Have you ever touted several grand of bills around? Yeah, it was a new experience for me, but I found that it fit reasonably well into a normal US postal envelope. As for paperwork:
He detached, filled out, and signed his Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability. He will send this into the DMV and from there on out, any traffic violations or parking tickets will become my responsibility. For more details, the California DMV site is here.
Then we both signed the title, indicating what the current mileage was (roughly 17,000). On the back, I filled out my address and information. I have 10 days from the date of sale to take this into the DMV and pay sales tax and registration fees and then the bike will be legally transferred into my name.
With all that taken care of, I donned my protective gear (helmet, jacket, gloves) and he showed me how to start up the bike. I knew the basics, but the Ducati's engine kill switch, when pushed into the "Start" position, sends power to the fuel pump. Make sure you do that before you start up the bike. After that, just push the starter and she should fire right up. A little twist of the throttle if need be, and make sure the oil light goes out. If it stays on for more than 10 seconds, you should shut the bike off and figure out the problem.
One thing worth noting here is that my bike will not start unless the kickstand is up and the bike is in Neutral. I have no qualms with this, but I guess some people like to just start with the clutch in? If you want to bypass the sidestand check there are products from companies like Evoluzione that can help you out.
So back to my experience. Now I'm on this beast of a bike, with my only previous experience on a 250cc in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, which took place in a parking lot. Fortunately, I remembered most of the drills we went through, and the very first one was just learning how to engage the clutch, give it a bit of gas, and get going from a standstill.
Unfortunately, the parking lot for the storage facility was very small. I ended up just being able to get going before I'd have to hit the brakes, stop, and slowly make a u-turn to go back the other way. The bike was very stable once it was moving, so that instilled a lot of confidence. The clutch itself has a very short distance between fully engaged and fully disengaged, which could be a problem for some people, but I'm used to the same feel in my car (1995 BMW M3).
After several passes of start/stop/u-turn, the gas light came on, so it was time to take my new baby out on the road and fill 'er up. I got directions to the nearest gas station and prepared to step out into traffic. Simi Valley at 2pm on a Saturday wasn't particularly crowded and the streets are pretty wide, so I didn't have much trouble. One left turn, two stoplights, and a right turn and I pulled into the gas station.
Turns out gassing your bike is way different from gassing your car. Yeah yeah, big surprise. Basic steps are the same: shut off the engine, turn the key to "off." Now take off your gloves and helmet. DON'T sit on your bike when you're fueling, unless you enjoy a crotchful of gasoline. I certainly don't. I had an issue getting the automatic shutoff valve not to stop the flow of fuel. With only a 4.5 gallon tank, my bike is more like filling one of those red portable gas canisters than filling a car.
Well, topped off on fuel and resuited up for the road, I took to the street. Two right turns later I found a residential area with wide streets and no traffic. I cruised around, practicing shifts to second and third, stop signs and clutching, and finding neutral from first before I came to a stop. Conveniently, I happened across a school parking lot, where I was able to work on some of the turning manuevers that we learned in MSF. I circled around there, both left and right, for a while, then did some more stopping and starting.
After that I started to head for the freeway, but ended up in the wrong lane of traffic and missed the turn. I'm not used to the limited visibility the motorcycle mirrors afford and was too nervous to attempt even a slightly sudden lane change. This worked out in my favor, as I ended up in an industrial area, which had a maze-like series of parking lots. I zoomed around there practicing left and right turns keeping the throttle steady. I also got a change to see what speed bumps are like. As long as you slow down and lift a little on the footpegs there's no problem at all.
I took a brief break in the shade to rest my wrists. The forward riding position wears on you after a while. I got off the bike and stretched my legs and wrists for a little bit before heading out for the freeway again. I found a good open stretch of road with no cars that had a 50mph speed limit and was able to work my way up to higher speeds. I found the onramp and... deep breath... my first freeway ride.
Turns out 65 mph isn't really that scary on a sportbike. As it was a Saturday afternoon, traffic was light so I didn't have to worry too much. I hung mostly in the slow lane, riding very conservatively, but flexing my abs and using my legs against the tank to take some of the weight off my wrists. A nice long freeway jaunt later, I got off at Kanan Dume to take the canyon road through Malibu instead of the dreaded traffic on the 405 south. I think this was an excellent choice. Kanan Dume is a well-paved wide canyon road with many passing opportunities so I wasn't going to hold anyone up. I worked on making smooth turns and keeping a nice constant throttle. Man, my bike makes a real holler through those tunnels, tho!
The Pacific Coast highway was more of the same. It was great to taste the salty sea air and you couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I hit some minimal traffic at the Santa Monica Incline, but nothing too bad.
I got home, and managed to get the bike down my driveway. My and my roommate have tandem parking, with the first spot covered by the first floor of our apartment, and the second spot on and incline. My M3 will scrape if I'm not careful, so that gives you some idea of how steep the incline was. My car was parked on the street and Corey was out, so I was able to pull in nose first and turn the bike around in the bottom spot without any trouble. I pulled out my new Xena lock and locked the front hub, then went inside to relax for the day.
Miles: 65
Time: 4 hours
What's this all about?
Against my better judgement (and the advice of just about anyone I talked to) I bought a Ducati 748 as my first motorcycle.
I want a place that I can store all my experiences, good and bad, for me to look back and reminisce. Maybe some other poor fool will be able to look here for advice on maintenance, a good ride in SoCal, or advice on your first bike. Since it's going to be a learning experience for me, I figure I can at least share that knowledge with others.
I want a place that I can store all my experiences, good and bad, for me to look back and reminisce. Maybe some other poor fool will be able to look here for advice on maintenance, a good ride in SoCal, or advice on your first bike. Since it's going to be a learning experience for me, I figure I can at least share that knowledge with others.
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