Have a Diavelishly Good Christmas

Here's wishing you all a Diavelishly good Christmas. The weather in SoCal is cooperating with temperatures in the mid-70's, so why not take the bike out for a mini-run?

Christmas decorations designed to be seen lighted, don't ever look quite right in the daytime, do they? The Diavel prefers this particular photo (left) if only to illustrate the diavelishness possible during the Christmas festivities.

This is how it went down. I drove around and most of the inflatable Santas and elves were deflated on lawns, so there weren't any good Christmas scenes to take photos of the bike with for the sake of the blog.

Looking north, toward the fire pit.

THEN it occurred to me that when I took the scooter back, before I parked it in the garage, I'd drive it around back and take some snapshots in the back yard. I have a pool fence, which ruins the view of the pool and spa, but it's likely that the grandkids will want to go swimming when they come over on Christmas after they open their presents and before supper. So I didn't take it down even for glory shots of the bike. And that says something about me being lazy or not vein enough or something - not sure what.

Yes the patio is wet. It rained last night and the deck hasn't dried out completely. We've been lucky in SoCal for the most part. It waits until night if it's going to rain. Luck, or maybe we're paying the 'weather tax' here?

Jet Bike

Log Item: This is the sort of jet bike that I have in mind. Sadly, the production units would seem to be unavailable at the moment and I'll have to content myself with the Diavel, which is the next best thing. However, when the Ducati jet bikes finally are realized, I urge people to drive more responsibly than they did in the video.

This Harley Davidson jet-powered bike might be a good interim
machine but it falls far short of the ideal.

Kawasaki's entry (right) into the jet bike market should be pushing Ducati - but I'm not feeling the love from Italy at the moment.

The need for more horsepower and the flexibility to pop over cars and trucks that pose a barrier on the highway is an important concept. It's embodied in the jet bike.

It's obvious (below) that the Suzuki jet bike has taken the concept and run with it. 

It gives a whole new meaning to the term, "rice rocket".

Old NFO meets the Devil

Log Item: Fellow blogger and famous author, Old NFO* joined me for lunch today as he transited through the Orange County, California Area on his way to do bigger and better things.

He received his official "I met the Devil and lived to tell about it" ball cap, which he wore proudly.

He took one look at the Devil and said, "What a Beast!" Most ladies take exception when referred to as a "beast" or a "monster", but the Devil takes it as her due.

We had a fun lunch and are looking forward to the next lunch in Texas, somewhere east of Amarillo. Will I rent a Harley to ride out to his dude ranch and gun range (From Denton, TX)? Maybe. I think that I should first look into renting a Ducati, if indeed they'd consent to parting with a locally rented Diavel for a day or two.

When he saw the Devil in her glory, his first comment was, "Oh, I see where you can mount the M-4". It makes perfect sense when you see the rig in person, but it's tough to explain on the blog. He commented that the California Highway Patrol and many municipal agencies have M-4 rifles or short stroke shotguns on their motorcycles, which is a fact. Jihadis avoid armed citizens.

*NFO=Naval Flight Officer. Old NFO and I are both retired officers from the World's Finest Navy. He was a brown shoe type, I was in the camo navy, but we all bleed navy    blue. He's retiring again from his post-retirement career. I still dabble with things but on the whole am a useless lay-about, surf and scooter bum, firearms enthusiast and adventure junky.

Maintenance Item: It's time to lube the chain again in about 50 miles, which means before I take the Devil out again. I try to keep it right at about 600 miles between lube and tension check.

Log Item: Driving out to meet Old NFO today, I had the Devil up in the carpool lane, had just shifted into 6th gear at about 95 mph and the scooter was at about 4K rpm with a red line at 12K rpm, which is to say that it was idling, and my love of the power and speed is - intoxicating. It's a lot like skydiving in that way. The speed is real, but it doesn't feel quite real. Maybe you have to be a motor head to appreciate that. But all you really want is more speed. 

When you're running the Devil, everyone wants to race you. Even cars...hahaha. Slow sleds. Sometimes guys on tractors (Harley D's) want to race as well. I usually don't unless I feel that they need a lesson in humility. 

Devil Sex

Log Item: I received a very nice e-mail from Bob Weaver, a new reader on "THE DIAVEL MADE ME DO IT". It made me think that while I extol the virtues of the Ducati Diavel (and point out its few weaknesses), I haven't posted photos of the total sex that oozes from the machine.

You sit well back from the handlebars, and there is a long fuel tank cover (the actual tank is under the cover) that you reach over. It's not at all a cafe bike or a classic sport bike. It is a performance cruiser without the cumbersome nature of traditional cruising machines.

And in this, it reminds me a bit of Bob's beloved KZ900 K-4, because of that general feel of the bike when you're sitting in the driver's seat. Naturally the seat is much more comfortable than the old 900 stock seat - times have changed. Riders demand comfort.

The instrument clusters and idiot lights are very easy to see and are very driver friendly. You can toggle between various items while riding and I don't find it particularly distracting. What you need is displayed, items such as distance to empty and air temp. are toggle items. Oil temp. is not a toggle item and the principal display keeps you informed of that at all times. 

The scooter has an oil cooler and the engine is water cooled. Ducati added the cooling elements with real panache. Gone are the old bolt-on intercoolers and flat, bulky radiators. They've made them part of the machine.

You would expect no less from Ducati.

I am not trying to sell Ducati machines, however because this is a blog that is dedicated to adventures on a Ducati Diavel, I have to tell you that six months after buying it, I only love it even more.

I am not one of those "look at me" types where I need a machine for validation. I wanted the machine to ride - my style of riding - for shorter jaunts of 0-5 or 6 hours. I'm not going across country packing a suitcase and gear. I ride for the joy of the meld of man and machine. I like to feel the power but I also love the feel of the machine, which handles impeccably. (Ducati reputation)

Hot Dog Run

Log Item: I believe that there are three great eating cities in America - Chicago, New Orleans and San Francisco. Whatever else you may think of the cities, the food there is distinctive and very good over all. The only place to get a hot dog in my opinion is Chicago and so it was that the motorcycle wanted a hot dog for lunch. I went with the program, and since it was too distant and too cold to make a Chicago run, I settled for a hot dog from Portillo's in Buena Park (near Knott's Berry Farm).

The weather was perfect for a motorcycle ride. Brisk enough but not cold. Which means that while it wasn't perfect beach weather, it was perfect for a motorcycle ride along the beach, after I fortified myself with a hot dog.

You'll note that I took a bite out of the hot dog before I photographed it. A Chicago dog is a hot dog with mustard, relish, tomatoes and a pickle on a kaiser style hot dog roll. The I eat the green peppers and pickle separately. I don't know why I do that, I just do.

And if you're going to have a hot dog, why not a few onion rings? Why the heck not? You can off-set it with a Diet Coke instead of a regular Coke. Can't you?

Then the run from Buena Park to Long Beach outbound and Pacific Coast Highway back south all the way through Surf City USA (Huntington Beach), Newport Beach and Laguna, up Crown Valley Parkway through Laguna Niguel (or Laguna Nigel...)

All in all, it was a good run for the scooter and burned the better part of a tank of gasoline. I have to forestall global cooling and I think that I did my part today by burning fossil fuel.

Surfin Devil

Log Item: I sat at my desk and needed to do some work but the cobwebs kept me from being creatively brilliant (which is why they pay me). Solution: Road Trip! More particularly, a run along the coast between Newport Beach and Long Beach. The weather was perfect, the traffic was light and the breeze refreshed.

Along the way I decided that I needed a shave and a haircut.  There is a barber who has an open-air shop right above the surf line and offers a straight-edge razor cut, which is to my preference. There is nothing better than a full service hair cut in Korea. However one must make do with what is available and this is not bad. Chair massage, shampoo, haircut, hot towel, soap up, shave, followed by a walk to a joint that serves killer tacos. 

While I ate tacos and drank a Diet Coke, some of the locals hung around the Diavel, which is not uncommon. I'm more accustomed to it now than I was when I bought it. The front brakes seemed to be one of the points of focus.

Now, I'm back at my desk, ready to apply the genius unleashed by the Devil...and the surf.

Cook's Corner Bar

Log Item: Cook's Corner Bar was constructed in 1884, which may make it one of the oldest bars in Orange County. It clearly pre-dates motorcycles. It's the best known motorcycle bar in Orange County. Depending on when you go, there will be various and sundry gucci bikers (accountants and lawyers on expensive dressed Harley Davidsons) and there may also be gang bikers on rat bikes. 

I first went to Cook's Corner when I rode with the Hessians Motorcycle Club (gang) in the early 1990's after I returned from the First Gulf War. The Hessians showed up every Wednesday for dollar beer, free spaghetti and a wet t-shirt contest. The first time I was there, I was selected to judge the wet t-shirt contest. Which only goes to show that the management of Cook's Corner Bar have excellent taste in judges.

Today I made the jaunt there for lunch and to check the place out.  There is almost something "wrong" with going to Cook's on a Ducati. I can't define it more closely than that. The staff served me despite the fact that I had a full face helmet and rode a Ducati Diavel, which shows that they're open minded. Unlike homosexuals, I don't think that they have to sell to people who ride Italian bikes. We should be a protected class that gets free cheese and Obamaphones, but we're not.

The Devil, parked at Cook's Corner

I ate my hamburger (5 on a 10 scale) there on the patio. After lunch, I made a detour down Silverado Canyon Road - through the old mining town of Silverado. Even though people relate Orange County, California to Disneyland, Angel Stadium and the beach cities, there is an interesting history behind the rivers that were mined for silver and some hard rock mines as well. 

Such is the nature of Silverado, a town that winds with the river for about five miles. It's a narrow canyon road with homes on each side and one small market, now out of businesses and in disrepair. There is a cafe, which I stopped at some time ago. When I drove by it today there was one Harley Davidson motorcycle parked there with a dirtbag biker sitting on the porch.

The town was established in 1878, just a few years before Cook's Corner Bar (about five miles away as the buzzard flies) was built. Remnants of mining operations such as the Blue Light Mine are still scattered in the area. Timber was harvested for use by the railroad. Coal was mined near by. Ancient sea life fossils can be found within the sandstone cliffs in the area. During Spanish rule, the canyon was visited by Spanish explorers and was known by the name Cañada de la Madera (Timber Canyon). The needs of the mines took all of the old growth timber. Eventually Silverado Canyon Road turns from a two lane paved road into a Forrest Service dirt road. If I wanted to take the dirt road into the Cleveland National Forrest, the roads would dump me out next to where I live.  I opted to stay on hardball. 

Diavel Gender

Log Item: Early July - I haven't been logging a lot of miles. Most of my Ducati riding has been local and spontaneous. I want to pop out to dinner or need a morning run to clear my head, I shift some gears and let the engine roar. By the way, I've decided that my Ducati is female:

• Since I am certain that the devil is a woman and my Diavel is called 'the devil', it was my first hint.

• The motorcycle wants to be pampered. It want's the chain cleaned, it wants custom paint, it want to be dusted off. You get it.

•  If I park it, men gather round it and look at it.

• Women are expensive, as was the Diavel.

• There is a class of driving that the Diavel just seems to enjoy more. The secret is finding out how that works and the bike is never going to tell you what gets it going.

 Log Item: I'm not much of a club guy and I don't know if this will work or not, but I found a bunch of Ducati riders locally. It might be worth a shot. I don't know that I meet the standard demographic for a Ducati rider/owner in Southern California, but it might be fun to touch base. I don't expect women to belong to the riding club. Ducatis are jealous and the group is bound to be a sausage fest.

P. S. I was accepted into the group.

This is a gathering place for all Ducati enthusiasts from the Foothills of San Gabriel Valley to the Inland Empire. Our mission is to learn, educate and ride our Ducati with fellow Ducatistas. Events will consists of bi-weekly meets, group rides, BBQs, MotoGP viewing parties and tech days. Please stay tuned for updates and events as we are still in our infancy state.

Stealth or Color?

Log Item: I've been giving some thought to doing a custom paint job on the bike, but it's difficult to improve on flat black. There is something about a stealth bike that defies color. A Confederate flag paint scheme appeals to me, but there are a lot of people out there these days who are dissatisfied with the War of Northern Aggression and might feel justified in keying my bike if I took that step.

You see Harley Davidsons with the Confederate Battle Flag painted on them all the time, but not Ducatis. I don't know if there is a mindset that I'm missing here?

Since I am not from the Southern US, there is really no need to put a Confederate flag on my motorcycle except to screw with "progressives" who either take exception or would rather forget the War of the Rebellion.

I have also thought of decorating the tank with a tasteful bronze lion rampant, or perhaps an eagle, but no matter what I come up with, I hate to mar the flat black perfection.

Tools

Log Item: I now have a Kydex sheath for my kukri, and it's looped to hold the knife parallel to my belt. Thus, I can ride and it rests above the back seat comfortably. When I get off the bike, the kukri gets off the bike too. Yes, it's a left hand draw set-up (left hand, knuckles in, lift the blade) because the handgun gets the strong-hand.

I ordered the sheath from friends in Katmandu, Nepal, and they made it specially for my application. In the top photo, you see the Kydex sheath and the three chirra kukri. (11 inch high carbon steel blade, 18 inches overall length, blade width at the top of the fuller is 3/16 inch)

In the photo below, you will note that the knife is being drawn from the sheath. The top breaks open as you draw the knife to allow for a very clean draw forward or upward. Getting it right with the Nepalese was important, because a standard kukri sheath holds the knife far more loosely to allow the angle to clear the top of the sheath.

It's a good motorcycle knife for benign carry in an increasingly hostile and angry world. If people get too upset over the knife, I'll convert and become a Sikh (thus an oppressed minority). Sikhs are allowed to carry knives as part of their faith - even in Canada. Could I fit a turban under my motorcycle helmet? I'd rather not try. The Canadians will allow Sikhs to wear knives but refuse to allow them to wear turbans in lieu of a motorcycle helmet. Then again, I'm not in Canada.

Running GMR

Vintage Ducati (with real Italians)

Log Item: It's summer and I just got back from another run on the scooter. This was a short one with the goal of taking some sharp turns on a winding road not far from home, but there was a lot of traffic and I ended up being jammed into it with a double yellow line and no practical way out. I've been back to  Palomar Mountain Road. Another guy did a YouTube Video of the run on a Diavel with the inevitable crash along the way. There are a lot of squids (new riders) on the road who over-drive their bikes. I didn't take photos on this run mainly because I was by myself. Will snap a few for the blog on the next run. I've also done San Gabriel Canyon Road (Azuza Canyon) and the GMR (Glendora Mountain Road), which are SoCal landmarks for guys who want to take their bikes out and run some curves.

I'm becoming a lot more comfortable on the bike as I ride it on some challenging street routes. It's not a classic sport bike (heavier, higher center of gravity) but it keeps up for the most part with the boys on their cafe racers.

Log Item: Service recommendations call for checking the clutch throwout bearing every 5,000 miles or 6 months.  I decided to jump the gun because I had time on my hands and it was early morning and cool. I removed the pressure plate (and the 6 screws and springs holding it on) and felt the bearing for smooth operation. All good. Then again, the bike is nearly new.

While I was into it, I cleaned the end of the pushrod and the cup that it rests in. (Neglecting to do this can lead to damage to your clutch slave cylinder). I blew out the clutch with CO2 (compressed air works but I only have CO2 at the house - used for off-road operation of air tools and for airing up tires) to get all the dust out. I retorqued my clutch screws to 8 ft-lbs and - mischief managed.

Old School

Log Item: I just recently read that factory suggested top end speed for carrying a passenger on the back of a Diavel is 180 km/h (112 mp/h). I haven't been that fast with a passenger on, but I wonder why they put that suggested limit on it.  At 95 mp/h, carrying a passenger, the scooter, which just shifted into 6th gear, pulls about 5K RPM and the red line is at 12K...

I don't think that many Diavel drivers ride two-up. But I find the suggested limit just a bit anemic.






Log Item: Insomnia - I went out for a midnight ride because the world looks and smells different at night. There is a lot of night blooming jasmine where I live and it imparts an exotic smell. The same is true for eucalyptus trees and a number of other plants that spread their pheromones after sunset.

When you do that, you need to wear clear glasses and let the lift the helmet  visor all the way up so that you can take in everything. There are the sprinklers renewing lawns, the sweeper vehicles working on strip mall pavement, and the night sky. The wonder of the night sky. The distinctive sound of the engine's purr.

I bought my first motorcycle when I was fifteen years old and there are a number of things that hooked me on bikes. If you've never ridden, you'll never understand. There is a sense of freedom  and a swell of euphoria that accompanies a ride. For me, the intoxication of a night ride is always more profound.

When I came back from the ride and tumbled into bed, I slept like a baby.

Battery Maintenance

Not my hand
I was too lazy to go out to the bike, pop the
seat and take a photo, so I found one on the
Internet. Such is the nature of the world.

Log Item: I ride the Diavel enough that keeping the battery charged and cycled is not an issue, but it's never a bad idea to have a trickle charger on the acid box. Ducati was kind enough to build a connection into the motorcycle where you can just plug in. (see photo, right)

And if that was all that there was to it, I would be happy. But I'm not, because Ducati charges $250 + tax (and in California, it feels like another $250 for tax) for a trickle charger that should cost far less.

Thus the search began for a trickle charger that would be compatible with the Ducati system and power interface.

My first stop was Revzilla, since everything is on-line. I e-mailed them and asked them to do the research for me and let me know what is best for my purposes.

They recommended the "Battery Tender Junior HE", available from them for $36.00, and they offered free shipping.

The Battery Tender Junior High Efficiency is much more than a trickle charger. It has a brain. It's lightweight, compact, and fully automatic; very easy to use, especially in small spaces. It will keep your battery fully charged so that it is ready to go when you are. I think that I will go with the $36.00 solution.

Log Item: I've been riding the Diavel, but as temperatures top 95+, it's simply easier to step into the Raptor (air conditioned seats) and roll that way. The bike is designed to handle the heat and you know that it's getting hot when the fan on the oil cooler kicks in.  There is a sweet spot for riding bikes - somewhere between 60 and 90.  I rode over Hwy 241 today and it was 102. I opened the face of the helmet to get more air blowing into the brain bucket. A friend told me that it was 122 in Yuma, which is par for the summer there. No, I have no plans to ride to Yuma in the summer - not even at night when the temps drop to 110.

Then and Now

Straw Poll: Should I take the two-up tandem set up off temporarily and return the Ducati to the stock one rider configuration or leave it as is? Dare I weather the wrath of a daughter?

Log Item: Can you spot the differences between the old Diavel and the new Diavel. It's interesting (if only to Ducati drivers, when two devils meet.

2012 Diavel (left) 2015 Diavel (right)

Crib Note: Most of the differences are in the engine (new for 2013).

Taking it Tactical (Part 2)

Ducati Monster - I've thought of doing something like this with a Diavel, transforming it from stock into a bike with a more promising military application.

Am I going to cut up my Diavel? No. I'm going to scour the local junk yards for a wreck to rebuild.

UK - Tactical

Their motto is that "you meet the nicest people on a Honda...

British Army, Royal Signals Corps on Honda R250's in Iraq

US Entry to Tactical Motorcycles

USMC, keeping it real, preparing for deployment to Iraq

The US Marine Corps' HDT M103M1 uses the chassis, a few engine components and all the internal transmission parts of the Kawasaki KLR650. The difference comes with the fuel. This is a diesel /JP-8 motorcycle. It is sluggish, but it gets nearly 100 miles per gallon

Answer to the Mystery Question from "Taking it Tactical (Part 1), the motorcycle below is a Honda Goldwing.

Taking it Tactical (Part 1)

Ducati Monster (Diesel/JP-8)

Today, we're going to look at the Ducati entry, taking the place of the venerable Moto Guzzi in Italian service. 

This Ducati Monster XL - Diesel is designed for long range military service - with a loss of some performance, but no loss of style.

Do I want one? 

Let me put it this way, I think that I need one, but I don't know what I'd use it for -- however I could think of something.

Serbian Special Police Unit "SAJ"

Serbian Police fire while riding a Suzuki Gixer (GSX)

Specijalna Antiteroristička Jedinica Team B trains their counterterrorism operators in rapid assault while riding a motorcycle, however I question the tactical advisability of standing while shooting simply because it makes you a much larger target. Maybe the Serbians have enough spare operators where the loss of a few isn't a big deal? Maybe they're using the Suzuki because they are expendable? That would make sense.

MYSTERY QUESTION: The motorcycle below is based on which motorcycle? - post your answer here. The mystery will be revealed on "Taking it Tactical" Part 2.

Yes, it's one of those fantasy scooters. Their hearts are in the right place but dual mini guns are not optimal use of a motorcycle. I'm not a hater, though. I do like the look of the bike. I'd just like it a whole lot better if they were slapping them on a Ducati. That's a hint. It's not a Ducati.

Keeping it real with a tomahawk.

Ducati Streetfighter

Modified for military use

US Army guys rolling heavy in armor. Wouldn't you respect them more if they were riding on Ducati Streetfighters as part of a rapid strike force? Yeah, me too.

Riding Notes

Log Item: A few riding notes on the Ducati Diavel. I've been riding the Devil almost every day for about two months and have a few things to report. I don't have any gripes on the bike, but there are a few things to discuss.

2015 Ducati Diavel

(1) There is power from the line all the way to red line. There are no lags. For those of you who ride bikes like Harley Davidsons, there is no 'roll on power'. Even the HD V-Rods have that characteristic. With the Devil you have as much power at your fingertips as you want.

The power curve is not unlike a V-Max. The V-Max is as fast as the Diavel but it weighs 200 lbs more and is a shaft drive bike. The V-Max has a much higher center of gravity and doesn't corner all that well at slower speeds (haters, have at me but I've been there and done that). The Diavel allows the rider to sit lower on the bike and is much easier to maneuver.

(2) The throttle requires a twist. It's not a tight throttle, which is a good thing for everyday riding. There is all the power that you need/want, but you must twist the throttle a bit to get it to scream. 

(3) There are three riding settings and you can switch between them on the fly: Urban (100 HP), tuned down for people who may be intimidated by the bike; Touring (162 HP Low); different shift ratios and different traction control than; Sport (162 HP High). I keep it on Sport because the bike is "happier" in that setting. It simply runs truer to design.

This means that the bike is very malleable in terms of "riding it the way YOU are most comfortable". Though why one would buy a Diavel and not keep it in Sport Mode is beyond me. 

(4) Since it's not a sport bike with a wind deflector and a faring (it's a naked bike) and you are sitting up, they way that you would on any cruiser, there is wind pressure, which increases as you pass about 90 mph and makes it a bit uncomfortable. My Puig motorcycle windscreen is somewhere between Spain and here. I think that will help a great deal on trips where freeway speeds are somewhere between 75 and 85.  

(5) The bike is rated for 170 mph and I have no doubt that it will do that off the showroom floor without modifications. I don't know what you'd do in order to modify it to squeeze out more horsepower, but perhaps it's the wrong bike for you if you need to go faster. 

The Panigale R has 205 HP and weighs 150 lbs less than the Diavel. It will easily top 200 mph.

Log Item: This is an interesting account. He should have been riding a Ducati.