nooksack

Apoplectic

*MotoGP Spoiler Warning*

I just watched the MotoGP race in Portugal, and I'm still stumbling around the house in slack-jawed disbelief. Stop reading now if you don't want to be exposed to the biggest spoiler of the season: Dani Pedrosa crashed and took out Nicky Hayden, his championship leading team mate. As I saw Nicky tumbling through the gravel I screamed at the TV in the mindless, vain hope that reality could be bent back by sheer vocal force. Stephanie was upstairs and was convinced that only the Tivo exploding could have unleashed such verbal fury on a Sunday morning from her otherwise sedate husband.

I think the press clip that sums it up best is this:

A moment of stunned silence descended on the paddock as it tried to absorb what had just happened - Hayden, who has finished every other race this season, immediately rushed back to his broken bike to try and rejoin, but the damage was too great and all the apoplectic American could do was remove his helmet and scream in frustration while punching the ground with his fist. It must have taken every inch of Nicky's restraint to avoid inflicting similar blows on the young Spaniard, who appears to have broken a finger in the fall. It is no exaggeration to state that Pedrosa's moment of madness was one of the greatest mistakes ever seen in modern motorcycle grand prix racing.

I like that word "apoplectic". After the race I ran over to the computer to see what folks were saying on the forums, and I think this is the best line so far:

To Pull a Pedrosa:
Imagine a worst case scenario, then single-handedly achieve that scenario with one bone-headed stunt.

Track daze

After more than a year of procrastination I've finally pulled the trigger on another track day. This one is organized by 3J's and will be held at Sears Point (not to be called Infineon). I've never ridden there before, so I'm really excited to finally get the chance. The best part is that all proceeds from the event will benefit former AMA rider Vincent Haskovec, who had a career ending crash at this track last year. Vincent will there as will 6-time AMA champion Mat Mladin. Mat will be riding a new GSXR-750 that will be auctioned off later that evening. As of this writing there's still 22 spots left. I can't believe it's not sold out!

Anyway, I'm excited and a bit nervous. It should be a great time, but now I really need to get the SV back in shape, find a trailer or rent one from U-Hail again, and a million other things. Can't wait!

Product Music

O M G

This music just makes me want to consume! My favorite by far is Tractor Driving Man, although I wouldn't be caught dead on a Ford.

Moto Update

My work has moved to a new location, and my new commute pretty much sucks. Instead of a straight shot across the bridge, I now have to travel down one of the most hellish highways in the Bay Area all the way down to Santa Clara. After a couple of weeks of experimentation it looks like the early morning carpool lane on the motorcycle, combined with frequent telecommuting will be the best strategy.

Speaking of the motorcycles, I've been riding the Tuono pretty much exclusively. Other than a crack forming around the inlet of the exhaust can, there have been no major problems to report. I swapped the stock can back on, and I'm now contemplating whether to just leave it so or replace it with something like an Arrow, Leo Vince, or the default Akrapovic (pronounced “A-krap’-o-vich” apparently). It seems a shame to leave the stock boat anchor on an Italian motorcycle, but the truth is that this is a street bike. It's not a track bike, or a show piece, so there's no need to impress anyone. Also, my early morning starts have made a bit self-conscious of the noise I'm making in the neighborhood. Buuut, I'm interested in the Arrows because I heard them on our friend's Ducati at the MotoGP this year, and it had a nice low, mellow tone. Powerful, but not at all loud.

At any rate, that will have to wait since the moto repair budget is currently allocated to the Legend and the V-Strom. I ordered new clutch parts for the Strom in an attempt to alleviate its gronkiness. I'll be doing the work myself, because I just can't bring myself to trust a dealer with it. This procedure is pretty straightforward, as several other owners have performed it with success. However, some have had to do it more than once after the gronkiness returned.

Sorry, no news on the SV front. :^(

After all this is done, I need to plan a ride. I think I'm going a bit stir crazy.

Custom Ducati

Check out this amazing custom Ducati project. They're building a 999 from the ground up with both custom fabricated and top-shelf parts, and then wrapping it in custom carbon fiber Desmosedici body work to create a one-off MotoGP replica. My favorite quote:

"Why fork out 65 grand for a Desmosedici when you can .............. Never mind"