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Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net onto Ductalk |
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Ducati.net
This time of year there are a lot of “2012 Top Ten” lists and that got us thinking, what was the most significant thing that happened in the world of Ducati in 2012? Was it Rossi leaving? Audi buying? New models? All important and going forward these things will have a big impact on 2013 and beyond. But standing here, in 2012, looking back, it had to be Cook’s Last Ride…
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“Labor Day is a holiday observed that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers, who sometimes use that power to give a good guy what he deserves” (loosely borrowed from Wikipedia) Things weren’t working out the way he had planned. With a baby on the way, the due date looming, and no steady job in sight, Darin Fowler was facing some tough choices and it was pretty clear the only way out was to sell his Ducati Monster. He’d tried everything but when the local Ducati dealer offered to buy it outright he saw it was a favor he couldn’t pass up. The worst part was, like so many Ducati owners, the bike was a big part of his social life. He really loved being part of the Ducati family. Most of his friends were active in the local Ducati club, DesmOhio, and while it just wasn’t going to be the same without it, life was moving forward and maybe it was time to leave that part behind. So Darin man’d up, took the bike to Northern Ohio Ducati and tried hard not to look back. His friends weren’t helping much either, kept asking when he was getting another bike. Ninety days after he sold the Monster, now the proud father of a new baby daughter, the DesmOhio club President (and CycleCat owner), Chris Calovini, called him and said he’d found a cheap crashed 900 Supersport that had Darin’s name all over it and he had made a deal with the owner, who just wanted it out of his garage. Darin could pay him when he got the money. Darin couldn’t believe it. His reply? “Chris, I got laid off today”. For the rest of this story, click HERE Delete the scoop?
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There’s a quote that goes ”I like living on the edge. It’s less crowded and the view is better” Nowhere is that more fitting than the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. While riding up to the summit I decide that the difference between this event and the Isle of Man TT is that this race requires a level of commitment that the IOM does not. There is no run off, no room for error and even if you give yourself a wide margin , the mountain might take even that, by adding rain or snow or oil from a blown motor. If it goes wrong, and it did seven times on Sunday, the view changes dramatically. But get it right, you become King (or Queen) of the Mountain and you are literally, on top of the world... For the rest (and why they needed a snow plow), click HERE Delete the scoop?
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Held at a famous local private estate called the Penrose Mansion because of it’s history with the Pikes Peak Hillclimb event (the event was founded by the homes owner) we enter though an elaborate series of immaculate gardens. It’s true old fashioned glamour. For the rest of this blog post click HERE #ducatipikespeak Delete the scoop?
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Where does Nicky Hayden fit in 2013? His Ducati option is expired and he is free to talk to other teams, other series or, stay right where he is at if the moon and the stars align. He takes with him a large fan base, many of whom are in the USA. So the question is, if Nicky Hayden isn’t on a factory GP bike, is Ducati changing focus from the American market? How Ducati has arrived at this crossroads is clear and no question it’s complicated. There’s a saying in racing – “The first person you have to beat is your own team mate”. Well that’s not ideal if your team mate is the #1 rider on the Ducati Corse team and among a small handful of the most powerful men in motorcycle racing. In a year where Valentino Rossi wasn’t backed into an obvious professional corner things might be different and Nicky Hayden might have remained under the protective favor of VR46. But this year Valentino Rossi had enough to worry about and that left Nicky Hayden exposed. From a team perspective, with only so many spaces on factory bikes possible, Rossi approaching the end of his motorcycle racing career, it’s clear a younger future must be considered. Adding to the complication is the unfortunate fact that just about every gold standard rider’s contract expired this year. Decisions that might have waited until 2013 became 2012 issues. If they don’t get it right this year next year’s crop of available riders to pick from will be sparse. Finally, Rossi wields the Italian press like a bat to communicate what he wants from Ducati. Looking for balance in the garage to the largeness of superstar Rossi may have been the final straw. To read the rest click HERE Delete the scoop?
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Today we kick off a new Ductalk category - Vicki's View - where we share places and events seen thru the lens of Ductalk editor Vicki Smith. We thought we would start with Moto Corse Performance, the local independant race/tuner shop where Vicki lives and stopped by camera in hand recently. Literally stacked to the roof with rare, custom and special Ducati's, Bimota's and MV Agusta's, and NCR's, Moto Corse always has something interesting going on. Join us for Vicki's View, a walk thru Moto Corse Performance (LOTS more photos on the link) Photos - Vicki Smith Place - Fort Lauderdale, FL Camera - Nikon D7000 
Darrin Burdine's comment,
February 5, 2012 9:12 PM
OMG is this what heaven really looks like? Love it!
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It’s the number one question everybody asks when you get here, “Have you been on the mountain yet?” Today the answer was yes… The day started with a group ride from the hotel, a police escorted scoot across town that would have been the highlight of most peoples day if we weren’t headed to Pikes Peak. We gathered up at the gate and headed for a stop by the reservoir. Oddly, it’s from there, not the summit that you get the first grasp of how large this mountain is. The team is here and they show me where the finish is, pointing at a flat spot on the mountain crest far, far away and high overhead. It doesn’t even look like the same mountain, rather another one nearby. Greg Tracy and Carlin Dunne are planning to lead us to the summit and there’s a bar-b-que lunch after. For the rest click HERE Delete the scoop?
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It’s the number one question everybody asks when you get here, “Have you been on the mountain yet?” Today the answer was yes… The day started with a group ride from the hotel, a police escorted scoot across town that would have been the highlight of most peoples day if we weren’t headed to Pikes Peak. We gathered up at the gate and headed for a stop by the reservoir. Oddly, it’s from there, not the summit that you get the first grasp of how large this mountain is. The team is here and they show me where the finish is, pointing at a flat spot on the mountain crest far, far away and high overhead. It doesn’t even look like the same mountain, rather another one nearby. Greg Tracy and Carlin Dunne are planning to lead us to the summit and there’s a bar-b-que lunch after. For the rest click HERE Delete the scoop?
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Scooped by Vicki Smith for Ducati.net |
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Ductalk editor Vicki Smith was invited to bring her 1959 Ducati F3 racing bike, formerly owned by AMA Hall of Fame alumni and Daytona Superbike co-winner Phil Schilling, to the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Join me for a video of a very good day last August.......
ed. note - I swear, I'm not killing the clutch, it's geared REALLY tall and oh hey, I'm on a golf cart path :-)
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If you follow Ducati.net you know we are students of the history of the Ducati brand. There is no more important piece of American Ducati history than the Daytona Superbike win of Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling in 1977....