On Wednesday we made a Virginian from Daleville very happy when we sold him our Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled Fasthouse. From the moment he jumped down from his Ford F-150, he couldn’t stop smiling as he looked at the motorcycle. He even said, “I don’t need to ride it; I want it.” The transaction took half an hour, and we found ourselves the owner of only three motorcycles but not for long. We have a buyer set up for my little BMW G 310 GS for this Wednesday. I’ve been thinking about these two motorcycles and my experiences on both. I find myself sadder about losing the 310 than the Scrambler.
The 310 was my first motorcycle bought a week after I passed the MSF course. It has a 313 cc engine with only 33 HP and 28 NM of torque, so it is not a power motorcycle or a bike one blows out at the track. The engine has a purr to it, and from my experience, I have to say it is a great motorcycle for developing riding skills. It was light enough for me to haul up and save from a drop (385 pounds dry). The friction zone is a challenge to learn, but on a beginner bike, I think that’s a good thing. The skills I learned finessing the friction zone on the 310 transferred to both the Ducati and the R Nine T, meaning I didn’t stall the motorcycle much.
The 310 is also a relatively gentle motorcycle; even when I rolled a little too strongly on the throttle, I never felt as though I would fly off the back of the bike. The Ducati several times tried to throw me off the back. Please don’t misunderstand; that is a thrilling feeling especially if you’ve held on! That was my experience on both the Scrambler and at times the R Nine T. I loved it. I enjoyed the 73 HP and 48.8 NM of torque; it made me feel more like I was riding a “real” motorcycle, which is being unfair to the 310, but I am trying to illustrate the difference between the bikes. The Ducati also had more of a motorcycle grumble magnified brilliantly when we put the LeoVince exhaust on it. But I had issues with the bike. Because it is a bike made to go off-road as well as on, it is a tall motorcycle (seat height 33.9 inches), and I struggled with the bike’s top-heavy weight (425 lbs. dry). I’m sure my mixed feelings toward the Scrambler is due to the two drops. Ever had a teacher you really disliked? You were relieved when you got out of her class, but later on upon reflection, you realize you really learned something from that teacher. That’s how I feel about the Ducati. I learned to be much more careful in my handling of the motorcycle.
The first drop was due to my mindlessness. I got off the motorcycle after parking it at the bottom of the driveway. Except I hadn’t parked the motorcycle because I forgot to put the kickstand down. I now take a few moments when I’m parking the motorcycle to ensure it is in neutral and that the kickstand is down and solid before dismounting. My second drop was due to incorrect thinking. I was backing the bike out of the garage and had kept it in neutral instead of shifting into first gear. So when I had the bike perpendicular to the driveway which meant my right foot could not reach the ground and the motorcycle started tipping to the right, I couldn’t let out the clutch and use speed to help get the bike upright. Since that experience, I’ve worked diligently on using speed to correct the motorcycle when it starts to tip.
The worst part of the Ducati for me and for where I live and ride is the engine heat. It is one of the top three aspects Ducati owners dislike about their motorcycles. It made riding in safety gear incredibly uncomfortable, and on some rides I had to dismount the bike and sit and cool off in the shade. This engine aspect of the Ducati makes me like the BMW R Nine T’s boxer engine design where the engine is well below me. However, the Ducati did build my riding skills; I learned to handle a heavier, more powerful motorcycle, helping me get ready to ride the R Nine T. I think handling the top-heavy Scrambler on slow speed maneuvers has made handling the lower-weighted R Nine T much easier.
I hope the new owners of both of these motorcycles enjoy their rides on them. I had some great rides and many wonderful learning opportunities on both, and I know riding different motorcycles has benefited my skills development greatly.
(We did have another early morning ride on Saturday during which I spotted a goldfinch zooming out of a bunch of brown-eyed Susans, and I learned that my right-arm numbness has nothing to do with the jacket, but more on that next week.)
Flutterby Biker 