Hi

[stirrup]

Thought I'd drop in and say hi.
I'm back to biking in the last few months after a long break of 30 years. Riding a red Monnie 695. Couple of basic mods, added the fairings and the high level Termi kit. Tempted to do more, we'll see....
Great to be back riding and the Monnies ideal for me right now.
I live just north of York. Only been here a year or two, moved up from the south so don't know many good biking roads here yet, although until the gritters got out I was getting out through Helmsley and Kirkbymoreside and up to the east coast.
My wife and two girls think it's great I've got a bike again (how lucky can a guy get!)
Would like to get to know some other Ducati owners in the area for meet up, rides out, maybe the occassional weekend trip Co. Durham/Northumberland etc.

[J.P]

Welcome Stirrup. You're one of many. many new owners who have joined the UKMOC recently. I myself have a M695 too which I've had for a few months but not fiddled with it yet.
There are plently of helpful people on the site & the ones I've met have been very nice too.

[stirrup]

Hi J.P
Thanks for the welcome. Whereabouts in London are you? I lived in Sussex near Gatwick for 17 years before moving up here. How do you get on with the 695?

[J.P]

I live down near Lewisham in SE London, so at the moment the Kent group are ones I've met up with. Nice part of the world is Kent.
Finding the bike good, but how strange that the first bike I ever bought is a brand new 695 and after 3 months I want something bigger !
Definitely the wrong time of year to be trying to get out on it. Only managed to clock up 550 miles total on the occasional Sunday run when the weathers good but it's been very good to meet up with others who have similar bikes through this club.

[stirrup]

but how strange that the first bike I ever bought is a brand new 695 and after 3 months I want something bigger !

LOL! Me too! I'm fighting it, because logically I should ride a bike that doesn't overwhelm me so I can develop my riding skills within my ability. I've done about 1100 miles so far. So..... it's not run in yet, and therefore I haven't explored beyond 7k, or pinned the throttle wide open. The reviews I've read say it goes pretty well up the top end. I'm tempted to think the bike is so creamy smooth and friendly it's easy to feel at home on it quickly and get overconfident/a bit yawny. Truth is there's plenty of accidents out there waiting for return to bikers like me, and newbies that are a lot easier to get into with an R1/R6/1098. It's still a darn quick bike compared with most of what was around when I last rode in the seventies, difference is it has the tyres, chassis, suspension, and brakes to cope with it, and most of those didn't. Reckon the thing to do is be patient, survive and learn (and then change it!!!) Be interesting to hear what other members of the site think.

[Scotty]

PowEr to the North , bwuahahahhr

a-hemph


theres a few bods round-about these parts

think i prefer the middel of the country (in the north) rather than the coast myself, for a twistyer road as aposed to the perhaps faster bends towards the coast ?

[Scotty]

oh and i kinda regret getting rid of my old 600 would be far more suitable for local odds and sods (thought it was gutless)

[stirrup]

PowEr to the North , bwuahahahhr

think i prefer the middel of the country (in the north) rather than the coast myself, for a twistyer road as aposed to the perhaps faster bends towards the coast ?

Hiya Scotty. Makes sense. Think I need to get out more. Hoping I can do that with some folks off this site (also joined DuN, so hoping to find some rides there too) Trouble too with the roads I know so far is there are some really ropey surfaces and I'm doing my spine in on the Monnie!!

Interesting what you say about the 600.

[Scotty]

umm the up-north crowd normally have something going on every month (11th feb mountian bikeing at glentress)

[andros]

Hi Stirrup and welcome from a fellow Yorkshire member!

There are quite a few of us now around these parts and last year we had a few good rideouts, so as soon as the weather warms up and we (I work for Highways) stop putting that that damn salt down I'm sure there'll be a few trips arranged.

:D

[stirrup]

Hey Andros,

Thanks for the welcome. Pleased to hear there's some local Monnie owners. Be great to get some rides out with you. BTW, reckon the black/tangerine S2R looks goorgeous! Got to agree with you about the salt. My 695's tucked up in the garage. Last ride I had in December it took me longer to get the muck off it than I rode it for. If you listened hard you could almost hear the corrosion eating in!

[bigredduke]

Hi!
I'm about half an hour from York in the East Riding. Like you I had bikes in the late '70's and have returned to bikes after a few years gap. I frequently ride around North Yorks (in dry weather only!) There are a few of us around these parts, watch this space for news of events!

[andros]

Yep, I normally get out and about quite a bit in December, but this year every weekend it was pretty cr*p really. so like yours mine is tucked up, waiting for its 2 year service in February.

Anyway it wont be that long now till it starts warming up a bit, so keep an eye on the board.

[stirrup]

Hiya bigreduke

Great to hear you are not so far away. Seems incredible to me how the time has gone by. It's like only yesterday I was drooling over the thought of a new Kwacker triple (which I never did afford). Great to be back to bikes now. Look forward to meeting up with you and others when the decent weather gets here.

[bigredduke]

Hiya bigreduke

Great to hear you are not so far away. Seems incredible to me how the time has gone by. It's like only yesterday I was drooling over the thought of a new Kwacker triple (which I never did afford). Great to be back to bikes now. Look forward to meeting up with you and others when the decent weather gets here.

Whereabouts near York are you?

[stirrup]

Whereabouts near York are you?

5 mins from Barton Hill A64 crossroads 10 miles north of York.