How often do you ride your duke, if at all....
 

Took the beasty out again early this evening and upon returning the following passed through the grey cells.
how often do I take the duke out.
Now that summer has ended and the better wether has departed, how often do you take your duke out, once or more a week, month or not at all now until next spring/summer.

Personally I have allways been a great believer in using a bike as much as possible, except in snow/ice or really crappy wether.
Just because it's a duke makes no real difference.
If you've got a nice bike, why not ride it as much as possible.
Live for today not sometime tommorow or next week, within reason that is.
in the last few weeks I've been out on the 851 everyday (when I was not messing about with it)or early evenings for a good blast, and really enjoyed it.

Something that I have'nt done for a long time, and it was well overdue. I have decided to get out on it as much as possible , and forget the milage/service cost etc, and if it gets dirty or wet etc thats life with a bike, it was made to ride and give pleasure to it's owner, not sit in the garage for weeks or months even doing zip.
To hell with resale values and parts availabilty, just get on the bike a ride peeps.

all you bods with 74x and 9xx bikes will not have to much problem with parts if the worst happened and something wore out etc. Parts for older dukes are harder, if not impossible to get, but that should'nt mean you can't use the bike as much as you like.
Just my thoughts peeps.

So what are your thoughts peeps, are you real all year round riders, or just fair wether occasional seasonal bodds.

Have good night all.
Robin

Do you know.....? I really dont care...I love it and it's MY bike and it's meant for riding.
I will go out in any weather...It all depends on time and where I wanna go. Obviously if it's poor weather it takes longer so it depends on my childcare. I tend to lose all track of time which can lead me into trouble...'specially with the ma in law!:(

..go to work on it everyday matey....the ST that is - 'cept when icy....that tends to be a pant-filling exercise...Still with a fair wind and bit of global warming we might just get more wet winters insteady of icy ones!:devil:

[Edited on 5-10-2004 by fatduke11111]

I ride mine just about every chance I can have, excepting in the dark - as I'm not allowed to.
This means I dont ride during the week from about now, until the spring, when the evenings are lighter after work again.:(

I'm out most w/ends, often both days, unless its slinging it down or very icy - when I choose to do other things instead.

Having commuted in the late 70's & early 80's in all weathers on 2 wheels, my bike is purely for fun:D
My last monster did 15,500 miles in 17 months, this one has only done 4500 in 8 months - but none of my mileage on a bike is done commuting, just 'leisure time' :D

C

AK is still commuting on his bikes - which are at present the Monster & the viffer399 on alternate days, as the Lawson is at the back of the garage (and its horrid to throw about in heavy traffic) & the turbo is in bits, awaiting a total rebuild. He does have the choice of 4 wheels if he wishes tho:)

[Edited on 5-10-2004 by CK and AK]

nice to see you have the same approach as myself, enjoy.


Robin

I don't ride every day, but certainly two or three times a week, all year round. I ride every weekend if I can, although occasionally get thwarted by the inevitable DIY/Shopping trip/Visit to the in-laws etc.

Having said that, my poor old ST has just done it's 3rd year of stirling service chasing 996's, 749's, 999's and other assorted superbikes...I've managed to keep up, but the poor old bike is feeling it, and is looking a bit tatty and tired. So, I've just taken it off the road for some TLC.

It won't wait until next years "season" though, as soon as I've done everything I need to do to get it nicely fettled again, it's back on the road come rain or shine

I agree you should make the effort and ride whatever if for nothing else to get some variety!
To give you an example I went to Magny Cours this weekend leaving Thursday night from Portsmouth and arrived Cherbourg at 0430, it was bloomin freezing and very foggy. Anyway 1350 miles and 4 days later I returned home after experiencing extremes of weather and conditios and have learnt one thing - whatever the weather etc I still grin from ear to ear when Im riding, end of story. Last night I rode home from Portsmouth to Peterboghorror in the freezing cold after 2 hours of getting soaked in France, I nearly died of hypothermia. Did I have a good time? Oh yes! And would I do it again? Oh yes!
Certainly has taught me that riding is essential irrespective of weather etc etc its just that good.

twice a day
nice and regular like

not as often as i would like nowadays, but never "weather-permitting" :P

I try to ride it once a week dont go out in wet but if i get caught out in it don't worry about it just go home and wash it
usualy do 200+ miles a week good long ride to get in rythm:cool:

I admit I`m a fair weather rider and I don`t ride as often as I should but if i can get a CCm R30 then I`tl be evryday!

I am now using my bike to commute the short distance (about 8 miles each way) to work. I was just thinking this morning, as I scooted past the queues of traffice and nodded at the bikers going the other way, it is soooo much better to start the day with a bike ride than a frustrating car journey. Yes, the tyres are cold, the road is wet and slippery with leaves etc but, the sun was shining this morning, the leaves are turning to their autumn colours and I love the slight nip in the air on these early mornings. And I was relishing the prospect of the next 6 or 8 weeks of Autumn to be experienced on the motorbike. You just miss all that it you're in the car or any other form of transport. A quick blast on the bike at the end of the day is the best possible segway between work and home, and I've now started spraying chain lube on the bit of chain that's showing when I put the bike in the garage at night. Takes 30 seconds and hopefully will save me needing a new chain by the end of the winter. :roll::roll::bouncy:

Every day, wind, snow, rain or shine. But only on the 750.

Wot Redruth said. I ride pretty much every day to work, unless it's chucking it down or very cold. Very cold doesn't happen too much down here in the West country. From what I read here about the tumbling resale values of 748/996's, it's not worth much now anyway, in cash terms, so I might as well get the use out of it.
Only downside is, I find myself doing less pure "pleasure" riding at the weekends these days, due to other commitments. But a great trip to Scotland in the summer made up for a lot of that. I'll hope to go again next year. Awful long haul up that motorway to get there, though. :o

SPS at least once a week depending on weather, Multistrudel 2 or 3 times a week.

Obviously prefer South of France type weather and pleasure riding to commuting/work but then who doesn't. However at the slightest sign of salt/snow the Ducati's stay locked away.

When it gets like that i'll either use the dirtbike or whatever pile of festering crap i've bought as a winter/despatch bike.

I do actually get a perverse sense of enjoyment riding in the rain as long as i'm warm and dry and there's a reason for riding. When i haven't got a valid reason and the weathers dreadful i'm more than happy to sit in the car with heater and music cranked up.

Having despatched through too many winters (doing a full day in London then leaving at 7pm to ride 270 miles back home to Durham on Fridays, dreaming of all the National Express coaches full of people sitting in T shirts drinking beer breaking down:devil:) I'm more than happy to be a shandy drinking softie and take the car whenever it suits.

Excuse me rambling, too many stellas, good night.

Been there ..
 

.. when I was 16 (in the last century admittedly) I rode all year round until I was 21 and could afford a car. I made myself a promise on all those bl**dy freezing mornings long ago that when I could I would have a motorcycle for pleasure and not for transport. My bikes will disappear into their cocoons in about 4 weeks time to emerge fresh and beautiful in the spring. In the meantime I will be enjoying the CD player in my climate controlled, leather clad, cruise controlled, automatic V6 :lol: Have fun you 'year-rounders' ;)

Henners - your bikes disappear when there's a black cloud in the sky:lol:

I try to ride mine once a week all year round except when its raining. Now I've got the S4R may try to commute to work a bit more.

have to say i dont use my ducati much through the winter.

only if its a dry day and i fancy giving it a run. to be honest unless i can really give it some on a run i'm not that bothered. not really into bombling around for the fun of it.

I've hardly used my bike this summer, let alone in the winter!

I've done the whole "ride all the time" thing years ago for many years, and while it is sometimes good fun, it's also sometimes soul destroying to be sitting in the pouring rain, soaked through, freezing cold with hours still left on your journey.

My current situation means that while I would like to get out and ride when the weather is nice, I'm often helping out at home looking after the young kids to give the missus a break.

While I love the time out on the bike, I love spending time with my kids even more!

The bike will always be in the garage and can wait, but the kids are already growing up at an alarming rate and it's something I don't want to miss.

For many years I rode everywhere - my wife had the car. Now I work alot from home, and use the 750ss mainly for commuting once or twice a week all year round. The 748 (added recently) gets used about the same for fun. I can't lock it away all winter. I've just got back from dropping it off at Snells early this morning for a service - perfect weather, sun rising in the mirrors, etc....

dont ride it at all in the winter. Thats when i get my projects done on it.
even in the summer i dont take it out if it looks like rain.
but that hasn't just been with the Ducati i have been like that with all of my bikes.
for me the enjoyment is having a mint and spotless example of a bike and riding it on blue sky sunny days :sing:

I never use my Ducati when there is salt on the roads.
If I need to get to work through winter I get a cheap commuter, but at the moment my wife passes my workplace on the way to hers, so I get chauffeured there and back:sing:

Mmmm.... I have to say I'm with Henners on this one.... bikes away for winter, and fettling, and a nice warm, soothing breeze washes over me in the car each day.

Since leaving the Jap days, my riding has got less and less, and the miles have dropped considerably now :(

The main factors are time, and having the fleet about 20 mins away from me, so not easy to get up and jump straight on the bike, and also having to travel to clean and prep the bike is a bind too...

I'm with Dickie - unless it's a nice day I'm not that bothered. I like to go out without worrying about keeping it 100% smooth over the wet leaves and avoiding bits of tree that have blown off into the road. I don't ride when there's salt on the road either unless it's completely dry. My 749S is for fun, and I don't see the fun in riding in cr@p weather.

I would like to ride mine more, but I just dont seem to have the time.

The time it takes to get to my bike, make it road legal (ish) then find somewhere to meet up with Fred to ride it just seems to take too long.

Add to that the fact that I dont like riding in the wet it all just seems too much of a pain. Often by the time i have got to the bike the blue sky has gone and its tipping down :(

I need a house with a garage in the sunshine!!

I'm with antonye on this one, haven't spent much time with my bike this summer, would have liked to take it out more and gone for more rides with my DSC mates but family comes first everytime. Don't like asking my mother in law to look after my 5year old at the weekends as she looks after him during the week and I don't think it's fair. Wife works to many weekends and when she isn't working I want to spend the time as a family.
Still get out and enjoy the bike though and would never be without it ;).
Used to commute on it but now use 2 wheels with pedals as it's only 7 miles each way and better for me :D

Darren

[Edited on 6-10-2004 by LesPaul]

Not possible for me to commute to work on a bike.I need a van to carry all the tools,drills,steps,etc,I need.Little or no chance for me to get out on a week day evening either,so its saturdays and sundays only.:(
The good news is that I recently checked my car mileage for the year and have done more miles(6k) on my 999.Add on the 5k miles Ive done on the Multistuka,and that aint too shabby!:D
A little while ago,I had 6 months work on a RAF Station and could leave my kit on site.It gave me a great 25mile each way blast across South Lincs every day.:D
Oh,and I try not to ride the 999 through rain and salt too much,thats what the MS is for!;):D

These days I ride a bike when I want to ride a bike rather than the first 10 years of my biking life when I rode every day, - it is now something special. It is a juggle between family responsibilities and fun, but I am more than happy with my 5 years of born again riding.

Having the mutistrada has meant I have ridden on a few occasions when there would have been no way I would have taken the 916 which is why I swapped really. Last week I had to go for an X-ray, it was great to get on the numpty with jeans and leather jacket and head into the hospital, park by the front door, - sorted. I also last Friday had to go into the office - 70 miles away around the M25 and up the M1, - laptop in rucksack I choose the numpty and left the car at home. Not a great journey but much quicker on the way back and I chose to go across London, - great getting the restaurant smells as you come into Swiss Cottage.

Cause i work 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off on the rigs i try and ride as much as possible.

The wife is at work and the wee man is at school Monday to Friday so once i have dropped him off i have from 9 until 3 to go out and have a blast....after i have done the house work to keep the domestic chief of staff happy of course;)

Weekends she "lets" me out but i can tell she ain't too happy about it as it is the only time we have together so i have been trying to keep it to a minimum.

Weather does not bother me too much, if the heavens open while i am out then so be it i finish my blat and head home as normal.

1022 miles since i got the dark in July which ain't too bad considering it spent 20 days in Duke glasgow for repair. and i have been away at work for the other half of the time.

I considered using it to go up to Aberdeen to go offshore and leave it at a mates house in the garage but to be honest the A9 up to Aberdeen is heavily policed and not worth the hassle, and on second thought it is a nice feeling sat on the train with a cold beer after 2 weeks graft of 12 hour days on the way home.:D