Indeed it has — sixteen months since the last update. In mitigation, m’lud, I have managed a few updates on the project pages, albeit more out of duty rather than enthusiasm. The management, what there is left of it, wish to apologies for a service interrupted by the overdue/untimely* collapse of the tech/new media sector, fallout therefrom and assorted other traumas which have no place in a site about motorcycling. I do still have the 748, despite having done depressingly little riding for some time. Time to do something about that. I’ve also registered and moved the site here, to www.ducati.info, so have rather painted myself into a corner if I want to buy anything else…


I’ve also spent much of my time living and working in Germany – in Heidelberg, a stunningly beautiful town with a remarkably high ratio of good bars and restaurants – I reckon it works out at about 3 per permanent inhabitant. It’s also only an hour or so’s riding time from the Nurburgring, so I hope at some point to be bringing an account of how not to ride a fast lap of the penultimate road circuit. In fact, I’ll make that a belated resolution for 2002, along with: getting in a decent amount of euro touring (which begs the long-standing question about masochism and Ducati owners); improving my riding and getting as much track time in as can reasonably be managed.
For a start, I’ve just booked Levels 2 and 3 of the California Superbike School at the new Rockingham circuit in early May. Now if only we get more than the odd half hour of decent weather, I might be able to get some miles in on the Duke. European touring – on a 748? Possibly, just possibly I might consider going for something that’s a little more of an all-rounder, but not sure I could bring myself to lose the focus of the 748. On the other hand, the new 998S looks mighty tempting. So does the Aprilia Futura and, I’m embarrassed to admit, the new Honda VFR800. No, I couldn’t, could I? Maybe a second-hand tourer to add to the stable? Let’s see what happens as the year goes on?
-*depending of course on your point of view and instantaneous level of cynicism.