Sorry I haven't posted anything up for a few days. No reason really, just not a huge amount going in in my biking life. Just to keep you updated; I'm still waiting to hear back from the guys up in Sutton about my rear wheel. I'll drop them a line later and see if it will be ready by the weekend. My new double bubble Airblade screen from Conquest Carbon turned up yesterday and It was wrapped up in so much bubble wrap that I could have used it as a blanket. The 1098 is still sat in the garage and I haven't cleaned the swing arm yet, let alone tried to fit the radiator covers. To be honest, I think/know there will be a problem getting the battery out of the way, so I've been putting it off. Life as well, has kinda. been getting in the way. Finally I've picked up a few more MotoGP DVDs cheap of ebay, so I'll try and get around to watching those and getting some reviews up.
Finally, did you see the WSBK from Philip Island at the weekend? Great to see the bikes out again and Ducati back at the sharp end. It's racing season boys and girls.

Like a great deal of motorcyclists, I use a bike to commute. Yes there are potential issues with riding a bike into the centre of London, or any major town and city, but its the ease of using the bike that makes it such a viable option. You always get a seat and you're not reliant on anybody else to get you to where you need to be. Traffic also doesn't matter.
As I result I know my routes to and from work extremely well. Although I couldn't draw a map of their locations, I know every single manhole cover, the vast majority of the bumps, I know exactly where to place my bike for a particular turn that gives me the best view/surface and I know where the dreaded speed cameras are. I know which lights have cameras and I know which junctions are dangerous and worth slowing well down for despite what the traffic lights say. I'm all too aware of potential hazards and there are some parts of the journey I dread and am therefore thankful when I get through them. East Finchley High Road I'm looking at you here. As with everything though, there is a flip side. With familiarity comes complacency. With complacency comes danger and with danger comes a far greater risk of injury. I read somewhere that most people, riders and drivers alike, are at a much greater risk of serious injury on roads they know extremely well. So what can be done to ensure you get to where you need to be going? I guess its just the normal stuff really. I would like to say that I try and see danger everywhere. Is that car going to move? Why is that person standing at the side of the road? Is that person looking for a parking space instead of the road? 
I know that If I rode around in a paranoid state, I wouldn't get anywhere, so for me, its balancing the awareness of what could happen, with the probability of what is most likely to happen.

Quick update for today really. First, my Evotech radiator guards arrived today. Really light but extremely well made. I'll get them on the bike in the next few days if time allows. Second, I took the rear wheel from the 1098 upto Sutton Coachworks in Cambridgeshire this afternoon. It was a little further than I actually thought, but its no big deal as I'm not adverse to driving and I actually enjoyed the trip. Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up next week sometime. Cross fingers

In the seven plus years I've been riding, I've crashed a few times. Twice on track, the rest on the road. Today, I nearly added another to my tally. It could easily have been one of those 'classic' motorbike accidents where you get knocked off whilst filtering past stationary traffic, by either a vehicle turning right out of the queue, or by somebody emerging through the traffic from a junction, or after being parked. Today is was the latter; a van driver facing in the opposite direction to traffic wanting to cross the queues into the 'free' flowing carriageway opposite. His attention was taken his vain attempts to see traffic on the opposite carriageway, but because of the angle of the vehicle, he had no chance. My view was obscured by the van that was letting him out and thankfully quick reactions on my part meant that I stopped a good four to six feet before impact. 
There was a lot to learn with this today, so I see it as lesson learnt, which can only be a good thing. When finishing my journey I got totally soaked by a cloud burst, but considering what may have happened on the way back, I'll take getting soaked everytime.

Well I tried again to remove the real wheel again this morning, but just couldn't get the leverage and hold the bike upright at the same time, so I trundled over to the dealers and Artur quickly released the rear nut for me and then tightened it to a much lower torque setting. This enabled me to get the bike home, prop it up on the Abba stand and remove the rear wheel. A quick trip back, saw Artur remove my rear tyre as well so I should now be able to finally get the wheel refurbished followin my trip through the gravel in June of last year.

With the rear wheel removed, I'm going to take the opportunity one day later this week to give the swing arm a really good clean. I've also ordered a few Evo-tech radiator guards from Steve at Conquest Carbon www.conquestcarbon.co.uk , so I'll hold fire on putting the fairings back on until they've arrived. I use one of their open clutch covers and I can't fault their quality and hopefully they'll be just as easy to fit.

Sometimes life throws you little curveballs to make life interesting. Its at times like this that life also gives you the chance to gamble and well, today I gambled and I lost ladies and gentlemen.
I woke up this morning at the usual ungodly hour, got my kit on, grabbed my keys and went to get my bike. I was intending on taking the Monster, but when I tried to turn the alarm off, the rear indicators didn't flash to indicate that the alarm was inactive. A little strange I thought, so I tried again. Still nothing. It was then that I looked at the keys in my hand and realised that these were the keys for the 1098. I really couldn't be bothered going back inside, it wasn't raining and there was no salt on the ground. Superbike it is then. As it was warming up, the fuel light came on....can you see where this is going? Anyway, on the way into work, I had plenty of opportunities to fill up, but felt I had enough in the tank to get me to work and then back out the mile or so to the nearest garage on the way home. The fuel gauge was saying I'd covered 7miles. So there I am, half a mile from work. HALF A BLOODY MILE and the bike cuts out. Clearly there was a lot lot less fuel on board than I had originally thought. Bugger. I look at my watch and its 04:40.
I call work and it cheers the overnight editor up no end and not really wanting to leave my pride on joy on the street I decide to push it to the nearest petrol station, which was thankfully, downhill. After half a mile of this (the opposite way to work I may add) my body was stuffed, especially my arms, hands and back. I could see the petrol station in the distance, so as I was worried I was going to drop the bike, I parked it up on the pavement and wandered down. 
I found the attendant sweeping the forecourt and although there was a slight language barrier, I explained that I needed fuel and that I really didn't want to have to buy a fuel can, just to throw it away simply as I couldn't carry it any distance on the bike.
'No problem' he says and he pops into the office and comes back with a plastic fuel can full of Shell's finest unleaded. I gave him £20 as a deposit and walked briskly back to the bike, which was thankfully still there. I was able to get the vast majority of the fuel in and with the now empty can resting under my screen, I rode gently back to the garage. I returned the can and got a tenner back, which all things considered, I was actually quite pleased with.
I finally got to work at 05:30, 45mins late having one of the most 'interesting' journeys for a long, long time.
This is the third time I've run out of fuel with this bike. Twice on the road and once on track. I must remember to not let it happen again. A real school boy error.

Well today I feel defeated. Since  crash at Paddock Hill bend last summer, I have been wanting to get the rear wheel of the 1098 refurbished.

As you can see, my beautiful rear wheel is several stone chips all up the right hand side. Not good. So, the plan was to remove the wheel and get it sent up a Cambridge to have the wheel refurbished. I'd have to remove to rim tape etc and the tyre, but first I had to get it off the bike.
Now those of you out there who know me, will no doubt attest to the fact that I'm not a small man. I'm not in peak condition I will agree but I'm still reasonable strong. Hell, I even eat three Shredded Wheat!. I removed the retaining clip,  got my two foot long pry bar reading with the special Oberon nut removal tool, but could I move the nut? Nope. I know that the nut is on really tight and I'd expect that, but jeez, I was bending the bloody pry bar instead of removing the nut. What a major pain in the arse. Plan B....call on my friends with an air gun. You ain't going win Mr Nut. Oh no-sir-e-bob !

So I was finally able to take the bike home yesterday. The desmo service and a few other jobs, ranging from pretty minor to fairly major have now all been done. So here for your reading pleasure is a basic breakdown of parts and costs etc

1x Rosso Corsa front tyre (plus fitting) - £100
1x 1098s Chain Kit                                  - £255.52
1x O Ring 37                                            - £2.03
1x O Ring 17                                            - £1.07
8x O Ring 12.39                                       - £9.92
1x Oil Strainer                                         - £11.73
1x Air Filter                                             - £46.92
1x Environmental Disposal and sundry - £6.50
2x Ducati Belts                                        - £74.64
2x Seal                                                      -£7.56 
2x Steering head bearings                      -£59.68
5x closing rocker arms adjuster             -£42.90
8x shims                                                   -£32.08
2x NGK Spark plugs                                 -£23.76
1x one litre of Motol Fork oil                  -£10.33                              
.5x Motol DOT 4 Brake fluid                    -£4.17
1x Oil cartridge                                        -£9.11
1x Ducati 12mm Sump Plug washer        -£0.49
2x Steering tube gasket                            -£4.18
2x Head cover gasket                               -£12.82 
1x 3.2 Litres Motol 300V Oil                     -£40.26
Labour 9.5 hours                                       -£665.00

Giving us a brand total off......................£1704.80

Oh my good god!! You could buy a half decent bike for that. There were a couple of things that I didnt expect, the head race bearing for example, which were almost rusted solid. The chain and front tyre just happen to coincide with this service, so that's a good couple hundred quid right there. Artur did a few little other jobs too. He sorted the LED light on the alarm, tweaked the right foot peg position and sorted the rear brake lever too.  
Once I finally got over the shock, although I did know this was coming, I got to ride the thing on the journey home and it felt brand new. Thankfully this isn't an every year thing, but it will happen again. Now though, its time to write up the experience and see if I can get anybody interested in publishing it.

Its days like today that represent one of the most dangerous and risky days to be a motorcyclist in London. Yesterday, part of the Underground Union decided that strike action was in order following a disagreement over ticket office closures and job losses. This resulted in a massive increase to the volume of traffic trying to navigate The City. Now, it it is fairly clear to me that a motorcycle is the best way to get across the city on most days, especially ones like today, but there are however problems. As the volume of traffic increases, drivers suddenly become exceedingly territorial about that tiny piece of tarmac in front of them, much more so than usual. Its like the last bottle of water in the desert, or the last cheap sofa in the Ikea sale. Its pretty frightening at times as they squeeze up and dart into a space, no matter how insignificant. Couple this aggression with people who rarely cycle, let alone cycle in Central London, using those god awful Barclays Boris bikes and you have a recipe for disaster. Oh and did I mention it was raining....hard, which meant pedestrians have a tendency of running into the road instead of using crossing, or without looking for that matter, in a vain attempt to either stay dry(er) or catch a bus.
With these factors in mind, I refused to let myself get annoyed or angry with anything on my ride home today. My main aim, which it is on every journey for that matter, was to get home safe and sound. Thankfully this mission was accomplished, but in a slower than normal time. I mean imagine how annoyed the boys at Metropolis will be if I got seriously injured and couldn't pay my bill. I mean, that's just not cricket dear boy.

On my god, this is going to cost me a fortune. Today I was lucky enough to spend the day with the team at Metropolis Ducati and first my I say, Artur you are indeed a very patient man and again, thank you.
We got the bike up on the ramp by 08:20 and it was still there at 17:00 when I left as there are still a a few jobs to do. There really is a reason why these Desmo services take so long and therefore cost so much. As I mentioned yesterday I plan on using what I learnt today and putting into some sort of article. Let hope something comes of it, because frankly after today, I need some extra money.

As it stands the outstanding jobs are a front fork refresh, new front tyre, a brake check and a few minor little things I've asked Artur to look in to for me. Its times like today that I really wish I had a better understanding of how to fix and serv