I hate Soccer Moms and all you other idiot drivers!

I feel certain that this is going to bring me a lot of abuse but I don't really care.

You see I like riding my motorcycle. I know that it is inherently more dangerous than driving a car, I freely accept a certain amount of risk when I ride. What I do not accept is the SUV driving Soccer Mom talking on the cellphone while simultaneously screaming at the 2 little brats in the back seat playing with their PSP's ignoring Mom while she sips her Venti Chai tea latte with extra foam and tries to crush me between her behemoth and the cement truck in the other lane.

I know she does not mean to end my life but that will be of little comfort to my family as they stare at a closed casket because of what was left after I played chicken with the semi. We have too many responsibilities pulling us in too many directions. Driving down the road is not the place to try and close that multi-million dollar real estate deal since I know that the last thing on your mind will be my 378lb motorcycle with me on it. And if you run me over in your 8000lb Ford Excursion, you may not even know it.

Yes I ride faster than traffic, no it is not just because I like to go fast on my scooter. I ride slightly faster than traffic because it allows me to control the time and place of intercept between me and other vehicles on the road. I don't have to to worry nearly as much about what you are going to do if I already have a plan in place to deal with whatever bonehead move you might pull.

In case you are wondering why I seem so militant about this it is because South Florida has THE WORST drivers of any city I have ever been in and that is a scary prospect considering some of the places Uncle Sam has sent me to. I don't know if it is a language issue, something I will post more about at a later time, or inexperience because so many of them just moved here and have never driven anything larger than a goat cart up a mountain path before coming here. Yes I know that is a crass statement, stop trying to kill me with your car and I will think about taking it back.

I have had countless people tell me, 'I never saw the motorcycle.' Well open your damn eyes. I have a F-250 and I have no trouble seeing them, and my eyesight sucks. You don't look for them, that is all there is too it.

And before any of you lump me in with that genre of idiots pulling wheelies down I-95 and riding WAY to fast on public roads, forget it, I would like nothing better than for every one of them to be in jail as well. They make it very difficult to present a positive image of responsible riders. Sort of like bonehead drivers ruining it for the rest of you folks in my eyes.

How stupid can people be?!

Ok, lets clear this up right away, my motorcycle is not Japanese, nothing against them, I have had a few, just wanted something different. And I realize that it is a big twin cylinder in a vaguely V shape, but that does not make it a Harley either!! IT IS ITALIAN. You know the land of pasta and really cool people riding around on Vespas saying, Ciao!

Next thing, no, it is not broken, the clutch is supposed to sound that way, it is a dry racing clutch, and I know there are parts missing, I took them off myself to see all the cool bits spinning and whirring about, but thanks for noticing.

While we are at it let's dispense with another big Ducati myth. You do not have to be rich to own a Ducati. I know this because I own one and I am not rich. They may be a little more expensive to own than some other bikes but it is all in what you want and I wanted something that stirred my soul when I rode it not just snap my neck when I snap open the throttle.

Now listen to me carefully, if all you want to do is go fast then you probably don't need a motorcycle. Ok, having said that if you decide you have to have a bike and if you do not know why people spend a little more on a Ducati than on a Japanese bike, then buy the Japanese bike, dollar for dollar they are your best bet for performance. You see, I do not care that your CBR, GSXR, YZF, ZX, or whatever is faster than mine, I can't ring everything available out of mine as is so why do I need something faster?