Round the World on a Panigale

I'm ok, guys. I'm just very sad for the daughter who has lost her mother. An indirect hit....

In other news, my last day of work was on Friday. I should have my bike back today or tomorrow. So long as the high idle issue is gone I will be, too! (FINALLY!)

Life goes on.................

it does. but loosing someone close to you makes you mad at the world for still turning. how can the sun rise every morning after things like this.

some years ago, i lost my sister to cancer. i spent the next 4 years trying to help my best friend with severe depressions. but after his 2nd suicide attempt and the suicide of another not so close friend, i had enough and took a break from friends, work and life in general. spent about 6 month abroad in australia and ukraine without much contact with family and remaining friends at home. best decision ever.
but everyone is different. i have almost no contact to my former best friend anymore but he still has his ups and downs, taking pills and all. the most important thing i have learned is, that whatever you do or say, a person suffering from depression is so hung up in their own "fantasy world", they won't realize what you tell them.
we have a saying here, don´t know if you now it: "wenn du bis zum hals in der scheisse steckst, lass den kopf nicht hängen" or loosly translated "if your standing in shit up to your neck, don't let your head hang"

Hello Dennis,

I was so sorry when I read this line. Pain and plaesure are so close together...
When I think about someone ending his life I am always close to tears and can not understand from my hearth, why this can happen.
The mind very soon can undrstand this - but the hearth is still aching for a long time we try to understand what has happend.

So my sincerly condolences to you and the family.

Seppo, thank you for your candid post. I feel the same, too....my default reaction to stress is to retreat. The only other option seems to be to submit and I'm never very good at that.

You also hit the proverbial nail on the head with your observation that depressed people are hung up in their own fantasy world. Nothing can penetrate it. Hell, I think even people who aren't depressed are immune to truth and perspective most of the time.

Networker:
I understand suicide all too well, but still not well enough to understand it fully when someone else does it. I do think it's a valid reaction to the absurdity of life. Fortunately I've learned that there are so many other ways to escape, to alleviate suffering and, most importantly, find new meaning.

Email today from Newport Beach Ducati--bike is ready. Picking her up when the doors swing wide.

Reunited! Picked up my bike from Newport Beach Ducati today. Have to observe the break in for now....but all appears to be spot on! I'll put a few hundred miles on tomorrow and another few hundred on Monday to ensure that I'm good to go. One big step closer!!!!

Good to hear man!

Now get riding, I'm ready for another RR.

Fuck...I'm so ready. Feels like it's been forever since I've been on my bike and I kept finding excuses to avoid my freeway off-ramp on my way back 'home' today. Cannot cannot cannot wait.

Sign me up, too!

Mike

So where will you and the bike land on the other side of the pond?

and when??

WOOHOO!
'Break in" ... I'm ery curious why you have to do a break in period? I wonder what they did to fix it. Regardless, so happy to hear you're back in the saddle :)

I loved your other RRs. This is going to be badass!!!


Even Road Warriors can be adventure riders.

subscribed can't wait for it to start too bad your gonna miss the IoM TT

Sucks that I missed/am missing the IOM, but yeah...maybe that alone will give me the excuse to make this trip a REALLY long one so I can ride there next year.

Bike is back....Long story short: Bike had a high idle issue and a dealer, while installing the 'updated' heat shield, didn't seal the airbox properly, so the engine ingested 4,000 miles of unfiltered air. Ducati originally replaced the heads, then the pistons/rings and sleeves. So basically I have a new engine, just waiting to make sure the high idle doesn't resurface. 550 miles on the bike since Sat. The idle blipped up a little high a few times, but so far so good. Another couple days of good riding and I'll be booking transport across the Atlantic!

Pics of the last few days in/around Hollywood Hills, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Angeles Crest and Malibu:

I'm liking the harlequin nose-job.

What kind of tires are you going to run, AH ?

Arriving this time of year and spend a whole year in Europe before heading east would be perfect.

Then you could start by exploring the northern part (UK, Scandinavia, The Baltic area) while the weather is nice up here.
As it gets colder (late summer/fall) you could follow the good riding weather south and spend the winter exploring the Mediterranean area where the weather most places are nice for riding all through the winter - especially in southern Spain. If it's your cup of tea, you could even take a ferry to Morocco and have a taste of Africa.

Next spring you could then ride back north to visit the TT at Isle of Man before heading east through Russia, which would be the perfect time of year for that trip.

A year to explore Europe isn't much time. I've been riding all over Europe for more than 20 years now, and there are still plenty of things and places I haven't seen yet.

I really enjoy visiting the US and have been to around 20 states so far.
There is big differences between the states in the US (nature, culture, people etc.) but the diversity is even more pronounced between the countries here in Europe. I'm sure that you won't get bored spending a year in Europe.