It took me a while to understand as to why it is such a big deal to ride a Duc. Until this past weekend. You see I have always ridden Kawasaki's and Yamaha's and I loved every machine I owned, especially My R-1. It is faster than I need it to be, it is smooth, Handles well and it is just a beautifully designed machine all the way around. But recently I purchased my 1st 07 Ducati 1098S. I could'nt belive it at first that I actually took the price plunge and purchased this thing. But it took me a while to finally commit. You see I eye balled this machine for 7 months that it sat in the Cycle trader, And what made it Special is that The owner was a multiple Ducati owner and that he had four times the registered miles on his 1098R than this 1098S that i purchased from him As well as he took his Desmo apart after 8miles of riding to improve on its handling. Along side all the few goodies he added to the low price he was selling it for made it that much more attractive. Needless to say This thing took a bit to get use to, But I managed.

This past weekend I met our club members as usual at our Sunday morning hang out . As we were leaving a group of about 10 to 15 riders came rolling in on their various makes and models of bikes. They were between the ages of about 17 to 27 if I had to guess. Some bikes were new and beautiful, some were a bit older and damaged. Needless to say, Some of These young men came in wearing shorts and vans shoes .One guy had what seemed to be Knee and shin guards, elbow and forearm pads. And the infamous ICON rubber back and cavity protector That we all see guys wearing while riding.That startled me seeing what that kid was wearing. This Rubber pad startled from his Tiny shoulders as if he was now protected by the invisible strength of the ICON angels. Oh and did I forget to mention that it was raining on Sunday. I guess some one forgot to tell him about the Road Rash that will accompany his body for months on end if he had crashed. And that spending $500 bucks on rubber and plastic to protect your limbs was a wiser choice than spending $500 on a racing jacket.

So you see my Friends I then realized It is the Respect to ones body, mother nature and machine. It is not about who is a faster or better. It is not about who has the better bike or who looks cooler riding down the rode. It is about The respect for the things you work hard for, The consideration to your loved ones family and friends. It is The attitude and responsibility to do the right things. It is about not taking things for granted. It is about making it home safe. And most of all it is about the love for The ride.