Zzzzz ...

The following is now off the shopping list:

• Pants for the SO
• Boots for the SO
• Back protector for Dainese coat
  
• SW Motech rack

The following is now on the shopping list:

• Givi e41 hard luggage
• Arai Profile M Aluminium Grey
  

Life Skills

Don't know if I should be ashamed or not ...

I had to google to find where the cookies are stored in IE 7.

You'd really though I would remember that from my teenage years ...

Or may be I have been using Firefox for too long ...

You be the judge!

Apple stuff working OOTB

Hah ...

I just got a new machine at work and since I had to rebuild everything, I though I'd give a shot to iTunes.

I should have known better, there is a reason why I don't have a Mac. Mac and I just don't work together ...

The download part was easy but god d*mn Quicktime found a way to sneak in. Sadly I knew this was going to happen ...

After iTunes was done messing with my music, I was able to listen to my tunes and went on my merry way ... until I tried to skip to another song. Multimedia keys on my deal keyboard not working?

WTH? Maximize Itune, press next. Next song plays. Minimize iTunes, press next, nothing! Now what? Look at all option cannot find anything. Arrrg!

Google to the rescue informs me that I need to install a dll somewhere in order for my multimedia keys to work. Install said dll, restart iTunes, press play, minimize, press next ... Victory!

Now WMP had this neat tool bar that could be used to control the player. iTunes has one too and enabling it is as simple as adding to your tools bar for the taskbar as long as you did not turned on "Minimize iTunes window to system tray" when trying to make your multimedia keys to work.

My take on this, if you have PC use pc stuff. If you have a Mac, use Mac stuff. Hybrid stuff sounds cool but its not always working.

That being said, I decided to give iTunes a whirl for the time being, because maybe one day, I might replace my Zen with a ... gasp ... iPod! The horror, the horror.

For all those out there reading this, Merry eks-mas! Futurama for ever!

I <3 RIM

Long live my new masters!

Too bad I never bought any shares of my soon to be ex-company.

Massimo Tamburini retires as head of MV Agusta's engineering and design center

This people is what we call sex on wheels:


Even people that could care less about motorcyles agree.

I'd own one as a living room ornament ... or at least swap in a wet clutch.

Oh the blasphemy!

I find myself lusting after this

Holy Crap! An update! 4 months later!

My recent trip Europe has stirred all sorts of feeling in me (it did not help that I was unable to find a 2 motorcycles to rent).

After buying my first die cast of a Ducati SportClassic GT1000, I find myself lusting after this amazing piece of Italian art. Styling to die for, maintenance schedule now at 12 000 km, wet clucht ... not to shabby.

Further digging on the ducati.ms discussion forum and I learn that the bike suffers regulators problems, heavy spoke wheels negatively affects handling and stock suspension is terrible.

Now it may have been naive of to think that the Sport 1000s would be the perfect bike but I found out that my next bike will need to fulfill the following requirement:

• Ergos for the long road.
• Range of 300 km.
• Stock suspension that will not require extensive modification to make the bike handle like it should.

Now fitting these requirements might incur a higher purchase cost but then you got two choice: get it right the first time or fix it afterward. As much as I would like to fit in the second category and enjoy the journey to discovery and satisfaction, I like things that work out of the box.

Quick note to my single reader, please leave a comment to show that you are still alive!

Two bikes I will never buy

Yesterday, the Yamaha Powertour was in town to showcase their 2008 offering. I had signed up in advance for FZ1 and WR250X but ended up taking an R1 and the WR for a spin.

I was slated for the FZ1 but at the last minute since whoever had signed it out didn't show up, I jumped on it. Holy s***! Clutch engagement was so far out, you had to carefully dose the throttle and slip the clutch. Took some time to get use to it. Front brake were one finger only otherwise I would have been endoing at every stoplight... The bike was ludicrously fast. This is not something I would put in the hands of a newbie. In the straights the bike was just a beast that wanted to be unleashed. I never got out of 3rd gear nor did I reved passed 7k. There was no need. The bike finally became manageable in the twisties where it really showed me how much the suspension on the SV is crap. This is the kind of bike that will get you in trouble, as below 90kmph it is very touchy. Short shifting was my solution to keep myself out of trouble. I do like torque but not that much. The bike was really too much for my taste, ~100hp would be plenty for me. The bike left me with an impression that I would spend most of my time riding it in fear and not enjoying the experience. I would probably get used to the ludicrous speed but would chicken out when things go curvy a bit.

After parking the R1, I took a small break before jumping on the WR. 250cc of no power at all. First gear was unridable and the absence of tachometer got me very confuse about which gear I should be in. I resorted to ride the crap out of it waiting for the limiter to kick in. The long suspension travel was nice with the bad road we have but the awkward riding position was not attractive for me. This is the first bike in my life that I felt I could ride the crap out it and never get scared.

All in all, it was a good day, tried some bikes I was curious about. I can conclude now that I like my SV, it's powerful enough for now but next year the suspension is getting upgraded one way or another.