And I Heard Him Exclaim 'ere He Rode Out of Sight...

..."Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!"

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year's. I look forward to riding with all my friends in 2008.

2008 Ducati 1098R Unveiled in Dallas

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the North American unveiling of the Ducati 1098R at Advanced Motorsports (AMS) in Dallas, Texas. AMS store owner and national racing champion Jeff Nash has pre-sold 30 of the new bikes. According to J.P. Canton, spokesman for Ducati's North American division, Nash has sold more 1098R's than any other dealer in the world -- no small feat when you consider that the Italian motorcycle, new for 2008, carries a price tag of $72,500! Because of his sales acumen and his long-standing relationship and reputation with Ducati, Nash's 1098R, flown from the factory in Bologna, Italy especially for this event, is probably the first of its kind on American soil. This is the bike Troy Bayliss will be using to contest the World Superbike Championship next year. And with any luck, this will also be the bike that brings Ducati back to the AMA Superbike Championship.

AMS threw quite the party with free food and liquor, rock-n-roll, a fashion show featuring my second favorite thing to gaze upon -- lovely, scantily-clad women (second only to motorcycles, of course) -- a dance, and a chance for Ducatisti (those motorcyclists who, like me, are smitten with the styling and performance of the svelte Italian two-wheelers) to gather and talk about all things Ducati. I've definitely never seen an event like this at my Honda dealer -- ha!

I had an incredible time -- such a great time, in fact, that I totally forgot that I was also there to pick up something I had ordered for my Hypermotard. (It could have been all the wine!) Guess I'll be going back...

Many thanks to Jeff and Toni Nash and the entire crew at Advanced Motorsports for a wonderful evening.