Nina steals Dylan’s blog

Hey, Sari created these awesome motorcycle magnets of twisting asphalt. They are to celebrate the alphabet roads in Western Wisconsin, but would be great for any driving or motorcyling fan because the middle loops pop out. Only $7 includes shipping - how cool is that?! Please support our loops and go buy some for all your friends!

Now where is my Ducati Monster 695?

So in sitting around waiting for my new Ducati 695 to arrive, I’ve been looking at clothes. The ducati women’s clothes are criminally tight, and also made with 10% elastic mix - which is very high stretch factor. I think Dylan would be happy as a Duke Boy if I bought the little shorts to wear around the pool at the cabin (which is NOT to be confused with me being able to pull off that look), but this leather outfit is what I like.

 

lilacsOriginally uploaded by nina.

Because I’m ignoring the blog. Here are some pretty lilacs in our yard - this is our best year ever for them. I read Dylan’s latest story “the Car Enthusiast” last night and it is so good! He has a real future with this. What else - Dylan tried on my motorcycle jacket and he can play the bad boy look with the best of them - what a fox, I actually had a visceral reaction to it. Plus I ordered my bike! A new Ducati 695 - go over the the permanent links to see the exact picture - it’ll be the closest I come to it for awhile until the real thing finally arrives.

Dylan is finishing his next story, called “The Car Enthusiast.” I haven’t read it yet, but have heard a lot about it. It sounds very funny, and I have also heard laughter drifting through the walls while he’s been writing it two rooms down, so I think that’s a good sign.

I have been busy as a bee at work, which is a pretty unbroken pattern for the last few months. But more importantly, I think I have decided upon the motorcycle purchase. I’ve been looking at a few used Ducati’s, but think I am going to pre-order one of the new Ducati Monster 695’s, the one in gloss black with a red frame. yuuuummmmy. Anyways, I want to thank the fine folks at Manley Cycle, Minneapolis motorcycle repair and service maestros, who have been incredibly nice and helpful. They looked at some used bikes for me - for free! - and gave very good advice and opinions.

 

shadowOriginally uploaded by nina.

Where the hell is my jacket!!!? I ordered a vanson jacket on March 3, when the stores were empty, the snow was thick, the guys in the shops busy perusing the centerfold of superbike magazine. 10 weeks ago now. With a lead time of 6-8 weeks. 3 weeks ago they said it was DONE. Then last week they said THIS week, then today they say maybe NEXT week. I have no jacket. I also have long arms and do not have a boy’s flat chest (thank god).

Ya know, there are well received things called JIT manufacturing, supply chain management, and supply/demand forecasting. And I really don’t see any branding benefit to sub-par promising - this isn’t a scarcity equates to high demand strategy - if it is, it’s poorly executed through faulty management of expectations. My tokidoki tee said it could take up to 6 weeks due to high demand, and then delivered in 2: that’s well executed. The exalted quality isn’t going to do much for me if I never get it.

Harvard - send a business school case study team over there post-haste.

We hung out at Betty’s yesterday with some folks who were heading out on a ride - experienced riders all, then we went home and off they went. I’ve heard there were crashes and fractured skulls, and later blown tires. But amazingly everyone is OK, although some motorcycles are not in their proper garages, and hospital visits were required. Sari took some photos, but they’re not posted on her blog.

On other topics, I plugged in the iPod so thankfully have something new to listen to - here’s the latest list:

Life Goes On–2Pac–All Eyez On Me (Book One)–Hip Hop/Rap
So It Goes–Tom Waits–The Early Years Vol. 2–Rock
Gold Digger–Kanye West Feat. Jamie Foxx–Late Registration–Hip Hop/Rap
The Ballad of the Kingsmen–Todd Snider–East Nashville Skyline–Folk
High All The Time–50 Cent–Get Rich Or Die Tryin’–Hip Hop/Rap
Ponta de Lança Africano (Umbabarauma)–Jorge Ben–Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical–World
Aap Jaise Koi–Nazia Hassan–Rough Guide To Bollywood–World
All Falls Down (Featuring Syleena Johnson)–Kanye West–College Dropout–Hip Hop/Rap
Down On The Street–The Stooges–Fun House–Rock
Rusty Cage–Johnny Cash–The Legend of Johnny Cash–Country
Tits On The Radio–Scissor Sisters–Scissor Sisters–Electronica/Dance
La Paix–Amadou & Mariam–Dimanche À Bamako–World

   

Originally uploaded by nina.

I was trying to switch the alt tag on the photo of my pastel heels to say “I’d rather be wearing my Alpinestars” but I originally stored the photo in a weird way and didn’t want to mess it up completely. I think I’m nearing the point of being able to test ride some real bikes, of course I don’t want to jump the gun on a monster 620 just in case I can handle the black and white Ducati S2R 1000, but it’s highly doubtful that I can.

Meanwhile, Dan Cunningham, Mpls motorcycle repair guy extraordinaire, is going to put in a new clutch cable for the Kawasaki, which Sari called “cute” - god save me and get me onto a big bike soon. I saw Dan at Dulano’s last night and he brought it up, obviously brought on by watching me ride out of his place right after getting my endorsement. If you’re looking for his number to work on your bike, it’s 612-729-1846, he was super nice and had great prices, and there aren’t a lot of folks who will do older motorcycle repair in Minneapolis. If you got here looking for the list of good starter motorcycles - it’s right there or over to the side in the motorcycle category.

    

amusement parkOriginally uploaded by nina.
 

Some people are soccer moms; this weekend I’m a circus mom.

Dylan read his story in Seattle this morning at the EMP Conference and he reports that it got a good reception; people laughed and were complimentary.

Meanwhile I was checking out a “superbike” magazine at CNC coffee shop and forgot all the joy of the mixture of motorcycles and porn and it totally bummed me out.

I picked up my motorcycle and drove it to the office. The clutch is pretty sticky, although Dan did everything he could to make it better without replacing the whole cable. But I’ll get used to it I’m sure, after a few false starts at lights.

Dan Cunningham fixed up the bike, which is a 1974 Kawasaki and pretty much a real beater. He did an amazing job and replaced so much and got it really running wonderfully. Plus he was super nice and had great prices. So if you need Minneapolis motorcycle repair you should call him at 612-729-1846. He also is a motorcycle mechanic for vintage bikes in the winter. He did say that not only are the Ducati’s incredibly expensive to fix, but there would be a long wait time. He advised me to rethink the Suzuki SV650 or the new Ninja - so now I’ve heard from 3 or 4 independant and knowledgeable people that those ones are the best starter bikes… That is what my friend Dave who is a sound designer in Brooklyn rode all last year.

Well, I think I almost have all the gear for being a mid-life crisis motorcyclist jerk ruining the scene for the people keeping it real. Sari kindly loaned me her jacket because mine is in a box somewhere on its way from the Vanson factory. And I had to order pink gloves and a chrome visor so I can recreate any “failure to communicate” scenes. (now I’m going to get Google hits from from people typing in “Failure to Communicate” - it’s from the movie Cool Hand Luke. The scene from that movie Dylan would probably prefer that I recreate is the car wash scene - you know it… Sometimes he mumbles “Lucy” in his sleep, and I don’t think he’s talking about Ms. Ball.

Anyways, I take the course parts of the Basic Rider Course this weekend, and will be slowly inching my way around on the aforementioned Kawasaki for awhile until I have the confidence to upgrade. Isn’t this bike gorgeous? It makes me a little woozy. I’m afraid this is a little too rich for my blood, plus too much bike for me. It’s an Agusta Brutale 910.