Cornuto e Mazziato (Bad Luck Comes in Threes)

Vicki looking over her shoulder at me at Backbone Rock Runnel near Shady Valley, TN


Marty and me at the Snake


Had to break open the tire plug kit that I have had for a while


Using a 12-volt ari compressor to refill the tire


Marty working on the carb of his Buell


Just a shot of the rally site parkign lot with me waving in the background


Just another shot of the parking lot full of motorcycles


Ah. The joys of removing the fairing on a Ducati ST2!


Reaching those pesky bottom two fairing bolts


Taking the ST2 apart for a second time


Nothing to see here. Just swapping batteries in a parking lot

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Special Bonus Story!:

This was originally written as a Tek Talk article in the Ducati club magazine. I decided that a technical article is quite handy, but if you are travelling, the articles and information are of no use if you are not prepared. So what does it take to be prepared for a malfunction while traveling? It all depends on what you are willing to do while sitting on the side of the road.

The first step is to being prepared is to determine how big of a job you are willing to tackle. If you have no tolerance for failures and simply do not want to work on a bike on the side of the road, you will need the Bare Minimum Survival Kit (BMSK). This kit can simply be a cell phone, but when traveling great distances from home, a cell phone, Ducati dealer list with phone numbers, and maybe even other motorcycle shop information and motorcycle-friendly towing services can be beneficial. An Internet search along the route you will be taking can be an easy way to find this information. I still have a Ducati dealer booklet that came with my bikes with this information, but you can also find a current list of dealers on the Ducati website at:

Click Ducati USA.

The next level is what I usually tend to pack for overnight trips. This kit would consist of the items in the BMSK and the addition of a flat-head screwdriver, Phillips-head screwdriver, a 3/8" drive ratchet, 4" extension, 10 and 12 mm sockets, metric Allen-wrench or socket kit, combination wrenches in 8 mm and 10 mm sizes, adjustable wrench, groove-joint, slip-joint pliers, needle-nose pliers, electrical tape, duct tape, and cable (zip) ties, a tire plug kit with CO2 cartridges or air compressor, and an accessory plug that connects to the battery tender lead. Due to previous experiences with electrical issues, I also include a small multi-meter. Each bike may require different tools, but look at those tools necessary to remove the fairing from the bike, bleed the clutch and brakes, and other less involved tasks.

The final level is what would be packed for longer trips, such as a cross-country excursion. I include everything in the previous level, but will often add a breaker bar and sockets for both axles, a copy of the bike's wiring schematic and some pages from a repair manual such as a troubleshooting guide, wire, electrical connectors, crimping tool, solder and a soldering iron, chain break and riveting tool, another chain, and anything else that may be useful. If you are riding a BMW, make sure you pack a spare final drive unit (wink). Sometimes you just never know when you may be pulling a fuel pump out of a 748 in the northern Georgia mountains or reinstalling a clutch in a McDonald's parking lot in Erwin, TN.

Trying to remove the fuel pump assembly from the tank from the Ducati 748


Getting some assistance to check the function of the fuel pump



This doesn't look good. Just a little burnt, wouldn't you say?

'
I dont think you are supposed to be able to turn that cernter nut with your fingers


The nut holding the clutch hub in place had worked its way loose


Yeah. I'm definitely NOT happy


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