It’s alive, it’s ALIVE!!!!

The 954RR didn’t start two weeks ago and I drained the battery trying to start it. I admit it, I’ve been neglecting it. It’s been sitting in the garage gathering dust since I bought the Ducati ST3 on September 1st. I only fired up the 954 once since then on September 8, but I didn’t ride it. Lately I’ve been riding the crap out of the ST3, which now has 4,500 miles. Well, it’s my new toy, that’s how it goes. So I guess the 954RR has been sitting now for 7-8 weeks.

So tonight after bike night, I had some friends come over and help me. I had borrowed a charger from a friend on Sunday but I couldn’t get the seat off the 954. It was bolted down with two 5mm hex nuts and the bike’s tool pouch didn’t have anything in it that could get those off. Yea, I know. I have to get some real tools.

So we got the seat off and connected the charger. The battery was charged in about 10 minutes but the bike still didn’t start. The guys decided to push start it, one was sitting on the bike and three were pushing it. They pushed it all the way down the street, it finally caught and roared back to life half a block from the house. It was great hearing that sound again. It’s ALIVE!!!!

So it was determined that my 954 is very finicky bike, I mean that is so weird, it’s a HONDA, my F4i would sit for months and start right up. This is the second time the 954 sat and didn’t start since I've owned it. It just doesn’t like to sit. The battery is strong, but the bike won't start.

The guys were taking off and I followed them for a bit. I wanted to ride the bike to make sure it was fully charged. The bike felt weird to me, like I never rode it before in my life. I couldn’t find the button for the signals and when I found the signal button I couldn’t find it again to cancel it. The first 5 minutes I rode it slow and carefully. I have close to 30,000 miles on the 954, I should have jumped on it and felt right at home. It’s weird how I got used to the Duc already.

The 954 also felt very underpowered, I’m used to the torque of the Duc. So now that I rode both bikes back to back, I noticed that the ST3 turns easier and of course it’s just so much more comfortable. That seat on the 954 is as hard as a 2x4, and I did a saddle sore on that bike just a few months ago, that’s unbelievable to me now after riding it last night.

The only thing I have noticed about the ST3, compared to the 954. It was in the mid 40’s last night and the fairing on the ST3 doesn’t protect my hands from wind as well as the fairing on the 954. The ST3 is getting a heated grips kit installed soon, but having the hands so exposed to the wind, they will never be as warm as they are on the 954.

It's safe to say that in the last two weekends I’ve actually started to fall in love with the v-twin. So it took a while for me, maybe it’s because just now I’ve learned how to ride it. I still miss-shift once in a while though.