Ducati – Maduko World Headquarters

Fried Pies

One of my favorite local motorcycle rides is a loop through Leonard, Stone Bluff and Haskell, Oklahoma. On occasion I have stopped at a small store to gas up or grab a snack. There is a clear display case on the counter filled with fried pies in various flavors.

Who doesn’t like a homemade fried pie?

Ducati Windshield Mod

Improving Airflow with 3D Printed Spacers

My 2011 Ducati 1200S Multistrada is a fun bike. But on the highway the wind noise and buffeting seemed a little extreme. I soon found dozens of other riders in online user groups complaining about the standard windscreen. Several had tried aftermarket alternatives with mediocre or disappointing results. Taller or wider windshields didn’t really seem to help. Curiously, ditching the windshield altogether in favor of a minimal “flyscreen” seemed to be one of the more effective solutions.

Random Conversations on the Road

“I want you to know– you just made that man’s day.”

I was just talking motorcycles with a local at a small town eatery.

We had struck up a conversation after our waitress had asked why I was in town. “Just riding my motorcycle all over Arkansas,” was my answer. Soon the highway numbers and forgettable town names were swirling like some alchemist’s formula. A family dining behind me had overheard the conversation when a particularly scenic highway was mentioned. “No, that’s 123,” the husband had chimed in.

The Magic of a Left-Hand Drill

The other day I managed to remove a broken screw from a very expensive casting. Specifically, the engine casing of a Ducati motorcycle. But the job turned out to be a breeze using a backwards drill bit!

A previous “mechanic” had broken one of four of the M6x16 sump cover bolts. Instead of removing the remnants they had globbed it over with RTV silicone for the another poor schmuck to deal with at the next oil change. A few minutes after discovering this I could fully understand why. Being at the lowest point on the engine, it’s not an easy feat to find room for a drill… and then drill into the screw while upside down. But disregarding this hurdle, I resolved to remove the broken screw and repair it properly.

Brake Bleeder Add/Upgrade

These clever banjo bolts, with an integrated bleeder, made a huge improvement in the braking system on my Ducati Multistrada. I think the same upgrade could be applied to other bikes or cars with stubborn brake hydraulics.