TjRubley.com

I must apologize for the delay, but I’m in Springfield, Missouri this week and the internet at the hotel isn’t stellar. In fact it sucks. And on top of that, I’ve been swamped at work, so there are fewer posts than there have been in previous weeks. I will work harder to make sure I’m better connected on the road in the future.

But without further ado, a summary of posts from other sites I blog on that I hope TjRubley.com readers will enjoy:

{update: Image thumbnails removed due to technical issues. I hate working from the road!!}

• 1987 BMW 325IC b+b For Sale, as in Buchmann of Germany! - This car is loaded with hard to find (possibly impossible) period aftermarket pieces of Bachmann of Germany.
• Euro Spec 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo For Sale - The car pushes some buttons for me: Great color, rare European specification, and great looking upgrade rims.
• 1985 BMW e24 M635CSi For Sale: aka RARE and Affordable! - This is my pick of the week without a doubt. This low miles, European spec example is a bargain at $16k if it checks out. Other M cars of the period are routinely listed at or over $20k.
• 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S ‘Silver Rose’: One of the most Rare 951 Configurations - One of the most sought after configurations amongst Porsche 951 enthusiasts.
• 1991 Bimota YB8 For Sale with only 1 Mile on the Clock! - It’s a crime this bike was never ridden. But if you need a museum piece for your living room, this would fit the bill nicely!
• 1994 Honda RVF400 For Sale in San Fran - As you know, I’m a sucker for 400cc gray market bikes!
• 1993 Ducati Superbike 888 SPO: So Are These Rare or Not? - I’m joking a bit in the title, but it sure seems like these are coming up for sale more often than I’d expect.

Thanks for reading at TjRubley.com and my other sites. Please let me know if there are vehicles or topics that you’d like to see addressed. Leave a comment!

dc

First I want to say how much fun I’ve had bringing readers at TjRubley.com the diamonds in the rough over the past 4 years. I have really enjoyed connecting with like minded enthusiasts and I look forward to making that experience even more meaningful moving ahead.

Now it is time to take my career more seriously, and that means making a transition from passive enthusiast to eventual full-time automotive and motorcycling, web and blogging specialist. I’m a bit premature in the announcement of this plan, but I want to keep TjRubley.com readers in the loop!

The most immediate and visible change is that I am splitting the topics that are most popular at TjRubley.com into their own blogs: German Cars For Sale Blog and Rare SportBikes For Sale. If you’re a fan of TjRubley.com, you’ll love these two blogs! They both follow the familiar “best of for sale” listings and resource guides you’re used to at this site, but both have much nicer .rss and email subscription options than I have utilized before. I hope you’ll consider subscribing. If not, don’t worry, I’ll still be highlighting these new blogs on TjRubley.com on a regular basis.

These two blogs are the first to be part of my new automotive blog network, MotoringBlogs. My hope for the network is two fold:

1. Provide greater focus and detail to the automotive and motorcycling niche that the enthusiast searches for. The ability to provide more than a highlight reel or summary of information, and instead cater to the intense and educated enthusiast with detailed and opinionated editorial blog content.
2. Build a network of authors, websites, and enthusiast readers that grow together to gain access and knowledge via an entertaining and informative blogging style to address sports cars, motorcycles, amateur motorsports, and the latest in breaking industry news.

The MotoringBlogs concept is in it’s infancy, but will grow quickly. More details will follow in the coming months. I will of course keep TjRubley.com readers informed first!

I hope you’ll find MotorBlogs to be an even better resource than TjRubley.com has been and I welcome your feedback in the comments below.

dc

Brad beat me to the punch posting the ride the 8 of us took this past Saturday. A great time and good group of riders. Here’s the route we took:

View Larger Map

Brad’s post handles the summary pretty well so check it out. Bikes included my Ducati 750SS, 94 Honda CBR1100XX, DR-Z 400, Triumph Thruxton, Brad’s Triumph, Yamaha FZ1, and Paul’s VFR750.

Great day, nice ride, and fantastic weather. Thanks for organizing Brad!

dc

There are some semi-major announcements coming regarding the future of TjRubley.com. But before those details are finished, I’m going to also be blogging over at FunCheapCars.com. I stumbled onto the site a few weeks back and fell in love with the concept being a cheap-ass myself. A couple of days later I saw their post calling for contributors. I was very happy when they accepted my request to help out.

My first post is about the beloved Mazda MX-5 Miata NA. Check out some of their other posts:

• Car Reviews: Toyota MR2 (MK-I, MK-II)
• Honda CRX / Ballade
• Honda Prelude

I hope you’ll come join us if you’re into affordable and fun cars!

dc

Do you ever pull out the map just to find long stretches of twisting road that you’ve never ridden on before? So do we! Paul and I were planning a day of motorcycling from Eugene to Bandon via some back roads, and then back up the coast via 101. But the weather forecasters suddenly warned of an incoming front that could drop rain as early as 11am at the coast. We decided to go east instead to seek out warmer temperatures and avoid the rain until the last minute on the way back.

View Larger Map

Nothing really that special about this route except that I had never been on Highway 242, which is actually the old pass highway to and from Eugene. The road isn’t really maintained anymore and is actually closed most of the wet season. It starts out very inviting, similar to Highway 199 from Grants Pass into the Redwoods, or Highway 1 in NorCal: a thin strip of asphalt draped in the middle of a dense forest with corners ranging from 15 to 35 for at least 10 miles. It would’ve been pure bliss but nearly every corner had the gravel marbles dragged into the roadway by the oversized RV’s littering our beautiful road. Nonetheless, the scenery was incredible!

After tap dancing through these tight and sometimes treacherous corners, we left the forest and ascended to the 5000ft summit where the road opened up a bit. Suddenly the vegetation was becoming non-existent as we crossed through the lava field. The landscape changes so quickly and completely, it was like being on another planet. Here’s a picture I found on Flickr:

Highway 242 conveniently links right up to Sisters, where we would’ve ended up anyway had we taken 126 to 20. We pushed through the annoyingly crowded main drag (no choice) and headed onto Bend. And gosh, as long as we’re in Bend, we better hit the Deschutes Brewery for lunch. I had the Ham wrapped Halibut, and washed it down with their Sagebrush Classic Pils. A really tasty lunch to say the least!

Not the Pils, but a shot I took of a Deschutes bottle a while back:

Then back to business as we headed home. Except the business of enjoying the 30+ miles of tight corners through the Santiam Pass that was practically ruined by the endless stream of RV’s, dawdling sedans, and small trucks towing boats. It’s a public road and all, but please use the turn-outs folks!

All and all though, another great day trip through western Oregon covering nearly 300 miles. And we beat the storm back home. It’s been raining ever since I got home. Perfect timing!

dc

Scott dropped me a line with a link to his beautiful 1990 Honda NC30 VFR400R on Craigslist:

quote from his ad on Craigslist:

Health issue forces sale.

Very rare, street legal, low miles,new tires Conti Road Attack rear Sport Attack front, rebuilt front shocks race set up, gsxr fully adjustable rear shock, Viper exhaust, Paddock stand, spare Tyga rear solo fairing, complete restoration every bolt was put through a tumbler, frame and motor were not seperated, Renthal chain and rear sprocket, correct paint code from RC30 PPG paint. Way too many extra parts to list well over 1500 in parts. This bike would be great for someone short, even women, even comfortable for a 5ft10 rider. You will not finD a finer example of this bike in the South East aside from a collection, nor will you likely see another when riding. It always gets attention. ZERO JOY RIDES, and price is firm.

Looks awesome, Scott. Good luck with the sale!

dc

Paul and I did the Ducati Demo Day at MotoCorsa in Portland this past Saturday. It was completely awesome! Their facility is a very cool place to hang out anyway, but getting to sample their brand new bikes was really amazing. It’s a guided group ride with a dozen or so brand new bikes that riders can preview at no cost. Sharp marketing too because if I had a spare $12-15k for a new bike, I would’ve signed immediately upon our return. Later that night, Paul and I were still trying to convince ourselves it might be doable!

Before heading up, I checked the Ducati website for the current offerings and to make my pick. I wanted to try something vaguely similar to my 750SS, but in a brand new flavor. And the Sport Classic was my pick. I was very excited to find out they had not one, but two openings for Sport Classics for Paul and I to sample at 2 o’clock. His was the up rated S model with Ohlin’s forks, full fairing, and full Termignoni pipes. Mine had the stock pipes, which were way too quiet. When Paul cracked the throttle on his, everyone noticed immediately and sounded much more the business. They really should come this way stock.

While we waited for our turn, the reality started setting in. If I scratched this thing, I would own a second Ducati, costing 4x as much as mine and with a big scratch to fix LOL! That’d be fun explaining to Mrs. Rubley! The butterflies started to swim around in my stomach… I was briefly comforted watching the earlier group leave with a couple of noticeably novice riders who came back unscathed.

Once underway it was a total breeze. There were many similarities to my own bike, and I was at home right away. Riders were guided at a very smart pace and given a great 20 mile tour of the Portland hills. Tour guides front and back made sure we stayed together and stopped traffic at intersections to keep us together. Fantastic route and great planning. By the time we got back, I was grinning ear to ear like it was Christmas morning. I won’t miss it again!

My 20 minute review of the Ducati Sport 1000:

Pro’s - Classic minimalist styling with a comfortable seat, spoked rims, cafe racer clip on’s, and retro decals. Nice modern amenities like fuel injection, 6 speed gearbox, and the refinements that are now found in modern Ducati’s.

Con’s - Not so great on/off throttle response, a gas tank that’s a tad uncomfortable to sit against, and those stock pipes are obviously engineered to be lame so you can upgrade to the Termi’s. But other than that, she was a wonderful ride with very approachable power and controls.

A huge thank you to Ducati MotoCorsa for hosting and Ducati NA for generously loaning me a beautiful new bike that absolutely made my day!

Ducati Demo Day at MotoCorsa 2008 Gallery

dc

I know, I know, the top 10 posts are way too sportbike oriented, but I can’t help it. It seems spring has sprung and sellers are anxious to capitalize on the adrenaline allergy (orgy?) season. Here are two more beautiful examples from the Bay Area Riders Forum:

1991 Honda NSR 250 SE MC21, Title and For Sale in California for $6k on BARF:

1991 NSR 250 SE. Current CA registration, clear CA title in hand.
The SE model gets you adjustable front and rear suspension and the zoomy and always exciting dry clutch.
Near original, all stock condition with the exception of chambers and front / rear steel brake lines. Original exhaust/mufflers included. Overall, it’s in really nice shape. The chassis, swing arm, forks, wheels and other hard parts are in top condition.
Bodywork has the usual chips here and there and a bit of scuffing on the underside of the lowers.
Currently runs rich but a jet kit is on the way!
$6000

For $6k with title — you have to be kidding me! What a killer deal on a gray market specialty. Is the market dead or is the seller in a hurry? Someone call him up before he changes his mind!

1988 Yamaha FZR1000 For Sale in California with 37k miles and “entertaining offers of $2000-2500″ on BARF:

Ask anyone who’s seen this bike, it’s clean.
All stock, except after market chain and sprockets, 1 down, 2 up.
37K miles.

Best offer.

I can’t remember the last time I saw an FZR1000, let alone this clean. Granted, it probably makes less power than this year’s R6, but who cares. How cool and original is this sweet bike - and for under $3k!

dc

Although this one is a bit cheaper at $15k that the other one I posted recently:

1990 Honda RC30 For Sale on VFRDiscussion:

It must be spring, there’s a ton of really nice bikes coming up for sale!

dc

After a recent visit to the Portland Ducati dealership, Motocorsa, I was cautioned not to even start the Ducati until I had replaced the belts. This is because they are rated at only 2 years, 12k miles, and I had no evidence that the belts were within those parameters. If the belts were to break, the cost of the head rebuilds would easily exceed the value of the bike. After some quick math, I took their advice and waited to tickle the 750 until today, when Paul replaced the belts. And we’ve had some damn nice weather here in Western Oregon that has been making me absolutely stir crazy for a ride on the bike!!!

Luckily I was able to satisfy my fix in a couple of ways. 1st was to turn my garage into a ghetto studio by gathering what I had in the house to make a backdrop and some strong overhead lighting to take some dramatic photographs. I ended up with this:

(Click above image for link to full size wallpaper!)

This was the result of a relative photography amateur taking about 4 hours of trial and error shots, and some moderate Photoshop work. For a first effort, I’m thrilled. Here’s the original. If you’re a Photoshop wizard, or just want to take a crack, give the original the business and post a link of your interpretation. Or email me.

Update 3.12.08 - Here’s our first submission from Eric:

A few weeks after that photo was taken, Paul and his wife met at our house for an evening of dinner and drinks, arriving separately. When they left the next morning, they took their car home and Paul left his bike in the garage. For nearly 2 weeks Naturally I made the most of it. Nearly every sunny late afternoon was spent on the VFR. (Paul, you are the man. Thank you so much!) While it sucked to leave the Duc in the garage on such perfect days, the VFR was a total blast! I mean:

• It has a choke and starts on the first try.
• It has fantastic creature comforts and modern conveniences like a full fairing, high mounted rear-view mirrors, comfortable seat, and even heated grips (!)
• A clock and temperature gauge. And even a fuel gauge! You mean you can ride between tanks knowing how much fuel you have? Stupore!
• It’s Red. bello!
• It has a motor that is a relative of the RC45, and sounds totally fantastic with the Two Brothers carbon fiber exhaust.
• And it was in my garage with a ‘ride anytime’ ticket provided by Paul.

Hell Ya, I rode her as much as I could! Here’s a short clip of my blipping the throttle before a ride:

Now I know what you’re thinking, “I hate YouTube bike exhaust clips that don’t rev the bike up that much!” To that I say: This bike is on loan from a close friend. A friend I respect. Naturally I waited to rev the piss out of her until the camera was off And she’s a screamer for sure. Once the needle swings past 8k RPM, hold on! She’ll walk the 750SS like it’s only running on one cylinder! Thanks for holding the needle for me when I needed my fix Paul!

Which brings us to today, when Paul came over to put the new belts on. I set him up with a Pepsi and a chocolate donut, and he dove right in. I had the nearly useless Ducati Factory manual open, and also the procedure on DucatiSuite for changing Ducati Timing Belts. He ended up referencing the latter more often than the manual, and had the whole job done in less than hour. With hours of sunlight left, we had to go for a quick ride of course to make sure the job was successful. And it was. I had a serious perma-grin on my first Ducati ride of 2008. We took a nice scenic tour of the Willamette Valley by taking highway 99N to Airlie Road, to Kings Valley, and back to Corvallis. You can check out the pics here, and here’s a wallpaper sized image that I photoshopped (too much):

Many, MANY thanks to Paul for getting the Ducati safe enough to start AND ride for ‘08!

dc