Tag: #ride japan

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After 14 years of the original spring Coast to Coast Twistybutt, we now have a proven fall/autumn Coast to Coast Twistybutt, too. It’s still from the Pacific to the Sea of Japan, but in the Chubu region. We held our first one this past Sunday and here’s how it went down.

Eight riders met by the mouth of the Tenryu River in Shizuoka on the Pacific coast with typhoon whipped swell crashing and tubing in the distance. The typhoon had scared off more than a few of the 22 registered entrants with threats of rain all week. But those that did rock up at the start were keen and the atmosphere was great, despite the overcast weather and dark brooding clouds blanketing the mountains to the north, where we were headed.

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That big 659cc single cylinder and conrod spinning around between your shins like Thor’s hammer while your perched atop its paranormal suspension with the near telepathic quickshifter and deft brakes merciful of daft indulgences is quite a ride.

The more time aboard this quite un-Ducati contraption, the less clear it became what or who was the tool of conveyance here. It’s good, molto molto good!

It’s a lightweight at 151kg and 77hp but with a large dollop of modern Ducati refinement to round the rough edges off the big single, it had me wondering more than once where it came from.

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