@!#$! it, I can’t go

The Milan Motorcycle show. What a dream to actually go. So many bikes… the 848 unveiled. Damn. There’s no way I can make the trip.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t help others if they decide to go. I did quite a bit of research and planning, thinking I may be heading over to Italy for eight days or so. In fact, I’m going to break down the trip I had planned, in case anyone out there has a last minute urge to ditch everything, take off, see the world and a !@$#load of new bikes.

Let’s start with budget. I figured around $1500 would do it, with $900 going to transportation. I used mobissimo.com, which has some incredible deals on flights: Phoenix to Milan, about $750. Better yet though- Phoenix to London, about $550, then grab an easyjet to Milan Malpensa for 30-40 pounds sterling ($60-80).

Milan is a huge commercial hub for northern Italy. It took a little interpretation to figure out exactly where Eicma was being held. Its actually well outside Milan’s city center, at the Fiera di Milano in an area called Rho. Here’s a Google map link, to give a better idea where the convention is at.

The Eicma website lays out a few different ways of actually getting to the event. If I had decided to go, I would have stayed downtown and communted out. Afterall, one day at the show would have been enough, and Milan seems like a pretty sweet place to hang out. Hot model type chicks, Leo da Vinci’s Last Supper, risotto- all good reasons to spend a little time downtown. Milan has a pretty high standard of living, so finding a place to stay could come at a price. Every guide book I read suggested booking in advance. Some of the best budget hotels I came across were:

1) Hotel Malta
2) Hotel Ca Grande
3) Hotel San Tomaso
4) Hotel Aurora

All these hotels are recommended by Let’s Go, the best travel books for folks on a budget and/or after something cool. They average out to be $50-100 a night, depending on a single or double sized room. I wouldn’t expect anything too fancy- just clean, simple rooms.

That’s all the research I compiled for my would-have-been trip to Eicma to see the 848 released first hand. I looked in to heading south to Bologna to do a factory and museum tour (www.ducati.com), but I’ll save all that research for another article.

Should I, Shouldn’t I

I’ve been giving this serious thought…

The Milan Motorcycle Show, Eicma, starts in Italy in two weeks. Ducati plans to introduce the 848 at the show. How sweet would it be to actually see it unveiled? Not to mention all the other bikes, many of which we’d most likely never have a chance to see in America. Imagine documenting the whole show, maybe swinging down to Bologna to tour the factory. Imagine doing all this with Italy as the backdrop… a once in a lifetime trip.

But the cost, the time off work, the inevitable hassle of finding accommodation, transport, anything requiring the use of a language I haven’t a clue about. It would be tough throwing this trip together on a tiny budget with little time, and I’m a savvy traveler. I suppose I’m somewhere between realistic and cynical about the cons of the trip, and dreaming about the rest of it.

What to do…

Pictures and Info

From Federico Minoli’s personal blog, Desmoblog, dated Wednesday, November 29th, 2006, in an article entitled Ancora 1098…:

“A lower displacement engine is not foreseen for 2007 but an 848 engine will be available in 2008 if there is adequate demand.”

Apparently, there is.

Some info on the 848 (keep in mind that the following is hear say, not necessarily factual):

-only the base model will be available for 2008, no S or R version at first
-it will cost around $13,000 American ($22,500 Australian, 13,500 Euro, and about 200 quid with current exchange rates)
-it will weigh about 6 lbs. less than the 1098
-the 848 will have 134 horses and 70 ft/lbs
-wet clutch only
-dealers will get them in December 07 with delivery not before Jan 2008
-it will be available in white with a red or black frame

Again, all this information is loose. We’ll all know more after the Milan motorcycle show in a couple weeks. Here’s a pic:

Not bad.

Borrowed Info

From motorcyclenews.com, dated December 1st, 2006:

“Ducati President Federico Minoli has today confirmed Ducati will offer an 848cc version of the stunning 1098 – if you want it.
The announcement was made on Desmoblog, which is written personally by Minoli, who also showed three computer generated images of alternative colour options for the 1098.
The 848 will replace the dated 749 range as Ducati’s supersport sized machine, and will be shown for the first time at the 2007 Milan Show.” (Sarah Carnell)

For anyone wondering about the 2007 Milan show, some info:

-it’s 18 euros (22 bucks or so)
-open to the public November 8th (Thursday)- November 11th (Sunday)
-women are free on Friday the 9th

All other questions, check out their site:
www.eicma.it

Hello World

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t know what a blog was. I still think the term “blog” is stupid. I don’t know a lot about html, tagging, downloading, any of that. I’ll figure it out, I suppose.

But I was compelled to create this site. In my head, it’s like this: a basic forum is created for Ducati’s 848, debuting in Milan in only a few weeks. Beyond that, the site becomes the resource for anything 848 related. It’s that simple.

So, anyone who comes across this site, who wants to contribute, shoot me an email at tjkremlick@8four8.com.