#i also always use the handle of a specific butter knife to take the wheels off and put them back on bc the shape is perfect

[lowpolycule]

unbelievable to me that people actually take their bicycles to shops just to change the tires OR even just to get a hole fixed. brother just get a multi tool and a wrench and you can do anything with ur bike free of charge forever

[sorenserotonin]

Momentary Losers chapter 3

AO3 link

chapter 1 chapter 2

Summary:  Richie and his bandmates get back from a tour to meet Stan's boyfriend Bill, and Bill's small and anxious best friend Eddie. From the moment they met, Richie was infatuated, but he was sure Eddie hated his guts. How could he not? Richie was everything Eddie wasn't. Little did Richie know, everyone has a little bit of a "Total Disaster" in them.

Ships: Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, Stanley Uris/Bill Denbrough, Beverly Marsh/Ben Hanscom, Mike Hanlon/Richie Tozier, Stanley Uris/Mike Hanlon (eventually)

warning for drug use, mentions of underage sex (its natural for teenagers to do things at that age, and its not explicit don't worry), a down day in depression, and adults had sex (again not explicit)

Richie was laying on the living room floor facetiming Mike. He smiled at the sight of Mike petting the puppy that slept on his chest. “I can’t make it,” Mike gave a pout and Richie’s smile fell. “I got that charity event.”

Richie groaned. “I don’t wanna third wheel Stan and Bill,” he sat up. “Can’t you save animals the next day?”

Mike rolled his eyes. “You’ll have Bev,” he licked his lips.

“She and Ben have date night that night,” Richie ran his hand through his hair.

Mike pursed his lips, thinking. “Ask Eddie if he’ll go,” he suggested.

Richie hadn’t thought of asking the smaller man. He didn’t know how he felt about Eddie, other than thinking he was cute. He wondered if Eddie would even agree. He sighed and scratched his head. He said goodbye to Mike and hung up. He immediately regretted hanging up, missing the comfort of seeing his friend and the small animal.

He bit his lip as he opened Eddie’s contact information. The contact photo he used of the smaller man was a four panel comic of a man dressed as a flower asking to be pissed on. He snorted, mumbling to himself and he pressed the call button. “And just let him fucking die?” he laughed as he waited for Eddie to pick up.

“Richie?” Eddie asked.

Richie smiled. “Hey, Eds,” he bit his lip to stop laughing.

Eddie sighed. “Don’t call me that,” he stated. “Why did you call me?”

Richie furrowed his brow. “Well I won’t tell you if you ask in that tone, Spaghetti Man.”

Richie could hear anger bubbling in the way Eddie breathed. Richie wondered if the man took the teasing the same way Stan did or if the anger was real. “Is there a specific reason you called me? I was in the middle of making lunch.”

Richie could hear the sound of Amy Winehouse playing from Eddie’s speaker. “Me and Stan were invited to do a video with some website and we can bring a plus one each. Stan is taking Bill, I was wondering if you wanted to come with?”

He heard Eddie’s breath hitch. Before Eddie could answer there was a clatter and Eddie hissed. “Shit,” he whispered.

“Everything good?” Richie asked.

“Yeah I just dropped a knife on my foot-”

“Do you need to see a doctor?” Richie quickly asked.

Eddie took a deep breath. “No, it was the handle of a butter knife. I just have to clean it up.”

Richie was relieved to hear that Eddie was okay. “So you gonna do the porno or no?” he decided to lighten the mood.

He heard Eddie guffaw. “What?!” he exclaimed.

“The internet would go wild, I mean my nudes somehow haven’t leaked,” Richie shrugged.

“Richie, no-”

Richie saw Stan walking down the stairs. “Calm down, Eds, it was a joke. Stan would never agree to fucking me on camera,” Richie smirked as he interrupted Eddie.

“I wouldn’t want to catch anything,” Stan projected his voice, enough so Eddie could hear him.

“Richie what is this actually about? Don’t you dare say it’s a porno,” Richie could hear Eddie licking something off of his fingers.

He glanced at Stan. “It is a video, that wasn’t a joke. It’s just an interview thing with a fan that runs a website. She knows who Stan is because she’s been to almost every show. Bev and Mike can’t make it,” Richie grabbed Stan’s hand when the other man sat on the couch.

“I guess, I can drive if you guys want,” Eddie replied.

After discussing the details, Richie hung up. He was still holding Stan’s hand and sitting on the floor. He placed his phone in his pocket and stood up, grabbing Stan’s other hand. He pulled Stan off the couch, now they were standing. Richie wiggled his body a bit and Stan gave him a blank stare. Richie smiled wide. “We got a ride to the interview.”

“Okay…”

Richie stopped moving. He frowned at Stan. “Is today a bad day?” When Stan sat on the couch again, not letting go of Richie’s hands, Richie didn’t need an answer. Richie looked down at Stan, squeezing his hands. He smiled again. “You don’t know the last time I washed my hands.”

Stan attempted to escape Richie’s grasp, but couldn’t. “God, you’re disgusting, stop I can see the dirt under your fingernails.”

Due to his bad mood, Stan invited Bill over to cuddle and watch a movie. Richie scoffed and said that he could have done that. Since Mike was leaving for a charity event in New York the next afternoon, Richie had suggested he join them. He didn’t say that it was also because he didn’t want to be a third wheel, but everyone knew that was also a reason.

Surprisingly, Mike and Bill arrived at the same time. When Richie opened the door, Bill was laughing at something Mike said. “I reckon you fellas are getting along good,” Richie did a terrible southern accent and Mike rolled his eyes.

Richie stepped aside, letting them inside. Mike was holding a plastic bag, Richie reached for it and Mike swatted his hand. “This is for Stan,” he informed.

Stan walked into the living room wearing his pajamas. “Mike,” he smiled, hugging the man in question. Mike patted Stan’s back, smiling, his eyes meeting Richie’s. They separated, and Mike handed the bag to Stan. “Thank you,” Stan said quietly. He opened the bag and looked inside. He then, looked at Mike. Richie couldn’t see his expression but he saw the way Mike seemed to brighten up. Richie caught the way Bill’s face kind of fell. “Mike, you didn’t have to do this,” Stan whispered, affection dripping from his voice like melted ice cream.

Mike blushed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know that I do this every time you get like this,” Mike smiled.

Richie realised what was in the bag instantly. “Mike’s special homemade vegan yogurt,” he nodded. “Micycle, you better give me the special non-vegan yogurt later,” he winked.

Mike scoffed. “Rich, you’re disgusting,” Richie laughed.

Stan walked over to his boyfriend, and Bill finally smiled. They hugged and kissed, and Richie rolled his eyes. He sat on the couch, Mike sitting next to him. Stan closed the front door and then grabbed Bill’s hand. He brought him to the couch. Bill sat next to the arm, giving Stan room between him and Mike. Stan kissed his knuckles and left the room to get a spoon.

Richie mockingly grabbed Mike’s hand and kissed his knuckles. “Oh, Billy boy I sure do love you’re hands,” he loudly said, in a horrible Stan impression.

Mike rolled his eyes and Bill looked at Richie as if the man had challenged him. “Kissing knuckles a-aren’t the only things my ha-hands are good for,” he smirked.

Richie laughed. “Ooo, Bill Denbrough gets off a good one!” Richie leaned into the couch, putting his feet on the coffee table.

Stan walked back into the room. “I don’t even want to know what was said when I was gone,” he said as he sat on the couch in a way that Richie called ‘criss cross applesauce’. Stan opened the tupperware container and looked at Richie. “Can you turn on a movie or a TV show? At this point I don’t care.”

Richie nodded and used the PlayStation to open Hulu. “What genre?” he asked.

Stan shrugged. “Comedy I guess… as long as I don’t wish I could be as happy as them,” Richie smirked. He quickly put on an episode of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Stan groaned. “Richie you know I hate this show.”

Richie put the controller on the floor. “Shut up, just watch the episode.”

Stan reluctantly watched the episode, eating the yogurt with a frown on his face. He leaned back into the couch, tilting his head toward Mike. Bill bit his lip and took a deep breath. Richie was watching them, just trying to see how Stan was. He just wanted to see how Stan would react to the episode he chose.

When Dennis opened the crate with the rocket launcher inside, Stan was leaning against Mike with his legs in Bill’s lap. Richie was bearing the weight of both Mike and Stan, Mike leaning on his shoulder. Mike had fallen asleep 10 minutes into the episode. Richie didn’t understand how the man could nap during the shown known for the characters screaming at each other. Richie noticed that Stan offered Bill some of his yogurt. Bill declined, saying it was for Stan. Stan rolled his eyes and said that he wanted Bill to try it. Bill complied and basically moaned at the taste. Stan smiled, “what do you think?” he asked.

Bill licked his lips. “That was d-delicious.”

“Stan, I think he might want to have some time alone with the yogurt,” Richie said, keeping his voice at a level to not wake Mike up.

“Rich, you don’t have to whisper,” Mike said, shocking Richie. Stan let out a bark of laughter, at Richie’s expression.

Richie put on 50 First Dates, with no protest. He almost wanted to turn the movie off to spite their lack of reaction to Adam Sandler. “Can’t believe you’re letting me do this.”

Mike placed his hand high up Richie’s thigh. “I love Drew Barrymore,” he said, his voice quiet enough so only Richie could hear.

Richie adjusted his sitting position, knowing that his face was bright red. He handed the controller to Stan. “Have fun,” he said quickly.

Mike got up, Stan moving to lean on Bill. Bill looked more satisfied than he had the whole time he was there. Richie quickly got up, darting upstairs. He heard Mike’s footsteps, and connected his phone to the speakers on his dresser. When Mike closed the door, the playlist started. Mike crashed his lips against Richie’s, pulling him close.

When Richie took off the black bowling shirt with neon flames, Mike pulled their lips apart. “Really? Panic is on your sex playlist?” he smirked, pulling off his shirt.

Richie unbuttoned his matching jeans. “Can you blame me? Brendon’s voice is bound to give anyone a hard on.”

Stay for as long as you have time

So the mess that we'll become

Leaves something to talk about

Richie woke up to the sight of Mike Hanlon putting one of the only not tacky shirts that Richie owned. He couldn’t tell what he was looking at due to the lack of contacts or glasses. Mike handed him his glasses, and smiled. Richie put his glasses on and smiled at the sight of Mike wearing his Aerosmith shirt. “Good morning,” he said.

“We need to talk,” Mike said quietly, his smile not falling. It didn’t reach his eyes, though.

Richie sat up, stretching his tattoo covered arms and yawning. “You don’t want me to ride your Micycle?” he didn’t know why his stomach was turning. He chose to believe it was the lack of wake up coke.

Mike sat on Richie’s bed, no longer looking at him. “Yeah, Richie,” he paused. “I think we should stop this.”

Richie nodded. “I have something to tell you.”

Mike finally looked at him. “Please don’t hate me,” he said quietly.

Richie shook his head. “I could never hate you, you’re Mike fucking Hanlon. Homeschool, Micycle, Mikey, Mike and Ike,” he ran out of nicknames, licking his lips. “Do you remember that night?”

They were sixteen, the last two at the quarry after a summer day in the sun. They were in the bed of Mike’s truck, both wrapped in their towels. “You talk a big game, Trashmouth,” Mike began. “Have you ever actually…?” his voice was quieter this time.

Richie pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, of course, dude.”

Mike looked at him, hesitant. “I trust you… I’m still a virgin…”

“Yeah?” Mike replied, furrowing his brows.

Richie looked down. “I lied. You were actually my first time.”

Richie knocked on Stan’s window. Stan opened the window, wiping his eyes. He was wearing polka dot pajamas. “What?” his voice was raspy with sleep.

“Stan, I have to tell him it was my first time. How do I tell him?” Richie wasn’t thinking. He couldn’t think since Mike kissed him.

Stan squinted at him, then looked at the clock on his dresser. “It’s 3 AM, I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

“Why did you lie?” Mike asked, standing up. “I mean yeah i kinda assumed you did lie, but why are you telling me now and not then?”

“Mike it’s been almost ten years. I was a dumb kid and I actually don’t know why I didn’t tell you. I wanted to, I just didn’t know how you would react,” Richie was babbling. He got out of his bed, thankful he had the decency to put his boxers on last night. He extended his hand.

Mike took a step back and Richie wanted to cry. “Don’t touch me, I can’t believe it took you almost a decade to tell me you lied to me about that on that night.”

“I didn’t want to lose your trust-”

“Then you should have told me!”

“Micycle-”

“No, Richie! We can’t keep screwing each other, especially now.”

Richie took a deep breath, pushing his hair out of his face. “I get that! Just please tell me why you want to stop, so I don’t feel like a complete ass.”

“I just can’t keep doing this. The way we act every morning after. I don’t want to have to pretend I don’t hear you snort a line in the bathroom when you wake up. I don’t want to think that me having feelings for someone will ruin our friendship. I just don’t think us having sex is good for out friendship. The band went on a no tour hiatus two years ago because we didn’t know if it was awkward to do normal friend stuff because we agreed to no romance. I don’t want to lose you and this sex stuff has caused both of us to not go after people we wanted something serious with. I want to be at least somewhat normal,” Mike’s voice broke on the last sentence.

“Fine. Then go. Go to your fucking charity and take pretty girls on dates and fuck them. I’ll do the same fucking thing,” Richie didn’t know why he was lashing out. He just knew he needed coke to be able to deal with this.

Mike rolled his eyes. “Goodbye Richie. Get high and burn some pancakes.”

Richie slammed the bathroom door at the same time that Mike slammed the bedroom door. Richie dumped a bit of the familiar white powder on the counter. He used the small razor he kept in the drawer to cut the powder into a line. He grabbed the straw and was finally able to breathe when he inhaled. He rubbed his nose, ignoring the drop of red on his hand.

Tag List

@lousytrashmouth @beepbeepbabe @queertrashmouth @gospelofthewitch @harringrovesucks @festive-wheeler @rochibi @burymestanding @i-is-gazebo @ohheydatsme @supernaturalslytherinintheimpala @maisy-the-fangirl @novopsi @sweetbadheart @sugarandsaltandeverythingthot @colorful-dodie @aristosachaiov @bitchierrichie @arklcat 

ask to be added to the tag list! this is a slow burn

[buildercar]

New Post has been published on http://www.buildercar.com/first-drive-2018-volkswagen-golf-gti-european-spec/

First Drive: 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI European Spec

MALLORCA, Spain — Class-defining and at the same time class-less since its debut in 1974, the Volkswagen Golf has become a cornerstone model of the Volkswagen brand. The same can be said in many ways of its sporty variant, the GTI. The very first Golf GTi was in essence a grown up Mini Cooper made in Germany. Its 110-hp engine had an easy time motivating the roughly 1,700-lb crackerjack that made history for its amazing handling, roadholding, and performance.

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI has more than double the power of that first model. It’s also a lot heavier, with a roughly 70 percent weight gain to slightly more than 3,000 lbs. One thing that hasn’t changed much though: The GTI still remains a blast to drive.

True to the maxim “never mess with a winning team,” exterior design changes to the European spec 2018 Golf GTI we recently took out for a drive are purely cosmetic. While the sheetmetal remains untouched, its bumpers, lights, and grille get fresh make-up. It also features extra trim, and four little red winglets underlining the headlights. The daytime running lights and the taillights use LED technology

Its turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 picks up an extra seven horsepower in European specification, while GTI Performance Package gets a 14-hp boost in its newest guise. Despite the updates, the asking price remains virtually unchanged.

Our red test car is a four-door manual with 19-inch wheels, adaptive dampers, intelligent lighting, the all-in infotainment pack, and just about every available driver assistance system. The cloth seats look and feel good, the cockpit is still more steering-wheel than games console, and the ergonomics are more intuitive than confusing. Pressing the starter button activates two sound sources. Initially it’s even battle between Dynaudio stereo system and the EA211 engine, but after a fingertip correction, the powerplant beats the amplifier.

The GTI’s drive mode selector invites you to tweak engine and transmission response, damper setting, and steering behavior, but it won’t let you turn up the exhaust volume. For a loop on Spanish gatorback C-roads, we lock the shock absorbers in comfort and leave the other elements in sport. Although there is an ESP button, you can only deactivate traction control. So, take-off wheelspin, yes; lift-off oversteer, no.

Like its predecessor, the 2018 GTI is not an aggressive street racer but a relaxed gran turismo with long legs and plenty of low-end grunt. Its livery is tastefully tailored, its stance is understated yet confident, and its voice is half Peter Fonda, half Sean Connery. The seventh-edition best-seller is built like a vault — think Golf with Phaeton genes, not vice versa. The cockpit oozes quality: soft-touch surfaces, metal accents actually made of metal, solid controls, sturdy fabrics, high-definition displays, and more than a dozen modern conveniences including gesture control and active info display are available.

Want to hitch a ride? At the word go, we’re off. Even at 4,000 rpm, the acoustics are still reminiscent of a padded cocoon — no suspension rumble, front axle quiver, tire roar, or driveline indispositions. The only music playing in your headphones are the dense and delicately staggered tonalities of VW’s finest gasoline engine.

Equipped with a sports suspension and so-called progressive power steering, the new GTI comes well prepared for the narrow twisties that carve in serpentines and terraces up and down the steep mountain flanks. You never need sixth gear on this roller-coaster terrain, but first is a must around the hairpin turns that climb like spiral straircases through the rock formations. With the exception of short straights and occasional switchbacks, this is mainly second- and third-gear stuff. Good to know then that this Golf picks up the torque thread at a low 1,500 rpm, spanning its lofty 258 lb-ft peak from there all the way to 4,600 rpm. It does not come as a surprise that the six-speed manual changes ratios almost as rapidly as the optional DSG transmission. It’s a quick and slick gearbox, precise and well staggered, complemented by a light and progressive clutch. Although redline is 6,500 rpm, there is no real need to push the single-turbo 16-valver beyond its wide sweet spot.

Waltzing one-two-three, one-two-three with the GTI along the southern edge of the Balearic Islands is a pleasantly controlled, unexcited, reduced experience. This car frowns at and refrains from grand gestures, so turn in with restraint while staying in the taller gear then open up the steering early and feed the torque diligently. The reward is a captivating blend of cornering grip and exit speed, a high level of composure, immaculate body control, not much understeer, and plenty of feedback. You always know exactly where you are with this Golf, be it one tenth under or over the limit. A scalpel rather than a butter knife, it carves a fine line without leaving deep grooves on the blacktop. Physically pulling itself together the instant fast forward switches to fast rewind, the GTI shines through the ubiquitous second-gear twisties.

Overdriving the hatch upsets the handling balance by inducing excess understeer and destructive ASR/ESP interference. It’s much better to keep this car on a long leash, give torque preference over power, time driver inputs defensively, maintain a steady flow. After all, this is no longer your father’s GTI — or the GTI I still remember vividly from the original press launch. The Golf has grown up, put on weight and learned new tricks — but is still delightful to drive.

Of course, we expect a sharper Golf R and European-only track-bred Clubsport to follow. In a way, the GTI feels more like a detuned Golf R without all-wheel drive, like the cruiser version of the line-topping bruiser. But don’t forget that Mallorca and its winding by-ways are only one side of the coin. Picture this car on fast country roads or on the autobahn and it will no doubt collect more brownie points. After all, no contender can match the epic Golf for its sweet ride-and-handling mix and the rare combination of laid-back competence and absolute commitment.

2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI Specifications

ON SALE Summer 2017 (est) PRICE $33,000 (est) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged 16-valve DOHC I-4 217 hp @ 4,700-6,200 rpm, 258 lb-ft @ 1,500-4,600 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual, 6-speed dual-clutch automatic LAYOUT 2- or 4-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, FWD hatchback EPA MILEAGE N/A L X W X H 167.6-171.3 x 70.5-70.8 x 56.8 in WHEELBASE 103.4 in WEIGHT 3,007-3,056 lb 0-60 MPH 6.4 sec TOP SPEED 155 mph

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[totallymotorbikes]

Church Of MO Twin Touring Sportbikes Sheesh, two motorcycle manufacturers shutting their doors in less than a month. First it was Victory, and now it’s Buel… errr, EBR. Coincidentally, Buell got his time in the spotlight in last week’s Church feature, and while we don’t normally post consecutive Church features from the same manufacturer, with the unfortunate news of Erik Buell winding down yet again we feel it’s the right thing to do. So to celebrate Buell, this week’s we’re going all the way back to 1998 and the test between the Buell S3T Thunderbolt and Ducati ST2 Sport Turismo. As a special treat, joining the old MO staff of Mark Hammond and Billy Bartels is none other than Chuck Graves – yeah, that Chuck Graves. What do they think of this Italian/American mashup? Read on to find out. And for more pictures of the duet, be sure to visit the photo gallery. Twin Touring Sportbikes Buell’s S3T Thunderbolt v. Ducati’s ST2 Sport Turismo By Staff Apr. 01, 1998 The good people in the marketing departments of your favorite motorcycle manufacturers have tried to make it easy for consumers to find the bike of their dreams. In North America, the epicenter of consumer culture, there are three primary street-only motorcycle categories: Custom/cruisers, sportbikes, and tourers. Each category represents, in a nice, neat package, what manufacturers believe consumers expect from their bikes. The custom/cruiser category seems to say, “Hey, look at me.” The sportbike category shouts, “Hey, look at me wad.” The touring category declares, “Hey, you can’t help but look at me because my bike is bigger than yours.” From these three main categories come hybrids, and this is where marketing departments have taken a few liberties. Dual-sport motorcycles, for example, are not sportbikes but standards that can be ridden, for the most part, on dirt and gravel roads. Then there are sport-touring motorcycles, a category created for the middle-aged rider who prefers a more aggressive bike than a cruiser or full dresser, yet is either intimidated by hardcore sportbikes like GSX-Rs and 916s, or after riding one for a few miles, finds it necessary to make an appointment with a chiropractor. An easy way to tell if a manufacturer intends a bike to fall within the sport-tourer category is to look for an “S” or a “T” somewhere in the bike’s nomenclature. But being geeks conditioned to a world of precise commands and codes, the staff at MO tends to have very literal minds. To us, words have specific, precise meanings, so when we hear “sport-touring motorcycle,” specific bikes come to mind: Honda’s ST1100 and BMW’s R1100RS, for example. Quick, comfortable, touring bikes that handle relatively well — touring motorcycles with sporty capabilities. When we were dreaming up shootouts, we wanted to take some long rides, so we immediately penciled into our editorial schedule, “Sport-Tourer Shootout.” Searching for any excuse to flee Los Angeles, we scheduled a couple of runs up north, and with the introduction of Buell’s S3T Thunderbolt and Ducati’s ST2 Sport Turismo, there were now enough “S” or “T” bikes on the market for perhaps two or three northerly excursions. First, we would compare the twin-cylinder sport-tourers, the Buell and Duc along with BMW’s R1100RS. Later, we’ll test the multi-cylinder bikes. After a few miles on the tight mountain roads between Gorman and Paso Robles, we noticed that the Ducati and the Buell felt at home while the R1100RS, so comfortable on the freeways and highways, had a very hard time keeping up. Sitting in a Paso Robles motel room drinking Coronas and mutilating limes with a butter knife we’d lifted from the Denny’s across the street, it dawned on us, between burps, that we might have stumbled upon yet another hybrid class of motorcycle. The ST2 and the S3T are not so much sport-tourers, as touring sports. What’s the difference, you say? Well, in “sport-tourers”, “sport” modifies “tourer.” Thus, a “sport-tourer” is essentially an aggressive touring bike, like the BMW R1100RS. However, flip-flop the words, where “touring” modifies “sport”, you have a completely different concept — a sportbike with touring features. It seems as though we are splitting semantic hairs, but we feel the difference looms large. This is how we see the Ducati ST2 and the Buell S3T Thunderbolt — sportbikes set up for touring duty. Touring, especially overnight runs through your favorite backroads, is something both these bikes do well. The stock seats on both aren’t bad, they’re just not great. Seating positions and overall rider ergonomics are good. Where one bike is comfortable, the other isn’t and vica-versa. The Ducati is more hardcore sport. Lower bars place the rider farther over the front wheel than on the Buell, and the pegs are swept a little farther back. The Duc’s fairing managed windblast well at high speeds and helped keep weight off the rider’s wrists, but at speeds below 70 mph the ST2’s more aggressive, forward riding position was uncomfortable for long-distance freeway riding. The Buell’s more upright position felt great in the city and at low and medium speeds. Conversely, it was at high speeds, over 85 mph, that windblast became bothersome. The straight, wide-open road will not make these bikes happy. Like their sportbike cousins, the ST2 and the S3T are at home on tight, twisting roads. In the slower, tighter corners, the Buell has the decided advantage with its smaller wheelbase and wide handlebars that offer greater leverage. In the fast corners both bikes handled very well. However, we were surprised that the ST2 is a relatively “heavy” turning bike. “Light” and “quick turning” are descriptives generally associated with Ducs, yet the Buell turned quicker. In designing the ST2, Ducati opted for more stability. The ST2’s chassis sports a tubular trestle frame similar to the 916 in torsional rigidity and lightness. Weight distribution of the Ducati is spread out between the front and rear a little more evenly than the Buell, which exhibits a rear-weight bias. Accordingly, the Buell doesn’t always want to keep its front end on the ground, and it can be slightly twitchy in high speed corner transitions. However, its excellent chassis and stiff suspension helped keep the S3T very stable over fast, rough roads. Overall, the braking on the Buell was better than on the Ducati. The Nissin six-piston caliper and sintered metal pad bind with amazing force. In fact, the initial bite is so strong that you can’t simply “grab a handful,” despite having only a single front rotor. The Ducati is equipped with twin 320 mm floating Brembo discs and four-piston calipers in the front and a single 245 mm disc with a twin-piston caliper at the rear. Initial bite was a bit soft, thus a bit more forgiving. Still, perhaps because of the forward position of the rider, the Ducati suffered from greater brake dive than the Buell. One area in which the Ducati clearly had the advantage over the Buell is ground clearance. The Ducati’s narrow footpegs are set higher and farther back than the Buell’s lower and more comfortable pegs. Also, with the saddlebags off, the Ducati’s muffler can be raised for even more ground clearance. A very trick feature. The Buell S3T (and the S3 as well) is powered by the same engine we raved about in our review of the S1 White Lightning, pumping out 88 horsepower at the rear wheel and 76 ft-lbs of torque. Suprisingly, all that power came at a relatively low cost. The S3T averaged 43 miles per gallon. The Ducati is powered by a new version of its 90-degree, liquid-cooled V-twin engine, enlarged to 944cc for touring duty. SOHC, 2-valve desmo heads similar to Ducati’s early Paso models, are employed. The ST2 averaged 39 miles per gallon. The ThunderStorm is clearly the more powerful engine, and the only complaint we have stems from the familiar heat from the right side pipes and the trademark vibration at idle that all but disappears when the engine revs over 3000 rpm. The Ducati was clearly smoother at idle and low speeds, but we did note some mirror distortion at a higher clip on the freeway. Clutch and shifting play were very similar, both having a heavy feel and pull. In the end, both the Ducati and the Buell were in a virtual tie. However, what tipped the balance in favor of the Ducati was the ST2’s overall fit and finish. We liked the easy-to-read instrument panel, and the digital odometer and water temperature gauge. Buell’s minimalist instrument panel, which works well with the naked Cyclone and Lightning, is lacking on a touring sport. Ducati has excellent, easy-to-open-and-remove hardbags, similar to the BMW’s popular and functional system. On the other hand, the Buell’s bags aren’t designed to be removed unless they are open and empty (though, to Buell’s credit, the bags do come with a nice set of removable bag liners). In fact, we couldn’t open the right side bag at all due to an early production glitch that Buell has since corrected. The Ducati ST2’s sleek and stylish design reminds us of BMW and their meticulous attention to detail. Aesthetically, from headlight to taillight, the ST2 is nearly flawless. Although the Buell creates a striking profile, we do have some issues. While the lower fairing does an adequate job in protecting the rider from the elements, it is ugly. Also, the right side fairing cracked at the mounting joint on the engine case. Common to all S3s and S3Ts, the windscreen is crooked. Don’t get us wrong, both bikes are very cool. However, it’s policy at Motorcycle Online to declare a winner for each shootout, and, in a very close contest, we choose Ducati’s ST2 as the winner in our Twin Touring Sport Shootout. Impressions: 1. Mark Hammond, Managing Editor When I announced I was riding the Ducati to Vegas, the staff asked me if I were on crack. Ducatis aren’t exactly known for their reliability, and the staff had vision of me stuck in Baker, home to what seems like as many fast-food joints as people, as well as a three-story thermometer, but then the negative lead bolt on the Buell fell out on Billy at 1:00 a.m. in Echo Park, not a particularly choice place to be stranded either. Besides, this is supposed to be Ducati’s long-distance touring bike. If it couldn’t make a trip from L.A. to Vegas — a 550 mile round trip — then what good is it? The ST2 made the trip easily. In fact, the ST2 served us well for the entire time we had it — almost 9 weeks — with nary a complaint. Except for the negative lead snafu, the Buell also performed well, and I might have picked the Buell number one if it had easily removable bags, a straight windscreen, and lost the ugly lower fairing that ruined the lines of a very good looking bike. While I would have preferred the Duc with a little more power, the ST2 did everything well, from performance to profile. The Buell is cool, but the Ducati is a little more refined. 2. Billy Bartels, Associate Editor No question in my mind, the Ducati ST2 is the winner here. If you’re not a racer like Chuck, you’re not going to be compliaining about slow steering and a lack of power. This puppy could waste almost anything with or without saddlebags down Highway 58 (one of the Central California roads we tested on). It looks great, the fairing just works, and it has that cool offset headlight like on the 916. This bike is pure sex. The Buell, just like all Buells, is a cool bike, it just needs a few things fixed. You want to get over the front end of this bike to keep the front wheel more firmly planted on the ground, but the seat tapers off to the size of a postage stamp at the front. That’s great if you want to do wheelies, but not if you want to tear up a canyon. Also, the detail wasn’t there like it was on the Ducati. The minimallist approach that works so well on the Lightning, needs a little refinement in sport-tourer trim, or touring-sport, or whatever… 3. Chuck Graves, Contributing Editor & Racer The Ducati was fine. The steering was a little slow and it could use a little more top-end in the twisties. Sure, it’s stable, but it’s a Ducati. Where’s the rush? I took the Buell up to Malibu with Clint, my mechanic, and tooled around. He could barely keep up on his CBR600F3. The S3T steers quickly, is very comfortable, and has a killer 90hp motor. The Buell rules. Point the S3T at a twisty road: The twistier the better. The bags are spacious, but not well-designed. They stick out too far (the Duc’s were recessed, caught less bugs and pushed less wind), the latch broke, and the latching mechanism is quirky, to say the least. However, the removable bag liner is sweet. Buell added an analog clock to the minimalist dash. Monster torque and the quick turn-ins made the Buell scream in the tight stuff. The only problem were the comfortable, but low footpegs. A nice touch: Fairing bags tucked beside the instrument panel. The negative battery bolt (shown here) fell out during a trip through downtown LA at 1:00 a.m. Fortunately, a friend with insomnia and a ready-to-be-cannibalized Magna in his back yard came to the rescue. In fast sweepers the Buell experienced slight headshakes in corner exits. Some complained about the strong bite of the new Nissin calipers, while others thought it cool as hell. Altogether, braking on the Buell was far better than on the Ducati. The lower fairing doesn’t do a great job of blocking the wind, and it looks god-awful as well. The lower right-side fairing cracked from vibration. The Buell throws a striking profile, but the lack of attention to small details, in particular the crooked, sloped windscreen, landed it in second place. Buell S3T Thunderbolt Specifications: Manufacturer: Buell American Motorcycle Co. Model: S3T Thunderbolt Sport Touring Price: $12,799.00 USD Engine: Air-cooled, four-stroke, 45 degree V-Twin Bore and Stroke: 3.5 x 3.8 in Displacement: 1203 cc Carburetion: 40 mm Keihin CV Transmission: Five-speed, wet clutch Wheelbase: 55.0 in/1379 mm Seat Height: 29.5 in/749 mm Fuel Capacity: 5.5 gal (.6 gal reserve)/20.8 L (2.3 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 465 lbs/193 kg Measured Wet Weight: 520 lbs/236 kg Peak Measured Torque: 75.9 ft-lbs @ 5500 rpm Peak Measured HP: 87.2 hp @ 6250 rpm The ST2’s not-quite-attractive saddlebag mounts are a snap to use. Check out the empty hole just above the muffler. For even more ground clearance raise the exhaust when the bags are off. A good view of the very-progressive shock and the back half of the trellis frame. Look closer for a cool view of the ocean from the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu. The ST2 was slower steering than the Buell, but rock-solid stability made it a joy to toss around the curves. A view of the Sport Turismo’s toolkit (the Buell doesn’t have one), rebound adjuster, and fuel-injection brain. A picture of a Duc pilot happily tearing up some backroads… …and another. The adjustable pipe was there to use, but we never hit bottom on the ST2. An attractive dash with digital readouts greets the ST2’s pilot. Besides cash, the arrvial of Texas Pacific brought a new logo. A hacked-together view of the Ducati’s ride-height adjustment system. Ducati ST2 Sport Turismo Specifications: Manufacturer: Ducati Model: 1998 ST2 Sport Turismo Price: $12,495.00 USD Engine: 4 stroke 90 degree V-Twin Bore and Stroke: 94 mm x 68 mm Displacement: 944 cc Carburetion: Weber-Marelli electronic indirect injection Transmission: Six-speed, dry, multi-plate clutch Wheelbase: 56.3 in/1430 mm Seat Height: 32.3 in/820 mm Fuel Capacity: 6 gal (1 gal reserve)/23 L (4 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 466 lbs/212 kg Measured Wet Weight: 540 lbs/245 kg Peak Measured Torque: 57.3 ft-lbs @ 6500 rpm Peak Measured HP: 76.0 hp @ 8250 rpm The Brembo brakes didn’t have the authority of the Nissin units on the Buell. Something about the cool, super-bright headlight and the helmet stuck on top a post to mark your territory. Another beautiful view of Malibu. A centerstand allows you to park this Ducati just about anywhere… … but the sidestand is a joke. Ducati’s spring-loaded, auto-retracting kickstand system sucks. The throw on the shifter lever was a bit shorter than we would have liked, but we hear an M900 lever will bolt right on. No matter what the angle, the ST2 strikes a gorgeous profile. Where’s the Beemer? The 1998 BMW R1100RS is one of the best sport-touring motorcycles on the market. It has everything a sport-touring rider needs: Comfortable ergonomics, great wind protection, a humane, forward riding position and an excellent, removable hardbag system. The fit and finish is typical BMW — excellent. Then, if this is such a great bike, why wasn’t it included in the shootout with the Buell and the Ducati? BMWs are essentially high-performance touring bikes, not relaxed sportbikes. Where the BMW had the decided advantage over both the Buell and the Duc was on long, gently meandering roads — mainly freeways and state highways. Its smooth powerband, excellent wind protection and riding position make 500-mile days a snap. Where the R1100RS is at a decided disadvantage is on the tighter, twisty roads. The RS weighs 40 pounds more than the Duc and 60 more than the Buell, and its wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than the Duc and 2.5 inches longer than the Buell. The RS is a great high-mileage sport-tourer, but not a canyon scratcher. That’s not to say that the RS isn’t fun in the canyons. But it is not a quick turning bike and it must be ridden hard to keep up with the lighter, quicker Buell and Ducati. There is a lot we like about this bike. Much of what we like is common to all next-generation Boxers, particularly the no-brake-dive Telelever front suspension and excellent ABS system, although at a 9/10ths pace the ABS brakes are overwhelmed slightly. The instrument panel, with a digital fuel gauge and clock, is tastefully laid out and easy to read. The hardbag system is a great — Ducati essentially copied the design for the ST2 — although it is small; we couldn’t fit a large-sized, full-face helmet. We also liked the seating position: Forward, but not so far over the front end that it becomes uncomfortable over long distances or in slower, city traffic. Even better, the seat height is adjustable. Since it is a twin, vibrations are noticed, but they are neither intrusive or annoying, just omnipresent at highway speeds. Ample torque is available for passing, although some bottom-end torque has been sacrificed for top-end horsepower. Handling is very good and very stable, but the steering is slow, and one MO staffer commented that he found it necessary to hang way off the bike in order to keep up with the other two twins. Since its debut in 1995, BMW has not made any significant powertrain changes on the new-generation Boxer. That’s good and bad news, because we wish they’d do something about the clunky tranny. Missed shifts and false neutrals are not uncommon, and that shouldn’t happen on a $15,000 motorcycle. Shifting must be made with solid, Teutonic authority. “I vill sheeft das bike into second gear now!” It’s something that all Beemer owners get used to and eventually take for granted, but for moto-journalists used to riding 20-30 different bikes a year, it is a very noticeable flaw. The 1998 BMW R1100RS is expensive, listing at $14,750 MSRP. ABS is standard. It is an excellent sport-touring and commuter bike, able to send you off to work or the store before ripping off 500 mile days while throwing in a little canyon carving to spice up the journey. Specifications: Manufacturer: BMW Model: 1998 R1100RS Price: $14,750.00 USD Engine: Air/Oil cooled opposed twin cylinders Bore and Stroke: 99 mm x 70.5 mm Displacement: 1085 cc Carburetion: Bosch Motronic electrical fuel-injection Transmission: 5-speed w/dry, single plate clutch Wheelbase: 57.5 in/1467 mm Seat Height: 30.7/31.5/32.2 in 780/800/820 mm Fuel Capacity: 6 gal (1 gal reserve)/22.7 L (3.8 L reserve) Claimed Dry Weight: 506 lbs/230 kg Measured Wet Weight: 580 lbs/263 kg Church Of MO – Twin Touring Sportbikes appeared first on Motorcycle.com.