Real men ride Italian twins

I had my hoverbike in for attention today - new thrusting plates on the eliptical flange jet outlets.




So I took a new Bimota DB6 Delerio out for a quick schpin.


Swing a leg over and it feels like the bike has been tailored by Italian artisans for me. With feet flat on the deck I'm sat inside the bike snug as the proverbial rug based bug.

What a hoot! Nice big gobs of Ducati torque delivered with an inimitable basso profundo thump. Lovely wide bars and an eager chassis meant it felt like I could place it exactly where I wanted and enjoy carving through corners.

But what a weird riding position!

The simplest way I can put it is like this...

Sat in the official Police Rider 'smuggling an ironing board in the jacket' straight-backed pose, but with my legs folded up like some kinda weird origami. Very strange.

I enjoyed seeing a bit more of my local lanes from the upright stance but the lower body thing? And it seems that there's only one acceptable riding position - moving my body around in the saddle was not on the cards. Buffeting and neck strain were typically strong as speeds rose too; you don't appreciate a fairing 'til you don't have one.

Enormous fun, and there are probably plenty of roads where a better rider than me could leave more sporty tackle way behind, but...

...by god they're not cheap...


...and every casting, tube, moulding and detail on the bugger is so gorgeous, so aesthetically pleasant that it would break my heart to see it succumb to corrosion, cack and weather.

I shall have to buy one park it in the front room and enjoy it there.