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Zero S ZF11.4 Charging on the LES

Zero S ZF11.4 

This is a really cool motorcycle.  Coming back from the gym, I noticed this bizarre red bike plugged into the Hertz electric charging station outside my co-op on the Lower East Side.  I realized that this must be one of the Zero bikes, the first totally electric, commercially available motorcycle to exceed 100 miles on a single charge.

With a pricetag of nearly $20,000 for this model, (base MSRP is closer to $13K), this bike isn't cheap, so even the most ecologically-conscious playboy New Yorker would think twice about leaving it on the street. However, with a top speed close to 100mph, 54hp and 0-60 in under 6 seconds, this is much more motorcycle than electric scooter. With the power pack, the motorcycle can travel for 170+ miles on one charge, though trips need to planned carefully, as you need a specially designed charging station on the other end.

 Much of my love for motorcycling originates from the ability to simply take off and never look back, and this Zero S is close to useless as far as touring.  But as technology progresses, and open-source Tesla-like designs become the norm, who is to say this isn't the future of the motorcycle?  Part of me recoils at envisioning the loss of soul from a rumbling Ducati to a space-age Jetson's bike, yet imagine never having to change your oil, check your valves, or even worry about your engine?

© 2014 Tigh Loughhead

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Desmo DOCs 14th Annual BBQ and Ducati Extravaganza

DESMO 14th Annual Ducati BBQ
Sunday was DESMO Ducati Owners Club's annual barbecue, a massive Duc extravaganza held every year at Thomas Bull Memorial Park, northwest of Middletown, New York

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Storm King Mountain

Impromptu Run to the Storm King Highway

 I haven't had much of a chance to ride with the DOCNYC (my Ducati motorcycle crew) this year, because of motorcycle mayhem and long trips.  But last night, I noticed a couple friends on a forum itching to ride today, and about ten of us showed up at Rockwell this morning.

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Brand New 2015 Ducati Monster 821 Photos and Specs





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Ithaca is Gorges

Ithaca is Gorgeous

 Bruce took us out on his newly assembled BMW K75 to look at some of Ithaca's best waterfalls.

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Cruising with K Bikes | Bruce's Flock of 1980s BMWs

Bruce's Fleet of 1980's BMW K Series Scooters

I rode up to Ithaca, NY this weekend with my girlfriend to visit some old friends from my childhood that I hadn't seen in a while.  Dawn and Bruce actually live in Cortland, and they kindly offered to let us stay for the weekend and show us around some of the cool sites in Ithaca.

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Ducatis Down on the Farm

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New EBRs at First Sunday in Ephrata

First Sunday in Ephrata, PA.

Recently returning to NYC from Nova Scotia, I motored down to PA this weekend for my grandmother's 90th birthday Saturday afternoon!  Sunday morning, I joined my buddy Alex to go to "First Sunday," a large impromptu motorcycle rally in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, where hundreds of local motorcyclists convene in the early hours of the first Sunday of each month
The EBR 1190RS, full of carbon fiber 

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The Long, Last, Lumbering, Leg Back to NYC: Mile 2472

The Somber Space between The Road and Home

Jay and I slept in late this morning.  The last few days have been filled with tension about our chains, tires and the inevitable deflation of realizing we're nearly home after to two weeks on the road (closer to three weeks for me, as I spent the previous week in Sea Isle City, NJ before we left).

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Checking Chains and Retracing our Steps : Mile 2167

Au Revoir, Canada! Back in the USSA...

We woke up this morning to a blinding white fog enshrouding St. John..  A big riding day laid before us, and even after several dryer cycles, our clothes were still dank and musty from the day before.  Damp and sluggish, we pulled out of the motel and drove with our blinkers on down the Trans-Canada Highway, where we knifed through the cloud and drizzle, which restricted our visibility to less than 100ft (...hence no pictures).

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Retread for the Watery Way Back to Fundy Bay: Mile 1849

A New Tire for Wet Weather

I called Red Line Honda in Antigonish first thing this morning.  They had tires in stock, but the service manager Dale claimed that they were backed up with bikes for about a week.  I've been in a desperate situation before though, and laid on a thick sob story about not wanting to risk my life if they couldn't take me. Dale asked me to call back in a few hours, and thankfully they fit me in.

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Across the Cabot Trail By The Skin of My Tire: Mile 1534

Testing Treacherous Tread on Cape Breton IslandJay and I camped on the beach in Meat Cove last night.  Although we're quite far north, the temperature only went down to about 55 degrees, but the wind blustered around consistently, and neither of us got that much sleep.  As a result, we woke up before dawn and got to watch the sun rise over the bay.

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Rides gone by...