Ducati Travelogue of Tigh Loughhead's Motorcycle Adventures in NYC | NYDUCATI

 I ran up to Bear Mountain last weekend after getting a tire changed at Rockwell Cycles.  My beautiful 996 complimented the stunning scenery on my favorite scenic spot in the park.

Tesla Model M

 Spending the day at the Old Port of Montreal, checking out the famous Jazz Festival, then cruising for food on the Rue Saint Denis during the Circe Festival.

Please join STUART PARR FOR THE LAST "OPEN BIKE NIGHT”

Thursday, July 9th 7pm-9pm at 285 Madison Ave (at 40^th Street) - ALL RIDERS WELCOME for an Italian Bike Night 

Sadly we are closing the show early, as the space has recently been leased as a result of the buzz and traffic you have all generated by visiting the exhibition.***

**The last day of the exhibition will be Sunday, July 12^th. 

The event will take place on 40th Street by Madison Avenue Thursday night (July 9^th) at 7pm, and we'll have some refreshments and then ride over to the Ear Inn for anyone who is interested. 

We welcome all motorcyclists, so bring your friends! Find out a little more about the exhibit here: www.stuartparrcollection.com.

I haven't gotten out of the city for a while, and I've been getting restless (at least too far outside the city, and my wander lust has been kicking in)...
So, during my preparations for getting a bike night together for Ducati owners and enthusiasts with Stuart Parr, at Art of the Italian Two Wheel in Manhattan, I realized I had a long weekend coming up.

Thirty Ducatis and Stuart Parr at Art of the Italian Two Wheel

Taking off from ArtOfTheItalianTwoWheel on 285Madison.
High resolution version here: http://gfycat.com/fortunatehospitablefireant
© 2015 Tigh Loughhead

Amazing ride last night with Stuart Parr to the Art of the Italian Two Wheel collection last night, who showed up on another MV Agusta 750S, and joined the DOCNYC and a few other Ducati enthusiasts on a spirited ride around Manhattan, before stopping off at the Ear Inn.

 I'll write up a better ride report shortly, but for now I'm packing to ride my 996 up to Montreal for the weekend.
© 2015 Tigh Loughhead

Tuesday June 30th 7-8pm at 40th and Madison - ALL RIDERS WELCOME for an Italian Bike Night 

Ducatis Appreciated, but Not Required

Woke up Saturday ready to ride. and spent most of the morning mulling around Ducati Soho.
 Tricked out perfect purple Panigale with everything powder-coated from TheChopShopNY

Tigho's First Track Day:

Brand New 2015 Ducati Scramblers: Red or Yellow?

Stuart Parr Collection: Art of the Italian Two Wheel

Imola on Madison Avenue: Art of the Italian Two Wheel

 This was the bike that saved Ducati, and launched the company's presence and ultimate domination of the Superbike class, as well as the tradition that exists today of building racing motorcycles first, to then retrofit for the street.

Antique Ducatis, MV Agustas and LaVerdas abound in Midtown

UPDATE: Exhibition is called "Art of the Italian Two Wheel" from the Stuart Parr Collection. The catalogue will be written by none other than Ian Falloon.

 I was walking to work this morning from Bryant Park east along 40th Street, when I caught sight of the unmistakable profile of an orange Ducati 750GT out of the corner of my eye inside a seemingly otherwise empty retail space along Madison Avenue.

As long as I've driven Ducatis, I've had my heart set on a 916, a 996 or a 998.  Simply put, Massimo Tamburini's 916 is the apotheosis of motorcycle design.  Behind this flawless aesthetic was a beast of a machine, and throughout the 90's Ducati dominated the race circuit. This has been my dream bike, and I knew I would own one eventually.

Photo Credit (not me): Nejat

There were a number of other customized and classic motorcycles at the motorcycle show.

R1s, H2Rs and RC390s for 2015

 New York City "Progressive" International Motorcycle Show

I braved some miserable weather up to Rockwell Cycles this weekend with a friend from the DOCNYC, for their annual holiday party.  Good food, music and a great atmosphere provided a festive backdrop to Rockwell's beautiful motorcycle inventory, like this Ducati Panigale R.

That evening, the DESMO Ducati Owner's Club held our annual Christmas as well.  The party was a bit more subdued than last year, but we really appreciated all of the sponsors, including: Absolute Cycle Experience, Rockwell Cycles, Motorcycle Mall, Klim, Shoei, California Superbike School, Brillianize, EVS, Olympia, European Cycle Services, New Pig, Techspec, BST Wheels, Vortex Racing, Odyssey Battery, Sargent Cycle, RKA, Revzilla.

To find out more about the event, check out http://www.desmoducati.org/hp2014.html
© 2014 Tigh Loughhead

Unsanctioned Block Party at Union Garage

Hipster Mayhem: 6th Annual Brooklyn Invitational Custom Motorcycle Show 2014

I was planning on visiting a few friends down at the track at Thunderbolt this weekend, but first  I wanted to check out the Brooklyn Invitational Custom Motorcycle Show, which I stumbled on last year.  Williamsburg is the hipster epicenter of the free world, and I was expecting a bunch of sick bikes, most that can't be ridden too far or too fast, some of which are incredibly built; others that are just incredibly loud.

 Ok, so this is arguably not motorcycle, let alone a Ducati, but it's bike-related and still pretty cool.  By the time I'm posting this, there have been fewer than 70 "Slingshots," marketed by Polaris as a "3 Wheel Motorcycle" sold in the world.

My buddy Jay and I went for a ride today.  He had to get the oil changed on his newly acquired BMW S1000RR, and we set off  towards Pennsylvania, planning to snake around the Delaware River up Route 32 towards the Delaware Water Gap.

Droves of Ducs and Garrisons of Guzzis at the 2014 IMOC Rally

 Biking to Bunker Hill while Waiting for a Wedding

DOCNYC Maine in September

DOCNYC in Portsmouth, NH

1956 MV Agusta 175 CSTL

Martin Moto hosts the The Modern Classics Ride-In in Boyertown, PA

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

DESMO 14th Annual Ducati BBQ

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.

Ithaca is Gorgeous

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

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.

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 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).

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).