iPhone 4 Film - "156 Turns" - Ducati Multistrada - Pikes Peak

This is really a fun movie on the new Ducati Multistrada filmed entirely on an iPhone. In case anyone thought the new Multistrada was too pristine to mix it up on rough surfaces, take a look at this. The iPhone capture is pretty impressive also.

More motorcycles in NYC these days? Just wondering.

A few weeks ago, I was in New York City for two days and stayed at the Thompson Hotel near Prince and Thompson. It had been several years since I was in this area of Manhattan and was surprised to see so many scooters and motorcycles parked along the streets of SoHo. It was dreary and rainy during my visit so I didn’t see many riders but I was energized to see a bike parked on just about every street I walked through.

In Chicago, don't push your luck

I ran across this photo I took in Chicago (on Delaware Street by the Hancock Building) earlier this year. After spending time in London last month, I couldn't get over how "English" this photo felt to me with the uniformed Four Seasons doorman and the church in the background. At the time however, all I was thinking about was how lucky this Vespa owner was for not getting a ticket parked on the sidewalk in Chicago!

This Yamaha 1670cc air-cooled Beast isn’t available in the U.S.

I always liked the look and idea of this bike from afar. The Yamaha MT01 is sold in Europe and Asia, but not in the U.S. It’s a 1670cc bike built with tons of torque. It’s not a sports bike and definitely not a tourer, but something about this bike always spoke to me. As we were walking towards the train station after dinner in downtown Prague, I came across the MT01 and knew instantly what it was. It’s really a beautiful bike. It would be a perfect commuter bike with lots of power and grunt for the streets of Chicago – as long as rush hour traffic wasn’t too bad. 

This Monster was barking!

There must be stringent motorcycle noise laws in Prague; and throughout Europe. During my visit I did not notice any excessively loud pipes until this Ducati blasted past me on one of my walks through Prague. In fact I only saw one Harley Davidson motorcycle during my entire stay in Prague and London. And even then, it was a rare, quiet Harley. Cruisers were just a rarity in the two cities I stayed in Europe. And they were all quiet, except for this Ducati bad boy.

In Prague, park at your own risk

The owner of this orange bike just missed having this dog piss on his baby. Perhaps the only peril of parking a motorcycle on the sidewalks of Prague…

In Prague, people seem to park their bikes just about everywhere but on the streets

In walking the streets of Prague, I noticed that people predominately park their motorcycles on the sidewalks. Is this just a blatant disregard for the law? Even the Police officers who rode on their slick Can-Am Spider Trike parked on sidewalks. Can you imagine this in the U.S.?

Bikes in the Hood

The Chicago West Loop Fulton Market neighborhood is a mix of warehouses, meat packers, poultry and vegetable distributors including some of the newest restaurants, art galleries and loft spaces in the city. It is also where I go to work everyday at Designkitchen – dodging trucks and forklifts each morning. Within four blocks from the corner of May and Fulton Market I've noticed more motorcycles parked on the streets in recent years. The above pictures represent two short walks I took last week during lunch. Interestingly, I only saw one Harley-Davidson.

While it's tough to find car parking in the Fulton Market neighborhood, it's always been easy to find a spot for motorcycles. The city (and its parking subcontractor) hasn't infiltrated the streets with meters yet. And, the police have been generally pretty lenient with motorcyclists parking illegally in this area.

I did a quick Google map and pinned where I took the pictures. I'll wait until it gets nicer and see if I notice more bikes on the streets.

Caught this Honda Interceptor from the corner of my eyes

I saw this Honda Interceptor just south of Division by Milwaukee Avenue riding home on Saturday. This Interceptor has to be from the '80s. It appeared to be in great condition except for the left turn signal. Totally a Power Ranger bike. I love it.