Wow, more than a month has gone by without an installment of “If you had asked me, I would have told you that…” My bad. Too busy building up the wood supply for winter and getting in some late-season rides to sit down at the laptop. Consequently, some items have …
Read More »Dream Job Driving For Ducati
BROOKFIELD, CT – Pete Celona has made his home in Brookfield for the past three years, but his belongings have been in storage since July to enable him to enjoy an enviable vagabond life. This past summer, Celona got to drive bikes for Ducati on a cross-country demo tour. …
Read More »Italian Bikes Bask At IMOC
STURBRIDGE, MA – If the brand names on all the bikes on the show ground end in a vowel, it’s a safe bet that you’re at IMOC. The Italian Motorcycles Owners Club held its 32nd annual motorcycle show today at the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, and riders turned out …
Read More »Ducati Unveils New Monster
FRANKFURT, GERMANY – Ducati has unveiled what it says is “the most powerful Ducati naked of all time,” the 2016 Mobster 1200 R. “Equipped with a 1200 cc Testastretta 11° DS “R” version twin-cylinder engine, the Monster 1200 R takes
Read More »Oil Drippings: Harley, Ducati, Royal Enfield
Oil drippings: News and opinion… – This comes as no surprise: Out of Harley-Davidson’s 694 dealerships in the U.S. only a dozen are operated by minorities. The company wants that to change, though, as a dealer network and customer base of aging white men doesn’t have much long-term potential. “Automotive …
Read More »Scrambler A Big Seller For Ducati
BOLOGNA, Italy – It’s no surprise, but the Scrambler is a hit for Ducati. In the first six months of 2015, Ducati sold more than 9,000 of its Scrambler models worldwide. The company reported an overall sales increase of 22 percent over the first half of 2014 with a total …
Read More »Along The Road: Rare Ducati MH900e
The Ducati MH900e is one of those bikes that looks like it’s moving even when parked, and Doug Barker of Watertown, CT desired one from the get-go back in 2000. “When it came out, I wanted one,” he reported, recalling that his wife wanted to ride two-up, though, so he …
Read More »Test Ride: Ducati Multistrada S
A trip Friday up the Hudson River to visit the good folks at Hudson Valley Motorcycles in Ossining, NY. Second generation owner Rich Alexander and his team are hosting the
Read More »Italian Motorcycles Invade Manhattan
NEW YORK – Sometimes events come together just right to deliver a terrific experience for lots of folks. That was the case when classic Italian motorcycle aficionado Stuart Parr was considering how he might share part of his extensive collection of bikes with other enthusiasts. At just the right time, …
Read More »Ducati Recalling Multistradas
Ducati is recalling 5,962 of its Multistrada 1200 motorcycles from the model years 2010-2014 to remedy a throttle cable issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports
Read More »Ducati Sets Sales Record in 2014
Ducati set a new sales record in 2014 by delivering 45,100 motorcycles, a two percent increase from 2013. It marked the fifth consecutive year of growth for
Read More »Ducati Staging New Model Tour
In advance of new 2015 models actually landing in showrooms, Ducati is staging a “preview tour” – hauling examples of the 1299 Panigale, Multistrada 1200 and Scrambler models in a van to a short list of dealers across the country. According to Ducati, two dealers in Massachusetts, one in New …
Read More »New Models From Milan for 2015
With annual EICMA World Motorcycle Fair in Milan, Italy opening its doors to the public tomorrow, motorcycle manufacturers have been using the lead-up days to unveil new and freshened models. There are almost too many new models from Milan for 2015 to count, so here’s an initial smattering
Read More »Ducati Scrambler For 2015 Revealed
After teasing it seemingly forever, Ducati today revealed images and info on its new 2015 Scrambler model, describing it as “a contemporary bike that expresses the pure essence of motorcycling.” Powered by an oil- and air-cooled, 803cc, L-twin motor, the compact Scrambler will come in
Read More »Superleggera Draws Attention At IMOC
STURBRIDGE, MA – Of all the motorcycles at IMOC today, there was one that drew more gawkers than all the others. The reasons were numerous. It’s expensive, rare and, if Ducati’s claims are to be believed, it has the best power-to-weight ratio of any production motorcycle ever built. It’s also gorgeous. …
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