This incredible motorcycle rolled up at Rockwell Cycle last weekend.  This Bimota Tesi 3D is quite rare; only a handful were ever imported from Italy, only in 2008 (so I think this might actually be a 2007 model), when they cost somewhere around $30,000 if you could find one.
Powered by a Ducati 1079cc L-twin engine (from a 1000DS Multistrada I believe) , the most immediately apparent featured of this radical design is that the bike doesn't use forks.  Rather, the actual frame of the motorcycle is mounted on a pinion in the front wheel.
 Bimota developed what they call "Hub Steering" technology, and the hydraulic suspension and a pull-rod system is actually mounted beside the engine, cradled between a pair of swing-arms on the front AND rear of the bike.
Chatting with the owner, he said he took great care to avoid potholes, as there is no vertical compression possible, and that he didn't notice too much of a difference in the handling of the bike, until he started cornering at high speeds, where the bike felt quite different.  On traditional bikes, the rake (the angle at which  the forks are connected to the rest of the motorcycle) has huge effect on the bike's ability to turn in a corner, whereas on a forkless bike, the suspension doesn't distort the turning radius.
 There were a couple phenomenal MV Agusta F4 RR's that rode by, like this MV Agusta F4 312RR, and a giddy fellow MV rider informed me that the "312" stood for 312kph (roughly 194mph), as this was the top of the line RR a few years back.
© 2015 Tigh Loughhead

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