Ducati Multistrada 620 : Commanding Confidence
Photos by Stephen Schauer
I’m squeezing the front brake as I work my way through the entrance of a deep downhill one hundred and eighty degree corner when the bike begins its ultimate fighter like challenge to push the limits of a reasonable lean angle. What once was horizontal swiftly kicks the other way and a second later I find myself sliding across the saddle and hanging out over the other side of the bike as I head through the rest of the turn with an unadulterated and almost irresistible sense of invincibility. Between the gooey gripping tires and the immense leverage of the broad handlebars, this bike is fluently speaking the language of do-no-wrong absolute certain movement and it’s making it perfectly clear that there’s only one place that it’s going to go – around this particular bend.
Inspiration it seems comes in many forms and this frantically joyous feeling is clearly asking if not begging to be bold, so coming out of the corner I whack the outside handgrip and rip the throttle back. It’s a big motion that creates an even bigger movement. As the road begins to snake left, the bike takes a moment to catch its breath and then it wildly exhales with yet another crazily vigorous motion that gives birth to the widest of grins.
In a synapse popping instant of surprising entertainment you realize that the act of being tossed back across the saddle in such a frenzied and near maniac interpretation of a sportbike transition from one corner to the next is not only something you weren’t expecting out of this ride, but also a wildly enjoyable act. As the bike makes another radical pendulum swing it dramatically sends me off of my axis one more time before succumbing to an almost instinctively deep-seated desire to chase its own perfect line.
Ducati ST3S ABS : Sleeper of The Pack
Photos by Stephen Schauer
A thick early morning marine layer is hanging just a few feet above the coast as I whip through another mile of twisting euphoria. Each consecutive series of corners comes flying at me in a rapid succession that almost seems implausible and yet it’s not. Because it’s happening right before my eyes and even though I can’t quite believe it’s real, I know it is. Driving hard out of the turn I peer ahead and as soon as I’m able to focus on the next corner, it becomes the last corner. Gone. Just like that. Consumed in a remarkably easy singular motion that only comes forth when you realize that you’re not just out riding, you’re hunting a form of ecstasy.
With my heart pounding and a trace of sweat covering my brow, I swoop from corner to corner in an effortless advance. It’s one part bodysteering, a touch of countersteering and a dash of sliding off the saddle. The perfect recipe for an easygoing graceful yet utterly sporty early morning adventure. The kind of exploration that allows you to do as much or as little work as you want and still enjoy the ride to exactly the same degree.
By the time I finally pull up to a stoplight in Malibu after miles of full tilt swooping satisfaction it’s nice to finally take a breather - even if that breather includes a mouth full of sea salt. Sliding the bike into neutral, I turn my attention to a group of wetsuit-clad surfers who are crossing the street and staring. They have no idea exactly how much fun I’ve already had before even tasting a sip of coffee this morning. Of course right now I’m not even visible on their radar. In the lane to my right stands a piece of heavy metal auto lust, a brand new Aston Martin DB9 and it’s luring every set of available eyes towards it.
Like most of the greater Los Angeles region, Malibu offers an almost crazy perspective when it comes to cars. Around here what you drive is far more important to some people than just about anything else in life. People will live in shacks but throw down serious amounts of coin for their automobiles, all in the name of personal illusion. Yet while perception is the rule around here, right now I can’t help but feel like there’s a certain kind of pleasure that comes from being the forgotten man. The lost member of the moto lust crowd. It’s the kind of gratification that can only come from knowing that you’ve been let in on the big secret and nobody else has…
A secret called the Ducati ST3S with ABS.
It’s not the fastest motorcycle in the world or the most exclusive, but it’s certainly one of the most multifaceted. As I watch the heat on the DB9 continue to grow, I can’t help but smile. When was the last time you swung your leg over an Italian motorcycle and enjoyed being the sleeper in the crowd? When the light finally turns green one roar is all it takes to make the point. While you don’t need to exceed at business to ride this bike, the bike itself is nothing but business when it comes to riding. (more…)
Ducati S2R 1000 Monster : The Definition of Fun
I’m mere miles away from some of the densest population centers that the city of Los Angeles has to offer and yet I’m not even conscious of it. Twisting around the back half of the Mulholland Highway it’s remarkable how a great ride can completely alter your outlook on life. Bring a smile to your face. Not because it permanently changes you, but rather because it forces you to focus on a unique moment in time. A unique story that’s all your own. Corners and straights that merely existed somehow coalesce into one fluid and marvelous adventure that’s yours and yours alone.
Coming through the corners I find myself thinking that there’s an amazing sense of simplicity and it’s marvelous. It’s also a concept I thought I’d outgrown. Not because I wanted to but because I had to. The real world is inevitably filled with complications. Work. Family. Car payments. You name it. Nothing feels simple anymore. Life, it seems, has forced me to grow up. It forces all of us to grow up. Yet this wildly wicked amusement park ride reminds me of a time when the world was just simple and fun.
How fantastic is that?
I can’t help but thinking that on some level and at some point we all wish we could go back in time to a simpler part of our lives. For some that could be childhood or perhaps their teenage years. For others it might even be when they were young adults making their way in the world. Yet regardless of which particular chunk of time we’re talking about there’s a commonality - a bond perhaps - where we all search for a way to remind ourselves of what it was like to live a carefree existence. A world filled with unequivocal passion and enjoyment.
This bike does that… And more…
Coming out of the next corner I twist the throttle back and hurl ahead on a short downhill straight, which leads me directly to the doorstep of a whip-your-head-around left hand switchback. I suspect that most people think corners like this only exist in the Alps but thankfully they’re wrong. They live and breathe among us too. Instinctively my right hand begins to brake as I slide over in the saddle and with an amazing sense of confidence for having never ridden this bike before I nail the smoothest downshift I’ve felt in quite awhile. Seconds later it becomes clear that I’m not the only one who enjoys leaning over. The bike digs it too. It’s solidly planted. Confidently planted. My heart is pounding and I pin my helmet to my shoulder and look through the turn. With no oncoming traffic headed my way I swing the bike into the turn with a simple push. And it just falls… As if this is where it was built to play.
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MV Agusta Brutale 910 : Show Me, Don’t Tell Me
It’s late in the afternoon on a Friday, a mere hour before dusk and I’m ripping through the Malibu Canyons listening to the one of the most evocative sounds I’ve ever heard while on a motorcycle when I’m reminded of the mantra, “show me, don’t tell me”. Oddly enough because this bike does both; it’s hot, it’s stunning and it also happens to fly.
And by fly, I mean it rips up the road in front of you with such a wild ferocity that you are fairly certain that even the speedo can’t keep up.
Whipping around each successive corner I feel like a kid again. I’m mesmerized by the same sensation that I remember having on dirtbikes as a child – only now I’m an adult who’s riding on the street and enjoying breathtaking scenery that I’ve witnessed a million times before fly past me in a whole new way.
Like most riders, I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on the sensation that comes from going fast. It’s one of the reasons why people ride in the first place because on some level we like to thrill ourselves. But then you get on a bike like the new MV Augusta Brutale 910 and you realize that whatever physical reaction you’ve felt from going fast is nothing compared to what you feel on this bike when you come out of a corner and get on it hard.
Without hesitation, the second you begin to twist the throttle the Brutale fires you straight ahead and by the time your mind catches up with the bike you find yourself half a mile down the road smiling inside your helmet. It’s amazing. As sensations go, I’m sorry you can’t bottle this sort of emotional and physical excess. It’s that much fun.
To be perfectly honest this all started out innocently enough, I was hanging out at ProItalia before I headed up to Willow Springs and had some time to kill. So I did what any self-respecting gearhead would do, I spent some time kicking tires. This as it turns out is a much more dangerous activity than heading to a track.
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