The cruiser market in America may be a wildly competitive place, but it still feels surprisingly unimaginative. Freeways are dominated by heavy, chrome drenched beasts that seem to have more to say about the past than the future. Harley-Davidson is the obvious 800-pound (probably more?) gorilla in the room, but a number of manufacturers have... Continue Reading →
What the Ducati Scrambler Café Racer taught me about life and change
It took me several years and at least two days to understand the point of café racers. They’ve always seemed more like lifestyle statements to me – primarily championed by hipsters – rather than “serious” motorcycles. Whatever that means. These sporty, minimalist bikes first came into fashion in Europe in the 1960’s and have seen... Continue Reading →
A new adventure: Discovering the many personalities of the Multistrada 950
Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Multistrada 950 on first approach. It's tall, wide, sky-high, and more than a little intimidating. This was also my first experience with a adventure motorcycle and I was filled with more questions than answers as I grabbed the keys and fired it up for the first... Continue Reading →
Monstah Mash: Ducati’s new Monster 797
Ever since Ducati phased out the Monster 696/796 duo back in 2014, new riders looking to the famed Bologna marquee for their first motorcycle had precious few choices. They could opt for the Monster 821, a bigger and heavier motorcycle than a green rider might be comfortable with, or the Scrambler, which only became available... Continue Reading →
Cars in the Wild
It was the Lamborghini’s screaming yellow paint that grabbed my attention. Driving down a busy road, I saw it out of the corner of my eye in a busy mall parking lot. My first reaction was the one I went with – slam on the brakes, turn into the Exit of a bank parking lot,... Continue Reading →
Cars in the Wild
Even over my cell phone's weak, tinny speakers, the Corvette's supercharged V8 sounds all lumpy and cammed and gorgeous. "Dad, you HAVE to listen to this." He huddles over the phone along with my cousin Jared as I hit 'Play'. In the video, the striking blue 'Vette idles with a heavy snarl, then exhales under revs with a tearing,... Continue Reading →
Cars in the Wild
It's fascinating how automobiles can embody human emotions and ideas. For example, if you wanted to define "finesse" in the automotive realm, cars like the Lotus Elise or Mazda Miata would fit the bill perfectly. Both are lightweight, nimble, and give a sense of connection and fluidity like few others can. When describing the essence of... Continue Reading →
Queen City Cars & Coffee III
Queen City Cars & Coffee is back! The past two years hosting this show have been absolute blast, and I'm stoked to be putting it on again this year. Last year, over 90 cars attended, about 30 more than the first year. For QC3 (just made that name up right now and I dig it) the... Continue Reading →
Co-Driver: Casey Coull and the art of going sideways
Co-Driver is back with another piece written and photographed by Shawn Pierce. Pay Shawn's Facebook page a visit to check out all of his photography. In recent years, the once relatively unknown sport of drifting has seen tremendous gains in popularity. National races and tournaments are a regular occurrence and even here at home, local... Continue Reading →
Cars in the Wild
The Audi R8 first appeared on the scene back in 2007 and promptly blew everyone's collective mind. Audi is known for fast cars, but the R8 was their first foray into the savagely competitive supercar market, and its sublime chassis, all-wheel drive grip, sonorous 4.2-liter V8 engine, and striking looks made it an instant classic.... Continue Reading →
Queen City Cars & Coffee
If last year's Queen City Cars & Coffee was great, the show this August was incredible. Over 80 cars turned out on a glorious Saturday morning against the backdrop of the Merrimack River and downtown ManchVegas. Hosting a car show has been a tremendous learning experience and seeing a tangible improvement over last year's show... Continue Reading →
Co-Driver: Track Day Lemonade
Welcome to the brand new Top Dead Center series, Co-Driver. Here, fellow gear heads have an outlet for their automotive passions, whether it's a exciting story to tell, photos to share, or the retelling of an epic adventure. Co-Driver's inaugural entry comes from Shawn Pierce, a talented writer and photographer and friend of TDC, who had... Continue Reading →