HARWINTON, CT – It wasn’t a surprise really that the battery on my 1987 BMW R 80 RT was dead when spring arrived. I’d neglected to keep it on a Battery Tender throughout the winter, only plugging it in occasionally and for short periods of time. It was 33 months …
Read More »Hill Country: Arlo Mudgett Learns To Straddle On A Three-Wheeled Ryker
CHESTER, VT – I’ve only got about 1,400 miles on the three-wheeled Can-Am Ryker Ace 900 that I bought last year. That’s not a lot of mileage, and I am still learning how to ride it. Fortunately, one of my very best friends is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified instructor who …
Read More »Church’s Motorcycle Stunt Fails, Loud Pipes Destroy Solemnity Of Memorial Day Parade
HARWINTON, CT – It was a good idea that had a bad outcome and involved a church and a motorcycle. The obnoxious stunt had spectators at a Memorial Day Parade here covering their ears in pain and disgust, and ultimately reflected negatively on a church that was simply trying to …
Read More »Who Was That Masked Man? The Case Of The Disappearing Doctor
HARWINTON, CT – And now the rest of the story, otherwise known as the case of the disappearing doctor. As recounted earlier, a mishap with a log splitter resulted in a sizable portion of my left thumb being sheared off. When the accident happened that Saturday in mid-February, a friend …
Read More »Riding Season Delayed By Traumatic Accident WIth Log Splitter
HARWINTON, CT – This riding season is unlike any other. By this time last year there had already been a three-day trip to an antique motorcycle show in Pennsylvania. This year, operating a motorcycle for even a few miles has been thwarted by an injury. While I routinely put …
Read More »Safe Riding: Another Season Of CONREP Instruction
NAUGATUCK, CT – Another riding season is here and, for me, another year of serving as a Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) instructor. Classes started today at the site where I teach; Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT and 23 of the 77 of Basic Rider Course classes are …
Read More »Mixing Beer, Bikes Makes For Irresponsible Cocktail, Yet Dealers Persist In Serving Booze
EAST HARTFORD, CT – It’s National Beer Day, and it’s providing yet another example of motorcycle dealers being irresponsible by serving alcohol in their stores. The notable culprits are Hartford Harley-Davidson in East Hartford, CT and Old School Harley-Davidson in Ellington, CT. It’s a practice that’s not only irresponsible but …
Read More »Takeaways From “Connecticut Ice” Hockey Tournament
BRIDGEPORT, CT – It’s a four-team tournament showcasing Connecticut’s Division 1 college hockey squads, and “Connecticut Ice” offered some exciting action over the weekend at the Webster Bank Area. Quinnipiac University won the trophy, topping UConn on Sunday in a tightly-contested championship game by a 2-0 score. Connecticut Ice is …
Read More »Gless Memoir Brings Back Memories – Both Funny And Sad
HARWINTON, CT – It was with more than a modicum of curiosity that took me to a bricks and mortar bookstore recently to purchase the just-released memoir of “Cagney & Lacey” star Sharon Gless. It’s titled “Apparently There Were Complaints,” and it recounts portions of Gless’s youth; her acting life, …
Read More »Vintage Indians Get Shown At Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
GREENWICH, CT – It would be misleading to claim that motorcycles are an afterthought at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance. The event staged on the waterfront at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park routinely draws some exquisite models. It’s just that they’re always overshadowed by the high volume of expensive vintage and modern …
Read More »“If You Had Asked Me…” Has Bemer Update, Kawasaki Electric Plans
It’s the October edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” It’s an items column filled with news tidbits from near and far that either didn’t warrant a full story or somehow fell through the cracks. There’s also a smattering of opinion. Here goes: “If You …
Read More »“If You Had Asked Me…” Deduces New Indian Dealer, Includes Apple Advisory
It’s another edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told…” It’s an items column filled with national and local news tidbits along with a bit of opinion. Here goes: “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” Still Waiting For An Official Announcement, But… The …
Read More »“If You Had Asked Me…” Deals With COVID-19, Dealers And New Models
The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 put the regular “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You” column of news tidbits into an extended hibernation that has lasted 18 months. It returns now with some local, national and international items and a bit of opinion. …
Read More »Vintage Harley-Davidsons A Family Affair
TORRINGTON, CT – For some motorcyclists, old models have a magical allure. They’re certainly much easier to work on than their modern-day counterparts, and they also spur the imagination to speculate on their past adventures. “I always think about the history,” said collector Richard Nelson of Torrington recently as he …
Read More »Confessions Of A Motorcycle Show Judge
FALLS VILLAGE, CT – It’s a task with no requirements other than a pulse and a willingness to pick a favorite. Unlike other motorcycle shows, the two-wheeled portion of the Falls Village Car & Motorcycle Show doesn’t have categories, year restrictions or demands for original perfection. It’s a “come one, …
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