Columns

It’s all my mother’s fault. So what if she’s been dead for 38 years. She passed along her sports car-loving genes, and that’s undoubtably the reason why a used, two-seater Mazda in eye-catching burgundy ended up in my garage late last week, forcing the shifting of my motorcycles into tight …

I grew up loving baseball. Played catch with my dad nearly every summer evening. Played Little League. First base. Worshipped the New York Yankees. Hated the Boston Red Sox.  Vividly remember my first trip to Yankee Stadium, a visit that got locked into family lore. My dad had regaled me …

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA – No matter the motorcycle that a rider buys, whether it be new, used, modern or classic, there’s bound to be an element or two on that bike that irritates. The dissatisfaction can happen immediately or develop over time. The seat might be too hard or a …

ROCKINGHAM, VT – Thanks, Connecticut, for costing me $800. That’s so far. Labor not included. And the job’s not done yet. I won’t go into my excuses for 2020 being my worst riding year to date. However, with the bikes being parked for the most part, it has allowed me …

LITTLE NECK, NY – Most folks would agree that buying a new vehicle is just not a very pleasurable experience.  We all have stories about our trials and tribulations when attempting to buy a new car or light truck. Mostly, we use them for transportation or work. So, visiting the …

NAUGATUCK, CT – It’s probably obvious, but I’ll state it anyway: COVID-19 is impacting potential new riders seeking to get licensed.  Presently, there is no way to take a mandatory course offered through Connecticut Rider Education Program to obtain a motorcycle license. All CONREP training sites are shut down.  If …

CHESTER, VT – It’s a place that I’ve dreamed of even though the name of it might elicit more of a nightmare – the COVID-19 Motorcycle Shop. It is not a place out of a Hieronymous Bosch painting. In truth, it is beyond pleasant. It is more a post-COVID biker …

HARWINTON, CT – My neighbor and riding friend Bill Smith and I were catching our breaths after picking up some free firewood from down the street one evening earlier this week, leaning against our vehicles with six feet between us, when Bill asked, “Do you think Harley-Davidson will survive the …

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful time for all, causing reactions ranging from fear to reflection. Some people have reacted with brute selfishness by hoarding toilet paper and hand sanitizer while others have shown generosity by handing over N95 face masks to health care workers. Two weeks ago, …

There’s a somewhat flippant saying that a motorcyclist is “a person willing to take a container of flammable liquid, place it on top of a hot engine, and then put it between their legs.”  The unstated message is that riding is dangerous and takes a modicum of courage. It is …

HARWINTON, CT – It was while going through a plastic storage container stuffed with miscellaneous old papers recently that I discovered a diploma issued nearly 50 years ago when I was 16.  The “Driver Education Certificate” from The Faita A-C School of Driving in Torrington was dated July 1, 1970 …

Motorcyclists and bicyclists share some of the same potential hazards. Among them are car doors opening in our path, other vehicles making unsafe lane changes or sudden stops, hazardous road conditions that two-wheeled vehicles must slow down for or navigate around, and the all too common left turn incidents. Selfish …

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – What transpired at a town council meeting in South Windsor last week is worth noting and remembering for the lessons it provided. It also needs to be noted that the meeting failed to address the underlying problem that brought a mob to Town Hall – excessive …

DANBURY, CT – For Al Lucchino, memories of launching a new Harley-Davidson dealership are as vivid as the paint on the glistening models that fill his showroom – even 25 years later. There are memories of the frustrating hunt for a location for the store and the exhilaration of customers …

CHESTER, VT – The dead of winter, the start of the new year, and I’m sitting here daydreaming about … motorcycles.  I’ve got three motorcycles in the garage next to my house. I’ve got another motorcycle in a garage that I have seven miles away. I don’t usually think about …