Columns

HARWINTON, CT – Here’s my Super Bowl prediction: This will be the last Super Bowl of any significance. From Monday forward, the popularity of the Super Bowl, of the National Football League, of college football and, indeed, of the sport itself will decrease. My crystal ball is too murky to say whether …

WOODBURY, CT – Look closely at Carl Moeller’s 1939 DKW NZ 250 motorcycle and a familiar automotive logo can be spied. It appears in the decals on either side of the gas tank, in the badge above the handlebars, and is even incorporated into the rubber knee pads on the gas …

CONGERS, NY – It’s Saturday night at 11:40 p.m. There’s a strip of tape on the side of my helmet that says “9 PS.” After weeks spent riding at all hours and in all types of conditions to prepare for the 100th running of the Crotona Midnight Run, followed by …

By now, many riders are aware that Neil Peart, drummer for the rock band Rush, is an avid motorcyclist. Peart took to two wheels as

LITLE NECK, NY – With new bike sales declining, more dealers are now paying greater attention to pre-owned bikes and are offering customers more choices. What nudged me into writing about this subject was a post this week on the website’s Facebook page showing two nearly identical Triumph Rocket 3 Roadster …

HARWINTON, CT – The signs are everywhere. The motorcycle industry is wobbling and possibly heading for a crash. Older riders are gradually giving up motorcycling and new, younger riders aren’t replacing them and engaging in what is an exhilarating (if occasionally dangerous) recreation. “It’s a big challenge for the industry right …

By Bob Rosen Just in case you’re one of the few out there who have not stumbled upon Australian Geoff Baldwin’s entertaining blog Return of the Café Racers , we present it here for your enjoyment. Geoff started this running review of unique café racers in 2006 – around the time that …

HARWINTON, CT – Some dog stories… It happens regularly, especially if I’ve been away from home for an extended period of time. I pull into the driveway, turn off the ignition, and instantly think that I need to hurry inside, snap on a leash and walk Cosette. You’d think that …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – I’m exhausted. From nighttime training. And now the Crotona Midnight Run has been postponed a week until the night of Jan. 20-21. Conditioning for the 100th event has been quite revelatory, and I don’t know yet what I’ll do with what I’ve learned. We’ve had extreme …

Classic Velocity is a really fun collection of information related to all things with two wheels or four.  The blog is updated a few times a month and, by now, has a rich history of articles on vintage machinery.  The author, who doesn’t identify himself,  has a special fondness for historical …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – The benefits of weeks of conditioning – both of myself and my motorcycles – will soon be known. The Crotona Midnight Run is a week away, provided the weather cooperates, and my excitement level is thru the roof. For the uniformed, the Crotona Midnight Run is a …

HARWINTON, CT – I’d love to say that I’m starting 2018 with a new attitude. A fresh, optimistic outlook filled with generosity and cheerfulness would make the next 12 months so much more enjoyable, but with a milestone 65th birthday later this year and some body part always aching, it’s not …

EAST HARTFORD, CT – Motorcycles and music are Joe Barone’s passions. He rides a 2012 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Custom. It’s dubbed “The Skunk” because of its stark black and white color scheme and it even has a personalized Connecticut license plate on the rear fender that reads “SKUNKD.” He’s also …

LITTLE NECK, NY – How well a sales person handles a showroom visitor can make all the difference between an excited new bike owner and a disgruntled shopper leaving a dealership in a huff. A well-trained, skillful sales person understands how important it is to follow an organized sales process that …

The website Sunday Morning Rides is an interesting way to discover new rides anywhere in the country.  There is an especially heavy content of rides in the northeast.  It is searchable by state and uses zoomable Google Maps to zero in on fine detail.  It appears that some rides have …