Up To Speed

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 …

LITCHFIELD, CT – The only motorcycle on display at a classic car show tends to get noticed, no matter its brand, model or age. It would be difficult, though, to find a more interesting example of an early brand and model than the entry brought by Peter Downs to a …

CHESHIRE, MA – The longtime owner of the private Museum of Vintage Trail Bikes, Jim Hoellerich, has died at 88. He passed away on Sunday, one day after hundreds of riders attended one last open house at the hilltop museum he founded that houses 100 or so models made by …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has shut down motorcycle manufacturing in Wisconsin and York, PA for a minimum of two weeks due to a supply chain issue. The company cited a regulatory compliance issue with one of its suppliers as the reason. The production suspension doesn’t affect the manufacture of LiveWire electric …

BROOKFIELD, CT – Work was still progressing Wednesday afternoon at the new Touratech retail store and distribution center here. History will record that the first sale had already been made with the purchase of a Butler road map. “The only thing that’s not ready is the front counter,” said Touratech …

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last year was a deadly one on the nation’s highways with traffic fatalities soaring 10.5 percent over 2020, estimates released today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal. Motorcycle deaths rose nine percent in 2021. Deaths totaled 42,915, the highest number since 2005. The agency said …

MILWAUKEE – It took less than 20 minutes today for a limited edition of LiveWire’s second electric model to sell out. LiveWire began taking orders for 100 “built to order” copies of the dirt track-inspired S2 Del Mar LE (for Limited Edition) at 12:40 p.m. (EDT) and customers snatched them …

SANTA MONICA, CA – In what it called a “difficult decision,” the Progressive IMS Outdoors tour announced today that all events planned for 2022 have been suspended. Among the eight tour stops getting scrapped was a planned visit to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY from Sept. 23-25. …

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 …

It’s another edition of Oil Drippings, a collection of news items from near and not-so-near that riders may find interesting or useful: Touratech Still Targeting May Opening In Brookfield A date hasn’t been pinpointed but Touratech is still targeting a May opening for a new retail store and distribution center …

REDMOND, WA – With Russia’s war on Ukraine continuing, Russian sidecar rig manufacturer Ural is moving assembly of its models out of Irbit. They will now be put together about 375 miles to the southeast in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan. The plan is “progressing at full speed,” Ural CEO Ilya Khait told …

VERNON, CT – A Saturday morning accident on I-84 separated the forks, handlebar and front fairing from the body of an Indian cruiser and scattered plastic shards on the ground. Pictures uploaded to Facebook by the Town of Vernon Fire Department showed the bisected bike. The post noted the Indian …

MONTEREY, CA – Shopping for a new motorcycle these days is just keyboard click away, and Harley-Davidson and Indian dealers lead the power sports industry in responding to internet inquiries, results of a new Pied Piper study reveal. Pied Piper Management Company submitted inquiries to 8,859 motorcycle and UTV dealerships …

MONSON, MA – With the future of motorcycle hillclimbs that have been staged in this western Massachusetts town for more than 75 years apparently hanging in the balance, the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club went public today with a GoFundMe plea to help fund legal expenses to fight a city imposed …

THOMASTON, CT – Anxiousness was replaced by confidence for 45 young off-road riders who took part Saturday in a six-hour instructional clinic at Thomaston Dam. Hosted by the Pathfinders Motorcycle Club of Oxford, CT, the Dam Good Pee Wee Scramblers Clinic was designed to prepare riders ages 5 through 12 …