Up To Speed

(Update: Dates for the IMS stop in NYC will actually be Dec. 1-3.) NEW YORK – Here’s an item for those riders who like to plan well in advance. Nothing’s been announced yet regarding 2017-2018 dates and tour stops for the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, but the days for the …

BROOKLYN – When Peter Boggia first starting earning his living wrenching on motorcycles nearly 20 years ago, he found a line of work that resonated with him like nothing else. He ultimately established Moto Borgotaro at 97 Union St. in Brooklyn in 2008 and became the go-to guy for repairs …

CHESTER, VT – I’ve always been fascinated by cyclecars. What are they? Here’s a very loose history: Cyclecars first became popular in 1910. They were lightweight vehicles with small, motorcycle engines and minimal bodies. The most common configuration was a V-twin engine mounted in front between two steerable wheels with …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – Most everyone in the motorcycle world knows that the first full week of June is reserved for one of the best known motorcycle rallies in the country – Americade. But what most don’t know is that last year Americade hatched a side show – the DirtDaze …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson is recalling about 57,000 of its 2017 model-year motorcycles due to an oil line issue. The line can detach,  causing a sudden loss of oil, potentially in the path of the rear tire. The company says a clamp on the engine cooler line may not have been …

Of all the roads in southern New England, Route 57 in Massachusetts may be the most enjoyable and exhilarating for motorcycle riders. Running east-west and stretching nearly 40 miles from New Marlborough on the west to Agawam on the east, it’s serpentine and extremely hilly. It’s also sufficiently rural that …

Long weekends like Memorial Day provide an opportunity for friends and family to gather. Barbeques are certainly the norm for most and if you own a bike maybe riding that bike to a barbeque is also the norm. Hey, for me, riding a bike to everywhere is normal. Every inch …

MANCHESTER, CT – Thieves smashed the front doors of Manchester Honda-KTM-Husqvarna overnight and made off with two KTM dirt bikes as well as one Husqvarna motorcycle. Surveillance video captured the culprits, mostly dressed in black hoodies, lifting the bikes out of the store through a door and loading them into …

OXFORD, MA – The Union Jack flapped in the breeze atop a flagpole at the Singletary Rod & Gun Club on Sunday as hundreds of British bike lovers converged for the 27th annual motorcycle show and swap meet staged by the British Iron Association of Massachusetts. Sprinkled among the dozens …

Before May slips aways, another edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You That…” is in order. As always, the purpose is to slip in some news items, provide a little opinion and have a little fun. This installment is heavily loaded with thoughts and info about …

ROCKVILLE, CT – Two dirt bikes stolen from the New England Motorcycle Museum around 2 a.m. Wednesday have been recovered and the thieves have been arrested, according to a Thursday night post on Facebook by museum owner Ken Kaplan, who had offered a $1,000 reward. “They’re back,” Kaplan proclaimed in …

Labor unions representing Harley-Davidson workers in the U.S. are strongly criticizing company plans to open an assembly plant in Thailand. The new factory, set to open in late 2018, will build bikes from parts made at U.S. facilities. “Harley-Davidson has been the crown jewel of American manufacturing. Management’s decision to …

WATERBURY, CT – Mother’s Day weekend didn’t go as uneventfully as Taig Rehmel had hoped. He’d anticipated a wonderful reunion with a fondly-recalled motorcycle model from his earlier street riding days and an exhilarating ride from Connecticut to his home in Georgia. Instead, he was confronted by pain and the challenge …

TORRINGTON, CT – A midday fire heavily damaged the unoccupied residence and shop of late Indian expert George Yarocki. Firefighters from the Torrington Fire Department responded quickly to 679 Riverside Ave. and prevented three vintage motorcycles valued at more the $50,000 from being destroyed. Saved were a 1931 Indian 101 …

There are many who are all-year riders here in New England, but many wait for spring to bring their motorcycles out of hibernation. Experienced riders know it’s a good idea to perform an inspection and possibly some servicing of the bike prior to each ride, especially the first time the …