Yearly Archives: 2015

Black Friday Shopping? No Way!

KENT, CT – Black Friday shopping? No way! Not when the temperatures climbed into the 60s in southern New England. On a warm day like this, it was imperative to get in some late-season seat time because it might not happen again until April. Not surprisingly, this destination hamlet attracted …

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Rider Loses Erection Appeal

SAN FRANCISCO – A state appeals court here has rejected an appeal filed by a man from Sausalito, CA who claimed he suffered from acute priapism (a painfully prolonged erection) after riding his 1993 BMW motorcycle for two hours. Henry Wolf had sued BMW and seat-maker Corbin in 2012, but …

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You Might Be A Dunkin’ Angel If…

It was several years ago (with input from a few friends) that I wrote a RIDE-CT column in “The Republican-American” on the tell-tale signs of a “Dunkin’ Angel.” The column was posted here four years ago and promptly forgotten. However, remembering how long-ago friend Joe Gilmartin of “The Phoenix Gazette” used …

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Even The Best Riders Can Crash

WATERBURY, CT – It can happen to even the best of riders, and John Purdy Jr. qualifies as an extremely skilled rider. He’s been a licensed motorcyclist for 37 years and spends upwards of 15,000 miles per year on two wheels. Purdy has also been a motorcycle instructor for 19 …

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Harley-Davidson Workers OK New Pact

YORK, PA – Workers at the Harley-Davidson factory here today approved a new contract with the company that will be effective Feb. 1, 2016 and will run through Oct. 15, 2022. It covers approximately 970 employees. The existing contract with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local …

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Offer Saves Would-Be Donor

TORRINGTON, CT – Mike Wallace’s urgent need for a new kidney may have saved Tim Sparks’ life. This tale of need and generosity started with an article that ran in The Sunday Republican on Sept. 13 and was later shared on RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland. It evolved into a bittersweet lesson about …

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Indian Unveils Cheaper Scout

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The cost of owning an Indian just went down. The company today unveiled a new addition to its motorcycle lineup in the form of the Scout Sixty, a less expensive version of the existing Scout and with a smaller engine. The Scout Sixty looks much like the …

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BMW Out With R nineT Scrambler

BMW’s R NineT roadster model now has a Scrambler stable mate.  Powered by an air-cooled 1,170cc boxer engine that delivers 110 horsepower and has a maximum torque of 116 Nm, the R nineT Scrambler features an upright riding position with higher handlebars and lower footrests than the R nineT. The …

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“Hitting The Apex” Debuts In U.S.

“Hitting The Apex” finally has some U.S. dates. The movie, narrated by Brad Pitt and directed by Mark Neale, begins a limited release rollout in the states today with five theaters in New England hoping to screen it over the next month. “Hitting The Apex” goes behind the scenes at …

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Ducati Goes All In On Scrambler

MILAN, Italy – Need proof that its four 2015 Scrambler models were a hit for Ducati? The company announced today that more versions and variants are on the way. New for 2016 will be a Flat Track Pro version, based on the existing 803cc platform, as well as an all-new …

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BMW Unwraps Small Roadster

Should it be called a “baby Beemer?” BMW announced today a new sub-500cc model called the G 310 R. The single-cylinder, 350-pound roadster was “newly conceived from scratch,” the company said, and has an “agile, dynamic character.” The G 310 R is powered by a 313cc, liquid-cooled engine with a …

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Indian Recalls 2015, 2016 Models

Indian is recalling 7,611 of its 2015 and 2016 Chief Classic, Chief Vintage, Chieftain, Roadmaster and 2016 Dark Horse models due to a problem with the rear brake master cylinder, which may cause a reduction or complete loss of rear brake power. The motorcycles were manufactured Jan. 2, 2015 to …

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