HARWINTON, CT – The endless winter can be a time for mischief because the only alternative to riding is window shopping in preparation for riding. Short days, long nights, cold and snow force a person to go online to visit dealer websites and to check out Craigslist for the used …

As a newbie, I knew little about riding. I’d long driven stick shift cars so learning how to operate a clutch and shifter lever on a motorcycle wasn’t a problem when I took the Basic Rider Course in Connecticut back in 2004. Everything else was foreign. Over the years, I’ve …

HARWINTON, CT – What’s to become of Harley-Davidson? The news of late hasn’t been good for the iconic American brand that produces half of the heavyweight motorcycles sold in the U.S. The company announced late last month that it’s closing the Kansas City, Mo. assembly plant that builds Softail, Sportster and …

NEWBURGH, NY – Even non-riders know the names of the best known motorcycle brands – Harley-Davidson, Honda and the revived Indian. Maybe not so much the likes of Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta or Motus. But names like Motosacoche, NUT and F.B. Mondial can bring blank expressions to the faces of …

DANBURY – Motorcycle dealership owner Bruce J. Bemer has rejected a Danbury Superior Court judge’s offer of a plea deal in a sex trafficking case that could have spared him prison. Instead, he opted for a jury trial that will have him facing up to 30 years behind bars, if …

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 …

NEWBURGH, NY – After a couple of hours of scanning vendor tables and eye-balling the displays at the heavily-attended winter swap meet Sunday at the Motorcyclepedia Museum, we were famished. But where to eat? Acting on a tip, three of us headed down nearer the Hudson River to Liberty Street where …

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 …

It’s a tough time to be in the print business of any kind. Circulation of newspapers and magazines are dropping, and advertisers are going elsewhere to spend their clients’ money. This is especially true in the motorcycle arena where numerous mags have disappeared, while others have been merged or seen …

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 …

OTIS, MA – There are lots of eateries that you can ride by and never notice. There are also restaurants that get visited simply because they’re handy, you happen to be nearby and it’s the easiest place to stop. The Farmington River Diner fits both of those descriptions. That’s not …

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Pearly’s Farmhouse Cafe closed in October 2018 after one year of operation.) WEST CORNWALL, CT – Breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner is once again being served footsteps away from the scenic covered bridge over the Housatonic River. In the space where the Wandering Moose once operated, a new …

STURBRIDGE, MA – It was mid-afternoon Sunday and the line at the counter at B.T.’s Smokehouse at 392 Main St. (Route 20) was nearly backed up to the front door. The inside tables lining the side walls were mostly filled and maybe a dozen other sweating Southern BBQ lovers were …

RHINEBECK, NY – Foster’s Coach House has been rejuvenated. When I first stopped there a dozen or more years ago, our group had a pleasurable visit and I even considered purchasing a pint glass embossed with the tavern’s logo to add to my small collection. A second visit just a …

WALPOLE, NH – There are some sights you see as a rider that you know will never be duplicated. For instance, the display of eight Brough Superior motorcycles back in 2009 at the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in NY. Or the Harley-Davidson V-Rod and the Honda CTX700 parked side-by-side at …