MONTPELIER, VT – Vermont Rider Education Program classes run by the state Department of Motor Vehicles have resumed after being canceled in April and May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All students are being required to wear face masks while in the classroom and inside buildings. Students are also being …
Read More »TWIR: Dealership Doings And More
It’s time for TWIR – The Week in Review for the week of May 31 – June 6, news items and other tidbits that don’t get a full post as well follow-ups on stories. The big news of the week was confirmation Wednesday of the sale of Gengras Harley-Davidson in …
Read More »Audrain Automobile Museum To Re-Open
NEWPORT, RI – Closed for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Audrain Automobile Museum here will re-open its gallery to visitors on Monday (June 8) with an exhibit titled “Shining Bright: Advances in Automotive Lighting.” The exhibit, which was scheduled to run from May 1 through …
Read More »Hartford Harley-Davidson New Name For Gengras
EAST HARTFORD, CT – The longtime owners of Gengras Harley-Davidson today confirmed the sale of the dealership to Chad Clark and Bryan Castor, owners of three other Harley-Davidson stores in the Northeast. Under new ownership, which takes effect on Thursday, the store will be called Hartford Harley-Davidson, resurrecting a name …
Read More »Readers Wary Of Rallies; New Poll On Companies Speaking Out
Readers of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England are wary of attending huge motorcycle rallies, such as Americade and Laconia Motorcycle Week, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the website’s latest poll show that nearly 60 percent have concerns. An equal 29 percent are “Still definitely against going” and …
Read More »Wagner Motorsports Vandalized, Bikes Stolen In Worcester
WORCESTER, MA – Wagner Motorsports was vandalized last night and an unidentified numbers of bikes were stolen, according to a lengthy post this morning on the dealership’s Facebook page. “They smashed windows. They stole bikes and other things. And we are left to pick up the pieces,” the dealership wrote, …
Read More »Zero Issues Anti-Racism Statement, Too
SCOTTS VALLEY, CA – A day after Harley-Davidson released a statement that condemned racism in the United States, electric maker Zero Motorcycles this morning issued a similar statement of its own on social media. “At Zero Motorcycles, we stand for inclusion and support the right to protest against systemic racism …
Read More »Layoffs At Triumph Due To COVID-19
HINCKLEY – A significant drop in sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing British motorcycle maker Triumph to lay off 240 at its U.K. plant and a total of 400 worldwide. The company employs 2,500 people around the world, with 1,044 in the U.K. Employees were told of the …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Condemns Racism, Says “United We Will Ride”
MILWAUKEE – With violent protests over the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis taking place in U.S. cities coast to coast in recent days, motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson this evening issued a statement on social media condemning racism and bigotry in American society. “Racism, hatred or intolerance …
Read More »AMCA’s Yankee Chapter Cancels Meet In Terryville
TERRYVILLE, CT – The Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has given up hope of staging a National Meet in New England in 2020. Having pushed back the dates of its annual event at the Terryville Fairgrounds to Sept. 11-12 from its originally scheduled July 31 and …
Read More »Brit Jam Canceled, No Word on Split’n Lanes Show
HADDAM NECK – The 35th annual Brit Jam meet scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds has been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to scrap the popular gathering which attracted more than 2,500 motorcyclists in 2019 wasn’t made by the organizer, the British …
Read More »TWIR: Rising Death Rate, New Models, H-D Back At Work
It’s time for TWIR – The Week in Review, news items and other tidbits that somehow don’t rate or receive a full post (or fall through the cracks) but are nonetheless worth passing on. Here’s some of what happened between March 17 and 23: Road Fatalities Rise During Pandemic The …
Read More »Is The IMS Tour For 2020-21 Going To Be Scrapped?
SANTA MONICA, CA – A switch from a multi-city tour in 2020-2021 to an online/virtual event may be in the making for the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. That possibility is suggested in a new online survey being conducted by the company that stages the tour. While many motorcycle events in …
Read More »Readers Split On BMW R 18; New Poll On Americade, Laconia
RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers are split on whether BMW’s new R 18 heavy cruiser model (pictured above) will be a hit or a miss. While 35 percent of voters view the massive R 18 as a “retro work of art,” a total of 27 percent think it’s a “ghastly …
Read More »Jochen Zeitz Given Helm Of Harley-Davidson
MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has turned to a native of Germany to revive the iconic American brand. Less than three months after being named acting president and CEO of Harley-Davidson following Matt Levatich’s departure, Jochen Zeitz has now been awarded those posts, effective immediately. The 57-year-old executive will also continue as …
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