MILWAUKEE – Union workers at Harley-Davidson plants in Wisconsin reportedly “overwhelming rejected” the company’s offer on a new contract Monday, but are continuing to work under a short-term extension of the previous pact. That contract, which was ratified in 2010 and went into effect in 2012, would have expired Monday. …
Read More »CMRA Corrects Website, Calls Off Member Protest
HARTFORD – A day after posting incorrect information under a “BAD NEWS!” headline on its website, asking members to protest to state legislators against a bill that it believed called for a universal helmet requirement for riders, the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association has now corrected the blunder and called off …
Read More »Staff Inflection: Staff Divided On Lane Splitting
A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly that would make lane splitting legal for riders has generated a lot of debate in recent days. The only state that makes the practice legal currently is California, where a study in 2014 revealed that it is no more dangerous than normal riding. …
Read More »A Bloke Goes Back To England And Buys A ZZR
It has been a while. Ten years of living and working in Torrington, CT and, all of a sudden, I’ve had to spend most of the year in my native England to sort out some stuff. By coincidence, this past summer happened to be the hottest and driest since the …
Read More »Test Ride On Ural’s Prototype Electric “Zral” Sidecar Rig
SAN DIEGO – When GP Motorcycles held a grand reopening party last week having added Ural to its brand lineup, they invited Ural to bring demo bikes to create some buzz. In addition to a gas-powered Gear Up sidecar rig, Ural brought its prototype electric model with sidecar – and …
Read More »Staff Inflection: The Worst Bike Ever Owned
It’s way past time for another Staff Infection. The question this go-round is “What’s the worst bike that you’ve ever owned?” It’s certainly a question worth pondering so that a mistake isn’t repeated. What is surprising is the variety of models mentioned by the staff of RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland. Here …
Read More »Newspapers Missing A Potential Revenue Source
HARWINTON, CT – The newspaper business is damn near foundering. Ad revenue is declining. So is circulation. Some newspapers are even shutting down. More will do so in the years to come as print readers die off. So why do newspapers still foot-drag in aggressively cultivating online readership and revenue? (“The …
Read More »AMA Sets Vintage Motorcycle Days For 2019
PICKERINGTON, OH – The American Motorcyclist Association has locked in July 5-7, 2019 as the dates for next year’s AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH. Honda will be the featured marque as well as sponsor of the event, which includes vintage racing in …
Read More »Bookshelf: “Discovering The Motorcycle”
As much as some riders might wish it were so, it wasn’t Harley-Davidson (or even Indian) that invented the V-twin engine that has been the staple power plant of motorcycles for well over a century. In fact, the V-twin wasn’t even invented in the United States. No, its origin can …
Read More »Gallery: Doc’s Customer Appreciation Day And Bike Show
WATERBURY, CT – A warm, sun-drenched day brought out a crowd on Sunday to Doc’s Customer Appreciation Day and Bike Show that also included numerous vendors. Here are some pictures from the annual event:
Read More »Motorcycle Cannonball Begins In New England
KEENE, NH – The first leg of the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball from Portland, ME to Portland, OR had mostly finished by late Saturday afternoon, although a few stragglers were still riding their vintage motorcycles into the parking lot at the Best Western Plus motel. Riders and their mechanics were already studiously …
Read More »September Events – Rice-O-Rama, IMOC and More…
Maybe it’s because the weather’s finally beginning to cool, but September offers several well-run motorcycle events to attend and more. This month is highlighted by the Japanese meet Rice-O-Rama, the Italian meet IMOC and the annual classic European meet at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Here are the dates and …
Read More »Lime Rock Park Historic Festival Parade
FALLS VILLAGE, CT – Lime Rock Park stages its Historic Festival 36 this weekend. The annual event kicked off Thursday evening with a parade of vintage race cars and other memorable models through parts of northwestern Connecticut, ending in Falls Village for a brief show. The featured marque for this …
Read More »Owners Bring Rare Bikes To Museum’s Opening
VERNON, CT – It’s commonplace to go to motorcycle shows and see as many interesting bikes in the parking lot as in the show itself, and that was the case Saturday at the opening of the New England Motorcycle Museum. The “Café Fever” event attracted riders who brought their café …
Read More »New England Motorcycle Museum Finally Opens
VERNON, CT – Asked on Saturday afternoon at the opening of the New England Motorcycle Museum what his plans for Sunday were, museum founder Ken Kaplan replied simply, “Sleep.” He quietly added, “I haven’t slept much in the last couple weeks.” The Café Fever motorcycle show that officially launched the …
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