MIDDLETOWN, CT – There may be only one number attached to Middletown Motorcycle Mania that can be proven accurate; the rest of the stats are merely guesstimates. This year marked the 13th event, held downtown Wednesday night. The rest of the numbers, such as number of bikes, number of people …
Read More »Fire Department Dispatched To MAX BMW For Electrical Fire
SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – A fire in an electrical panel filled the MAX BMW motorcycle dealership here with smoke Tuesday morning. The South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department responded at 9:40 a.m. to 1535 John Fitch Boulevard (Route 5) and found “heavy smoke coming out of the building,” Chief Kevin E. …
Read More »Trump’s Latest Salvo Against Harley-Davidson
BEDMINSTER, NJ – A day after welcoming “Bikers for Trump” into the crystal-chandeliered ballroom at his golf club’s clubhouse here, President Donald Trump has gone on the offensive again against U.S. manufacturer Harley-Davidson, saying in a Sunday morning Tweet that many of the brand’s “owners plan to boycott the company …
Read More »Keeper Of Schickel Flame Dies
OLEAN, NY – The name of the Schickel Motor Company of Stamford, CT would have been long forgotten were it not for the persistence of Ken Anderson, who died Friday at 75. The company lasted for 13 years in the early 20th century and was one of more than 100 …
Read More »Yankee Chapter National Meets Brings Out The Best
TERRVILLE, CT – Perhaps the greatest pleasure in attending a vintage motorcycle meet is seeing long-forgotten brands and being able to get up close to rare models that aren’t often seen in public. The two-day National Meet of the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, which kicked …
Read More »August Events – AMCA Meet, Brit Jam And More…
August is always a busy month when it comes to motorcycle meets, etc. and this year is no exception. Among some of the events worth attending are the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s National Meet, which moves to a new location; the always crazy Middletown Motorcycle …
Read More »Staff Inflection: What The Future Holds
Time for another Staff Inflection, and the question posed to RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland staffers was really rather basic: Where do you see the motorcycle industry in the U.S. in 20 years? Staffers were told they could be optimistic or pessimistic, serious of flippant. They could take the business aspect or …
Read More »Harley-Davidson Expands Beyond Cruisers
MILWAUKEE – With a goal of “unlocking new markets and segments” and creating “a more diverse rider base,” Harley-Davidson today announced plans for new models that embrace the sport bike, adventure touring and electric categories of motorcycles. In the pipeline are a Streetfighter model for sport bike enthusiasts, a Pan …
Read More »Polaris Confirms Indian Production In Poland
MINNEAPOLIS – Polaris Industries confirmed this week that it will begin building Indian motorcycles at its factory in Opole, Poland that currently makes off-road vehicles. Production of Indians destined for the European market will begin in 2019. The company had hinted at the possibility a month ago after the European …
Read More »Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Sales Continue To Sink
MILWAUKEE – Sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles continue to sink in the U.S. The company announced this morning that Q2 sales dropped 6.4 percent from 2017, while sales for the first half of the year were off 8.7 percent from a year ago. Harley-Davidson sold 46,490 motorcycles in the U.S. in …
Read More »Vintage Indians At Hilltop Farm Event
SUFFIELD, CT – It was a mix of old Indians and new ones on Saturday at the annual motorcycle show at Hilltop Farm, once owned by Indian co-founder George M. Hendee, and two vintage models belonging to Martin Hansen of Manchester, CT were among the most noticeable. Hansen brought a …
Read More »New England Motorcycle Museum In Home Stretch
Update – July 26: The New England Motorcycle Museum didn’t receive it’s certificate of occupancy on Monday. Instead, it was presented with a list of eight more items that needed attention. They were dealt with quickly and the CO was grant on Wednesday, paving the way for the museum’s setup …
Read More »Scenic Videos From Scotland With Safety Reminders
Safety videos can often be dry and preachy, but the Scottish government has recently been producing a series of short scenic videos aimed at motorcyclists that are scenically beautiful while containing numerous reminders of the obstacles and the challenges that riders routinely experience. The campaign is appropriately dubbed “Breathtaking Roads.” …
Read More »Hill Country: The Times I Nearly Soiled Myself
CHESTER, VT – If you’ve ever wondered how you made it to adulthood without being squashed like a bug, if you ever saw your life flash in front of you, if you ever had a scare so intense that you couldn’t stop your hands from shaking with the adrenaline afterwards, …
Read More »Dennis Gage Of “My Classic Car” Talks Bikes
FALLS VILLAGE, CT – He’s best known as the forever host of “My Classic Car” on television, but Dennis Gage is a motorcycle enthusiast, too, who currently owns eight BMWs and one Moto Guzzi. “I bought it just because it looked so weird, ” Gage said this morning of his …
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