Columns

Making the transition from newbie to experienced rider takes more than time. It requires putting effort into practicing physical riding skills, improving situational awareness, and ensuring your motorcycle and riding gear are ready for the roads ahead.  For this column, I’ve tapped the expertise of some Connecticut Rider Education Program …

We all have stories about disappointing experiences at motorcycle dealerships. A recent article on advrider.com reviewed some of the more common complaints. Judging by the reader comments, it seems that most folks agree that dealers are seriously failing their customers. Rather than pile on with my horror stories, I’d like …

A new video shared over the weekend to a group of guys that I sometimes ride with caught my attention and spurred some commenting. It was created by a YouTuber who calls himself Copperdawg. He’s a 61-year-old rider from central Florida who shares his thoughts and opinions on riding. The …

Time flies. It has been nearly 15 years since Connecticut mandated that all prospective riders successfully complete a motorcycle safety course to get an “M” endorsement on a driver license, yet I feel safe in suggesting that there are still many riders out on the roads who have never taken …

HARWINTON, CT – Peter Egan is revered among car and motorcycle enthusiasts for his many contributions to “Road & Track” and “Cycle World” magazines over the decades; mainly the “Side Glances” and “Leanings” columns that were later collected into book form. His columns mixed romance with nuance, precise details with scope, …

PALMER, MA – Back in late May, and for the first time in my long riding career, I participated in a day-long, track-based motorcycle training course at Palmer Motorsports Park. As a 25-year Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified rider coach, I’ve always fully supported continuous improvement through rider education and practice, but …

ALPHARETTA, GA – It’s a milestone worth bragging about, and Honda did so today with a press release touting that it has built 500 million motorcycles since beginning mass production in Japan in 1949. The first model produced 76 years ago was the 1949 Dream D-Type (shown above). Honda was …

She’s among the best known motorcycle riders in the world and, just possibly, the most adventuresome having ridden throughout Africa and South America, from India to Europe, and in numerous other countries worldwide over the past eight years, and doing so on a variety of bikes. Her popular YouTube channel …

It took some adjustments but course registration for Connecticut Rider Education Program classes across the state has opened. Unfortunately, those seeking to register for a CONREP motorcycle training class at the outset were met with a bit of a circular snag.  It seems the ball was dropped back in January …

HARWINTON, CT – It finally feels like the motorcycle riding season may be over. While I’ve become a rider who “pushes the season” by wearing heated riding gear and riding a motorcycle with a full fairing to break the wind, I’ve always seemed to have some down time in winter …

TORRINGTON, CT –    When avid motorcyclist Thea Everest of Torrington indulges in what’s commonly referred to as “wind therapy” by many riders, she often takes along a passenger who can literally spread his wings in the breeze as they roll down the byways.  Rather than occupy the normal pillion …

VALCOURT, Quebec – Can-Am moved closer to selling electric motorcycles this week by announcing that select dealers in Canada, the United States and 11 other countries are now taking pre-orders for its Pulse and Origin models. Production is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year with global …

SHARON, CT – It’s not a stretch to suggest that Scott Rabeler became a BMW motorcycle enthusiast and collector by happenstance. Had dealers selling other brands been better stocked or shown more interest when he walked in their door, he likely wouldn’t have ended up with a basement workshop and …

It took a bit of easy burrowing to come up with some statistics that just may shock many Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. Unit sales over the past 10 years show a company in severe retreat. Sales have cratered.  To be precise, Harley-Davidson sold in excess of 100,000 fewer motorcycles worldwide last year …

Are you a motorcycle novice interested in learning to ride and get licensed?  Are you already riding on a motorcycle permit, but wish to get licensed. Have you been riding with a motorcycle endorsement, but would like to improve your skills? If your answer is “Yes” to any of these …