Columns

Back in college at Ohio Wesleyan University, I had an amiable, wise politics and government professor named Art Peterson. Dr. Arthur L. Peterson held an undergraduate degree from Yale University, a master’s degree from the University of Southern California and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. He lived on …

CHESTER, VT – I’ve bought and sold motorcycles for 45 years, and only once have I purchased one that I never rode for at least a few months. I buy them, enjoy them, and sell them when I’m looking for a different experience. Over the years, I’ve owned everything from …

WATERBURY, CT – John Carusello of Waterbury hasn’t yet reached the point where he’ll have to give up riding a motorcycle. He is starting to feel his age, though, so when an alternative appeared in dealer showrooms that allows him to sit in a cockpit (as opposed to straddle a …

Time for another edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” Posting it on April 1 wouldn’t have worked because of the confusion it might have created on April Fool’s Day. Granted, given many of the events and reports in the news and on social media …

The most-used motorcycle training curriculum used throughout New England, the Northeast and across the country is the one provided by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF). The MSF’s Basic Rider Course (BRC) has been the entry point to motorcycling for many, many riders. The MSF uses

NAUGATUCK, CT – How often is it that a driver involved in an accident with a motorcyclist uses the excuse “I didn’t see him…” when explaining the circumstances to a cop? Simply put, a rider clad in black atop a dark motorcycle can be invisible to motorists. That’s why John …

New England provides riders opportunities to explore the many facets of paved and off-road motorcycling – from the famously twisty mountain roads that meander up and down the hills and mountains to the scenic shoreline rides along the Atlantic Ocean. There are those hidden bits that can only be found …

The check is in the mail. Or, more accurately, the bank check is in a Fed Ex envelope on the way to a motorcycle dealership in Ohio. This tale begins roughly two weeks ago when friend Bob Rosen mentioned that he’d been looking online at a

I can be an idiot at times. It’s mid-February and I haven’t gotten a flu shot yet. That’s being an idiot. When cutting wood with my chain saw, I don’t always put on my Kevlar-lined chaps. Usually the lapse comes when

A Facebook post this week by a Connecticut dealership that showed a happy customer sitting on his first motorcycle – a high-power, 2016 model-year sport bike with a $12,299 MSRP – got me to thinking about dealer responsibility. How responsible is the dealership for selling the “right” motorcycle to a …

There is no reason to put the bike away just because the temperature drops. Even in New England, you can find many all-year riders. Their secret is to prepare. Riding unprepared means prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, which can lead to

Another year, another unwise tie-in between a motorcycle manufacturer and a booze producer. Indian announced Wednesday that it has “joined forces” with the Jack Daniel Distillery to create a “limited-run, collector’s-edition Jack Daniel’s-branded” 2016 Indian Chief Vintage that will celebrate

LITTLE NECK, NY – Even though the first month of the new year is just about in the rearview mirror, it’s not too late to take a shot at guessing what the motorcycle industry will look like after all 12 months of 2016 have zoomed by and to make some …

HARWINTON, CT – As we were getting ready to leave the Springfield Motorcycle Show at the Eastern States Exposition last Saturday, motorcycling friends Brian O’Neill and Roland Smith looked at the crowd of riders in the hall and observed that maybe next year we should rent a booth and hawk …

I’ve always admired those hardy motorcycle enthusiasts who can hop on their bikes and go the distance. Not just your usual daily mileage, but something that proves that you have the dedication, training and focus to make long-distance motorcycle travel a reality. This elite group of riders can be found …