Time for another installment of “If you had asked, I would have told you that…” – While I’m sympathetic to his suffering, if I’d have been on the Hartford Superior Court jury, I would have voted against awarding Connecticut rider Joseph Chaplin nearly $534,000 as a result of a crash that …
Read More »Is Your Old Bike’s Assessment Too High?
HARWINTON, CT – It was during a breakfast conversation yesterday with friend and rider Neil Tolhurst of New Hartford that I became aware of a law that I subsequently discovered has apparently been in effect in Connecticut for seven years. It states that “passenger vehicles, combination vehicles and motorcycles, 20 …
Read More »Do Riders Make For Better Drivers?
Unlike many who operate a car or truck, I’ve never claimed to be a good driver. Competent? Yes. Usually safe? Yes, again. But to carry a label of “good” requires a driving record better than mine. In nearly 46 years of driving, I’ve had a few accidents. As a teen …
Read More »Test Ride: Ducati Multistrada S
A trip Friday up the Hudson River to visit the good folks at Hudson Valley Motorcycles in Ossining, NY. Second generation owner Rich Alexander and his team are hosting the
Read More »“Mad Men” Era Photographer Dies In NYC
Update: Donald L. Miller died Saturday (June 20, 2015) in New York City at the age of 83 after suffering a stroke. This column appeared last Sept. 16. It was a pleasure knowing him, hearing his stories and eating his scones, if only for a short while… Donald L. Miller …
Read More »Safe Riding: The Benefits Of Earplugs
There are many activities where the use of hearing protection is now standard practice. It has been prevalent for construction and factory workers for years as well as required for those who participate in target shooting at an organized club or range. Lawn and tree care professionals and many homeowners …
Read More »If You Had Asked, I Would Have Told You…
Some press releases don’t warrant a “full post” while other items from elsewhere and personal observations don’t warrant a full story or column. Consequently, here goes with another edition of “If you had asked me, I would have told you that…” – The barbecue restaurant known as “Q,” which is …
Read More »If You Had Asked, I Would Have Told You…
Every question needs an answer. If you had asked, I would have told you that… – Harley-Davidson has not one but two flops on its hands with the smaller Street 750 and Street 500 models. We’re talking “Gigli” proportion flops. I’ve yet to see one on the road, dealers don’t …
Read More »Safe Riding: What To Do When Stopped By Cop
Over the winter there was a bit of Internet discussion regarding a report published in August 2014 by the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA) titled “Effective Strategies for Motorcycle Stops.” NHSTA felt there was a need for
Read More »Moto Guzzi Owners Gather In Deep River
DEEP RIVER, CT – It was only after extracting the 1994 Moto Guzzi California 1100 from winter storage and getting it out on the road for the first time early this month – more than three months after buying it – that the question popped to
Read More »Still Sold on REV’IT! Gloves After A Decade
How often do we rely on the advice of others when it comes to goods and services? A friend recommends a restaurant, we try it. A total stranger suggests a scenic or curvy road to ride, we seek it out. When the automatic transmission in my pickup recently began slipping, advice …
Read More »Safe Riding: Preparing For Riding Again
The winter is slowly beginning to depart. You’re anxious to be able to get out for the first ride. It may have been six months since the last time you rode, so for this edition of Safe Riding let’s consider a simple, three-part preparation checklist: Bike, gear, and attitude. Some …
Read More »BMW Recall To Be Headache For Dealers
If the service person at your local BMW dealer is smiling just a little less these days, there’s a good reason. That’s because BMW’s recent recall announcement will likely cause a host of headaches for both dealers and riders in the weeks to come. The 43,426 bikes recalled in the …
Read More »Two Montesa Basket Cases Get Rescued
The email from Bjorn “Bob” Bagn that arrived on Jan. 6 instantly caught my attention. The subject line revealed that he was offering two Montesa basket cases as freebies. “Little by little, ‘galloping geriatrics’ has caught up with me,” he explained. “With two metal knees, and at 84 years, I …
Read More »News Outlets Share Bogus “Gang” Story
(Update: Jillian B. Stickels of the FBI responded this morning (3/26), confirming that the story is a hoax and noting that the faux story is already included on the debunking website Snopes.com, which says it first appeared on a satirical site called National Report. And, also as of this morning, …
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