Examined on a year-to-year basis, the downsizing doesn’t instantly appear to be that significant. You first think that maybe there’s a manufacturer missing or a favorite vendor that’s absent. But when compared to what the Progressive International Motorcycle Show was like several years ago,
Read More »Tiger Woods Brand Ambassador For Hero?
Let me see if I have this straight… He doesn’t ride a motorcycle. He has no interest in riding a motorcycle. But now a motorcycle manufacturer in India is paying pro golfer Tiger Woods to be its “brand ambassador” for
Read More »Why Isn’t There A Dealer Near You?
Many folks are preparing to visit the Progressive International Motorcycle Show at New York’s Javits Center next weekend. Most attend to get a break from the cold weather and to get a fix for their motorcycle addiction, but some attend with the serious objective of “pre-shopping” for their next bike. …
Read More »BMW R75M Still Serving Decades After WWII
Keeping vintage BMWs running is master technician Phil Cheney’s primary responsibility at Max BMW in Brookfield. He’s been wrenching on German-made BMWs for 45 years and is revered among Beemer owners in Connecticut and beyond for his expertise. Over that long span, he’s only worked on two R75M models.
Read More »What’s a Just Punishment For Killing A Rider?
What’s just punishment for a driver who takes a motorcyclist’s life? Obviously, it depends. What was the cause of the accident? What were the road conditions at the time of the crash? And in what shape was
Read More »Ten-Year Riding Milestone Marked
Pardon me while I belatedly celebrate a milestone. It was in late October that I marked 10 years of riding a motorcycle. Over that time, tens of thousands of miles have been ridden and nearly a dozen used bikes have filtered through the garage. The two-wheeled journey has been filled …
Read More »CONREP’s Ouster At UConn Torrington Wrong
It has been more than a week since it was revealed that UConn Torrington won’t allow Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) classes on its campus next year. Nothing’s changed and that’s not surprising. The loss of a training site isn’t hot news impacting loads of people and destined to prompt …
Read More »Auxiliary Lighting Can Help You Be Seen
I can see clearly now…. Let’s face it – motorcycles can be difficult to see in traffic. They have a very narrow profile compared to all other vehicles and are a fraction of the size of a typical automobile. Even alert drivers might miss seeing a motorcycle depending on their …
Read More »New England Motorcycle Museum Being Built
ROCKVILLE, CT – Tour what was once the Hockanum Mill in Rockville with Ken Kaplan, as RIDE-CT did recently, and his attention to detail on his $10 million dream project is constantly evident. It was evident during
Read More »Could Lane-Splitting Work In The Northeast?
California is the only state in the nation that allows lane-splitting – riding a motorcycle between two lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic on a freeway – but the results of a new year-long study released this week just might spur
Read More »Son Talks About Found 1954 Harley-Davidson
Edgar Howard Johnson Jr. fervently believes in securing his recently-acquired vintage Harley-Davidson, and is adamant that history not repeat itself. The motorcycle is locked in the garage at his home near Charlotte, N.C. “There’s no way they’d be able to
Read More »Unwanted XT250 Ends Up In Garage
Ever buy a motorcycle that you didn’t need or necessarily want? Sometimes the urge to add some fresh iron to the garage is just too irresistible. That’s why there’s a 1983 Yamaha XT250 is parked next to my 2008 Suzuki V-Strom. It’s the bike I didn’t need, eventually didn’t want, …
Read More »A Backroads Buildup To Big W’s BBQ
(Update: Big W’s closed its doors on May 16, 2021.) WINGDALE, NY – One of the pleasures of motorcycling is spotting a previously-unexplored road and, on a whim, taking it. Sometimes the result is a dead end. A more common outcome is discovering a route that becomes part of a …
Read More »The Benefits And Uses Of Engine Braking
Engine braking is the phenomena experienced whenever a rider rolls off the throttle and the motorcycle slows down due to the resistance provided by the engine and transmission. The affect is enhanced by changing to a lower gear. Prior to the downshift the wheels, engine, and transmission have a matched …
Read More »Street Stuff Grills A Triumph Thruxton
Mention the word “grill” and I’m apt to smile. For me, the word doesn’t only conjure up an image of a backyard barbecue or a heavily-chromed front end of a car produced by Detroit automakers in the 1950s, but also a line from an audio recording that I heard many …
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