Columns

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 …

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 …

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

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

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

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, …

(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 …

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 …

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 …

Looking to buy a new bike and planning to spend $10,000, $15,000, or more?More people are answering “yes” to this question. Sales are up modestly in most street bike categories this year, despite the fact those shoppers often hear the same thing from dealership sales persons when asking for a …

EAST HAMPTON, CT – Maybe it’s because some friends rebuild vintage Indians. Or maybe it’s because a late riding buddy owned an old Indian Chief. Or maybe it’s because the revived Indian models have gotten so much attention, but my head always turns when an Indian appears. And two antique Chiefs that …

Imagine just for a moment a gorgeous and peaceful botanical garden where, once a week, a swarm of invaders descends. Most of these visitors are honey bees and butterflies. They’re colorful, generally non-threatening, and beneficial because they pollinate the flowers and blooming shrubs. They’re welcomed, or at least accepted without complaint. However, in addition …

Can a three-wheeled vehicle that has side-by-side bucket seats in an open cockpit, a steering wheel and a stick shift located in a console between those seats – but also has a swing-arm and is belt-driven – be considered a

KENT, CT – Friends Neil Tolhurst, Dean Mojon and I were seated on a wood bench across the street from Kent Coffee & Chocolate in downtown Kent on a recent Sunday around midday when a bright yellow Honda Gold Wing pulled to a stop in front of us. As we …

Maybe I’m just a doofus when it comes to modern motorcycles. Or simply inept. But I inevitably scare myself nearly every time that I test ride a modern bike with “throttle-by-wire.” The instant on/instant off nature of the system makes “unintended acceleration” a common occurrence, and I’m lucky that I …