Columns

BETHEL, CT – Richard Schlansker of Amsterdam, NY has been riding motorcycles for 44 years. On Thursday evening, though, the 71-year-old retired engineer and rider admitted to some apprehension as he secured a new green and silver 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello to a trailer outside of Hamlin Cycles here. …

By Steve Smith / NAUGATUCK, CT – It happened during a Basic Rider Course that I was teaching maybe 20 years ago and involved a student who was opposed to wearing a helmet when riding.  ‘The class was engaged in a riding exercise when the student approached the stopping area …

By Steve Smith / Changes are coming to the Connecticut Rider Education Program in spring. The powers that be held off as long as possible, but it was bound to happen. Fees for CONREP courses will increase slightly. Please don’t be a hater… The cost of almost everything has gone …

TORRINGTON, CT – It was at the end of a recent Sunday morning coffee klatch inside a motorcycle shop in Torrington that Tim Raindle asked rhetorically, “What’s the value of a piece of rust?”  The decayed subject of his inquiry was parked next to him. It’s more than 100 years …

HARWINTON, CT – His grandfather raced motorcycles. His father raced motorcycles, too, so it was likely preordained that Kenny Coolbeth Jr. would follow in their tracks. He started riding and racing as a youngster growing up in Warren, CT and can still be found on the racetrack testing new Honda …

HARWINTON, CT – The exhaust notes produced by a motorcycle as it passes by can often reveal the identity of its manufacturer, or at least provide clues. It was while weeding the flower beds in my side yard this morning that I heard what sounded to be something old and …

HARWINTON, CT – It wasn’t a surprise really that the battery on my 1987 BMW R 80 RT was dead when spring arrived. I’d neglected to keep it on a Battery Tender throughout the winter, only plugging it in occasionally and for short periods of time. It was 33 months …

CHESTER, VT – I’ve only got about 1,400 miles on the three-wheeled Can-Am Ryker Ace 900 that I bought last year. That’s not a lot of mileage, and I am still learning how to ride it.  Fortunately, one of my very best friends is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified instructor who …

HARWINTON, CT – It was a good idea that had a bad outcome and involved a church and a motorcycle. The obnoxious stunt had spectators at a Memorial Day Parade here covering their ears in pain and disgust, and ultimately reflected negatively on a church that was simply trying to …

HARWINTON, CT – And now the rest of the story, otherwise known as the case of the disappearing doctor. As recounted earlier, a mishap with a log splitter resulted in a sizable portion of my left thumb being sheared off. When the accident happened that Saturday in mid-February, a friend …

HARWINTON, CT – This riding season is unlike any other. By this time last year there had already been a three-day trip to an antique motorcycle show in Pennsylvania. This year, operating a motorcycle for even a few miles has been thwarted by an injury.    While I routinely put …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Another riding season is here and, for me, another year of serving as a Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) instructor. Classes started today at the site where I teach; Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT and 23 of the 77 of Basic Rider Course classes are …

EAST HARTFORD, CT – It’s National Beer Day, and it’s providing yet another example of motorcycle dealers being irresponsible by serving alcohol in their stores. The notable culprits are Hartford Harley-Davidson in East Hartford, CT and Old School Harley-Davidson in Ellington, CT. It’s a practice that’s not only irresponsible but …

BRIDGEPORT, CT – It’s a four-team tournament showcasing Connecticut’s Division 1 college hockey squads, and “Connecticut Ice” offered some exciting action over the weekend at the Webster Bank Area. Quinnipiac University won the trophy, topping UConn on Sunday in a tightly-contested championship game by a 2-0 score. Connecticut Ice is …

HARWINTON, CT – It was with more than a modicum of curiosity that took me to a bricks and mortar bookstore recently to purchase the just-released memoir of “Cagney & Lacey” star Sharon Gless. It’s titled “Apparently There Were Complaints,” and it recounts portions of Gless’s youth; her acting life, …