Columns

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 …

RHINEBECK, NY – Motorcycle lovers who attend the Rhinebeck Grand National Meet at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in New York always have hundreds of vintage bikes to admire and thousands of parts and accessories to consider buying. The recent annual gathering had many alluring bikes, including a 1914 Excelsior, but …

In previous columns, we’ve had a look at how the sales and service departments affect the financial health of motorcycle dealerships. They are two legs of the “three legged stool” of dealership success. The third critical business area for successful dealerships is the revenue (and profits) generated from the sale …

Not all motorcyclists embrace the rolling sofas that cruisers represent or stick to the relatively smooth surfaces of state highways. There is an adventuresome breed of riders who prefer the challenge of a dual sport; testing their skills on

Lovers of vintage Indians would certainly notice the blending even if the rest of us didn’t, and last evening Rob Mathias took his “Chout” for a test ride up Route 4 from George Yarocki’s shop in Torrington, CT through Goshen. What’s a “Chout?” It’s a

We’ve all heard of “sticker shock.” That’s where something costs so much that the heart nearly stops beating upon discovery of the price, such as $495 for a single round of golf at Pebble Beach, cart not included. Less common but equally startling is “reverse sticker shock” where something costs …

It seems more people use motorcycles and scooters in an effort to reduce personal transportation costs when gas prices rise. Some smaller-engine motorcycles and scooters can get 60-70 mpg or better. The under-50cc mopeds can reach or exceed an impressive 100 mpg. Mopeds are also gaining in popularity, but I’m …

It was a hometown car and motorcycle show on Saturday afternoon – a half-mile from my house and benefiting the Harwinton (CT) Lions Club – so naturally I brought

Burt Ives Honda has reopened. The motorcycle dealership on Route 66 in Columbia, CT that dates back to 1931 has been closed since December after

An auction date of June 18 has been set for the assets of electric scooter maker Vectrix, the New Bedford, MA-based company that launched in 2006 but which ceased operating in January and filed for bankruptcy on

The showroom is filled not with new Triumph models, but with the scent of fresh carpeting. The floor of the service department glistens from the newly-applied sealant that still hasn’t cured in one area. A sign on the exterior of Hamlin Cycles in Bethel, CT has a Union Jack as …

Motorcycle shows are always fun, but the New England Air Museum‘s inaugural indoor event today in Windsor Locks, CT was best summed up by Rick Price of Chester, CT. “It’s such a cool place to have it. There’s certainly a lot of shiny aluminum around,” said Price, who brought his …

It stands upright on a podium, secured from beneath by thin cables and bookended to the front and rear by two other uncommon motorcycles that are posed on platforms that are appropriately lower. Spotlights in the ceiling make its bright blue and pink paint sparkle. The race-bike rarity is so …

By Bob Rosen Known to many, the Adventure Rider forums should be known to all.  Perhaps one of the very best all-round resources on the web. The depth and breadth of information on ADVrider is nothing short of astonishing.  Many a cold winter’s day has been whiled away reading the …