Columns

NAUGATUCK, CT – The temperature change during October has some riders putting their bikes into hibernation. Then there are the motorcyclists who can’t get enough and get more riding time by extending their riding season several months or by riding all year long. For them chilly temperature is no reason to …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – If you were to ask me what I would give to go back in time to my teens, I’d never have imagined it would be $25. But that’s what it took this week. Since spending that cash less than 48 hours ago, I’ve made a new friend, …

NEW YORK – A lovely fall day, a tidy collection of Norton Commandos and some scrumptious traditional English eats – all deep in the heart of Brooklyn. That makes for an all together delightful experience, which I had at Union Garage on Saturday as the shop hosted a Norton Commando Bike Show …

HARWINTON, CT – The newspaper business is damn near foundering. Ad revenue is declining. So is circulation. Some newspapers are even shutting down. More will do so in the years to come as print readers die off. So why do newspapers still foot-drag in aggressively cultivating online readership and revenue? (“The …

CHESTER, VT – Might as well come out and say it: It was a lousy riding season for me. Either my criteria for a good riding day has changed or it was truly a crappy riding season because of the weather.  I am ashamed of how little I rode my motorcycle …

LITTLE NECK, NY – Dealers and manufacturers have always had an “interesting” relationship. They very much need each other but are occasionally at odds when it comes to certain details of that relationship.  In general, manufacturers (OEM) hold the larger share of power when it comes to product, pricing, and …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – Lime Rock Park stages its Historic Festival 36 this weekend. The annual event kicked off Thursday evening with a parade of vintage race cars and other memorable models through parts of northwestern Connecticut, ending in Falls Village for a brief show. The featured marque for this …

TORRINGTON, CT – There eventually comes a time when every motorcyclist gives up riding. At 91, Jack Potter has finally decided to sell his motorcycles. He actually stopped riding eight years ago. It wasn’t because he’d lost his nerve, rather his decision was mostly triggered by an abrupt decline in enthusiasm, …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – How the ride known as the “North East 7” came to be cannot easily be determined. I first heard about it two or three years ago from fellow CONREP instructor Dollie Fonseca during an instructor training class. She shared that her husband, Ralphie, led a ride that …

BRIDGEWATER, CT – Cultural immersion is one of the greatest benefits of riding outside of the United States, but there’s also the gorgeous scenery and gastronomic delights to enjoy. Doing an out-of-country tour with a local guide only enhances the experience, as I recently discovered by riding through the Tuscany and …

LITTLE NECK, NY – So a rider friend and I decide to stop in to the local Harley-Davidson dealership for a look at the latest models. It was around 11:00 o’clock on a mid-week morning. As you might expect, there were no customers in the showroom at that hour; just three …

THOMPSON, CT – The invitation came unexpectedly. The winner of a contest held by the New England Riders motorcycle group was unable to attend an upcoming non-sportbike track day and organizer Ed Conde wondered if I’d like to fill the slot. Set for May 7 at Thompson Speedway, the street rider …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – Some free time last week prompted the thought that a weekday at midday is the perfect time to ride as the rural roads can be less congested.  Being someone who always take note of what other riders have to say about their rides, I am always on …

Dear Progressive, I have a beef.  Earlier this week, I participated in an informative and carefully-executed instructional non-sportbike “track day” staged by Tony’s Track Days at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, CT. I rode my new-to-me 2014 Triumph Bonneville and did so without insurance coverage after being informed by …

BRIDGEWATER, CT – A few weeks ago when perusing ADV Rider, I happened upon a thread in the Northeast Forum: “Ladies-only event: Over And Out, June 22-24 2018, Hancock.” After over 40+ years as a female off-road rider, I had never witnessed an actual women’s off-road event here in the northeast. …