New England News

KENT, CT – Its somewhat akin to a big-box home improvement center coming to a town where a local hardware store has quietly operated. Those are the optics of Brookfield Indian Motorcycle adding the Royal Enfield brand which Iron Horse Customs/Royal Enfield of Kent has sold for nearly three years. …

LACONIA, NH – Cleanup continues a month after a Christmas morning fire gutted the headquarters of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, while a GoFundMe campaign launched in the wake of the blaze continues to actively seek donations to help pay for the effort and for the replacement of memorabilia. “We …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – In cautionary move and in hopes that by delaying that perhaps COVID-19 will be in vigorous retreat, Americade announced this afternoon that the 2021 gathering will shift dates from early June until late September. ​”We want to make 100% sure that a 2021 Americade will happen, …

BRROKFIELD, CT – Brookfield Indian Motorcycle is expanding its offerings. The store at 20 Federal Road will soon be selling Royal Enfield models along with Indian motorcycles, with further expansion of brands a distinct possibility. “We like the style, the craftsmanship. We find them to be fun, cool, simple and …

NORWICH, CT – The owner of the Triumph motorcycle dealership Street Stuff Cycle here has died from COVID-19. Rich Krasun, 69, passed away Jan. 6, according to an obituary shared today by his family. A resident of Preston, CT, Krasun got involved the motorcycle industry in late 1973 when he …

NEW YORK – Scooter models made by Piaggio/Vespa were hot sellers across the United States during the pandemic last year as folks sought out fun ways to be socially distant, and that was especially true in the Northeast. Indeed, the region can legitimately be described as a hotbed of scooter …

NEW MILFORD, CT – A week and a half after revealing that a move from its Brookfield, CT store was in the works, Max BMW has announced where its relocated store will be located. The spot is 493 Danbury Road (Route 7) in New Milford, less than five miles north …

GREAT NECK, NY – Another Harley-Davidson dealership is closing its doors. Miracle Mile Harley-Davidson announced Friday that after “careful consideration and with heavy hearts,” the store at 215 Northern Blvd. will close on Jan. 16. Without getting into specifics, a press release issued by the dealership suggested “the many trials …

Can a spokesman as creepy as Motaur really help sell insurance for Progressive? Readers of RIDE-CT & RIDE- New England apparently think not as more than 85 percent of those who voted in the website’s latest poll believe that the Motaur campaign is either an overreach by the ad agency …

NEW YORK – The COVID-19 pandemic helped kick up the rider death rate in the city in 2020 with 50 motorcyclists dying in crashes, double the 25 who died in 2019, according to the “New York Post.” The tabloid newspaper declared 2020 to be “another bloody year on New York …

GLASTONBURY, CT – Bruce J. Bemer, the 66-year-old millionaire owner of two Connecticut motorcycle dealerships who was convicted last year of patronizing young men in a sex trafficking ring, suffered multiple stab wounds during a “violent altercation” at his home Tuesday night. Bemer’s domestic partner, Jason McCormick, has been charged …

NEWBURGH, NY – Orange County Choppers is getting to a new headquarters, leaving its longstanding home in the the Hudson Valley for a sunnier spot in Florida. Calling the shift “the next chapter” in the long-running operation’s history, Paul Teutul Sr. and crew are relocating to what’s being dubbed the …

BROOKFIELD, CT – Customers began wondering weeks ago when a “For Lease” sign went up in front of Max BMW at 465 Federal Road, but no official word on what it meant was forthcoming – until today. As hinted by RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England back on Nov. 30, Max BMW …

Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic caused upheaval in 2020, and resulted in the cancellation of most motorcycle events in the Northeast (and everywhere else), but changing consumer habits also played a role in this year’s most-read stories. Three of the Top 5 stories involved saying goodbye as businesses closed. More than …

LACONIA, NH – An intense Christmas fire of as-yet-undetermined origin gutted the headquarters of Laconia Motorcycle Week, destroying decades-old memorabilia and archives detailing the colorful history of the nearly 100-year-old event. “It’s a nightmare,” said a devastated Charlie St. Clair tonight. “We lost all of our equipment. We lost all …