New England News

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA – A month after saying that the odds were slim for staging a show in January, Springfield Motorcycle Show promoter Doug Sousa has now pulled the plug on what would have been the 16th annual show. “A simple virus that we can’t even see took down the …

LAKEVILLE, CT – After weeks of encouraging discussions, Lime Rock Park racetrack has been told it’s out of the running as a host site for next year’s Progressive IMS Outdoors tour. IMS opted out of selecting Lime Rock Park as a Northeast tour site because critical elements in IMS’s requirements …

BETHEL, CT – After nearly three years as an Aprilia dealer, Hamlin Cycles is no longer selling the sporty Italian brand. “Today is our last day as an Aprilia dealer,” Hamlin Cycles owner Jim Hamlin revealed in a midday announcement on social media. The store will continue to sell Moto …

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA – A decision on whether to stage the Springfield Motorcycle Show in January at the Eastern States Exposition may not be made for another four weeks, but promoter Doug Sousa suggested today that the odds are slim that the 16th annual show will be held. An alternative …

CANTON, MA – State police in Massachusetts seek the public’s help in identifying two motorcyclists, one of whom struck and briefly dragged a trooper who was attempting to speak with the riders on Tuesday night. The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. at a Shell gas station on Route 138 in …

CONCORD, NH – Another Harley-Davidson dealer in the Northeast is closing. Heritage Harley-Davidson, which has been in business here since 1982, announced this afternoon that after “careful consideration and with heavy hearts” the store will shut down on Sept. 30. Closing last week was Harley-Davidson of Southampton in Massachusetts. Going …

POCASSET, MA – Cape Cod Harley-Davidson got a new owner today. A three-man partnership acquired the store from sisters Cate and Molly MacGregor and immediately vowed to pump some new ideas into the operation. “I think they wanted someone to take over and excel with it,” said incoming co-owner and …

BOSCAWEN, NH – The bodies of what are believed to be a New Hampshire grandfather and his grandson have been found at a crash site in woods near the Salisbury, NH town line. Jerry Proper, 69, and Cody Pillsbury, 22, went for a motorcycle ride on a Honda Gold Wing …

NEWPORT, NH – A New Hampshire man and his grandson haven’t been seen since Labor Day after going on a motorcycle ride, and police here are seeking the public’s help in finding the missing riders. Jerry Proper, 69, and his grandson, 22-year-old Cody Pillsbury, left the Newport area shortly after …

SOUTHAMPTON, MA – The Springfield market and Pioneer Valley will be without a Harley-Davidson dealership next week after Harley-Davidson of Southhampton shuts its door after more than two decades in town. In a message posted on its website and on its Facebook page, the dealership announced, “We’re closing our doors …

There’s nothing new on television, and the new reality special “Kaplan America” that is set in Connecticut is the latest example to confirm this thesis. It premieres at 10 tonight on The Discovery Channel and unabashedly cribs elements from “American Pickers,” “American Chopper” and even “Counting Cars” with self-imposed deadline …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – The curtain came down quietly on Toymakers Cafe this afternoon after 18½ years of serving as a gathering place for riders in Connecticut and beyond. Here are a few pics as the eatery closed. The parking lot slowly emptied… A signature sweet potato waffle got served… …

New England Motorcycle Museum owner Ken Kaplan is putting on his “Kaplan America” vigilante crimefighter garb for a new television special that will appear on the Discovery Channel next week. In the just-released promo for the show titled “Kaplan America,” he introduces himself by declaring, “I’m a motorcycle-flipping, ass-kicking, American …

Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire concluded its run on Sunday and “The Laconia Daily Sun” has a wrap-up story: By Michael Mortensen, The Laconia Daily Sun LACONIA — When Laconia Motorcycle Week promoter Charlie St. Clair and City Manager Scott Myers were asked to give their assessment of the …

WALLINGFORD, CT – It has been a riding season without swap meets or motorcycle shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but members of the Eagle Riders clubs from Naugatuck and Wallingford stared down the death count today by staging a show for frustrated riders. “We were tired of sitting home. …