New England News

LAKE GEORGE, NY – Less than three weeks before it was set to begin, Americade has been canceled. The plug was abruptly pulled this afternoon due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizer Christian Dutcher posted an informational video on YouTube and called the decision “extremely disappointing” and “unavoidable.” Originally set for …

WATERBURY, CT – With Connecticut slowly opening up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Naugatuck Valley Community College will soon begin offering Connecticut Rider Education Program (CONREP) motorcycle safety courses. N.V.C.C. will be the first CONREP site in the state to offer courses this year, beginning the weekend of …

THOMASTON, CT – The popular riding trails behind the Thomaston Dam, which have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen to off-road motorcyclists on July 6. However, there will be restrictions: Parking will be limited to 30 vehicles in designated areas.Tail-gating and group activities will not be allowed.A …

(Update: Jack Loughrey passed away at his home on Wednesday, July 8, surrounded by his family.) SUFFIELD, CT – Seated on a 2014 Ural Gear-Up, Debbie Howard gently used her fingertips to brush the thin hair atop Jack Loughrey’s head as he sat quietly in the adjacent sidecar. “It’s all …

A majority of readers voting in RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England’s latest poll oppose companies, such as motorcycle manufacturers, taking public positions on high-profile issues. Results of the non-scientific poll showed 51 percent of voters saying “No way” to corporations being political in this manner. The poll was conducted between June …

CHICOPEE, MA – The life of a Chicopee police officer who died in an off-duty motorcycle crash on I-91 in Connecticut on Tuesday afternoon will be remembered with a candlelight vigil and calling hours this weekend. Angela Santiago, 33, who was school resource officer at Chicopee High School, was riding …

EAST WINDSOR, CT – A six-year veteran of the Chicopee Police Department in Massachusetts was killed in an off-duty motorcycle crash Tuesday afternoon on I-91 in Connecticut. She was riding with her twin sister at the time. Angela Santiago was killed about 1:30 p.m. in East Windsor. The crash happened …

MONTPELIER, VT – Vermont Rider Education Program classes run by the state Department of Motor Vehicles have resumed after being canceled in April and May due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All students are being required to wear face masks while in the classroom and inside buildings. Students are also being …

NEWBURGH, NY – The Teutul clan of Orange County Choppers/”American Chopper” fame is known for many skills and habits; from building imaginative, themed motorcycles to caustic family feuding over the years, but singing? “The one thing that I never could do is sing and I always knew I couldn’t sing,” …

NEWPORT, RI – Closed for more than two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Audrain Automobile Museum here will re-open its gallery to visitors on Monday (June 8) with an exhibit titled “Shining Bright: Advances in Automotive Lighting.” The exhibit, which was scheduled to run from May 1 through …

EAST HARTFORD, CT – The longtime owners of Gengras Harley-Davidson today confirmed the sale of the dealership to Chad Clark and Bryan Castor, owners of three other Harley-Davidson stores in the Northeast. Under new ownership, which takes effect on Thursday, the store will be called Hartford Harley-Davidson, resurrecting a name …

Readers of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England are wary of attending huge motorcycle rallies, such as Americade and Laconia Motorcycle Week, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of the website’s latest poll show that nearly 60 percent have concerns. An equal 29 percent are “Still definitely against going” and …

WORCESTER, MA – Wagner Motorsports was vandalized last night and an unidentified numbers of bikes were stolen, according to a lengthy post this morning on the dealership’s Facebook page. “They smashed windows. They stole bikes and other things. And we are left to pick up the pieces,” the dealership wrote, …

TERRYVILLE, CT – The Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has given up hope of staging a National Meet in New England in 2020. Having pushed back the dates of its annual event at the Terryville Fairgrounds to Sept. 11-12 from its originally scheduled July 31 and …

HADDAM NECK – The 35th annual Brit Jam meet scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds has been called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to scrap the popular gathering which attracted more than 2,500 motorcyclists in 2019 wasn’t made by the organizer, the British …