New England News

HARWINTON, CT – The picture was posted Sunday on RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England’s Facebook page. It shows a group of motorcyclists socializing in Litchfield without wearing masks or following the state’s or the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines for social distancing. Accompanying the photo was the flippant observation …

WORCESTER, MA – Artist Tony Freitas waited until a decent day in late April to pull out his ladder and paints to alter a mural on the Miss Worcester Diner here that had riled Harley-Davidson. The hand-painted mural, which displayed the motorcycle maker’s bar and shield logo, now also exhibits …

EAST HARTFORD, CT – A year after buying TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington, CT and renaming it Old School Harley-Davidson, Chad Clark and Bryan Castor have now reportedly picked off Gengras Harley-Davidson as well, according to industry sources. Details of the deal are not yet known. RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England has …

UPDATE: As expected, Laconia City Council voted Monday night to postpone the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week. It will now run Aug. 22 through 30, instead of the originally scheduled June 13 through 21. CONCORD, NH – The fate of the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week hasn’t been determined, but …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – Americade is being postponed for nearly two months and will be mounted in an altered form, organizer Christian Dutcher announced in a video released at midday today. The new dates are July 21 through 25, instead of the previously planned June 1 through 6. Dutcher said …

COVENTRY, VT – Beginning in mid-June, it will be permissible to ride all-terrain vehicles on all town roads in this small town in northern Vermont not far from the Canadian border. In a unanimous vote at its Monday meeting, the Coventry Select Board approved an ATV ordinance that will go …

Two popular motorcycle events devoted to British brands have been shelved for this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although one apparently holds out faint hope that it might be mounted later. The 30th annual show and swap meet by the Massachusetts chapter of the British Iron Association scheduled for …

Update: Motorcycles are now being allowed at Harry’s Place again. Roughly two hours after announcing its reopening with a strict new policy that banned motorcycles, Harry’s Place is once again welcoming riders. “Harry’s Place contacted the town for clarification and realized there was a misunderstanding regarding motorcycle customers,” the burger …

TERRYVILLE, CT – With uncertainty prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has made the prudent decision to postpone its annual national motorcycle show and swap meet here for six weeks until mid-September. It was announced this morning that the event at …

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT – The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another Harley-Davidson dealership in the Northeast. Wilkins North Harley-Davidson here has closed, its exit from the Burlington area announced on Saturday evening. This leaves Vermont’s largest market without a Harley-Davidson store of its own. In a lengthy statement posted on …

(Update: Americade now says its will announced its plans for 2020 on Wednesday, April 22.) With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the status of Americade and Laconia Motorcycle Week remains unsettled, but decisions on postponement should come soon.  The two large motorcycle rallies are still scheduled for June – Americade running …

COLCHESTER, CT – The popular burger and hot dog stand Harry’s Place, a favorite among riders in eastern Connecticut and beyond, has been closed by the town for failing to follow social distancing guidelines. First selectman Mary Bylone said there were 50-plus vehicles in the drive-in’s parking lot on Tuesday …

(Editor’s note: As of this morning (April 8), the letter announcing the dealership’s closing has been posted on Hudson Valley Harley-Davidson’s website and Facebook page.) NANUET, NY – After five years in business, Hudson Valley Harley-Davidson is closing permanently, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its last day will be …

HARWINTON, CT – Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began intruding on our lives, I’ve been grateful that my preferred form of recreation and stress-reducing escape is riding a motorcycling. It’s an activity that can be done solo or in groups with six feet of separation. It wasn’t long after the …

KENT, CT – It was an idea born out of frustration. Rick Dolson, whose Iron Horse Customs/Royal Enfield of Kent motorcycle shop sells new Royal Enfield models, was restocking bikes late last year when he got some nettlesome news from the manufacturer.  “I was trying to order some colored bikes …