New England News

LITCHFIELD, CT – Jimmy Kelley, owner of Crabby Al’s Seafood Restaurant in Thomaston, went to the Possum Queen Festival & Auction at the Litchfield Inn on Sunday afternoon with the idea of possibly bidding on a 1971 Honda CL 450 that was being offered. He watched, though, as the action …

(Updated at 9 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2019 – Buzz Kanter reports tonight that the Indian Four has been sold to a collector and vintage Indian rider from the South and that it will be picked up on Thursday. “I got my price,” he messaged. “Now I have to decide …

HARWINTON, CT – The April ouster of a high-profile chapter president of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, the November launch of a posse targeting bike thieves by the founder of the New England Motorcycle Museum, and the July announcement of new non-cruiser models by Harley-Davidson were among the stories …

VERNON, CT – Having spent $6.5 million and obtained more than $4 million in state loans to open the New England Motorcycle Museum in the Rockville section of town in late summer, founder Ken Kaplan is now revisiting crowdfunding to help keep the grandiose project moving forward. On Wednesday, Kaplan …

LITCHFIELD, CT – It’s a crazy annual fund-raiser known as the Possum Queen Festival & Auction. Staged here every New Year’s Day, it raises money for families facing medical hardships. Describing the Possum Queen isn’t easy. Adults, many presumably hung over from New Year’s Eve, dress up in outrageous costumes, …

WILMINGTON, VT – It’s no exaggeration to say that Dot’s Restaurant is the diner too beloved to close. It could have easily stayed shuttered after Tropical Storm Irene came through in late August 2011 and caused the Deerfield River (which runs through downtown) to overflow. Dot’s sits above of the …

LOUDON, NH – The June 15 date for a new American Flat Track event in New Hampshire in 2019 was already known, but now a venue has been announced. New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be the host on a track that’s currently under construction. According to a press release, work …

NEW YORK – The overriding purpose of the Progressive International Motorcycle show is to introduce riders to new models, and this weekend’s event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed to offer more choices to throw a leg over than in recent years. RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland’s Bob Rosen attended …

NEW YORK – The Progressive International Motorcycle Show returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this weekend with dozens of new 2019 models, vintage motorcycles, vendors, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show and a new “Discover the Ride” element designed to introduce non-riders to the joys of …

Harley-Davidson dealers in the northeast are ramping up their efforts to improve riders’ skills by offering six more seminars staged by author, instructor and motorcycle magazine columnist Ken Condon over the next six months. “We’re going to very strongly go in for a brand agnostic approach this year,” according to …

ROCKVILLE, CT – In a threatening, over-the-top vigilante video posted on YouTube, New England Motorcycle Museum founder Ken Kaplan declares that he is going after bike thieves. He’s formed a posse, which he says includes Haymond Law and various motorcycle clubs, and has announced a $2,000 reward to bring to …

They just may be the best motorcycle pictures that most riders never get to see. Unless someone checks out the NER Photo Contest group page on Facebook or buys the NER’s limited-edition annual wall calendar, these marvelous photos – featuring motorcycles and shot by motorcyclists – don’t get viewed.  NER …

LAKELAND, FL – After losing its long-running Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in the Hudson Valley, the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has now announced plans for a new National Meet in central New York. The meet will be held July 5-7 and will be staged by the club’s Empire Chapter. …

BRATTLEBORO, VT – Less than two weeks after thanking customers in a Facebook post that noted the shop’s six-year milestone, Vintage Steele announced this afternoon “with deepest sadness and greatest regret” that the motorcycle repair and custom operation is shutting down.  “We are finishing out the riding season and won’t …

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – The 2018 season may have just wrapped up, but American Flat Track is already out with a provisional schedule for 2019 that includes a new event in New England during Laconia Motorcycle Week. The season will launch at Daytona International Speedway with the Daytona TT on …