BRIDGEPORT – A civil lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to “restrain and seize” the assets of 63-year-old motorcycle dealer Bruce J. Bemer and another man who are accused of being involved with a sex trafficking ring that prostituted mentally-disabled young men.
Read More »Dealer Charged, Linked To Human Trafficking Ring
DANBURY – The owner of three motorcycle dealerships in southern New England as well as Waterford Speedbowl was one of three men arrested and charged this week for allegedly being a client of a prostitution ring that exploited young men with mental disabilities for more than 20 years. Bruce J. …
Read More »Management Shakeup At Yankee Harley-Davidson
BRISTOL, CT – A recent management shakeup at Yankee Harley-Davidson here resulted in the installation of a new general manager and a new sales manager, and a vow by the dealership to “go back to basics” when it comes to the store’s relationship with customers. Jake Twombly has been promoted …
Read More »Solid Start For Cabin Fever Show
NAUGATUCK, CT – A mix of new and old motorcycles with custom and vintage cars attracted thousands to town this weekend for the first-ever Cabin Fever Custom Car and Motorcycle Show at the former General DataComm building, which has been turned into an event center. Show promoter Don Clady, publisher …
Read More »Last Roundup For Whitehorse Gear
CENTER CONWAY, NH – After 28 years in business, Judy and Dan Kennedy are retiring “with mixed feelings” and closing Whitehorse Gear, the warehouse store and online seller of motorcycle gear and apparel. The business began as Whitehorse Press in 1989 as a publisher of motocycle books, including DIY manuals …
Read More »Bultaco Open House Canceled
CRARYVILLE, NY – The annual open house planned for Saturday by Bultaco Motorcycles here has been abruptly canceled “with deepest regrets.” Tuesday’s blizzard is the reason. In a Facebook post today, Bultaco Motorcycles reported, “We have been brought to our knees by mother nature this late in the winter with …
Read More »ECS Merges With Hudson Valley Motorcycles
OSSINING, NY – European Cycle Services (ECS) is merging with Hudson Valley Motorcycles with ECS President Stephen Saucier becoming service manager for HVMC. ECS’s technicians are joining the Ducati-Kawasaki-Suzuki dealership as well. ECS was started in 2007 in Middletown, NY and has specialized in performance upgrades and restorations for Ducatis, …
Read More »MOMS Buying F.B. Spaulding In NH
LANCASTER, NH – The MOMS chain of New England powersports dealerships is adding a fourth store. MOMS has signed a letter of intent to buy F.B. Spaulding Co., a Polaris and John Deere dealer that has operated in Lancaster since 1902. MOMS says the expansion will allow the store to …
Read More »Dealers Rebuild, Move And Reconfigure
Some news from dealers around New England (and beyond): – Cumberland County Scooters & Cycles in Portland, ME is now shooting for a mid-April re-opening after being severely damaged by a fire last June 22. No one was injured in that nighttime blaze at 341 Warren St. The business had …
Read More »Five Forgotten Brands You May Not Remember
Over the years, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has written about many forgotten brands and obscure models. Not many folks today recall the Neracar or the Schickel from the U.S., the James or the Sunbeam from the U.K., or the Griffon from France. For every brand, though, there is an enthusiast. Dipping …
Read More »Quincy Isn’t Banning Overnight Riding
QUINCY, MA – An ultimately misleading post on the website Quincy.com suggesting that the city was enacting an ordinance prohibiting the riding of motorcycles between midnight and 5 a.m. has been spreading on social media in recent days. Today, the city offered an explanation of how the misunderstanding occurred, and …
Read More »If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…
After a two-month absence that can be chalked up to the website’s recent redesign, it’s time for another installment of the catch-all column titled “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” The purpose is to get a bunch a news items that maybe didn’t warrant a full …
Read More »Website Writers Favor Helmet Law In CT
With the Connecticut General Assembly once again considering a universal helmet law, members of the writing staff here at RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland were asked if they had any strong feelings on it, and whether or not they favor the proposed legislation. By a 5-0 margin, the scribes, who have decades …
Read More »National Powersports Is A Used Bike Bazaar
PEMBROKE, N.H. – Ever traded in a motorcycle at a New England dealership and wondered what became of it? In some cases, the dealer may have simply tied a price tag to the handlebar and put it on the showroom floor for resale, not even bothering to inspect or clean …
Read More »Maine Builder Wins J&P Show
SANTA MONICA, CA – Nick Beaulieu, owner of Forever Two Wheels in Windham, ME, has taken the top prize as “King of the Builders” at the eighth annual J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show. “Pretty crazy. Definitely didn’t expect it,” he said today. The competition, which is a show …
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