Up To Speed

MANCHESTER, NH – A scholarship to help students who want to become motorcycle technicians has been endowed at Manchester Community College in memory of motorcycle racer and enthusiast Scott Mullin, who died in a crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last August. Started by his family, the Scott M. Mullin …

In a move that would benefit Harley-Davidson owners and independent repair shops across the country, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on Thursday announced that it’s initiating action against Harley-Davidson for “illegally restricting customers’ right to repair their purchased products.” The FTC ordered the motorcycle manufacturer “to fix warranties by removing …

MONSON, MA – A Zoning Board of Appeals hearing scheduled to potentially determine the future of hillclimb events staged on land owned by the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club was short-lived Thursday night when the inadequate size of the meeting room forced a postponement until July 14. State law requires that …

HARWINTON, CT – It wasn’t a surprise really that the battery on my 1987 BMW R 80 RT was dead when spring arrived. I’d neglected to keep it on a Battery Tender throughout the winter, only plugging it in occasionally and for short periods of time. It was 33 months …

MONSON, MA – Touting it to be the “Last Chance to Save the Hill,” members of the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club and other supporters plan to “ride and protest” Thursday evening in response to the town’s shutdown of its hillclimb events that have been staged for more than 75 years. …

BARKHAMSTED, CT – It’s a place that’s easy to overlook; a nondescript gray, one-story building alongside a busy state highway, highlighted only by a bright yellow sign saying “The Brass Horse Cafe.” It’s on Route 44 just northwest of New Hartford if you’re headed toward Winsted. It’s a roadhouse and …

SOLIHULL, ENGLAND – Revealing that it has won “significant investment through a Government scheme,” Norton Motorcycles announced Friday that it will begin developing electric motorcycles as part of “the movement helping to accelerate the U.K. towards a net-zero automotive future.” The company said that as demand for electric models increases, …

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Four months after closing its retail outlet in Brooklyn, NY, motorcycle gear retailer Union Garage announced today that it plans to reopen with a new downtown store in a century-old former factory building in this coastal Connecticut city, located at the junction of I-95 and Route 8. …

NEW MILFORD, CT – The May 1 death of Max BMW parts advisor Brandon Forlastro, who died in a motorcycle accident on his 22nd birthday, has prompted his parents to launch a non-profit organization aimed at helping others dealing with tragic circumstances similar to those that confronted them. “It was …

REDMOND, WA – Sidecar rig manufacturer Ural is progressing with its plan to move motorcycle assembly from Russia to Kazakhstan. Several hurdles have been overcome in the six-plus weeks since it announced its exit plan. Production at its Irbit factory in Siberia was shut down in early March following Russia’s …

Some riders may have vague knowledge that the original Indian “motocycle” company was founded in 1901 and that Harley-Davidson appeared in 1903. Together, they made motorcycling popular in the U.S. in the early 20th century. In-between the founding of those two companies, across the Atlantic Ocean in 1902, Frenchman George …

Greenwich Concours d’Elegance Draws 8,000 Spectators With 140 vintage vehciles on display, the 2022 Greenwich Concours D’Elegance attracted 8,000 spectators to the waterfront at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT. The two-day event was staged June 4 and 5. RDE-CT & RIDE-New England columnist Bob Rosen brought his camera …

Vintage BSA and BMW Models On Display Every year the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance picks two motorcycle marques to celebrate and this year’s honorees were BSA and BMW. The two-day event was held June 4 and 5 at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, CT. RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England columnist and …

Here’s your chance if you’ve wanted to ride an electric motorcycle but have never had the opportunity. LiveWire is bringing a truck filled with LiveWire One demo models to three dealers in New England for weekend visits during June. The truck carrying 15 LiveWire One models arrived at midday Thursday …

WINDSOR, CT – To be in the “limelight” means to be the center of attention. Despite being 32 years old, the non-profit Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut isn’t in a highly visible location and doesn’t have a high profile. It’s down a side road off of Route 159 …