Up To Speed

The start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 put the regular “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You” column of news tidbits into an extended hibernation that has lasted 18 months. It returns now with some local, national and international items and a bit of opinion. …

ATHENS, NY – The seven-week “Head Out on the Highway: A Love Embrace” exhibit of vintage motorcycles and cultural items associated with motorcycling comes to an end this weekend at the Athens Cultural Center here with special “Hog Days of Summer” send-off events planned for Saturday. A “Motor Mouth” story …

EAST HAMPTON, CT – After a one-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brit Jam returned to the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds today, packing the show ground with hundreds of vintage models and drawing a large crowd of enthusiastic motorcycle owners and riders. “It feels normal out here,” said Tom Reitsma, …

TERRYVILLE, CT – It’s not uncommon when attending a vintage motorcycle show to spot a brand with an unfamiliar and/or rarely-seen name. The standout Friday at the opening day of the National Meet staged by the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America was a British-made 1919 Sparkbrook. …

SANTA MONICA, CA – With only four weeks to go until show time, the New York City stop on the Progressive IMS Outdoors tour scheduled for Sept. 3 through 5 at the Brooklyn Army Terminal was suddenly canceled late this afternoon. Changing COVID-19 rules in the state prompted the show’s …

TERRYVILLE, CT – Maine “Ted” Smith wasn’t making any predictions today as to crowd size at this weekend’s National Meet at the Terryville Fairgrounds being staged by the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. However, the organization’s president did drop some clues as to why the turnout …

TORRINGTON, CT – For some motorcyclists, old models have a magical allure. They’re certainly much easier to work on than their modern-day counterparts, and they also spur the imagination to speculate on their past adventures. “I always think about the history,” said collector Richard Nelson of Torrington recently as he …

NEW MILFORD, CT – It’s not often that a 20-year-old motorcycle looks like it just rolled off of a showroom floor. It’s even rarer for one to look even better than new. Mike Metcalfe’s 2001 Kawasaki ZRX1200R Eddie Lawson Replica does, though, as the Waterbury, CT resident is fastidious with …

CATSKILL, NY – We live in a world where packaging/portion sizes seem to be shrinking while prices keep rising. Have you checked out a box of pasta, carton of crackers or a can of shaving cream at the grocery store lately? The containers are smaller than they once were, yet …

WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ – BMW is expanding its R 18 heavy cruiser line for 2022 with bagger and dresser versions. The new R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental will arrive in dealerships in August and give brand lovers some long-distance touring options. They join the existing R 18 and …

Being able to take a test ride is crucial to the motorcycle buying experience and can potentially heavily impact sales, results of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England’s latest poll suggest. A total of 63 percent of those casting ballots in what was a record turnout said they would not buy a …

SUFFIELD, CT – No way will Indian Motorcycle of Springfield owner Dennis Bolduc ever restore the recently-acquired 1916 Indian Powerplus that he brought to “Hendee Day” at Hilltop Farm today. To those who innocently inquire if a paint job is in its future, Bolduc has a succinct, pleasantly curt response: …

HINCKLEY, LEICESTERSHIRE – Triumph today announced plans to expand its model offerings beyond the street and build “a comprehensive range of all-new competition Motocross and Enduro motorcycles” as well as launch a factory race program that will compete in “top tier championship racing.” “Today’s announcement marks the beginning of a …

ATHENS, NY – It’s often the case when a gallery or museum chooses to spotlight motorcycle culture that the emphasis is more on the machines than on the trailblazing men and women who have made riding popular over the decades. The current “Head Out on the Highway: A Love Embrace” …

WASHINGTON, CT – It’s only been open since October, but The PO café on the green in this elegant Litchfield Hills town is already getting regional attention. Owner Maggie Colangelo enthusiastically pulled out a copy of the current issue of “Yankee” magazine when RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England visited to show …