Up To Speed

ASBURY, NJ – The plan to shift the popular Split’n Lanes Dodgin’ Gutters classic motorcycle show in Brooklyn, NY to an outdoor site in New Jersey this year under the name “Split’n Lanes … Hits the Road” has been scrapped. Having booked the event for Aug. 20-22 at Long Tall …

COLLEGE STATION, TX – Los Angeles has lost its claim as the metropolitan area with the worst traffic in the United States. New York earned the congestion crown for 2020, followed by Boston in second place after ranking 21st in 2019. A report released earlier this week by researchers at …

GILL, MA – It’s amazing what a motorcycle dealership can accumulate over the years in terms of models, signage, tools and more. The recent closure here of Green River Powersports and retirement of owner Steve Luzi provides an example with an “Everything Must Go!” auction set for July 10 at …

SHOW CANCELED… SANTA MONICA, CA – Given an earlier date on the calendar, a new location and a rebranded name and approach this year, the Progressive IMS Outdoors tour stop in New York (Brooklyn, actually) will be able to offer an attraction that has been impossible to do in the …

FORT MONTGOMERY, NY – Rockwell Cycles has set aside Saturday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to remember and celebrate the life of its co-owner and president, Nick Rockwell. Rockwell, 71, passed away on June 12. A post the next day on his Facebook page by Ron Troiano …

SUFFIELD, CT – Hilltop Farm’s track record staging motorcycle shows has been, well, inconsistent. The sprawling, picturesque non-profit facility that was once owned by Indian “motocycle” co-founder George Hendee staged “Hendee Day” celebrations from 2008 to 2012 and 2016 through 2018, but missed out from 2013-2015 as well the last …

AMESBURY, MA – A long-running motorcycle news and information website aimed at riders in Boston and across New England, and which had a memorable logo that showed a Minute Man riding a chopper, is no more. Operator Paul W. Cote recently shut down Boston Biker/New England Biker (bostonbiker.com). What now …

NAUGATUCK, CT – The subject of emergency braking came up recently in posts on motorcycle social media groups, at a club rally and while on a group ride, so perhaps a review of proper techniques is overdue. Learning, practicing and always using the correct emergency braking practices will not only …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson plans a mid-season reveal of a new sport model on July 13 at 11 a.m. EDT. The unveiling will be done virtually. All that’s known is that the new bike will fit in the “sport segment” and will use the Revolution Max motor found in the company’s …

Harley-Davidson’s new Pan America 1250 adventure model has a solid future, results of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England’s latest poll show. Nearly 70 percent of readers believe the model will be a success, and nearly one-third suggest that it can singlehandedly change the trajectory of the company, which has had declining …

NEWINGTON, CT – The designation “Newington Motorcycle Madness” is a bit misleading. It’s anything but a rowdy event, despite attracting hundreds of riders, having a beer tent, and a live rock band in Shovelhead. Held at Mill Pond Park this afternoon and evening, the well-organized gathering put on by the …

Decisions, decisions. I had a choice to make over the weekend and I knew a wise decision was needed. I could have gone out to my garage, fired up my Triumph Bonneville and taken a ride in some glorious weather. Or, I could have taken a seven-mile trip to my …

WOODBURY, CT – It’s most likely the cutest car that U.S. motorists have never heard of or ever seen. Writing for Hagerty back in 2018, Larry Printz declared the limited-production 1991 Nissan Figaro to be “Cuter than a basket of puppies.” It’s not that much bigger, either. Built only for …

HARWINTON, CT – Any critter on a roadway is a concern for riders, but it used to be that deer were the primary concern. They could dart into the path of a rider at any moment, with nighttime being especially scary. Now, a second large member of the wildlife kingdom …

WASHINGTON, D.C – While the COVID-19 pandemic had everyone hunkered down and spending less time driving in 2020, crash deaths rose last year. Motorcycle fatalities spiked nine percent, according to preliminary data released late last week by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorcycle fatalities totaled …