Up To Speed

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 …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson unleashed its new, next generation Sportster S model this morning, a model that uses a Revolution Max 1250T liquid-cooled V-twin engine. The 1,250cc engine’s adjusted from the company’s Pan America 1250 adventure model; retuned to be more torque based. The compact 2021 entry has a squat, bulbous …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – It’s a task with no requirements other than a pulse and a willingness to pick a favorite. Unlike other motorcycle shows, the two-wheeled portion of the Falls Village Car & Motorcycle Show doesn’t have categories, year restrictions or demands for original perfection. It’s a “come one, …

BAR HARBOR, ME – Be on the lookout for lots of scooters in northern New England early this week. For the first time in more than a decade, the biennial Scooter Cannonball returns to the Northeast. It’s a “time, distance, regularity rally where points are awarded based on miles completed …

MILWAUKEE – Does having the Harley-Davidson name on a motorcycle make it worth nearly $8,000 more than the same model without the badging? Owners of Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric model may be irritably questioning paying that premium today. Either that or they’re content in believing that their Harley-Davidson LiveWire may someday …

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 …