Up To Speed

HARWINTON, CT – It still looks showroom new, and its odometer only shows about 1,600 miles after almost five years of ownership. “It’s definitely a fun bike to ride. There’s no doubt at all,” said John Birden recently of his 2020 Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric motorcycle.  RIDE-CT was at Yankee-Harley-Davidson in …

NEW YORK – It’s a hard place to operate a motorcycle dealership. A few years ago, New York City lost its sole BMW dealership on West 57th Street in Manhattan. Now, New York City Harley-Davidson at 4211 Northern Boulevard in Long Island City on the west edge of Queens is …

NEW MILFORD, CT – It’s hardly been a secret that owner Max Stratton has been working for quite some time on adding a KTM dealership on the property of his MAX BMW store at 493 Danbury Road (Route 7) south of downtown. In fact, he confirmed his plans to RIDE-CT …

Updated – Sept. 10, 2024 – News today from owner Thea Everest that Kaiba has passed away. A necropsy is planned to possibly determine what caused the abscess that claimed him. As of today, a GoFundMe effort started by Everest to help cover doctors’ bills has raised $600 of a …

TORRINGTON, CT –    When avid motorcyclist Thea Everest of Torrington indulges in what’s commonly referred to as “wind therapy” by many riders, she often takes along a passenger who can literally spread his wings in the breeze as they roll down the byways.  Rather than occupy the normal pillion …

VALCOURT, Quebec – Can-Am moved closer to selling electric motorcycles this week by announcing that select dealers in Canada, the United States and 11 other countries are now taking pre-orders for its Pulse and Origin models. Production is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year with global …

VERNON, CT – Connecticut now has a third Indian dealer with the addition of Indian Motorcycle of Hartford. It’s located a dozen miles northeast of the capitol city in Vernon. The franchise was granted to the owner of Scranton Powersports in mid-June, but new models didn’t begin arriving until two …

SHARON, CT – It’s not a stretch to suggest that Scott Rabeler became a BMW motorcycle enthusiast and collector by happenstance. Had dealers selling other brands been better stocked or shown more interest when he walked in their door, he likely wouldn’t have ended up with a basement workshop and …

PEMBROKE, NH – National Powersports Distributors is going back to its roots; surrendering new bike brands at its stores in New Hampshire and New York and returning to selling only used motorcycles. The switch is effective this coming Thursday, Aug. 1. The company is giving up Triumph in Pembroke, NH …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – It’s one of the largest shows in the state each year, but the number of motorcycles that get displayed tends to vary from year to year. There was a sizable number of bikes this year, including vintage BMWs, Harley-Davidsons and Hondas as well as rare models …

It took a bit of easy burrowing to come up with some statistics that just may shock many Harley-Davidson enthusiasts. Unit sales over the past 10 years show a company in severe retreat. Sales have cratered.  To be precise, Harley-Davidson sold in excess of 100,000 fewer motorcycles worldwide last year …

WOODBRIDGE, CT – It’s about time. After a five-year hiatus initially caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Upcycle Helmet Art Show is being revived by Jim LoPresti. It will be staged from noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 8 at LoPresti’s Lucky Soul Tattoo shop on Route 63 (214 Amity …

By Steve Rossi / RIDE-CT BETHEL, CT – Moto Guzzi says that the new Stelvio is “synonymous with fun and discovery,” which is exactly what we Guzzisti enjoyed when Jim Hamlin and Co. swung the doors open on Connecticut’s sole Mandello del Lario dealership on Thursday to welcome the new …

DANBURY, CT – Harley-Davidson of Danbury is engaging more in “forward planning” than aggressively seeking to sell after nearly 30 years in operation, dealership co-owner Al Lucchino said today. His assessment was in response to a story earlier this week by Hearst Newspapers in Connecticut that reported that the business …

Out of all the charity rides across Connecticut during the course of a year, this one stands out. It’s called the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. It features dapperly dressed riders navigating classic and vintage-looking motorcycles while raising money to battle prostate cancer and prevent suicide. “We need lots of motorcycles. It’s …