Up To Speed

At this stage, it’s still anyone’s guess when the riding landscape will significantly shift to electric motorcycles from those that are powered by gas. However, just-released results from a survey done by the BikeSure insurance company suggest a rapid switch may happen fairly soon, at least across the pond. More …

Six weeks have passed, so it’s definitely time for a fresh helping of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” It’s the column that updates recent stories, adds some items that didn’t get a full post, and tosses in a bit of opinion. Here goes: “If You …

SAINT-JEAN, FRANCE – It’s named in memory of legendary British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat and writer T.E. Lawrence (aka “Lawrence of Arabia”) who died in a motorcycle crash in 1935 while riding an original Brough Superior SS100. Unveiled Monday by the revived Brough Superior brand in France, the Lawrence model …

GARDNER, MA – A former Motus dealer in this north-central Massachusetts town is now selling sporty Energica electric motorcycles. Rob’s Dyno Service at 45 Fredette St. here quietly added Energica of New England signage to the shop early this year. And owner Rob Swartz has continued what has now become …

ROCKVILLE, CT – Ken Kaplan is back asking for donations. This time he’s trying to raise $50,000 via a GoFundMe page to put a new roof on an unrestored, 20,000-square-foot, multi-story brick building adjacent to the main factory building that houses his New England Motorcycle Museum. During an 11-minute video …

NEWINGTON, CT – Reduced highway traffic due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in riskier riding during 2020 and a significant rise in motorcycle deaths on Connecticut, preliminary statistics from the state Department of Transportation reveal. The preliminary death toll for 2020 stands at 56, a more than 20 percent increase …

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The owners of the Westfield Transport Inc. pickup involved in the crash that killed seven riders in New Hampshire in June 2019 have been indicted for falsifying driving logs, federal prosecutors announced today. Dunyadar Gasanov, also known as Damien Gasanov, 36, was arrested this morning. He is …

MILWAUKEE – After nearly three years of teasing the Pan America 1250, Harley-Davidson today finally took the wrapper off its nascent adventure model. Set to arrive in showrooms in May, the model will come in two variants – the base Pan America 1250 at $17,319 and the Pan America 1250 …

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – It took several attempts to revive the Indian brand before success was realized under the ownership of Polaris. Can Buell do it quicker? We’ll see. An announcement was made this evening that Buell Motorcycles are being built once again, with a plan to “launch 10 performance …

WEST BRIDGEWATER, MA – Firefighters were able to save 28 motorcycles and a classic car from a Friday morning fire that spread through a building here that housed Spitshine Motorcycle Repair & Detail Shop and the new clubhouse for the Wings of Gold Motorcycle Club. Four motorcycles were lost, including …

It’s one thing for riders in New England and the Hudson Valley of New York to travel to midtown Manhattan for a motorcycle show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, as they have for years up until the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the show in December, but having to traipse …

IRVINE, CA – The COVID-19 pandemic turned lives upside down in 2020, but what it didn’t do was have a negative impact on motorcycle sales in the United States. Just the opposite. Motorcycle and scooter sales rose 11.4 percent. Indeed the broader power sports industry saw its sales increase 18.4 …

BREA, CA – Suzuki is out today with a new Hayabusa sport model for 2022 that has fewer pounds, fresh styling and better performance. More than 550 new or redesigned parts make the Hayabusa “all-new” yet “instantly recognizable,” the company says. While there’s no mistaking it, the 2022 Hayabusa is …

PORTSMOUTH, NH – An early-morning break-in Monday at Motorbikes Plus at 3 Cate St. here resulted in three expensive dirt bikes being carted away in the bed of a pickup. Portsmouth police are searching for four burglary suspects. Surveillance video from both outside and inside the KTM-Husqvarna dealership show a …

MILWAUKEE – Sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles plummeted in the United States and worldwide in 2020 as the company underwent a major shakeup under new leadership. Also contributing was the nasty COVID-19 pandemic environment. U.S. sales for the year totaled 103,650 motorcycles, down 22,310 units from 2019. The drop marked six …