Up To Speed

HARWINTON, CT – Explain this, please. Why is it necessary for a motorcycle dealer in New Hampshire to flood Craigslist’s “motorcycles/scooters” for sale in northwestern Connecticut page with posts for models that it’s trying to unload more than 150 miles and 2½ hours away from me? This being winter, I …

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA – It was inevitable, predictable and overdue. Three years after discontinuing the KLR650, a single-cylinder, dual-sport model that endured for more than 30 years, Kawasaki is bringing it back for the 2022 model year. The new KLR650 will have fuel injection, a fractionally larger engine (652cc versus …

WARREN, CT – The outside temperature was 16 degrees and I was shaking. Not from the cold, but from the low-level fear; at least of the unknown. It was the prospect of riding a motorcycle on ice for the first time that had me worried, surprisingly so considering that I’ve …

KENT, CT – Its somewhat akin to a big-box home improvement center coming to a town where a local hardware store has quietly operated. Those are the optics of Brookfield Indian Motorcycle adding the Royal Enfield brand which Iron Horse Customs/Royal Enfield of Kent has sold for nearly three years. …

LACONIA, NH – Cleanup continues a month after a Christmas morning fire gutted the headquarters of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, while a GoFundMe campaign launched in the wake of the blaze continues to actively seek donations to help pay for the effort and for the replacement of memorabilia. “We …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – In cautionary move and in hopes that by delaying that perhaps COVID-19 will be in vigorous retreat, Americade announced this afternoon that the 2021 gathering will shift dates from early June until late September. ​”We want to make 100% sure that a 2021 Americade will happen, …

Time for another installment of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You,” the column that updates recent stories and contains fresh ones (items that maybe aren’t sufficient to justify a full post), along with a smattering of opinion. Before getting to the news, though, a question: Why …

MILWAUKEE – It’s likely been stated many times that changing the direction of a major corporation can be like maneuvering an ocean liner. It’s a process that needs to be done gradually and, hopefully, with precision. That’s certainly true for Harley-Davidson. The company unveiled its 2021 model-year lineup this morning, …

BRROKFIELD, CT – Brookfield Indian Motorcycle is expanding its offerings. The store at 20 Federal Road will soon be selling Royal Enfield models along with Indian motorcycles, with further expansion of brands a distinct possibility. “We like the style, the craftsmanship. We find them to be fun, cool, simple and …

NORWICH, CT – The owner of the Triumph motorcycle dealership Street Stuff Cycle here has died from COVID-19. Rich Krasun, 69, passed away Jan. 6, according to an obituary shared today by his family. A resident of Preston, CT, Krasun got involved the motorcycle industry in late 1973 when he …

MALIBU, CA – Perhaps the biggest deterrent to buying an electric motorcycle is price. A Harley-Davidson LiveWire costs upwards of $30,000. An Energica Eva EsseEsse9 has a price tag of $21,250, while the Zero SR/S lists at $19,995. Sure, Zero’s entry FX on-road/off-road model can be had for only $9,295, …

NEW YORK – Scooter models made by Piaggio/Vespa were hot sellers across the United States during the pandemic last year as folks sought out fun ways to be socially distant, and that was especially true in the Northeast. Indeed, the region can legitimately be described as a hotbed of scooter …

NEW MILFORD, CT – A week and a half after revealing that a move from its Brookfield, CT store was in the works, Max BMW has announced where its relocated store will be located. The spot is 493 Danbury Road (Route 7) in New Milford, less than five miles north …

GREAT NECK, NY – Another Harley-Davidson dealership is closing its doors. Miracle Mile Harley-Davidson announced Friday that after “careful consideration and with heavy hearts,” the store at 215 Northern Blvd. will close on Jan. 16. Without getting into specifics, a press release issued by the dealership suggested “the many trials …

It’s another installment of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…,” a column that updates recent stories as well as contains fresh items that didn’t warrant a full post or slipped through the cracks. Here goes: “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” That …