Up To Speed

Introduced in 1946, it wasn’t until 1953 that the Vespa scooter became instantly recognized worldwide thanks to the intuition of a Hollywood movie director. William Wyler was “looking for a means of transportation that the entire world could identify as typically Italian” for his movie “Roman Holiday.”  Wyler made his …

BROOKFIELD, CT – Cruisers are not my preferred style of motorcycle. A vintage standard or a sport/sport touring model better suits my tastes and ergonomic needs. But when the editor heard I had just attended a BMW demo day at MAX BMW in South Windsor, CT last week, he quickly …

Has it really been nearly two years since the last installment of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” appeared? It had been a somewhat regular feature of light-hearted comment, predictions, and more serious opinion. Somehow, though, it got set aside in the day-to-day crush to cover …

CANTON, MA – State police in Massachusetts seek the public’s help in identifying two motorcyclists, one of whom struck and briefly dragged a trooper who was attempting to speak with the riders on Tuesday night. The incident occurred about 10:20 p.m. at a Shell gas station on Route 138 in …

MINNEAPOLIS – Indian Motorcycle is taking aim at young, beginning riders by introducing an electric mini-bike based on its successful FTR750 flat track racer. The eFTR Jr. announced today was designed around Razor’s proven electric powertrain. It will be manufactured by Razor USA and will sell for $749. The eFTR …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review. This time (slightly delayed) it’s for the week of Sept. 20 through 26. TWIR is a compilation of of regional, national and sometimes international new that didn’t get a full post but warrants mention. Here goes with TWIR: Harley-Davidson Says …

CONCORD, NH – Another Harley-Davidson dealer in the Northeast is closing. Heritage Harley-Davidson, which has been in business here since 1982, announced this afternoon that after “careful consideration and with heavy hearts” the store will shut down on Sept. 30. Closing last week was Harley-Davidson of Southampton in Massachusetts. Going …

HARWINTON, CT – Are you a good rider? A motorcycle mishap may prove you’re not as good as you think… Motorcycle instructor and “Riding in the Zone” author Ken Condon shared an old magazine column of his on social media yesterday in which he opined that most riders delude themselves …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review, which appears weekly (at least when sufficient items accumulate). This time it’s for the week of Sept. 13 through 19. As just suggested, TWIR is a compilation of regional, national and sometimes international news that didn’t get a full post …

WATERBURY, VT – It sits upon a hillock in this small town of 5,000 residents; a cemetery devoted to the dearly departed. Several dozen granite headstones display fun epitaphs. They don’t memorialize people, rather each recalls a well-loved but retired flavor of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.  There’s Boston Cream Pie …

We live in polarized times, so it should come as no surprise that riding habits have been impacted – to opposite extremes – by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the results of the latest reader poll by RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England. A total of 39 percent of those voting in …

NEW YORK – Another motorcycle magazine has bitten the dust, at least in printed form. Bonnier Corp. will put out its final issue of “Cycle World” in October, with ownership of the magazine and several others transferring to a company called Octane. Octane plans to continue “Cycle World” as an …

POCASSET, MA – Cape Cod Harley-Davidson got a new owner today. A three-man partnership acquired the store from sisters Cate and Molly MacGregor and immediately vowed to pump some new ideas into the operation. “I think they wanted someone to take over and excel with it,” said incoming co-owner and …