Up To Speed

There’s nothing new on television, and the new reality special “Kaplan America” that is set in Connecticut is the latest example to confirm this thesis. It premieres at 10 tonight on The Discovery Channel and unabashedly cribs elements from “American Pickers,” “American Chopper” and even “Counting Cars” with self-imposed deadline …

The impact of last month’s 80th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on the spread of the COVID-19 is much more significant than first thought, with nearly 267,000 cases across the U.S. now tied to the 10-day event in South Dakota, according to the results of a new study. Nearly 500,000 motorcyclists …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – The curtain came down quietly on Toymakers Cafe this afternoon after 18½ years of serving as a gathering place for riders in Connecticut and beyond. Here are a few pics as the eatery closed. The parking lot slowly emptied… A signature sweet potato waffle got served… …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review. This time it’s for the week of Aug. 30 through Sept. 5. TWIR is a compilation of regional, national and sometimes international news that didn’t get a full post but warrants sharing. Here’s goes with TWIR: Honda mobile power pack …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – The colorful, eccentric and British-themed breakfast and lunch spot started by Annie and Greg Bidou in 2002 has been a gathering spot for motorcyclists, especially on Sunday mornings. It has also catered to thru-hikers on the nearby Appalachian Trail. The Bidous labors will appropriately come to …

TORRANCE, CA – Sixty years after acting on a dealer idea to build a small bike designed for casual on-road and off-road riding – the Trail 50 – Honda plans to offer a new Trail model in the U.S. The 2021 Trail 125 is set for release in November and …

New England Motorcycle Museum owner Ken Kaplan is putting on his “Kaplan America” vigilante crimefighter garb for a new television special that will appear on the Discovery Channel next week. In the just-released promo for the show titled “Kaplan America,” he introduces himself by declaring, “I’m a motorcycle-flipping, ass-kicking, American …

DES PLAINES, IL – Motorcycle thefts in the U.S. continue to decline with 40,380 taken in 2019, according to a just-released report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That’s a drop of 1,294 from 2018. New England is a safe region to own a motorcycle with three states – Vermont, …

A rider from Minnesota has died from COVID-19 after attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the first fatality traced to the 10-day event that lured more than 460,000 motorcyclists to the South Dakota town last month. Kris Ehresmann, infectious-disease director of the Minnesota Department of Health, said at a briefing Wednesday …

Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire concluded its run on Sunday and “The Laconia Daily Sun” has a wrap-up story: By Michael Mortensen, The Laconia Daily Sun LACONIA — When Laconia Motorcycle Week promoter Charlie St. Clair and City Manager Scott Myers were asked to give their assessment of the …

WALLINGFORD, CT – It has been a riding season without swap meets or motorcycle shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but members of the Eagle Riders clubs from Naugatuck and Wallingford stared down the death count today by staging a show for frustrated riders. “We were tired of sitting home. …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review. This time it’s for the week of Aug. 23 through 29, although it does go back a little further this time because TWIR was missing in action last weekend. TWIR is a compilation of national and regional news that didn’t …

It’s all my mother’s fault. So what if she’s been dead for 38 years. She passed along her sports car-loving genes, and that’s undoubtably the reason why a used, two-seater Mazda in eye-catching burgundy ended up in my garage late last week, forcing the shifting of my motorcycles into tight …

NORTH SANDWICH, NH – It’s harvest season and the Northeast is dotted with roadside stands abundant with the summer’s crop of fresh farm offerings. That’s part of the beauty of late summer and fall in the Northeast. But a farm stand creamery? Well, yes, there is such a place: The Sandwich …

Attendance at Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire is down this week, possibly because of the reported spread of COVID-19 by the recent Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. “The Laconia Daily Sun” has the story: By Rick Green, The Laconia Daily Sun LACONIA — Normally, the NASWA Resort, the official hotel of …