Up To Speed

CANTON, CT – A global pandemic can quickly cause folks to reflect on all the simple pleasures that many of us have had to do without lately – like a leisurely ride through the countryside on a warm, sunny afternoon with an ice cream stop along the way.  Together, motorcycles …

SANTA MONICA, CA – A switch from a multi-city tour in 2020-2021 to an online/virtual event may be in the making for the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. That possibility is suggested in a new online survey being conducted by the company that stages the tour. While many motorcycle events in …

LITTLE NECK, NY – Most folks would agree that buying a new vehicle is just not a very pleasurable experience.  We all have stories about our trials and tribulations when attempting to buy a new car or light truck. Mostly, we use them for transportation or work. So, visiting the …

NAUGATUCK, CT – It’s probably obvious, but I’ll state it anyway: COVID-19 is impacting potential new riders seeking to get licensed.  Presently, there is no way to take a mandatory course offered through Connecticut Rider Education Program to obtain a motorcycle license. All CONREP training sites are shut down.  If …

WORCESTER, MA – Artist Tony Freitas waited until a decent day in late April to pull out his ladder and paints to alter a mural on the Miss Worcester Diner here that had riled Harley-Davidson. The hand-painted mural, which displayed the motorcycle maker’s bar and shield logo, now also exhibits …

RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers are split on whether BMW’s new R 18 heavy cruiser model (pictured above) will be a hit or a miss. While 35 percent of voters view the massive R 18 as a “retro work of art,” a total of 27 percent think it’s a “ghastly …

CHESTER, VT – It’s a place that I’ve dreamed of even though the name of it might elicit more of a nightmare – the COVID-19 Motorcycle Shop. It is not a place out of a Hieronymous Bosch painting. In truth, it is beyond pleasant. It is more a post-COVID biker …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has turned to a native of Germany to revive the iconic American brand. Less than three months after being named acting president and CEO of Harley-Davidson following Matt Levatich’s departure, Jochen Zeitz has now been awarded those posts, effective immediately. The 57-year-old executive will also continue as …

EAST HARTFORD, CT – A year after buying TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington, CT and renaming it Old School Harley-Davidson, Chad Clark and Bryan Castor have now reportedly picked off Gengras Harley-Davidson as well, according to industry sources. Details of the deal are not yet known. RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England has …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson’s sales nosedived in the first quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19, dropping 15.5 percent in the United States and 17.7 percent worldwide when compared to the first quarter of 2019. The company’s U.S. market share in the heavy cruiser market dropped 2.2 percentage points to 48.9 percent. …

UPDATE: As expected, Laconia City Council voted Monday night to postpone the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week. It will now run Aug. 22 through 30, instead of the originally scheduled June 13 through 21. CONCORD, NH – The fate of the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week hasn’t been determined, but …

BOLOGNA, ITALY – Ducati announced today that it is gradually reviving production of new motorcycles at its Borgo Panigale factory with “the minimum necessary” employees required “to carry out production and research activities.” Production halted March 13 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening of the factory is being carried …

HARWINTON, CT – My neighbor and riding friend Bill Smith and I were catching our breaths after picking up some free firewood from down the street one evening earlier this week, leaning against our vehicles with six feet between us, when Bill asked, “Do you think Harley-Davidson will survive the …

WOODBRIDGE, CT – The annual Upcycle Helmet Art Show put on for the past three years by Lucky Soul Tattoo shop owner Jim LoPresti won’t be staged this year. It’s another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Facebook post Wednesday, LoPresti announced the show is a no-go for 2020. …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – Americade is being postponed for nearly two months and will be mounted in an altered form, organizer Christian Dutcher announced in a video released at midday today. The new dates are July 21 through 25, instead of the previously planned June 1 through 6. Dutcher said …