Up To Speed

(Update: Americade now says its will announced its plans for 2020 on Wednesday, April 22.) With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the status of Americade and Laconia Motorcycle Week remains unsettled, but decisions on postponement should come soon.  The two large motorcycle rallies are still scheduled for June – Americade running …

COLCHESTER, CT – The popular burger and hot dog stand Harry’s Place, a favorite among riders in eastern Connecticut and beyond, has been closed by the town for failing to follow social distancing guidelines. First selectman Mary Bylone said there were 50-plus vehicles in the drive-in’s parking lot on Tuesday …

A sizable 48 percent of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers who voted in the latest online poll say the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will likely prompt them to ride more than usual during to the 2020 riding season. An additional 21 percent reported that they will likely ride the same amount …

(Editor’s note: As of this morning (April 8), the letter announcing the dealership’s closing has been posted on Hudson Valley Harley-Davidson’s website and Facebook page.) NANUET, NY – After five years in business, Hudson Valley Harley-Davidson is closing permanently, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. Its last day will be …

HARWINTON, CT – Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began intruding on our lives, I’ve been grateful that my preferred form of recreation and stress-reducing escape is riding a motorcycling. It’s an activity that can be done solo or in groups with six feet of separation. It wasn’t long after the …

KENT, CT – It was an idea born out of frustration. Rick Dolson, whose Iron Horse Customs/Royal Enfield of Kent motorcycle shop sells new Royal Enfield models, was restocking bikes late last year when he got some nettlesome news from the manufacturer.  “I was trying to order some colored bikes …

It’s The Week In Review for the week ending April 4… The lawyer for the truck driver charged with homicide for the crash in New Hampshire last June that killed seven motorcyclists claims one of the riders was drunk and actually caused the accident, not his client. Attorney Jay Duguay …

BMW is back in the cruiser market. On Friday, the company revealed its production versions of the R 18, an 1,802cc cruiser that harkens back to the R 5 of 1936. The R 18 will have a starting base price of $17,495. With a “Big Boxer” engine that produces 91 …

RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers took advantage of the relatively warm, snow-less winter to ride more than usual, results from the latest reader poll show. A total of 46 percent of those voting said they rode “Every day possible” over the winter. An additional 30 percent said they rode “a …

MINNEAPOLIS – Citing decreasing demand for products as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Polaris Inc. said today it is closing its plants for one week, effective Tuesday. Included in the shutdown is the Spirit Lake, IA plant where Indian motorcycles are built. Other plants being closed are in Alabama, …

Motorcycle dealers in the Northeast are temporarily closing or curtailing operations in reaction to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation as some states have ordered non-essential businesses to close. Some dealerships in New York and Connecticut are closed, while others are shutting showrooms while keeping service and parts departments open. Empire Harley-Davidson …

There’s a somewhat flippant saying that a motorcyclist is “a person willing to take a container of flammable liquid, place it on top of a hot engine, and then put it between their legs.”  The unstated message is that riding is dangerous and takes a modicum of courage. It is …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has joined the Big 3 automakers in Detroit in shutting down production, a move that affects about 2,000 union workers at its three plants in the U.S. The company has 5,000 total employees. The shutdown will run from Wednesday night through March 29. Employees have been placed …

WORCESTER, MA – It’s a ritual that needs to be halted. Now. Immediately. No exceptions. The ritual is this: Person buys a motorcycle at a dealership, a picture gets snapped of the smiling buyer with the salesperson, and the pic gets posted to social media. It makes the buyer feel …

BOLOGNA, ITALY – Production of Ducati motorcycles has now been suspended until March 25 as the Italian motorcycle maker works to implement safety measures “to limit the probability of the (COVID-19) virus spreading at its plant,” according to a company statement. The announcement Monday said the decision was made “in …