Up To Speed

COVENTRY, VT – Beginning in mid-June, it will be permissible to ride all-terrain vehicles on all town roads in this small town in northern Vermont not far from the Canadian border. In a unanimous vote at its Monday meeting, the Coventry Select Board approved an ATV ordinance that will go …

Two popular motorcycle events devoted to British brands have been shelved for this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, although one apparently holds out faint hope that it might be mounted later. The 30th annual show and swap meet by the Massachusetts chapter of the British Iron Association scheduled for …

CHENNAI, INDIA – The Norton motorcycle brand has been saved from the dust bin. TVS Motor Company announced today that it has spent £16 million in cash, signed an asset purchase agreement, and acquired the Norton name and other assets of the bankrupt British motorcycle manufacturer. “This is a momentous …

Update: Motorcycles are now being allowed at Harry’s Place again. Roughly two hours after announcing its reopening with a strict new policy that banned motorcycles, Harry’s Place is once again welcoming riders. “Harry’s Place contacted the town for clarification and realized there was a misunderstanding regarding motorcycle customers,” the burger …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson today announced extensive salary cuts for executives and a hiring freeze as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to lower costs. According to a press release, acting president and CEO Jochen Zeitz and the company’s board of directors will forego salary/cash compensation, while …

TERRYVILLE, CT – With uncertainty prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yankee Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has made the prudent decision to postpone its annual national motorcycle show and swap meet here for six weeks until mid-September. It was announced this morning that the event at …

ESSEX JUNCTION, VT – The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has claimed another Harley-Davidson dealership in the Northeast. Wilkins North Harley-Davidson here has closed, its exit from the Burlington area announced on Saturday evening. This leaves Vermont’s largest market without a Harley-Davidson store of its own. In a lengthy statement posted on …

(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 …