Up To Speed

Here’s a fact that may mildly surprise you. Gas taxes in the Northeast aren’t so bad. Well, at least not as bad as you might think. The website 24/7 Wall St. recently compiled a list of the states and how each ranked in terms of how much motorists pay at …

WORCESTER, MA – Sheldon’s Harley-Davidson in neighboring Auburn, MA, has stepped forward and apparently rescued the Miss Worcester Diner from a trademark infringement claim made by Harley-Davidson against the diner for a two-year-old mural atop the eatery’s entrance. “We can finally put this whole thing to rest now,” wrote diner …

SPEARFISH, SD – Polaris is consolidating paint operations for its Indian motorcycle brand and closing its plant in Spearfish where motorcycle components have been painted since 2016. All paintwork for Indians will now be done at the brand’s Spirit Lake, IA factory. The 51,000-square-foot facility in Spearfish, which had been …

Harley-Davidson and Indian are each out with new limited edition models. Harley-Davidson offers the CVO Road Glide, while Indian has the Roadmaster Elite (shown above). 2020 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide The “limited-production, super-premium” CVO Road Glide is powered by a Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, which is rated at 125 foot-pounds of …

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – Any notion of a nuisance ordinance aimed at dirt bike, ATV and snowmobile riders getting traction in South Windsor, an idea floated by Mayor Andrew Paterna, is dead on arrival. It was successfully beaten back by hundreds of outraged opponents at a Town Council meeting on …

ANN ARBOR, MI – The plug has been pulled on the respected motorcycle magazine “Motorcycle Consumer News,” which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Author and instructor Ken Condon, who contributed to the Ann Arbor-based monthly magazine from 2001 to 2014, scooped his former employer by passing along the news …

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – A proposed town ordinance that, if enacted, would punish dirt bike, ATV and snowmobile riders as well as others for operating their rigs on public and private property is causing a stir in the motorcycle community; and well beyond the town’s borders. As requested by Mayor …

It’s The Week in Review for the week ending Feb. 1 – news nuggets, info from press releases, and other oil drippings cultivated from near and far: J&P Cycles Gets A New Owner Aftermarket product retailer J&P Cycles has been been acquired by Comoto Holdings, owner of RevZilla and Cycle …

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – Some of the sights will be familiar to riders in the Northeast, such as the Rip Van Winkle Bridge across the Hudson River in New York and Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Most of them won’t, though. They’re too rural and obscure. “I think even locals may …

WORCESTER, MA – The mayor of Worcester, Joe Petty, has thrown his support behind the Miss Worcester Diner in its showdown with Harley-Davidson, which is claiming trademark infringement and asking that the eatery remove a mural displaying the motorcycle company’s bar and shield logo. Meanwhile, Wagner Motorsports, the local dealer …

MANCHESTER, NH – Manchester Harley-Davidson has a new owner. In an official announcement posted Friday on its website, the dealership said that it has been acquired by Paul Veracka. Veracka owns five other Harley-Davidson stores, including High Octane Harley-Davidson located 35 miles away in Billerica, MA. The announcement declared that …

WORCESTER, MA – The artist who painted the Harley-Davidson mural on the Miss Worcester Diner here – a mural that the motorcycle company now wants removed – said this afternoon that he and diner owner Kim Kniskern are enjoying the publicity and plan to fight Harley-Davidson’s trademark infringement claim. “This …

WORCESTER, MA – A hand-painted mural that adorns an air conditioning duct atop the entrance to the Miss Worcester Diner here and featuring Harley-Davidson’s famous bar and shield logo has come to the attention of the motocycle company in Milwaukee, which has asked that it be removed. Miss Worcester Diner …

British motorcycle manufacturer Norton and two related businesses of CEO Stuart Garner have been placed under administration after struggling to cover £300,000 in unpaid taxes.  The grim situation leaves the jobs of about 100 workers at the company’s Castle Donington factory in Leicestershire and the brand’s future in doubt. The …

There’d be no blaming the Piano Man if he’s pissed following a weekend break-in at his Long Island home on Centre Island. TMZ reports that Billy Joel called the cops on Monday morning after discovering that someone had smashed a glass door leading to his garage and then vandalized 12 …