Up To Speed

(Editor’s Note – May 5, 2023: Voting in the semi-final round of the Dream Chopper contest ended Thursday night and Benjamin Washington finished third in his group, which eliminated him from the contest.) TORRINGTON – Benjamin Washington doesn’t have campaign signs in his front yard or a bank account stuffed …

HARWINTON, CT – A story this week from “The New York Times” on higher food prices and changing consumer habits has me wondering if any company gives a lick about its longtime customers. It told how the biggest packaged food makers raised their prices last quarter and experienced rising profits. …

MINNESAPOLIS – Polaris has now joined the shift to electric vehicles. Earlier this week, it began shipping new electric Ranger XP Kinetic side-by-side models to dealers for customer pickup. The models are manufactured at the company’s more than 900,000-square-foot plant in Huntsville, AL. Production began earlier this month. The models …

LAKE GEORGE, NY – Eleven manufacturers are bringing their demo trucks to Americade in 2023, the rally announced Monday. That’s a record number and nearly twice the usual number of any other motorcycle event in the country. It’s easier to list the brands that won’t be attending, notably Kawasaki and …

MILWAUKEE – LiveWire has trimmed the MSRP of its upcoming S2 Del Mar model again. The company, the electric brand spinoff from Harley-Davidson, said today the sporty new battery-powered bike will now have an MSRP of $15,499. That’s $1,500 less that what LiveWire said the price would be back in …

MONSON, MA – A year after a brouhaha threatened hill climbs on the dirt track facility owned by the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club, the American Motorcyclist Association announced Wednesday that the 2023 AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship will be staged on the “Monson Monster.” The dates will be Aug. 5-6 and …

LEEDS, AL – It’s named “The 1” and has a hefty $120,000 price tag. Only 120 hand-built examples will be assembled of Curtiss Motorcycle Co.’s first luxury electric model. The company calls it the “Tesla of Motorcycles.” The new model’s debut was officially announced today, although nine months ago “Forbes” …

There may not be a more low profile, secretive brand on the planet than BSA, which is owned by Manhindra in India. Since announcing in late 2021 the revival of what was once a British marque that stood for Birmingham Small Arms, BSA has without trumpets assembled a growing dealer …

It’s always wise to verify info contained within any press release issued on April 1st, and most motorcycle publications didn’t fall for a clever joke staged by BMW earlier this week. It seems that only the trade website “Powersports Business” was taken in by company’s April Fools’ Day claim of …

BETHEL, CT – Richard Schlansker of Amsterdam, NY has been riding motorcycles for 44 years. On Thursday evening, though, the 71-year-old retired engineer and rider admitted to some apprehension as he secured a new green and silver 2023 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello to a trailer outside of Hamlin Cycles here. …

By Steve Smith / NAUGATUCK, CT – It happened during a Basic Rider Course that I was teaching maybe 20 years ago and involved a student who was opposed to wearing a helmet when riding.  ‘The class was engaged in a riding exercise when the student approached the stopping area …

BROOKFIELD, CT – What began as a one-brand dealer under the name Brookfield Indian Motorcycle in summer 2016 has grown into a multiline store offering Royal Enfield motorcycles and Vespa and Piaggio scooters as well. It’s now expanding further. The store is adding three- and four-wheeled products built by Can-Am …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson is out with a higher performance, bolt-in engine for its 2021-and-later Touring models that offers the most displacement and most power of any street-compliant engine that the company has ever offered. The Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV Performance Crate Engine provides “approximately 28 percent more torque and …

MINNEAPOLIS – Indian Motorcycle today announced the expansion of its model lineup with the addition of the Sport Chief, a performance spinoff of its Chief cruiser model. “With the introduction of Sport Chief, the 2023 Indian Chief lineup is more diverse than ever– offering a wide range of performance and …

BROOKFIELD, CT – Spectro Performance Oils has a new owner, effective today. Motorex USA, the U.S.-affiliate of the Switzerland-based Motorex Group, has acquired the 57-year-old company that operated as Intercontinental Lubricants Corporation. The deal includes “all national and international activities as well as the blending and storage facility in Brookfield,” …