Up To Speed

SPRINGFIELD, MA – It’s often the case at motorcycle shows that unique or interesting models can be found in the parking lot as well as on the show ground. That was true last weekend at Indian Day at the Springfield Museums where a rare, modern-day 2000 Excelsior-Henderson Super X was …

BROOKFIELD, CT – More women are riding motorcycles every year, and women now make up 19 percent of total motorcycle ownership in the U.S. However, around midday today, 100 percent of the riders inside the showroom at Brookfield Indian Motorcycle were women. They came from New York and Connecticut, a …

HARWINTON, CT – Are classic motorcycle (and car) owners in Connecticut routinely being ripped off through inflated property assessments; assessments that sidestep state law? That seems to be the case, but there is a way to prevent being taken advantage of and save money: Check your tax bill closely before …

SPRINGIELD, MA – Angela Phillips of Feeding Hills, MA was a first-timer Sunday at the 10th annual Indian Day staged by the Springfield Museums. She rides pillion on a friend’s Harley-Davidson and he’d stumbled across an item on Facebook touting the event. “This is the best ever. I love it,” …

A new feature launches today. It’s a Week in Review post designed to collect all of those short news items that arrive during the week but don’t warrant a full post. Here goes: Polaris Has A Hit With Indian’s FTR 1200 MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The heavyweight cruiser market may be …

CONCORD, NH – A preliminary report issued Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board into the June 21 crash in Randolph, NH that killed seven motorcyclists offered no new insight into the tragedy. It did confirm that a pickup truck driven by 23-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy and towing an unladen trailer …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson continues to struggle as sales sagged again in the second quarter of the year. The company this morning reported a sales dropped 8.0 percent in Q2 compared to a year ago. A total of 42,762 motorcycles were sold, compared to 46,490 in the second quarter of 2018. …

VERNON, CT – With only a week to go until Rockville Motorcycle Mania, Ken Kaplan (aka “Kaplan America”) took to Facebook on Saturday night for a more than five-minute live promo on the event that’s set for this coming weekend at his New England Motorcycle Museum.  Nearly one-fifth of his …

BRISTOL, CT – Harley-Davidson dealers in the northeast are powering up for LiveWire. Yankee Harley-Davidson here got its charging station installed and operational early this month, while Empire Harley-Davidson in New Rochelle, NY got its online this week. LiveWire is Harley-Davidson’s new high-priced electric model that is now expected to …

CHESTER, VT – I haven’t ridden any of my motorcycles much in the past couple of years. Maybe two or three thousand miles. The downside is that being a competent motorcyclist requires that you keep your skills sharp. The only way you can do that is by riding a motorcycle. …

It’s an ambitious plan. Build an uninterrupted 44-mile “greenway” alongside the Naugatuck River from Torrington to Derby for use by walkers, joggers, bicyclists and their pets. A few segments have been completed, while work and planning continues on the remainder, according to a status report on the project’s website. Of …

NEW HAVEN, CT – With only a month to go until showtime, Elm City Motorcycle Mania has been abruptly canceled. Organizer Rich Greco said today that he received a phone call Thursday night telling him that a revised requirement by New Haven that 60 officers be on hand for the …

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Walkway Over the Hudson plans a limited-availability treat for motorcyclists on Aug. 24. The span will open for a one-time-only “SkyRide.” The Walkway is the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world. It will be closed to the general public until noon that Saturday to allow …

MANCHESTER, NH – National Powersports Distributors, the used bike seller in Pembroke and Merrimack, has been fined $22,000 and has paid $22,165 to 59 employees and former employees for failing to pay overtime during an unspecific period. The resolution to violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) was announced …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Riding a motorcycle isn’t for everyone. While an estimated 85 percent of students taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation-designed Basic Rider Course are successful, passing the course doesn’t make one a skilled rider or even road-ready. That only comes with seat time and a willingness to constantly work …