Up To Speed

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Ducati’s Diavel performance cruiser will get a little competition come 2025. Buell has announced plans to expand its offerings beyond the sport bike category with a “Super Cruiser” model. It will feature Roland Sands Design styling and Buell power. “Building a cruiser was something we always …

By Steve Smith / Changes are coming to the Connecticut Rider Education Program in spring. The powers that be held off as long as possible, but it was bound to happen. Fees for CONREP courses will increase slightly. Please don’t be a hater… The cost of almost everything has gone …

PICKERINGTON, OH – Calling it “an outrage” that “should offend every American,” the American Motorcyclist Association has slammed a bill under consideration in the Connecticut General Assembly that “would automatically assume any motorcyclist killed on the road is an organ donor if they were riding without a helmet “at the …

HARTFORD – Things can move quickly in the General Assembly, and the enactment of a full helmet law for motorcyclists is in the fast lane. A provision in a wide-ranging bill introduced and referred to the Joint Committee on Transportation on Wednesday was given a hearing date on Thursday. That …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson always makes a big deal out of significant anniversaries and this year is no different. Having been founded in 1903, the company is celebrating its 120th anniversary in 2023 with several limited-edition models as well as other returning and revised models. Among the models announced today was …

HARTFORD – It happens on a regular basis. A bill gets introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly that proposes that more motorcyclists in the state be required to a wear a helmet when riding. This legislative session is no different. As was the case at least twice in recent years, …

European motorcycle manufacturers BMW (from Germany) and Ducati (from Italy) have reported record sales/deliveries for 2022. BMW recently reported sales of 202,895 bikes and scooters for the year, a 4.4 percent increase over 2021. The figure marked “the highest sales in the company’s history,” according to a press release. The …

It may take some time, like years or even decades, but the CEO of Harley-Davidson, Jochen Zeitz, now says the motorcycle brand will eventually become all-electric. And the shift away from gas-powered models has already begun. In an interview published Friday by the architecture and design magazine “Dezeen,” Zeitz said, …

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – American Flat Track released its 2023 schedule of races today and not listed on the 18-track lineup were stops in Laconia, NH and Weedsport, NY, both of which hosted racing during the 2022 season. The closest venue to New England where race fans will be able …

MILWAUKEE – In an end of year move that really isn’t that shocking, Eicher Motors Ltd. is making a €50 million investment in Spain-based electric motorcycle builder Stark Future SL. Eicher is the parent company of Royal Enfield. Stark Future makes middleweight models (the equivalent of 250cc to 750cc). Eicher …

The dates and locations for Ducati’s annual “Ready 4 Red” winter tour are out. The Italian brand will bring its 2023 models to 18 cities between Jan. 17 and March 18, including two in the Northeast. A “Ready 4 Red” tour stop in New York City is scheduled for Feb. …

NEW YORK – Nine months have passed since BMW last commented publicly on the status of a revived dealership in Manhattan, but the company apparently hasn’t given up hope on re-entering the city, although an email from a spokesman this morning suggests little possibility of another corporately-owned store. BMW “continues …

Time for another edition of Oil Drippings, the catch-all column of news items that perhaps don’t justify a standalone post or somehow got overlooked along the way. Here goes: New 2023 Models From H-D Coming Next Month If you’re curious about Harley-Davidson’s 2023 lineup and are available at 11 a.m. …

TORRANCE, CA – Honda’s ongoing shift to an “all-electric future” for its products gets some high-profile exposure next month with its “Forever Determined” float entry in the 134th Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. The float will showcase electric-powered Honda products, including a private jet, a Honda S.U.V., an Acura race …

Some products and brands just naturally go together. Captain Morgan spiced rum and Coca-Cola come immediately to mind (although at this time of the year Southern Comfort-branded eggnog should perhaps be substituted for Coke). But what about an athletic shoe manufacturer from Germany and a motorcycle maker from Japan teaming …