Up To Speed

DANBURY, CT – The millionaire owner of three motorcycle dealerships in southern New England, including New England Cycle Center in Hartford, was sentenced today in Danbury Superior Court for his role in a sex-trafficking ring. Bruce J. Bemer, 65, of Glastonbury was found guilty by a six-member jury back in …

ELLINGTON, CT – The sale of TSI Harley-Davidson has been completed, resulting in a name change for the dealership and a promise by new ownership of “more inventory and a better selection of everything.” Effective Thursday, the store became Old School Harley-Davidson. In a Facebook post, co-owner Chad Clark also …

COPAKE FALLS, NY – Because it was only built in 1857, the Taconic Wayside Inn can’t ever claim that “George Washington slept here,” but old pictures posted online by the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society reveal that New York Yankees’ slugger Babe Ruth once visited. Other old pictures show an establishment …

(Editor’s note: Since this was published it was revealed that the person assuming ownership of the website is Paul W. Cote of Amesbury, MA., who is well known for his “Check Twice” sign campaign.) LOWELL, MA – While details are a bit sparse, the operator of the long-running motorcycle website …

It was a wild weekend for state police in New Hampshire and Florida. In NH, it was a group of seven riders from Massachusetts who were nabbed for going “at extremely high rates of speed.” In FL, it was a case of dealing with a crash involving a motorcyclist who …

LONDON – Nothing ticks off non-riders more than excessive motorcycle noise and now the government in the U.K. has come up with a prototype “noise camera” to detect drivers and riders who break legal noise limits. In a press release issued today, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said, “Noise pollution makes …

HARTFORD – A change in Connecticut’s law regarding helmet usage by motorcycle riders won’t be happening this year, but is expected to resurface in the 2020 legislative session. Proponents of a broader helmet law as well as opponents are already preparing for another vocal face off after the just-completed session …

OWLS HEAD, ME – What do three guys who need a place to fly their vintage airplanes do when nearby locations are scarce? They buy a prime piece of land on the Maine coast, build a runway, construct a road into the property, and put up a building to house …

GREENWICH, CT – Brendon Romcke’s affection for old Indian motorcycles goes back to his childhood in Australia.  “My grandfather worked for Indian in Australia in the 1920s, so I have a lot of old photos of him riding Indians. I have his business cards. Indian business cards. The original ones,” …

OXFORD, CT – It sits in front of a fireplace in the living room of Willard Revaz’s home. “I used to have it in the basement. I have a walkout basement and I had it covered down there. Of course it collected a lot of cement dust from the basement,” …

MIDDLETOWN, CT – While Middletown Motorcycle Mania may never be replicated or replaced, the man behind the memorable 13-year event now unexpectedly finds himself working to bring “mania” to other cities in Connecticut. Rich Greco, who coordinated Middletown Motorcycle Mania for a decade, today provided details for an Elm City …

MUNICH – It was only a month ago that BMW revealed that it plans to get back into the cruiser market. The German manufacturer dropped its last cruiser – the R 1200 C – in 2004, but now feels the time is right to put its feet forward. Last week, …

HUDSON, MASS. – It is filled with what Colin Rixon succinctly calls “the tools of war.” Inside the 65,000-square-foot American Heritage Museum are more than two-dozen tanks. There’s also a variety of other armored vehicles among the more than 90 total; a V-1 flying bomb from World War II, a …

HARTFORD, CT – North Granby resident and RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland columnist Paul Siciliano has been recognized for his efforts in co-chairing Heads First Connecticut’s attempt this year to get a universal helmet law reinstated in the state. Along with eight others, Siciliano was presented with a “Thought Leader Award” by …

KENT, CT – Some products can spoil when the delivery time to market is too long. It was way back in the fall of 2017 – yes, 2017 – that Royal Enfield announced plans for two new retro models with 650cc, twin-cylinder engines. The company even showed off an example …