Up To Speed

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – A lot of decision-making is involved when Wayne Olson of Tillson, NY decides to go for a ride. Will he ride an old bike or a new one? Will he ride an American-made cruiser, a classic British bike, or something more sporty from Italy or Japan? …

DANBURY, CT – The millionaire owner of New England Cycle Center in Hartford and two other motorcycle dealerships in southern New England has been convicted on multiple felony counts in a trial involving a sex trafficking ring that preyed on vulnerable young men. Bruce J. Bemer, 65,  of Glastonbury was …

If it seems like gas prices are always changing, it’s because they are. But some days are better to purchase gas than others, according to a new study done by the fuel savings app GasBuddy and revealed today in a “USA Today” story. On average nationally, Monday is the cheapest …

HUDSON, NY – It began with four pieces of apparatus in 1925 and has grown into an impressive, multi-gallery repository filled with approximately 60 retired firefighting vehicles. Not only does the FASNY Museum of Firefighting amaze visitors, it also prompts staffers to reflect on the past. “I can only imagine what …

HAVERHILL, MA – A 62-year-old BMW rider from Dracut, MA was seriously injured on Saturday when he was hit by a ladder that came out of the back of a pickup truck while he was riding his vintage 1985 motorcycle southbound on I-495 here. The rider, whose name wasn’t provided …

MIDDLETOWN, CT – With the arrival of spring, the Connecticut State Police are reminding drivers to watch for motorcycles as well as  providing advice for motorcyclists for a safer riding season. In a recent “Tips from Troopers Tuesday” posting on social media, the CSP offered six tips for drivers, beginning …

MILWAUKEE – Union workers at Harley-Davidson plants in Wisconsin reportedly “overwhelming rejected” the company’s offer on a new contract Monday, but are continuing to work under a short-term extension of the previous pact. That contract, which was ratified in 2010 and went into effect in 2012, would have expired Monday. …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson workers at factories in Wisconsin are expected to vote on a new contract Monday. The existing seven-year contract, which was ratified in 2010 and went into effect in 2012, was scheduled to expire today but was extended for one day. Union employees spent time last week outside …

Every riding season the manufacturers load up big rigs with new bikes, visit dealers around the country and allow potential customers to take test rides.  The OEMs are now starting to reveal itineraries for 2019. Here’s what RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland knows so far about demo opportunities in the northeast. This …

There’s no shortage of motorcycle meets, rallies and other events to attend every year. Keeping track of them can be problematic. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why the Event Calendar page on RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland is the most viewed page on the website over the course of a year. …

HARTFORD – For years, the “Hartford Courant” has been pushing for the passage of a universal helmet law in Connecticut, and this year is no different.  Despite the fact a helmet provision was inexplicably removed from H.B. 7140 last week before the bill was voted out of the Transportation Committee, …

(Editor’s note: THIS EATERY HAS CLOSED) SHEFFIELD, MA – Its name comes from the nearby Bash Bish Falls. It has been open for nearly four years, but RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland only heard about Bash Bish Brew & ‘Que recently when a friend discovered it, came away raving about its combo …

HARTFORD – A day after posting incorrect information under a “BAD NEWS!” headline on its website, asking members to protest to state legislators against a bill that it believed called for a universal helmet requirement for riders, the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association has now corrected the blunder and called off …

HARTFORD – It doesn’t quite rise to the level of “Dewey Defeats Truman,” the grossly inaccurate front page headline that appeared in the Chicago Daily Tribune” after the presidential election back in 1948, but an inaccurate “Bad News!” notice posted Thursday on the website of the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association …

HARTFORD, CT – Members of the motorcycle riding community who advocate for choice when it comes to helmet usage can once again breath easy. The Transportation Committee at the Connecticut General Assembly removed a provision from a bill that would have made universal head protection mandatory before voting the bill …