Up To Speed

It was a Facebook post today on the “Vintage & Classic BMW Motorcycles USA” page by well-known BMW collector Peter Nettesheim on some wheel bearing technology developed by the German brand more than 50 years ago that sent me searching for a sidetracked copy of “The Art of BMW Motorcycles.”  …

CHESTER, VT – It’s always been about freedom. The new generation of motorcyclists are the ones that will see the greatest transition in motorcycling history. For so many good reasons, motorcycles are changing, and 2019 marks some milestones for those changes.  One of the more significant milestones is Harley-Davidson’s introduction of …

WETHERSFIELD, CT – If the number of registered motorcycles and the number of people signing up for motorcycle instruction are any indication, motorcycling’s popularity is dipping in Connecticut. The state Department of Motor Vehicles reports that there were 88,119 registered motorcycles as of January 2019, down from 91,120 in January …

IRVINE, CA – Get out the Grecian Formula. The median age of motorcyclists keeps getting older, according to data released this afternoon by the Motorcycle Industry Council.  The median age of riders in 2018 was 50 years old, up from 47 years old in 2014 and 45 years old in …

NANUET, NY – It’s 9:30 p.m. with a clear sky and 26 degrees when my sidecar monkey Paul Weinberg and I pull into a commuter lot. The plan is to ready my trailered 1989 Honda Gold Wing for the 101st running of the Crotona Midnight Run before we reach the …

DANBURY, CT – Harley-Davidson of Danbury, which has been a single-line motorcycle dealership since Buell went out of business 10 years ago, expanded its showroom offerings on Friday when it began offering CFMOTO all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides. Product arrived on Thursday and was quickly uncrated and processed. “It’s been in …

With the heavy cruiser market sagging, it’s a model that could be a game-changer for Indian – the flat track-inspired FTR 1200. The new 2019 model isn’t due in dealerships for at least another couple of months, but Indian is making some examples available to dealerships in southern New England …

A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly that would make lane splitting legal for riders has generated a lot of debate in recent days. The only state that makes the practice legal currently is California, where a study in 2014 revealed that it is no more dangerous than normal riding. …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson sold 15,104 fewer bikes in the U.S. in 2018 compared to 2017, a 10.2 percent drop, according to a full-year earnings report released this morning. U.S. sales totaled 132,868 last year, down from 147,972 in 2017. The company still commands a 49.7 percent share of the 601+cc …

DANBURY, CT – New England motorcycle dealer and race track owner Bruce J. Bemer is scheduled to go on trial Thursday in Superior Court here on charges of conspiracy in a sex trafficking ring and patronizing a prostitute. He has pleaded not guilty and has been free on $500,000 bail since …

HARTFORD – With the Connecticut General Assembly back in session, bill proposals are now being submitted. So far, at least two pertain to motorcycles; one involving helmet usage and the other regarding lane splitting. Sen. Cathy Osten, a Democrat who represents Norwich and nearby towns, today proposed that current law …

IRVINE, CA – A record number of households in the U.S. now have a motorcycle parked in the garage, according to a new Motorcycle Industry Council survey. The trade association said Wednesday that eight percent of households had at least one bike in 2018, “the most ever recorded in decades …

BOLOGNA, ITALY – Sales of Ducati motorcycles dipped a bit in 2018, but the high-end Italian manufacturer nonetheless was able to top the 50,000-bike threshold for the fourth consecutive year. It sold 53,004 motorcycles in 2018, down from 55,871 in 2017, which represents a five percent decline. Ducati showed growth …

It was a year ago that “Baggers” magazine went away, folded into “Hot Bike” magazine by Bonnier Corp. Now, “Hot Bike” is gone as well, another victim of the waning print industry. Gone, too, is the “Motorcyclist’s Post,” the long-running regional magazine that served the northeast. Its current issue is …

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA – With the overnight forecast calling for snow, riders turned out today and beat the storm by attending the Springfield Motorcycle Show at the Eastern States Exposition. “It’s actually a pretty good showing,” said promoter Doug Sousa. “We’re very happy.” Attendees got to sit on new models …