Up To Speed

WATERBURY, CT – What’s winter without a project? Winter’s the season when motorcycle owners and shops engage in deferred repairs, overdue maintenance and long-desired restorations to occupy idle time and to prepare for the coming riding season. In my case, a hinky instrument cluster on the 1987 BMW R 80 RT …

HARTFORD – It was standing room only Monday for a public hearing by the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee with opponents and supporters of a universal helmet law in Connecticut stating their well-known positions. “Both sides made a case,” committee co-chair Sen. Carlo Leone (D – Stamford) told RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland, …

HARTFORD – As opponents and supporters of a proposed universal helmet law in Connecticut spend the weekend urging riders to attend a public hearing on Monday at the state legislature, a result from a poll done in January reveals that nearly 75 percent of drivers in the state support having …

HARTFORD – A bill introduced this morning in the General Assembly would require all motorcycle operators and their passengers to wear a helmet when riding in Connecticut. Raised Bill No. 7140 came about on the recommendation of the state Department of Transportation and has been referred to the legislature’s Transportation …

PORTSMOUTH, RI – Automobiles showcased as pieces of art. That’s the accomplishment of the Newport Car Museum where 70 exotic, stunning and rare models covering 65 years of motoring (1954 through today) are on display. “‘Oh, wow’ is the most heard exclamation as they walk through and see the galleries …

Not only will CONREP students get a grip on the throttle this spring, most will also be required to fire up a computer for some pre-course preparation in the form of an eCourse. “Connecticut is adopting the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) eCourse to further enhance the students learning time in …

ELLINGTON, CT – His column claim of “Always Riding” certainly rings true as Paul Siciliano has already logged 2,536 miles in 2019, including a trophy-winning ride in the recent Crotona Midnight Run. However, on Saturday afternoon, the RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland  columnist will park it for a couple of hours to …

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. …