Up To Speed

HARWINTON, CT – Not being precisely on the mark when writing or speaking is easy, and excusable, if you’ve never been introduced to the vernacular… However, knowing the culture of motorcycling a bit, I cringed a lot earlier this week when I came upon a story in the local “Republican-American” …

(Editor’s note posted Dec. 14, 2021 – Bob’s Diner has closed since this story was published.) BREWSTER, NY – It was shortly after stopping at Bob’s Diner here recently that I mentioned the visit to someone, who immediately responded, “That’s a greasy spoon.” Well, yes, and that’s what makes the …

SEATTLE – A motorcyclist in Washington is getting a $65,000 settlement in a case against the King County Sheriff’s Office involving a a plainclothes detective who brandished a gun at him during a traffic stop in August 2017. The department has also agreed to amend its use-of-force policies, according to …

One of the more limiting phrases in our language is “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” It snuffs out any possibility of change, much less innovation or improvement. While the motorcycle industry isn’t exactly circling the drain (yet), it is faced with the challenge of finding customers as baby …

WASHINGTON – The patriotic Rolling Thunder ride on Memorial Day weekend, which annually draws thousands of riders from across the country to the District of Columbia, will be no more after 2019. After 32 years, the plug’s being pulled on the massive event due to costs and communications problems with …

SAN DIEGO – When GP Motorcycles held a grand reopening party last week having added Ural to its brand lineup, they invited Ural to bring demo bikes to create some buzz. In addition to a gas-powered Gear Up sidecar rig, Ural brought its prototype electric model with sidecar – and …

LITCHFIELD, CT – It’s a crazy annual fund-raiser known as the Possum Queen Festival & Auction. Staged here every New Year’s Day, it raises money for families facing medical hardships. Describing the Possum Queen isn’t easy. Adults, many presumably hung over from New Year’s Eve, dress up in outrageous costumes, …

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Almost two years after shutting down, EBR Motorcycles is back in business with limited production. The American-made superbike line created by Erik Buell and built in East Troy, WI is now being hand-built by two of its former assemblers at a facility here. “We are going …

LOUDON, NH – The June 15 date for a new American Flat Track event in New Hampshire in 2019 was already known, but now a venue has been announced. New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be the host on a track that’s currently under construction. According to a press release, work …

NEW YORK – Despite the ever-shrinking size of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show, there were still some great exhibits to enjoy this past weekend. The adventure riding segment was highlighted by gathering all ADV-related vendors in the newly-formed Adventure Out! area. It was where a number of presenters shared stories of …

IRVINE, CA – The percentage of women owners continues to grow and nears one in five who have a motorcycle. Newly-released survey statistics from the Motorcycle Industry Council show that women now make up 19 percent of motorcycle owners. That’s up from 14 percent in 2014, 12 percent in 2012 …

NEW YORK – The overriding purpose of the Progressive International Motorcycle show is to introduce riders to new models, and this weekend’s event at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center seemed to offer more choices to throw a leg over than in recent years. RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland’s Bob Rosen attended …

NEW YORK – The Progressive International Motorcycle Show returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center this weekend with dozens of new 2019 models, vintage motorcycles, vendors, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show and a new “Discover the Ride” element designed to introduce non-riders to the joys of …

Harley-Davidson dealers in the northeast are ramping up their efforts to improve riders’ skills by offering six more seminars staged by author, instructor and motorcycle magazine columnist Ken Condon over the next six months. “We’re going to very strongly go in for a brand agnostic approach this year,” according to …

ROUND LAKE, IL – It will certainly need new tires and other rubber parts if it’s to be taken out on the road after all these years, and turning it into a show piece, either in a museum or a living room, might be a better idea. But a new …