MINNEAPOLIS – Polaris Industries confirmed this week that it will begin building Indian motorcycles at its factory in Opole, Poland that currently makes off-road vehicles. Production of Indians destined for the European market will begin in 2019. The company had hinted at the possibility a month ago after the European …
Read More »Always Riding: Tackling The “North East 7”
NORTH GRANBY, CT – How the ride known as the “North East 7” came to be cannot easily be determined. I first heard about it two or three years ago from fellow CONREP instructor Dollie Fonseca during an instructor training class. She shared that her husband, Ralphie, led a ride that …
Read More »Harley-Davidson’s U.S. Sales Continue To Sink
MILWAUKEE – Sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles continue to sink in the U.S. The company announced this morning that Q2 sales dropped 6.4 percent from 2017, while sales for the first half of the year were off 8.7 percent from a year ago. Harley-Davidson sold 46,490 motorcycles in the U.S. in …
Read More »Off The Beaten Path: Tuscany Tour
BRIDGEWATER, CT – Cultural immersion is one of the greatest benefits of riding outside of the United States, but there’s also the gorgeous scenery and gastronomic delights to enjoy. Doing an out-of-country tour with a local guide only enhances the experience, as I recently discovered by riding through the Tuscany and …
Read More »Vintage Indians At Hilltop Farm Event
SUFFIELD, CT – It was a mix of old Indians and new ones on Saturday at the annual motorcycle show at Hilltop Farm, once owned by Indian co-founder George M. Hendee, and two vintage models belonging to Martin Hansen of Manchester, CT were among the most noticeable. Hansen brought a …
Read More »New England Motorcycle Museum In Home Stretch
Update – July 26: The New England Motorcycle Museum didn’t receive it’s certificate of occupancy on Monday. Instead, it was presented with a list of eight more items that needed attention. They were dealt with quickly and the CO was grant on Wednesday, paving the way for the museum’s setup …
Read More »Scenic Videos From Scotland With Safety Reminders
Safety videos can often be dry and preachy, but the Scottish government has recently been producing a series of short scenic videos aimed at motorcyclists that are scenically beautiful while containing numerous reminders of the obstacles and the challenges that riders routinely experience. The campaign is appropriately dubbed “Breathtaking Roads.” …
Read More »Hill Country: The Times I Nearly Soiled Myself
CHESTER, VT – If you’ve ever wondered how you made it to adulthood without being squashed like a bug, if you ever saw your life flash in front of you, if you ever had a scare so intense that you couldn’t stop your hands from shaking with the adrenaline afterwards, …
Read More »Dennis Gage Of “My Classic Car” Talks Bikes
FALLS VILLAGE, CT – He’s best known as the forever host of “My Classic Car” on television, but Dennis Gage is a motorcycle enthusiast, too, who currently owns eight BMWs and one Moto Guzzi. “I bought it just because it looked so weird, ” Gage said this morning of his …
Read More »Trump Tweets Yet Again About Harley-Davidson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the sixth time in a little more than a week, President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to bludgeon Harley-Davidson over its decision to move production of new models destined for Europe to overseas in response to retaliatory European Union tariffs that were imposed recently. In …
Read More »Test Ride: BMW G 310 GS Small But Mighty
BRIDGEWATER, CT – Motorcycle manufacturers are re-thinking their go to market strategy for the United States. The fresh targets? New entrants into the sport, along with cost-conscious commuters. With that said, small is now BIG and BMW has delved into the fray with two exciting new entries – the G …
Read More »Indian May Shift Production Overseas, Too
MINNEAPOLIS – Retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union, which had Harley-Davidson feeling the fury of President Donald Trump this week after announcing that it plans to move production of new motorcycles destined for Europe out of the United States, are also having an impact at Indian. Getting overlooked during …
Read More »Eats: Top Of The Hill Grill Delights
BRATTLEBORO, VT – It’s called Top of the Hill Grill, although it might better be called Side of the Hill Grill as the ground adjacent to its patio and beneath it expansive deck plummets to lush green lowland just north of where the West River joins the Connecticut River. The …
Read More »Trump Attacks Harley-Davidson – Again
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donad Trump attacked Harley-Davidson in another Twitter tirade again on Wednesday, marking the fifth time over three consecutive days that he’s blasted the iconic American motorcycle manufacturer for its decision to move production overseas of new models destined for Europe. “Harley-Davidson should stay 100% in America, …
Read More »Trump Says Harley-Davidson “Surrendered”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump has gone on the offensive against Harley-Davidson in a series of aggressive Tweets, saying the iconic motorcycle manufacturer has “surrendered” and “quit” in a trade war and is potentially facing “the beginning of the end.” “A Harley-Davidson should never be built in another country-never! …
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