Up To Speed

KENT, CT – Making a good first impression can set the tone for a relationship, and a recent introduction to a 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan courtesy of Iron Horse Customs/Royal Enfield of Kent began positively. Having thrown my right leg over the 31.5-inch seat, I instantly discovered that I could …

KEENE, NH – The first leg of the 2018 Motorcycle Cannonball from Portland, ME to Portland, OR had mostly finished by late Saturday afternoon, although a few stragglers were still riding their vintage motorcycles into the parking lot at the Best Western Plus motel. Riders and their mechanics were already studiously …

GAYLORDSVILLE, CT – There are always those places in your locale that you continually pass by and just never really notice – until a heavenly smell comes billowing your way and draws you in. Enter The Old Oak Tavern. Established in 2016, it’s located at the southern end of South …

Maybe it’s because the weather’s finally beginning to cool, but September offers several well-run motorcycle events to attend and more. This month is highlighted by the Japanese meet Rice-O-Rama, the Italian meet IMOC and the annual classic European meet at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum. Here are the dates and …

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The American-made premium sport bike brand Motus has lost its financing and abruptly shut down. Its founders announced in a Facebook post on Friday night that the company has ceased operations after 10 years, a move that stunned dealers and owners when the news began spreading today. …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – Lime Rock Park stages its Historic Festival 36 this weekend. The annual event kicked off Thursday evening with a parade of vintage race cars and other memorable models through parts of northwestern Connecticut, ending in Falls Village for a brief show. The featured marque for this …

VERNON, CT – It’s commonplace to go to motorcycle shows and see as many interesting bikes in the parking lot as in the show itself, and that was the case Saturday at the opening of the New England Motorcycle Museum. The “Café Fever” event attracted riders who brought their café …

VERNON, CT – Asked on Saturday afternoon at the opening of the New England Motorcycle Museum what his plans for Sunday were, museum founder Ken Kaplan replied simply, “Sleep.” He quietly added, “I haven’t slept much in the last couple weeks.” The Café Fever motorcycle show that officially launched the …

PORTLAND, CT – If you ride by a place often enough, it’s only natural to get curious about it. Is it any good? Eggs Up Restaurant on Route 66 in Portland, CT (but nearer to Cobalt) was such a place until last weekend. Up until Sunday, the time to stop …

VERNON, CT – With only three days to go until opening day, the activity level at the New England Motorcycle Museum was persistent today. The second floor exhibit space was filled with roughly 100 old motorcycles and attention was beginning to shift to the incomplete third floor space of what …

HUDSON, MA – Kerri Ann Oberhauser is a landscape designer by profession, a 1987 graduate of the UMass Amherst, and a familiar sight at motorcycle shows across New England. At each event, she sets up a booth and sells T-shirts, illustrations and other items that display intricate drawings of old …

EAST HAMPTON, CT – Peter Thiel of the British Association of Connecticut stood amidst the rows of vintage motorcycles on Sunday morning at the 33rd annual Brit Jam meet here and marveled, “I really have to hand it to people who are bringing their bikes. It’s incredible.” He wasn’t embellishing. …

MIDDLETOWN, CT – The 13th annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania was staged Wednesday evening and the turnout was huge. RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland put together a short video that captures the excitement of the huge gathering:    

MIDDLETOWN, CT – There may be only one number attached to Middletown Motorcycle Mania that can be proven accurate; the rest of the stats are merely guesstimates. This year marked the 13th event, held downtown Wednesday night. The rest of the numbers, such as number of bikes, number of people …

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT – A fire in an electrical panel filled the MAX BMW motorcycle dealership here with smoke Tuesday morning. The South Windsor Volunteer Fire Department responded at 9:40 a.m. to 1535 John Fitch Boulevard (Route 5) and found “heavy smoke coming out of the building,” Chief Kevin E. …