Up To Speed

LACONIA, NH – Laconia Motorcycle Week is just days away. It runs Saturday through June 17 with the usual vendor exhibits, demo rides, music and more. During two days of the event, the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the summit of Mt. Washington in Gorham, NH will be restricted to …

LITTLE NECK, NY – So a rider friend and I decide to stop in to the local Harley-Davidson dealership for a look at the latest models. It was around 11:00 o’clock on a mid-week morning. As you might expect, there were no customers in the showroom at that hour; just three …

Time for the monthly edition of “Staff Inflection” where the writing staff sounds off. This time it’s a little less frothy than usual: What myth about motorcycling – either believed by some riders or by the public in general – bugs you the most and why? Some responses regarding motorcycle …

SANTA MONICA, CA – Dates for the 2018-2019 Progressive International Motorcycle Show tour were announced this morning, with the New York stop scheduled for Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 at the Jacobs K. Javits Convention Center. The 38th annual tour will once again visit  seven cities across the United States; …

THOMPSON, CT – The invitation came unexpectedly. The winner of a contest held by the New England Riders motorcycle group was unable to attend an upcoming non-sportbike track day and organizer Ed Conde wondered if I’d like to fill the slot. Set for May 7 at Thompson Speedway, the street rider …

UPDATED – June 25, 2018: After being worked on for a month and being put back in running order by the buyer’s mechanic, the 1941 Harley-Davidson FL was brought back to the home of seller Jane Sheridan on Sunday so she could see it running after 61 years of sitting. …

HINSDALE, MA – Sometimes it takes just timing. On two occasions over two years, I’ve stopped with friends at Ozzie’s Steak & Eggs only to find it closed; not surprising given its uneven hours. The third time proved lucky, though, and it was worth the wait. Located in a three-story …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – Some free time last week prompted the thought that a weekday at midday is the perfect time to ride as the rural roads can be less congested.  Being someone who always take note of what other riders have to say about their rides, I am always on …

MILWAUKEE – It was a rough last week for Harley-Davidson with a union asserting in a news story that the motorcycle manufacturer is engaging in “a corporate ambush on working people” by shipping jobs overseas, with another news report questioning whether the company has something to hide after it banned …

Dear Progressive, I have a beef.  Earlier this week, I participated in an informative and carefully-executed instructional non-sportbike “track day” staged by Tony’s Track Days at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, CT. I rode my new-to-me 2014 Triumph Bonneville and did so without insurance coverage after being informed by …

Support and well-wishes for custom motorcycle builder and website publisher Cyril Huze have been accumulating since yesterday when he announced plans for retirement on May 15 due to a health issue and the end of fresh content on the “Cyril Huze Post.”  “Due to a health issue discovered in 2017 requiring …

HARWINTON, CT – Motorcycle models have sorts of aggressive, imaginative and even derogatory names. Some suggest action or attitude, such as Triumph’s Explorer, Suzuki’s Gladiator and Honda’s Fury, while others are more mundane like Ducati’s Multistrada (Italian for “many roads”) or playful like Harley-Davidson’s Sportster. Some make no sense at …

BANTAM, CT – Just as Christmas once produced visions of sugar plums, at least according to “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” the arrival of Cinco de Mayo every year generates a strong yearning for tequila and margaritas. Friends from my Arizona days routinely referred to the date as “Cinco de …

BRIDGEWATER, CT – A few weeks ago when perusing ADV Rider, I happened upon a thread in the Northeast Forum: “Ladies-only event: Over And Out, June 22-24 2018, Hancock.” After over 40+ years as a female off-road rider, I had never witnessed an actual women’s off-road event here in the northeast. …

The longtime president of the Hudson Valley Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of the America, who has overseen the annual Rhinebeck Grand National Meet at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in New York, has reportedly been kicked out of the club by the board of directors of the national organization.  …