Up To Speed

HARWINTON, CT – Maybe it’s because Easter and April Fools’ Day fell on the same day this year, but there were seemingly fewer jokes being bandied about online yesterday. Or maybe it’s because there’s so much “fake news” and agenda-driven stories being circulated these days that not much is believable …

As a newbie, I knew little about riding. I’d long driven stick shift cars so learning how to operate a clutch and shifter lever on a motorcycle wasn’t a problem when I took the Basic Rider Course in Connecticut back in 2004. Everything else was foreign. Over the years, I’ve …

Celebrating the past and admiring vintage and new models are a part of the motorcycling experience, and two recent books on the iconic Triumph brand enable readers to do just that: “Triumph Motorcycles in America” is a coffee table-style book jammed with pictures and historical data. Written by Lindsay Brooks …

NAUGATUCK, CT – Motorcycling is like so many other sports. Training and practice can help immeasurably in mastering skills, learning new ones and correcting bad habits that have developed over time. Think about it for second: Golfers often seek out a pro to improve a swing. So do tennis players. Skiers …

It’s a basement find. A well-used and dust-covered 1941 Harley-Davidson FL “Knucklehead” that has been sitting untouched and unmolested in a dry, heated basement for probably 50 years. Its owner passed away a few days after Christmas and his widow is now considering selling it – in consultation with other …

A new feature begins today called Staff Inflection whereby the writing staff of the RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland wades in on a single subject. It may be on a serious issue facing the motorcycle industry, a recent event or trend, or something as frivolous and inconsequential as this initial entry: “If …

HARWINTON, CT – In a social media post last month, I mentioned how RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland had just held its first-ever staff lunch, bringing together most of our far-flung writing staff to kick around ideas for improving the website. There were dozens of suggestions, which have resulted in a few …

CHESTER, VT – When I bought a BMW motorcycle, it was like stepping into another culture. I quickly discovered that BMW motorcycle riders are a unique breed. When I attended my first BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (BMW MOA) rally, I met a lot of intense motorcyclists. Many of them …

SPRINGFIELD, MA – Indian Motorcycle is returning to its city of origin. No, it doesn’t plan to build a new factory in the city where the original company produced motorcycles between 1901 and 1953, but it was announced this afternoon that the Polaris-owned brand will open its first-ever Indian Motorcycle …

CLIFTON, NJ – It was the near the end of a 20-minute phone conversation last week about her new autobiography that Gloria Tramontin Struck paused for a moment to reflect on her life. “If my brother had taken ‘No’ for an answer, my life would have been so different. So sad, …

MINNEAPOLIS – Indian has just made a big statement about what the future holds for the growing brand. It has hired Ola Stenegärd as its Director of Product Design. A native of Sweden, Stenegärd has spent the past 15 years working for BMW Motorrad where he has played a crucial role …

Despite some sales setbacks of late, Harley-Davidson knows how to “move the metal.” The company has more than 600 dealerships in the U.S. and those stores will soon be used to sell a line of electric models. There should be no doubt that Harley-Davidson will surmount the technical challenges and …

PICKERINGTON, OH – The dates and location for the 2018 AMA Hillclimb Grand Championship have been circulating for months, but the American Motorcyclist Association has now confirmed via a press release that the Quaboag Riders Motorcycle Club will host the event in Monson, MA from July 27-29. This will be …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson is following through on its recent promise to “invest more aggressively” in electric motorcycles. This morning, the company announced that it has made an equity investment in Alta Motors, the Brisbane, CA-based builder of lightweight electric bikes for both off-road and street use. The two companies plan …

Would you let a stranger ride your motorcycle? Maybe, but maybe not. If it were a friend of a friend and you had a “good feeling” about the person, possibly. If you wondered about the person’s ability, certainly not. One Monday morning last September when meeting Phil Cheney of MAX …