Up To Speed

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson is out with two new Sportsters for 2018 as the company shoots for the introduction of 100 new models by the year 2027. Unwrapped today were the Iron 1200 and the Forty-Eight Special. Both have high handlebars and throwback styling. “Since its inception, the Sportster has offered …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – It was 42 degrees Friday when someone in a car shouted at me, “It sure is a wonderful day for a ride.” With a big smile on my face, I replied, “It sure is.” The person’s motive in getting my attention was likely to get a picture …

NEWBURGH, NY – Even non-riders know the names of the best known motorcycle brands – Harley-Davidson, Honda and the revived Indian. Maybe not so much the likes of Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta or Motus. But names like Motosacoche, NUT and F.B. Mondial can bring blank expressions to the faces of …

Between fall of 2001 and 2006, Glen Heggstad rode a motorcycle through 57 countries around the globe. He rode from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. He rode six thousand miles across Russia. He visited Pakistan and Thailand, Mongolia, and the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo. He went …

BRIDGEWATER, CT – Exciting news on the adventure riding front here in the eastern United States. Backcountry Discovery Routes, in partnership with Butler Maps, has just released the MABDR, which stands for Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route. It’s BDR’s first east coast route and covers 1,080 predominantly dirt miles stretching through four …

MILWAUKEE – A massive recall of nearly 251,000 motorcycles built between 2008 and 2011 by Harley-Davidson is being implemented overs fears that the brakes might fail. More than 30 ABS-equipped models are affected, including Road King, Road Glide, Electra Glide,   Street Glide, V-Rod and Night Rod models. Nearly 175,000 …

NORTH GRANBY, CT – For days after that crazy Saturday night/Sunday morning, I waited impatiently for the results of the 100th running of the Crotona Midnight Run. I continually wondered if I was disqualified for missing a checkpoint when I wandered off-route. Checking the Ramapo Motorcycle Club’s Facebook page to see …

DANBURY – Motorcycle dealership owner Bruce J. Bemer has rejected a Danbury Superior Court judge’s offer of a plea deal in a sex trafficking case that could have spared him prison. Instead, he opted for a jury trial that will have him facing up to 30 years behind bars, if …

WOODBURY, CT – Look closely at Carl Moeller’s 1939 DKW NZ 250 motorcycle and a familiar automotive logo can be spied. It appears in the decals on either side of the gas tank, in the badge above the handlebars, and is even incorporated into the rubber knee pads on the gas …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson this morning announced that its Kansas City assembly plant will close. The announcement came in conjunction with a press release stating that the company’s retail motorcycle sales tumbled in 2017. U.S. sales dropped 8.5 percent from 2016, while worldwide sales dropped 6.7 percent. Harley-Davidson shipped 241,498 bikes …

At least one TV ad in Super Bowl LII this Sunday will feature a motorcycle.  Movie actor Keanu Reeves stars in new spots for website development and hosting company Squarespace. Two ads do double duty as they also promote the custom Arch Motorcycle Company, which Reeves co-founded. One ad and …

It was created to add a little pizazz to the website – a video interview conducted at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York with Rod Copes, president of Royal Enfield’s North American division. The purpose was to provide details on Royal Enfield’s three new 2018 models: the 411cc …

CONGERS, NY – It’s Saturday night at 11:40 p.m. There’s a strip of tape on the side of my helmet that says “9 PS.” After weeks spent riding at all hours and in all types of conditions to prepare for the 100th running of the Crotona Midnight Run, followed by …

NEWBURGH, NY – After a couple of hours of scanning vendor tables and eye-balling the displays at the heavily-attended winter swap meet Sunday at the Motorcyclepedia Museum, we were famished. But where to eat? Acting on a tip, three of us headed down nearer the Hudson River to Liberty Street where …

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA – It has a cigar box filled with stogies to cover its battery and a brightly-colored serape rolled up and strapped up front above the headlight. It also has ape-hangers and a wrapped exhaust that could be used to roast jalapeńos. All “El Mexicano” lacks is a …