Up To Speed

NORTH GRANBY, CT – To say that I was dumbstruck when my friend Frank Tedeschi recently texted “Google Piet Boonstra. He is my friend’s father” isn’t sufficient. I damn near fell out of my chair before replying, “WHAT?!” because I knew the name of this iconic rider and author well. …

Ready for more bickering, bluster and contrived nonsense? The Discovery Channel is rebooting “American Chopper” after a five-year hiatus and the reaction so far has been predictably polarizing. Some riders never want to see the battling Teutul clan again, while rubberneckers wonder about the current status of Orange County Choppers, …

OTIS, MA – There are lots of eateries that you can ride by and never notice. There are also restaurants that get visited simply because they’re handy, you happen to be nearby and it’s the easiest place to stop. The Farmington River Diner fits both of those descriptions. That’s not …

In hindsight, it probably wasn’t so hard to predict that rider and psychologist Mark Barnes would be successful writing about motorcycling. In his first column for “Motorcycle Consumer News” some 21 years ago, he wrote that “motorcyclists can be divided into two types.” There are those who are happy to …

MINNEAPOLIS – Buried in the press release from Polaris Industries on its 2017 third quarter results this week was some striking news about Indian. The brand’s market share surpassed the 10 percent mark in September. Motorcycle industry sales in the 900cc and above category “were down high-single digits” in Q3, …

SANTA BARBARA, CA – Honda is giving its top-of-the-line Gold Wing a new look for 2018 with sleeker styling, less weight and a greater orientation toward performance. Due in showrooms in February, the new Gold Wing and Gold Wing Tour will range in price from $23,500 to $31,500 (with airbag) …

BARKHAMSTED, CT – Down a narrow, unpaved driveway and behind a house in Barkhamsted sits a weathered, nondescript garage that’s filled with relics worth marveling over – an assortment of classic cars and vintage motorcycles. Among the four-wheeled vehicles are two convertibles – a 1942 Ford and a 1954 Chevy. The …

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Pearly’s Farmhouse Cafe closed in October 2018 after one year of operation.) WEST CORNWALL, CT – Breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner is once again being served footsteps away from the scenic covered bridge over the Housatonic River. In the space where the Wandering Moose once operated, a new …

NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Reality television’s version of “Family Feud” is getting revived. Yes, that’s correct, the battling Teutul family is returning. The Discovery Channel announced today that “American Chopper” will be back this winter after a five-year absence, although there may be less drama involving Orange County Choppers patriarch Paul …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson saw its third quarter sales in the U.S. dip 8.1 percent this year compared to a year ago, with worldwide sales down 6.9 percent from 2016. However, in releasing its Q3 results today, the company noted that overall motorcycle sales in the U.S. were off 9.2 percent …

BRATTLEBORO, VT – Friends and family members have been gathering at Lynde Motorsports here since word of owner Stanley Lynde’s death Monday night began spreading. An official goodbye for Lynde is now planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at 5345 Hinesburg Road in Guilford, VT. Riders will gather at the Flat …

HARWINTON, CT – Not to belabor the point made in the last column that the future of motorcycling may be battery powered, but the landscape keeps shifting at an ever-increasing pace… It was while having breakfast with Phil Cheney after that column appeared that the subject of electric motorcycles inevitably came …

NORTH HAMPTON, NH – Ural of New England, which has been selling iconic Russian-made sidecar rigs in suburban Boston for nearly a decade, is expanding into New Hampshire with a second store located here at 108 Lafayette Road. A grand opening celebration is planned for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 …

STURBRIDGE, MA – It was mid-afternoon Sunday and the line at the counter at B.T.’s Smokehouse at 392 Main St. (Route 20) was nearly backed up to the front door. The inside tables lining the side walls were mostly filled and maybe a dozen other sweating Southern BBQ lovers were …

BELLOWS FALLS, VT – Stanley Lynde, owner of Lynde Motorsports in Brattleboro, and wife Laura D’Angelo Lynde are hospitalized today after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle accident late Monday afternoon on Route 5 here. Daughter Kelli Lynde Worden immediately started a GoFundMe page to help raise money to cover expenses. …