Up To Speed

NEW YORK – Nine months have passed since BMW last commented publicly on the status of a revived dealership in Manhattan, but the company apparently hasn’t given up hope on re-entering the city, although an email from a spokesman this morning suggests little possibility of another corporately-owned store. BMW “continues …

Time for another edition of Oil Drippings, the catch-all column of news items that perhaps don’t justify a standalone post or somehow got overlooked along the way. Here goes: New 2023 Models From H-D Coming Next Month If you’re curious about Harley-Davidson’s 2023 lineup and are available at 11 a.m. …

TORRANCE, CA – Honda’s ongoing shift to an “all-electric future” for its products gets some high-profile exposure next month with its “Forever Determined” float entry in the 134th Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. The float will showcase electric-powered Honda products, including a private jet, a Honda S.U.V., an Acura race …

Some products and brands just naturally go together. Captain Morgan spiced rum and Coca-Cola come immediately to mind (although at this time of the year Southern Comfort-branded eggnog should perhaps be substituted for Coke). But what about an athletic shoe manufacturer from Germany and a motorcycle maker from Japan teaming …

Stymied for a Christmas gift for a BMW owner? A copy of the recently-released coffee table tome titled “BMW Motorcycles: 100 Years” might be the answer. Written by Alan Dowds and packed with archival pictures spanning a century, “BMW Motorcycles: 100 Years” is an elegant, comprehensive and celebratory book. Dowds …

BOSTON – There’s now proof that the term “donorcycle” has validity. Results of a study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital released Monday reveal “the number of organ donations and organ transplants goes up markedly during large motorcycle rallies.” The research examined areas where the seven …

TORRINGTON, CT – It was at the end of a recent Sunday morning coffee klatch inside a motorcycle shop in Torrington that Tim Raindle asked rhetorically, “What’s the value of a piece of rust?”  The decayed subject of his inquiry was parked next to him. It’s more than 100 years …

MILAN, ITALY – It was inevitable that Royal Enfield would find more ways to use the mid-sized motor found in its INT 650 and Continental GT models, and today the company from India revealed a Super Meteor cruiser entry at the EICMA show. Two versions of the model are reportedly …

MILAN, ITALY – Suzuki is out today with two new mid-sized models; the V-Strom 800DE adventure entry and the GSX-8S naked bike, the reveals coming at the EICMA show. Both are powered by an all-new 776cc parallel twin engine with six-speed transmission and will be in dealerships in the spring. …

STAMFORD, CT – This shoreline city in Fairfield County will soon have a new motorcycle dealer when Riley Motorcycles opens and begins selling Ducati, Husqvarna and KTM models at 747 E. Main St. “Yes, we purchased the rights to the franchises,” Jameson Riley confirmed in an email Thursday. Riley is …

PHOENIX, NY – Motorcycles of Manchester Inc. (MOMS) this week expanded its dealer network outside of New England, teaming up with New York operator Maddie’s Motor Sports in a partnership that saw them acquire Ingles Performance here. Ingles Performance was founded in 1981 by Mike and Robin Ingles. It sells …

Nearly half of all fatal motorcycle crashes occur at night and a new study has found that “a reimagined lighting configuration” in front could help improve other motorists’ abilities to see riders. The study suggests that “six running lights from the top to the bottom of the motorcycle rather than …

Dave Roper is a revered figure in vintage motorcycle racing for his endurance, his technique and for being the first American to win a race in the Isle of Man TT back in 1984. The half-hour documentary “Motorcycle Man” that CPTV is airing this weekend celebrates the racing career of …

It’s a long overdue fresh edition of Oil Drippings. It’s the catch-all column of recent news items from near and far that maybe don’t warrant a full post or somehow fell through the cracks. Here goes: Lower “S” Version of Kawasaki’s KLR650 The model has been around for 35 years …

It’s a motorcycle book with a somewhat long title; one sufficiently lengthy that a high-horsepower example of its showcased brand could be a mile away by the time the reader finishes saying it aloud – “The Complete Book of Ducati Motorcycles: Every Model Since 1946.” Written by Ian Falloon, “The …