Up To Speed

MEDINA, MN – Government filings often provide a glimpse into corporations and a notice of an annual meeting of stockholders filed Friday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Polaris Industries revealed dramatically shrinking compensation for Scott W. Wine, the company’s chairman and C.E.O. In 2016, Wine only earned slightly …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson’s small Street models haven’t been robust sellers for dealers since their unveiling in November 2013, but the company’s belief in the need for a broad lineup that includes entry-level machines hasn’t wavered, and now comes another model dubbed the Street Rod that is a bit more sporty …

WOODSTOCK, NY – We were getting back on our bikes outside of a trendy coffee shop in New Paltz, NY when a man approached, got in my face and growled menacingly, “You guys on your (blanking) cool Italian bikes.” Before I could ascertain whether he posed a threat, the guy burst …

OSSINING, NY – European Cycle Services (ECS) is merging with Hudson Valley Motorcycles with ECS President Stephen Saucier becoming service manager for HVMC. ECS’s technicians are joining the Ducati-Kawasaki-Suzuki dealership as well. ECS was started in 2007 in Middletown, NY and has specialized in performance upgrades and restorations for Ducatis, …

LANCASTER, NH – The MOMS chain of New England powersports dealerships is adding a fourth store. MOMS has signed a letter of intent to buy F.B. Spaulding Co., a Polaris and John Deere dealer that has operated in Lancaster since 1902. MOMS says the expansion will allow the store to …

Some news from dealers around New England (and beyond): – Cumberland County Scooters & Cycles in Portland, ME is now shooting for a mid-April re-opening after being severely damaged by a fire last June 22. No one was injured in that nighttime blaze at 341 Warren St. The business had …

Over the years, RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland has written about many forgotten brands and obscure models. Not many folks today recall the Neracar or the Schickel from the U.S., the James or the Sunbeam from the U.K., or the Griffon from France. For every brand, though, there is an enthusiast. Dipping …

WILLIMANTIC, CT – There’s always a risk when visiting an eatery a second time that it won’t measure up to pleasant memories of an initial visit. A stop this week at the Willimantic Brewing Company/Main Street Cafe fortunately confirmed my positive first impression. The atmosphere was enjoyable, the service prompt …

ITASCA, IL – As many as 40,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents last year, according to the National Safety Council, whose estimate is based on preliminary data from 2016. That’s a six percent increase over 2015 and a 14 percent increase over 2014; the most dramatic two-year rise since …

EAST TROY, WI – Another one bites the dust. First Polaris announced that Victory was going out of business. Now, EBR says it’s ceasing production, too. In a press release issued this afternoon, EBR said the company “will begin a wind down of production operations commencing next week. EBR will continue …

Polaris Industries blindsided Victory dealers and customers this morning by announcing that it’s pulling the plug on the 18-year-old, American-made brand. Calling the brand’s exit “an incredibly difficult decision,” Polaris Chairman and CEO Scott Wine said in a news release that Victory’s end will allow the company to concentrate its efforts …

NEW YORK – When a motorcycle looks better suited for display in a museum of modern art than for comfortably ripping along twisty roads, its sales potential has to be questioned. Add a price tag of $30,000 and a riding position that could conceivably have target buyers wincing from lower back …

NEW YORK – Lyrics to the song “N.Y.C.” from the musical “Annie” extol the city’s virtues crowing “You’re big, you’re loud, you’re tough” before proudly proclaiming “You’re standing room only, you crowd, you cramp, you’re still the champ.” How true that is – unless you happened to be at the …

NEW YORK – Team Pro-Motion, the Pennsylvania company that hosts track days at various race courses in the eastern U.S., hopes to be back at Lime Rock Park in 2017, although it has yet to confirm dates for the coming year with the track in Salisbury, CT.

NEW YORK – Nick Beaulieu of Forever Two Wheels in Windham, ME calls his newest creation “The Hate Machine,” but seeing how much loving attention he gave the polished aluminum machine at the