Up To Speed

MONTEREY, CA – Ducati dealers rated No. 1 this week in the just-released 2016 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, which annually ranks motorcycle dealers and their treatment of shoppers. It’s the third consecutive year that

HARTFORD – Cities in Connecticut will have the ability to seize and sell dirt bikes, ATVs and mini-motorcycles that have been ridden illegally on public property as a result of a bill that has now passed the General Assembly.

CHESTER, VT – He’s a character, both figuratively and literally, and now Arlo Mudgett has joined RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland as a contributing writer and columnist. His real name is Bob Furman and he’s a longtime radio personality and newspaper columnist in southern Vermont using the Arlo Mudgett moniker. He also just …

Is it really May already? The start of another month means one thing. It’s time for  fresh edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” It’s kind of a catch-all column for news items and press releases that accumulate over the month infused with a dollop …

PLAINVILLE, CT – A little more than three years after buying Vespa Hartford – Scooter Centrale, owner Dr. Mike Maroon is closing the scooter dealership. In a message posted on the store’s website, Maroon said, “Unforeseen business developments have

NEW BRITAIN, CT – There was a Ruckus at Blue Devil Riders Bike Show at Central Connecticut State University today. In fact, there were at least three 49cc Honda Ruckus scooters at the show, and two of them were tricked out to the max. They got loads of attention from …

DES PLAINES, IL – After a nine-year decline, motorcycle thefts rose in the United States in 2015 with a total of 45,555 bikes reported stolen. That’s a six percent increase from the 42,856 stolen in 2014. Thieves preferred Japanese models and Honda was the brand most stolen, according to a …

MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson brought out a new model for 2016 today; a version of the Sportster called the Roadster. It’s part of Harley-Davidson’s “Dark Custom” lineup and is available in “Vivid Black with a charcoal denim pinstripe; Black Denim with a red pinstripe; Velocity Red Sunglo with a red pinstripe; and …

FALLS VILLAGE, CT – Most riders have heard the phrase “You never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office,” which suggests that motorcycling is so therapeutic that it can supplant counseling. John Grant of Kingston, NY even describes riding his 2010 Royal Enfield as

  LACONIA, NH – “Motor City Madman” Ted Nugent will headline the first-ever LaconiaFest Motorcycle Music Festival, which will run June 11-19 in conjunction with 93rd annual Laconia Motorcycle Week. LaconiaFest will feature two stages and nine acres of attractions at the Weirs Beach Drive-In on Route 3. The event is …

Think we have it bad with the seizure and crushing of bikes that are ridden illegally – at least in NYC? A court in England has sentenced a reckless rider to eight months in prison for taking police on a two-hour pursuit back in February in the city of Luton, …

HARTFORD – A bill in the Connecticut General Assembly aimed at curtailing raucous riders who illegally operate motorcycles and ATVs on city streets would, if passed and signed by the governor, allow municipalities to fine riders. It would also empower cities to confiscate and either sell or destroy the dirt …

BROOKLYN – The bio on Makoto Endo’s website is short and to the point. It notes that he was born in Niigata, Japan and later schooled in Tokyo. He studied graphic design and illustration and worked for an ad agency there before coming to New York where he became creative …

MILWAUKEE, WI – Harley-Davidson is out with a second TV ad using the company’s new global marketing campaign, “Live Your Legend.” Titled “Trophy Wall,” the ad is built around a Street Glide Glide Special and features “snapshots of life-enriching moments as well as the unique and unforgettable bonds of friendship …

Triumph is recalling 120 units of its new 2016 Street Twin model that were manufactured between Sept. 7 and Nov. 21, 2015 for an electrical issue that could result in the bikes catching fire.