March, 2017

• 3 March

  Sidecar Sequel From Good Spark Garage

  

  CARMEL, IN – Five months after coming out with a clever, fast-paced and sometimes slapstick video on how to operate a sidecar rig, which RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland told you about here, Good Spark Garage and twin brothers Corey and Casey Wilkinson are out with a sequel primer on sidecar safety for kids. …

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• 2 March

  MOMS Buying F.B. Spaulding In NH

  

  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 …

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• 1 March

  Dealers Rebuild, Move And Reconfigure

  

  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 …

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• 1 March

  FTR750 For Sale, Himalayan Coming

  

  It’s not being released as a street model – at least not yet and here’s hoping that it will – but Indian is making its Scout FTR750 flat track model available for purchase; at least by other racing teams. It won’t come cheap – $50,000. The FTR750 “features a unique, …

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February, 2017

• 28 February

  RIDE-NewEngland: Collection Has Valmobile, Welbike

  

  WILLIMANTIC, CT – Mark Turkington is a familiar figure at motorcycle shows around New England. The 72-year-old Bolton resident is a life-long rider and a collector of rare, vintage models, and he enjoys showing off his two-wheeled artifacts. For Brit Jam in 2015, he brought a British-made 1924 Douglas SW/24. …

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• 26 February

  Dealer Perspective: “Worksheet” Shopping Tool

  

  After the first few teaser days of the coming riding season, some folks are thinking about a new bike. Perhaps interest began after an NYC visit to see all the shiny objects at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show extravaganza. Or maybe a winter of reading every bike magazine you could …

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• 26 February

  Five Forgotten Brands You May Not Remember

  

  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 …

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• 19 February

  Hill Country: Mudgett’s Sportster Getting A Makeover

  

  CHESTER, VT – A string of bright, sunny days here in February holds the promise of spring, yet we are still about a month away from the Vernal Equinox, or the first day of spring. This is my 46th year of holding a valid motorcycle license, so naturally these spring-like …

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• 18 February

  Eats: Revisiting Willimantic Brewing Company

  

  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 …

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• 17 February

  U.S. Road Deaths Rise in 2016

  

  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 …

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