May, 2020

• 17 May

  Dealer Perspective: An Outdated Buying Approach

  

  LITTLE NECK, NY – Most folks would agree that buying a new vehicle is just not a very pleasurable experience.  We all have stories about our trials and tribulations when attempting to buy a new car or light truck. Mostly, we use them for transportation or work. So, visiting the …

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• 14 May

  Safe Riding: COVID-19 Cripples CONREP

  

  NAUGATUCK, CT – It’s probably obvious, but I’ll state it anyway: COVID-19 is impacting potential new riders seeking to get licensed.  Presently, there is no way to take a mandatory course offered through Connecticut Rider Education Program to obtain a motorcycle license. All CONREP training sites are shut down.  If …

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• 11 May

  Diner’s Mural Changed To Placate Harley-Davidson

  

  WORCESTER, MA – Artist Tony Freitas waited until a decent day in late April to pull out his ladder and paints to alter a mural on the Miss Worcester Diner here that had riled Harley-Davidson. The hand-painted mural, which displayed the motorcycle maker’s bar and shield logo, now also exhibits …

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• 10 May

  Readers Split On BMW R 18; New Poll On Americade, Laconia

  

  RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers are split on whether BMW’s new R 18 heavy cruiser model (pictured above) will be a hit or a miss. While 35 percent of voters view the massive R 18 as a “retro work of art,” a total of 27 percent think it’s a “ghastly …

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• 9 May

  Hill Country: Dreaming Of COVID-19 Motorcycle Shop

  

  CHESTER, VT – It’s a place that I’ve dreamed of even though the name of it might elicit more of a nightmare – the COVID-19 Motorcycle Shop. It is not a place out of a Hieronymous Bosch painting. In truth, it is beyond pleasant. It is more a post-COVID biker …

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• 7 May

  Jochen Zeitz Given Helm Of Harley-Davidson

  

  MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has turned to a native of Germany to revive the iconic American brand. Less than three months after being named acting president and CEO of Harley-Davidson following Matt Levatich’s departure, Jochen Zeitz has now been awarded those posts, effective immediately. The 57-year-old executive will also continue as …

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• 6 May

  Gengras Harley-Davidson Sold To Clark And Castor

  

  EAST HARTFORD, CT – A year after buying TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington, CT and renaming it Old School Harley-Davidson, Chad Clark and Bryan Castor have now reportedly picked off Gengras Harley-Davidson as well, according to industry sources. Details of the deal are not yet known. RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England has …

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April, 2020

• 28 April

  COVID-19 Torpedoes Sales For Harley-Davidson In Q1

  

  MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson’s sales nosedived in the first quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19, dropping 15.5 percent in the United States and 17.7 percent worldwide when compared to the first quarter of 2019. The company’s U.S. market share in the heavy cruiser market dropped 2.2 percentage points to 48.9 percent. …

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• 27 April

  Laconia Motorcycle Week Postponed Until August

  

  UPDATE: As expected, Laconia City Council voted Monday night to postpone the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week. It will now run Aug. 22 through 30, instead of the originally scheduled June 13 through 21. CONCORD, NH – The fate of the 97th annual Laconia Motorcycle Week hasn’t been determined, but …

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• 27 April

  Ducati Restarts Italy Factory With Rigid Safety Protocol

  

  BOLOGNA, ITALY – Ducati announced today that it is gradually reviving production of new motorcycles at its Borgo Panigale factory with “the minimum necessary” employees required “to carry out production and research activities.” Production halted March 13 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening of the factory is being carried …

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