RIDE-CT.com

Tim and Andrea Downs of Falls Village

Antique Rides Get Resurrected

(Posted January 26, 2010)

By BUD WILKINSON

Andrea and Tim Downs of Falls Village remember 1993 as the pivotal year when they decided that parenthood would take precedence over recreational riding. Consequently, they packed their antique bikes into a barn to concentrate on the long-term adventure of child rearing.

While Tim continued to ride a 1974 BMW R90/6 – which he also still has – to and from the job he then held in Gaylordsville, the days of pleasure riding together had ended for the couple. It wasn’t until last spring that Andrea’s blue 1947 Harley-Davidson WL got pulled from mothballs and returned to the road.

Tim had retrieved his red 1947 Indian Chief, with sidecar, from storage a couple of years earlier. “The kids were old enough to go for a ride on it then,” he said, referring to Jeremy and Lydia, who are now 15 and 13 years old, respectively.

Andrea, who is supervisor of Northern Duchess Paramedic in Millerton, N.Y., was off teaching a Medical Response Technician course at the Falls Village Volunteer Fire Department when I arrived at their home shortly before noon last Sunday. Tim had pulled her bike from the barn behind the house and had it parked out in front. His bike was next door outside of a neighbor’s barn where it had been tucked for the winter.   

Because Andrea could only take a half-hour for lunch, the first order of business was to bring the bikes together for a quick photo shoot. Tim got on the Harley and it started on the first kick. By the time he rode it over some ice patches, out on to Route 63, down the neighbor’s driveway and planted it next to the Indian, Andrea was pulling in their driveway. A few minutes later, the photos having been snapped, Tim and I were seated at the kitchen table as Andrea hastily assembled a salad.

“People are fascinated by the fact we’re both riding antique motorcycles,” said Andrea upon being asked what’s the most common reaction when they ride together. “What fascinates people the most is that I kick start my bike to ride it.”

No surprise there. Andrea has been riding since she was a girl. “I drove my first motorcycle myself when I was about 13. I always wanted to ride motorcycles,” she said.

Tim, who now works for the Town of Falls Village, is likewise a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast. His father restored a 1936 Indian Four when he was a kid and that sparked his interest. He bought his first Indian when he was 18. What was the appeal of Indians?

“They just seemed more streamlined – a tighter bike. They didn’t break like the Harleys did back then – a better engineered bike,” he said.

And the luster hasn’t diminished. Tim adores his Chief.  “It’s an Indian,” he proclaimed, “and now I can pick on my wife because Indians are always better than Harleys.”

The WL and Chief may both be 63 years old, and both may exhibit the technology of the era, but they are quite different.

The WL has a 45 cubic inch engine, right-hand throttle and left side shift lever. The foot clutch engages by rocking it forward.

The Chief has a 74 cubic inch engine, left-hand throttle, right side shift lever, and the foot clutch engages by rocking it backward.

The WL was discovered 19 years ago at an antique motorcycle meet in New Jersey. “It was rough, very rough. It ran. We don’t know anything about it. We took six different colors of paint off of it,” said Andrea, recalling the process of making it roadworthy. One of the colors was pink.

“The transmission was terrible,” Tim added. “Somebody was in there with a welder – welded the shifter fork on crooked so it had worn razor sharp on the end. That was why it was popping out of gear all the time. Had a couple of teeth welded back on some of the gears.”

The WL isn’t entirely stock. It has a front fender from a Harley-Davidson VL, although Tim bought Andrea a WL fender as a Christmas present last month, and the speedometer is from a 1946 WL.

What Andrea enjoys about the Harley is “its low center of gravity. It’s small. It’s not too heavy for me. It’s got a spring in the seat, but it’s a pretty rigid ride.” She estimates that she put about 1,500 miles on the WL in 2009. “I ride it back and forth to work,” she reported.

The Chief, meanwhile, was bought out of Massachusetts in 1984, with the sidecar being added in the early ‘90s. “The bike was restored but it wasn’t quite finished yet,” said Tim. “It hadn’t been started yet. The guy was getting a divorce. He had to sell it before he even completed it.”

The Chief always gets a reaction out on the road, too. “Most people think it’s really cool. They ask if it’s a real Indian and how old the Harley is,” he said.

Suffice it to say that both bikes are older than Andrea and Tim. And, no, they have no plans to part with them. In fact, new bikes hold no allure whatsoever, although Tim allowed, “My father has a ’67 Electra Glide I’d like to get.”

That would mean choosing Harley over Indian, and that’s hard to imagine after hearing him talk.

Death Toll on CT Roads Dips 

Due to Rain, Dismal Economy

(Posted January 17, 2010) 

By BUD WILKINSON

Rainy weather during much of the 2009 riding season and a dreary economy, which hurt bikes sales and also curtailed riding, combined to cut the death rate among motorcyclists in Connecticut last year to its second-lowest level in 25 years.

Preliminary data from the Department of Transportation reveal that 37 riders and four passengers died on state roadways in 2009. The death rate per 10,000 registered motorcycles was 3.9. Since 1985, only 2003 had a lower death rate of 3.7.

“We are declining, which is good,” said the DOT’s Ray Gaulin, who oversees the Connecticut Rider Education Program. “We can only talk anecdotally, but it appears there wasn’t as much riding going on. Repair shops have reported to me that business was down. You get the sense that there were less people on the road.”

A scene no rider likes to witness

The number of registered motorcycles in the state also dipped in 2009, dropping to 94,262. That’s 179 fewer than 2008, an insignificant change given the economy. By comparison, in 2000, there were only 59,077 registered motorcycles and the death rate was 8.0.

Last year was the first year since 1997 that the number of registered motorcycles dropped. In 1997, there were 50,734 registered bikes. “That would indicate a little more of a financial issue, and not just weather,” said Gaulin, who pinpointed the economy and poor weather as the major factors in the “considerable drop” death rate for 2009.

In 2008, a total of 56 riders and 7 passengers were killed and the death rate was 5.9.

“We had a cool, wet spring, together with the economy. People started questioning whether they’d be riding as much,” he said.

Another factor in why riding in Connecticut appears to be safer than in other states is the percentage of trained riders who have taken the state’s Basic Rider Course and Experienced Rider Course. “A lot more people are on the road are trained,” said Gaulin.

However, enrollment in the CONREP rider-education courses also declined in 2009 to 4,964. “That has been a little disappointing for us. We trained about 1,300 less than we did in previous years. We’ve been on the rise for the last 10 years,” said Gaulin.

“(Last) year we were down about 20 percent. For the first time, we were running classes with half enrollment or canceling classes for no enrollment.”

For 2010, CONREP plans to place more emphasis on generating participation in the ERC and the new Advanced Rider Course, which is geared to sport bike riders.

“Getting riders to take the Experienced Rider Course has always been a challenge for us – people thinking it’s not of any value. It’s certainly worth the tuition. It’s better than putting another piece of chrome on your bike,” said Gaulin.

State Adds Advanced Course

For Sport Bike Riders

Sport bike riders who want to improve their skills will get the opportunity in 2010 with the addition of the Advanced Rider Course to the motorcycle curriculum offered by the state. Designed to teach sport bike techniques, but open to owners of all styles of bikes, the ARC will mix 3½ hours of classroom instruction with 4½ hours of range training.

John Purdy Jr., site manager for motorcycle classes in Waterbury and Brookfield, reports that the ARC won’t be offered at all of the locations in Connecticut where the Basic Rider Course and Experienced Rider Course are currently offered due to the limited size of some ranges and the training that will be required for instructors.

Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury will offer the ARC, but Cliff’s Cycle Revolution in Brookfield won’t because of the small size of the range.

Purdy explained that the hands-on drills will include eight exercises. They will teach everything from using the proper body position on a sport bike to avoiding obstacles while leaned over in a curve. Riders will use their own bikes. The price of the one-day course will be $50.

This web site RIDE-CT.com is a complement to the RIDE-CT motorcycle column that runs each Saturday in "The Republican-American" newspaper in Waterbury. Visit the newspaper's web site at rep-am.com.

Spin on a SMARTrainer

Ends with a Crash

(Posted January 26, 2010)

By BUD WILKINSON

The accident happened so quickly that it’s hard to recall the details. As I remember it, there was a car parked on the right shoulder of the road. The sky was clear and there was no other traffic on the highway at that moment. It was about midday and riding up from behind, I noticed the car, but when the driver suddenly attempted a u-turn directly in front of me, there wasn’t sufficient time or tarmac to stop. I rode straight into the left side and my bike crashed to the pavement.

All I could do at that point was to laugh sheepishly. Fortunately, no harm was done – no dent in the car and no scraped paint or twisted metal on the bike. There were no broken bones and no road rash, either; not even a skinned knee even though I wasn’t wearing riding gear or a helmet. Actually, I was still sitting upright with my butt in the saddle, my hands on the grips and my eyes looking straight ahead – directly at the video screen in front of me. Only my self-esteem was damaged.

Having not played a video game since the days of Intellivision some 30 years ago, I was admittedly skittish about taking one of the state’s new SMARTrainers for a demo ride. The fact that there were a half-dozen instructors from the Department of Transportation’s Connecticut Rider Education Program standing inside the booth at the recent Northeast Motorcycle Expo in Hartford made the prospect of a “road test” even more off-putting.

Did I really want to risk making a fool of myself in front of such experienced riders? That was my thinking until I remembered that their goal is to make all motorcyclists ride more skillfully and more safely, something I’d learned when taking the Basic Rider Course and Experienced Rider Course (twice) over the past five years.

One of the instructors, Steve Smith of Naugatuck who teaches CONREP courses at Naugatuck Valley Community College, was a guy who I occasionally ride with, although my view of him is usually of the back of his helmet after he passes me. He’s an example of the greater the skills, the more fun the ride.

CONREP instructor Steve Smith

and the Honda SMARTrainer

Steve volunteered to introduce me to the SMARTrainer, telling me that it was set up like a regular bike, complete with left foot shifter, left hand clutch, and right foot rear and right hand front brakes. He explained that the biggest difference from riding a real bike is that you cannot lean and cannot counter steer the bike, you simply turn the handlebar in the direction you want to go. He then let me take a practice spin to get a feel for it.

The name SMARTrainer stands for Safe Motorcyclist Awareness and Recognition Trainer. Honda makes the $5,000 machine and CONREP purchased two of them late last year with federal grant money. The Northeast Motorcycle Expo was only the second time that they’ve been put on public display.

“It provides riders with a no-risk opportunity to interact with real-life scenarios,” said Smith, who also noted that the SMARTrainer is beneficial for those taking up riding because “we can teach operator controls.”

During the practice ride, I tried to avoid thinking about how the SMARTrainer compares to actual riding, focusing instead on keeping the bike in the proper lane. Wearing headphones, I was able to hear engine whine – the SMARTtrainer has a sport bike exhaust sound – and noises commonly heard when out on the road.

The loop completed, Steve let me choose the scenario for a graded test ride. The choices were a city environment, a suburban environment and touring. I picked suburban which would mix city elements – traffic signals, pedestrians, other riders and cars – with some rural sweepers. I could also choose between manual and automatic transmission, and day, night or fog. I opted for manual, daylight and selected one of suburban “routes” offered. Steve then stepped away to let me ride solo without distraction.

Checking my left rearview mirror – two small inset screens at the bottom of the display show what’s behind you, while a speedometer in the middle shows how fast you’re going – I shifted into first gear and pulled on to the road. A voice in the headset told me when and where to turn. I came upon stoplights and stop signs, a train crossing, oblivious bicyclists, inattentive drivers, distracted pedestrians and other unexpected obstacles. Riding through some puddles the sound of splashing water played in my ears.

While there were a few close calls, everything was fine until I went down, which earned me a “D” grade (for “dead” if I were really on the road?) for not responding quicker to the car. Otherwise, I graded from “A” to “C’ for dealing with situational problems. Afterward, I groused semi-seriously to Steve about how some dangers happen too quickly, perhaps quicker than in real life, and that the SMARTrainer is very different from actual riding. There’s no sensation of speed and no sensation of slowing when applying the brakes, even though the screen jiggles a bit when you grab the brakes hard.

“It’s not perfect – the real world isn’t perfect. It does try to cover a lot of the bases of what we see out there as motorcyclists,” he replied, instantly convincing me to shut up; that my skills need polishing as much as the simulator needs fine tuning. He also took me back through the course with a replay that showed how I’d reacted and what I’d scored. He noted that I’d never seen the flashing blinker on the car. How true.

Was the ride worth it? Yes, as many "riders" discovered lat the Northeast Motorcycle Expo. “The reaction is generally positive,” said Smith of the riders who took the time to try the SMARTrainer. “Riders tend to go away with a better understanding of the need to have better road awareness and the need for further rider education.”

DATES TO REMEMBER FOR 2010 

(Posted January 17, 2010)

With the arrival of 2010, it’s time for RIDE-CT’s annual preview of some of the major motorcycle events in the coming months, or at least an alert as to when they are happening:

April 25 – The 15^th annual Miracle Ride benefiting the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Riders come from all points on the compass for this charity event, which is the traditional kickoff to the riding season.

May 16 – The annual blessing of the motorcycles at Lourdes in Litchfield shrine and grotto. Hundreds of riders participate in this ritual that has been going on for nearly four decades. A mix of holy water and exhaust fumes.

June 7-12 – Americade in Lake George, N.Y. Vendors, demo rides and thousands of riders and their bikes. Good family fun in a picturesque setting.

Brough Superior at the 2009 Rhinebeck meet

June 11-13 – Rhinebeck Grand National Super Meet at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck, N.Y. It’s a huge vintage show featuring all makes and models. Interesting bikes fill the parking lots as far as the eyes can see, too. Getting to and from this event is half the fun. 

A familiar sight at Laconia

June 13-21 – Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, N.H. Hear the roar and enjoy the gridlock. What happens in Laconia, stays in Laconia, although it is tamer than it was years ago.

August 15 – The 24^th annual Brit Jam at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds, staged by the British Iron Association of Connecticut. Brands from other lands are welcome, but this is the place to see classic British bikes and the oil spots beneath them.

September 12 – Rice-O-Rama vintage and custom Japanese motorcycle show and swap meet in North Brookfield, Mass. RIDE-CT has never attended but plans to this year.

September 19 – The 27^th annual IMOC Rally in Sturbridge, Mass., staged by the Connecticut-based Italian Motorcycle Owners Club. Owners of Italian motorcycles get to park on the lawn at the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, while all other riders get directed to a dusty, stone-filled parking lot.

Last year, RIDE-CT tried to publicize as many charity rides as possible, and will attempt to do so again this year, but the ever-growing number of events makes keeping track of them all increasingly difficult. Please email me as soon as possible if you have an event you’d like publicized.

Dave Rosen Joins Triumph,

Bob Rosen Replaced at Cliff's

(Posted January 17, 2010

Dave Rosen, who was formerly general manager of Gengras Motorcycles' BMW, Ducati and Triumph store, has been hired by Triumph as the brand's regional business manager for the New England, New York and New Jersey territory.

Meanwhile, Bob Rosen, who has been general manager at Cliff's Cycle Revolution in Brookfield for seven years, is no longer with the BMW, Ducati, Indian dealership. Business  manager Angela Syc has assumd the general manager's post.

Looking to buy a new or used bike or need to get your ride fixed? The Dealers/Businesses page has a comprehensive list along with links. LIST