By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Public opposition to motorcycle noise – the kind created by straight exhaust pipes – is growing and two pro-motorcycle groups are taking an active role in stamping out the roar. The American Motorcyclist Association and the Motorcycle Industry Council have devised a standard method testing …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Steve Willard was vacationing in Maine last summer with his wife, Chris Brouillet. They’d spent the night in Freeport and he was out taking a morning walk when he noticed three women dressed in blue jeans and wearing shirts that resembled the U.S. flag. They …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Do you wear gear? Protective jacket? Armored gloves? Kevlar-lined jeans? Boots? A new research project done by The George Institute for Global Health in Australia has some not-so-surprising data on the effectiveness of motorcycle gear in preventing injuries in crashes. Here are some of the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Let me guess that this has happened to you – but probably only once. A little background first, though. Last weekend, I bought a peppy 1982 BMW R65LS to replace the 1985 BMW K100RS that recently left the garage (and is now on sale on …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A rider in Illinois was clocked by a state trooper going 182 mph. He could have fled, but pulled over instead and received a ticket. “The Courier-News” in Elgin has the story here. The rider, Rodney Jones, was fined $375.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com After teasing riders for a few weeks, Suzuki has finally spilled some pics and specs on its 2012 DL650 V-Strom. It looks like the V-Strom gets more of a facelift than a full makeover in its quest to compete with Triumph’s Tiger 800 and BMW’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The futuristic Suzuki RE-5 motorcycle was enthusiastically described in a promotional video as “a touring machine of a new age” and touted as being “in perfect harmony with the serene beauty of nature.” Riders back in the mid-70s thought differently. They not-so-serenely viewed the RE-5 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-Ct.com The Springfield, Mass. motorcycle dealership that survived a roof collapse back in winter has decided to close its doors. Tibby’s Harley-Davidson will go out of business at month’s end. Its website notes “the end of an era” that began in 1956 when the store opened …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com We wimped out. Rather than ride to Rhinebeck on Saturday morning, friend Gary Randall and I drove. It rained off and on, heavily at times, so the decision was a wise one. The annual Rhinebeck Grand National Meet is always a treat. It’s part show …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Big changes are underway at Harley-Davidson’s plant at York, Pa. There are fewer workers and more automation, and more downsizing is predicted. “The York Daily Record” has the story here.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Suzuki has inked in Saturday as the date for a new model reveal, having been teasing the new middle class bike with some line drawings on its website. The speculation is that the 2012 model will be a replacement for the current DL-650 V-Strom, a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Sarah Palin’s non-campaign for the presidency has been in the news a lot lately – for riding as a passenger in Rolling Thunder in D.C. and, more recently, for her comments about Paul Revere and the British. It got me wondering that if the technology …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com When longtime friends gather it’s not uncommon that a sentence started by one person ends up being finished by another. That’s what happened when the owners of a 2008 Kawasaki Versys, 2004 BMW R1150RT, 2006 Triumph Sprint ST and 2004 Kawasaki ZX-10 gathered on a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Playing catch-up after being away for the Memorial Day weekend: Brothers Harley-Davidson of Branford has bought the assets of two other Harley dealerships in Connecticut following the bankruptcy of owner Fritz Blau. Brothers picked the bones of Bridgeport Harley-Davidson in Stratford and Stamford Harley-Davidson. The …