Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Suzuki dealers in Connecticut and the rest of New England are breathing easier following the revelation earlier this week that bike maker planned on trimming about 10 percent of its U.S. dealer network.

Apparently no dealers in the state, and reportedly only six in New England, will lose the line. At least that’s what RIDE-CT.com is hearing from dealers.

Suzuki tells “Dealernews” that the 98 dealers being culled only represented 2.5 percent of retail sales. The “Dealernews” story is here. RIDE-CT.com has emailed Suzuki to see if a list of the six dealers is available. The company will now have 832 dealers nationwide.

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A man in Monson, MA saved a turquoise and white 1992 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy that contained some of his brother’s ashes – and once belonged to his brother – from a garage fire on Wednesday morning. “Hell or high water, I was getting the bike out of there,” Billy Fountain tells the “The Republican” in Springfield. The newspaper’s website, MassLive.com, has the story here.

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From the Stupid Rider files, “Miami New Times” reports Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies nabbed a rider who led them on a high-speed chase thanks to video taken of the event by a riding buddy. Oops. Read about it here.

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From India, Honda has introduced a new 150cc sport bike model dubbed the CB Trigger. A blog report is here. Remembering how the NBA team the Baltimore/later Washington Bullets changed its name to the Wizards in 1997 because the name had acquired violent undertones, not conducive to an area with a high homicide and crime rate, could the Trigger name ever be tried here?