Bud Wilkinson

Bud Wilkinson is editor and publisher of RIDE-CT. He writes the "My Ride" classic car column for Hearst Connecticut Media Group's newspapers in CT and for the company's CT Insider website and YouTube channel. The weekly feature began in 2016 in the "Republican-American" newspaper in Waterbury, CT. He also wrote the "RIDE-CT" motorcycle column in that newspaper from 2005 until 2025 when motorcycles were folded into My Ride. A graduate of Vermont Academy prep school, he holds a B.A. degree journalism from Ohio Wesleyan University. He is the recipient of a Scripps Howard Foundation National Journalism Award in 1992 and a 1991-92 regional Emmy Award for commentary. He currently rides a 1987 BMW R80RT and a 1996 BMW R850R.

Eats: Get Cozy At Gristmill Cafe

SOUTHWICK, MA – It’s helpful to be polite when visiting the Gristmill Cafe, but only because it’s a cozy eatery with tables so close together that it’s sometimes necessary to make room for neighboring diners to come and go. “Always Ridng” columnist Paul Siciliano had suggested stopping there for lunch …

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19 Favorite Photos of ’19

In 2019, RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England staffers attended and reported on numerous motorcycle meets and shows. We met countless riders, did some test rides, had some adventures, and even came across some models we’d never seen before. In the process, thousands of photographs were taken. Here are 19 favorite photos …

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Barnstorm Cycles Creates Tiffany Scout

SPENCER, MA – The call came back in the summer requesting that Barnstorm Cycles here create a one-off motorcycle to be sold by Tiffany & Co. as one its 12 exclusive “very, very Tiffany holiday” gifts. Tiffany began the process by approaching Indian, which directed the world-renowned jeweler to Barnstorm …

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Naugatuck Valley Greenway Routing Report Expected Soon

Release of a highly-anticipated routing report for the Naugatuck Valley Greenway that includes the popular trail riding area behind the Thomaston Dam in Thomaston, CT that is used by thousands of dirt bikers – a report that planners had hoped to be issued in early November – is now expected …

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Polaris Executive Shuffle Involves Indian’s Menneto

MINNEAPOLIS – Indian Motorcycles has a new president as a result of an executive shuffle by parent company Polaris Inc. Steve Menneto, who has guided Indian for nearly 11 years, has shifted to the position of president of Polaris’s Off Road division. Michael Dougherty has succeeded him. Dougherty has been …

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Triumph’s Small Tiger Gets Bigger, Lighter For 2020

HINCKLEY, ENGLAND – Triumph‘s middleweight adventure model gets a makeover for 2020, with a larger motor and less weight. The rebranded Tiger 900 line announced today will come in five versions. The models will boast “10% more torque than the Tiger 800” which has been around since 2010. The Tiger …

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Husqvarna Enters Adventure Market With Norden 901

MATTIGHOFEN, AUSTRIA – Husqvarna today confirmed that it will upsize its street line of motorcycles and enter the adventure touring market with the Norden 901 model. A concept version of the Norden 901 was displayed at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy in early November, making today’s announcement no surprise. …

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Owner Takes First Ride On LiveWire (with video)

BRISTOL, CT – After more than 10 months of anxiously waiting for his new 2020 model-year motorcycle to be delivered, John Birden of Harwinton finally picked it up on Nov. 23 at Yankee Harley-Davidson in Bristol, CT. Birden traded in a barely used 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim with only about …

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