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By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Yes, it was hot. But record heat in CT didn’t deter riders from rolling into downtown Torrington on Friday night for the 2nd annual Torrington Thunder, the motorcycle meet that benefits the police department’s D.A.R.E. program. (Photos by Debra Aleksinas and Bud Wilkinson) The vintage …
Read More »New 2012 Models from Harley-Davidson
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What’s new from Harley-Davidson for 2012? Not much. The company took the wraps off its 2012 model lineup for dealers today and the lone new models were a 10th anniversary V-Rod and a new Dyna called the Switchback. The Switchback is described as a “custom …
Read More »“Littlest Harleys” Will Be At Torrington Thunder
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The reaction Steve Delmonico of Cheshire gets from other riders when he takes his 1962 Pacer out in public is one of astonishment. “The first thing they do is they read the gas tank,” said Delmonico, referring to the badge bearing the brand name, “and …
Read More »Indian Day Attracts Dozens Of Springfield’s Best
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The 2nd annual Indian Day at the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History attracted dozens of vintage machines from across New England on Sunday. Hundreds of other riders showed up to admire the iconic motorcycles that were once made in the Massachusetts city. …
Read More »Oil Drips: The Latest From CT And “Everywhere Else”
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com RIDE-CT.com has been spending a lot of hours the past few days getting ready for Torrington Thunder, the downtown motorcycle rally set for Friday between 5 and 9 p.m. I’ve been touching base with some of the participants in the display being staged by “The …
Read More »British Iron Riders On Tour
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Had to drive to Torrington this morning to pick up a “RIDE-CT” banner to display at Torrington Thunder on July 22. In the commuter lot on Route 118, on the east side of Route 8, I noticed a vintage Triumph and some other bikes and …
Read More »Libby’s Motoworld Adds Victory, Polaris
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Libby’s Motoworld, the Honda-Triumph-Yamaha dealer in New Haven, has expanded its offerings by adding Victory motorcycles and Polaris ATVs in late June. “We were approached and we felt it would complement what we’re doing,” Damon Libby said Tuesday afternoon, noting the attractiveness of offering an …
Read More »Connecticut Not Among Best States To Ride
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Admittedly, I haven’t been to Florida since spring break my senior year in college. That was 36 years ago. My roommate drove to Daytona and Ft. Lauderdale in my orange and white, millionth edition Chevy Vega GT. While beer consumption limits my memories of the …
Read More »Husqvarna To Hit The Street; 2012 Models from H-D
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Husqvarna has been known for its off-road bikes, but is now looking for more of a street presence under the ownership of BMW. This past week, it released pictures of a new 900cc parallel twin based adapted from a BMW powerplant. The Husqvarna Nuda 900R …
Read More »Industry Groups Help In Motorcycle Noise Fight
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 …
Read More »Max BMW’s Steve Willard Has Photo Show in Woodbury
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 …
Read More »How Effective Is Motorcycle Gear?
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 …
Read More »Burn, Baby, Burn … Hot Pipe Causes Pain
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 …
Read More »Rider Ticketed For Going 182 Miles Per Hour
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.
Read More »Suzuki Finally Shows New V-Strom
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 …
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