Ride CT & Ride New England Serving New England, NYC and The Hudson Valley!
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Once upon a time, way back on ’06, J.D. Power and Associates released the results of its annual Motorcycle Competitive Information study, declaring Victory to be the best brand on the road in terms of product, build quality, cost of ownership, quality, sales and service. Also doing …
Read More »Oh, the weather outside is…
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Not snowing. The forecast has changed from earlier in the week and the storm that could have brought snow tonight has moved out to sea. (Why do we say “moved out to sea” to describe such a near miss? The Atlantic is an ocean; not …
Read More »RIDE-CT Reports on Cliff’s and Norton
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Gathering information and writing the RIDE-CT column for “The Republican-American” every Saturday is often the best part of the week. It usually involves meeting new people and checking out cool bikes before sitting down at the laptop and leisurely tapping out something that will appeal to …
Read More »Rare 1920 Indian Family Hand-Me-Down
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The registration is in remarkably good condition. There is some fraying along the top edge, but the information about the bike – 61 cubic inches and two cylinders – is clear. The fact that motorcycle is repeatedly spelled as “Motor Cycle” provides the first clue …
Read More »Norton May Locate Stateside HQ in CT
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com When Norton Motorcycles Ltd. recently announced the appointment of Dan Van Epps to lead its operation in the U.S. and roll out its first models in May 2011, the press release noted a Beacon Falls mailing address. Now, in an interview with the website throttlehand.com, …
Read More »No Comment from Cliff’s, Triumph Back in Show
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Random oil drips on the garage floor… Cliff’s Cycle Revolution owner Cliff LaMotta is, understandably, keeping mum on the reported sale of his BMW-Ducati-Indian dealership to Max BMW, which currently has stores in New York and New Hampshire (see previous post). In reply last night …
Read More »Max BMW Reportedly Buying Cliff’s in Brookfield
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Max BMW, which has motorcycle dealerships in New York and New Hampshire, is reportedly expanding into Connecticut next week by acquiring Cliff’s Cycle Revolution, the BMW-Ducati-Indian store in Brookfield. A sale by Cliff’s owner Cliff LaMotta to Max BMW owner Max Stratton is scheduled to close on Dec. 17, …
Read More »$8.4 Million Verdict for Motorcycle Death
A Florida woman and her two daughters won an $8.4 million verdict Thursday for a 2008 crash that killed their motorcycle rider husband and father. The jury deliberated for 50 minutes before finding the driver of a Hummer guilty of negligence. “The Palm Beach Post” has the story.
Read More »Home Butt Test with Ergo Simulator
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com One of the reasons that riders visit motorcycle dealerships, even if they aren’t really shopping for a bike, is to sit on new models to discover whether the feet touch the ground and if the riding position is comfortable. It’s now possible to do that without …
Read More »Bookshelf: Reading Suggestions for Riders
By Bud Wilkinson Christmas is less than three weeks away. Have you put your bike(s) into winter storage yet? Or are you foot-dragging because you don’t want to quit peg-dragging? The bikes can wait. Holiday shopping cannot and RIDE-CT always offers some gift ideas for motorcycle lovers. While some new …
Read More »Of Mice And Motorcycles
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com With the temperature finally dipping below freezing at night, Saturday seemed like a good day to start winterizing the three bikes in the garage. Sure, there have been some years when I’ve ridden on Christmas or New Year’s Day, but it’s not looking like this year …
Read More »Norton Returning to U.S.A.
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com An old Norton always turns heads when out of the road and gathers crowd when parked. It’s a sure bet that a new Norton will do the same. Norton Motorcycles Ltd. has announced that the famous British brand will return to the U.S.A. in May 2011 with …
Read More »Ghost Wheels Extend Rider’s Enjoyment
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com At some point, the time comes to quit riding for good. Diminished strength and diminished skills eventually force every smart rider to give up the recreation. After all, no one stays young forever. Body parts begin to break down, the mind isn’t as sharp and …
Read More »Capt. Sig of “Deadliest Catch” Wants a Motorcycle
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Sig Hansen remembers being called upon as a school kid to speak in front of the class and feigning sickness to get out of it. Now, as an adult, he’s not only a star of the long-running reality TV hit “Deadliest Catch” but part of …
Read More »Is Rare Moto Guzzi 1000S Really for Sale?
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Every married guy should be blessed with a spouse like Scott Kegelman’s wife, Debreh Gilbert. When he learned that a 1993 Moto Guzzi 1000S was about to be sold by its owner in Danbury to someone in Texas, she told him, “If you don’t leave …
Read More »