Columns

It’s always satisfying to see an old friend or colleague do well. Yesterday’s announcement that Keith Gretzky is becoming assistant general general manager of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers after spending five seasons as director of amateur scouting for the Boston Bruins put a smile on my face. Keith and I worked …

STONY BROOK, NY – Fans of vintage motorcycles will find a visit to the “Motorcycles and the Open Road” exhibition at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization here to be a worthwhile way to spend an hour or two. And you can’t beat the $5 admission for providing a fun glimpse …

CHESTER, VT – Where do you keep your stuff? Where do you keep those toys when you are not using them? Right now I have four motorcycles, three are relatively new. They’re gleaming and happy sitting in my non-climate controlled garage. The fourth is a project that is sitting in a …

By Bud Wilkinson “The American cinema’s most unsung singer” is what “The New York Times” calls Marni Nixon in an obituary posted today.  Like other obits, the newspaper’s story notes that it was Nixon who did the singing in some celebrated movie musicals from

Each year, many entry level riders hit New England roadways having passed rider education courses and obtained an “M” on their licenses, and that’s the proper way to do it. Learning from friends, spouses or “Uncle Bob” is probably not the best choice to

NEW HARTFORD, CT – A sign stating “TWO DRINK MAXIMUM” is not often seen in a bar. In fact, I’ve never seen one like it before in nearly 45 years of legally imbibing in probably 26 states from coast to coast and in some 14 other countries. But there it was, …

As I have recently learned, proper preparation and training for a distance endurance motorcycle ride is essential. It’s quite comparable to a runner’s routines in advance of a full 26.2 mile marathon. While the Iron Butt Saddle Sore 1000 is the “introductory” ride of the Iron Butt Association’s array of …

CHESTER, VT – If you’ve ever had the pleasure of driving a good go-cart on a curvy track, you know the feeling. You’d swear you were traveling at close to 180 miles per hour when in reality you might be pegging the speedo at 30. This is what a friend …

LITTLE NECK, NY – So, you want to sell me a bike today? Surveys have concluded that visiting the dentist is something people would rather do than car shop. If it weren’t for the fact that we actually like motorcycles, I suspect folks would feel the same way about

  HARWINTON, CT – Giving a Harley-Davidson devotee the key to a Zero electric motorcycle is somewhat akin to asking a person who loves greasy bacon cheeseburgers to become a vegan. The response is apt to be a sneer. No way would a Harley-Davidson owner who adores the rumble and …

CHESTER, VT – As the 2016 motorcycling season truly gets going, my thoughts have turned to gear. I’m talking about jackets, boots, helmets, gloves, and those comfort and safety items for the ride. If you are a pack rat like me, you’ve got tons of stuff lying about. This is …

Oops, a few days late, but better late than never. Time for the June installment of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…” If you haven’t checked this out before, it’s a monthly catch-all column for news items culled from elsewhere, moldy press releases and odd opinions …

TOLLAND, MA – Most every year on the third weekend of May, dual-sport and adventure riders in the region kick-start their riding season with two days of dirty fun at the Berkshire Big Adventure (BBA). Hosted by Berkshire Trail Riders (BTR), this event is open to small to large displacement, …

BROOKLYN – The 3rd annual Split’n Lanes Dodgin’ Gutters Classic Motorcycle Show held at the Brooklyn Bowl on Sunday was inspired by a unique – and some might say, slightly wacky, event.

CHESTER, VT – It isn’t a ride I could do every day; there are just too many echoes of my past. I have to be in the mood for a ride like this, running parallel histories through my mind as the road unwinds. It causes me to struggle with keeping …