By Steve Smith of RIDE-CT.com Okay, I admit it. I am guilty of making a woman cry during a recent beginner motorcycle course. It was at the end of the day after taking the riding evaluation. I had just called her over for the one-on-one consultation to
Read More »Longtime Friends Enjoy Spanish Machines
Steve Maughmer Talks About His Bultaco Sometimes a ride can provide a history lesson. It was shortly after going through an unlocked gate on to private property and proceeding cautiously down the heavily-rutted, puddle-filled dirt road in Morris that I learned of the road’s past. The sloppy half-mile track, which caused …
Read More »Stunt-Riding A Treat For “Teach” McNeil
***CLASSIC RIDE-CT*** By Bud Wilkinson Motorcycle daredevil Chris “Teach” McNeil talks much like he rides – in enthusiastic bursts of energy. When he’s riding, no stunt is too difficult to attempt. When he’s talking, no subject is off limits. His passion for risky free-styling on two wheels is evident in …
Read More »Brough Superior: In A League Of Its Own
It’s a bike brand that most riders probably don’t recognize – Brough Superior. Only 3,000 or so were ever built, fewer than 1,100 exist today worldwide and there may only be 175 in the entire United States.
Read More »Vintage Yamaha RZ350 Gets Better With Age
***CLASSIC RIDE-CT*** By Bud Wilkinson Tim Van Deusen was mystified when a postcard arrived at his Torrington, CT home from Forza Motorsports inquiring whether he might be interested in selling his 1984 Yamaha RZ350. Forza Motorsports is a dealer of high-end exotic cars and motorcycles in Gaylordsville, and Van Deusen …
Read More »Triumph’s Hurricane Always Stands Out
***CLASSIC RIDE-CT*** The 1973 Triumph X-75 Hurricane is unforgettable. It’s an attention-grabbing, three-cylinder motorcycle with a fan-like exhaust that is worthy of display in a museum of fine art. To hide one of these rare bikes, to have it covered and stored away in a basement spits in the face of …
Read More »Product Review: Draggin’ Jeans
Safe Riding columnist Steve Smith’s contribution last week titled “Getting Ready for the Riding Season,” in which he suggested that it’s a wise idea to give your bike(s) and your gear a going over now that the weather’s changing and the riding season approaches, got me off my butt and moving. …
Read More »Are You Ready To Ride?
By Steve Smith of RIDE-CT.com The ugly truth is that residing in New England areas means that most riders experience PMS, or parked motorcycle syndrome. Now it’s the time when many motorcyclists are coming off their winter hiatus and the excitement of getting the bike out for a ride on …
Read More »Norton Returns to U.S. from Base in Connecticut
By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Seated in a Starbucks in Seymour not far from his home, Dan Van Epps was explaining over coffee how Norton motorcycles are made, drawing upon the company’s iconic name and emphasizing how they’re “hand-built British motorcycles built by British hands.” He flipped over a stapled …
Read More »Being Seen and Being Safe
By Steve Smith A few years ago, my son was struck in the leg and foot by a vehicle that nearly rear-ended him while he was stopped at a traffic light. He was 19 years old at the time and a fairly new rider. The driver swerved
Read More »Schickel: Connecticut Once Company’s Home
Besides being a 1909 graduate of Cornell University and an astute mechanical engineer, Norbert Schickel was also a pack rat. Even after his Connecticut-based business went out of business, the self-described “born mechanic” retained financial statements, contracts, photos, correspondence, schematics, promotional literature and even parts from his creations. “Grandpa never …
Read More »“American Pickers” Episode Is Simply Unbelievable
By Bud Wilkinson So-called “reality shows” on television are anything but real. They’re orchestrated and staged just like a sitcom or drama. The action is largely preordained and the open, middle and ending are tightly scripted. The purpose is storytelling, not truth, because actual reality can be
Read More »How to Avoid Crashing in Corners
By Steve Smith In a very simplistic view of the types of motorcycle crashes, it can be said they fall into two types: Motorcycle only and those with other vehicles. It’s important to note that there is rarely a single cause of motorcycle crashes. Most times a combination of
Read More »Product Review: Weise “Urban” Boots
Update: The light bulb finally went on and I learned to properly tuck the laces down inside the boot. Having worn them now for nearly 18 months, I’ve found them to be comfortable and durable, so the rating gets revised upwards by one star. —– Ever put your feet down …
Read More »Fighting Gravity
By Steve Smith of RIDE-CT.com Ever drop a motorcycle? Drops are a not to be confused with a crash. What I’m talking about is a mishap that occurs from a standstill or while riding slowly. Gravity takes over and leads to an “Oh, Shit!” moment. If this has happened to you, …
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