Ride New England

Kawasaki W80 It was at the end of last year that I was griping about the fact that Moto Guzzi doesn’t sell its Bellagio mid-sized cruiser here in the U.S. and that got me thinking about other models that never see our shores. While Honda withheld its CB1100 for a …

It’s Friday morning and I’m just wondering… …how long the riding season will last? The forecast for the weekend looks promising temperature-wise, but after Monday it’s supposed to get cold again. I normally put the bikes into winter storage the first week of December and remove them from mothballs the …

Father Jim Gregory on his Honda scooter For many motorcyclists, taking up riding was the result of a mid-life crisis. They never rode in their younger years, but felt the need as they got older to experience the wind their faces. Jim Gregory, who certainly qualifies as middle-aged at age …

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 …

***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 …

 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.

***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 …

***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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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

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 …

By Bud Wilkinson Headed north out of Litchfield on Route 63 on a recent Sunday morning, I came up behind two motorcyclists who were riding in staggered formation at a speed that was at times a little south of the posted limit. As we approached a passing zone, the rider …

By Bud Wilkinson The brand and style of motorcycle that someone rides often makes a statement about that rider, projecting a real or desired self-image. The same can be said about companies and the models that the many manufacturers produce. In a 2009 article, “Motorcyclist” magazine recalled the late 1970s …