Test Rides

Ask someone on the street to name an Italian bike brand and Ducati will probably be mentioned first, followed by Moto Guzzi if that person is really savvy. Despite being owned by Vespa-maker Piaggio for the past 10 years, Aprilia isn’t a motorcycle make that

2013 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone By Bud Wilkinson Although I’ve never owned one, Moto Guzzi’s a marque that I’m immensely attracted to over most other name brands for the simple reason it’s uncommon. I drink Dogfish Head and Otter Creek beers and avoid barley pop products with the names Budweiser, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Sometimes when a new motorcycle model is released the reaction is to yawn. Seen that. Done that. Other times, there’s an immediate urge to figure out a way to get one to ride. It was a case of the latter when Yamaha’s cruiser brand, Star Motorcycles, …

There comes a time, or maybe tipping-point, in the life of some single male riders when chasing women gets replaced by the pursuit of motorcycles. The routine is the same – the sometimes awkward introduction, followed by a getting to know one another phrase, and then a decision to make the …

By Bud Wilkinson Ever pick a road that you’ve never ridden just to see where it would take you? Part of the fun of riding is exploring. A few Sundays ago, friends Gary Randall, Neil Tolhurst and I headed south out of Sharon on Route 41 and purposely turned left …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com As a rider who takes precautions, I half-seriously considered tossing a step-ladder in the bed of my pickup and putting some tissues in my pocket before pulling out of the driveway. I was headed cross-state on four wheels to Hebron to see Dave Rosen, who …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It may not be small enough to fit under a Christmas tree, but a bright red Honda CBR250R would look festive parked next to one, and probably small enough to squeeze through a door and into the house to have there on Christmas morning. While …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com R. Lee Ermey has had a successful, in-your-face second career as an actor and TV pitchman. His prior occupation was as a drill sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was in the Stanley Kubrick movie “Full Metal Jacket” and hosted the TV series “Mail …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The first clue that the Ducati Diavel is an attention-grabber wasn’t when the driver of a Nissan “Z” sports car drove by me on Route 8 between Naugatuck and Waterbury (on April 9) and gave a thumb’s up. And it wasn’t when a guy walking back …