Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson Daytona Bike Week has claimed the life of a rider from Springfield, MA and police suspect that alcohol was involved. New Smyrna Beach police Sgt. Eugene Griffith tells the Daytona Beach “News-Journal” that 46-year-old Mark Twining suffered fatal injuries when he and another rider, 29-year-old Robert Wilson, …

By Bud Wilkinson “Link of the Week” took a week off last weekend due to a day-long road trip (on four wheels, unfortunately) and a day devoted to volunteering. So, to make up for that shortcoming, two suggestions from contributing columnist Bob Rosen are posted today. One of them touts a …

Take a look at the above picture of a new 2015 Yamaha model. Do you see it? Look closer. Have you spotted it yet? You’re looking not for a part that’s missing, rather for one that’s included. See it yet? Yes, it’s a kick-starter. Not only is Yamaha’s SR400 retro-looking, …

By Bud Wilkinson Updated at 1:30 p.m.: A press release has now been issued. Harley-Davidson is bringing back the Dyna Low Rider (pictured above) and coming out with a touring version of the Sportster dubbed the Superlow 1200T (pictured below). Details on the new models as well as pictures have …

By Bud Wilkinson It has taken Jim Hamlin longer than he expected to open Hamlin Cycles in Bethel, CT, but with zoning approval finally secured, he’s now targeting a mid-April opening. “We’re getting there,” he said Wednesday, reporting that the bases for the counters in the parts and service departments …

By Bud Wilkinson A story in today’s “Mirror” newspaper in the U.K. tells of a company called Shaw Speed and Custom, which specializes in customizing Harley-Davidsons, including the one pictured below. It begins: “CUSTOMISING has always been a big part of the Harley-Davidson experience. There is an old joke which says that the …

With the 84th International Motor Show of Geneva only days away (March 6-16), Ducati today unveiled a freshened Diavel as a preview for the 2015 model year. The new Diavel sport cruiser will begin arriving in dealerships worldwide in April. The accompanying press release was filled with extravagant phraseology but …

By Bud Wilkinson From one extreme to the other… It was a week ago that images of the Lotus-branded C-01 motorcycle were released. The limited edition model packs 200-horsepower into a titanium, steel and carbon fiber superbike that styling-wise is worthy of placement in a museum, and the story generated quite …

By Bud Wilkinson Police in New Haven, CT have charged 90-year-old Nancy Cassella of Bethany with negligent homicide and improper turning for a Sept. 7 car-motorcycle accident that resulted in the death of 34-year-old rider Brian McCarthy of North Haven. Cassella was arrested on a warrant Tuesday and will be …

By Bud Wilkinson The American Motorcyclist Association revealed today that Indian Motorcycle will be celebrated as the 2014 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days Marque of the Year. The annual event will be staged July 11-13 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH. Indians will be featured in displays and race …

By Bud Wilkinson The province of Manitoba in Canada in now formally listing the Hells Angels motorcycle club as criminal organization, the first government entity in North America to make that designation. The largely procedural moves means that “police will no longer have to prove the motorcycle gang is a criminal …

Forget ever riding it. Just take it straight to a museum to be admired. That’s RIDE-CT’s take on the new Lotus C-01 motorcycle from Kodewa. Pictures and info of the new model were released Thursday showing “a distinctive body designed by Daniel Simon integrating carbon fiber, titanium and aerospace quality …

What’s your image of those who attend the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota? If you pegged them as being older, more proper than hard-core bikers, affluent and educated, well, you’d be right. You’d also be on target if you said rally-goers were mostly Harley-Davidson riders. The results of …

By Bud Wilkinson It can be extremely painful stopping at the gas pump no matter where you live these days, but that’s especially true in Connecticut. Three bills just introduced in the General Assembly would trim the gas tax in Connecticut, while other bills would add advertising to Connecticut River …

By Bud Wilkinson Back in August, RIDE-CT offered up reviews of the new Indian motorcycles by staffer Tim Aloisio and reader Dick Clukey of Torrington, CT, who was the owner of a 2003 Harley-Davidson Ultra Glide. In that assessment, Clukey predicted after riding an Indian Chief Vintage, “This is going to …