Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com More than 35,000 riders have visited RIDE-CT.com so far this year, a readership increase of 65 percent over 2012, yet only 233 riders (and friends) have “liked” RIDE-CT on Facebook. That’s probably because most readers probably don’t realize that the website has a social media …

2014 Ural Patrol By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Sidecar rigs aren’t for everyone, but they sure do grab attention when on the road. Russian sidecar builder Ural yesterday unveiled its models for 2014 with a dare on its website for riders to “Rethink What You Thought You Knew About Ural” …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com After an absence of nearly 27 years, Harley-Davidson of New York City is retaking Manhattan. Originally located there, the dealership moved to Long Island City, Queens in 1986, while maintaining a retail outlet for clothing on Lexington Ave.  Now, it’s adding a second complete store …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Following up on the previous post about Ormond Beach, FL-based Bikers Against Drunk Drivers, Charity Navigator, which independently and impartially evaluates and rates non-profits, has now issued a “donor advisory” on B.A.D.D. It’s a warning to potential donors as a result of an investigation done …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The charitable work of the non-profit group Bikers Against Drunk Drivers was seriously questioned this week in an investigative report done by an Orlando, FL television station, prompting the state to launch an investigation into B.A.D.D.’s practices. WESH-TV spent three months looking into B.A.D.D. and …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A man, a dog and sidecar rig provide some tales of out of Texas and some incredible photography. It’s contributing columnist Bob Rosen’s Link of the Week. To learn more and to check out an introductory video about “The Oasis of My Soul” go to …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s Black Friday, so what better way to mark the day than by posting a new video touting the British clothing-maker Belstaff and its motorcycle-inspired line. It’s titled “For the Open Road” and follows five riders who travel from countryside in West Sussex to Belstaff’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com With Keith Bruno having closed The Shop in Winsted, CT and moved to South Carolina, Redline Powersports is prepping for a move up the street into The Shop’s former quarters. Redline Powersports owner Shannon Fry hopes to occupy the cozier quarters at 920 Main St. by …

Paul Jamiol and Friends By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Paul Jamiol holds the opinion that bikers are animals. No, not animals like the thugs who attacked the SUV driver in New York in late September or the inconsiderate types who ride with excessively loud exhaust pipes and shatter the tranquility, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Motorcycle thefts in the U.S. dropped one percent in 2012 from 2011. A total of 46,061 were reported taken, down from 46,667, according to National Insurance Crime Bureau statistics released today. Honda had the highest theft rate with  9,082 taken, followed by Yamaha (7,517), Suzuki …

Don Devault and his Triumph By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Don Devault got his Triumph back on Wednesday – 46 years after it was stolen. The blue 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 was stolen in Omaha, NE in February 1967 and spotted last month at the Port of Los Angeles by …

By Bud Wilkinson Yes, the masthead has changed. A new picture provides the background and a new name has been added – Ride-NewEngland.com. It joins RIDE-CT.com. Why, you ask? The fast answer is that the website has outgrown Connecticut. The more accurate answer is that over the past two years, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The original was a cult classic, and now Honda’s bringing back the Valkyrie heavyweight cruiser. The new version has an 1,832cc, liquid-cooled, six-cylinder engine – up from the 1,520cc motor in the original that was built between 1996 and 2003 – and weighs in at …

Riding a motorcycle is becoming more dangerous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is out with final statistics for 2012, which reveal that 4,957 riders were killed on the nation’s roads – an increase of 7.1 percent over 2011 when 4,630 riders died. Motorcyclists accounted for 14.8 percent of all …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In a video just posted on YouTube, a rider in China is seen being struck by a truck and set ablaze. The scooter cartwheels upon impact and the fuel tank ruptures and ignites. The rider, with her legs on fire, stumbles into some nearby bushes …