Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com After 33 years of owning Willow’s Motorsports in Cheshire, nearly half that time with co-owner Carolyn Vallone, Jim Tabor is on the verge of closing the dealership that up until recently sold Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha motorcycles. The dealership’s website has already been deactivated. “We’re …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com RIDE-CT.com set a readership record in August with nearly 10,000 page views – 9,503 to be exact. That’s the highest one-month total in website’s history. More than 26,000 unique visitors have checked out RIDE-CT.com since the start of the year, surpassing the 23,931 that were …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In an overnight press release, Motorcycle Mustang Products finally revealed that it’s now making Mustang Seats for several Triumph models, including all Bonneville variants as well as the Thruxton, Scrambler and Thunderbird models. “Think of it as New England meets olde England,” said Steve Veltri, …

(Editor’s note: Earlier this month, Ed Henderson of Waterbury, CT and Bobby Gregorio of Naugatuck, CT rode to South Dakota (and back) to attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Henderson has provided RIDE-CT.com with some pics and commentary about their trip.) By Ed Henderson for RIDE-CT.com This journey to the 73rd …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Spending some time on Saturday morning cleaning out the e-mailbox and wondering… – What’s the point? A press release from the Concours Owners Group (COG) that arrived shortly before sunrise today contains info on the dates and location of the club’s 2014 national rally. The …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Trike riders from up and down the eastern seaboard, including all the way from Florida, began gathering in Torrington, CT today for the fourth annual TrikeTalk.com North East Rally. Early arrivals were taken on a guided tour by event organizer John Luciano, which included a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Whether you’re a rider who practices ATG-ATT (All the gear, all the time) as I am or someone who chooses to ride in a T-shirt without a helmet, I’m pretty sure we can agree that wearing protection can help reduce injuries in accidents. A pair …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Nick Lingenheld’s yard in Harwinton, CT is filled with his motorized acquisitions, all in various states of decay. There are Wheel Horse, Beaver and Speedex lawn tractors, a Harley-Davidson golf cart made more than three decades ago when AMF owned the company, and two 1974 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Yes, Harley-Davidson has used a liquid-cooled motor in its V-Rod models for years, but but it hasn’t put one in a “traditional” model until now. The company’s new “Twin-Cooled” engine will be used in some 2014 Touring models, which prompts a new poll question: Is …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In what it’s calling “the largest scale new model introduction in the company’s 110-year history,” Harley-Davidson this morning unveiled eight new touring motorcycles that feature liquid-cooled motors, linked ABS and touch-screen electronics. Developed under the name Project Rushmore, the eight bikes include the Road King, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com No price yet, but Suzuki has unveiled a limited edition GSX-R1000 SE model for 2014. Only 100 will be produced and each will be numbered. It will feature a “polished and chrome plated frame, plus … machined and polished chrome rims with clear-coated blue spokes.” …

Dick Clukey of Torrington, who owns and rides a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, journeyed to Wagner Motorsports/Indian Motorcycle of New England in Worcester, MAWorcester to ride the new Indians. Here’s his take: By Dick Clukey “OK, guys and gals, just got back from Worcester, MA and test rode a new Indian Chief …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Middletown Motorcycle Mania keeps getting bigger and better. The eighth annual event brought a crush of riders and motorcycle lovers to downtown Middletown on Wednesday night to ogle bikes, chat with friends and sample some tasty food. Four blocks on Main Street were shut down and …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The McCann-Erickson ad agency in Israel is just out with a yummy new print ad (above) for Honda’s CRF250R. It’s dubbed “Your Weekend Treat,” which begs to ask “Which is the treat?” It is the track made of chocolate or the bike itself? — The …

Famed custom bike builder Eddie Trotta will be the celebrity guest Wednesday night at 8th annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania on Main Street in Middletown, CT. 2012 edition of Middletown Motorcycle Mania The event, which attracts thousands of riders and a wide variety of bikes, runs from 5 to 9 p.m. …