Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was a soggy morning for a ride that got wetter as the day progressed. After having our requisite breakfast at Toymaker’s Cafe in Falls Village, I suggested to riding compatriot Gary Randall that we take the scenic route to Norfolk on some roads that …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Rotec Aerosport in Victoria, Australia was started in 2000 and its products are made “to recapture the yesteryear romanticism of radial engines,” but with modern-day quality. While the company’s engines are primarily designed for airplanes, the seven-cylinder, 110-horsepower, 2800cc Rotec R2800 radial engine and the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Some American Legion Riders in SoCal had a hard time swallowing a restaurant’s request that they remove their vests when inside the establishment over the weekend. Davina’s Cabo Grill and Cantina in Oceanside, CA has a blanket policy requiring

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It looks like a toy, but a fun one. It’s the new 125cc Honda model dubbed the Grom, a fuel-injected, single-cylinder machine with a four-speed transmission that’s designed for both newbies to learn on and experienced riders to play on. Honda unveiled the new bike …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com An Indian Chief is going to cost a whole lot less. When the iconic brand was revived with a factory in North Carolina a few years ago, it was done so as a premium entity. That didn’t instantly change when Polaris bought the company in …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What happens when you “go down” and aren’t wearing the proper protective gear? The Colorado Department of Transportation has developed a graphic new public service announcement showing the consequences. It’s filled with blood and gore, but it’s all done with makeup. The PSA makes its …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Would you do it? Ride most everywhere between Alaska and Argentina, spend 500 days doing it and shoot more than 600 hours of video? Alex Chacon of El Paso, TX has done it on a 2007 Kawasaki KLR 650 and chronicled his adventures in words …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com With its first new model due out later this year (following the company’s purchase by Polaris Industries two years ago), Indian is working to expand its dealer network. Over the weekend, RIDE-CT.com had an unexpected conversation with a seemingly unlikely candidate who has been approached about …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com An unexpected effort in the General Assembly to crack down on noisy motorcycles is being met by immediate opposition by the motorcycle industry. Under language added last week to a bill involving off-road ATVs, the sale, registration or operation of a street motorcycle having most …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Motorcyclists operating with exhaust pipes that don’t have E.P.A. approval – and dealers and shops selling them – would be open to fines under an amendment attached this week to an ATV bill that is moving forward in the General Assembly. While targeted at loud …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Despite a drop in sales during the first quarter of 2013 when compared to a year ago, both in the U.S. and worldwide, Harley-Davidson today reported a 33.8 increase in earnings per share. First quarter net income was 224.1 million on consolidated revenue of $1.57 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com There hasn’t been a press release from Harley-Davidson. Dealerships haven’t been emailing customers about the debut, either. In fact, the word is that the “soft launch” of a new online store by Harley is on purpose, presumably to make sure everything is working correctly. RIDE-CT.com’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com With Baby Boomers aging and even giving up riding, Harley-Davidson needs replacements, and new data from the research firm R.L. Polk & Co. reveals that for the fifth straight year Harley is the top seller of street motorcycles to U.S. adults between the ages of …

By Bud Wilkinson Not unlike dandelions in a manicured lawn, they pop up unexpectedly. One moment there’s little-noticed guard rail alongside the highway and the next there’s a floral display that pulls your eyes from the road ahead. Roadside memorials, colorful tributes to people killed when traveling, have seemingly become …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Connecticut has a new, and second, Ducati dealer. New Haven Powersports, which already carries the Italian-made Aprilia and Moto Guzzi lines, has now added Ducati and is in the process of remodeling. “We’ve had it exactly one month today,” said Chris Green late Friday afternoon. …