Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The cost of riding in Connecticut – whether on a street motorcycle, an off-road bike, a quad or even a snowmobile – will increase if several bills proposed by legislators in the past couple of weeks or so get passed into law by the General …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com No word of whether we’ll be seeing it here, but London-based Gaucho Productions has produced an eight-part documentary on the Honda TT Legends’ 2012 road racing season, which takes in the Isle of Man TT. The first episode premieres Feb. 4 on ITV4 in the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A bill in the Maine legislature that would require all riders to wear helmets has been referred to committee. Proposed by Rep. Paulette Beaudoin, a Democrat from Biddeford, the bill was sent Tuesday to the Transportation Committee. A similar bill introduced by Beaudoin in 2009 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com He doesn’t own a computer, and consequently doesn’t have an email address, but friend William “Wild Bill” Eggers of Goshen, CT now has a website to show off his limited-edition, custom creations. Bill’s built wooden replicas of the 1867 Roper steam-driven motorcycle (pictured) and the …

 By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It belched a flame or two from its exhaust pipes and was so loud that some observers covered their ears, but to hear the road of Burt Munro’s 1920 Indian Scout at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York over the weekend was a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com NEW YORK – The end result of a long ride is often a sore butt. The end result of hours spent pounding the floor of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show is sore feet, and this year’s event this weekend was no exception. While no manufacturer …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s the winter ice-breaker, the cold season refresher, the chance to see motorcycles and talk motorcycles with friends during the down time when it’s often impossible to ride. The Progressive International Motor Show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York opens its …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com As part of its 110th anniversary celebration, Harley-Davidson has enlisted riders from all over the globe to take a single black jacket – the “Freedom Jacket” – on a worldwide adventure. The jacket is passing from rider to rider and the riders are sharing their …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The Connecticut General Assembly is in session and among the proposed bills getting a look-see in Hartford are: H.B. 5181, proposed by Republican Rep. DebraLee Hovey, would “require any person in the state who owns an all-terrain vehicle to register such vehicle.” A fine would …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A study is underway to observe the real-life habits of riders. More than 100 riders have had their motorcycles fitted with cameras to record all that happens on the road. WBBH-TV has the story: NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral — More to …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What better way to kick off a 110th anniversary celebration than with a burnout? That’s what Harley-Davidson has done: — Let’s see… The ice in the driveway has been chipped. The Battery Tender was plugged in overnight. There was something that I want to do …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Will Paley has sold his 1906 Griffon. The Cornwall collector put the French-made motorcycle with the Swiss motor in a Bonhams auction in Las Vegas yesterday and it sold for $23,000. The Griffon was brought to the U.S. in 1910 by a man in Salisbury …

By Bud Wilkinson of of RIDE-CT.com British biker-maker Triumph today announced a model makeover for 2013 with the Tiger 1050 becoming the Tiger Sport. The adventure bike gets new bodywork, revised rider and passenger ergonomics, and a 10 horsepower power boost to 123 horsepower. Triumph reports the new model now …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has posted a “notice of proposed rulemaking” to establish minimum sound requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles, including motorcycles. “This standard would ensure that blind, visually-impaired and other pedestrians are able to detect and recognize nearby hybrid and electric …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Unlike street motorcycles, flat track bikes don’t have rear-view mirrors. If they did, though, pro racer Kenny Coolbeth Jr. of Morris would certainly say that he’s extremely glad to see last year disappearing in the distance behind the torquey bikes that he rides in AMA …