Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com With 2012 winding down, it’s time to look back on some of the images and events that RIDE-CT.com captured during the year. (OK,  I admit it, the week between Christmas and New Year’s produces very little news and a “look back” is better than no …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The Senate Transportation Committee in New Jersey approved on Tuesday legislation that would prohibit motorcycle-only checkpoints. “Stopping a driver strictly because of the type of vehicle they are operating is unfair to motorists, plain and simple,” said Sen. Jeff Van Drew, who is co-sponsoring the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Portland, OR-based MotoCorsa is out with a 2013 wall calendar designed to make riders laugh. Selling for $16, the “SeDUCATIve vs. MAN” calendar has staffers recreating the poses of model Kylie Shea Lewallen – right down to the fashions. Shipping is free in the U.S. …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com If you’re an iPhone user, you might want to ditch your motorcycle and avoid getting a tattoo. Research released today by the protection plan company SquareTrade shows that smartphone users with certain lifestyles and habits damage their devices more frequently than others. Motorcycle owners were …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The owners of the four millionth Harley-Davidson made at the company’s plant in York, PA got a factory tour on Monday. Robert and Susan Singler of Summerville, SC were flown in by Harley to meet the workers who made their 2013 Road Glide Ultra. The …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What’s Erik Buell been doing since the Buell brand, owned by Harley-Davidson, was closed in 2009? Well, he built the expensive and limited edition 1190RS superbike under the EBR (Erik Buell Racing) marquee. It only cost $40,000 for the 175-horsepower machine. He also forged a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A midday ride on Route 63 yesterday from Falls Village to Litchfield, and back home to Harwinton on Route 118, probably had drivers wondering what was up.  Gary Randall and I had ridden to Toymaker’s Cafe for lunch and were chowing down when a person …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com You know that someone’s dedicated rider not only by what they ride, but when they venture out on dreary December day like today. Showing up at the Bantam Cinema late this afternoon for a post-screening Q&A with movie-goers who paid to see “Lincoln” was star …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Indian used this weekend’s Progressive International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, CA to unveil the sound of the new Indian model that’s expected to be released later this year. It’ll be the first new bike from the American-made brand since it was acquired by Polaris. …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The schedule of dates and locations for the Northeast Motorcycle Expo shows in 2013 has been posted for a while, but it was only brought to RIDE-CT.com’s attention recently that missing from the slate is a stop in Hartford. There will be shows in Boston …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com This weekend’s stop on the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows circuit is Long Beach, CA. The 13-city tour started in Atlanta in early November and comes to New York on Jan. 18-20. San Diego’s i.d.e.a. advertising agency came up with a “Human Motorcycles” campaign to promote …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The video of Lolo – French motojournalist Laurent Crochet of Moto Journal – catching the hard bags of a 2013 Yamaha FLR1300 on a post and riding the bike off a sea wall has been posted today on numerous websites besides this one, so it’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Anyone who has ever taken a demo ride and signed a “you break it, you pay for it” release form knows the pit-of-the-stomach worry that comes with riding a borrowed bike. The best part of getting manufacturer loaners to ride and review for me is …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com They look maybe 100 years old, but two models from start-up builder Janus Motorcycles are new and affordable. The Goshen, IN-based company plans to have the Halcyon 50 Basic and the Halcyon 50 (pictured) available come spring for $3,900 and $5,300, respectively. Using a two-stroke, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com This year has been a good one for Triumph in Connecticut. The British brand picked up Mark’s Motorsports in Enfield as a dealer back in June and is now adding Street Stuff Cycle in Norwich. Triumph’s Dave Rosen tells RIDE-CT.com that Street Stuff “will be …