Up To Speed

Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com One of the biggest irritants for motorcycle dealers is having someone come in and try on gear or examine an accessory … and then leave and buy the item for less online. Forget irritating. How about infuriating, especially when big-volume online retailers can sometimes sell …

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New from Moto Guzzi – California 1400

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Can’t wait for the “Guzzi Guys” – friends Gary Randall and Brian O’Neil, who both ride vintage Moto Guzzi Eldorados – to feast their eyes on the latest cruiser from the Italian motorcycle-maker. It’s the 2013 California 1400, just introduced at the EICMA show in …

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Another Custom Creation from Steve Luba

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Earlier this month, I wrote about Steve Luba, the Torrington motorcycle fanatic who built a “bitsa” bike from a 1975 Suzuki GT550. Well, he’s now out with another customized creation that began as a 1990 Harley-Davidson Softail Custom. The bike uses a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 …

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Suzuki and BMW Unveil New Bikes, Too

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com More new 2013 releases from the world’s bike manufacturers and more to come: Over the weekend in Las Vegas, Suzuki introduced to dealers the all-new, entry-level GW250. It’s a  standard aimed to compete against Honda’s CBR250R and Kawasaki’s new Ninja 300. Powered by a 248cc, …

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Ducati Releases New 2013 Models

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What do you get when you mix a Multistrada with a Hypermotard? Ducati’s answer is the Hyperstrada (above), which was unveiled yesterday at the EICMA international show in Milan. The bike’s purpose is long-distance adventure touring and features a 110-horsepower, 821cc motor, as do two …

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Honda Unveils Six Models, Including CB1100

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com For three years, ever since its release in Japan and Australia, motorcycle purists who fondly recalls the ground-breaking CB750 Four having been screaming for the importation of the retro CB1100. Guess what? Honda announced this morning that the CB1100 will be among six new models …

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Hartford Dealer Adds Kawasaki, Midtown Exits

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com New England Cycle Center in Hartford revealed this morning that it’s adding the Kawasaki line, while simultaneously confirming an item posted here nearly a month ago that Midtown Kawasaki in Rocky Hill was  apparently getting out of the business. “We expect bikes on the floor …

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American Suzuki Files for Bankruptcy Protection

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Brea, CA-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today and announced it will stop selling automobiles in the United States. The company, which makes small cars and sport utility vehicles, including the Grand Vitara (pictured),  estimated that its debts and liabilities …

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Date Set for Brit Jam in 2013

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The British Iron Association of Connecticut this afternoon announced the date for next year’s Brit Jam meet. It will be held Aug. 18, 2013. Brit Jam’s always a fun event that attracts riders of all makes and models,  not just lovers of Triumphs, Nortons and …

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Trip to “The Bean” Offers An Eyeful

By Bud Wilkinson of  RIDE-CT.com It has become a fall tradition to ride to The Vanilla Bean Cafe when Yankee Beemers, a club of  BMW enthusiasts, holds its end of season ride-in at the Pomfret eatery. Yesterday was the day, so five of us made the chilly, 90-minute trek for …

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Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Hurricane Sandy (and the celebration of my hometown of Harwinton’s 275th anniversary) diverted attention, but now it’s time to catch up… The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee has unveiled a display that showcases the “Tsunami Harley,” the 2004 Softail Night Train owned by Ikuo Yokoyama that …

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Bitsa Bike Gets Deserved Attention

 By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The appellation “bitsa bike” – as in a motorcycle made from “bits of this, bits of that” – might suggest to some an amalgam of parts that are crammed together, with the result being an ill-conceived finished product. To call Steve Luba’s custom motorcycle a …

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