Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com When I finally got the counter at the Department of Motor Vehicles on Thursday afternoon and handed over my paperwork to register a motorcycle and transfer a license plate, the customer service rep asked if she could throw away my numbered ticket for me. No, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Readership of RIDE-CT.com rose again in July with the website registering 4,407 page views, a significant increase from the 3,396 page views recorded in July 2011.  For the first seven months of the 2012, more than 14,209 different people visited RIDE-CT.com and contributed to 36,647 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Victory tonight unveiled its newest model for 2013, a classic cruiser called the Boardwalk. Powered by the brand’s 106 cubic inch V-Twin and having a six-speed transmission, the Boardwalk features long fenders, 60-spoke wheels and a 4.7-gallon gas tank. It will be available in two …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s a case of paralysis by analysis. For two weeks now, ever since selling the 1994 BMW R100RT “as-is” after it suffered complete transmission failure, I’ve been shopping for a replacement bike, looking for a modern, used motorcycle that will be reliable, affordable, stable during …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The 7th annual Middletown Motorcycle Mania, which is set for 5 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 8 in downtown Middletown, is looking for volunteers to help the event run smoothly. “We have most of the volunteers for the registration booths, the parking down the middle …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com MotoGP racing comes to Laguna Seca in California this weekend. To promote the event, Honda rider Stefan Bradl took his track bike up and down San Francisco’s famed Lombard Street yesterday. Given the road’s width and slickness, I suspect the descent wasn’t as easy as …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It not often that newspapers pay attention go motorcyclists, much less write about them in an inspiring manner. “The Republican-American,” of course, has the RIDE-CT column but most papers’ acknowledgement of riders consists of stories about us getting killed or injured in accidents. However, Karina …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The late afternoon email from Cornwall collector Will Paley stated, “I’m heading to Mohawk State Park to fire up the Griffon.” Unfortunately, it didn’t get noticed until it was too late to get there to witness his excursion, so I can only imagine what the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Part of the fun of riding is when the motorcycle you’re piloting gets positive feedback from other riders. I was getting ready to pull out of a side street in Thomaston this afternoon, headed to a gas station, when a couple on a heavyweight cruiser …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The 3rd annual Torrington Thunder motorcycle show in downtown Torrington isn’t until Sept. 28, but we’re is already hard at work lining up bikes for The Republican-American/RIDE-CT.com display. Yesterday, Sal Masotta of Waterbury committed to bring his 1920 Indian Powerplus. The bike formerly belonged to …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In this case, it’s just one bike “along the road” – a custom parked along the main drag in Kent yesterday. Despite trying, I never managed to locate the owner. The bike’s green paint with flames and skull and spider attracted glances. Whoever did the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com What’s it like to go down at nearly 80 miles per hour? This video snagged from “The Daily Mirror” in the U.K. shows us:

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Results of RIDE-CT.com’s June poll have been tabulated and nearly half of those voting – 49 percent – believe that loud exhaust pipes are obnoxious. Readers were given six choices to complete the line “Do you think loud exhaust pipes are…” and were allowed to …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com When the “down low” noise began, I cannot recall. Maybe sometime last year. It became more persistent, although not consistent, this spring. Something definitely seemed wrong with my 1994 BMW R100RT, but I couldn’t pinpoint the problem. Friends rode it and didn’t hear a thing. …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Victory marks 14 years of making motorcycles in Spirit Lake, Iowa on the 4th of July and plans on unveiling some 2013 models next Monday. Today, the company rolled out a new badge design/logo with a teaser video.