Up To Speed

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.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was a bit too hot yesterday afternoon to enjoy riding much, but a morning spin to Toymake’s Cafe in Falls Village turned up (as usual) some noteworthy vintage models, including two Ducatis. Mark Young of Guilford rode in a black 1975 Ducati 860 GT …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com John Purdy Jr., who oversees the motorcycle safety courses at Naugatuck Valley Community College and is a Connecticut Rider Education Program instructor, preaches the importance of riders being visible to drivers. He always wears a bright, reflective vest when riding and, a couple of years …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A high-speed ride took a scary turn for a rider with a video camera when a snake slithered out from between the handlebars… What would you have done?  Calmly slowed down or completely lost control? — Motorcycle noise in our National Parks is creating a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was June 17th, the day after many of us in the riding community in northwest Connecticut were shocked to learn of the death of T.J. Zappulla of Torrington. Riding compatriot Gary Randall and I were headed north on Route 179, approaching North Canton with …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Triumph has finally announced what RIDE-CT.com readers learned a month ago – that the company will re-enter the touring segment with a 2013 model called the Trophy SE. U.S. dealers will begin receiving the bike in January. A more downscale version, lacking the SE designation, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A video produced in the U.K. to promote this year’s Ride to Work Day this past Monday showcases two uses for leather, and it’s very funny…

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com If you wear an SA-08 model motorcycle helmet, sold under the brand name 5X5, you might want to chuck it in the dumpster. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has flagged it for failing to meet head protection requirements  of the federal safety standard for …

Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A 44-year-old California firefighter rode his Yamaha Super Tenere motorcycle 2,428 miles from San Diego to Jacksonville, FL in 45 hours this week to help the non-profit group Friends of NICU buy a motor home to enable parents of premature babies stay close to them as …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com An idea from governmental entity that actually makes sense – and is useful to riders? The General Assembly in Rhode Island has passed legislation and the governor has signed off on providing specific parking spaces for riders at state, city and town buildings. The new …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Get the feeling that dealers in Connecticut are optimistic? Not only has Mark’s Motorsports in Enfield added Triumph and Street Stuff Cycle in Norwich added Ural, but New Haven Powersports has now acquired the Italian-made Moto Guzzi line to go along with Aprilia, Kawasaki, Suzuki …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com After spending four days in Atlanta last week for new dealer training, Mark Bujak of Mark’s Motorsports in Enfield is now looking forward to being the British brand’s newest dealership in southern New England. Bujak today confirmed that his store has been accepted as a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com One of the highlights of every riding season is the annual Rhinebeck Grand National Meet at the Duchess County Fairgrounds in New York. Despite the persistent raindrops on Saturday, this weekend’s show truly

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Up until yesterday, I’d never heard of FairWarning.com, a non-profit, online investigative news operation devoted to “news of safety, health and corporate conduct” that’s headed by award-winning former “Los Angeles Times” investigative reporter Myron Levin. What brought it to my attention was a story headlined …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Ducati reports that North American sales in May were up 49 percent from a year ago with 1,782 bikes being sold. That marked the company’s all-time record for a month. Ducati attributes part of the reason for the rise to the introduction of two new …