Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com German carmaker Audi AG announced this afternoon that it is acquiring Ducati. In announcing the deal, Audi chairman of the board of management Rupert Stadler said, “Ducati is known worldwide as a premium brand among motorcycle manufacturers and has a long tradition of building sporty …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The dust will be flying at Seacoast Harley-Davidson this spring, summer and fall. The dealership in North Hampton, NH plans a major renovation of its 66,000-square-foot facility. Work begins next month and will likely run into October, according to Seacoastonline.com, which has a story posted …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In the days before cameras on cell phones, riding milestones often went unrecorded – unless you happened to be lucky enough to have a camera along. While out today on a ride into the Berkshires, friend Brian O’Neil suddenly pulled off on to the berm …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A reduced work force, a more corporate atmosphere, a reduced pride in workmanship and even some fear on the part of workers is the story of Harley-Davidson these days, according to a comprehensive report by Rick Barrett of the “Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.” Barrett went to …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed into law a bill that allows any rider who is 21 and older and who has $20,000 in medical insurance to go without a helmet. Snyder signed the bill on Friday and it went into effect immediately. Other requirements …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com One of the first RIDE-CT columns written for “The Republican-American” back in September 2005 was about Jack Potter, a Torrington, CT motorcyclist who had been riding since 1948. Jack was 78 years old at the time. What developed was a warm acquaintanceship. We’d occasionally bump …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Reuters is reporting that German carmaker Audi will finally announce next week the acquisition of Italian bike-maker Ducati. The Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” also reports that the deal is expected to be signed next week, and pegs the purchase price at $1.1 billion. Would …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The Scottsdale, AZ-based custom bike builder known as Sucker Punch Sallys is expanding its dealer lineup and expects to have a store in Bristol, CT soon. Vice president and general manager JP Barbeau confirmed the news in an email this morning. While declining to provide …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s safe to say there’s no other bike quite like the “flying brick” that Ray Becker of New Marlborough, MA owns, and now wants to sell. Underneath it’s a 1985 BMW K100 with 51,000 miles on the odometer, but what gets immediately noticed is the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Between us, friend Gary Randall and I now have but two running motorcycles, one each. We’re in crisis mode – determined to ride this Easter Sunday but wary of what might happen next. Most of the bikes in Gary’s vintage collection are on the disabled …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The state legislature in New Hampshire is once again trying to crack down on excessive motorcycle noise. A bill under consideration would reduce the allowable noise level from 106 decibels to 92 decibels. And that’s when idling. Law enforcement agencies turned out to support the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Today – April 5 – is the most dangerous day to ride, at least in the U.K. Data from the bike insurance company Bennetts reveals that April 5 has the highest number of claims, with Thursdays generally being the worst day of the week for …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The changing makeup of Harley-Davidson’s customer base and its incredible brand loyalty is the subject of story not in the United States but in “The National” in the United Arab Emirates. While some of the content is obvious and rehash, the article does point out …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com “Wild Bill” Eggers of Goshen, CT has done it again. After replicating an 1886 Daimler motorcycle – and building five of them, one of which sits in the Motorcyclepedia museum in Newburgh, NY – he’s now recreating what might have been the first motorcycle. It’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Last year was a good year for Harley-Davidson, and for those in the corporate offices. H-D’s top five executives received discretionary and performance-based bonuses of almost $5.7 million, with CEO Keith Wandell getting more than $2.8 million. Wandell’s total compensation for 2011, which includes stock …