Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Of all the motorcycles that I’ve owned, the worst was probably a blue 2004 Triumph Sprint ST. I bought it based on looks alone – without even taking a test ride. It looked incredibly sporty on the showroom floor at Canton Cycles and I returned …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The polls closed at midnight Wednesday – OK, more like 9 p.m. – on February’s poll question: “Who’s the coolest rider ever?” Getting the most votes was actor Steve McQueen, who famously rode a motorcycle in the movie “The Great Escape,” although stunt rider Bud …

By Bud Wilkinson of  RIDE-CT.com There is no other motorcycle on the planet that possesses the mystique of the Vincent Black Shadow. Fewer than 1,700 were built between 1948 and 1955, which is when the British manufacturer went out of business. It was a Black Lightning race version of the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Catching up after taking a few days off… Stamford-based publisher and motorcycle enthusiast/collector Buzz Kanter, the guy behind such magazines as “American Iron,” “RoadBike” and “Motorcycle Bagger,” will be among 2012 inductees into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday. (Buzz …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Redline Powersports, the new motorcycle accessories and service store in Winsted, will holds its grand opening on Saturday. The store is located in the building that formerly housed Canton Cycles at 70 S. Main St. (when Route 8 runs into Route 44). Owner Shannon Fry …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com So, when did you put your motorcycle away for the winter? You say you haven’t yet, and probably won’t now that the first day of spring is only a month away? RIDE-CT.com hasn’t been out since Saturday when 80 miles was logged on both the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The Connecticut motorcycle club that’s devoted to all rides British – hence the name British Iron Association – has unveiled a new website. Club chairman Shaun Kelly reports that it’s still a work in progress. Some pages are activated and some aren’t. “(The) paint is …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Steve Smith and I were walking back to Grand Central Station last month after attending the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York City when we noticed a Harley stopped at a light on 9th Avenue. Dangling from the clutch lever was a long, braided …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Polaris is looking to expand its market share and take a bite out of Harley-Davidson’s when it begins full-scale production of Indian motorcycles in 2013, in addition to its Victory line. The company views Indian as being a heritage marque with classic styling that has a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Where’s the oldest Harley-Davidson dealership? You might think it’s in Milwaukee where Harley makes its headquarters, but writing in “The Columbus Dispatch” columnist Joe Blundo singles out the A.D. Farrow dealership in the Ohio capitol, and he recalls that it owes its longevity to a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Rice-O-Rama has become a victim of its success. Consequently, the annual all-Japanese meet will leave cramped quarters at the North Brookfield Sportsmen’s Club in North Brookfield, Mass. and move to a new location in September – the Singletary Rod and Gun in Oxford, MA. This …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Triumph and Barber Motorsports Park have teamed up  for both AMA races and the track’s vintage festival. A new video not only turns Nick Apex and Ernie Vigil into grunting granddads, but has them stunting through the priceless motorcycle collection at Barber’s museum with Jason …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Some things never go out of style, and that certainly includes the black leather jackets that so many riders wear both for protection and as a fashion statement. The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee will celebrate this zippered piece of motorcycle culture with an exhibit from …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Investindustrial, the Italian private-equity owner of Ducati, is looking to sell the motorcycle brand for as much as one billion euros, or $1.32 billion. The “Financial Times” broke the story today and reported that potential suitors include India-based Mahindra as well as Volkswagen and BMW …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was only a little more than a week ago that Harley-Davidson unveiled two mid-year 2012 models – the Sportster “Seventy-Two” and the Softail “Slim” – and the good news is that they’re already in stores. RIDE-CT.com visited Harley-Davidson of Danbury on Friday and got …