Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com RIDE-CT.com would never try to compete with Craigslist, but occasionally an “available” bike comes along that warrants mention. Larry Maye of Southbury emailed me back in early August about a 1973 Harley-Davidson Z90 that he owns. “Garaged for 36 years,” he proclaimed. “All original, looks …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Harley-Davidson sells more bikes in the city of Milwaukee, its home base, than it does in all of China because of long-standing road restrictions. Bloomberg News has the story here.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com This weekend’s Fairfield County Concours d’Elegance in Westport may emphasize cars with 200 extraordinary examples, but motorcycles are getting some exposure, too. More than 20 bikes will be exhibited, including a “barn find” 1938 Indian Scout, a 1990 BMW K1, a 1937 Brough Superior and …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Motorcycling is a passion that once discovered is hard to give up. Given the ongoing condition of the economy and the fact that some baby boomers are reaching the age where quitting riding makes sense, it might be logical to speculate that motorcycle registrations would …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Well, I finally understand first-hand how and why the Japanese put the British bike industry out of business in the 1970s. All it took was a 180-mile road trip on the 1974 Honda CB750 Four that I acquired on Friday. It was smooth running from …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Japanese bike lovers from New England and beyond flocked to the 5th annual Rice-O-Rama vintage meet in North Brookfield, Mass. on Sunday. The show ground was filled with some sparkling examples of motorcycling’s past from the Land of the Rising Sun, including these two Honda …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s a TV commercial that both Harley-Davidson riders and dog lovers will enjoy, and it’s for the 2012 Harley Wide Glide, part of the “No Cages” ad campaign. The ad debuted during the season premiere of “Sons of Anarchy.” Not only does it promote Harley, …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Playing a bit of catch-up… August wasn’t a good month for Triumph’s Tiger 800 and Tiger 800 XC as recall notices were issued in the past week or so not once but twice. A problem with the engine management software on certain 2011 and 2012 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Owners of vintage motorcycles can have a lot in common with their bikes. One guy attending the “25th annual” Brit Jam motorcycle meet at the Haddam Neck Fairgrounds on Aug. 21 even wore a T-shirt that had some of the similarities emblazoned across the front: …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com I chuckled at the Facebook post late yesterday afternoon by a friend who wondered whether it might be time for a ride as Hurricane Irene had cleared the state. Love her attitude. She wisely acknowledged, though, that the roads were likely to be too littered …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The email late this afternoon from Max BMW frankly kind of shocked me. Maybe it was because I heading out to a Hurricane Irene preparedness meeting where first responders in Harwinton put in place a plan to deal with the worst case scenario – buildings …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Bike nights in Connecticut are as common as roadside vegetable stands. RIDE-CT made a quick stop this evening at the weekly Tuesday night gathering at McDonald’s in Torrington to grab a few snapshots: Steve Bristol of Torrington, who rode in on his 2009 Harley-Davidson Ultra …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Maybe, just maybe, my rebuilt 1969 Triumph T100R Daytona will make it to Brit Jam this year. Dubbed “This Old Bike” when it was put back on the road in 2008 and chronicled in a long-running series of columns in “The Republican-American,” the vintage 500cc …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Riders get stereotyped. Sport bike riders are kids in shorts and flip-flops, while cruiser riders have tattoos and leather vests. Earlier this month, cartoonist Dave Kellett tackled these stereotypes. His cartoon is humorous and spot-on. After you check it out, though, take a few more …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A man in Arkansas who discovered a meteorite while digging in his back yard is trying to swap it for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and his local dealership is open to the idea. Afterall, look at all the free publicity the trade is generating. Autoblog has …