Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Husqvarna has been known for its off-road bikes, but is now looking for more of a street presence under the ownership of BMW. This past week, it released pictures of a new 900cc parallel twin based adapted from a BMW powerplant. The Husqvarna Nuda 900R …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Public opposition to motorcycle noise – the kind created by straight exhaust pipes – is growing and two pro-motorcycle groups are taking an active role in stamping out the roar. The American Motorcyclist Association and the Motorcycle Industry Council have devised a standard method testing …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Steve Willard was vacationing in Maine last summer with his wife, Chris Brouillet. They’d spent the night in Freeport and he was out taking a morning walk when he noticed three women dressed in blue jeans and wearing shirts that resembled the U.S. flag. They …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Do you wear gear? Protective jacket? Armored gloves? Kevlar-lined jeans? Boots? A new research project done by The George Institute for Global Health in Australia has some not-so-surprising data on the effectiveness of motorcycle gear in preventing injuries in crashes. Here are some of the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Let me guess that this has happened to you – but probably only once. A little background first, though. Last weekend, I bought a peppy 1982 BMW R65LS to replace the 1985 BMW K100RS that recently left the garage (and is now on sale on …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A rider in Illinois was clocked by a state trooper going 182 mph. He could have fled, but pulled over instead and received a ticket. “The Courier-News” in Elgin has the story here. The rider, Rodney Jones, was fined $375.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com After teasing riders for a few weeks, Suzuki has finally spilled some pics and specs on its 2012 DL650 V-Strom. It looks like the V-Strom gets more of a facelift than a full makeover in its quest to compete with Triumph’s Tiger 800 and BMW’s …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-Ct.com The Springfield, Mass. motorcycle dealership that survived a roof collapse back in winter has decided to close its doors. Tibby’s Harley-Davidson will go out of business at month’s end. Its website notes “the end of an era” that began in 1956 when the store opened …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com We wimped out. Rather than ride to Rhinebeck on Saturday morning, friend Gary Randall and I drove. It rained off and on, heavily at times, so the decision was a wise one. The annual Rhinebeck Grand National Meet is always a treat. It’s part show …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Big changes are underway at Harley-Davidson’s plant at York, Pa. There are fewer workers and more automation, and more downsizing is predicted. “The York Daily Record” has the story here.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Suzuki has inked in Saturday as the date for a new model reveal, having been teasing the new middle class bike with some line drawings on its website. The speculation is that the 2012 model will be a replacement for the current DL-650 V-Strom, a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Sarah Palin’s non-campaign for the presidency has been in the news a lot lately – for riding as a passenger in Rolling Thunder in D.C. and, more recently, for her comments about Paul Revere and the British. It got me wondering that if the technology …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Playing catch-up after being away for the Memorial Day weekend: Brothers Harley-Davidson of Branford has bought the assets of two other Harley dealerships in Connecticut following the bankruptcy of owner Fritz Blau. Brothers picked the bones of Bridgeport Harley-Davidson in Stratford and Stamford Harley-Davidson. The …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com RIDE-CT spent the Memorial Day weekend in Washington, attending Rolling Thunder and visiting some of the memorials dedicated to those who gave their lives for our country. The procession of hundreds of thousands of motorcycles lasted for nearly three hours and created a background roar …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Received an email yesterday from Ken Anderson, who shared the news that his grandfather, Norbert Schickel, will be inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio in November. Schickel’s company was based in Stamford and unveiled its first motorcycle in 1911. It sold …