Up To Speed

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 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com For the 13th consecutive year, Arai helmets rank highest in customer satisfaction, according to a J.D. Power and Associates survey of 4,820 purchasers of new motorcycles who provided info about their most recent helmet buy. Sharing the top spot with Arai was Icon with a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In an editorial in today’s newspaper, “The Hartford Courant” came out in favor of a mandatory helmet law for all riders in Connecticut, saying the current “weak helmet law” costs taxpayers money. Read the editorial here.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was back in 1990 that John Bloor revived the iconic British brand Triumph, and the company now produced its 500,000th bike – a red, white and blue Speed Triple. Here’s what it looks like:           There’s also a teaser video:

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Need another sign that Husqvarna plans to up its street image with some on-road product? The BMW-owned brand is out with a new teaser video of a 900cc engine, based upon the motor used in BMW F800s, that will power a new model. Husqvarna is …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com An editorial in today’s “New Haven Register” notes that a new study shows that a disproportionate number of deaths involving Connecticut motorcyclists between 2001 and 2007 – more than 65 percent – involved riders who weren’t wearing a helmet. The study also revealed that only …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Countless riders own Harleys. Bill Kerber’s motorized conveyance might best be called a “Hardley.” It’s not very powerful and doesn’t go very fast. Unlike a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, it doesn’t have a massive V-twin motor, rather a petite 80cc single cylinder engine that sounds like an …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The overturning of a controversial city helmet law in Myrtle Beach, S.C. by the state Supreme Court is expected to bring bikers back to the Grand Strand for the Cruisin’ the Coast Spring Bike Rally, which runs Friday through May 22. “The Charlotte Observer” reports more riders …