Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Harley-Davidson CEO Keith E. Wandell was compensated approximately $6.4 million in 2010, according to financial data released by the company in advance of a stockholder’s meeting next month. “The Journal Sentinel” in Milwaukee has more details here.

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was last September that photos came out of Keira Knightley wearing a catsuit and sitting on a Ducati. The commercial shoot was for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle perfume and while the ad isn’t out yet a teaser video has been released with the actress talking about the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com OK, maybe it’s still a little nippy and the snow crust hasn’t melted entirely, but this weekend has RIDE-CT believing that the riding season is here. The ice mound at the end of the driveway is gone and the clocks have been pushed ahead. Petcocks …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The lack of a mandatory helmet law in Connecticut has “led to high fatalities and injuries from motorcycle crashes that likely cost billions of dollars in hospital and rehabilitation bills,” according to a new study released today by researchers at Yale School of Medicine, UConn and the Connecticut …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com There probably isn’t a motorcyclist who doesn’t ride in blue jeans – if not most of the time, at least occasionally. Some riders wear leather chaps over their jeans while others wear non-denim riding pants packed with armor, but plain ol’ jeans are always the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com When is a motorcycle dealer not a dealer? That’s an interesting question, and it applies to Harley-Davidson of Danbury, which used to also sell Buell motorcycles before Harley scrapped the brand. Now, Buell founder Erik Buell is back with a new company, EBR, and a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The bankruptcy and closure of Fritz’s Bridgeport Harley-Davidson in Stratford will mean the end of the H.O.G. chapter tied to the dealership. In an email sent yesterday, which was forwarded to RIDE-CT, Karen Ligammari reported that she had just heard from H.O.G. regional manager Dan …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s on quiet days like this when RIDE-CT yearns for some really startling news, such as “Harley Announces Plans for 250cc Bike” or “Laconia Bows to Vegans, Bans Leather.” You get the idea. We’re in that “Never Land” between seasons where little is happening, except at the General …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was five weeks ago that Fritz’s Bridgeport Harley-Davidson filed for Chaper 11 bankruptcy protection in hopes of getting the business back on sound financial footing, but it now appears that the Harley franchise in Stratford is up for grabs.   In filing in U.S.Bankruptcy Court in Bridgeport …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s quite a remarkable achievement – a model that has lasted for 36 years and sold more than 640,000 units. It’s the Honda Gold Wing, which gets a makeover for the 2012 model year with production shifting to Japan from Marysville, Ohio. Honda revealed its new …

The current (March 2011) issue of the lifestyle magazine “Men’s Journal” has as its cover story “The New Essentials – 59 Tools and Toys You Can’t Live Without.” On the list and

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Erik Buell hinted recently that he’d have “a surprise or two” in Daytona next month. Most everyone predicted that he’d unveil a new street bike from EBR (Erik Buell Racing), the company he founded after Harley-Davidson discarded the Buell brand. Instead of waiting, though, he …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The temperature was in the 50s yesterday and lot of riders took advantage of warmth by pulling their bikes out, despite the fact roads are sandy and wet. Smart riders are cautious and keep an eye open for hazards. Then there are riders like the ones that a …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Defense attorney Michael “Mickey” Sherman described the case as “a nightmare.” Only minutes before, Sherman’s client, 24-year-old Jennifer J. Khan of Norwalk, had pleaded nolo contendere to negligent homicide. She received a six-month suspended sentence in Bantam Superior Court, a $1,000 fine and two years probation …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com BMW Motorrad is finally out with prices on its new 2012 K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL touring models. The base MSRP on the GT is $20,900, while the base on the GTL is $23,200. That includes a Xenon headlight with dynamic leveling, heated seat …