Up To Speed

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Harley-Davidson continues to modify its entry-level Sportster model and has now come up with the 1200 Custom for 2011. It features a chunky 16-inch front wheel, a pull-back handlebar (with a mini-apehanger option) and a reshaped LED tail lamp. There’s also wider fork spacing and wider …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Italian bike-maker Moto Guzzi, part of the Piaggio Group, rolled out two prototype models at a dealer show in Monte Carlo last week. Of course, someone took cell phone pictures that quickly got leked to European motorcycle websites, which prodded the release of some official photos.  In the …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Forget massive amounts of chrome and bling, Harley-Davidson’s new 2011Blackline model, a member of the Softail line, keeps it simple with a sparse look and loads of black. From its bobbed rear fender to its Split Drag handlebars with internal wiring, the Blackline is a bike that’s been …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Bridgeport Harley-Davidson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, listing debts of between $1 million and $10 million and similar assets. The “Connecticut Post” quotes owner W. Fritz Blau III as attributing the dealership’s problems to the bad economy of the past three years. Bridgeport …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Harley-Davidson and Victory used the opening day of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York today to unveil new models, while other manufacturers used the event to show off previously announced 2011 models for the first time. RIDE-CT got up at 4 a.m., drove through heavy …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Nearly 100 competitors and 200 spectators from southern New England kicked off another season of ice racing today at the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club in Sturbridge, Mass.  The weather was perfect – temps in the upper 20s and no wind. The crowd was enthusiastic. The competition spirited. …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com In trying to pin down the date for this year’s IMOC meet (staged by the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club), I chatted this week with Jeff Lussier of the Hamilton Rod & Gun Club in Sturbridge, Mass. That’s where IMOC holds it annual event. Lussier informed me …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com “The Hour” newspaper in Norwalk yesterday heaped some editorial praise on the new Connecticut law that requires all new riders to take motorcycle safety course before obtaining an “M” endorsement on a driver’s license, and then took up the issue of the lack of a helmet …

By Bud Wilkinson  Ever since Gengras Harley-Davidson bought the BMW and Triumph franchises from Canton Cycles in Winsted and brought them to East Hartford in mid-2006, pairing them with Ducati, it has acted much like a nerd in an unlikely relationship with a supermodel – unsure of how to treat …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Riding a snowmobile for the first time over the weekend got me to thinking about the Can-Am Spyder. Part of the reason was that the sled was a Ski-Doo with a Rotax engine, manufactured by Bombardier Recreational Products, the same company that makes the Spyder. Another reason …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Today’s RIDE-CT column in “The Republican-American” focuses primarily on changes that are being implemented at Gengras Motorcycles in East Hartford, which sells Harley-Davidson, BMW, Ducati and Triumph motocycles. RIDE-CT visited there earlier this week. In our conversation, Jim Taylor, who is general manager of the Euro …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Given the continued dreary state of the economy and ominous stories in the motorcycle press about aging Baby Boomers on the verge of giving up riding, you’d think that “the numbers” would show a major decline in the popularity of motorycling. That’s certainly not the case here in …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It’s a story that keeps changing, depending on who’s talking and what day it is. However, for the moment, the Ducati brand continues to be sold by Gengras in East Hartford. RIDE-CT visited the Harley-Davidson, BMW, Ducati and Triumph dealership today and learned of some substantive …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Ducati has confirmed that it is currently without a dealer in Connecticut as Max BMW in Brookfield and Gengras in East Hartford have quit selling Italian brand. “Max BMW didn’t want to carry Ducati as it didn’t fit their business model, which leaves a big …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A date for the 2011 edition of Rice-O-Rama, the vintage and custom Japanese motorcycle show and swap meet in North Brookfield, Mass. (not too far from Sturbridge and I-84), has been set. This year’s show will be Sunday, Sept. 11 at the same site as last …