Up To Speed

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 …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com He was kicked to the curb by Harley-Davidson, but it now appears that Erik Buell will finally release a new street machine from his new company, Erik Buell Racing. A week ago, Buell posted a teaser photo of a sport bike on his Facebook page and …

Ever thought that all of the family fireworks involving the feuding Teutel clan and their employees at Orange County Choppers in New York was just staged for the cameras for the “American Chopper” television series? The “Times-Union” newspaper in Albany reported over the weekend that

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It has been a Danbury institution for decades and a Sunday gathering spot for riders seeking breakfast and a launching point for a morning ride, but Marcus Dairy Bar has finally closed for good. “The News-Times” newspaper in Danbury has the story of its last …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com A representative of the Connecticut Motorcycle Riders Association is planning to be in the hearing room today when the General Assembly’s Transportation Committee invites testimony on some 81 proposed bills, including ones that would require a valid driver’s license with motorcycle endorsement to register as motorcycle and that would …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Unlike other motorcycle companies, which routinely unveil their lineups at one time, and then maybe follow up with a new model or two during the year, Honda engages in a frustrating habit of revealing its lineup for a model year in dribs and drabs over …

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The state legislature is taking on the issue of loud exhaust pipes on motorcycles. Separate bills proposed in the General Assembly by Sen. John Fonfara (D-1st District) and Sen. Kevin Kelly (R-21st District) would, respectively, “prevent the operation of motorcycles with tail pipes that violate maximum …

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 …