March, 2012

• 13 March

  Is Carmaker Audi Buying Ducati?

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Is Audi on the way to becoming the owner of Ducati? “Car” magazine reported Monday that the German carmaker has an exclusive deal to buy the Italian superbike builder. The story is posted here. There are certainly two ways of looking at this arrangement: Skeptics …

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• 10 March

  The Bike That Got Away…

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It has long been said that there are those that have “gone down” and those who will “go down.” It includes most of us. A patch of sand on the roadway, a smudge of oil and black ice can lead to a mishap. So can …

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• 9 March

  Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com If you’re a rider who always wears a helmet, have you ever stopped for gas and gone inside to give the cashier money without removing it? A 26-year-old rider in Scotland has been banned from a Tesco gas station for doing just that. All Leanne …

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• 8 March

  A Bargain At Twice the Price…

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It was the brand name that attracted my attention – Garelli. I’d never heard of it before today. It was while riding into the pizza joint where I meet the guys for lunch every day that I noticed a smallish bike parked outside a house …

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• 6 March

  Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com It has often been said that you only have one chance to make a good impression. These days, for dealerships, that first impression is often via the Internet. An inadequate or hard-to-maneuver  website can make a bad first impression. So can outdated information and hyperbole. …

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• 5 March

  Newspaper Column Gets Email Reaction

  Maybe I’m showing my age – that’s why I have two vintage bikes in the garage as well as one that’s borderline vintage – but in a world of website comments, Facebook posts and Tweets, it’s nice to receive something as old-fashioned as an email (or two): Bud, I read …

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• 3 March

  Safe Riding: Looking But Not Seeing

  By Steve Smith of RIDE-CT.com Most motorcycle safety professionals extol the value of visibility when riding a motorcycle. Our vision is probably the most important of our primary senses to help reduce the chance of a crash. The common phrase used is “See and be seen,” which reminds riders to …

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• 2 March

  Tool For Finding A Bike That Fits

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com Of all the motorcycles that I’ve owned, the worst was probably a blue 2004 Triumph Sprint ST. I bought it based on looks alone – without even taking a test ride. It looked incredibly sporty on the showroom floor at Canton Cycles and I returned …

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• 1 March

  McQueen Top Vote-Getter in February Poll

  By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com The polls closed at midnight Wednesday – OK, more like 9 p.m. – on February’s poll question: “Who’s the coolest rider ever?” Getting the most votes was actor Steve McQueen, who famously rode a motorcycle in the movie “The Great Escape,” although stunt rider Bud …

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February, 2012

• 29 February

  Branchville Repairs Rare Vincent Black Shadow

  By Bud Wilkinson of  RIDE-CT.com There is no other motorcycle on the planet that possesses the mystique of the Vincent Black Shadow. Fewer than 1,700 were built between 1948 and 1955, which is when the British manufacturer went out of business. It was a Black Lightning race version of the …

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