HOG 044 (March 2018)

HOG ® Magazine Canada | March 2018

HOG ® Magazine Canada | March 2018

$6.99CAN

HOG.COM

Canadian Edition

NEW 2018 SPORTSTER® MODELS • A DIP IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN • CRUISING THE B.C. INTERIOR • ADVENTURES IN THE ROCKIES • BABES RIDE OUT IN CALIFORNIA • EXPANDING HOG® HORIZONS IN TOKYO • REGIONAL PROFILE: FRANCE

Welcome to a modern take on what’s been putting big grins on the faces of Sportster motorcycle riders for decades. 1200cc of Evolution V-Twin engine. Quick handling.

And throwback 70’s custom tank art because we were there. The new Iron 1200 motorcycle. If you strip the thrill of riding to its bare essence, this is what you get. ®

®

™

h-d.com/sportster

IRON 1200™

©2018 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Selection varies by dealership. Prices listed are generally the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), excluding taxes and shipping, and are subject to change without notice. Prices at local dealerships may vary.

Welcome

HOG® MAGAZINE CANADA IS PRODUCED FOR HOG® CANADA BY Archant Dialogue, Prospect House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RE, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1603 664242 www.archantdialogue.co.uk AND Fresh Air Publishing 375 Water St., Suite 200 Vancouver, BC, Canada V6B 5C6 www.freshairpublishing.ca info@freshairpublishing.ca

Copyeditors Amy Reid and Christina Newberry Production Editor Matt Colley Assistant Editor Rosie Pearce Production Designers Lucy Perkins and Nicola Preston Production Manager Kay Brown Account Manager Katherine Berryman Studio Manager Nicky Wright Art Director Richard Berry Content & Brand Director Ryan Battles Agency Director Zoë Francis-Cox Editorial & Sales (Canada) Dustin Woods Editorial Director Gordie Bowles

We care about you. Ride safely, respectfully, and within the limits of the law and your abilities. Always wear an approved helmet, proper eyewear, and protective clothing and insist your passenger does too. Never ride while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Know your Harley® motorcycle, and read and understand your owner’s manual from cover to cover.

HOG ® Magazine Canada is published by Harley-Davidson Canada LP and the Harley Owners Group™, the official riding club of Harley-Davidson.

We reserve the right to edit all submissions for publication in HOG ® Magazine Canada.

All submissions become property of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. and Harley-Davidson Canada LP. If you’d like your photo returned, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission.

All H-D® product illustrations, photographs, and specifications mentioned in the publication are based on the latest product information at the time of publication. The right is reserved to make changes at any time in prices, colors, materials, equipment, specifications, and models and also to discontinue models. Some vehicles in this publication are shown with available equipment.

HOG® Magazine Canada will not intentionally publish fraudulent or misleading advertising. HOG® Magazine Canada does not endorse any advertiser or its products, and cannot be responsible for advertisers’ claims.

To advertise in HOG ® Magazine Canada, email info@freshairpublishing.ca.

No part of HOG ® Magazine Canada may be reproduced for any purpose in entirety or part without the express written consent of Harley-Davidson.

Harley-Davidson, Harley, H-D, HOG, and the Bar & Shield logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Copyright 2018 Publication Mail Agreement No. 400337386 CANADA POST Publication Mail: 4161505 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

A LONG AND WINDING JOURNEY ACCORDING TO STEPHEN JAY GOULD, renowned American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist and historian of science, “Evolution is a process of continuous branching and diversification from common trunks. This pattern of irreversible separation gives life’s history its basic directionality.”

Yes, progress has been on my mind of late (thanks in large part to some very talented publishers with whom we have collaborated to design this fresh new style for HOG ® Magazine Canada).

Progress. Change. Evolution™. Revolution X™. Milwaukee-Eight™. And so on. Of course, by “common trunks,” Gould surely must have meant a Harley® V-twin. Basic direction in life undoubtedly comes from one’s motorcycle.

On the pages of our last issue, you had a chance to feast your eyes on what was then the newest addition, the ninth model, to the all-new Softail® family: Sport Glide. Powerful, agile, responsive, smooth – with the added ability to dress up or down depending on your choice of journey, or even destination. (“Quick-Detach” is the key here. No tools required!) In this issue, we present you with two brand-new Harley-Davidson models, this time from the legendary Sportster® family. Meet the Iron 1200™ and Forty-Eight® Special models on page 56. Both are an evolution of speed and style.

Get online at H-D.com and book yourself a test ride on all 11 of these wicked new models this spring before you miss the chance.

Over the past 35 years, Harley Owners Group™ has also seen plenty of evolution. Dan Lim of The Moto Photo takes us along on his journey through some incredible landscape with new friends in Japan, illustrating just how far HOG® has reached across the planet (page 18). As a global family, HOG is special to each of us, and this far-reaching sanctity was part of the inspiration to bring together more HOG stories from more HOG sisters and brothers across the world. Take a look at Inner Outlaw on page 25 and The California Sisterhood on page 42.

Change is inevitable, this we know. Some say it’s the only constant in life. In 115 years, we’ve gone from F-head to Milwaukee-Eight. No gloves to heated, touch-screen technology gloves.

From Enthusiast to HOG, we are well over a million members strong today.

And so, quoting brilliant minds from start to end here, allow me to leave you with the wise words of Albert Einstein: “There is neither evolution nor destiny, only being.” It’s an adage that anyone who has ever set out on the open road can nod in agreement with.

As we continue this journey together, please keep sending us your letters and stories, suggestions and requests. We love hearing from our readers!

Happy 35th Anniversary, Harley Owners Group! I look forward to seeing you at many events this summer and hope to share a kilometre or two out on the road together along the way.

HARLEY OWNERS GROUP™ 100 New Park Place, Suite 330, Vaughan, Ontario, L4K 0H9 Tel: 1.800.CLUBHOG

Contributors: Robin Esrock, Becky Goebel, Dan Lim, Charles Plueddeman, John Sandberg, Jeff Topham

Karen Mayberry Consumer Experience and Public Relations Harley-Davidson Canada

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CONTENTS

Contents

THISISSUE 03

WELCOME A long and winding journey

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THE WORD Notes from the world of Harley

10

INTAKE

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INTAKE GALLERY Readers and riders share pictures and stories

FEATURES 18 KNOW NO BOUNDS Dan Lim gets the chance to ride with his “HOG® brothers” on a dream trip to Japan

25 FINDING MY INNER OUTLAW IN THE B.C. INTERIOR First-time Harley® rider Robin Esrock takes a bucket list ride

32 THE GREAT BALL-BUSTING BALTIC MOTORCYCLE TOUR Two friends take the ultimate trip from Prague to St. Petersburg and back

38 TO THE ROCKIES AND BACK A month-long trip to the Rockies takes in national monuments, stunning sights and plenty of wildlife

48 ARCTIC EXPEDITION One man and his dog brave the elements to achieve a lifelong dream of standing in the Arctic Ocean

53 WELCOME TO THE TOUR DE FRANCE From the Alps to the Côte d’Azur, France has a little bit of everything

56 SPORTSTER® EVOLUTION The new Iron 1200™ and Forty-Eight® Special models take the Sportster motorcycle back to its roots of style, power and performance

EXHAUST 60 H-D MUSEUM Meet Walter Davidson: Machinist, rider, racer and one of the founding fathers of H-D

62 BETWEEN THE LINES Motorcycle safety statistics

64 150 DOLLAR RIDES A trip to Gonzales County for a first-hand lesson in the history of the Texas Revolution

66 LAST STOP Failed plans make the best stories

42 THE CALIFORNIA SISTERHOOD A group of female biker friends embarks on a ride through California and Nevada to attend the Babes Ride Out meet-up

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NEWS ROUNDUP FROM THE WORLD OF HOG® AND HARLEY-DAVIDSON®

Atlantic Regional HOGTOBERFEST THE WORD

By Keith Richard, Atlantic Regional HOG® Director

THIS YEAR WE in the Atlantic Region celebrated our third HOGtoberfest.

This event started in 2015 as a getaway weekend for my wife, Karen, and I. We decided to take a fall motorcycle trip to Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick, and invite a few of our friends from the various HOG® Chapters in the Atlantic Region.

Soon the word was out, and approximately 45 HOG members attended. I quickly threw together an agenda for the weekend, including a group barbecue at Toys for Big Boys Harley-Davidson in Moncton, a ride through the wonderful countryside of New Brunswick, a group supper at a ranch and, of course, a walk on the ocean floor at Hopewell Rocks. It turned out to be a great weekend.

In 2016 I decided to make this event an annual thing and move it around the Atlantic Region. 2016 found us in Stanley Bridge, Prince Edward Island. I worked with P.E.I. Chapter Director Paul Poole to find accommodations and plan the weekend agenda, including a dealer barbecue at Red Rock Harley-Davidson 6

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and a wonderful group supper at Carr’s Oyster Bar. The word went out to the Atlantic Regional HOG Chapters and they responded, with more than 65 members attending. Our Atlantic chapters share a special bond, and on many occasions you’ll find them meeting up on weekend rides. This event gets them all together to share their stories and adventures from the past summer and perhaps their plans for the coming year.

In 2017, our third annual HOGtoberfest brought us to beautiful Cape Breton Island. Our motel in Victoria County overlooked the Bras d’Or Lake and Kellys Mountain. I worked with Paul Jabalee and the Cape Breton HOG Chapter to put together the agenda, once again including a dealership barbecue – this year at Cabot Powersports – as well as a ride of the famous Cabot Trail and a group supper.

The word went out to the Atlantic Regional Chapters and once again they responded. This year, 70+ members attended on approximately 35 beautiful Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Friday

found us with a little shopping at the dealership along with a barbecue that they put on for the attendees. Then it was back to the motel, where I held a directors meeting to review the agenda for the weekend and the ride schedule for Saturday and attendees had a meet and greet at the motel. Soon a few groups broke into card games. The room quickly filled with the sounds of laughter and fun, with music playing in the background. Then it was time to get some rest in preparation for our journey around the famous Cabot Trail.

I will say Mother Nature could have been a little nicer, because only two days earlier the landscape had been filled with beautiful sunshine and 29 C temperatures, but we had sun with some clouds and 6 C. That didn’t dampen the members’ spirits. We dressed warmly, and after a nice hot breakfast, the riders headed out at 9 a.m. Throughout the day we were chased by the threat of a shower, but the temperature was rising up to a high of 14. Again, not to worry, the riders were enjoying the wonderful landscape

The Word and twisty roads. Throughout the day, the groups found themselves at breathtaking lookouts time and time again. After a short stop for lunch at the Rusty Anchor in Pleasant Bay, it was onward we go, until about 5 p.m., when we returned to the motel in Boularderie East.

It was then time to freshen up and prepare for the group supper at the restaurant right next door. The room was filled with happy riders exchanging stories about the day’s ride and their journeys throughout the past summer.

After supper and the usual thank yous and door prizes, the group moved back to the motel common room for more cards, laughs and music.

Sunday morning found us packing our bikes, saying our goodbyes and exchanging contact information.

HOGtoberfest had come to an end for 2017 and everyone was already talking about next year’s event. This was truly a memorable summer with Canada’s 150 celebrations, Harley-Davidson’s 100th anniversary in Canada celebration and now 2017 HOGtoberfest all in the books. If you are planning to attend the 2018 Atlantic Regional HOG Rally in St. John’s Newfoundland August 2-4, might I suggest taking a couple of extra days to explore the historic Cabot Trail along the way – it’s something you won’t want to miss.

5 THINGS ABOUT

GPS

For many of us, GPS is an essential part of our touring toolkit. Here are some tips for getting the most from your system:

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Talk to Me For a hands-free experience, use your headset mic to speak your destination, using Voice Command on Harley-Davidson® Boom! Box navigation systems.

Stick It Plan your route online (rideplanner.harley-davidson. com), export as a GPX file on a USB stick and upload it to your Boom! Box navigation system using the bike’s USB interface.

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Stay on Target To ensure that the motorcycle’s GPS follows your Ride Planner route, create and save each day’s travels as an individual ride, with as many waypoints as possible. Name each route and upload each separately to the Boom! Box navigation.

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On the Fly With some GPS systems – like the Garmin zumo® – you can save a route after you’ve ridden it. Scroll to “User Data” in “Settings” and press “Manage Trip Log.” Then press “Save As Route.”

Your recent trips will be displayed; press the one you want to save and name it under “Edit.” The next time you ride, scroll from “Where To?” to “Routes” to find your saved route.

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Think About This The customer may always be right, but the GPS may not be. Sometimes you know better than a computer. Don’t get distracted and remember that riding should be relaxing – sometimes it’s better to turn the device off and just go where your heart takes you!

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The Word

DIVIDED HIGHWAYS

WEEKEND TRIP or WEEK-LONG JOURNEY? WE ASKED: Do

you prefer to work during the week in order to earn your weekend ride, or are you more inclined to save up some vacation time to be able to have a longer stint in the saddle of your Harley-Davidson® motorcycle?

70% THE WORD

BOTH

10%

WEEKEND TRIP

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

20%

WEEK-LONG JOURNEY I live through the workweek waiting to ride on the weekends, but there’s nothing like a two-week ride across this beautiful country of ours! –Greg A. … With every day and every errand an excuse to ride, the weekends aren’t critical. I plan for the yearly tours. –Bill F. … My husband and I have done both weekend journeys and weeks. Since getting bikes in 2004, our vacations have been weeks on the bikes – my favourite! –Kim M. …Week-long.

Each summer until just a few years ago, five friends and I took a nine-to-10-day ride somewhere. I learned much about group riding from these guys. –Bryce C. …

Short weekend rides let you see the local area, whereas week-long trips get you on the road. My wife and I have met and seen some of the most beautiful people and places. –Phil H. … I’ve taken several weekend trips and enjoyed them all, but I still dream about Route 66 on my 2016

Tri Glide®. –Michael P. … If two days are good, seven days must be better.

Give me the journey every single time.

–“Kozmo” K. … I sometimes take a weekend ride with a group to visit another friend. –Joseph K. … Weekend and even day rides are great to fill in between full-week and multi-week rides, but the longer the better. –John J. … Both are good for the soul – weekends and a week with friends. –Bill W.

NEXT QUESTION:

CITY SLICKER or COUNTRY ROLLER?

Are you an urban explorer who loves showing off your polished chrome under the city lights? Or do you prefer getting back to nature and taking your Harley-Davidson® motorcycle off the beaten path?

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Send your thoughts to hogmagazine.ca@harley-davidson.com with “Divided Highways” in the subject line. We’ll publish the best responses in the next issue.

HOG® MAGAZINE CANADA

The Word

TO CLEAN AND INSPECT Regular maintenance and preventive care of your Harley-Davidson® motorcycle is crucial, and cleaning is an essential part of that. In fact, it’s often said that a clean bike runs better.

There’s truth to this time-honoured axiom. For one thing, when you clean dirt and grit out of hand levers and brake discs, you can improve their performance and extend their life.

But, more importantly, washing your motorcycle offers an opportunity to perform a T-CLOCS inspection.

T-CLOCS is the acronym used by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation® to guide riders through a proper pre-ride inspection of their bike. It’s one of the most important things you can do to reduce risk while riding, and it’s worthwhile to make it part of your routine during the cleaning process.

THE BASICS OF A T-CLOCS INSPECTION: TIRES & WHEELS Tread depth, wear, embedded objects, brake condition, loose spokes, etc.

CONTROLS Handlebar, levers, pedals, cables, hoses, throttle, etc.

LIGHTS & ELECTRICS Battery, headlamp, brake/tail lamp, turn signals, lenses, wiring, etc.

OIL & OTHER FLUIDS Levels, leaks, faulty seals, etc.

CHASSIS Frame, suspension, belt, etc.

STANDS Cracks, bends, spring tension.

When you wash your bike, you’re inspecting parts you might not otherwise easily see. It’s easy to see if something is loose, like a shift lever or a footpeg. When you’re cleaning your

chrome, you may feel some damage to a heat shield. Washing your tires and wheels is a great time to detect a loose spoke, excessive tire wear or a missing valve cap.

These are just a few examples of how cleaning your bike can not only help it run better but also prolong its life – and potentially yours.

By following the T-CLOCS list, it becomes easy to remember what to check, and it only takes a few minutes.

The bottom line is: If you see or touch it while you’re washing it, inspect it!

For complete information about inspections, consult your owner’s manual.

To purchase quality cleaning products designed specifically for your H-D® motorcycle, shop at your local Harley-Davidson dealership.

HOG®

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Intake

We welcome your letters, photos and riding stories. Please email yours to hogmagazine.ca@harley-davidson.com or mail them to HOG® Magazine Canada, 100 New Park Place, Suite 330, Vaughan, Ontario, L4K 0H9. Please include your name, address and telephone number and/or email address. All submissions become property of Harley-Davidson®. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and content.

INTAKE

SEND US YOUR STORIES

PORT ALBERNI TOY RUN Well, what can I say? I just moved to Port Alberni three months ago and it is home. What really makes Port Alberni so amazing is the annual toy run (you featured a photo in the July 2017 issue), which just completed its 33rd year – not bad for a small community on a Vancouver Island inlet that has seen its share of economic adversity.

More than 1,400 registered riders made the trip from Little Qualicum Falls along Cameron Lake through Cathedral Grove and over the “hump,” as it known locally only, to descend into the oasis called Port Alberni.

You can hardly drive through town on a good day without seeing a motorcycle, but this past weekend 10

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was amazing! Here is my photo shot by an amazingly talented local photographer, Darran Chaisson.

Jonathan Salken Port Alberni, B.C.

CRUISE AND RIDE Bernie Picard asked a question in the September 2017 issue about cruises and rides. There is some great information about motorcycle cruises at this website, which caters to cruise events for corporate gatherings, reunions and other events: cruise-eta.com Robert Byford St Hubert, Quebec

THE ALLURE OF OREGON After reading “48 Hours in Portland” in the December issue, I thought that readers might like to know a bit more about Oregon, a very motorcyclefriendly state. You’ll find in the state capital of Salem that most corners of the downtown area have motorcycleonly parking. Motorcyclists young and old are welcomed and encouraged to visit and stay a spell. If you like riding along beautiful coastline and eating seafood that’s cooked the same day it comes off the boat; or travelling through tall trees on a two-lane road, making friends at each stop along the way; or going from sea level to above 1,800 metres, while winding through mountain curves, then you’ll have come to the

right place. If life allows you the chance to visit Oregon, you truly won’t be disappointed.

Cole Hembree Lebanon, Oregon

PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY I relocated to the Portland area in 2016, so read with interest “48 Hours in Portland” in the December issue.

The article mentioned the traffic, which can be lousy even on weekend mornings, and the rain, which seems to be almost daily from late fall through spring.

Another thing that can surprise visitors riding in Portland is the pedestrians. It seems that even when they’re jaywalking they always get the right of way. That’s very different to me being raised in the upper Midwest, where stepping off of the curb means entering the area where cars rule.

So while visiting Portland, be aware that the vehicle in front of you could stop at any time and that a person standing at the curb could step out in front of you when logic says they should not.

driving skills as well. Far better to hit the road on a wet or windy, or even snowy, day where you have planned for it and can control distance and time and gain some practical skills for when you get hit by a storm than to always avoid it until you are trapped by it and have to ride without the skill set or confidence practice brings. I don’t ride unprepared, either. I have hot weather gear, wet weather gear and cold weather gear, and all of it has been tested in the real world and not taken on faith from advertising. “Live to Ride” is more than an expression. So too is “great riders are made in the rain or snow.”

Daryl Mahoney Edmonton, Alberta

FINDING CLARITY There are many issues we have to overcome in our short existence on this planet. The thought of being alone without the love and care of a partner, family and friends can often push someone to the absolute limit.

Although my friends and family have given me stability throughout years of

battling depression, nothing has had the same influence as my Harley-Davidson®.

Riding my motorcycle means so much to me. It cures my incurable need to please everyone. My Sportster® has given me the clarity to see what’s in my headlight. Those brief but beautiful moments give me the chance to let go.

I am so glad to ride the roads on the one thing that gives me back so much more than I’ve put in. Ride safe, and ride far.

Jonathan Ohashi United Kingdom

Tom Branch Vancouver, Washington

FIND THE TWISTIES AND GO A lot of the time we don’t have a “destination” at all – it’s all about the journey for us. Look on Google Maps for twisties and go, always discovering new roads and daily adventures – living the life!

Alison Gee Bowmanville, Ontario

LIVE TO RIDE Living in central Alberta, you get used to snow six months of the year.

Always waiting for perfect weather would make riding more theory than practice. I love to ride: with a group of friends, with my wife up behind me or alone with my thoughts. I love how my senses are engaged with the environment I am riding through.

So, for me, it’s all weather all the time.

I love the heat of a hot August, the fresh smells of a wet April, or the crisp, cold feel of a November morning as long as I have my Road King® under me. I ride every day I can, in anything.

I appreciate the opportunity to practise my various inclement weather HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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INTAKEGALLERY 1

GET IN TOUCH

We welcome your photos and riding stories. Email your submission with “Enthusiasts� as the subject line to hogmagazine.ca@ harley-davidson.com, and include your name, city, province and contact details.

Intake Gallery 1. 3 WEEKS + 12,600 KM = GOOD TIMES

I’ve owned a Harley® since 1994. Last summer, my partner, Isabelle Dubois, and I drove 12,600 kilometres over three weeks in the southwest United States. Here we are on our mount, a 2013 Road Glide®, in White Sands, New Mexico. Warm regards – I look forward to seeing you in Milwaukee next August!

PIERRE GOSSELIN Quebec City, Quebec

2. CVO HISTORY LESSON 2

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While the FXDWG3 pictured in the September issue of HOG ® Magazine Canada was a very nice-looking bike, 2002 was not the second year for CVO bikes.

CVO started up in ’99, when the first two models produced were the FXR2 and FXR3.

The second year, CVO produced the FXR4 and FLTRSEI1. Chris’s ’02 FXDWG3 was actually made in the fourth year of CVO production along with the Screamin’ Eagle® Road Glide® (FLHRSE1).

Here is a picture of my FXR4 (second year of CVO), which I’ve been able to get a collector plate for due to the limited numbers produced for the worldwide market (980 were produced, of which 664 were the Pearl Yellow pictured here).

STEVE LLOYD North Vancouver, B.C.

3. FALL FUN On September 29, a few of the Okanagan HOG® members decided to take one last ride before one person’s insurance ran out.

It was a beautiful day, with no clouds and a high of 27 C. The back roads were clean and dry with twists and turns. When we stopped at the Keremeos Tourist Information Centre for our planned picnic, we saw a group of individuals standing around waiting for October 31, so we decided to lend them our helmets and take a few photos of our newfound friends.

RANDY KIRKOSKI Penticton, B.C.

4. A RIDE THROUGH A TREE On the way to San Francisco along US 101 on our new 2017 Hard Candy Custom™ Edition Road King® Special.

MATT AND MICHELLE MACPHEE Victoria, B.C. HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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Intake Gallery 5, 6, 7. 50 AND 150

INTAKE GALLERY

I celebrated Harley-Davidson’s 100th anniversary in Canada (as well as my 50th birthday and Canada’s 150th) by riding my 2006 FXDWGI Dyna® Wide Glide® from the West Coast to the East Coast and back again.

My easterly destination, Cape Spear, Newfoundland, was the furthest east one can ride!

I got to see so much of our amazing country, riding through the mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, the rugged wilderness of Northern Ontario and our nation’s capital, the Gaspé Peninsula (Highway 132) in Quebec, the Gander Loop in Newfoundland, the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia and so much more.

I camped, stayed with friends or just roughed it when it rained in hotels/motels for 37 days and 17,546 kilometres. I checked out a bike rally in Wasaga Beach, saw old friends from coast to coast and even saw a Metallica concert in Toronto. Now to plan my next trip...

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“JACK” JOHN ROY QUINN Chemainus, B.C.

8. IS IT RIDING SEASON YET? My lover and I were introduced by a relative in 2013 because they knew our comparable fascinations with biking. After getting my driving permit six months earlier, we managed 50,000 kilometres on the road in four Quebec summers! Now we’re on identical 2017 Road King® models and can’t wait for summer 2018!

CHANTAL THIBAULT Mascouche, Quebec

9. FREEDOM RIDE: ROARIN’ BLUES My brother Leonard Venditti, his son Bradley Venditti, our good friends Rick Sheldrick and Tom Collins, and I trucked our bikes to New Orleans and flew to meet them. After picking up the bikes and spending a day in the French Quarter, the 14-day, 4,000-kilometre journey began. We headed to Mississippi along the sandy shores of the Gulf Coast, then through the Great Smoky Mountains to the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina. Then it was off to Nashville for some country music, the Jack Daniel’s Distillery for some taste-testing and Memphis for some music history. We rode south on the spectacular Natchez Trace Parkway and across Louisiana to Austin, Texas, to finish our ride. What an experience!

ALBERT M. VENDITTI Oakville, Ontario 14

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Intake Gallery 9

10. BACK AT IT This is my amazing husband, Wally. He got his first-ever new Road Glide® Special on May 18. He hasn’t owned a bike for 30 years, but he dreamed of one for years. He even encouraged me to take the motorcycle course, so I got my class 6 and then he bought me a new 883 Sportster®. This is Wally at Moose Lake, Alberta, near Jasper. I can’t wait to do a road trip next summer with my love.

ROXANE AKERS Grovedale, Alberta

11. TWO LOVES I know, another wedding picture! But here is the story that goes along with it. My wife was my college sweetheart, but we lost each other for 20 years. During that time, she had a life, and I had mine too. In a twist of fate, we met each other again for the first time in 20 years when we were both single, and five years later, we got married!

The thing we do most together is ride our Harley® Electra Glide® Classic that we bought together. She was my first love, and I hope the last. Love you, Jo! SYLVAIN LEBLANC Repentigny, Quebec 10

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INTAKE GALLERY 12

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Intake Gallery west to do the Beartooth Pass in Montana/ Wyoming before heading to South Dakota.

On our way back, we stopped by Devils Tower and our friend Murray thought this would make an interesting picture – the boys and their bikes!

CATHY KELLY Ste. Anne, Manitoba

17. RIDE FOR A GOOD CAUSE I am a current member and past director of the Huronia HOG® Chapter in Barrie, Ontario. Here is a photo of me on my 2017 Road Glide® Ultra taken by chapter photographer Dave Weatherall during the 2017 Huronia Ride for Dad in May, which raised over $100,000 for prostate cancer research.

WAYNE MCCURDY Barrie, Ontario

18. THE ORIGINAL ENTHUSIAST

12. GOOD DAY FOR A RIDE Our first ride with the new 2017 Road Glide® Special at the 33rd annual Port Alberni toy run. What a great bike.

WARREN AND DOROTHY ORR Port Alberni, B.C.

13. A QUICK JAUNT TO NY

Ultra Limited), are dwarfed by a massive logging truck, which is where the loading crew directed us to park!

SIMON OSBORNE Surrey, B.C.

15. PROUD MACHINE

I drove three hours with my H-D® Iron 883™ to reach Buffalo, New York, and spent some time at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park after a nice ride.

My bike is a 2009 FLHTCU with Rush ceramic TD headers, Cobra constant tuner and intake, and K&N V&H slash cuts, with Canadian and American flags. This photo is from April 2016 on a ride from Courtenay to Phoenix and back.

SHAJI JOSE Scarborough, Ontario

WENDY CRAIG Courtenay, B.C.

14. MUST BE B.C.

16. BOYS AND THEIR BIKES

This photo was taken during a recent ride, on the free ferry from Shelter Bay to Galena Bay on Upper Arrow Lake in South Central B.C. My wife, Fay (and our 2014 H-D®

This past summer at Sturgis, my hubby and I rode our 2005 Road King® to Gillette, Wyoming, to meet up with a couple of friends who had ridden out

Recently a friend of Gail and Todd Hatt, two members of the Central HOG® Chapter in Nova Scotia, purchased an older home.

While going through the house, they found some very rare copies of Harley-Davidson ® Enthusiast. Not being a collector or rider but knowing the Hatts are very much involved in the Harley-Davidson lifestyle, the friend gave them the magazines. Gail and Todd were thrilled and thought they would share their story with the HOG family nationwide. The magazine copies include editions from November 1932, April 1933, May 1933, April 1934, July 1934, March 1935 and December 1935.

KEITH RICHARD Atlantic Regional Director, Harley Owners Group™ 18

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NDS

Toronto rider and professional photographer visits “HOG® brothers” in Tokyo Story and photos by Dan Lim HOG®

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Yokohama on the day of the ride. Fortunately, Joe Mizuchi of the Nakano Chapter spoke fluent English and acted as translator for the day.

After some introductory pleasantries during which we found we had many things in common (mostly Harley-Davidson-related, of course), and despite the slight language barrier, we were ready to roll out, with me on a 2018 Street Bob® model.

I couldn’t have asked for a better day to ride with these excellent riders, with the sun shining and cooler fall temperatures. Led by our Road Captain, Kunihiro Igarashi, we took the Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore route, connected to the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line and ended up at Sodegaura Seaside Park, where you would swear you were in sunny California with all the palm trees. After more riding in Chiba Prefecture and a nice lunch break, we headed back towards Tokyo for a bit of night riding among the Christmas lights and decorations. It was a great ending to an epic day on our motorcycles, and friendships were forged along the way.

We promised we’d see each other again in 2018, in Milwaukee for the 115th Harley-Davidson Anniversary Celebration.

This experience was fantastic and demonstrated to me what our HOG family is, indeed, all about. The camaraderie among us is real, with the common interest to ride and our passion for HarleyDavidson motorcycles, regardless of language differences, culture and ethnicity. HOG membership genuinely knows no bounds.

The boys at Yokohama Harley-Davidson. From left to right: Kunihiro Igarashi of the Minatomirai Yokohama Chapter; Yoshiharu Sakaniwa, Hideo Hosoi and Kazufumi Ohama of the Shinjuku Chapter; Joe Mizuchi of the Nakano Chapter; Yoshinori Nakamura and Ken Hashimoto of the Shinjuku Chapter; and Ryuichi Iwasaki of the Minatomirai Yokohama Chapter.

Kunihiro Igarashi on his 2015 Street Glide® (FLHX) CVO model.

H

ave you ever wondered what it would be like to ride with fellow HOG® members from another country? We see them at national rallies, H.O.T. (Harley Officer Training) and other Harley-Davidson events all the time. Like us, they proudly wear their cut, sporting their patches from far and wide.

How cool would it be to travel abroad, meet up with a local chapter, jump on a bike and feel as accepted as a member – even for just one day?

Pretty cool, right?

Well, that’s precisely what happened on a recent business trip in December that took me to Yokohama and subsequently to Tokyo, Japan. When the opportunity arose for me to ride on my day off, I was initially concerned about riding in a foreign country where I did not speak the language. Adding to my uneasiness was the fact that the Japanese drive on the other side of the road, and lane splitting is an acceptable form of riding – not to mention the street traffic, pedestrian traffic and high probability of getting lost in a large metropolis like Tokyo.

However, many of my concerns were put to rest when I was able to connect with members from some local chapters. Being able to ride with them afforded me the luxury of not worrying about the direction or destination – I could just enjoy the ride.

What an experience it was with my HOG brothers from Japan! Members from the Shinjuku, Nakano and Minatomirai Yokohama chapters met me at Harley-Davidson

The boys taking in the view of Tokyo Bay, looking towards Yokohama, from Sodegaura Seaside Street. This area is nicknamed Chibafornia (Chiba Prefecture + California) because of all the palm trees.

Know No Bounds

Joe Mizuchi of the Nakano Chapter.

Ryuichi Iwasaki of the Minatomirai Yokohama Chapter on his cool Forty-EightÂŽ model, ripping inside the Tokyo Bay AquaLine, the fourth-longest underwater tunnel in the world. The bridge-tunnel combination highway is 14 kilometres long, and 9.6 kilometres of that runs under Tokyo Bay.

The designated area for motorcycle parking makes things so much simpler and safer for bikes in parking lots.

The crew stopped at a light in the city of Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, en route to Sodegaura Seaside Park.

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The crew, hamming it up, on the observation deck of the Umihotaru rest station, in the middle of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line.

Pulled over on Keyakizaka in the Roppongi area to take in some of the festive lights during the Christmas holiday season.

Know No Bounds

Sunset light on the Metropolitan Expressway Bayshore Route, heading back towards Tokyo.

Shortly after this photo was taken, we hit bumper-to-bumper trafďŹ c and started lane splitting.

What a treat that was!

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Ready to roll: Our Road Captain, Kunihiro Igarashi of the Minatomirai Yokohama Chapter. He’s an excellent rider who puts in, on average, 45,000 kilometres of riding per year.

Going into the Umihotaru parking area, a rest station in the middle of the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line.

Just like Canadians, Japanese riders love to ride and eat. Substitute sushi for barbecue – yum!

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BE PREPARED For some countries, including Japan, you’ll need an International Driving Permit to drive or ride your motorcycle. It’s inexpensive and easy to get at your local CAA office without an additional test.

Find more details at www. caa.ca/internationaldriving-permit.

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GO. GET. REWARDED.

®

Rider-exclusive discounts of 10% or more.

Earn bonus points toward free stays.*

To sign up for Best Western Ride Rewards® or book a stay, visit bwrider.com or call 1-888-292-2453. *Restrictions apply. See bestwesternrewards.com for complete details. Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated. HarleyDavidson, Harley, H-D, the Bar & Shield Logo, and the H.O.G. Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Best Western and the Best Western marks are service marks or registered service marks of Best Western International, Inc. ©2018 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved.

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y m g n i d n i F

r e n n I w a l t Ou r o i r e t n I . in the B.C

rley® a H e m ti tA firs e pull rider feels th of the road n Esrock Story by Robi Topham ff Photos by Je

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egretfully, I was not born to be wild.

I never listened to heavy metal, thunder terrifies me, and any attempt to grow a goatee yields an unkempt weed patch. Still, cruising a HarleyDavidson® motorcycle on some the world’s most scenic roads has long been on my Bucket List, and since ticking off Bucket Lists is what I do, it’s time to face the gift hog in the mouth. As my car heaves up the Coquihalla Pass from Vancouver to Kamloops, questions cloud my mind like lines on a paisley bandana. Of all the motorbike brands out there, why am I drawn to this one? What do the roads of the B.C. interior offer that others do not? Is this an experience that belongs in a new edition of my Great Canadian Bucket List? Questions, and no shortage of nerves.

Few machines inspire emotional attachment like a Harley® motorcycle. In the lobby of Four Points by Sheraton in 26

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Kamloops, a rider shows me the serial number of his first bike, tattooed across his arm. It’s the weekend of the annual B.C. Poker Run, drawing 750 Harley bikers from across the province. When I gaze across the Valleyview Arena, where the bikers have gathered for a muscular dystrophy fundraising event, I instantly recognize this crowd: Bucket Listers – people of all shapes, colours and income brackets, drawn to a dream and the promise of Harley-Davidson.

It’s the promise of renegade freedom, delivered with every throttle. The promise that lets us ride into town like urban cowboys on powerful steel horses.

Wanted… not so much dead or alive, but back in the office on Monday morning.

The folks at Kamloops Tourism have handily created five road trip itineraries showcasing the back roads and attractions of the B.C. Interior. It’s an attractive package that demands investigation, even if my previous “hog” was a tin-can

inspire s e in h c a m w e “F hment c a t t a l a n io t o em cycle” r o t o m ® y e l r a like a H 49-cc scooter that I still managed to destroy in an accident 10 years ago.

“Is this guy for real?” asks Barnes Harley-Davidson’s sassy rental manager. She hands me a black leather rental jacket and tells me to pick out my bike.

I don’t feel I have the regal chops for a Road King® model, and the Electra Glide® bike looks like it would crush both my body and my ego. Once I straddle my Heritage Softail™ motorcycle, however, I immediately buy in.

My eyes squint and my beard grows like a time-lapse flower in a nature documentary. With my extremely limited bike experience, I expect a Harley motorcycle to be a raging bull

that I’ll have to throttle under control. Instead, the Softail model is simple to operate, stable and incredibly forgiving. Here in pioneer country, pockmarked with copper mines and ghost towns, the right kinda bike is calling for the right kinda road.

“B.C.’s Interior has some of the most curvaceous roads in Canada,” explains James Nixon, an editor at Cycle Canada magazine. “The East Coast is a close second, but B.C.’s roads are in better condition, and you can’t beat the scenery.” James has rented a Road King model for the week. “Harleys want to conquer riders’ hearts,” he explains, “but it’s not always the bike that succeeds – it’s the ride itself.”

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Inner Outlaw

ly rolls t n e g y a w h ig h “The land, m r a f ic l o c u b alongside wipe o t m e e s t ’ n a c and I ce” a f y m f f o e il m the s Kamloops is one of Canada’s sunniest cities, boasting more parks than any other city in the province. Straddling the Thompson River, it has an average temperature of 27 C all summer and is surrounded by scenic hills and valleys. It’s a perfect launch pad for a road trip, even when an unseasonal storm blows in. I see lightning strike the valley below, which seems appropriate as I blaze out towards the Clearwater Corridor. I notice plenty of bikers on the road, passing each other with a casual wave, the camaraderie signal motorists never see. The highway gently rolls alongside bucolic farmland, and I can’t seem to wipe the smile off my face.

After a couple hours, I arrive at Helmcken Falls inside Wells Gray Provincial Park – a stunning waterfall that easily belongs on every Canadian’s Bucket List.

Fuelling up, I head up Highway 24 on the same route fur traders used centuries ago, crossing into the Cariboo Chilcotin region of British Columbia. Lakes reflect the moody sky, my engine roars in fifth gear, a blustery wind slams against my leather armour. It’s only the start of a five-day road trip, but bliss has found me early.

The route turns south onto the twisty twin-lane blacktop of Highway 97, past the impressive Painted Chasm and onto the towns of Clinton and Ashcroft.

I roar along the Highland Valley Copper Mine, the largest open pit copper mine in the country, continuing south towards Merritt and the historic Quilchena Hotel.

The Softail model is opening up to me, revealing her secrets.

She’s most comfortable at 90 to 100 km/h, but even on a steep HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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Inner outlaw

uphill, she’s got plenty to give. And she gives it on Highway 5A, returning through Kamloops on my way to Lytton. If Alberta’s Icefields Parkway is the world’s most beautiful drive, then Highway 5A and Highway 33 must be among the most beautiful rides. On the bike, I smell the pine, taste the wind, and see the layered beauty of British Columbia’s Interior.

It is difficult to understand what we don’t experience first-hand. With my limited experience on a bike, what I expected to be a nervewracking ride was perfectly safe, provided I took it easy, employed common sense and used the right gear. Harley motorcycles, I discovered, are much like their riders – seasoned, full of character and typically more bark than bite. Kamloops proved an ideal gateway to explore the natural beauty of B.C.’s ThompsonOkanagan and Cariboo Chilcotin, and a Harley motorcycle the ideal vehicle from which to do it. Oh yes, this is Bucket List biking country, whatever Harley model revs your engine.

Robin Esrock is the bestselling author of The Great Canadian Bucket List, and the co-host of the National Geographic/OLN series Word Travels.

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SPOT THIS SPOTTED LAKE Everyone loves a weird natural phenomenon. Northeast of Osoyoos on Highway 3, watch out for the bizarre coloured pools of Spotted Lake. Sacred to the Okanagan First People, the mineral-rich spots are the result of evaporation (Osoyoos is one of the hottest and driest places in Canada). Since the lake sits on private property, pull your bike over for a photo from the gate.

HARLEY -DAVIDSON® 115 ANNIVERSARY TH

HEY CANADA, JOIN US TO CELEBRATE

IN A PLACE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT P R A G U E | J U LY 5 - 8 , 2 0 18 | C Z E C H R E P U B L I C FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, INCLUDING EVENT DETAILS, TICKETING AND ACCOMMODATION,

V I S I T T H E W E B S I T E A T H - D . P R A G U E 115 . C O M ©2018 H-D or its Affiliates. H-D, Harley, Harley-Davidson and the Bar & Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.

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Prague, LodZ, AugUstow, RezeKNe, Tartu, Narva, St. Petersburg, Riga, Suwatki, Gdansk, Poznan, Parnu

kilograms: The weight of A motorcycle, rider and luggage

- The great -

2

days on the road

ball-busting

13,670

Baltic

June 20 to July 5, 2017

Total KilometREs travelLed

by PlanE

2

4

6 countries visited Czech Republic Poland Lithuania Latvia Estonia

from Prague to St. Petersburg and back

400

By Gerry Ryan

The Length of the bus trip from Narva to St. Petersburg and back

Euro, Polish ZLOty, Czech Koruna, RusSian Ruble

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2017 Road Glide速 model 2016 Road King速 model

motorcycle Tour

Gerry Ryan and Mark Lawrence from toronto

Currencies used

Harley-Davidson速 motorcycles

Russia

canadian travellers

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390

Cities visited

KilometREs

????

The number of photos taken of us on Photo Radar cameras

5,600

KilometREs traveLled by motorcycle 2,800 x 2 = 5,600

Riding Stories

This past summer, my friend Mark and I hopped on a pair of Harley® motorcycles and embarked on an amazing tour of six Baltic countries, an epic trip that took us deep behind the former Iron Curtain, all the way into Russia. We emerged 14 days later with incredible memories and a thirst to start planning the next trip.

TORONTO TO PRAGUE TO POLAND After an overnight flight from Toronto, we spent the day wandering jetlagged around Prague, a beautiful city with great history. We saw many of the highlights, including Prague Castle, the Old Town Square and Charles Bridge.

The next morning, we went to Prague Harley-Davidson to pick up our rental bikes – a 2017 Road Glide® model for Mark and a 2016 Road King® model for me. Then we tried to get out of Prague in rush hour.

We estimated it would take about six hours to get to our first stop in Lodz, Poland. But the dealership was deep in an older area of the city, it was one of the hottest days of the year, and the GPS system on my bike wasn’t working (which is why you always keep maps as a backup). There were traffic jams, road construction and detours. It was an exhausting 12 hours before we finally pulled into our hotel in Lodz.

We set out the next morning for Augustow, Poland. Again, what we thought would be an easy six-hour ride ended up being 12 hours in the saddle. Fortunately, from this point on, things got way easier and we were able to relax and enjoy the countryside.

THROUGH LITHUANIA TO LATVIA AND ESTONIA There was only a small bridge of land in Latvia for us to cross – Belarus was on one side and Kaliningrad on the other side, and both countries were so difficult to travel through that we weren’t allowed to take the rental bikes there.

We arrived in the beautiful town of Rezekne just in time for Jani, the annual midsummer festival. Travelling at this time of year put an interesting spin on our trip since we were able to ride with approximately 23 hours of daylight every day.

Our next destination was Tartu in northern Estonia. It was a nice ride with good roads and great scenery. Tartu is a relatively new town with lots of money being invested to make it a modern centre. Next we headed to Narva, where we would cross the border into Russia.

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With a population of five million people, St. Petersburg is an incredible city, and has been since its founding in 1703 by Peter the Great.

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Riding Stories

RUSSIA Getting our Russian visas in Toronto was quite a process. First we had to register online and fill out a very long form including every country we had visited in the last 10 years. We were warned that the form had to be filled out perfectly or it would be rejected.

On top of that, to get into Russia you need to be invited. So we had to book a hotel in St. Petersburg (paid in advance) and have the hotel send us an invitation. The embassy reviewed this invite, and we were summoned to be approved and hand over $250. Then we received visas indicating exactly which dates we were to enter and leave the country, with no changes permissible whatsoever.

Since our rental contract specified that we could not take our Harley® motorcycles into Russia, we needed to find somewhere in Narva

to stash them. We found a dimly lit parking lot at the only hotel in town and hoped the bikes would still there when we got back in three days.

We headed to the bus station with all our visa papers and bought tickets to St. Petersburg. With a population of five million people, St. Petersburg is an incredible city, and has been since its founding in 1703 by Peter the Great. We spent three days in the former Russian capital, using the public transit system to see all the must-see tourist attractions, including the Hermitage Museum, established by Catherine the Great in 1764; the fabulous Winter Palace; and the Church of The Savior on Spilled Blood with its iconic onion domes. The architecture is awesome – even the subway stations are like art museums.

And we enjoyed some of the best food of our trip in the city’s Georgian restaurants.

We took the bus back to Narva and found that our bikes were still in the parking lot where we left them. Whew!

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BACK TO LATVIA AND LITHUANIA Back in the saddle, we headed across Estonia to the Baltic Sea, following along the coast to Riga, Latvia’s capital. We had good weather all the way and the roads were good, too, with very little traffic once you get out of the cities. Once again we had no choice but to go through the narrow gap between Kaliningrad and Belarus to get back to Poland.

THROUGH POLAND TO THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS Poland is a big country with approximately 38 million people, but it has a great road system and a huge variety of scenery. Even so, we had to contend with a fair amount of construction and detours as we made our way to the seaside city of Gdansk.

Gdansk is one of the country’s oldest cities, dating back to 1308. Like other places in Poland, it was at the forefront of the German invasion in the Second World War and suffered a lot of damage. Its shipyards are famous as the birthplace of the Solidarity movement led by Lech Walesa, and the beginning of the end of communism in Europe.

Leaving Gdansk was a bit of a challenge, as we had to manoeuvre our bikes up and down the hilly cobblestone streets in the pouring rain, through early morning traffic and with signs written only in Polish – but we eventually made it out of the city in one piece.

It turns out that the road we planned to take back to Prague was closed for construction, so we had to take a number of detours and got lost.

But in venturing off the beaten path, we ended up riding through the Carpathian Mountains, a fabulous stretch of road sprinkled with quaint and quiet villages straight out of a Harry Potter movie.

It was similar to riding the Appalachian Mountains, and if we weren’t on a strict deadline to return the bikes, we would have loved to spend more time exploring.

TO PRAGUE AND HOME It ended up being another 12-hour day, forcing us to call the dealership and say we weren’t going to be able to get the bikes back before they closed.

They said somebody would wait for us as we crossed through crazy holiday weekend traffic.

Our GPS went wonky again, so we finished the trip navigating with our iPhones taped to the handlebars.

When we finally pulled into the shop at 9 p.m., there was indeed somebody waiting for us. The people at Prague Harley were great from start to finish, not even complaining about our late return.

We unpacked the bikes and stayed in Prague overnight, pretty weary after our Baltic trek.

The next morning we took a cab to the airport and sacked out on the flight home to Toronto, dreaming about our next Harley adventure!

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TO THE AND BACK

A month-long ride with great friends is the trip of a lifetime.

By Lou de Almeida

Riding Stories

For the past couple of years I’ve been toying with the idea of a month-long motorcycle trip into the Rockies and back. Last summer, I finally decided to do it. Joining me from the start were Brian and Jana from London, Ontario.

Our three travelling partners (Dave and Bob from Wilmington, Delaware, and Manny – a transplanted Delawarean now living in Florida) met up with us at the end of our first day.

St Thomas, Ontario to Elkhart, Indiana The morning was quite misty to start, but by the time we got to Windsor, it had cleared up considerably. The border crossing was quick and we jumped on I-96 until Dexter, Michigan. Since we were making such good time, we sat back, chilled out and took the leisurely route into Elkhart.

Elkhart to Davenport, Iowa With not a lot to see along the way today, it was all about stopping in at Harley® dealerships along the route.

Davenport to Missouri Valley, Iowa We dropped down to the mighty Mississippi River for a photo-op and a ride along a scenic byway and then picked up the Grand Army of the Republic Highway (US-6).

We continued along the secondary roads through cornfields, some bean farms, and cow and horse farms. Gently rolling land made for a very enjoyable ride.

Missouri Valley to Winner, South Dakota We started out with a nice, peaceful ride along the Loess Hill Scenic Byway to the east of the Missouri River. We crossed into Nebraska and rode along the western shores of the river on NE-12 until crossing into South Dakota after a stop at the Mulberry Point Overlook.

Winner to Keystone, South Dakota In order to reach the Badlands, we hit an unmaintained road, going 20 kilometres along hard-packed gravel. It was fun to watch the cows and horses all staring at us. Badlands National Park was awesome, with great scenery and lots

of wildlife – rams, buffalo and prairie dogs.

We went into Wall for lunch and a tour of that famous establishment, Wall Drug – what a place!

Keystone to Hulett, Wyoming We made an early start for Mount Rushmore, then rode on to Custer State Park along Iron Mountain Road, a beautiful ride with all the pigtails and switchbacks. Within Custer, we took the Wildlife Loop and saw lots of antelope, some burros and a whole bunch of prairie dogs. I was becoming disappointed about not seeing any buffalo and then, driving through Wind Cave National Park, we came upon a huge herd frolicking around. They came right onto the road and within a few feet of the bikes! The Needles Highway (Hwy 87) was a lot of fun, too.

Hulett to Billings, Montana It was a quick trip over to the Devils Tower National Monument – what a wonder of nature! Then it was west and north. At some points, the nearest hamlets were more than 100 kilometres apart, so it was just us, the bikes, farms and lots of hay bales. We stopped in at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument for a quick tour.

Billings to Choteau, Montana We rode west on I-90 for about 160 kilometres to Livingston. The interstate was not overly busy and it was actually kind of scenic. Heading north along Highway 89 was a beautiful ride with lots of different landscapes. We got our first taste of riding in the mountains, climbing up to elevations of around 2,200 metres.

Choteau to Missoula, Montana We made it to St. Mary and the entrance to Glacier National Park. The ride on the Going-to-the-Sun road was absolutely stunning! I wanted to stop at every pull-out and get pictures, but there just wasn’t enough time, so a lot of the memories will have to stay in my mind.

We continued southward towards Kalispell and rode MT-35 along the shores of Flathead Lake with more great views.

Missoula to West Yellowstone, Montana We rode Highway 93 south out of Missoula, and the part from Darby to the Idaho border was a lot of fun with long sweepers and some tighter turns mixed in.

After a bit of a history lesson at the Big Hole National Battlefield, we continued southward via Highways 41 and 287.

The ghost town of Nevada City was a neat stop, and then it was a quick drive-by of Virginia City and onto the Madison River Earthquake Area, with a very nice ride along the Madison River into West Yellowstone.

Yellowstone National Park, Beartooth and Chief Joseph Highway Today was a day of wildlife, switchbacks, awesome scenery and drastic temperature changes.

We started out at under 10 C as we entered Yellowstone National Park, then hit temperatures in the high 30s only to be back under 20 within a few minutes.

At the higher elevations, we even found walls of snow!

We reached 3,300 metres of elevation at the Beartooth Highway, and also rode for a bit on flat ground that looked like the HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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Highway 9, it was nicer. At Frisco, we headed back south on Highway 91, then continued south on Highway 24 alongside the Arkansas River and eventually came across to US-50 at Poncha Springs.

Prairies. There were lots of sweepers and tons of switchbacks. We saw tons of buffalo, many of them right on the road, a bear cub and some antelope.

West Yellowstone to Rawlins, Wyoming We said goodbye to Yellowstone National Park, but not before making a visit to see Old Faithful. We couldn’t have had better timing – we just got off the bikes and started to walk towards the geyser when off she went! Good thing, too, since it’s about 90 minutes between eruptions.

From there we entered Grand Teton National Park and saw some of its natural beauty, then took Highway 287 south to Rawlins.

Rawlins to Englewood, Colorado Although the radar showed no rain at all over Rawlins, there was most certainly rain over Rawlins, so we decided to forego the interstate ride heading east for a secondary road. After about 25 kilometres, we found out that WY-71 becomes a dirt road. Not knowing how far it was dirt and knowing that it had rained all night, we decided to turn back around and sort of follow the originally planned route.

Within an hour, we crossed into Colorado through Rocky Mountain National Park on Trail Ridge Road.

It was neat to climb up to 3,600 metres and ride within the low cloud cover.

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Pikes Peak and Denver, Colorado Today was the first of a couple of days within the Greater Denver area. The only real plan was to climb up 4,300 metres to the top of Pikes Peak. Bob made the excellent suggestion that we take advantage of the early morning weather to do the run, and it turned out to be awesome. This is definitely a bucket list item: 27 kilometres up, 27 kilometres down, plenty of extremely tight switchbacks and tons of outstanding views – if you could take the time to look.

Englewood to Idaho Springs, Colorado Today was a maintenance day – for the bikes, and for us. It was also the day that Manny left us to head back to Florida.

The bikes were finished early, so we rode to the beautiful Clear Creek Canyon.

After a brief rest stop in Evergreen, we hopped onto Squaw Pass Road (Hwy 103) for the climb up Echo Mountain, then back down towards Idaho Springs.

Because of road closures, we had to travel about a kilometre on unpaved roads – just enough to dirty the bikes back up again.

Idaho Springs to Gunnison, Colorado We took a leisurely ride alongside I-70 on secondary roads and then took the Guanella Pass Road south.

Highway 285 was a bit busy, but once we got to Fairplay and headed north on

Gunnison to Dolores, Colorado US-50 out of Gunnison towards Montrose is a beautiful ride, with lots of twists and turns, some altitude changes and very scenic. It was so much fun to ride it in the morning, with very little traffic.

Just before Montrose, we rode up into Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, another wow moment.

A buck crossed our paths just as we entered the park.

We headed south on Highway 550.

The first part isn’t spectacular, but after Ridgway, it really became a lot of fun, and between Ouray and Silverton it was awesome – sheer drops, winding turns and steep elevations. Continuing on Highway 160 towards Dolores, we were slowed down by a group of cowboys herding cattle along Highway 184.

Dolores to Torrey, Utah This was the highlight of the trip. The ride along UT-95 and UT-24 through Capitol Reef National Park was spectacular. The rock formations with their various colours were fantastic – every time I rounded a bend or crested a hill, I would be trying to reach for the camera.

We stopped at the Natural Bridges National Monument, did the 16-kilometre loop, saw all three bridges and walked out to see Horse Collar Ruin.

Torrey to Mount Carmel, Utah We picked up UT-12, known as “A Journey Through Time Scenic Byway.” I must admit it was a beautiful ride, but perhaps we were spoiled yesterday.

We were in two canyons today – up high at Bryce, looking down into the canyon, and at Zion in the bed of the canyon looking up at the top. Both are beautiful. We saw quite a bit of wildlife, from a pack of deer to a herd of cows to some bighorn sheep.

Mount Carmel to Page, Arizona Today was all about getting to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Highway 89A was very nice, and the 60-kilometre trip along Highway 67 into the National Park was

Riding Stories

even better. A few years ago, I visited the south rim of the canyon and the north rim is totally different. No hustle and bustle and tourists!

Page to Bloomfield, New Mexico We took Highway 98 south and east to Highway 160. It was a relaxing ride, with gentle rolling hills and very long straightaways. Throughout the day, though, people wanted to fly by our little group of bikes at high speeds. One truck even continued to pass as an oncoming car was directly in front of him.

We took Highway 160 north and east to the Four Corners Monument, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet.

Bloomfield to Trinidad, Colorado We started southwest along Highway 550 past some gently rolling farms, and then caught UT-96 north to Abiquiu Lake, where we turned back south on US-84 to Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo and then back north again to the very scenic and less travelled UT-75 and 518 into the neat city of Taos.

We continued through the Carson National Forest on US-64 to Eagle Nest and then through Cimarron, catching I-25 north for the last 40 kilometres.

Part of today had a hint of John Wayne, as we travelled along the Rio Grande and then along the Santa Fe Trail.

Trinidad to Medicine Lodge, Kansas The roads were deserted as we headed towards Kansas along US-350 to US-50 – referred to as “Loneliest Road in America.” The day was spent travelling along the Santa Fe Trail and passing massive cattle farms, tons of grain elevators and coal trains, with some oil wells mixed in.

Medicine Lodge to Hermitage, Missouri We rode Highway 160 all the way to Winfield and then cut south on Highway 77 to pick up Highway 166 in Arkansas City. After Chetopa, we took Highway 69 into Oklahoma and looped back into Kansas on Highway 69A into Riverton and continued along Route 66 into Missouri.

Just past Joplin, we jumped onto I-49 for about 50 kilometres and then picked up Highway 160 again at Lamar. We got into some really fun roads through Missouri Amish Country, with lots of rollercoaster hills and peace and quiet all around us.

Hermitage to Effingham, Illinois The day started off with some very thick fog, but it burned off to allow us to play on some of Missouri’s back roads in the Lake of the Ozarks area, with lots of hills and sweepers and turns. We continued into Jefferson City, where we once again picked up America’s Loneliest Road.

We skirted around St. Louis, managing to get a picture of the Gateway Arch. Back onto US-50 we went, to the town of Xenia, Illinois, our X city for the ABCs of HOG® contest.

Effingham to Warsaw, Indiana Today we said goodbye to our Delawarean friends, wishing them safe travels as they headed home.

That left Brian, Jana and me to keep

trucking towards the border – but first, we had some backroading to do in Illinois and Indiana. After that, we went in search of some covered bridges.

The one at Rosedale-Coxville was easy enough to find, but the McAllister Bridge made for some interesting riding. The bikes had to withstand a few kilometres of dirt and gravel roads, but we all came out unscathed.

Warsaw to St Thomas, Ontario Keeping up with the theme of riding named roads, we started off on the Lincoln Highway (US-30), making our way to the Classic Car Capital of America: Auburn, Indiana.

From there, we took IN-8 to the border of Ohio, where it becomes OH-18, to the town of Defiance, where we were able to get our first Tim Horton’s fix in almost a month!

From Defiance, we rode along the Maumee River, a nice relaxing ride.

I-75 just north of the Ohio–Michigan border is not in the best of shape, but we endured that and crossed back into Canada. By 4:30 pm, I was pulling into the garage.

I am so very happy to have done this trip. I got to see parts of the USA that I had never seen before, and to experience the drastic changes in climate, scenery and cultures that go along with a cross-country trip such as this one.

I am thankful for my riding partners – Manny, Dave, Bob, Brian and Jana – for their support and companionship on the trip. It really was the trip of a lifetime.

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The

d oo h r e t s i S A B.C. rider joins friends in Southern California for a whirlwind trip to Babes Ride Out. Story and photos by Becky Goebel

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iding with a group of women is the greatest.

Experiencing the ups and downs on the road with a good crew of ladies who have your back and just want to have fun is extremely uplifting and inspiring. To share the open road for 10 days was going to be an adventure.

Our goal was to tour Southern California and connect with our female riding friends at the largest all-women’s motorcycle meet-up in the world: Babes Ride Out. When I landed in Los Angeles, it was first things first – tacos.

The ladies congregated at our favourite taco house and went over routes, plans and, of course, goals. What was the one thing on this trip that each one of us wanted to do? We scribbled our “hit list” down on a sour cream–stained napkin: sing karaoke (me), ride a rollercoaster (Karley), see the Trona Pinnacles in Death Valley (Kahli), and find Great-Grandpa’s “favourite spot” (Melissa).

Melissa has a photo of her great-grandpa on her fridge that she has looked at every day for years. She even brought it out for tacos to show us. It’s a shot of him sitting on a rock in front of a train trestle. On the back of the

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Cast and Crew MELISSA GEE Owner, creator and seamstress of the brand Moldie Goldies.

Rode her 1970s chopper from Salt Lake City to New York and back – alone.

KAHLI SMITH 22-year-old who is her own boss and rides a hardtail Harley-Davidson® Sportster® chopper around L.A. daily.

Melissa’s roommate.

“GNARLY” KARLEY Salt Lake City lady who gave up her job to spend the summer riding motorcycles with her friends. Before this trip she had already clocked 16,000 kilometres.

BECKY GOEBEL Canadian writer, motorcyclist and host of The Dream Roll and Loserpalooza. Ready to get back to sunny California and reunite with her friends.

photo he hand wrote, “I love watching this train – Tehachapi, CA 1984.”

Since Melissa had just recently moved to California, she had never been to Tehachapi, and none of us had even heard of it.

It looked like the desert, so we Googled it. Turns out, Tehachapi was only 160 kilometres away, towards Death Valley down some windy desert roads and through some mountain passes. In the morning, we were going to set out to find Melissa’s great-grandpa’s favourite place.

We loaded up our bikes and took off at 8 a.m. The other girls were all on old motorcycles, primarily choppers. Since my 2018 Harley-Davidson® 1200 Custom Sportster® model in Bonneville Salt Pearl stood out, we used it to lead the way. The speedometer, the high-beams, the signals, the mirrors and the ABS system were all essentials for the lady in the lead, and I loved it.

North we went, in perfect formation. We were in unison right off the bat, and it was good vibes from the minute we left Santa Monica. It’s a good thing, too, because that city is crazy to ride in. We dodged a fridge that had fallen out of a truck, hit a crack in the road that looked like it could swallow my whole tire, and split lanes in between semis, cars and buses. Vehicles drive so fast, and there are so many cars everywhere. Riding in L.A. is no joke, but we made it out okay, right into Hidden Hills, a motorcyclist’s twisty turny heaven, and we were ready to rip.

A diner visit and a couple of hours later, we were in the small town of Tehachapi. At the gas station, we showed the photo of Melissa’s great-grandpa’s spot to a tattooed guy who seemed like he knew what was up. Sure enough, he pointed us in the direction of a train track “loop” that was a pretty popular lookout spot. We got on our bikes and took a bunch of small, windy roads through landscapes that started to look more and more like the colours we all recognized from the photo.

Babes Ride Out

“We were a pack, with the Harley motorcycles as our trusty steeds.” ®

The railroad loop came and went. It wasn’t what we were looking for. Melissa was in the lead, and you could see in her riding that she wasn’t defeated yet. We chased her at full speed until she came to a dead stop, pulled over, hopped off her bike and ran over to a lookout on the other side of the road. We had found it.

Our entire group was so excited to find the location of Melissa’s photo, and her tears of happiness showed how much it meant to her. This first day of the trip was obviously going to impact the rest of our days on the road. We were in this together, to help each other have fun, be safe and just to be there for each other.

The days after the train lookout were long, hot, crazy and so much fun. Death Valley was up next on our road map, with the Trona Pinnacles the closest hit-list destination.

If you’ve ever been to the Trona Pinnacles, you know that they are about 8 kilometres down a completely sand and rock road – but since none of us had been there, we didn’t.

Sure enough, by 10 a.m. on that Monday morning, we were 5 kilometres down a messy road trying to scratch Kahli’s goal off our hit list.

The three hours that we spent off the tarmac that morning were messy: Those choppers bounced around like crazy. Kahli lost her gas can, and when I tried to put it on my lap, it spilled all over me. Melissa took her chopper down the wrong road and ended up dumping her bike in a sand pile. I lost my phone and found it an hour later in the middle of some train tracks. A fuse blew in one of our bikes and we had to push start it on a rock-covered sand road.

So, we didn’t quite make it to the pinnacles, but we got as close as we possibly could for Kahli’s sake. Planet of the Apes, Star Trek and Lost in Space were all filmed in this area, and we really did feel like we were in all of these movies at one point HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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or another on the three-hour trek down that hot, remote desert path.

When we finally got back to the highway, missing a couple things and a little banged up, we lined up before getting back on the road. Karley said, “We got this, guys. We’re all in this together.” That really resonated with me for the rest of the trip.

That night, we rolled into the Best Western in Pahrump. We didn’t even realize we were in Nevada until we saw the sparkly lights and lined up casinos.

After looking at our map, we noticed we were only an hour from Vegas. Twelve hours later, we were riding down the Vegas strip on our way to Karley’s hit list goal: ride a roller coaster.

Four hours in Vegas sounds like a story within itself, and it really is, so I’ll keep it short. We checked Karley’s goal off our hit list, took shots of milk at the Hard Rock Casino (long story), played a couple slots and then rode back west into the night.

The darker the night got, the slower I rode. The girls could sense my distress and were right there with me. I could feel them creeping up closer and closer to help me with light. When the road cleared of all traffic, Melissa and Karley inched up into the lane beside me, and Kahli crept up on my right. We all made eye contact and rode four wide. This is a moment I will remember forever. We were a team. We all had each other’s backs and were there for each other no matter what.

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women’s motorcycle apparel brand Strange Vacation rent a ranch just outside of the event and call it the “Strangers’ Paradise.” All of our women rider friends from around the world come to the house to reunite and ride for the weekend. Rolling up to the house dirty, sore and excited to see everyone was awesome.

The merger of our group with the other women riders just felt right.

The weekend consisted of concerts in the desert, tattoos in the dirt, riding motorcycles through desert sunsets, meeting other women who ride and reconnecting with old friends. There’s a really interesting aspect to events when it’s only women. There are no distractions, there’s no ego and there’s no competition. A good example of the carefree vibes that come with being at an all-women’s event is the infamous BRO karaoke night. Heck yeah – I was going to get my wish after all. With my crew behind me

After a week on the road, we finally made it to Joshua Tree for Babes Ride Out. This year it was rumoured that 1,700 women were planning to attend. We knew it was going to be big as soon as we rolled into Yucca Valley.

Women on bikes were everywhere, at every gas pump in town, lining their bikes up outside the restaurants on the strip, rolling in packs outnumbering the cars.

It was a sight to see.

Each year, the ladies from the

backup dancing, we hammered out Sorry by Justin Bieber to more than 1,000 cheering “Babes” just to make everyone laugh and to knock my goal off the hit list.

Being on these motorcycles with these women was something bigger than I could ever speak about. We were a pack, with the Harley-Davidsons as our trusty steeds. We were strong together, and any women we saw on motorcycles throughout our trip stopped to talk to us – they understood.

There was nothing we couldn’t do, and as a group, we went head first into every problem, every road and every day together. Riding side-by-side with my fellow women is something I live for. Never be afraid to leave what is comfortable to go have an adventure with your fellow “Babes.”

There are more trips in our future, ladies, and I can’t wait.

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Riding Stories

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y bucket list goal was to stand in the Arctic Ocean with my loyal dog, Sabbi. So, in 2016, we set out for Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. I ride a 2008 Ultra Classic® model, and Sabbi has her own California Sidecar.

Driving through northern B.C. and the Yukon offers an incredible display of wildlife: deer, elk, buffalo, sheep, goats, wolves, coyotes, eagles and buzzards.

Sabbi even saved me from a grizzly attack while I was using nature’s facilities to relieve myself.

The Dempster Highway starts approximately 40 kilometres outside of Dawson City, Yukon.

Dawson City is truly an outstanding stop. It was like going back in time 100 years to the gold rush days, with swinging-door saloons, dancehall girls, wooden sidewalks, buildings leaning every which way, and dirt and mud streets.

Then, we rode through the Richardson Mountains, the Ogilvie Mountains, and the vastness and flowers of the tundra.

When we finally arrived in Inuvik after some tough riding through bad roads and weather, I was worn out mentally and physically. Since at that time Inuvik marked the end of the road until the ice formed, the only way to carry on to Tuktoyaktuk was to fly or take a boat or barge.

Taking the barge meant I could take my bike and sidecar – although the looks on the locals’

faces told me no one had done this before.

The first step was to hook up with Bob Gully of Bob’s Welding.

Bob, a First Nations elder who has been in the area most of his life, owns many tugs and barges that move cargo up and down the Mackenzie River. I found him to be a very interesting and generous man, and after three days of negotiating the price and waiting for cargo to be loaded, we were off.

I was very excited. This was truly the adventure of a lifetime.

The tug was far from a cruise ship. The toilet was a 19-litre plastic bucket, and there were only two chairs for four crew.

I spent the day drifting from the wheelhouse, to the galley, to the deck with Sabbi, all the while trying to stay out of the way.

I had to build a tarp shelter for Sabbi, as she was showing signs of hypothermia in the blowing rain. Dogs in the North are considered more of a work animal than a pet, so bringing her indoors was not an option.

As we passed the many fishing and whaling camps along the river, the crew would narrate the history of their ancestors at each camp. At one point, we almost ran over a mother moose and her two calves, which were attempting to swim across the river.

Soon we were travelling across a section of the Beaufort Sea. This was exciting to say the least.

It was a zigzag course dotted with

marker buoys, which are very closely spaced. It turns out the water is only 2 to 5 metres deep in this section, so deviating as little as 3 metres side to side could run the vessel aground, which has happened on a few occasions.

A number of operators use this waterway to deliver supplies along the way to Tuktoyaktuk and other stops. It’s a matter of first come, first served, while at the same time following marine safety and etiquette. Our course took us into a few different channels, and each time the skipper would notify the Coast Guard of our change in course.

Rough weather on the Beaufort Sea forced us to tie up to the shoreline for the night. This was good for Sabbi, as she could jump off the barge to do her thing, and it was also a good time for the crew to do some chores and much-needed maintenance.

However, the sleeping quarters had only four beds, which left me the odd man out. I slept on the hard floor of the wheelhouse in a space not much bigger than a closet. But there was a heater, and Sabbi was able to come in with me, so we slept very well.

The next day we arrived in Tuktoyaktuk to very interesting sights all around. There was no dock to speak of. One had to be built for us using some large equipment: dirt and huge timbers were pushed into place, which provided an adequate ramp for large vehicles moving on and off.

I high-centred getting off, but a good tug from a front-end loader got me on my way.

It was very obvious where the money was in Tuk. The oil exploration industry had it all, including new heavy equipment, huge workshops, large crew quarters and no shortage of supplies. In bleak contrast to this was the village landfill, which was not in any way filled. The garbage was piled on the ground next to the ocean, and when the tide came in and out it took the garbage with it. The wind and wildlife scattered the garbage around as well. It was heartbreaking to see.

The village itself seemed old and a bit worn down. The gloomy weather and muddy roads may have contributed to this observation. Permafrost took its toll on some dwellings by heaving up their footings.

We had two hours in Tuktoyaktuk before the barge left again, and Sabbi and I were without a doubt a very popular spectacle for those hours. It seemed everyone had an iPhone, and word spread quickly about the two of us and this strange rig we were riding.

We drove as far as possible on the roads to get a good look at the pingos – large formations of the tundra that have been pushed up by the permafrost and resemble small volcanoes. And, of course, we checked off my bucket list HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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“YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE TAG ON MEMORIES YOU WILL CARRY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE”

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Riding Stories

goal of standing in the Arctic Ocean. It was worth every muddy, dirty mile.

When it was time to head back, I stopped at one of the two general stores in town to get some food. They were poorly supplied, as the highway had just shut down for an estimated seven days due to mudslides and washouts. There was no milk, bread or eggs. The one remaining tomato was going for about $10.

Back at the barge, boarding proved to be a difficult task, as the ramp had been almost totally destroyed by the heavy-weight traffic. Fortunately, a lot of hard teamwork got us aboard. I cannot express the incredible high I felt as we pulled away from the shore.

We did it! We stood in the Arctic Ocean and got the bike there, too.

Better weather allowed us to stretch out and dry off all our gear during the trip down the river. We made it back in 18 hours, and when I looked up Bob Gully to settle up for our passage, he waved me off and said we could use the money for gas.

Since the highway would be closed for another three to four days, we stayed at a nice campground just outside of Inuvik, then moved on to one just past Fort McPherson, not far from the ferry terminal. Unfortunately, when we arrived, I was informed that the ferry landings on both sides had been washed away by two months of rain that had flooded the Mackenzie Delta so that all its tributaries poured into the Peel

River. The landing would not be repaired until the rain stopped, and it didn’t seem like that day would come anytime soon.

We were stuck. I was the only biker, but there were a several people in RVs and a group of 15 canoeists who has just completed an 800-kilometre voyage. Our impromptu group formed a tight bond and actually managed to laugh, sing and even dance in our state of misery.

One day, members of the nearby Tetlit Gwich’in First Nation came by with a variety of vehicles and invited us to a banquet at their band office. What a banquet it was! Caribou ribs, steak, caribou stew, chili, soup, unbelievable salads (and remember how rare vegetables are up there), topped off with blueberry muffins the size of baseballs. They also offered us showers and the use of their washers and dryers.

When it was over, they gave us an equal amount of food to take back to our camp. Talk about people helping people.

Soon we got word that the ferry might start up the next day.

Since repairs in the Far North are typically done with material readily available, the ferry landing had been rebuilt with soggy mud.

Loading was not easy, as I sunk right to the axles in that soupy ooze. A 4x4 truck on the ferry had to pull me onboard.

Disembarking on the other side was equally interesting, as I sank into the mud like a submarine.

I let everyone go ahead of me, as I knew I would be travelling at a snail’s pace. There would be no more traffic behind me, as the ferry shut down again after we got off. The road was a royal mess, and I was very alone except for Sabbi. It was an uneasy feeling, but that’s what the adventurous spirit is all about.

Several times I failed to make it to the top of the hill, sliding backwards almost out of control.

I was forced to hug the centre of the road, as the deep ruts were pulling me in every direction.

I could only hope that a car wouldn’t crest the top of the hill coming directly at me. But I made it! I never thought that I was too old for this – it actually brought the youth out in me.

I finally arrived at Eagle Plains to fuel up, then pushed on to Engineer Creek Campground late that day to a reception fit for royalty. It turned out that most of the inhabitants were people from the ferry, and they had been very worried about me. Boy, oh boy, did we party that night. It was so much fun and a good way to vent.

I couldn’t travel the next morning, as temperatures were near zero and the road was too frosty for safe travel – but soon I was on my way to civilization.

But the adventure wasn’t over yet. I was travelling down a muddy section of the road just outside Carmacks, Yukon. It was raining hard and it felt like the same old ruts were pulling me all over the highway. It turned

out the sidecar wheel had come off and was at a 45-degree angle to the axle. It was a good thing that I had slowed down to a crawl. The wheel bearing had totally disintegrated, so I limped the rig to a nearby gas station in town.

It seemed like the whole town came out in the pouring rain to help me. I had a spare bearing, which enabled me to limp it to Whitehorse the next day, where the guy at the wheel bearing business helped me for a couple of hours and got me on the road free of charge. I think he fell in love with Sabbi.

Again, people helping people!

There was just one more incident. I needed a new clutch by the time I got to Prince George, B.C. The dealership was closed on Monday, but a couple of techs came in to do the job and got me on the road again at no extra charge: more people helping people.

I was home by nightfall after 10 hours of sunny dry wind in my face. It was exhilarating to say the least. You can’t put a price tag on memories like this that you will carry for the rest of your life.

I want to say a special thank you to Robin Muglich and his team at Barnes Harley-Davidson in Kamloops, B.C. for getting me on my way, and to Len Hall and his generous crew at Prince George Harley-Davidson for getting me home.

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON CANADA ®

2018 Rally and Pin Stop Dates

This year marks the 115th Anniversary of Harley-Davidson and 35 Years of HOG . We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming Regional Rallies and Pin Stops across Canada, as well, please join us at the flagship rallies in Prague and Milwaukee to celebrate both anniversary occasions! ®

®

2018 RALLIES:

July 5–7: Quebec Regional HOG Rally – Saint-Jérôme, Quebec July 5–8: 115th Anniversary Rally – Prague, Czech Republic July 12–14: Western Regional HOG Rally – Kelowna, B.C. August 2–4: Atlantic Regional HOG Rally – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador August 29–September 2: 115th Anniversary Rally – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

2018 PIN STOPS:

Friday the 13th – Port Dover, Ontario – April 13 Friday the 13th – Port Dover, Ontario – July 13 Biketoberfest – Hawkesbury, Ontario – September 1–2 Wharf Rat Rally – Digby, Nova Scotia – August 29–September 2

ALL EVENTS DETAILS CAN BE FOUND AT:

www.hog.com

Regional Profile

WELCOME TO THE TOUR DE FRANCE 1

France is a place packed with possibilities for Harley-Davidson® motorcycle riders, whether you are looking for stunning landscapes, challenging mountain roads or a trip into the past through ancient towns and villages.

Paris, the Côte d’Azur, the beaches of the Normandy landings – the list of must-visit places in France is endless, though some of the most interesting locations are perhaps less well-known. The south and east of France, and its west coast, have much to offer travellers, and there is no better way to explore them than by Harley-Davidson® motorcycle…

1. HAUTE SAVOIE AND SAVOIE The department (French administrative region) of Haute Savoie, bordered by Switzerland in the north and Italy in the south, has some of the finest alpine scenery in France. Chamonix, dominated by Mont Blanc,

offers year-round attractions including skiing, climbing and hiking, all perfect ways to work up an appetite for mountain cuisine like fondues, raclette cheese and tartiflette – a rich, cheesy potato dish. Haute Savoie is also home to two famous lakes – Lake Geneva, one of the largest in western Europe, and the crystal-clear Lake Annecy – offering visitors the choice of relaxing, semi-seaside locations or dramatic mountain routes.

Neighbouring Savoie offers legendary mountain passes including the Col de l’Iseran, the highest paved pass in Europe at 2,770 metres; the Col de la Madeleine,

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Regional Profile

which has regularly featured in the Tour de France; and the Col du Mont Cenis, which some historians believe Hannibal used to get his army and elephants across the Alps. If you are planning to visit by Harley® motorcycle, be warned: the passes are open only in summer.

Numerous glaciers, including Tignes and the Grand Pissaillas, enable snow lovers to ski 365 days a year – and if the white stuff is scarce, the local liquor will soon cheer everyone up!

Harley-Davidson has a strong presence here. The Spirit of Eagle dealership in Seynod, Haute Savoie, is one of the biggest in Europe, while the Alpes Spirit HOG® Chapter, based in Annecy in Haute Savoie, is made up of 175 members and organizes many day and weekend outings. All HOG members are welcome to join the chapter in discovering the region. Make a note in your diary for July 2019, when the next biannual Morzine Harley Days festival takes place. The chapter is closely involved in the four-day event, which this year attracted some 80,000 visitors and 25,000 motorcycles.

2. LA PROVENCE VERTE Bordered by Sainte-Victoire Mountain to the west, la Provence Verte (the Green Province) in the Var department is said to take its name from its multitude of lakes and waterways, including the River Argens.

Hit the road in Provence Verte and you’ll be taking a journey through French history.

Brignoles became the preferred summer residence for the Counts of Provence back in the 13th century and hosts a medieval festival each August celebrating its heritage; Nans-les-Pins, with its reputation for clean air and a healthy climate, has long been a popular summer resort; and the village of Saint-Zacharie is famous for its 16 fountains, fed by water from the local hills.

Plot a route across the Argens Valley to discover Châteauvert, with its fine 17th-century church; Barjols, which boasts 30 fountains and 12 washhouses; and Correns and Pontevès, each built around a castle. Carcès is a superbly restored medieval city, and the only Knights Templar castle in the Var department stands guard over Montfort-sur-Argens.

A visit to la Provence Verte must include the Sainte-Baume Mountain Range and the town of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume.

With its huge basilica and nearby grotto where Saint Mary Magdalene was said to have lived as a hermit, this has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries.

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Regional Profile

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3. THE VERDON GORGE Straddling the departments of Var and Alpes de Haute Provence, the gorge is a natural wonder dug out by the Verdon River over thousands of years. A narrow, winding corniche circles the rim of the gorge, combining superb views and some hairpin bends. Starting at Moustiers Sainte Marie will take you on a round trip of around 90 kilometres to Trigance – but take your time and stop off for a diversion or two to explore historic villages like Rougon or La Palud sur Verdon.

4. MONT VENTOUX

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Mont Ventoux, the “Giant of Provence,” is the highest point of the Vaucluse Mountains at 1,911 metres. The summit is accessible by road – it has featured in the Tour de France – but be warned: strong winds are not uncommon and may close the route. In clear weather, a trip to the top will provide an exceptional panorama that includes the whole chain of the Alps, Sainte-Victoire Mountain, the Mediterranean Sea, the lower Rhone Valley and even Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde in Marseille.

5. THE EAGLE’S NEST

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There are as many attractions to be found inland from Nice as along the famous coastline. Take the steep, hinterland roads and you’ll discover charming hilltop villages, valleys, Mercantour Natural Park, Mount Bego and the Vallée des Merveilles.

For amazing views, head for the medieval village of Èze, known as the “eagle’s nest,” perched some 420 metres above sea level.

Or climb even higher to picturesque Saint-Martin-Vésubie, 1,000 metres above sea level at the foot of the Mercantour Mountain Range.

Around 100 kilometres down the coast from Nice is Grimaud, which will host the Harley-Davidson Euro Festival from June 7 to 10, 2018. Tickets will go on sale soon, so save the date.

6. THE WEST COAST The Atlantic coast is one of the less well-known or visited areas of France, but there is much to discover from the seat of your Harley-Davidson motorcycle. There is great diversity here, from the granite coasts of Brittany, to the canals and countryside of “Green Venice” – a large area of marshland that crosses the departments of Vendée, Deux-Sèvres and Charente-Maritime, to the hairpin bends of French Basque Country.

La Rochelle – home to the La Rochelle Atlantic HOG Chapter, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in September – is a good starting point for road trips, although there’s also plenty to do and see in the town, including a historic port, one of the largest aquariums in Europe and a cathedral.

For example, the Three Islands Route will take you to the Ile de Ré, where you can climb 257 steps to the top of the Phare des Baleines lighthouse for great views of the ports of Ars, Saint Martin and La Flotte, and then further south to the tiny island of Ile d’Aix, with its links to Napoleon, and the Ile d’Oleron’s fabulous beaches.

Or head south to Bordeaux from Le Phare de La Coubre lighthouse, which offers fantastic views that take in the Gironde estuary, said to be the largest in Europe, and the Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast) to Royan, where fine beaches face both the estuary and the open sea. Catch a ferry across the estuary, then head through the vineyards of Medoc, on the banks of the Gironde, before arriving in Bordeaux.

FIND YOUR NEAREST DEALERSHIP There are more than 50 dealerships across France – to find them, visit h-d.com and click DEALER LOCATOR at the top of the page, or scan this QR code.

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The new Iron 1200™ and Forty-Eight® Special models take the Sportster® motorcycle back to its roots of style, power and performance.

By Charles Plueddeman

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sk 10 people to describe a Harley-Davidson® Sportster® motorcycle and you’ll likely get 10 very different answers.

Since its 1957 introduction as a hot, lightweight sportbike, Harley-Davidson Sportster models have been reimagined by both the Motor Company and Sportster owners worldwide as bobbers, choppers, scramblers, and café racers; as a hero on flat tracks, drag strips, and road-race courses; and as an accessible entry point for first-time riders looking for a dazzling custom cruiser. Throughout its 61 years of non-stop production, the Sportster platform has been redesigned to keep pace with evolving technology and restyled to reflect changing tastes, but has always offered authentic Harley-Davidson style and quality, honest character, and the distinctive sound and feel of a Milwaukee V-twin powertrain in an affordable and attainable package.

Recently, two new models joined the family that add to the Sportster legacy. The Iron 1200™ and Forty-Eight® Special models offer styling that reflects current trends on the custom-bike scene; a more handcrafted, home-built look; and the rediscovery of colour and graphic elements originally popular in the 1970s. Cool, man.

Dig your Sporty.

$ %/$1. &$19$6 21 7:2 :+((/6 That the Sportster model has remained a relevant and vital part of the HOG ® MAGAZINE CANADA

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motorcycle scene is a testament to the integrity of its original design, according to Brad Richards, vice president of styling & design at Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

“Since its inception, the Sportster has offered the perfect combination of size and power, and a character that makes it appealing to so many different riders,” said Richards. “Its proportions are perfect, and it has great bones. HarleyDavidson has always designed its motorcycles from the inside out, taking pains to make sure that the bits under the skin, the frame and the engine, are well crafted and attractive. So as you pull parts off the bike 58

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it still looks beautiful.

A Sportster is a relatively easy bike to strip down and reinvent. Which is what we’ve done to create the new Iron 1200 and Forty-Eight Special, and what Sportster owners have been doing with their own bikes for generations.”

New fuel tank graphics distinguish both the Iron 1200 and the Forty-Eight Special models.

“Like all great art, changes in graphic design are a reaction to what has come before,” said Richards. “The art on these two fuel tanks reflects the trend we are seeing on custom bikes and in general design, and that’s a move away from more complex and intricate art to a look that’s

very simple and clean.”

Both tank graphics combine bold colour stripes with a formal typeface.

“It’s a look that’s very impactful,” said Richards.

“It’s also important to note that these graphics respect the shape of the fuel tank, and in the case of the Sportster, that tank shape is a classic design element in its own right.”

,521 Ș 02'(/ The Iron 1200 model recipe starts with more power. A 1202-cc Evolution™ 1200 V-twin engine delivers 36 per cent more torque than the 883 Evolution engine that powers the Iron 883™ model, the original urban brawler in the Sportster

family. The Iron 1200 motorcycle’s engine brings more punch to the street fight – more power to blast away from green lights and more mid-range to muscle through traffic.

More power means more rowdy fun.

The entire powertrain has been styled with a popular colour: black upper and lower rocker boxes; black exhaust and muffler shields; and black timer, primary and derby covers. Chrome pushrod tubes and tappet covers highlight the shape of the V-twin engine.

The satin-black Mini-Ape Handlebar is an essential element of the garage-built chopper look that adds instant attitude.

This 1.0-inch (2.5-cm) diameter handlebar offers

an 8.75-inch (22.2-cm) rise and opens the rider triangle with a fist-in-thewind posture. The glossblack speed screen framing the headlamp is a West Coast-styling influence that amplifies the attitude of the tall bars, offers some wind deflection at speed, and provides a space for easy personalization.

The fastback Café Solo Seat flows to the rear fender and is shaped to hold the rider in position when the torque of the Evolution 1200 engine kicks in.

A classic 3.3-gallon (12.5-litre) Sportster fuel tank features multicoloured striped graphics that wrap around the tank profile.

The dark engine finish helps draw the eyes to the

bright tank graphics.

Fuel tank paint colour options include Vivid Black, Twisted Cherry and Billiard White – always contrasting with Vivid Black on the speed screen and fenders.

Ride and handling are enhanced by cartridgestyle forks and emulsion rear shock absorbers with progressive-rate springs and a threaded preload adjustment collar that make it easy for the rider to dial in the shock to match road conditions or passenger weight. A handy shock adjustment spanner stows under the seat. High-performance Michelin Scorcher 31 tires contribute to confident

handling. The Iron 1200 motorcycle is finished with all-black 9-Spoke wheels, and a solid black belt guard and rear sprocket. Key features from the Iron 883 model – a chopped rear fender, mid-mount controls, the round stamped-steel air cleaner cover, and fork gaiters – are retained on the Iron 1200 model.

The H-D® Smart Security System and anti-lock braking system (ABS) are factory-installed options for the Iron 1200 model.

)257< (,*+7p 63(&,$/ 02'(/ The burly front end of the Forty-Eight Special – a 130 mm front tire framed

by 49 mm forks secured in massive forged aluminum triple clamps – looks especially intimidating when topped with a gloss-black, 7.25-inch (18.4-cm) high Tallboy Handlebar.

“We specifically selected the Tallboy bar for its shape,” said Richards. “It offers less pull-back than the Mini-Ape, a look that really works with the steamroller front end on the Forty-Eight Special, and the smaller fuel tank on this model.”

That 2.1-gallon (7.95-litre) “peanut” Sportster fuel tank features rows of bold horizontal stripes framing

a simple Harley-Davidson text logo. The fuel tank is available in three colour options: Vivid Black, Wicked Red and Billiard White.

The engine features a black top end and a sea of brilliant chrome below, including chrome primary, inspection and derby covers; and solid-chrome muffler and exhaust shields.

Chrome lower rocker boxes, pushrod tubes and tappet covers contrast with the black cylinders to highlight the V-twin engine shape.

The Forty-Eight Special model wears highperformance Michelin Scorcher 31 tires front

and rear. The 49 mm forks feature a cartridge design tuned to complement emulsion rear shock absorbers with progressiverate springs, a combination that delivers a premium, controlled ride over the roughest urban pavement.

The smooth solo seat, chopped rear fender, mid-mount controls, and round stamped-steel air cleaner cover complete the styling features. The Harley-Davidson Smart Security System and anti-lock braking system (ABS) are factory-installed options for the Forty-Eight Special model.

Visit h-d.com/motorcycles for details and specs.

H-D Museum

Machinist, Rider, Racer, Founder One of the four founders of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company in 1903, Walter Davidson balanced technical brilliance with sound business sense.

EXHAUST

Walter Davidson was born on September 30, 1876, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to William C. Davidson and his wife, Margaret. In his youth, Walter raced bicycles and often did his repairs and maintenance in the family kitchen.

In his teenage years, he became a talented self-taught electrician and knew how to make his own batteries.

It is believed that his first paid job was working for an electrical contractor.

Later, he learned a trade as a machinist working for the Milwaukee Railroad. In early adulthood, Walter also worked in Parsons, Kansas, for the “Katy Road,” known more formally as the MissouriKansas-Texas Railroad. In 1903, he received a letter from his brother Arthur, who had teamed up with their long-time friend William Harley. They made it clear that Walter’s machining experience would come in handy in completing a new motorcycle they were building. Walter quit and relocated back to Milwaukee.

Together they finished the first production motorcycles sold to the public.

William Harley and Arthur Davidson later credited Walter with the actual building of the first production motorcycle.

They worked first in a 3- by 5-metre wooden shed, but within 10 years they had built a red brick factory site of more than 27,000 square metres.

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company was already one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world.

The founders incorporated HarleyDavidson on September 17, 1907, and

named Walter the company’s first president and general manager. The remainder of his life would be spent with the Motor Company. Among his responsibilities was addressing the stockholders at the annual meeting; these speeches often outlined the successes, challenges and strategic direction of Harley-Davidson through key periods of the Motor Company’s first four decades.

Those speeches and other written evidence indicate that Walter was a man with a direct and honest approach.

Walter quickly became a great motorcycle enthusiast and an accomplished competition rider. The Chicago Motorcycle Club awarded to Walter Davidson the first-prize trophy for its “Ten Mile Open” on July 4, 1905.

In 1907, Davidson won at least three more competition events in Southern Wisconsin. But it was his winning of the Federation of American Motorcyclists endurance run in the Catskill Mountains of New York in 1908 that vaulted the name Harley-Davidson into the motorcycling world. Earning a perfect possible 1,000 points, Walter competed without any support from a repair crew.

As both an accomplished rider and machinist, Walter demanded the highest quality of the Motor Company’s products.

His experience also developed his reputation as a business expert. Among his business accomplishments outside of Harley-Davidson were his services as a

“Walter demanded the highest quality of the Motor Company’s products”

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trustee of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and as a director of the Milwaukee Gas Light Company. In a 1919 speech given to a local Rotary club, Walter stressed that “personal service is really the keynote of our [Harley-Davidson] organization, and that ... service has proven a good investment is evidenced by the fact that the company has been successful from the start.”

According to his brother William, Walter gave disproportionately large amounts to charity and was a great believer in complete honesty. Like the other founders of H-D, he was known to spend time with motorcyclists and other guests who stopped to visit the factory.

His favourite pastimes included fishing and running the H-D bowling club.

But he was never far from building motorcycles, even in his free time. He died on February 7, 1942, still serving as president. He was survived by his wife, Emma (whom he married in 1910) and three sons, Gordon, Walter Jr. and Robert.

To date, no one has served as president (or CEO) of Harley-Davidson for a longer tenure than Walter Davidson.

Photographs courtesy of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company Archives. Copyright H-D®.

COVERS THE PART OF YOUR BODY THAT CHAPS DON’T.

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H.O.G.® Roadside Assistance is there for you 24/7, 365 days a year to get you out of trouble in case of tire puncture, lack of fuel and even loss of keys. As a H.O.G.® member your butt is covered when you need it the most. SIGN UP TODAY AT HOG.COM/ROADSIDE. *Benefit currently available for U.S. and Canada members only. ©2018 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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24/08/2016 13:46

EXHAUST

Between the Lines

WHAT VIRGINIA TECH CAN TEACH US ABOUT

HOW WE CRASH When it comes to motorcycle safety, maybe the only thing better than learning from our mistakes is to learn from someone else’s. The good news is that we can learn a lot from the motorcyclists who participated in a study conducted for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).

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Between the Lines Equipped with five video cameras and an array of data-acquisition equipment, these 100 riders, ages 21 to 79, logged a total of 590,093 kilometres during 31,000 trips on their motorcycles. Their every move and reaction were recorded and analyzed to determine how, when and where crashes were most likely to occur.

Some of the results are predictable: Uncontrolled intersections are dangerous and so, too, is aggressive riding.

Some of the results might surprise you: We’re inattentive, we crash into the back of other vehicles far too frequently, and we need to work on our braking techniques and cornering.

These and other key findings are critical for the future improvement of riding courses like those from MSF and the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy. They should also inform how you ride the next time you throw a leg over your motorcycle.

BIG DATA MEETS MOTORCYCLE CRASHES The VTTI study is the most comprehensive effort made to understand motorcycle crashes in North America, far greater than the well-known Hurt report put together in 1981. However, the VTTI report has its own limitations, namely that only 30 crashes occurred during the entire study.

That’s a small enough sample size that care should be taken when drawing absolute conclusions. Fortunately, the VTTI study also included 122 near-crash events, which offer useful surrogates for gleaning insights.

Let’s focus on a few key findings contained in the Risk Factors report …

WHERE DO WE CRASH? Simple: We crash at intersections, especially uncontrolled ones. VTTI calculated how much a particular scenario or riding behaviour impacted the odds of a crash or near-crash, and the results speak volumes: An uncontrolled intersection is 40 times as risky to us compared with no intersection; a driveway or parking lot presents greater than eight times the risk; and a controlled intersection with a signal is three times as risky as no intersection.

Road factors also play a role in risk.

Not surprisingly, riders were nine times as likely to crash (or have a near-crash incident) on gravel or dirt roads compared with paved roads, but perhaps it’s less intuitive to learn that an uphill road grade poses twice the risk of a flat road, while a downhill grade quadruples the risk.

“Combine inattentiveness and lack of skills with a dose of aggression, and we’re 30 times more likely to suffer a crash” In addition to uncontrolled intersections, turns represent the greatest likelihood for a crash. Of the 53 crash or near-crash “conflicts” involving only the motorcyclist (no other vehicle or object), more than half involved the subject motorcycle negotiating a curve leading into the incident.

HOW DO WE CRASH? Ask a motorcyclist who or what presents the greatest danger to them on the road, and it’s likely they’ll answer “other drivers,” specifically cars that pull into our path. Of the 99 crashes and near-crashes involving another vehicle in the VTTI study, vehicles crossing the rider’s path accounted for 19.

But we should look in the mirror before we start pointing fingers. That’s because the most common scenario for crashes involving another vehicle is a motorcyclist hitting (or nearly hitting) another vehicle from behind. That scenario happened 35 times in the study. If these statistics accurately reflect all motorcycle crashes, it means that we’re nearly twice as likely to hit another vehicle stopped (or slowing) in front of us than to have someone pull into our path.

How can this be? Chalk it up to aggression (18 times more risky) or inattentiveness or lack of riding skills (nine times riskier). Combine inattentiveness and lack of skills with a dose of aggression, and we’re 30 times more likely to suffer a crash or near-crash.

Interestingly, dropped or almostdropped motorcycles were a frequent occurrence according to the study, with 14 events landing in a category described as “vehicle lost control – insufficient speed.” These events included entering or exiting a parking position, stopping or starting in a traffic lane and other common situations. The study finds that “low-speed ‘crashes’ appear to be relatively typical among everyday riding.”

While typically less severe than incidents that occur at speed, such crashes can be consequential (and costly), and are a strong reminder for us to pay attention and develop low-speed riding skills.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? Fifty-five percent of the participants in this study experienced at least one of the 152 crash or near-crash incidents in the study.

While we’d all like to think crashes only happen to someone else, those are not the kind of odds we should gamble with.

And while it’s also true that the MSF funded this study to find ways to improve its curriculum for teaching new riders, there are important lessons that all of us can incorporate the next time we ride a motorcycle, regardless of our experience level.

For starters, we need to be more attentive. The sheer number of motorcyclists plowing into stopped or slowing vehicles suggests that we pay much greater attention to looking further ahead. There’s precious little time to avoid an object on the road if we’re only looking 10 metres ahead of our front tire as opposed to looking 100 metres.

So keep your eyes up, look far down the road, and evaluate developing situations before they become critical.

Next, we need to remain calm and ride sensibly, not urgently. If we’re 18 times more likely to be involved in a crash because we’re riding aggressively, it’s time to take it down a notch and ride defensively. Relax and enjoy the ride.

That’s why we ride motorcycles in the first place!

And, of course, there’s the critical importance of learning and honing safe riding skills in courses like those offered through the Harley-Davidson Riding Academy and the MSF, and other programs geared toward experienced riders.

There’s no end to the opportunities available for us to become better riders, but there are some terrible endings if we ignore the dangers of unsafe riding.

Let’s incorporate the VTTI studys into our continuing education.

Have a comment or question about this story? Share it with us via email at hogmagazine.ca@harley-davidson.com or mail it to HOG® Magazine Canada, 100 New Park Place, Suite 330, Vaughan, Ontario, L4K 0H9.

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150 Dollar Rides

ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS EXHAUST

I noticed that my girlfriend, Nancy, was accumulating a number of bumper stickers, hats and shirts with the “Come and Take It” slogan on them, notably from the historic Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution. Because of her love of museums and history, I decided to take her to my hometown of Gonzales, Texas. I wanted to show her where the first shot of the Texas Revolution was fired.

Story by John Smith

Although it was November, we both live in Texas Hill Country and are blessed with year-round riding weather. We left from Canyon Lake on my Ultra Limited motorcycle and headed east to our destination. As we left the rocky Hill Country, the terrain turned to grassy rolling hills approaching Gonzales County.

Before riding out to the site of the start of the revolution, we stopped to tour the Gonzales County Jail Museum, located just south of the town square. The jail was built in 1887 and was in operation until 1975. We had to wait a few minutes before starting our tour, as our guide was busy with a group of paranormal investigators preparing to take readings in the jail that night. The tour guide said it was the 14th group this year.

Our tour started on the ground floor, which showcased the jailer’s living quarters, the booking room and the

dungeon used for solitary confinement.

Display cases were full of creative weaponry taken from the prisoners, and exhibits about former sheriffs and other equipment that was used recounted the jail’s story. The second floor housed the hanging gallows, with the last indoor hanging occurring in 1921. Graffiti carved into the plaster walls told the tales of the prisoners.

Before leaving town, we stopped at Gonzales Food Market for some tasty barbecue. The market has been there for years and is on the Texas Heroes Square, adjacent to Confederate Square in the middle of Gonzales.

With a tour of Gonzales in the history books, we headed south on Highway 183 and then west on Highway 97 for the 13-kilometre ride to the revolution site.

There’s a large monument on Highway 97 in the small town of Cost that gives

easy access to the history of the battle.

The actual site is about a kilometre away at the Guadalupe River along Spur 95.

The ride back to Canyon Lake was relaxing and quiet. Nancy and I stopped for refreshments at Canyon Lake Marina, where the Baja BBQ Shack has outdoor seating so we could look out over the lake. Watching the sun go down with the best riding partner one could ask for topped off a perfect day.

If you have a $150 Ride story to share, we want to see it. If it appears in HOG ® Magazine Canada, we’ll even foot the bill – in the form of a $150 Harley-Davidson Gift Card. Keep your story to 750 words or fewer, including a list of your expenses. We also need photography from your adventure, including a photo of you.

THE $150 CHALLENGE 64

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Email your submission with “$150 Rides” as the subject line to hogmagazine.ca@harley-davidson.com

150 Dollar Rides

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Last Stop

NOT FOR SALE:

REDISCOVERING THE LOVE OF MOTORCYCLING I was going to sell my motorcycle. I told myself it didn’t make “sense” to keep it.

Story by Amanda Lee

EXHAUST

After changing careers from a laid-back lifestyle brand to a downtown financial services company, I didn’t know how my Harley-Davidson® FXDB Street Bob® motorcycle would fit into my new life. Would it really be practical?

So I listed the bike online, and within two days I received an offer. As I got the sale in order, I started wondering about the buyer’s story. When did his passion for riding start? Thinking about this stranger’s history made me think about my own.

I remember the sound of my dad’s shovelhead rolling down the driveway almost every summer morning as he left for work. It was the sound of my father. Of hard work, sweat, perseverance and promise. The sound of a man who found a way to feed his family of five while feeding the wild hunger in his soul. I remember sneaking into the garage, gliding my hand along the gas tank, feeling the smooth glass of the purple paint, wondering what it felt like to be my dad.

My first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was a 2005 883 Custom Sportster® model. I bought it the same week I graduated from Rider’s Edge®, Harley-Davidson’s riding academy. I was instantly hooked, taking off on solo adventures to Vermont, New York, Canada, and on rides with Dad to Kentucky, Montana, Wyoming and to the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

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Everyone who’s ever left home for the horizon will tell you there’s nothing like being out on the open road. On a motorcycle, everything is different. The world is new again, and everything feels possible. There’s a connectivity that happens when you put yourself out there. Ironically, when you’re alone, you connect – with yourself, nature, a good song you can listen to on “repeat,” with God, with the past and the present, and with kindred spirits that became riding buddies or lifelong friends.

My passion for riding has taken me far and wide, and given me experiences I never would have had – like in India, where the breathtaking sight of the Taj Mahal emerged, framed within the silhouette of the handlebar of my Sportster Nightster™ as we rolled up in the dusty, pink, hot afternoon. Or winding along the turquoise waters of Aruba, riding a Heritage Softail™ motorcycle with Karen Davidson and dozens of women during Women Riders Month.

There have also been some not-so-fun moments that taught me about who I am: getting caught in a thunderstorm all alone at midnight on the lonely plains of Nebraska on my Sportster Forty-Eight® bike with no windshield, fighting fatigue and cold, soaked to the bone, trying to get to the next town, wondering if I was going to make it, actually feeling electricity in the fillings of my teeth as the lightning flashed; I saw it light up the darkest places in my heart.

If you’re not careful, these memories get washed away, like a child’s chalk drawing on the sidewalk in the rain.

They become lessened by more “practical” things. They get shoved aside for the “shoulds.” But you can’t let that happen. And I wouldn’t let it happen to me. Because being a motorcycle enthusiast has never been about what you should do. It’s not a practical decision; it’s an emotional one. It’s about what keeps us feeling alive and makes our hearts beat faster. It’s a part of us that’s beyond words.

As I was writing this, I got a text from my dad, who’s retired and still riding his Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic® motorcycle through Northern Wisconsin.

“Hey Amanda, I was thinking of what I might have missed had I never caught on to riding motorcycles… the list is long, but some highlights include: Riding through a deluge on the Iron Highway (or was it the Needles?) and then napping in the sun while your clothes dry. Packing the bike in the pre-dawn on the outskirts of Amarillo while the coyotes howl. Enjoying a cold one on the porch of the Game Lodge with your feet up on the railing with good friends, listening to the bikes on the highway. Riding through a cold New Mexico morning wearing every stitch of clothing you are packing. Well, you get the picture.

I’m not ready yet for life without a motorcycle.”

Guess what? I’m not either. Thanks, Dad… for everything.

Custom bike shows. Races. Epic road trips. The Sportster motorcycle has been there, done that. And now does it even better. The new Forty-Eight Special motorcycle.

1200cc Evolution V-Twin engine. Quick handling. And throwback 70’s art on the tank to let everyone know it wasn’t born yesterday. So yeah, you can do this. ®

®

®

h-d.com/sportster

FORTY-EIGHT® SPECIAL

©2018 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC. Third-party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Selection varies by dealership. Prices listed are generally the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), excluding taxes and shipping, and are subject to change without notice. Prices at local dealerships may vary.