HOG Magazine Canada – Winter 2016 (EN)

for the harley-davidson enthusiast since 1916 速

canadian edition

2016 WINTER $6.99 can

2016 HOG速 RALLIES: ADVENTURES AHEAD

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48 HOURS IN MONTREAL

PILGRIM ROAD

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WE DON’T DO NORMAL. WE DO THINGS LIKE BUILD A SKINNY BIKE WITH FAT TIRES AND A BIG ENGINE. THE ALL-NEW FORTY-EIGHT®. REDESIGNED FRONT AND REAR SUSPENSION, MAG WHEELS, PEANUT TANK, BLACKED OUT POWERTRAIN AND OPTIONAL ABS. MAKES SENSE.

GET YOURS STARTING FROM $12,999 . H-D.COM/FORTYEIGHT *

*Price shown is the MSRP for a 2016 Vivid Black Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight® motorcycle. Dealer may sell for less. ©2015 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.

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LIKE NORMAL MAKES ANY SENSE.

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» Departments 6

WELCOME NOTE The Big World of HOG®

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INTAKE Letters from our members.

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FRONT SHOP

10 NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

King of the Streets; 1927 H-D®

V-Twin auctions for over $600,000.

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BACKSTAGE A View to Remember: A few members of the Toronto Chapter stop to take in the breathtaking views of Lake Huron at Sauble Beach, Ontario.

16 GALLERY

Photos from the field.

On the cover: The new 2016 Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight® model (US Model Shown).

45 BACK SHOP 46 PIT STOP

Because It’s There: Climbing mountains

on motorcycles takes special skills.

Black on White: Our Wide Glide® blacks out the white sands of New Mexico.

50 RALLY RIDES

2016 North American HOG® Rallies.

52 ENTHUSIASTS Meet Ron Lokaisingh, Toronto Chapter.

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RIDING STORIES A Ride through the Black Forest: Tackling hairpin turns on some of the Alps’ highest passes.

Old School Escape Revisited: Two days, three states, and over 1,200 kilometres for under $100.

Capture the Flag: The brotherhood of two Alberta chapters captured in a well-played stunt.

All or Nothing: Two serious two-wheeled campers compare strategies for roughing it on the road.

The Great North: 42 days of extreme roads, weather and views.

Once Upon a Ride: Halifax riders take

a ghoulish tour, complete with police escort.

66 ARCHIVES Before the Beginning: Early documents

shed light on the Motor Company’s

earliest “pre-history.”

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THE FORTY-EIGHT ISSUE HOG 速 MAGAZ INE CA NA DA

WINTER 2016

52

損 Features

22 48 HOURS IN

MONTREAL ON THE

NEW FORTY-EIGHT速 MODEL

Story and photos by

Dustin A. Woods.

28 DESIGNING THE MACHINE

Two designers discuss

the new Iron 883TM and Forty-Eight速 motorcycles.

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PILGRIM ROAD Welcome to the temple of torque. Story by Charles Plueddeman. Photography

by Brad Chaney.

38 HIGHWAY RUNAWAYS

Five young female riders

set off from Brooklyn,

New York, to follow in

the tire tracks of Effie Hotchkiss.

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WELCOME NOTE

THE FORTY-EIGHT ISSUE

The Big World of HOG®

There’s a big world of riding out there that literally begins at the edge of your driveway.

It’s a lot of ground to cover, but that’s what makes it so much fun.

Can you feel the chill in the air yet? I do here in Milwaukee, which means the days – and riding season – are getting shorter. It’s the same story every year.

When the mercury and the snow start to fall, the bikes seek refuge in the garage.

Sure, there are a hearty few who push on through the winter, sneaking in bonus rides on those gloriously mild mid-winter days that pop up unexpectedly, but for most of us the cold months are a time to recharge and start dreaming and scheming about next riding season. It could be finishing a bike project you’ve been putting off or planning the itinerary of that bucket list trip you’re finally going to take, but just because your bike is parked doesn’t mean you stop being a rider.

A great place to start your 2016 planning is with the HOG® events map and calendar on pages 50–51. We’ve locked in the dates of all five official Canadian HOG rallies next year, which span the country from New Brunswick to British Columbia. You’ll also notice we’ve expanded the territory of the map to include HOG rallies in the United States - and there are a lot of them! There’s always been an open invitation to every HOG rally anywhere in the world for all members, no matter what state, province or country they call home, but we especially want our members in Canada and the United States to think of the whole continent as their backyard.

HOG rallies not only span the map from east to west, north to south, and all points in between, they also offer a wide variety of riding terrain and activities. We have rallies in cities, near cities, in the country far from anywhere and rallies that travel from point to point. Whether you want to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, or ride new roads in search of new adventures, there’s a HOG rally that will get you there. HOG rallies are as diverse as the ground they cover and the riders who attend them, but one constant you can always count on is a warm welcome and the company of fellow riders who share your passion for HOG and Harley-Davidson.

If you’re already dreaming of warmer weather, a big event to put on your list for 2016 is Daytona Bike Week (March 5–12). It’s the 75th anniversary of the rally next year, and if it’s anything like Sturgis was this year, you won’t want to miss it.

As usual, HOG will be there with the red carpet rolled out for members.

Keep an eye on hog.com and the Hotwire! eNewsletter for more info about Daytona and all these other events throughout the coming months and year.

There’s a big world of riding out there that literally begins at the edge of your driveway. It’s a lot of ground to cover, but that’s what makes it so much fun.

Matt King, Editor in Chief

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INTAKE

LETTERS FROM OUR MEMBERS

WINTER 2016 SUMMER 2014

EDITOR'S PICK

CABOT TRAIL INSPIRATION The “Top 10 Fall Touring Rides in Eastern Canada” article (Fall 2015 edition) brought me great inspiration.

After looking deeper into the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, N.S., I decided to saddle up and hit the road. What a fantastic ride. The serpentine roads and scenic views are truly something to behold. And the seafood was the best I’ve ever had! I look forward to more inspiring articles on the greatest rides our country has to offer.

Martin Jones Via email

HOG® MAGAZINE CANADA IS PUBLISHED BY HARLEY-DAVIDSON CANADA LP AND THE HARLEY OWNERS GROUPTM SEND US YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS TO: EDITOR@HOGMAGAZINECANADA.CA HOGMAGAZINECANADA.CA HOG® MAGAZINE CANADA FEATURES SOME CONTENT FROM THE US, EMEA AND AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND EDITIONS OF HOG® MAGAZINE.

PRODUCTION, DESIGN & SALES BY

KEEPING YOUR COOL

After reading Mike Zimmerman’s article “Thermoregulation and You” in the Fall 2015 issue, there’s something I want to pass along that I tried this summer on a trip from my home in Northwestern Wisconsin through Iowa to the Sandhills region of Nebraska.

I purchased a hydration pack for about $20. Mine holds 1.5 litres of water, and I wear it under my leather jacket. The pack has a long “watering tube” that lays over your shoulder and allows you to drink any time you feel like it while you ride; plus, the

water pack helps keep you cool. I rode one day in 100-degree heat [37 C] and then went for a walk after checking in to the hotel in Valentine, Nebraska. I’m happy to say my 2008 Electra Glide® and my hydra pack never missed a beat.

Bill Burnham Shell Lake, Wisconsin

SPLIT UP

I think most people against lane-splitting feel that way because it seems like it’s dangerous even though there’s

no evidence to support that notion. If lane-splitting helps ease traffic congestion without inconveniencing anyone, then I absolutely think it should be encouraged. To those against it because they don’t like it when someone gets through a traffic jam while they sit there, get a bike!

Dan Batker Grand Marsh, Wisconsin At 72, I’ve been riding for 52 years. There’s one piece of advice I’ve consistently passed along to other riders during that time: Never put yourself and your bike where other people don’t expect you to be. Lane-spitting violates that idea. I’ve never been involved in a bike accident, and I hope to keep it that way. As frustrating and uncomfortable as it may be, no lane-splitting for me.

Hiram Kelsey Southington, Conneticut

We welcome all letters and feedback to HOG® Magazine Canada.

Letters should be 100-150 words. E-mail your feedback to editor@hogmagazinecanada.com and put “Intake” in the e-mail subject.

Include your name, telephone number and e-mail address. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length and clarity.

WWW.FRESHAIRPUBLISHING.CA MATT KING EDITOR IN CHIEF GORDIE BOWLES EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION KAT MORGENROTH DESIGN CHRISTINA NEWBERRY COPY EDITOR DUSTIN WOODS SENIOR WRITER TYLER HUNT WEB DESIGNER PAUL SOLOVYOV IT PROGRAMMER Please direct any advertising inquiries to INFO@FRESHAIRPUBLISHING.COM 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 quarterly by Harley-Davidson Canada LP and the Harley Owners GroupTM. Due to various circumstances, some information in this issue is subject to change.

No part of this publication may be reproduced for any reason without the expressed written consent of Harley-Davidson Canada LP and the Harley Owners GroupTM. By sending your submissions, you are giving Harley-Davidson Motor Company, HarleyDavidson Canada LP, the Harley Owners GroupTM, and their affiliates, the unrestricted right, permission, and authority to use and publish your name and city of residence, any photograph or image of you, including any statements you make, for publication in HOG® Magazine Canada or for posting on hog.com, without consideration or compensation of any kind whatsoever. You further hereby irrevocably release and waive any right, claim, or cause of action you may have against Harley-Davidson Motor Company, HarleyDavidson Canada LP, the Harley Owners GroupTM, and their affiliates, for compensation, libel, or invasion of privacy, or any other liability whatsoever. Harley Owners GroupTM reserves the right to edit stories for content, length and clarity. With the purchase of any new Harley-Davidson® model from an authorized Canadian Harley-Davidson® Dealer, you will receive a free, full one-year membership in H.O.G. Always ride with a helmet. Ride defensively.

Distributed exclusively in Canada by Harley-Davidson Canada LP. To find your local authorized Canadian Harley-Davidson® Dealer, visit www.harley-davidson.com today. ©2015 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. Printed in Canada.

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KINGS OF THE ROAD TRIP Roll up and save 10% or more on your room.

Earn bonus points toward free stays.*

TO SIGN UP FOR THE BEST WESTERN RIDE REWARDS® PROGRAM OR BOOK A STAY, VISIT BESTWESTERN.COM/HOG OR CALL 1-888-292-2453.

Preferred bike parking and free bike washing stations at 1,600** Best Western Rider-Friendly® hotels worldwide.

*Restrictions apply. See bestwesternrewards.com for complete details. **Number is approximate and may fluctuate. Each Best Western® branded hotel is independently owned and operated. Harley-Davidson, 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 8 hog® Western magazine canada » winter 2016or registered service marks of Best Western International, Inc. ©2015 Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved. marks are service marks

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FRONT SHOP

WINTER 2016 NEWS

Harley-Davidson India Appoints New Director.

King of the Streets.

1927 H-D® V-Twin Auctions for Over $600,000.

BACKSTAGE

A View to Remember.

GALLERY

Photos and stories from the field.

The new 2016 Iron 883™ model

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FRONT SHOP

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD

India

H-D INDIA APPOINTS NEW DIRECTOR The Harley-Davidson Motor Company appointed Vikram Pawah as the Managing Director of its India operations in September. Pawah replaces Anoop Prakash, who left India to take on the role of Managing Director of Harley-Davidson Canada. Pawah will manage India’s leadership team, responsible for in-country sales, dealer network management, marketing, service and operations activities, to expand the company’s presence in the country, Harley-Davidson said in a statement. Pawah brings more than 24 years of experience, of which 21 were with Honda in India and Australia.

KING OF THE STREETS The kings have been crowned.

Alex Stewart of Yellowstone Harley-Davidson in Belgrade, Mont., earned bragging rights and a new motorcyclecustomization royalty designation – the first-ever U.S. Custom King. Stewart

Australia

and his dealership’s build team assembled the winning “Next Generation Board Track Racer” as part of the inaugural Harley-Davidson Custom Kings competition.

As profiled in the July edition of Hotwire!, the Canadian champion, Léo Harley-Davidson, was crowned in June at the King of the Streets competition in Montreal. Four celebrity judges and more than 30,000 consumer votes contributed to the crowning. All participants were given a budget of $7,500 and six weeks to complete their custom builds.

The finalists vying for the title and customization supremacy were: USA FINALISTS 1. Brian’s Harley-Davidson, Langhorne, Pa. 2. Harley-Davidson of Macon, Macon, Ga. 3. Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Ariz.

4. Lake Shore Harley-Davidson, Libertyville, Ill. 5. Loess Hills Harley-Davidson, Pacific Junction, Iowa CANADIAN FINALISTS 1. Léo Harley-Davidson, Brossard, Que. 2. Mile 1 Harley-Davidson, Mt. Pearl, N.L. 3. Redline Harley-Davidson, Saskatoon, Sask.

4. Longley Harley-Davidson of Peterborough, Peterborough, Ont. 5. Trev Deeley Motorcycles, Vancouver, B.C. 6. Harley-Davidson of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alta.

1927 H-D® V-TWIN AUCTIONS FOR OVER $600,000 Nearly 90 years after it was built, a 1927 Harley-Davidson® FHA 8-Valve V-Twin racer sold to an Australian bidder at a competitive auction in Melbourne, Australia, for $634,000 CAD. The rusted light-green motorcycle – which was last raced in the 1940s and has been in storage for 50 years – sold to an Australian man. It is one of fewer than 50 Harley-Davidson 8-Valve V-Twin racer bikes made and one of only a handful of Harley-Davidson 1000cc 8-Valve racers left in original condition.

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WINTER 2016

DIVIDED HIGHWAYS TO LANE-SPLIT or NOT? WE ASKED: While it’s not legal for motorcycles in Canada, lane-splitting is a hot topic almost everywhere. Proponents say lane-splitting reduces congestion and keeps riders mobile (and thus safe). Others question its safety, and say it reflects badly on riders and annoys drivers. It’s not a simple subject, but what do you think – to split or not?

YOU SAID: Anything that helps traffic flow makes sense. Too many fender-bender accidents happen in a “moving parking lot.” Remove the biker from being there. –KEN S. … Lane-splitting is like riding your bike into a running blender. Why would you leave your life up to distracted drivers? –MATT L. … I’m not splitting lanes at 110 km/h. I’m moving slowly and safely, yet consistently, toward the front of traffic congestion. –SAMUEL B. ...

Maybe it’s legal, but so is jumping off a 30-metre silo. Both are ill advised in my opinion.

–LEE C. … The choice to split lanes or not involves several factors and should be made only when you are there in the moment. –PERRY M. … It’s not that I’m afraid that I’ll do something stupid. It’s the everyday drivers in cars that worry me. –TOM R. … It might seem dangerous to some, but statistics show lane-splitting is safe. If annoyance alone was enough to make something illegal, then freedom would have no meaning. –DAN G.

61%

39%

Splitting, safely and slowly

INFOTAINMENT SUPERHIGHWAY Here are a few tips on efficient, effective operation to make sure you’re getting the most from your H-D® Project Rushmore infotainment system.

GET FAMILIAR Your system is designed for easy, intuitive operation while riding. But the road is not a good learning environment. Take time to familiarize yourself with the system and its controls in a safe place, like your driveway. The better you know which buttons

and switches do what, the better you can keep your eyes on the road and concentrate on the business of riding.

STAY IN TOUCH Remember that there are two ways to make selections: through the touchscreen and with the

Not worth the risk

joystick (operated by your right thumb). Using the touchscreen is very intuitive and good to use when you’re stopped, but learning to use the joystick is a better choice when you’re under way, since it allows you to keep both hands on the handlebar.

STAY UP TO DATE You’ll get the most from your Project Rushmore infotainment system if you keep its software current.

1. Check which software version you’re currently using by selecting Home > Setup > System Information > Software on your bike’s Project Rushmore menu.

2. Check for updates by visiting h-d.com/boom. Click on “Check It” under the header “Software Updates.”

3. If an update is indicated, you can download and install the software using a USB drive (follow the instructions at h-d.com/boom or in your BOOM!™ Audio Owner’s Manual), or take your bike to a Harley-Davidson® Authorized Dealer to have them do it for you.

As always, more details can be found in your Owner’s Manual.

And don’t hesitate to contact the experts at your local Harley-Davidson dealership if you have any questions.

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FRONT SHOP

NEWS

RIDING ACADEMY LAUNCHES IN CANADA Two Alberta dealerships start training new riders

The phrase “training wheels” has an entirely new meaning for Canadians now that the Harley-Davidson® Riding Academy (HDRA) has successfully launched in Canada.

After 12 months of hard work and dedication, Kane’s (Calgary) and Edge (Lloydminster) dealerships recently kicked off the H-D® Riding Academy New Rider Course. Working closely with Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation, our HDRA coaches are provincially certified, and H-D Canada is licensed to operate as a rider training school in Alberta.

Despite challenging weather conditions at the first course offering (students braved temperatures of 4 C), the new riders had a blast learning to become confident motorcyclists on the Harley-Davidson® Street 500.

Canada’s riding season may be over for the year, but dealers are very excited and equipped to train more new riders come spring.

CRUISERS IN THE NEWS Power to the Cruisers Cruiser riders looking for a little extra boost of power have had their wish granted. For 2016, Harley-Davidson is making the High-Output Twin Cam 103™ standard in every Dyna® (except Street Bob®) and Softail® model. That is, except for the Softail Slim® S and Fat Boy® S, which get the Twin Cam 110™. Tuned to deliver maximum power where you need it most, the High-OutputTwin Cam 103™ engine provides awesome acceleration and passing performance: in other words, real-world improvement you’ll feel on every ride.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON GIFT CARD NOW AVAILABLE IN CANADA Not sure what to get the Harley-Davidson enthusiast on your list? Just in time for the holidays Harley-Davidson Canada is launching a new gift card for Canadian consumers. Available at participating dealers across the country, customers will be able to purchase gift cards in any quantity and in card amounts varying from $5 to $500. The new H-D™ Canada Gift Card will only be accepted at participating dealers in Canada.

Ask your dealer for details.

HARLEY® ON SCREEN (V-ROD®) Harley-Davidson V-Rod Muscle®, in Iron Man 3, 2013 Harley-Davidson V-Rod®, in Entourage, 2004–11 Harley-Davidson V-Rod 1130, in X-Men: The Last Stand, 2006 Harley-Davidson V-Rod Night Rod® Special, in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, 2014

B

*

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THEY SAY MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL.

$8,099* WILL GET YOU ALL YOU CAN HANDLE. THE LIQUID-COOLED REVOLUTION XTM ENGINE, NARROW FRAME, NIMBLE HANDLING, CAFÉ-INSPIRED WINDSCREEN AND NEW STOP-ON-A-DIME BRAKES LET YOU CUT THROUGH THE URBAN GRID. THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET® 500.

BEING BAD NEVER FELT SO GOOD. STOP IN TODAY. * $8,099 is the MSRP of the 2016 Harley-Davidson Street 500® in Vivid Black. Model depicted is the 2016 Harley-Davidson Street® 750 in Vivid Black with an MSRP of $8,899. Dealer pricing and availability may vary, check dealer for details. Not an offer for financing. ©2015 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.

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FRONT SHOP

BACKSTAGE

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WINTER 2016

A VIEW TO REMEMBER

A few members of the Toronto Chapter stop to take in the breathtaking views of Lake Huron at Sauble Beach, Ont., the second-longest freshwater beachfront in the world, during the 2015 Owen Sound Provincial HOG Rally in late August. The South Bruce Peninsula stop attracts birdwatchers, golfers, fishers and, of course, motorcycle riders to the area.

Photograph by Dan Lim.

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FRONT SHOP

GALLERY

MEMBERS’ GALLERY

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WINTER 2016

1. Photographer Alicia Riley captured this spectacular shot of Wade Rebelo next to his 1998 Road King速 motorcycle on the Manitoulin Islands.

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FRONT SHOP

GALLERY

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WINTER 2016

2. Kent Ward of LonguePointe-de-Mingan, Que., during a trip to Mexico.

3. Dan Bryden, out for a coffee run on a beautiful day in Saskatchewan in June 2015.

4. Craig Stephenson of St. John’s, N.L., during a spring ride to Cape Spear.

5. David Seebach claiming his 2015 XG750 Street® motorcycle in the door prize draw during the 2015 Canada’s 911 Ride.

6. Gilles Laroche of Ste-Julie, Que., and Marcel Bonneau of St-Hyacinthe, Que., ride the Tail of the Dragon in September 2015.

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FRONT SHOP

GALLERY

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WINTER 2016

7. Karen Noonan of Summerside, P.E.I., says her husband, Gary Noonan, seen here, is a lifetime member and a true Harley man.

8. Tony Budkowski and friend Vicky during a road trip from Ontario to Wyoming and back with two other groups.

8

9. Marc Tremblay and friend riding the Tail of the Dragon in 2015.

10. Colette Schaller-Beaton said she was “feeling old at 50 ... but then I got my trike.”

11. Bernadette and fiancé Joe Hanson took an 8,950-kilometre two-week adventure from Taber, Alta., south through Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming.

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Story and photos by DUSTIN A. WOODS 22 hog® magazine canada » winter 2016

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i've never heard a single person say they dislike the city of montreal.

T

here is something euphoric about this city in La Belle Province that stays with you after you leave. I have enjoyed the city many

Photo: Tmikecphoto / Shutterstock.com

times before on business trips or on stag weekends, where nocturnal activities gravitated toward the bright lights and bawdy establishments of St. Catherine Street and lasted until the wee hours of the morning – but the city offers so much more.

Invited to experience Project LiveWire™ at a Test Our Metal event just outside Montreal at Léo HarleyDavidson, I was excited to join a group of Harley® motorcycle owners for a test ride to judge the bike for myself and hear what others were saying about the technology. Since it had been a few years since I’d visited one of my favourite cities, I decided to stick around to explore Montreal from the seat of a revamped 2016 Harley-Davidson® Forty-Eight® model.

Aside from the 70s-inspired retro tank art and new colours – like the vibrant Hard Candy Gold Flake on my tester – changes include new 49mm front forks with cartridge damping, stronger triple clamps and a fork brace. This increased stiffness up front allowed rake to be reduced by 1.3 degrees and trail to be lengthened an inch, improving low-speed maneuverability. All of these changes that improve the ride and handling are complemented by the beefy Michelin Scorcher 31 tires and new 16-inch 9-spoke cast aluminum wheels that replace the former laced versions. Other changes in appearance include exhaust shields with old-school cut-outs and a selection of other blacked-out bits signifying the bike as a member of the Harley-Davidson’s Dark Custom series.

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wait out the rain and expand the mind without narcotics.

The centre’s mission is to share many forms of art in an inviting, educational space, providing a free interactive experience for visitors.

Montreal is a very modern and progressive city, yet one steeped in heritage and tradition. This duality is demonstrated in its architecture, its fashion, its history of cultural tension between the English and the French and even its cuisine. So intrinsic to the fabric of the city, the bagel shops have been granted special status allowing them to use wood-burning ovens, which are otherwise prohibited in new buildings. Making bagels fresh as they have for generations, and serving them while still warm, the St-Viateur Bagel Shop is legendary – with good reason. Schwartz’s Deli, another Montreal institution, serves smoked meat sandwiches with mustard and a pickle, just as they did when they opened in 1928 at the very location where the deli stands today. Expecting to be disappointed after years of hype from friends and family, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. A second, more modern location recently opened across the street to handle the busy deli’s overflow, offering the same food but without the tradition, or line-ups, of the original location.

Juxtaposed with the many bars, clubs and places of ill repute are historic, ornate and imposing churches, like the Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal. Constructed in

Photo: Tyler McKay / Shutterstock.com

Montreal is notorious for its poor road surfaces and even worse drivers.

I

n addition to the aforementioned nightlife, Montreal is famous for smoked meat sandwiches, bagels and poutine – and notorious for its poor road surfaces and even worse drivers. Shocking and disconcerting at first, local motorists are laughably inept and unapologetically aggressive. Use of turn signals is non-existent, while multiple lane changes are both frequent and abrupt.

(Don’t even think about making a right-hand turn on a red light, though; that is illegal and highly enforced.)

My ride’s ample brakes, the 1,200 cc Evolution™ engine boasting 71 ft. lbs. of torque at 3,500 rpm, and the planted feeling of the bobber solo saddle all came in handy for staying out of harm’s way.

My previous visits to Montreal were in the depths of winter, and involved sprinting to and from cabs to seek refuge from the cold. This time around, the warm September weather allowed me to explore the city in its entirety. I was in search of a different kind of satisfaction – experiences that sated my stomach and soul. I witnessed the convergence of virtual reality and artistic expression at a fascinating exhibit called “Sensory Stories” at the Phi Centre on Saint-Pierre Street. Difficult to put into words, it was a great way to

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The duality

of montreal is demonstrated in its architecture, its fashion, its history of cultural tension between the english and french and even its cuisine. the gothic revival style, the basilica was inaugurated back in 1829. The church carries on in the Catholic tradition and is a place where many dignitaries and the rich and famous are married and buried.

Throughout the city, old meets new both culturally and architecturally. This vast contrast between tradition and modernity was not lost on me as I got off the Forty-Eight速 model and onto the Project LiveWire bike. Harkening back to the Sporster family's debut in 1957, the Forty-Eight速 offers an enduring, time-tested formula featuring a rumbling, torquey V-twin, while the LiveWire bike features innovative new technology and embodies a significant shift toward the potential future of personal urban mobility.

Embracing cultural and historical elements I never would have searched out previously,

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Photo: Meunierd / Shutterstock.com

Photo: Songquan Deng / Shutterstock.com

project livewire

this trip was about experiencing the famous spots I’d always meant to visit but hadn’t, and discovering diamonds in the rough, like Romados chicken and a Japanese-inspired speakeasy called Big in Japan. The former is best experienced by grabbing an order to go and sitting in the nearby park with a frosty one. Thanks to something called the picnic law, drinking in public parks is tolerated in Montreal as long as you’re consuming food.

Go figure.

Working with the landscape architect Claude Cormier, the city is transforming many of its public spaces in an artistic, accessible way to encourage a feeling of community. During the mural festival, members of the public are encouraged to artistically deface specific spaces, resulting in open-air galleries.

Offering many distinct neighbourhoods that combine a vibrant heritage with a modern prerogative, Montreal truly is a world-class city. Sure, the roads – which are perpetually under construction – are among the worst on the continent, and the drivers are unpredictably erratic and discourteous. But there is much to offset these downsides, not least the unique, European-inspired culture, history and cuisine. As in most cities, it's simply a matter of exploring until you find the places and spaces that appeal to you. Forty-eight hours is barely enough time to scratch the surface of what this great city has to offer, which is all the more reason to plan another visit.

Project LiveWire™ is a fascinating crowdsourcing initiative.

Rather than taking a new electric motorcycle directly from drawing board to dealership, the Motor Company decided to let the riders have a say in its development. Currently a prototype, Project LiveWire is a hand-built, precisionengineered electric motorcycle concept designed to develop and mature the technology while gaining customer insights through rides in real-world conditions. Little about Project LiveWire is conventional Harley-Davidson. Hand controls are from the H-D® parts bin, but that’s about where the familiarity ends. Electric motorcycles create a paradigm shift, not only in transportation ideology, but also in operation procedures.

Aside from the lack of a V-Twin, there is no clutch and no shifter – which takes time to get used to. Propulsion is disabled when the side stand is down and during charging.

Perhaps the most notable difference from riding a traditional motorcycle is the sound, or lack thereof. With an AC induction motor rather than an internal combustion engine, getting the bike started involves little fanfare or excitement. Other than the notice from the touchscreen display, you wouldn’t even know it was turned on. Slowly rolling back the throttle, forward propulsion eerily begins without any audible cues. With no transmission required, power is seamless, constant and swift.

Coming to a rest at the first stoplight by rolling the throttle forward, which results in regenerative braking energy, each rider in our pack of Harley® owners was enthusiastically nodding in pleasant shock. You could tell some riders didn't want to like it, but we all did. Starting off with 84 kilometres of range on the display, I arrived back at the dealership after riding roughly 10 kilometres, enthusiastically, with 82 kilometres of range left. Upon our return, questions ranged from “How much?” to “When can I buy one?”

Unfortunately, the bike isn’t currently for sale, but this enthusiasm is a good sign. Rather than praying for a future in which electric motorcycles don’t exist, I’m actually pretty excited to see what they come up with next.

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2016

NEW MODEL YEAR

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DESIGNING THE MACHINE Two designers discuss the new Iron 883™ and Forty-Eight® motorcycles.

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2016

NEW MODEL YEAR

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efore a new Harley-Davidson® motorcycle settles into its place of honour in your garage, long before it arrives at your local dealership and even before it rolls off the assembly line, the vision of what that motorcycle will look like begins as an idea in the mind of a designer. How does a machine go from a sketch on paper to real iron and steel? Where do the ideas come from that inspire the sketches?

Ben McGinley and Dais Nagao are two young members of the talented Styling team at HarleyDavidson’s Product Development Center whose job it is to make that happen. For 2016, they have designed a pair of new motorcycles, the Iron 883™ and Forty-Eight®, that are on the cutting edge of the Harley-Davidson®’s Dark Custom™ styling movement.

We asked each designer to describe one of the new models in their own words.

IRON 883

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FORTY -EIGHT

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AIS NAGAO was born in Tokyo and studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., the alma mater of H-D Styling legend Willie G. Davidson. A fan of motorcycles and Mopar muscle cars since he was young, designing motorcycles combines his love of machines and drawing.

The approach to the project to redesign the Iron 883™ motorcycle was to build a factory bobber with a bare-knuckle, rougharound-the-edges feel, but without the crudeness or imperfections you often find on garage builds.

When you walk into the dealer and see this bike on the floor, I’d like you to think how it would look after you have put your

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EN MCGINLEY grew up near Madison, Wis., and attended design school in Milwaukee. A lifelong gearhead who joined the Styling team five years ago, one of his first jobs at HarleyDavidson was working on the Project LiveWire™ electric motorcycle.

The Forty-Eight® is all about being minimal and stripped down, but also muscular and tough. Having that fat front

own miles on it. This is a bike that could look right with some patina on it brand new, but I think it’s the privilege of the owner to put it there.

The more you ride it, it may get some scratches or dings and dents, but those will make the bike look even better.

To me, the appeal of a Sportster® motorcycle is the beauty and timelessness of its basic structure. It feels young, pure and sexy. It’s nimble and agile, and everything comes together in a great package. We were given such a fantastic foundation to begin with, but we took it a couple notches higher with a visual and performance upgrade.

The wheel design is a highlight of this project because we were able to reduce the weight by eight pounds [3.6 kg] total, which is a big improvement in unsprung weight.

From a design approach, I went back to a nine-spoke design, which is a familiar look

tire and the small tank emphasize the engine, and it all plays into that toughness. It has a very functional look to it.

One of the things we went after with the new Forty-Eight model was to give it an even more muscular look and a bit more performance with the front end. We’ve gone from the current model’s 39mm forks to 49mm forks. They’re really beefy, very tough looking and add a lot of stiffness.

But even though the forks are larger and we’ve got new cast wheels and beefy triple clamps, the whole assembly is actually lighter than the current model, so it’s not only about the look but also paying attention to how we can make it perform better, handle better and be more fun to ride.

We drew some inspiration from ’60sand ’70s-era Harley-Davidson graphics for

for the Sportster family, with machine-cut spokes to give a new visual identity to the wheels. The Engineering team then took that design and knew how to machine the spokes to reduce the weight. It was a big challenge, but it really adds to the agility the Iron 883 is known for.

For the tank graphics, the eagle in particular, I worked very closely with Ted Turner, our graphic guy, and he started with the hand-sketched Harley-Davidson logo and turned that into the eagle. We had so many iterations and different sizes and placements, but the final version we came up with has the right balance, and it’s located in the sweet spot on the tank. h-d.com/iron

the tank graphics for the Forty-Eight. The graphics echo that era without being totally literal. It’s a new twist on a theme. The repeating slot pattern in the tank graphic you’ll see elsewhere in the bike. It’s in the belt guard and exhaust shields, too – it adds a little bit of lightness and also provides a sort of visual theme to carry across the bike.

No one piece is designed on its own; it’s all part of a larger whole.

Another thing that’s really cool about the Forty-Eight is how compact it appears. To keep that feeling of mass centralization, we blacked out the pipes and added slotted shields so it brings your eye toward the centre.

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Story by CHARLES PLUEDDEMAN Photography by BRAD CHANEY

pilgrim

Welcome to the Temple of Torque

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cadence of the Harley-Davidson heartbeat comes to life at Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations, where the HarleyDavidson® Twin Cam and Evolution® XL engines are assembled. This is the shop space for a dedicated staff of machinists cutting forged steel and cast aluminum into the connecting rods and cases, the cam shafts and cylinder heads, and the gears and flywheels that will survive the fire and pressure of combustion and help propel Harley-Davidson® motorcycle riders down the road to freedom. Those and many other components converge along the Pilgrim Road assembly lines, waiting to complete one of the 59 different engine configurations currently flowing through a manufacturing process bristling with technology and supervised by a talented assembly team.

From Pilgrim Road, these engines and their

transmissions are bound for bare frames waiting at the Harley-Davidson® motorcycle assembly operations in York, Pa., and Kansas City. But before you can build a motorcycle, you need a motor.

Wedged between the urban artery that is U.S. Highway 45 and the Pilgrim Road exit, H-D Powertrain Operations covers almost 19 acres of floor space in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, about 21 kilometres from the Harley-Davidson headquarters on Juneau Avenue. This place has always been about engines; the building was erected in 1979 by smallengine icon Briggs & Stratton, acquired by Harley-Davidson in 1996, and fully occupied by 2006 after Harley-Davidson completed the transfer of powertrain assembly from its World War II–era Capitol Drive plant, located a few kilometres away. In the larger and more modern Pilgrim Road building, Harley-Davidson has established an everevolving element of its flexible motorcycle

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01 On the perfectly synchronized assembly line, there’s always a black cylinder head sub-assembly waiting for a black engine.

02 A robotic socket set snugs down four cylinder head bolts simultaneously and to a precise torque spec.

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manufacturing strategy, an operation designed to react quickly to orders placed by dealers and customers.

“We now have the capability to build an engine to order in 24 hours,” says Process Engineer Jared Olsen. “We can react almost instantly to production changes in Kansas City and York, or get a P&A engine promptly shipped to a Harley-Davidson dealer.”

During peak production, Pilgrim Road employs almost 1,000 people. It’s a union shop, represented by the United Steel Workers Union and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Many of those employees are engaged in machining and heat treating, two of the core competencies of the Pilgrim Road facility.

Suppliers deliver raw forged and cast parts ready for precise finish work executed by machinists manning state-of-the-art computer-controlled machining centres.

The faces and bores of connecting rods, for example, are machined in multiple stages before the bores are heated red-hot by electric current in an induction hardening step. An electronic gauge at the finish station measures every aspect of each connecting rod – ensuring precise quality control for a very key component.

At the north end of the plant, a roller track feeds the raw Twin Cam cylinder head

Suppliers deliver raw forged and cast parts ready for precise finish work executed by machinists manning state-of-the-art computer-controlled machining centers.

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A bin of raw forged steel connecting rods ready for machining.

A connecting rod bore glows red hot with electric current as it undergoes induction hardening.

Nozzles will next quench it with oil.

The critical engine charging system is assembled.

Each stator is wrapped with 144 feet of insulated copper wire.

06 Hooks ground cases so electrostatic resin powder will cling to each part as its applied and then baked into a powder coat finish.

castings into a five-axis machining centre that cuts all flat surfaces, the combustion chamber and valve paths; drills and taps the spark plug hole; and then rinses away all the aluminum chips, in a single operation.

In another machining centre, a giant orange robot is the preacher at the marriage of left and right crankcase halves, lifting each over a jet of air to blow away debris before joining them with bolts and line, boring

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In a tour de force of flexible manufacturing, the Pilgrim Road operation and its employees are able to assemble its whole portfolio of engines in any mixture or order. the assembly to ensure absolute accuracy in alignment of the crankshaft bearing surfaces. The case halves are stamped with an engine number and will remain a set when they’re separated for final assembly.

Before they’re machined, cylinders, heads, case halves and the transmission case are powder coated black or silver. Powder coat replaces wet paint with a durable coating of polyester resin applied in a powder form and cured with high heat. Powder coating is an environmentally friendly process that, unlike liquid paint, produces zero VOC air emissions and almost no hazardous waste. In order to adhere to the precise, tight tolerances required to deliver to customer expectations, the plant generates and recycles annually more than 4.5 million kilograms of steel and aluminum. Much of the metal is of such high quality that Harley-Davidson washes it to

increase its value to recyclers.

Engine assembly occurs along a clean, brightly lit line shaped like a double horseshoe. Assembly takes place simultaneously on the inner and outer lines during peak production, on just one line when demand is lower or can continue on either if there’s a problem on the other. In a tour de force of flexible manufacturing, the Pilgrim Road operation and its employees are able to assemble its whole portfolio of engines in any mixture or order. An 883 Evo XL engine may be on the line right next to a Twin-Cooled™ Twin Cam 103™ or a Screamin’ Eagle® 110 engine.

Pilgrim Road also assembles engines for Harley-Davidson® Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories, including the new powerhouse Screamin’ Eagle® SE120ST Crate Motor.

Many technologies and processes are in place to help assembly employees maintain quality control. Each engine is scanned into the system at the beginning of the line. A “pick-to-light” system places an electric eye over bins of small parts at each workstation to confirm that the employee has reached for the proper part, in the

correct order. Screens at each station flash green when an assembly step has been successfully completed. At some stations, digital cameras scan the partially assembled engine and can alert an operator if the wrong part was put on by mistake – if the wrong head gasket was put on, for example.

Near the end of assembly, each engine is “cold tested” to check its operation.

Rather than running the engine on fuel, the engine is spun by an electric motor at 60 to 1600 rpm for about 100 seconds.

Dozens of sensors placed around the engine record 250 data points, from oil pressure and voltage output to the sound of the valve train. All of this data is saved as a digital history of each engine that can be traced if any service or warranty issues arise in the future. Engines that don’t pass the cold test are sent to a repair area.

Those that are good to go get a fresh set of spark plugs and a bar code label, and are lifted off the line and secured in shipping pallets for the trip to York or Kansas City, where they take the next step on their journey to providing the customer with riding dreams, chasing the horizon.

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At the end of the assembly line, finished powertrain units are clamped in shipping cradles that fit in special pallets.

Some sensors in the cold test cell “listen” for trouble in an engine as it’s turned by an electric motor.

These steel shavings will be recycled, maybe into more H-D parts.

Need a lift? Finished powertrain units are ready to hit the road for final motorcycle assembly in York or Kansas City.

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Closed Course. Always wear an approved helmet, proper eyewear and protective clothing.

On July 1, 2015, five young female riders set off from Brooklyn, New York, to follow in the tire tracks of Effie Hotchkiss. With her mother, Avis, in the sidecar, Effie made history – and shattered all kinds of stereotypes – by riding from New York to San Francisco on a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle in 1915.

Today, there are new stereotypes to shatter and new history to be made. But these five “Highway Runaways” don’t ride for posterity. They ride for the joy and freedom of it – and to shine a light on what Lana MacNaughton, creator of the Women’s Moto Exhibit, calls “a new wave of women riders,” women who are not afraid to take life by the handlebars, carve out their own identities and ride their own roads.

If they happen to knock down a few barriers along the way… well, we never wanted those barriers built in the first place.

Here are their stories, in their own words.

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RUN AWAY WITH US Off road at White Sands, New Mexico

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“I think the trip overall has made us all really want to be more minimal ... in the way we spend and how we live. We want to be on the road more and experience more adventure and go more places. If you’re on a good, strong bike, like our Harleys, you can go anywhere.”

Lanakila MacNaughton

The Runaways at an abandoned ghost town outside of Austin, Texas (L-R) Jenny Czinder, Nina Kaplan, Lanakila MacNaughton, Imogen Lehtonen, Megan Allen

L A N A | Transformation

I grew up on a one-acre plot in southwest Portland, Oregon. I was a tomboy. I grew up with all boys. I remember punching boys in the face and stealing their candy around the age of seven. I spent my time in the forest playing around, and I was usually covered with cuts and bruises from head to toe. I played a lot of sports, soccer and snowboarding mostly. I was super-competitive from a very young age. I always needed to be number one.

After I got sober, life was really boring for about a year. One summer day, I had to drive the car to the river while everyone else rode their bikes alongside me. It made me feel really envious. I was determined to learn how to ride.

I wanted to shine a light on these incredible women riders I was meeting and share their stories with the world. That was my mission. I have always taken photos. At first it was just simply asking women if I could photograph them riding. It started off well, and something clicked. I knew that this could be something big.

This trip represents a transformative period in my life, where I am pushing past my own fears and breaking through new boundaries. I think my number-one goal on this earth is to live as free as I possibly can. Not just physically but spiritually. Not let society’s expectations of what or who I should be affect me. Stay true to who I am and live for the magic.

Learn more about Lana, her photography, and the Highway Runaways crew at womensmotoexhibit.com

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N I N A | Dreams M E G A N | Courage

I was born in San Clemente, California, but raised in beautiful Oceanside, California, by the beach.

The independence and freedom of riding are what inspired me to start riding, along with my boyfriend and my good friend Mitchella. My brother Devin’s death also had an effect. These influences collectively showed me a new world, and a new life path of exploration and adventure. I decided to live life to the absolute fullest, and owning a motorcycle was in that plan. Now I ride every day and don’t even own a car.

Women have come a long way as far as equality and rights, and having a voice in society. However, your sex, race, style or what you look like doesn’t matter to me when it comes to riding. It all boils down to the simple fact that you are on two wheels and share the passion of riding.

Meeting people and going on crazy, interesting adventures breaks down my walls and allows me to open up. To ride a motorcycle in all weather conditions has built up my courage tremendously. As John Wayne once said, “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.”

I grew up around motorcycles. My dad is a British bike enthusiast and would always take us to Norton events around California.

In my time in England (I lived in London for eight years), I developed a desire to ride motorcycles. It made sense to move back to California, where my dad had a garage full of motorcycles, to chase the passion that was growing inside me.

I ride as often as I can, out to the horse barn about 50 miles [80 km] from my house, or to the beach, or at sunset, catching the last rays of light and then that final dusk right before nightfall.

This trip means so much to me. I have dreamed about seeing the country on two wheels, and when this opportunity presented itself I jumped at it. My father inspired me from a young age with stories of his motorcycle travels. When he was discharged from the Army after serving in Vietnam, he purchased a 1968 P11 in Chicago and rode it to New York. Then he shipped the bike to Amsterdam and rode it all around England and Western Europe.

Being on this trip now, I feel the same sense of wild adventure. It has given me a sense of admiration for my father’s service as well as the rebellious freedom he created for himself on his motorcycle following the Vietnam War.

Nina waiting for the rest of the crew to suit up and head out on the open road

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The Runaways heading to Las Cruces from Big Springs, Texas, through the Guadalupe Mountains

J E N N Y | Bliss I was born in Norman, Oklahoma, but when I was three years old, my parents moved us to Fairfield, Iowa, to be a part of a Transcendental Meditation community. I learned how to meditate when I was five and have been practising it ever since.

I’m a super-curious person, and when motorcycles came into my awareness, through my boyfriend at the time, it looked like so much fun I had to try it on my own. Now, if I don’t have my dogs with me or I don’t need to haul stuff that’s too big for my bike, I’m riding.

This might sound strange, but life became a bit quieter when I first discovered motorcycles. I’d come across the kind of profound silence you find through meditation or while gazing up at the universe. And there I was, in that emptiness, looking back at myself, peaceful and smiling, patiently waiting. I was overwhelmed with familiarity and relief, like I’d finally found my way home.

My experience riding has encouraged me to let go of the person I was so I can become the person I want to be.

I’m not really afraid of anything. If I find myself in fear of something, it’s okay because it’s all part of the process of self-discovery, and so I let it wash over me.

The moment I started riding, I instantly had the goal to ride across the country. And I knew it would happen.

I was determined to make it happen. However, I did not expect it to happen like this. This trip is more magical than anything I could have imagined. The places, the people, the riding is all confirmation to me that I can create anything I want in this life if I simply put my positive attention on it.

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I M O G E N | Tribute I was born in London, and my family moved to New Zealand when I was a baby. I grew up in a two-bedroom cottage that over time my dad built into a four-bedroom rambling jungle house. This is the only home I have ever known, and I still go back to visit my family there as often as I can.

I am a silversmith for my family company, The Great Frog, which was started in London in 1972 by my uncle and aunt. My parents met each other and fell in love working there together. For the past 18 months I’ve been running our new flagship store in Los Angeles.

My dad is my biggest inspiration. He used to ride a Panhead around Florida in the ’70s before he moved to London and met my mother. Growing up I spent a lot of time in his workshop, watching and learning as he worked on various projects. He was a mechanic, a jeweller, a builder and an all-around jack-of-all-trades.

When we found out that my dad had cancer, none of us could believe it. He had always had the most positive attitude and refused to let it change our family dynamic.

He did everything in his power to stay around as long as possible, and it worked. We got seven years instead of the 18 months he was originally sentenced with. When I ride, I’m the closest I can get to feeling him near me, and my words to him come easier from inside my helmet.

Riding across the States was something my dad had talked about wanting to do – so for me this trip is a dedication to him. I’ve been in awe of the beautiful and changing scenery we’ve been riding through and feeling that he’s there with me. The one-year anniversary of his passing was difficult to endure without my family, but I know that he would be so proud and stoked on this journey I’m taking.

A pit stop water break in Taos, New Mexico

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ARE YOU TAPPED INTO THE HOTWIRE? EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FOR CANADIAN HOG® MEMBERS!

Sign up at hogmagazinecanada.ca

VISIT WWW.HOGMAGAZINECANADA.CA Exclusive content and access for Canadian HOG members! ®

Harley-Davidson Canada news Exclusive features Rally rides and motorcycle event information GPS mapped out riding stories!

The Harley-Davidson Owners Group and HOG Magazine Canada have taken the next step in the digital evolution. ®

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BACK SHOP

WINTER 2016 PIT STOP Because It’s There: Climbing mountains on motorcycles takes special skills.

Black on White: Project bike blacks out the White Sands of New Mexico.

RALLY RIDES 2016 North American HOG® Rallies

ENTHUSIASTS Meet Ron Lokaisingh, Toronto Chapter

RIDING STORIES A Ride through the Black Forest Old School Escape Revisited Capture the Flag All or Nothing The Great North Once Upon a Ride

ARCHIVES

Before the Beginning

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BACK SHOP PIT STOP

To get some expert tips on mountain riding, we talked to riding instructor Christian Preining, who constructs alpine riding classes for Edelweiss Bike Travel in Mieming, Austria.

On the Line

By Mike Zimmerman

Because It’s There

First and foremost, Preining says, finding and riding the right line on mountain turns is most important. That is, “to know what and where the line is that keeps you out of trouble with oncoming traffic through blind, narrow and tight curves of all thinkable shapes or a combination of such curves,” he says.

One key technique is what’s called a “delayed apex turn,” most useful when you can’t quite see what’s around the curve. Approach the turn a little more slowly than you normally might and ride a little “deeper” (stay to the outside of your lane) into the curve before you start your turn. This will give you more opportunity to turn your head and see what’s coming, or what might be in your path, before you commit to a line.

Something else to be aware of when rounding mountain corners is the tendency of oncoming cars to hog the centreline.

Never assume a four-wheeled vehicle is going to stay entirely in its prescribed lane.

Climbing mountains on motorcycles takes special skills.

Slow Your Roll

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Another key skill is low-speed maneuvering, Preining says. Many mountain roads, particularly in Europe, feature tight switchback turns. Sometimes these turns involve an incline or descent, making them extra difficult. Preining identifies three key low-speed skills in handling these challenging turns:

or many riders, twisty mountain roads that rise and fall in elevation, surrounded by amazing scenery – and sometimes steep drop-offs – provide the most exciting riding in the world. To others, these roads can be borderline terrifying. No question, some special skills and knowledge are required to confidently take on challenging mountain roads. But they’re skills anyone can learn. And with practice and experience, just about anyone can become a confident mountain rider.

1. LOOKING THROUGH THE TURN: This is a pretty basic idea, but one that gains extra importance in the mountains.

Remember that your bike tends to go where you look. Don’t just drop your eyes to the pavement directly in front of you; turn your head and look where you want your bike to go.

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WINTER 2016

2. ACTIVE RIDING: Don’t sit passively on your bike; move your body around to help decrease your turning radius. At low speeds, shift your weight to the outside of the turn. It usually doesn’t take much, so even a little bit helps. To really tighten your turn, shift your butt off the seat and put more weight on the outside footpeg.

But don’t try this for the first time on a tight switchback; take some time to practice in an empty parking lot.

3. CLUTCH CONTROL: One key to slowspeed maneuvering is to slip or “feather” the clutch. This means keeping a steady hand on the throttle while gently and slowly slipping the clutch in and out.

Again, this is a skill that’s best developed through practice in a controlled environment.

S.E.E. the Sights Another issue with mountain riding can be the distraction from the amazing scenery.

But when the riding gets intense, it’s usually not difficult to stay focused.

“There are mountains, and there are mountains,” Preining says. “Let’s talk about alpine riding on back-country roads.

Motorcycling is an intense activity there, so I dare say nobody’s dreaming along.

Without good mental awareness, it’s simply impossible to make it even a few kilometres. Problems occur when people get mentally exhausted. So plan your daily distances carefully according to your experience and routine.”

As far as the scenery goes, occasional glances are fine. Just don’t fix your gaze, or you may find yourself in a “target fixation” situation, where your bike tries to go where you’re looking. Also, if the scenery is competing for your attention, take frequent advantage of pull-offs and overlooks to soak it all in – from off the bike.

Occasionally, fear of heights can be a problem, especially on roads with steep drop-offs without a guardrail. In this case, it’s up to the rider to understand his or her limitations, and plan the route accordingly.

If you have a guide, Preining says, tell

them if you have these issues, and they can account for it. It’s also wise to ask locals or hotel staff what the roads are like, and decide whether it’s something you want to take on or not.

If you don’t have a choice, it’s best to adopt the classic “don’t look down” approach. Concentrate on the road and your riding, and you may not even notice the elevation.

Going Down?

On steep roads, going down is usually more intimidating than going up. The key to a controlled descent is to use a combination of engine braking, and front and rear brakes.

“Use engine braking as long as it slows you down enough and add both brakes if necessary, but pay most attention to the front – that’s the one wheel that has more weight on it when going downhill, plus it will get even more load due to dynamic load shift while braking,” Preining says.

“In case you need to go slower than your motor can turn in first gear (a cobblestone street on a rainy day comes to mind), pull in the clutch and control speed with both brakes.”

Group Riding Short answer: Spread out (no staggered formation) and ride individually.

“On twisty roads, every rider needs to ride his line within his lane,” Preining says.

“Sensible distance to other vehicles and among the group members is important.

“Slower riders do not necessarily have to keep up with the group leader. That releases them from the pressure to feel observed all the time and the feeling of holding everybody up. That works as long as the leader reliably groups up before every critical turn where somebody could get lost.”

For information on booking a Harley-Davidson mountain adventure through Edelweiss Bike Travel, visit edelweissbike.com/harley-davidson-tours.

Peak Efficiency

Consider these final few tips to help make your next mountain ride a successful one.

GEAR UP: Carry something really waterproof, not just water-resistant, on every ride in the mountains, including gloves and boots. Have an additional layer to put on or take off if temperature changes, which can happen quickly in the mountains.

ELEVATION: “In the Alps, the highest passes are just over 2,800 metres above sea level, which rarely causes problems,” Preining says. “Passes and mountain roads in the Western United States and other parts of the world are higher, but usually do not cause altitude sickness because of the limited time we spend there. For tours in areas where you stay at high altitude for days – such as Peru, Bolivia or the Himalayas – have your medical condition checked by a doctor and learn everything about what to do in case you get affected.”

PACKING: Any bike handles best when ridden solo without luggage. The farther away from the empty bike’s centre of gravity your gear is packed, the more it will negatively affect handling. With that in mind, don’t over-pack – and keep the heavier items lower and toward the centre of the bike.

TIRES: Make sure your tires are in good shape for better grip on cold, wet asphalt, with no flat sections from riding long distances in a straight line.

By taking the time to prepare and practice a few basic skills, anyone can turn a potentially intimidating mountain ride into a thrilling adventure that won’t soon be forgotten.

»

Mike Zimmerman is a HOG® member and long-time Harley-Davidson enthusiast.

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BACK SHOP PIT STOP

Black on White

Wide Glide® blacks out the White Sands of New Mexico.

Who says cruisers can't double as touring bikes!? In the previous pages, our customized 2015 Wide Glide® motorcycle accompanied five amazing women on the journey of a lifetime, from New York to San Francisco.

One of the highlights was a stop at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, where the gleaming sand beautifully set off the increasingly dark and menacing motorcycle. Where a glimmer of chrome once caught your eye, the subtle sheen of basic black now urges a second look — all the better to draw attention to the allures of its “Highway Runaways” rider.

See if you can spot all the differences by taking a look at the parts list below.

Phase 3

PART

Bobber-Style Round Air Cleaner Cover – Gloss Black Rocker Box Lower Housing – Wrinkle Black Rear Turn Signal – Black Front Turn Signal – Black Street Bob® Battery Box Cover Pushrod Cover Kit – Gloss Black Front Split 7 Spoke Floating Brake Rotor – Black Rear Split 7 Spoke Floating Brake Rotor – Black Front Brake Rotor Hardware Kit – Chrome Rear Brake Rotor Hardware Kit – Chrome Burst Collection Footpegs – Round Black Fin Timer Cover – Wrinkle Black Black Fin Derby Cover – Wrinkle Black Burst Collection Brake Pedal Pad – Small Rocker Box Cover – Wrinkle Black Finned Headbolt Bridge – Black Edge Cut Billet Style Rear Brake Lever Slotted Black Anodized Custom Gear Shift Linkage

Note to readers: This is a follow up to “Going the Distance” (page 50 in the Fall 2015 issue). The Project Bike is also featured in “Highway Runaways” (page 38) in this issue.

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WINTER FALL 2015 2016

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BACK SHOP RALLY RIDES

LLOYDMINSTER, AB 8/18-20

CHILLIWACK, BC 7/14-16

EVELETH, MN

BOZEMAN, MT

6/23-25

7/21-23

DAKOTAS RALLY (SD/ND)

PACIFIC NORTHWEST HOG RALLY (WA/ID/OR)

WATERTOWN/MANDAN/ RAPID CITY

SPOKANE VALLEY, WA

6/9-11

8/25-28

RIVERTON, WY

STURGIS MOTORCYCLE RALLY

7/6-9

STURGIS, SD 8/6-13

RENO STREET VIBRATIONS

RENO, NV 9/22-24

TELLURIDE, CO

KANSAS CITY OPEN

KANSAS CITY,

6/23-25

9/9-10

LAUGHLIN RIVER RUN

LAUGHLIN, NV 4/27-30

OPEN ROAD WEST SANTA FE,

NM TO LANCASTER, CA

BIKES BL

WOODWARD, OK

9/8-17

FAYETTE

9/1-3

9/2

DENISON, TX 5/12-14

MAUI, HI 10/7-9

KENI PENINSULA, AK 6/16-18

KEY

HOG® RALLIES Whether you’ve got a weekend to spend in a city nearby or are looking for a cross-country adventure, HOG rallies offer something for everyone.

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SAGUENAY, QC 7/21-23

EVELETH, MN

SUDBURY, ON

6/23-25

MONCTON, NB

7/28-30

TOMAHAWK OPEN HOUSE

TOMAHAWK, WI

LACONIA, NH

9/16-17

6/14-18

MILWAUKEE RALLY

MILWAUKEE, WI 9/1-4

IRON ADVENTURE RUN (NH/VT, MA/RI, CT)

HARBOR SPRINGS, MI 8/18-20

AMERICADE

LUDLOW, VT

LAKE GEORGE, NY

H.O.G. BREW CITY EXPERIENCE

MILWAUKEE, WI

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ

YORK OPEN HOUSE

ST. CHARLES, IL

ZANESVILLE, OH

8/18-20

6/23-26

KANSAS CITY, MO

9/22-24

7/28-30

5/19-21

5/28-29

LYNCHBURG, VA

6/8-11

6/22-25

HISTORY IN THE HILLS RIDE

BIKES BLUES & BBQ

MEMPHIS, TN

FAYETTEVILLE, AR

GETTYSBURG, PA TO OAK RIDGE, TN

5/31-6/4

9/21-24

HOT SPRINGS, AR

HUNTSVILLE, AL

6/23-25

5/12-14

ROLLING THUNDER® XXIX

WASHINGTON, D.C.

6/14-18

LEXINGTON, KY

HARRINGTON, DE

WILLIAMSPORT, PA

LEWISBURG, WV

9/9-10

9/22-24

YORK, PA

KANSAS CITY OPEN HOUSE

8/25-27

7/13-16

6/7-11

7/14-16

OSAGE BEACH, MO

BANGOR, ME

7/28-30

ALEXANDRIA BAY, NY

9/1-3

DENISON, TX

6/23-26

LACONIA MOTORCYCLE WEEK

5/19-21

TUPELO TO NATCHEZ, MS

6/16-23

ANDERSON, SC 4/21-23

MYRTLE BEACH BIKE WEEK

MYRTLE BEACH, SC 5/18-21

10/26-29

SHREVEPORT, LA 3/31-4/2

BIKETOBERFEST®

DAYTONA BEACH, FL 10/13-15

DAYTONA BIKE WEEK

DAYTONA BEACH, FL 3/5-12

POLK COUNTY, FL

HOG.COM/EVENTS

For specific U.S. rally details, visit www.XXstatehogrally.com with “XX” as the two-letter state abbreviation.

10/26-29

PIN STOPS Plan now to catch up with HOG at one of this year’s Pin Stops and collect a commemorative pin. Meet HOG staff and get the VIP treatment just for stopping in.

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ENTHUSIASTS

MEET RON LOKAISINGH, TORONTO CHAPTER

By Dustin A. Woods. Photographs by Dan Lim.

Ron Lokaisingh has been riding since 2004, but became a member of the Toronto Chapter in 2014 after trading in his Yamaha bike for the Street Glide® motorcycle he rides today.

The bike has become a conduit for meeting new people from diverse backgrounds who share common passions for motorcycling, freedom and exploration.

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hy did you first become a HOG® member?

I was invited on a HOG® ride a few years ago by a friend I hadn’t seen in years. We became really good friends again and now see each other a few times a week. I’ve made some of my best friends through HOG events.

What is your motivation for riding?

It frees your mind. It allows you to work things out and relax.

I work in a stressful job, so getting on the bike allows me to break free and be disconnected. I’ve met so many great people from all walks of life with a common love of riding. It all goes back to sharing experiences.

When did you start riding?

I’ve been riding since 2004. I was going to buy a sports car, and it was actually my wife, Karen, who suggested I look into buying a motorcycle instead. I went out that day and bought it before she could change her mind.

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What was your first Harley® motorcycle?

My 2014 Street Glide is my first Harley, and I love it. It makes me sad that I have to put her away for the season. I visit her in the garage all winter, planning my next trips and set of upgrades to make her more personalized.

How many rallies have you attended?

I’ve only attended three so far – regional and national, then one in the U.S. There are so many good stories and experiences. The first time I rode with the club was a pop tab ride put on by the Milton Chapter. It was a charity ride with around 250 bikes thundering down the road together. There was so much camaraderie among a large group of people striving to make a positive contribution – it was a great feeling.

What is the longest ride you have done?

A group of us rode down to Corning, N.Y., through the winding roads of Pennsylvania.

That’s the longest so far, but I look forward to many more.

I’ve met so many great people from all walks of life with a common love of riding.

It all goes back to sharing experiences.

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A RIDE THROUGH THE BLACK FOREST

Tackling hairpin turns on some of the Alps’ highest passes .

By Marshall Crotin. Photos by David Vella.

At 2,757 metres, the Stelvio Pass in Italy is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second-highest in all of the Alps, slightly below the Col de l’Iseran. For two weeks in July this year, Dave Vella and I rode this and the mountain passes, highways and byways of the alpine countries of Western Europe: France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Austria. It was as exciting, challenging and interesting as we had hoped, covering 3,815 kilometres in 13 days of riding on an H-D® Ultra Classic® and Ultra Limited.

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e started from Frankfurt, Germany, in 38 C heat, which would continue throughout our voyage. It was the hottest summer on record in the Alps, and a lot of melting was visible on the glaciers. We travelled down the twisting, beautiful Moselle River through Germany, Luxembourg, and France to Mulhouse, France.

Here, we visited the 200 cars in the French National Car Museum—Schlumpf Collection (also known as Cite de l’Automobile), amassed by the Schlumpf brothers, who bankrupted their company to build the collection. It is truly awe-inspiring to see “street” after “street” of autos, mostly Bugattis, lit up by gaslights and largely fully restored. The collection, the world’s largest, contains French, German and Italian cars, but, sadly, very few English and BMW models.

After wandering the halls for two and a half hours and walking around the town, we left Mulhouse for a 450-kilometre ride to Chamonix, France, via Switzerland. Our journey took 9.5 hours, as we stopped to

visit the historical site of the largest World War II tank battle in Western Europe at Arracourt, France. Sadly, nothing much remains to mark the site except a Sherman tank and several plaques.

We also stopped at the Swiss border to pay an astronomical toll of 32 Swiss Francs ($40) to use the Swiss highways, and then drove alongside the beautiful green-blue lakes of Neuchatel and Geneva to stop by the lake at Montreaux for

*

The passes were breathtakingly beautiful, with many 180-degree switchbacks and no shoulders or guardrails: we improved our slow cornering techniques rapidly for survival!

lunch. This is the Swiss Riviera at its most luxurious, looking a lot like Monaco with Porsches, Ferraris and five-star hotels in abundance.

We took the longer route into Chamonix via the Great St. Bernard Pass (elevation, 2,469 m) and the hugely

expensive 26-kilometre long Mont Blanc Tunnel (27.40 Swiss Francs or $38, one way!).

Our comfortable mountain inn had good food, a pool and indoor parking for $133 per night. Unlike in the rest of Europe, breakfast is not included in France; food

and gasoline are expensive (about 1.5 times more than in Canada). We toured the environs of Chamonix for two days, covering at least five passes, and visited the Olympic cities of Val d’Isère and Albertville, France. The passes were breathtakingly beautiful,

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*

Our trip then took us east to Stelvio Pass, known as the “mother of all passes.”

It has 87 hairpin 180-degree (or more) unbanked turns sloped up or downhill.

There are no guardrails or shoulders and a straight drop of 900 metres if you make a mistake. with many 180-degree switchbacks and no shoulders or guardrails: we improved our slow cornering techniques rapidly for survival!

We moved on to Wassen, Switzerland for two days, one of which was fully rained out: the only day of 14 to have rain.

We drove over the Susten Pass, at 2,224 metres, which we agreed was the most fun, the best road surface and the best scenery of all the passes. The curves were widened to allow for a smoother transition in the switchbacks and kept us and oncoming traffic in our own lanes, which is not normally the

case in European passes, which are often only 1.5 lanes wide!

We made our way south through the St. Gotthard pass to Locarno on Lake Maggiore in Switzerland, where we hoped to see locals George Clooney or Celine Dion among the palm trees (yes, palm trees in Switzerland!), but had to satisfy ourselves with a $4.50 Coca Cola. By the way, Dave was up to his usual “let’s drive Marshall crazy” antics. In 38–40 C weather, he secretly closed the lower and upper vents on the Ultra and turned the heated handle grips to #4.

Then he insisted we get

underway immediately, before I noticed anything amiss. Twenty minutes frying time later, I complained of excessive heat on my feet and hands and discovered he had performed his usual idiocy.

Our trip then took us east to Stelvio Pass, known as the “mother of all passes.” It has 87 hairpin 180-degree (or more) unbanked turns sloped up or downhill. There are no guardrails or shoulders and a straight drop of 900 metres if you make a mistake. The inside radius of most of the switchbacks is 2.5 metres or less (that’s the length of the

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WINTER 2016

Ultra!). Add to this the crazy Italian sport motorcyclists passing on blind curves on a road 1.5 lanes wide at double our speed with oncoming traffic and you can see why the Tail of the Dragon in North Carolina is a tame alternative to the Stelvio.

Upon completion of the pass, we stayed at a wonderful hotel in Murano, Italy, 900 metres above the city. We had an incredible view from our balcony, and the best

restaurant, food and value of our trip.

From Italy, we climbed two passes, including the famous Brenner Pass into Austria and then Germany to see Mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria’s famous and elaborately beautiful summer home, The Linderhof, built at a cost of $35 million (in today’s currency) from 1884 to 1886. By the way, ancient history records that Hannibal and his army and elephants passed through the Brenner

Pass after sacking Rome, and Dave made almost as much noise with his radio blasting inside the road tunnels!

After a night spent in Austria’s Tyrol Mountains, we proceeded around the blue-green, scenic lakes of Bodensee and Constance in Switzerland, to the Black Forest of Bavaria, Germany. En route, we enjoyed a very rare sighting of a huge dirigible airship (like the Hindenburg of 1936) flying over the Bodensee near the Graf Zeppelin museum in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

The roads of the Schwarzwälder Hochstrasse in the Black Forest are made

for motorcycles, and we carved sweepers at 100km/h on smooth, wide, two-lane roads and mixed them with 30km/h switchbacks. Dave and I agreed that this was the most enjoyable riding of the trip. After two days wandering around the Black Forest and its hills sampling excellent Bavarian beer, Schwarzwälder Kuchen (the real Black Forest Cake) and cuckoo clocks, we returned to Frankfurt and reluctantly flew home, minus a cuckoo (unless you count Dave!). If you get to go to Europe, I think the best riding is in the Black Forest – well worth a week’s motorcycle rental anytime.

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OLD SCHOOL ESCAPE REVISITED

Two days, three states, and over 1,200 kilometres for under $100.

By Jim Lybbert

A few years back I read an article about a rider who went on an epic ride for under $100.

Boy, did that story get me fired up! For four years I’ve been talking to my buddy about how I wanted to do something similar – pack up the bare necessities and see what kind of ride I can do for a hundred bucks*.

Camping $26.00 FOOD $8.75 Gas $65.00 total $99.75

I

ride a 2007 Dyna® Wide Glide® that I bought new (first Harley® motorcycle I’ve owned, by the way), and it now has 117,314 kilometres on it and runs as strong as the day I bought it.

So there I was on a Saturday morning the weekend after Labour Day, with no obligations for days, and I figured it’s now or never! I checked my wallet and checked the fuel in my bike. I walked to the cupboard and grabbed two cans of stew and some crackers. Then I threw a few tools in my bag, grabbed a tent and off I went. It was going to be a one-man show.

My plan was to stay off the interstate, and only take county roads or state highways.

I left my hometown of Moses Lake, Wash., and headed east on County Road 3 to the small town of Ritzville and then across dry land wheat fields leading me to the farming community of Washtucna.

After a short break, I continued through the Palouse region along the Snake River, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and fresh open air. Soon I had to fill the tank and start my spending. I continued east on U.S. 12 over Lolo Pass to Missoula, Mont., and went through Clearwater National Forest on the way – a spectacular 345-kilometre ride, where I was in awe of the beauty that surrounded me. After a while, traffic disappeared, and it was just the river, the

road, my Harley and me.

When I arrived in Missoula, I was thinking food. Due to high fire danger, campfires were prohibited. So much for heating up the stew! With an hour of daylight left, I got an instant cup of soup and some hot water to fill the void. By then it was time to bed down, so I asked around if there were any campgrounds nearby. A little while later, I was pitching a tent and rolling out the bag at a KOA to the tune of $26.

I woke at 5:30 a.m. and was ready to continue the adventure, but all I could think about was coffee as I tried to rumble out of the park. So I stopped at a truck stop, downed a cup of joe, ate six mini-donuts and filled the tank. I had $34 left roughly halfway through the trip. I rode up U.S. 93 to Montana Highway 200, where I headed west toward home. It was a cool Sunday morning, and once again there was little to no traffic.

With the Bitterroot Mountains on my left and Clark Fork River on my right, I settled in and cruised through some of the most scenic areas of Montana, enjoying small mountain communities along the way and admiring buildings of days gone by.

With the needle in the red, I made it to Sandpoint, Idaho. I was down to $21, but I figured I could swing a bottle of water and bag of chips before heading toward Spokane, Wash. As I worked my way through the city into the small town of Davenport, Wash., I had less than 160 kilometres before home and about half a tank of gas. Ten bucks went to gas, and the rest went to an energy drink and candy bars. I continued on State Highway 28, and when I arrived home I had $1.25 and half a tank of gas left.

Two days, three states, and 1,235 kilometres on $99.75. It was a million-dollar ride for under a hundred bucks! *All figures in U.S. dollars.

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CAPTURE THE FLAG

The brotherhood of two Alberta chapters captured in a well-played stunt.

By Jon Buhnai A few years ago, a handful of members from the Bordertown Chapter Lloydminster made the trip to a HOG® rally in Medicine Hat, Alta., and had a blast. While there, we met some of the crew from the Oilsands Chapter out of Fort McMurray and became friends. Over the last few years, we have been able to get together at different rallies, including Sturgis a few times.

I

n June 2014, Oilsands needed a hand to volunteer at an airshow in Fort McMurray. They gave us a call, and we responded. Eighteen of our members made the trek to help and had a pile of fun doing so, too. Then, when we hosted our fourth Annual Toy Run, they sent 14 members down to support us, thereby cementing the “brotherhood” bond between our chapters.

This summer, six of us Bordertown

members rode again to Fort McMurray to support their fifth annual Toys for Tots Run. What a blast! I have to say, it is like we are all one big chapter.

Now, this is where the story gets good. We were hanging out at their event and suddenly got a great idea: We should steal their flag. The plan was set. Unfortunately, they decided to rearrange things. We thought our plan

was foiled, but we offered to help with the rearranging and, before I knew it, the flag was in the back of my bike. Now what?

Let’s take pictures with it on our way home, that’s what!

We headed home on Sunday morning, at a brisk 2 C, stopping every now and then to warm up and take a picture or two with the flag. We almost got caught twice by a few Oilsands members who were driving out of town behind us. We made it home with the flag, safe and sound, and got some great pictures.

The very next weekend, we hosted our fifth Annual Toy Run, and we knew that the Oilsands crew was coming in full force, 17 in total. The day was great, and the weather was amazing. After the run, we wrapped up the day with a steak supper and cabaret.

During the cabaret, we had a few special presentations to take care of, one of which was to get the flag back to its rightful owners. We invited the Oilsands director, assistant director and another member that we all know quite well up to the stage along with the six Bordertown bandits that snatched the flag. With a bit of a backstory to explain what we had been up to, we presented a box with the flag and all the pictures of our journey to the Oilsands members. Luckily for the flag thieves, they took it as we expected they would, and everyone had a great laugh over the whole story.

Over the past five years, our club has had a lot of fun, and we are thrilled to share these good times with the Oilsands chapter. I hope this is a bit of an inspiration to other HOG chapters to reach out and get to know your neighbouring chapters.

Who knows, maybe you can play capture the flag?

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ALL OR NOTHING

Two serious two-wheeled campers compare strategies for roughing it on the road.

By Josh Kurpius

It started when HOG® member Jim Fritz sent us a picture of all his camping gear laid out on a tarp. We were impressed, to say the least, by his thoroughness, preparedness, and organization. Pretty amazing how he gets it all on that bike – along with his clothes, riding gear and other riding necessities.

I

t also made us think of Josh Kurpius, a HOG® Magazine contributing photographer, who takes a completely opposite approach. Josh spends a good portion of the warmer months living on the road, riding with friends from job to job on his stripped-down chopper, camping every night. Somehow he manages to get everything he needs – including camera gear and basic tools to keep his bike running – into a few small bags.

Which approach is best? It all depends, of course – on what you can afford, how comfortable you need to be, and how much you value clean clothes and hot showers.

JIM: BRING IT ALL

Over the past 30 years, my good friend Lou Bischoffer and I have logged thousands of miles together on countless day rides and camping trips. Between the two of us, we’ve been through many different bikes, various girlfriends and a couple of wives.

In addition to many miles of summer day trips, we take an annual two-week camping trip with really only a direction as a plan. In 2014 we rode from our homes in Northeastern Illinois to the Mississippi River, south to New Orleans, over to Barber Motorsports Park Museum, and up to the MotoGP race in Indianapolis before

heading home. We tent camp every night and never make reservations along the way. We just wing it. We have modernized with an iPad app called “Allstays,” which shows camping areas along the way, but we never plan too far ahead.

I did that trip on my 2011 Ultra Limited (pictured), but when we got home I traded it for a 2014 Ultra Classic®. That’s the bike I’ll ride for our 2015 trip. Destination: Thataway. Whatever we encounter, I’ll know right where to find whatever I need to deal with it.

JIM FRITZ

Grayslake, Illinois AGE: 53 | OCCUPATION: SEMI-RETIRED Right Saddlebag: Small tool bag, small air compressor, tire plugs, jumper cables, hatchet, gas backpacking stove with fuel, coffeepot, small fan for tent, small bottle of H-D® oil, fire starter Left Saddlebag: Clothes Tour-Pak® Luggage: Clothes, iPad, various chargers, flashlight, sunglasses, coffee mugs, sunscreen, bug spray, windshield cleaner, soft hand wipes, emergency toilet paper Dry Bag #1: Sleeping bag, pillow, pad (packed on rear seat) Dry Bag #2: Two-piece rain gear strapped on Tour-Pak, tent and small camping chair strapped on Tour-Pak, soft-side cooler and ground tarp strapped on rear seat under Dry Bag #1 Lower Fairing Compartment: Rope, camera

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JOSH: NEXT TO NOTHING

Back when it all started, my friends and I would do long trips on motorcycles, with no plans and no money. We’d just go. We weren’t prepared for much, but we’d never sleep in a hotel. We’d just sleep on the ground if we had to.

But what I’ve learned in about 10 years of travelling like this is that it pays to make an investment in some decent gear. In the old days, I would just pack a big tarp. At night, I’d lay it on the ground, park my bike on one end of it, wrap it up around the bike and stake the other end to the ground. This makes a pretty serviceable lean-to. It kept (some of) the rain off, but was completely exposed to bugs and cold.

These days I pack a specialized tent, designed to use my bike (or a picnic table or some other structure) in place of poles.

It packs down super small (smaller than the tarp, actually) and keeps all the rain and bugs on the outside. I can even fit two people in it, tightly, if I set it up right.

The only problem is I can’t take my bike out without breaking down the tent. It’s great

for one-night stays, but when I want to stay somewhere a few nights (like at Sturgis) I pack a small freestanding tent instead.

It’s very low to the ground — you have to crawl into it — but it packs down almost as small and does a great job keeping out the weather – even the hail and wind and rain that sometimes pop up at Sturgis.

Most of what we do is “renegade” camping — that is, we camp wherever we can find a spot, whether it’s behind an abandoned barn or whatever. We don’t pack food or cooking gear; we just ride into town and buy hot dogs or pork chops or something to cook over an open fire.

Ideally, we look for a spot with a river or lake nearby, so we can cool off and clean up after a long day of riding.

JOSH KURPIUS

Rockford, Illinois AGE: 33 OCCUPATION: FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER Camping: Abel Brown Nomad Tent, 32-degree Guide Series sleeping bag, Therm-a-Rest small self-inflating air mattress, inflatable pillow, heavy tent stakes.

Parts and Tools: Specialized tool kit for Ironhead Sportster® chopper (compact sizes, if possible); misc. spare parts, including inner tubes, voltage regulator, points/ condenser, spare bulbs, nuts and bolts, gaskets, cables, etc.; one gallon of extra gas; two quarts of extra oil.

Camera Gear: Canon 5D Mark III and three lenses, batteries/charger, memory cards/ card reader, computer/charger, lens cleaner.

Riding Gear: Rain/cold-weather gear, gloves (light and heavy), helmet with removable face shield (for helmet states and rain/cold), H-D leather jacket, Carhartt hooded sweatshirt, long underwear.

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THE GREAT NORTH 42 days of extreme roads, weather and views.

By Lucie Rouleau

Alain and I met in 2007, when he was riding an H-D Electra Glide® Classic. For the first year, I learned by riding in the back seat. I learned how to shift, and the most important safety tips: search, evaluate and execute (SEE). In 2008, I took a riding course with the Safety Council in Ottawa, got my licence and bought my first motorcycle.

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e retired in July 2013. Since it was late in the summer, we rode to Newfoundland that year – but we were already thinking about a cross-Canada ride that would take us up into Alaska. Alain had always wanted to go to Alaska, and he was certain that after riding more than 100,000 kilometres on my own motorcycle (we love riding and cover up to 25,000 km per year), I was ready to ride in any of the road conditions we would face.

We took that ride in the summer of 2014 on our two H-D® FLTRX Road Glides®.

Here’s our diary of our 42 days on the road.

June 18: Casselman, Ont. to Sault SteMarie, Ont., 900 kilometres. We saw a bear crossing the road – not the last we would encounter.

June 19: Sault Ste-Marie to Dryden, Ont., 1,053 kilometres. Between Marathon and Terrace Bay, we almost hit a moose that came out of the woods.

June 20: Dryden to Winnipeg, Man., cloudy with some showers. We arrived at the beautiful Gîte de la Cathédrale Bed and Breakfast. Jacqueline, the owner of the B&B, suggested we visit the cathedral.

We had a good supper at Chez Sophie, situated on the bridge.

June 21: Winnipeg. We visited the Royale Canadian Mint and the Manitoba Museum.

June 22: Winnipeg to Regina, Sask., staying at the Wenxin Bed and Breakfast.

June 23: Regina. We visited the Regina Harley-Davidson® dealer and walked 10 kilometres to see the RCMP Sergeant Major’s Parade.

June 24: Regina to Swift Current, Sask.

We visited the Big Muddy Badlands. Those roads, with loose gravel, holes and cracks, are not for road bikes. I almost lost control of my bike, and with the force of impact, I broke the handle of my luggage.

June 25: Swift Current to Calgary, Alta.

We spent two days at a cousin’s house and got an oil change at the HarleyDavison dealer in Calgary (very good service). We visited the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the badlands – beautiful.

June 27: Calgary to Banff, Alta. Today, the real purpose of our trip began, with scenic routes, mountains, snow, glaciers and waterfalls. We could not believe what we

saw. We visited Lake Louise and took the gondola to enjoy the view of the lake and the mountains.

June 28: Banff to Grande Cache, Alta.

Again, a marvellous view of mountains.

As we drove through them, we saw wapitis, caribou and elk. Our motel, the Acorn, was surrounded by mountains.

June 29: Grande Cache to Fort Nelson, B.C., 700 kilometres, cloudy. A deer crossed the street right in front of us. We slowed down when there was a little bit of a shower.

The roads were covered with sand – very slippery and dangerous. After lunch, it was sunny, and we took off our rain gear. We saw bears beside the road. At this point, we had covered 5,500 kilometres after 11 days on the road.

June 30: Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, Yukon, rain. On a road between mountains, we took a break at a rest area, where I took pictures to show how high in the mountains we were. A bear came up the hill, put his two paws on the railings and looked at us. Needless to say, we walked back to the bikes and took off, forgetting to take a picture of him. We did not go back.

July 1: Watson Lake to Whitehorse, Yukon.

We drove 25 kilometres on loose gravel and a long steel bridge. We visited Miles Canyon in Whitehorse – beautiful!

July 2: Whitehorse to Dawson City, Yukon.

Again, we rode partially on loose gravel.

With lots of construction and mud, it was not an easy drive. Dawson City, where the road ends, is a beautiful town.

July 3: Dawson City to Tok, Alaska. We took the ferry at Dawson City across the river and drove the Top of the World highway –

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107 kilometres of loose gravel and sand on a narrow road with a soft shoulder, but a beautiful view when you have the time to look. After crossing the border into Alaska, we drove through big, sharp rocks.

The road was under construction for 20 kilometres, so the loose gravel was not so bad – and then we drove on sand and dirt road until we reached the village of Chicken, population 15. We were very happy to arrive alive at Young’s Motel in Tok. Oh, what a day!

July 4–7: Alaska. We rode Tok to Valdez – wow! On the scenic routes, we rode in beautiful mountains with glaciers, waterfall and rivers. The next day, we drove to Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, again on beautiful scenic routes.

We stayed for two nights. We had time to visit the Harley-Davidson dealer and to go to Cooper Landing. After the two days, we returned to Tok. July 8: Tok to Whitehorse. There are two ways to go to Alaska, and both are challenging roads. It was raining, so we travelled in the mud and potholes, with construction for 115 kilometres along the way. I prayed for my angel (my sister Lisa, in Heaven) to be with us – it took us six hours.

July 9: Skagway, Alaska. No riding today – we took the bus to Skagway for the Scenic White Pass & Yukon Route “scenic railway of the world.” Skagway is an old-style city like Dawson. We saw four big cruise ships, bringing lots of people to that small town.

July 10: Whitehorse to Watson Lake.

We had to backtrack because there is only one road.

July 11: Watson Lake to Stewart, B.C. With difficult, narrow roads, loose gravel and holes, it took us four hours to get through the first 250 kilometres. The rest of the road up to Stewart was beautiful, but the last 60 kilometres was like a dream: scenic routes, mountains, glaciers and rivers.

July 12: Stewart to Houston, B.C. We visited the fifth-oldest glacier in the world, but the narrow road had loose gravel, holes and big rocks. There were beautiful views of mountains on the way to Houston.

July 13: Houston to Prince George, B.C., 300 kilometres, sunny and 25 C. July 14: Prince George to 100 Mile House, B.C., 36 C. We got an oil change and replaced the tires on Alain’s bike at the Prince George Harley-Davidson dealer (excellent service).

July 15: 100 Mile House to Osoyoos, B.C. We took Highway 24 towards Highway 97. These were beautiful scenic routes, with riding between mountains, lakes and rivers. We stopped at the Harley-Davidson dealer in Kamloops – it was huge, and they gave us two pins. We stopped at the dealer in Kelowna, too, but no pins. We rode the wine route and stopped at a fruit stand, where we ate peaches and cherries from the trees. When we arrived at the Lake View Motel in Osoyoos, it was 41 C. We enjoyed the swimming pool and afterward went for supper at a restaurant with a nice view of the lake.

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We rode the wine route and stopped at a fruit stand, where we ate peaches and cherries from the trees.

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... we rode for 42 days and more than 21,000 kilometres with less than 12 hours of rain, no accidents and no falls.

July 16: Osoyoos to Lillooet, B.C. We took routes 3, 5A, 8, 1 and 12 through the mountains in the morning, with zigzags in the afternoon where we couldn’t believe the view. When we arrived at the Mile-O-Motel in Lillooet, it was 38 C. This little city is surrounded with beautiful and extreme mountains.

July 17: Lillooet to Whistler, B.C. to Campbell River, B.C. via ferry. We took Highway 99, again an amazing route between mountains, lakes and rivers, with zigzag routes up and down the mountain.

I loved it. We took the hour-and-a-half ferry crossing through mountains from Lions Bay to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island – wow. We took the highway to Campbell River, stopping at the Vista Del Mar Motel on the water.

July 18: Campbell River to Victoria, B.C. We took the ocean view route. In Victoria, we went downtown and visited the houseboats in the Inner Harbour and ate fish and chips for dinner. It’s a very nice city.

July 19: Victoria. We visited the H-D® dealer, where a woman told us not to miss the Butchart Gardens. We visited Mount Douglas Park, where you can enjoy the view of Victoria, and drove to the Butchart Gardens, a beautiful large garden of trees and flowers. We had supper there

and enjoyed Beatles music sung by a local band.

July 20: Victoria to Aberdeen, Wash., via the Black Ball Ferry. We drove the 101 south through Olympic National Park, where we saw very large trees, rode between mountains and saw green and blue lakes – beautiful.

July 21: Aberdeen to Gold Beach, Ore. Continuing on the 101S, we rode beautiful roads between mountains and the Pacific Ocean. We stopped at the Harley-Davidson dealer in Coos Bay, Ore. – no pins.

July 22: Gold Beach to Susanville, Calif. We drove the 101 towards Eureka, Calif., and then the 299, with beautiful mountains, then the 44 east to the Travel Inn in Susanville.

July 23: Susanville to Ely, Nev. When we left at 7:30, it was already 35 C and very windy. We drove the highway and arrived at a Motel 6 with a pool (thank you, God).

July 24: Nevada to Colorado via Utah.

When we left at 7 a.m., it was 25 C and sunny. We rode Route 50 for four hours in the desert at 40 C, then took the 70 for about 120 kilometres. It was a beautiful route through badlands and canyons.

July 25: Colorado to Nebraska. Starting out at 23 C and sunny, we rode for about two hours before stopping at a

gas station, where we met two guys on motorcycles who advised us to cross Denver before 11 a.m. to avoid the traffic, and to get dressed for the cold. It was true – the temperature dropped from 25 C to 12 C in two minutes when we crossed the Rocky Mountains. We drove on Highway 70, a beautiful scenic route between mountains, canyons, lakes and tunnels. Just before Denver, we could feel the heat again. Within two minutes, the temperature rose from 12 C to 35 C – unbelievable. We rushed to take some layers off. We drove up to Nebraska, where we slept that night.

July 26: Nebraska to Iowa. We drove Highway 80. We realized that day that the trip was almost at an end.

July 27: Iowa to Joliet, Ill., sunny. We got a beautiful room with a king bed for $49 at the Red Roof Inn. July 28: Joliet to Sarnia, Ont., cloudy and cold. We left at 5:30 a.m. to beat the traffic.

July 29: Sarnia to Casselman, Ont., sunny.

Home safe and sound.

I ended up getting more experience with tough road conditions than I would have wished for on this trip, but we rode for 42 days and more than 21,000 kilometres with less than 12 hours of rain, no accidents and no falls.

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ONCE UPON A RIDE

Halifax riders take a ghoulish tour, complete with police escort.

By Michael Campbell

The morning of October 25, 2014, the day of the Privateers Harley-Davidson Ghoul Ride, was gloomy.

The threat of rain concerned me, not only for the potential effects on turnout but because as Head Road Captain for the Central Chapter Nova Scotia (CCNS) Harley Owners GroupTM, safety was foremost on my mind, and there were a lot of leaves on the streets.

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he ride was scheduled to leave at 11 a.m. and return approximately 50 minutes later. I arrived at Privateers Harley-Davidson at 9 for an early start organizing and tying up lastminute things. My good friend and fellow chapter member Dave Tannahill had been working on an escorted ride with his contacts in the Halifax Regional Police Department, and had connected me with Constable Peter Webber. Constable Webber arrived at 10:30 after doing a preliminary

Halifax escorted by the Halifax Regional Police Department was a very proud moment for us as a chapter. Time almost seemed to stand still for a brief moment, and nothing else seemed to matter, as we were the centre of attention, loving the looks on the faces of the people on the sidewalks and the children laughing and pointing.

All too soon, the ride came to an end as we arrived back at Privateers HarleyDavidson. Each CCNS member that participated on the ride personally thanked the officers for their gracious offer to escort the Central Chapter’s first-ever ride. The officers’ attention to detail and group escort training was second to none and flawlessly executed. We hope to have a long-lasting relationship with the Halifax Regional Police Department for our future endeavours. run of the route on his Police Special Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, and informed me that he and four other constables would be escorting our tour of the city.

The participants started to arrive one by one with their bikes decorated for Halloween and the riders in costume. By 10:40 a.m., we had 16 motorcycles ready to haunt our city streets. After a short safety briefing for the ghoulish group and a couple of pictures for our scrapbooks, we got the motorcycles in a staggered formation. My wife and I rode the lead motorcycle, flying our chapter flag.

Probably the most exhilarating feeling was having Constable Webber ride in front of me and the other constables spread out as required to keep us safe and together as a group. We went through roundabouts, streetlights and stop signs as though they didn’t exist. The constables continuously whizzed past us, leapfrogging from one intersection to the next blocking traffic for our safe passage. I don’t remember having to stop long enough to put my foot down during the 25-kilometre run.

Riding along the busy streets of downtown

I would like to personally thank the officers for making this such a memorable ride for Central Chapter – in no particular order, Constables Peter Webber, Jeff Winters, Marshall Williams, Brian Lillington and Sean Flynn, and let’s not forget the Chief of Police, Jean-Michel Blais.

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BEFORE THE BEGINNING Early documents shed light on the Motor Company’s earliest “pre-history.”

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ecently acquired after decades of private ownership, a 1901 “bicycle motor” engineering drawing by William Harley is the earliest known HarleyDavidson historical document relating to motorcycles. The drawing specifies the engine’s displacement at a mere seven cubic inches, suggesting it wasn’t capable of powering much more than a bicycle. Bicycle frames were never meant to handle a rider plus an engine, and the founders abandoned the motorized bicycle early on, moving toward the more robust loop frame of the company’s earliest motorcycle.

The loop frame allowed for a bigger engine, and the one used in the first production Harley-Davidson® motorcycles was very different from the early drawing.

With help from fellow Milwaukee engine pioneer Ole Evinrude (of outboard motor fame), and influence from emerging internal combustion engine developments in Europe, the founders created a 25-cubic-inch motor with a larger flywheel, getting the HarleyDavidson operation off on a strong footing.

In 1903, Walter Davidson joined his

brothers Arthur and William in the company, bringing machining skills from the railroad industry. That seminal first year, they sold no more than three bikes, but the solid design of the Harley-Davidson’s frame and engine launched the company into the forefront of the crowded young motorcycle marketplace.

By this time, the founders had moved out of the Davidson family basement into a 3×4.5-metre wooden shed in the back yard, later adding to that building as production expanded. But their plans were big, and they outgrew that “factory” quickly.

With expansion in mind, the men eyed a prime location for a new factory a block away, but they needed money to acquire the land. Another recently acquired document details what’s undoubtedly the first loan

to Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

A promissory note Arthur and Walter Davidson signed July 6, 1904, commits to repay $170 to their uncle James McLay, an 80-year-old beekeeper from Madison, Wis. At Harley-Davidson’s new address on Chestnut Street, later renamed Juneau Avenue (after Solomon Juneau, a cofounder of Milwaukee), the founders built a 208-square-metre wooden building.

Within two years they expanded again, and between 1910 and 1913 erected an even larger red brick factory. Over the next 13 years, the site blossomed to 46,000 square metres of manufacturing space, and by 1926 the company produced more than 22,000 bikes in one year.

In six decades of motorcycle manufacturing, until production moved to York, Pa., in 1973, the Juneau Avenue factory cranked out more than 1,000,000 motorcycles and countless other parts and accessories. Today, it’s the international headquarters of Harley-Davidson Incorporated.

Harley-Davidson never left the neighbourhood where it was born, and it all began with a seed planted by four young men and their Honey Uncle.

TOP: This drawing of an early bicycle engine designed by William Harley is labeled “Sheet 2,” but the whereabouts of the other sheets remain unknown. BOTTOM: A second factory building on Chestnut Street was in use by 1907.

It served as a bridge between the original shed and the brick factory site in use by 1913.

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

Many histories have a Rosetta Stone, an artefact that connects known sources. Two new additions to the Harley-Davidson Museum® Archives shed light on the company’s earliest history, helping show how four young men avoided the fate of the more than 170 companies that failed to survive the early days of the American motorcycle industry. Both were widely known to exist but have found a permanent home at the Harley-Davidson Archives.

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

MEET THE CANADIAN

HOG® TEAM

Jo Figueiredo

Marketing Director Motorcycle: V-Rod® Number of years as HOG® Member : 4

Karen Mayberry

Dream ride: Low Rider Number of years as HOG® Member : 3 TM

Lead, Public Relations, Social Media & eMarketing Motorcycle: 100th Anniversary Dyna® Low Rider Number of years as HOG® Member : 12

Jaden Rioux

HOG Coordinator

Dream ride: Wide Glide® Number of years as HOG® Member : 3

TM

Vern Wilson

Len Bowman

Michel-André Roy

Brad Carvery

Motorcycle: Ultra Limited Number of years as HOG® Member : 18

Motorcycle: Ultra Classic® Number of years as HOG® Member : 12

Motorcycle: Heritage Softail Number of years as HOG® Member : 6

Motorcycle: Street Glide® Number of years as HOG® Member : 22

Regional Director, Ontario

Regional Director, Western

MEMBER BENEFITS HOG® MAGAZINE CANADA You’re holding it in your hands. Packed with riding stories, instructional and technical articles, product info, news, member stories and more.

HOG HOTWIRE! Distributed to HOG® members in Canada four times a year (six weeks after each print magazine), the HOTWIRE! provides updates for members and inspiration for your next ride in the form of riding stories, member profiles and multi-media.

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE You’re automatically covered when you need it most. The HOG® Roadside Assistance Standard Package comes with one-time coverage up to $100.

BEST WESTERN RIDE REWARDS You’ll get complimentary room upgrades at this rider-friendly hotel chain, plus 15% bonus points on every stay and minimum 10% savings at all Best Western properties in North America and Hawaii.

TM

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Scott Clark

Lead, Customer Experience

Regional Director, Quebec TM

Regional Director, Prairies

You’ve made the commitment to ride a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. Now let Harley Owners Group™ give a little back.

HOG® gives you access to benefits designed exclusively for our members.

HOG® EVENTS Events are great way to take part in HOG – from local chapter rides, to regional, provincial and national rallies, to exciting international events.

TOURING HANDBOOK The Touring Handbook features H-D® road maps for the U.S., Canada and Latin America, with quick-reference dealer information. (Available to full and full life members only.)

MORE BENEFITS • HOG® Mileage Program – Earn pins and patches for racking up miles on your Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

• Chapters – Join a local chapter (sponsored by an authorized HarleyDavidson® Dealer) for events, rides and to meet up with riding buddies in your area.

• Pins and Patches – Every pin and patch has a story. Start collecting yours today.

• Members Page – Your primary source of HOG news and information: HOG.com

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COME RIDE WITH US.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE THE CALL OF THE OPEN ROAD.

That’s why we include a free one-year membership in the Harley Owners Group® with the purchase of every new Harley-Davidson ® motorcycle. HOG ® membership is your passport to exclusive member benefits and priority access to more events and unique HOG® experiences beginning in 2016.

And with nearly one million members worldwide, that call is more like a roar. ©2015 H-D or its affiliates. Harley-Davidson, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar & Shield logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

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HARLEY OWNERS GROUP ®

830 Edgeley Blvd. Concord, Ontario L4K 4X1 Tel: 1-800-668-4836 Fax: 414-343-4515 hog.com

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