travel
North Carolina Montana Going From The Sun Thunder Road
West Coast Pacific Coast Highway
s eptem b er /octo b e r 201 7 CE L E B R AT I NG 1 5 Y EA R S
2018 BMW HP4 Race BMW shows off its Carbon Fibre technology in this WSBK-spec powerhouse
2017
Harley-Davidson
Street Rod
Mojo Garage Old-School Starter Fix
A Harley that handles Europe’s best biking roads
MOTORCYCLEMOJO.COM $5.95 • Volume 16 Issue 8
Plus:
Reviewed:
25 years of Joe Rocket
• LS2 Vector Wake Helmet • Book - Feel: My Story
PM 40761040 Display until October 31
38
18 contents
September/October 2017
26
features 18 Setting a New Benchmark
38 Race to the Clouds
Competition – 2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Press Launch – 2018 BMW HP4 Race
BMW is swinging for the fences at the press launch of its limited-production, track-only HP4 Race, and we’re there to hang on for the ride in Estoril, Portugal.
26 Going-From-the-Sun Road Travel – Montana
Everyone should ride Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Road at least once. And then ride the surrounding roads forever more.
32 Milwaukee’s Monster
Press Launch – 2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod
Harley-Davidson Europe hosts the first test of its new Street Rod on the spectacularly sinuous roads surrounding Marbella, Spain.
Long-time Canadian dirt track and supermoto racer Shane Scott takes on America’s second-oldest motorsports competition, and the quest for the summit of Pikes Peak.
44 Rocket Showcase – 25 Years Later
Hard to believe it’s been a quarter century since Bruce Parker and friends introduced the world to this iconic Canadian brand.
Travel – North Carolina
32
Nestled between the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Nantahala National Forest lies Maggie Valley, touring hub of the southern Appalachians.
54 California Dirtbag Travel – West Coast
Short on time and low on funds, Claire Crimp dirtbags her way from Vancouver Island to California’s Joshua Tree National Park.
6 crossroads
by Glenn Roberts
8 threads
Motorcycle information and inspiration
12 Life in the fast lane
by Misti Hurst
14 Life’s an adventure
50 Thunder Road
departments
Man
by Clinton Smout
16 Escape Route
by Jenn Martin
60 mojo garage
Old-School Starter Fix
62 PRODUCT REVIEW
• Product Review –
LS2 Vector Wake Helmet
• Book Review: Feel: My Story
by Freddie Spencer
74 r emember when?
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 3
september/october 2017 • Volume 16 Issue 8 Publisher Riptide Resources Inc.
Editor Glenn Roberts Art Director Amy McCleverty Associate Editor Costa Mouzouris Editorial Associate Marcus Martellacci Copy Editor Deanna Dority Business Manager Gwen Roberts Advertising Sales Margo Bock Contributing Writers Alan Cathcart, Claire Crimp, Jamie Elvidge, Lawrence Hacking, Misti Hurst, Ron Keys, Marcus Martellacci, Jenn Martin, Costa Mouzouris, Glenn Roberts, Shane Scott, Clinton Smout Contributing Photographers BMW Motorrad, Claire Crimp, Lionel Beylot, Jamie Elvidge, Stefano Gadda, Eric Haggart, Misti Hurst, Ron Keys, Jenn Martin, Costa Mouzouris, Glenn Roberts, Joe Rocket Archives, Jon Wallace Online & Technical Gooder Marketing
on the cover: 2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod Photo By Lionel Beylot
Social Media Emily Roberts Printing Transcontinental LGM – Coronet Circulation and Fulfillment KCK Global Limited Distribution Disticor
print & digital subscriptions 1 year Print Subscription $25.00, 1 year Digital $15.00, plus applicable taxes
So what is a mojo? It is, in short, the staple amulet of African-American hoodoo practice, a flannel bag (magazine) containing one or more magical items (motorcycles). The word is thought by some to be a corruption of the English word “magic” but it more likely is related to the West African word “mojuba,” meaning a prayer of praise and homage.
A prayer of praise and homage … toward motorcycles?
motorcyclemojo.com • subscriptions@motorcyclemojo.com 1-877-330-3737 Motorcycle Mojo, P.O. Box 1234, Station K, Toronto, ON M4P 3E4
Sign up for our free newsletter at:
motorcyclemojo.com advertising inquires Margo Bock: margo@motorcyclemojo.com 1-905-699-3847 P.O. Box 22001, Picton, Ontario K0K 0A0 comments & letters to the editor editor@motorcyclemojo.com HEAD OFFICE 1-877-665-6624 Motorcycle Mojo is published in Prince Edward County, Ontario by Riptide Resources Inc. and is proudly printed in Canada. #117–10 issues per year. Available at Newsstands across Canada. With the participation of the Government of Canada. Publications Mail Agreement #40761040 Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Motorcycle Mojo P.O. Box 22001, Picton, Ontario K0K 0A0
The articles submitted to Motorcycle Mojo Magazine will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to editing. Some articles do not necessarily reflect the ideas or thoughts of Motorcycle Mojo Magazine writers or employees. To maintain the integrity of Motorcycle Mojo Magazine we ask that your articles and stories are suitably written for all ages to read. A self addressed stamped envelope must accompany submitted materials if to be returned. Tech articles written purely as reference only, please contact your mechanic prior to performing any maintenance on your bike. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission. Copyright 2017.
4 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
ISSN 1913-7621
Member
crossroads by Glenn Roberts
Advertiser Directory Please Support Our Advertisers.
One Extreme to the Other
B
ack in February, HarleyDavidson president and CEO Matt Levatich claimed that the Motor Company would be releasing 50 new models over the next five years (there are currently 38 models), and “build” two million new riders over the next 10 years in the United States alone. Lofty goals, for sure. If this long-term plan succeeds, the number of new riders worldwide will surpass that by a staggering amount. Of course, the new Milwaukee Eight powerplant will contribute to that new-model count, but the Street Rod powered by the 750 cc, 60-degree V-twin is an open page for a multitude of design options. The Street 500 and the Street 750 were released as 2015 models and have had a couple of years to prove themselves. But as with all brand-new vehicles, it takes time for the purchasing public to buy into them. But this new Street Rod might change that, as it’ll become an important platform for the company to realize its goals. Alan Cathcart sent in a glowing report of the Street Rod’s press launch from the area around Marbella, Spain, which has some of the twistiest roads in all of Europe. “Yup – it’s a Harley that handles,” he says. The important thing to realize is that this is just one model from which many other styles could be derived. At the other end of the spectrum of trying to build its inventory, BMW has launched a bike that can’t be ridden on the street or compete in racing, but I don’t think that will stop the company from selling all 750 available units at a whopping $95,000 each. The HP4 Race is, in essence, a showpiece for what can be done with carbon fibre on a production motorcycle.
64
ADMORE LIGHTING
64
ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST REGION
48
BMW DEALERS
71
Cam-am DEALERS
7 CKX 72
CLASSY CHASSIS
17
COUNTERACT BALANCING BEADS
66 deerhaven - Victory
The better-than-WSBK-spec HP4 Race is guaranteed to produce a minimum of 215 hp, and because of the extensive use of carbon fibre to create the frame, sub-frame, wheels and bodywork, it tips the scales at just 171 kg full of fuel, 8 kg less than an FIM superbike. Continuing in the vein of outrageous speeds, we bring you a story by Shane Scott, a New Brunswick dirt track and supermoto racer who took on the very best at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Read about his trials and tribulations as he competes 4,000 km from home in one of North America’s most dangerous races. Moving a little northeast, the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana’s Glacier National Park can get plugged with tourists travelling at a snail’s pace up and down the scenic mountain. Jamie Elvidge gives us the inside scoop in her travel article that describes some of the best tourist-free, little-known, picturesque riding roads in the area. Claire Crimp found herself in a predicament. She was itching for a road trip but had little time and even less money. Arranging a few nights’ accommodation at complete strangers’ houses via the internet, she dirtbagged her way from Vancouver Island all the way down to Joshua Tree National Park and back on a strict financial budget. But as she found out, even the best-laid plans go awry. Joe Rocket is a Canadian success story that began 25 years ago. It’s a name we all know, but maybe didn’t know the background. Learn the backstory of how this brand started and its journey to become one of the largest riding gear manufacturers in North America. Those are just a few of the interesting articles in this issue. I hope you enjoy.
6 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
15
DP BRAKES
5, 13 GAMMA 68
GP BIKES - triumph
70
HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS
71 helping hand INC. 68
HERBERT’S BOOTS AND WESTERN WEAR
17 HOGTUNES 68
HONDA DEALERS
72
HUMBER MOTORCYCLE TRAINING
72
INDIAN OF OAKVILLE AND BARRIE
2
JOE ROCKET
66
KAWASAKI DEALERS
75 KIMPEX 66
KTM DEALERS
15
MACKESY SMYE LLP,
BARRISTER & SOLICITORS
43
MOTORCYCLE MOJO digital
25
MOTORCYCLE MOJO BOOKSTORE
72
MOTORCYCLE INNOVATIONS
25
MOTORCYCLE MOJO Photo contest
64
MOTORCYCLE TOUR GUIDE
ATLANTIC CANADA
76 MOTOVAN 71
OUTBACK MOTORTEK CANADA
64
RIDERS PLUS INSURANCE
69
ROBINSON MOTORCYCLE
70
SARGENT CYCLE PRODUCTS
69 SLINGSHOT 69 SMART 67
SUZUKI DEALERS
63
The jam posters
73
TWISTED THROTTLE
67 VACATION RENTAL:
PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY
67
WALRIDGE MOTORS
67
WAWA MOTOR INN
65
YAMAHA DEALERS
motorcycle information and inspiration
headlines
news
Common Ground 100 years of Harley-Davidson in Canada
International Affair In a bid to refinance and restructure, Italian manufacturer MV Agusta has secured an equity investment deal with Russian-backed ComSar Invest, partner of Black Ocean Group. It will see the reacquisition of Mercedes AMG’s 25 per cent stake in MV Agusta, with the new investors now holding a strong minority share.
Saying Goodbye to a Crowd Favourite
The centennial celebration of HarleyDavidson’s arrival in Canada has spawned a new video series entitled Common Ground. It’s part road trip, part foreign exchange, and all about showcasing the motorcycle culture here in Canada. International riders from around the world have been invited to experience our motorcycling culture and the open road. Each of the guests is paired with a local rider who
will guide them on their visit, and share the passion that is so common among all motorcyclists, regardless of borders. The series focuses on three separate rides, each featuring a different region of this vast country. You can view the entire series at pages.m.harley-davidson.ca/commonground or on the company’s YouTube channel, Harley-Davidson Canada.
Guy Martin has decided to step away from racing the Isle of Man TT afer a disappointing 2017 event. However, it appears he’s still got the need for speed, according to a statement posted on his Facebook page: “So I’ve not given up on racing or road racing, there’s no unfinished business and I want to race classics and oddball stuff. All I’ve been thinking about recently is Pikes Peak and any spare time my brain has had is about Pikes Peak on 4 wheels. That job is down to me and if it doesn’t work, it’s my fault and I like that.”
8 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
threads.indd 8
2017-08-03 11:24 AM
by the numbers
1967 6.7
The percentage loss in second-quarter worldwide sales for Harley-Davidson.
The year of the only Canadian Grand Prix held at Mosport Park. In recognition of the 50th anniversary, several of the racers who competed in the event were expected to attend the celebrations in mid-August at the now rejuvenated Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (formerly Mosport Park).
1.5 billion The estimated amount in euros that Volkswagen would seek if it chooses to sell its interest in Ducati. Word has it that Indian manufacturer Bajaj is very interested.
2018
The year BMW plans to give us an official look at the new generation of its world-beating S1000RR superbike – and it appears to be on track, according to spy photos.
30
The number of electric scooters that will be placed in the Japanese city of Saitama, along with charging stations, as part of a rental program that sees the unlikely partnering of Yamaha and Honda working together to develop electric vehicle technology. september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 9
threads.indd 9
2017-08-03 11:24 AM
tech
New View Keep your heads up
The NUVIZ is a universal heads-up display with integrated HD video camera and handlebar mounted controller.
Nuviz has begun shipping its universal, helmet-mounted display to customers around the world. This is the first fully integrated heads-up display designed specifically for motorcyclists. It displays customizable information in the rider’s natural line of sight and features a handlebar-mounted controller and built-in HD action camera. Nuviz brings together navigation, communication and media devices into a single device, enabling riders to stay connected but, reportedly, not distracted. The included HD camera shoots stills or video, and can be updated as new features become available in the future. To use the Nuviz, you need either an Android device with Android OS 4.4.2/ KitKat (or newer) or iPhone/iPad with iOS 10.2 (or newer). Retail price is currently listed as US$699.99. For more information, visit ridenuviz.com. We’ve made mention of products like
this one in the magazine before, most of which are either still in development or have fallen by the wayside. The reason Nuviz appears to be succeeding where others have failed could come down to the support behind the scenes, such as backers Pierer Industrie AG, which is the parent company of KTM Industries, Husqvarna Motorcycles, WP Suspension and Pankl Racing Systems. We hope to bring you more on this next step in rider technology and just how liveable it is. For now, here’s a link to a video of the features and how it works.
check it out
https://goo.gl/YLt8fG
10 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
threads.indd 10
2017-08-03 11:24 AM
Say What? A Follower What a pleasant surprise to read Jamie Elvidge has joined what I already enjoy as Canada’s best motorcycle magazine. For years I read her stories in those other magazines from south of the border. For her to show up again in our great country is good news. Welcome to Canada Jamie! Keep telling your stories! Chris Belcher via email Artistic Side Great article [Kickstart 2017, August 2017]. Wonderful to see these creations recognized as art. Brent Fussell via motorcyclemojo.com Adventure History We talk an awful lot about ADV Adventure bikes and this latest incarnation of the lightweight version from Big Green is very interesting [Big Things, Small Package, August 2017]. However, I should point out that the concept of the ADV is certainly not news. I remember being in the (MC) biz during the ’80s when Paris/Dakar was going strong and how Europe was populated by street-based lookalikes. Everybody had them, even an air-cooled opposed twin with the spinning prop! Kawasaki had a very crisp and usable small/mid-sized Paris Dakar replica [KLE500] based on the then popular EX500: a DOHC, liquid-cooled, four valve per cylinder, 6 speed with 60 hp; light weight (listed at 195 kg dry); a 21-17 combination of street biased rubber with a 15 L tank. While we in North America did not get the bike, I’d venture to say that if Kawasaki had the current version in the lineup, it would sell like $1.99 hot cakes in Needles, CA, on a Sunday morning! Just sayin’. Frank Simon via motorcyclemojo.com
editor@motorcyclemojo.com Hot Under the Collar Great story by Jeff Davison (“Hot Times on Ohio’s Windy 9” – August 2017) and his experience of riding in heat. I’ve had experience riding in heat, usually successfully but I’ve had two really dangerous experiences. The sidebar “Surviving the Heat” is valuable but needs one more piece of advice. Drinking a lot of water, as Jeff recommends, will flush electrolytes out of your system and that’s dangerous. Marathon runners have died from drinking too much water. A sports drink once or twice a day can help replace the electrolytes. My personal choice: lots of water plus some Gatorade. Motorcycle Mojo is a great magazine! Thanks. Keep up the good work. Doug McGregor via email A Reflection of Canadian Travels Wow! After 15 years of great stories, you come along with an edition of great pictures [July 2017]. Your top 15 were excellent. Great job, and as you said, I’m sure it wasn’t easy. Had you the time and space, you could have (and I wish) you’d done 150. You must have stolen them from every photo album in the country. I swear, we, and thousands of others, have them in some shape or form. Annnnddddd – you continued with the Headline/Ride Through History pictures on pages 8 and 9. Some of those are worthy of a cover, but, again, it would be difficult to choose. We’d like to say more, but let’s just finish by saying … THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Ross Helps via email
Do you have something to say? We love hearing your thoughts on an article, comments, suggestions or criticisms. Comments selected for publication may be edited for grammar, readability and length. Send notes to editor@motorcyclemojo.com.
WTF Where’s The Food? Your Picks
From: James Stokes-Rees
Charlene’s Bayside Restaurant & Cafe I have now been getting over to Cape Breton every late summer or early fall and I stay in Whycocomagh on the Trans-Canada 105. An absolute essential dining stop for me is Charlene’s Bayside Restaurant & Cafe, a five-minute walk along the shore from the Fair Isle Motel where I stay. Charlene and her charming crew serve up the most amazing seven seafood chowder that is generous and truly memorable, served with a homemade fresh tea biscuit. The amazing creamy chowder is filled with haddock, halibut, lobster, clams, crab, scallops and shrimp. And for the daring, end the meal with an original dessert: “Bucket of Mud.” Don’t ask, just try it.
Got a favourite restaurant or pub? Send us an email to editor@motorcyclemojo.com and tell us why. september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 11
threads.indd 11
2017-08-03 11:24 AM
life in the fast Lane by Misti Hurst
T
his year, my son Ashton’s second-grade class held a sports-themed show and tell. The students were instructed to bring something to school that demonstrated a sport they played or some kind of hobby that was special to them. My son asked me if we could bring his motorcycle. “I’ll have to check with your teacher,” I told him. “But Mom,” he explained, “all the kids in school don’t believe me when I tell them that I race motorcycles. If I brought my race bike to school, I could prove it.” He had a point. Ashton struggles in school. He is dyslexic and is embarrassed that he can’t read or write like the other kids in class. His confidence is low, he is often shy and he has a hard time being independent. When I take him to the track, however, he changes into a completely different person. He holds his head up high. He socializes with other kids. He smiles more. He refuses to let me help him push his bike or put on his gear. He has confidence there because he knows he’s good at it and he has fun. I promised that I would ask his teacher, but I told him to be prepared for a no. “Let’s do it!” she practically shouted. Did I mention that Ashton has the best Grade 2 teacher ever? She said she really wanted to help boost his confidence and that the other kids would be thrilled. I asked her if he could maybe start the bike and rev the engine a bit. She asked me if he could ride it. I just about hugged her right there on the spot. The morning of the show and tell, my son was so excited. He carefully packed his first-place medal into his backpack along with a copy of Motorcycle Mojo that has a picture of him riding. He
packed some motorcycle trading cards that a friend of mine thoughtfully made featuring a cartoon drawing of Ashton with his dog, Q, as the mascot. I was pretty excited for him, too. I started the minibike and rode it down our street and up the trail toward his school. Neighbours waved, roofers stared and gardeners tilted their heads in disbelief at the sight of a mom riding a minibike to school. I parked the bike outside the classroom, delivered my son his helmet and sat to watch the demonstration. Ashton stood proudly and held up his helmet. He explained that he wears it with a leather suit to protect him in case of a crash. When he held up the issue of Motorcycle Mojo, the kids gasped at the sight of their classmate in a real magazine. They then lined up behind a proud little boy and marched out into the schoolyard where his Suzuki DR-Z70 sat waiting. The kids stared when he pointed out the brake lever and starter button. They asked questions about the frame sliders bolted to the sides of the bike and about the smooth tires. They asked him if he’d ever crashed and how fast the bike went and if he ever got scared. Then he put on his helmet. The kids cheered at the sound of the revving engine. Even beneath his helmet I could tell he was beaming with pride and happiness. He got on his bike like a pro and rode around in a circle. He politely asked if he could ride around
12 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
again. The teacher was stunned and happy. A few other school staff members came out to see what was going on and they, too, smiled. They passed around a copy of Mojo with my column entitled “A Family that Rides Together Stays Together.” After the demonstration, the kids gave Ashton high-fives. He gave each of them a racing trading card while I spoke with the teachers. They told me that although they always thought of motorcycles as being dangerous, their perspective changed after seeing how well Ashton handled the bike. They were impressed when they learned that he races with other kids, and that he takes the necessary precautions by wearing all the protective gear (having a coaching mom does that). They said that Ashton was amazing to be able to ride a motorcycle at his age and that I was awesome for supporting him. They were proud of him, and so were his classmates. My heart was bursting. When I picked him up after school later that day, he ran out of class with a huge smile. “They believe me now, Mom!” he exclaimed happily. “They finally believe me when I say that I race real motorcycles.” The next morning at school, a much older kid walked up to Ashton before class. “I hear you race motorcycles,” he said. “That’s sweet. Do you ever get scared?” Ashton just shrugged his shoulders and replied casually, “Nah.”
photo: Misti Hurst
Motorcycle Show and Tell
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 13
Life’s an adventure by Clinton Smout
A Humbling Experience
W
hen someone wants to become a riding instructor, it really helps to boost their patience and empathy if they remember that riding didn’t always come easy. But most experienced riders have long forgotten the struggles they encountered when they starting riding. Having been training new instructors for more than 30 years, I know they can memorize the lessons and pylon layouts, and know how to choose the correct off-road trails to use for training. What cannot be taught are the personality traits – patience, humility and empathy – that are essential for any good instructor to possess. These you either have or you don’t. They are the important elements that your DNA, your parents and your life experiences have given you. In my opinion, these traits are far more important than your riding ability or your ability to recite the lessons by memory. I use two unique methods to test potential instructors. One that has worked for many years is to expose would-be instructors to students who cannot hear. My staff and I have volunteered for many years to teach off-road riding to deaf students at the Ontario Camp of the Deaf, and there, the memorized lessons on how brakes or a clutch work mean nothing. How many races you have won is also useless. With some basic sign language (slow, easy, stop, go, eyes up, etc.) you have to graphically illustrate the skill you want a new deaf rider to practise. You have about four minutes to teach the basics before the student starts riding around in a field. You have to mask your emotions and mental turmoil with a happy face if you are freaking out, out of patience or exhausted. Your body
language replaces actual language. If your face or body reveals how frustrated you are, then the student will immediately pick up on it. You may have to practise the basic skills many times before a newbie gets it right, and you can’t give up on them. Someone may have waited a long time to get just one hour on a bike, and it’s up to you to make the experience a success. Anyone can point which way to go through pylons. The people we hire are passionate riders who want to help others learn to ride, or learn to ride better. They have incredible patience and have more than a few ways to apply different teaching methods. Teaching deaf riders is very rewarding and a fantastic way to learn that your own personal riding ability and knowledge have little to do with the student’s success. I giggle inwardly when I hear prospective instructors brag about how many races they have won or how many countries they have toured. This has prompted me to come up with an innovative way to humble cocky riders, and to illustrate to them how a novice rider’s brain learns – I made a motorcycle with reversed controls. The clutch and front brake cables are switched so that the clutch is on the right handlebar lever and the front brake is on the left. I also moved the throttle to the left side; to accelerate, you have to twist your left hand forward, and to slow down, you pull back on the throttle. I explain the controls and ask would-be instructors to ride the bike around slowly in a big
14 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
field. If they really concentrate, they can usually ride around, and their confidence increases with time. That’s when I’ll ask them to ride over a skid. This is when things get very interesting. When our brains are given simple, basic tasks to perform, everything is fine. But when asked to add more complex manoeuvres while we’re still picking up the basics, our competence and confidence diminish, which becomes evident in our reduced riding ability. When our brain attempts to get us to take on new tasks too quickly, it stalls or performs poorly. Experienced riders on the reversecontrol motorcycle know they should stand up to go over the skid. This extra cognitive request is sent to a certain part of their brain, while another part draws from their experience to perform more automatic duties, like handling the controls. That’s when all hell breaks loose! Most experienced riders will use muscle memory to pull in what their experience tells them is the clutch, and that usually doesn’t go very well. Although most won’t admit it because of pride, I have no problem telling them they looked foolish, frustrated and embarrassed. After this exercise, most would-be instructors realize how overwhelmed a new rider can feel when too much is demanded of them mentally or physically. The message I have for experienced riders or instructors is to dig deep for empathy and patience. To new riders, I say give yourself time and get some proper training.
50 Years of Riding. 40 Years of Representing Motorcycle Accident Victims.
The personal injury experts.â„¢
Call David F. Smye, Q.C.
INJURED In a Motorcycle Accident?
and
Michael J. Winward B.A., LL.B. Barristers Call to Arrange Free First Consultation
905.525.2341 maclaw@mackesysmye.com www.mackesysmye.com
David F. Smye, Q.C.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 15
escape route by Jenn Martin
Where Will Your Ride Take You?
W
hile many of us may have a bucket list of road trips and glorious adventures that we’d love to take, the reality may be that these journeys have to be planned, money must be saved and they may not come to fruition in the near future. Work and family obligations – these are the realities of everyday life, and monthlong (or even year-long!) adventures just might not be in the cards for many of us. At least not right now. But for those of us who ride, it’s possible to make even the most mundane trip an adventure. The day-to-day travel back and forth to work can really wear you down and make life monotonous, but there are creative ways to change that and make it much more fun and exciting, especially on a motorcycle. Sometimes we just need a reminder that each day is our own journey. Sounds corny, but it’s true. I love reading adventure quotes. Some speak to me more than others, and remind me that the world – and my own little piece of it – is filled with exciting things to do and see. And what better way to do them than on a motorcycle. For sure there are distant lands to discover and fascinating people to meet. There are new experiences to appreciate and foreign cuisines to sample. However, who’s to say you can’t get that same sense of excitement and anticipation closer to home? We just need to embrace those opportunities. “I don’t want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.” – Diane Ackerman, American poet and naturalist Learn to enjoy the moment. When you’re riding, every new landscape
has its own beauty. Take in the sights and smells and enjoy the solitude where and when you can find it. It’s harder to do if you’re in the city, but still achievable. It’s easy to disconnect from this world that is so connected. Pretend for a moment that you’re not going to work. Try taking a different route, if you can afford the time. Better yet, leave 10 minutes earlier and make the time. Riding down a different street, you may discover new shops or a new park that you never knew existed. Honestly, you’ll never discover the wonders that may be around the next corner if you always stay on the same path. You don’t have to go on an epic adventure to find one. Mini-trips can be day trips or overnight trips, or even extend to weekend getaways, if schedules allow. Most of us can find the time for that. Get out of your city and explore. You don’t have to go far and it’s a great way to bring enjoyment and a bit of excitement back into your life. Planning can be fun, and it’s amazing how venturing into a new town can bring appreciation and joy for the little things – it really doesn’t take much. Maybe forget about the plans and just ride. Turn left when you feel compelled to; turn right when the mood strikes. Just get on your motorcycle and ride for the sheer joy of doing so, without a preconceived route. You decide. If U-turns are your Achilles heel, you may get a lot of practice in on those. There’s this road that I pass every day, and I always wondered where
16 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
it led. When I finally turned onto it, I found this fantastic, narrow little jog through a canopy of trees that seemed so magical. The ride along it lasts about two minutes, and there are a couple of tight curves thrown in, but those two minutes always make me take a deep breath and smile. It makes me happy, and that is what’s important. If you need an excuse to ride, just bring it on. Set a random destination, maybe a place that sells homemade butter tarts or specialized crafts. A ride is a great justification to check out new cafés and restaurants with friends. If you find you’re always making the same trip, purposely change it up. My sister-in-law and I deliberately set out one day to pick up some handcrafted wooden motorcycle kickstand pads that I’d previously spotted. There were a few places that offered these wooden pucks, which were created by a local rider who also runs a motorcyclefriendly bed-and-breakfast. And they were free. We made a trip out of it and ended up visiting places I may not have ventured to otherwise. It’s these little changes that can create a sense of joy and adventure. My advice to you? Head out, and don’t be afraid to get lost.
® Universal Universal blUetooth blUetooth® handlebar handlebar aUdio aUdio Kit Kit
Universal aUdio KiT
Parts Canada Part # 4405-0340 Retail $489.95 CDN
2016HogtunesMA4BT_Mojo.indd 1
Supplied clamps fit 7/8", 1.0" or 1.25" handlebars
Includes 2 custom speaker “pods” with dual 2" speakers and 50 watt amplifier with built-in Bluetooth® Wireless Technology Receiver/ Controller perfect for use on Motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs, Golf Carts, etc.
10/27/16 9:22 AM
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 17
press launch
2018 BMW HP4 Race
Setting a New
Benchmark Why would a company produce a WSBK spec bike that can’t be ridden on the street or raced in a production series? Because it can Story by Costa Mouzouris
18 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
I
An Exclusive Membership Well, if you think BMW was serious about performance with the S1000RR, wait until you see the 2018 HP4 Race. Despite resembling the S1000RR, the limited-production HP4 Race (750 units) is an entirely new machine that has more in common with the Althea S1000RR race bike competing in the FIM World Superbike Championship than it does with the street bike. In fact, about the only parts it does share with the S1000RR are the engine castings. september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 19
Photos by: BMW Motorrad
t’s not that long ago that BMW was content with making conservatively designed boxer twins, which had a huge following among greying, suspender-clad gentlemen. Mid twin-digit horsepower outputs were the norm, and the bikes had modest handling, mediocre brakes and clunky gearboxes. Of course, those horizontally opposed twins have evolved, and have branched out to fill separate niches; you can get a full tourer, a sport bike, a naked bike or an adventure bike, and any of them produces more than twice the output of the old airhead boxers. While those bikes all perform quite well, if you want real racetrack performance from a German-made motorcycle, you have to look toward the S1000RR. When it was introduced in 2010, it brought a whole new level of performance into the open supersport class, its inline-four raising power to a then unheard of 193 hp (about a dozen more horses than its competition). It also came with adjustable traction control and ABS, at a price point that matched its Japanese competitors, which at the time lacked these advanced electronics.
press launch
2018 BMW HP4 Race Both the FGR300 upside-down fork and the TTX36 GP spring strut are supplied by Öhlins, with identical parts being used both in the Superbike World Championship and in MotoGP. Lightweight 4-into-2-into-1 exhaust system made of titanium.
It also comes with a new price, and you’d better be sitting down for this one. For the price of one HP4 Race, you can get five S1000RRs, and you’d get a few grand back in change. The better-than-WSBK-spec HP4 Race lists for $95,000. If you find that outrageously expensive, well then this bike is really not for you. It’s a bike that can line up on a WSBK grid and, in capable hands, race competitively. The irony is that despite being hand built at BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s factory race shop in Berlin, using many of the same components found on the FIM superbike, the HP4 Race cannot be raced. Homologation for most racing series dictates that competing machines must be based on commercially available street bikes. And the HP4 Race is no street bike. BMW held a launch for this bike in Estoril, Portugal, where we got ample track time on this exclusive machine. That BMW produced a superbike that can’t be raced or ridden on the street makes you wonder why it was built. According to BMW, it was built to introduce carbon fibre technology to motorcycling, a feat the company has already tackled on the automotive side with its i3 electric and i8 hybrid cars. It utilizes a lightweight carbon fibre frame and sub-frame, wheels and bodywork. These lightweight components combine to drop the weight to 171 kg full of gas, which is 37 kg less than the street bike, and 8 kg less than the FIM superbike. It’s even seven kilos lighter than the aselusive and almost as-expensive (approx. $85,000) Ducati 1299 Superleggera.
Carbon fibre wheels on the new HP4 Race are about 30 per cent lighter than conventional light alloy-forged wheels, which develop 40 per cent less gyroscopic force. This translates into drastically improved handling, faster changes of direction, and improved acceleration and braking due to the reduced rotating masses.
More than Technology to Consider At 7.8 kg, the frame weighs 4 kg less than the street bike’s aluminum frame. Handling the bare frame feels more like handling a toy than a key component of the more than 200 hp superbike. It could have been made even lighter, according to Elmar Jaeger, the frame’s designer, but BMW had to account for longevity, setting and even corrosion resistance, things that are not really issues on race bikes used in competition, where parts have a brief lifespan and are replaced regularly. To handle the “setting” issue, where material at mounting points compresses
20 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
with time due to assembly, aluminum inserts are used at all of the frame’s mounting points. Since carbon fibre contains carbon, it reacts with the aluminum to cause corrosion, as when aluminum mates directly to steel. The inserts are moulded into the frame instead of being pressed in so that no oxygen gets between the two materials, thus preventing corrosion. Frame wall thickness is also optimized to benefit longevity. Powering the HP4 Race is a 999 cc inline-four that produces 215 hp (16 hp more than the S1000RR, 5 hp less than the WSBK race bike), but it’s no regular
Carbon fibre frame tips the scale at only 7.8 kg; the bike’s total wet weight is only 171 kg, 8 kg less than the FIM superbike.
BMW’s most elaborate electronics suite to date includes four ride modes; leansensing dynamic traction control; adjustable wheelie control for gears 1, 2 and 3 only; adjustable engine braking; launch control that works in first and second gears; and a pit lane speed limiter.
If you need to ask the price, you can’t afford it.
Engine replacement is recommended at 5,000 km for a cool €15,000.
Rake angle, trail, triple-clamp offset, swingarm pivot height, ride height, seat height and foot peg height are all adjustable.
Engine delivers 215 hp at 13,900 rpm and 88.5 ft-lb of torque at 10,000 rpm.
Hand-built engine is guaranteed to have a minimum of 215 hp at the crank – only 5 hp less than the WSBK race bike.
production engine. Also hand built at BMW’s race shop, the engine uses parts derived from the firm’s race engines (see sidebar). The engine contains a closeratio gearbox, with only third gear being the same ratio as on the street bike. Adjustments Abound Comparing chassis geometry with the S1000RR is pointless, since the rake angle (23.5-25.5 degrees), trail (95-112 mm), triple-clamp offset (26-32 mm) and swingarm pivot height (+/- 4 mm) are all adjustable, and all the necessary inserts are included with the bike. The heights of the ride, seat and foot peg september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 21
press launch
are also adjustable; plus, you get three different countershaft sprockets and five rear sprockets to alter the final drive ratio for different tracks. Öhlins provides the suspension components, and they’re the real WSBK deal. The fork is the FGR300 World Cup, which is designed so the brake calipers need not be removed to remove the wheel; the shock is the TTX36 GP – both items are fully adjustable and identical to the parts found on the Althea race bike. Brakes are race-spec GP4-PR Brembos up front, with a four-piston caliper at the rear (single piston on the street bike), and there’s no ABS. Further separating the HP4 Race from the S1000RR are the electronics, which are much more elaborate. It has four ride modes (Wet, Intermediate, Dry 1, Dry 2), lean-sensing dynamic traction control with 15 levels of intervention; adjustable wheelie control that intervenes only in the bottom three gears; adjustable 15-level engine braking; launch control that works in first and second gears; and a pit lane speed limiter. Also part of the electronics package is a quick shifter that works up and down, and a 2D data logger with an instrument panel that can
2018 BMW HP4 Race
be configured to display a multitude of information, including traction control, engine-braking and ride-mode settings, GPS-enabled lap times, as well as more elaborate data like throttle opening, front and rear wheel speed, lean angle and, if the optional sensors are installed, brake pressure and suspension travel. Adjustments to the electronics can be made on the fly through the specialized, race-only switchgear, which is simplified compared with a street bike (just three large buttons on either side), and very easy to use. Riding It Even before sitting on the HP4 Race, the fit and finish of the carbon parts, the precisely machined engine covers and levers, and the abbreviated tailpiece hint at the performance within. With the engine fired, the exhaust isn’t unusually loud, and is much quieter than many of the superbikes racing in the Canadian national series. We’re allotted four 20-minute sessions on the HP4, and there are also several 2017 S1000RRs on hand that we can ride any time we’re not on the hero bike. The only changes made to
22 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
the stock bikes are the reversed gearshift pattern, to match the HP4’s GP shift pattern, and the Pirelli Diablo Superbike Slicks in the SC2 compound, also matching the HP4’s rubber. To get acquainted with the unfamiliar track, I ride the two first sessions on an S1000RR. After the two sessions on the street bike, I hop onto the HP4 and immediately notice its much more extreme riding position. The seat and especially the foot pegs are higher, despite both being adjusted to their middle positions. Once rolling, the next thing I notice is just how much lighter, stiffer and more precise the HP4 feels. It takes less than half a lap to feel completely comfortable on it, steering with much more precision than the street bike, which itself is a stellar-handling motorcycle. It takes less physical effort to ride the HP4, especially through the tighter turning transitions, and at a faster seat-of-the-pants pace (lap times were not being recorded). The electronics are much more evolved and are not comparable to anything available on a street bike, at least not yet. The wheelie control is almost completely invisible, allowing the bike to rocket forward with brutal speed without lifting a wheel, until you hit fourth gear, where it can lift at very high speeds if you’re not careful. The stock bike often lifted a wheel coming out of slower turns, making it feel faster (most likely not), but also requiring more effort to ride. Advanced Engine Management We were told that the first session on the HP4 would be ridden in Intermediate mode to let us get accustomed to the bike, though even in the first session I find the bike to be blisteringly fast, making me wonder what it would be like when we eventually switch to Dry 1 mode (we’re told to avoid Dry 2, since no wheelie control was available). It’s only after I come into the pits that I realize the bike had already been switched to Dry 1 mode
Getting into Fourth Of course, once on the front straight and in fourth gear, acceleration is brutal enough to flatten eyeballs. Exiting Estoril’s final corner at more than 160 km/h in fourth and rolling on the throttle full produces acceleration with such force that I strain to pull myself forward and tuck in behind
the windscreen. Braking for the 90-ish-degree right-hand first turn at the end of the 300-plus km/h front straight is hard enough to make blood rush into my face, and the Brembos do this consistently with very little fade. The S1000RR, on the other hand, had displayed enough fade that the lever needed to be readjusted farther out, about mid-session. The BMW HP4 Race is not a superbike repli-racer, but rather a true superbike-spec motorcycle. Of course it’s expensive, and there are other costs that come with ownership: BMW recommends replacing the engine at 5,000 km intervals, at a cost of about €15,000 (approx. C$21,800), which is claimed to be cheaper than rebuilding the existing engine. But that’s the price you have to pay for WSBK performance. I think well-to-do collectors, and possibly wealthy track day enthusiasts, will snap up the 10 or so that will come to Canada (the Ducati Superleggera is reportedly already sold out). If you can afford to add one to your collection, the HP4 Race is worth every penny. But you should ride it, and ride it hard, or you’ll have no idea what you’ve got. For additional photos of the 2018 BMW HP4 Race visit: motorcyclemojo.com
2018 BMW HP4 Race
›
by a previous rider, proving to me just how easy it is to get accustomed to and ride the HP4. Throttle control at corner exit is as near to perfect as possible. Despite the bike’s substantial output, you can come off corners in the lower three gears with the throttle opened wide. This is because the ride modes provide different power curves in first, second and third gears, unlike a street bike, which has the same power curve in all gears. This makes the throttle remarkably easy to manage, especially noticeable when exiting the chicane in first and opening the throttle full while still cranked way over. The traction control, too, works flawlessly, with only a slight popping coming out the exhaust, indicating that it’s managing grip at full lean. I initially begin at level +6 (-7 to +7, least to most intervention) and work my way down to +3 in the final session, though I would have gone even lower given more time.
LIST PRICE $95,000 WARRANTY Warranty not available CONTACT bmw-motorrad.ca ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled, inline four-cylinder DISPLACEMENT 999 cc POWER 215 hp (158 kW) at 13,900 rpm TORQUE 88.5 ft-lb (120 Nm) at 10,000 rpm BORE AND STROKE 80 x 49.7 mm COMPRESSION RATIO 13.8:1 FUEL DELIVERY Racing electronic fuel injection TRANSMISSION 6-speed FINAL DRIVE TYPE Chain FRONT SUSPENSION Öhlins FGR300 WSBK fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Öhlins TTX36 GP, fully adjustable WHEEL TRAVEL Front: 130 mm (5.1 in.) Rear: 120 mm (4.7 in.) BRAKES Front: Brembo Racing dual 320 mm discs, 4-piston WSBK GP4-PR fixed calipers Rear: Brembo Racing 220 mm disc, 4-piston WSBK fixed caliper WHEELBASE 1,440 mm (56.7 in.) RAKE AND TRAIL 24.5 degrees (adjustable)/ 102.5 mm (adjustable) TIRES Front: 120/70 ZR 17 Rear: 200/60 ZR 17 WEIGHT (WET) 171.4 kg (377.8 lb) SEAT HEIGHT 831 mm (32.7 in.) FUEL CAPACITY 17.5 L FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED) N/A FUEL RANGE (ESTIMATED) N/A
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 23
press launch
2018 BMW HP4 Race
BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the HP4 Race
Last winter I enjoyed a rare opportunity to ride five BMW race bikes as part of a special track test held in Jerez, Spain. They included the Graphicbikes Easyrace Team superstock bike from the CEV European Superbike Championship; the Penz13.com Team superbike from the FIM Endurance World Championship; the Tyco/TAS Racing Team superstock bike from the 2016 Isle of Man TT; and two bikes from the Althea BMW Race Team – one competing in the FIM Superstock 1000 Championship and the other competing in the FIM World Superbike Championship. BMW doesn’t build race bikes, but rather supports race teams throughout the world with its Motorrad Motorsport customer racing strategy. The program provides race parts and technical support to riders and teams, from amateurs on a regional level all the way up to top pros in international competition. Of course, as the level of racing increases, so do costs and the level of available support. According to BMW Motorrad Motorsport technical director Berthold Hauser, 30 per cent of all S1000RRs sold worldwide are dedicated to racetrack use. BMW currently provides support to more than 200 race teams around the world, and that support can vary, from the availability of a set of camshafts to re-flashing the bike’s ECU via a live internet connection. BMW also sells race engines that are put together by hand in a special section of its factory in Berlin. Three race engines are available, identified by their numeric product codes: A 5.2 product code, for example, represents the base race engine, similar to one in a production bike but blueprinted with hand-selected parts. This is the engine you’d find in a superstock bike racing in lower-level competition where rules limit engine modifications. A 6.2 engine is that same engine but with a modified cylinder head and valve train for increased output. This is the engine homologated for FIM Superstock competition, as well as other international race series where these modifications are permitted. And, finally, a 7.2 engine is a full race-spec engine like the one in the Althea WSBK superbike. Prices range from €10,000 (C$14,500) for the 5.2 engine to €23,000 (C$33,500) for the 7.2 superbike engine, and that doesn’t include extras like alternate gearbox ratios and such. Every race engine produced gets a break-in run, followed by three dyno runs to verify its performance. Output at the sprocket is between 201 and 221 hp, depending on the application, and if an engine isn’t up to spec, it gets torn down and rebuilt. The engine in the HP4 Race is hand built in the same shop as the race engines. It’s put together with the valve train from the 6.2 engine, and the lighter crankshaft and connecting rods from the 7.2 engine. It also gets run in on a dyno, and is certified to produce at least 215 hp. Of course, you can modify the production engine in your S1000RR using race parts available through BMW Motorrad Motorsport. These include cams, pistons, gearboxes, clutches, crankshafts and numerous other components, such as electronics. What you can’t buy from BMW is a complete race bike. But you can buy the HP4 Race, and after having ridden it, I can say it’s an even more potent superbike than the real racers.
24 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
Photo: BMW Motorrad Motorsport
By Costa Mouzouris
La ll! Ca st
Photo Contest Submit your favourite riding photo. Your image could appear in our 2018 calendar!
SUNDAY
MARCH
MONDAY
5
19
• Email your digital photo to info@motorcyclemojo.com • Quality counts, photos must be crisp, clean and a minimum of 3300 x 2600 pixels (8.5 megapixel) • If your photo is chosen for the cover shot you will receive $100 in addition to a Mojo prize pack. • Deadline for submission is September 30, 2017
WEDNESDAY
1
6
12
• Send us 1 or 2 of your favourite motorcycle related photos with a brief description. If your shot is selected for our 2018 calendar you will receive a Mojo prize pack, and of course a photo credit. Photos can be people, places, events but it’s important to have a motorcycle in the shot.
TUESDAY
26
7
13
20
28
THURSDAY
22
3
9
15
29
FRIDAY
2
8
14
21
27
2017
23
4
10
16
17
March: A Most Scenic Taking a Ride break at a popular highwa rest stop at Bow Lake on the Icefieldy Parkway between s Lake Louise Jasper, Alta. and The bike is a 2015 BMW K1600GTL Exclusive. Submitted by Tim Peet
SATURDAY
11
18
ST. PATRICK’
S DAY
24
25 S
30
NOTES
31
FEBRUARY
M
5 12 19 26
T
6 13 20 27
S
M
2 9 16 23 30
3 10 17 24
7 14 21 28 T 4 11 18 25
W 1 8 15 22
2017 T 2 9 16 23
F 3 10 17 24
S 4 11 18 25
APRIL 2017 W
T
F
5 12 19 26
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
S 1 8 15 22 29
Get Ready for your 15 minutes
1 month
of FAME
Great Books...Amazing Adventures University of Gravel Roads by Rene Cormier
At the end of a great day of riding and exploring, have you ever wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, exhausted from new experiences, only to wake up the next day and do it all again? And again? And again? Join the adventure as Rene Cormier cashes in what few possessions he has to finance a three-year-long motorcycle journey around the world. Rene runs out of money half way through the tour and ultimately takes five years to cover his 41-country, 154,000-kilometre (95,000 mile) route. Rene pulls off the ride of a lifetime, doing it the old-fashioned way; no sponsors, no support vehicles, and no idea about what he is going to learn along the way.
Visit our on-line bookstore today!
Other great Canadian Books available on our website.
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 25
travel
montana
Everyone should ride Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Road at least once. And then ride the surrounding roads forever more
Going-From-the Story and Photos by Jamie Elvidge
26 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
e -Sun Road
fa s t fa c t s YOU’RE SO P OP U L A R Glacier Nat ional Park is among th most Instag e rammed p la ces in the U and one of .S. the most p inned loca tions on Pintere st in the w orld. BRIDGING BORDERS Waterton L akes Natio nal Park in together w Canada ith Glacier National P the United ark in States was established as an Internatio nal Peace Park in 1932 . LOOKING FOR WATER ? Glacier Nat ional Park has 131 nam lakes, and ed 631 unnam ed lakes an d streams th at total 4,6 10 km. LOTS OF ICE The park b oasts 26 gl aciers; the largest one is Har rison Glaci er, at over 1.6 million sq uare metre s. PL A N A H E AD The alpine portions o f Going-to-t he-Sun Road don’t open until late June or early Ju ly, and typ ically stay open into Octob er. It’s weather -dependen t, so it’s best to check befo re making a special tr LEARN FROM ip. THE EXPER IENCED It takes at le ast two ho urs to ride 80 km len the gth of Goin g-to-the-Su but many n Road, hours can be enjoyed on the surroundin g mountain roads if yo know whic u h ones to ta ke. Read o n.
I
t’s one of those famous roads people like to name-drop: “Going-to-the-Sun Road.” It’s right up there with “Beartooth Pass” and “Million Dollar Highway.” And with good reason. Montana’s Going-to-the-Sun Road has been titillating road travellers since 1932, bravely winding its way west, up the steep, narrow waist of the Rocky Mountains known as the Crown of the Continent, tipping over Logan Pass at the Continental Divide, then tumbling swiftly down the east side in undulating drops that eventually level into short-grass prairie. It’s a world-class road, right up there with the famous passes in the European Alps, and if it weren’t for Going-to-the-Sun’s smothering crowds and snail-slow National Park speed limit
travel
montana
Even during peak season, Northern Montana offers solitude in its folds and faraway spaces. Here, an empty bench at Two Medicine Lake. (above)
of 25 mph, it would be just as fun to ride, too. Still, everyone should experience the scenic extravaganza at least once, taking time to marvel at the accomplishment. Imagine the sweat and peril involved in constructing such an ambitious road using equipment available in the 1920s. It took more than 10 years. Heck, it still takes 10 weeks to plow the top of the road each spring, and that’s using
modern equipment that can move 4,000 tons of snow per hour. In fact, it was this last season’s delayed opening and record near30 metres of snow on Logan Pass that stopped me in my tracks. I’d entered Montana’s Glacier National Park from the Columbia Falls side at first light, anticipating an empty road up Going-to-the-Sun Mountain, but alas,
28 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
the valley was already swarming with amateur photogs bending out of car windows and anglers practically elbow to elbow on the edges of Lake McDonald. Somehow I’d miss the memo regarding the prolonged closure, a circumstance that left the throngs of tourists sequestered in the valley. And so I retreated back into town, depressed that the much-anticipated zenith of my Montana travel was suddenly quashed. It was too early to drop into Packers Roost, Columbia Falls’ popular biker pub, to commiserate with the brethren, so I slumped down in a booth at the Huckleberry Patch Cannery and fed my disappointment a huge slice of homemade huckleberry pie, a local specialty. Mad About Maps And I thought, Man, I miss maps. You know, paper ones, with notes and highlights and green dotted lines that show you where the good stuff is. Sure, there are great things about travelling with a GPS, but that pulled-back big-picture look with all its possibilities is never as compelling on a tiny screen. After about
MANY GLACIER ENTRANCE
30 minutes of scrolling around on my handheld electronic map, I decided to circumnavigate the National Park in order to re-enter from the east side, via U.S. Highways 2, 49 and 89. Now U.S. 2 I’ve ridden before, all the way from Washington state to Michigan, and it’s a fantastic alternative to American interstate travel (though it doesn’t hold a candle to the TransCanada Highway in British Columbia for scenery and small-town flavour). From the west gate of Glacier Park, Hwy 2 keeps step with the fast-moving Middle Fork of the Flathead River, and thanks to the generous speed limits outside the park, I could follow just as rapidly. This is great riding, with smooth, long sweepers and little traffic. Just a few corners in, I was over my disappointment and beginning to realize Mother Nature had thrown me a bone. On this stretch of U.S. 2, you’ll cross Marias Pass, which offers superb views of the east side of Glacier Park. It’s the lowest pass over the Continental
RTE 3
MANY GLACIER CAMPGROUND
89
GOING-TOTHE-SUN ROAD
n o M
a n ta
Saint Mary
Logan Pass
Glacier National Park 2
Kiowa
TWO MEDICINE CAMPGROUND
49
EAST GLACIER PARK VILLAGE
2 2
Columbia Falls
Marias Pass
Essex 2
Divide, at 1,589 metres, and has been the route of the Great Northern Railway and its successor, BNSF, since 1889. Railway buffs still gather at Marias Pass
Two Blackfoot warriors made from rusted car parts and barbed wire stand watch over the entrance to the Blackfoot Reservation. (below)
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 29
travel
montana
There’s no shortage of wildlife in and around Glacier National Park: Some, like moose and grizzly bears are better enjoyed from a distance, while the area’s profusion of free-range horses seem ever-eager for attention.
to watch the heavy freight trains crest the oft-snowy summit. By the time I reached Essex, I was thoroughly invigorated and not missing anything about the snail’s pace of the park. I’d first ridden Going-to-the-Sun Road and Montana’s Rockies in 1990 on a Kawasaki ZX11 test bike back when it was the fastest production bike ever built. At the time, the state’s highway system was known as “America’s Autobahn,” legendary for having no posted daytime speed limits. The ZX11 was of course a terrible influence, and it didn’t take long to learn that the “reasonable and prudent” speeds permissible did not include triple digits. Today’s speed limits are still some of the highest in the country, though the scenery in northwestern Montana begs for moderate speeds. By the time I turned north on Hwy 49, I was happy to snick my BMW K1600GT into a restful gear and revel in the unspoiled landscape. A Land Without Borders This is the territory of the Blackfoot Nation, a people who believed these bare, jutting mountains were the
backbone of the world. The Blackfoot people are from several tribes that still live across great swatches of Saskatchewan and Alberta, as well as the Great Plains of Montana, and are recognized as a single cross-border Confederacy. It’s rather beautiful, then, that Glacier National Park on the U.S. side and Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada have also dismissed the national border to become a single entity, Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, all in a cooperative effort to protect a contiguous wilderness that remains much as the Blackfoot tribes would have known it hundreds of years ago. If you’re travelling east on Hwy 2, your GPS might recommend you travel to Saint Mary and the eastern terminus of Going-to-the-Sun Road via Browning, where U.S. 2 converges with U.S. 89. Don’t do it. Head north instead on 49 in East Glacier Park Village and get ready for some gorgeous views. Highway 49, which is closed in winter, climbs and twists through aspen groves and beautiful meadows, offering some of the best views of the glaciers in the distance. When you arrive at Two Medicine Lake, take the park road to
30 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
the Two Medicine Campground (within the park) for a 28 km out-and-back that’s bursting with big views. The breathtaking Hwy 49 ends at U.S. 89, also known as the National Parks Highway, since it strings together six of North America’s most beautiful National Parks along its 3,200 km northsouth course. This particular section of U.S. 89 between Kiowa and Saint Mary is exceptionally beautiful, with awe-inspiring views of the sentinel-like Rockies, the exact scene that must have blown the minds of the early pioneers approaching the Great Divide from the east 200 years ago. Today I’m very happy to have 160 horses to rush me up and into the Rockies. The K1600GT’s surreally smooth six purred sweetly as I untangled Hwy 89, growing ever closer to the backside of Going-to-the-Sun Mountain and its namesake road, which slumbered out of reach, deep beneath heavy snow. Out of the Know You’ll see glacial pocket lakes and bands of loose horses here, and, best of all, a mostly empty road, even on days when the park right next door is at capacity. It’s a great time to pull over and breathe in the quiet. Don’t even bother checking the cellphone – you won’t have service. The only sound is the mountain air rustling the prairie
grasses and clearing your thoughts. It’s a perfect spot to relish being Out of the Know. No politics, no protests, no pressures out here. Well, except the pressure in your tires, of course. After some exploration into the Many Glacier area to the north, I finally turned west in Saint Mary on Goingto-the-Sun Road. This less-travelled section of the famous highway sweeps gracefully around the shores of Saint Mary Lake as it slowly rises toward Logan Pass. As the peaks draw nearer, the colour that from a distance looks grey shifts to distinct tints of burgundy,
light green, red and tan. The true glacier that carved and coloured this park melted 12,000 years ago. The glaciers that exist here today are new, and tiny by comparison. Twenty-four kilometres in, I’m stopped once again, this time just 13 km short of Logan Pass and the most famous stretch of Going-to-the-Sun Road. But I’m not sad. Perhaps on a perfect day, Going-to-the-Sun would be open and I’d close the loop with a sloth’s-pace ride through the park, but today I’m just grateful. I’ve had an utterly fantastic afternoon of riding.
I’ve enjoyed countless empty corners and heart-goosing views. I’ve seen mountain goats, a grizzly bear, a moose, a wolverine and very few people. And by the time I turn in tonight, I’ll have bookended my day with a second slice of delicious homemade huckleberry pie. This time with ice cream. Because just outside Glacier National Park, you can always have your pie, and eat it a second time, too. For additional photos of Montana visit: motorcyclemojo.com
In Columbia Falls you can purchase elk horns, buffalo hides and whole huckleberry pies. (left) During the weekends, Packer’s Roost is a great place to meet local riders and hear about their favorite rides and rest stops. (below)
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 motorcycle mojo 31
press launch
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod
Milwaukee’s Monster Can Harley’s newest midsize offering impress on some of Europe’s finest motorcycle roads? Story by Alan Cathcart
T
he invitation could hardly have been more specific, and enticing. “You are invited to Marbella, Spain, to view, ride and understand the new Harley-Davidson Street Rod. You will be able to ride the new model in urban and country locations for a full day, including along two of the routes widely recognized as being among the most enjoyable and demanding biking roads in Europe. You will ride along the twisting A366 tarmac roller coaster via El Burgo to the historic city of Ronda, spectacularly located in the mountains above Marbella. You will then descend back to Marbella along the legendary A397 – a sinuous length of challenging road steeped in automotive and motorcycling history.” Yes, please! Hang on, though – you’re inviting me to ride a Harley along those fabulous racer roads where I’ve had the thrill of exploiting the performance and especially the handling of successive Ducati, Triumph, KTM, BMW and Yamaha models down the years – and have left witness marks to say “I Was Here!” by grinding their footrests in the asphalt to prove it. So, what can this new Street Rod be then? A Harley that handles?
Europe Every Time Harley-Davidson Europe was indeed confident enough in the company’s new Street Rod model to invite me to tackle the Ronda roads on it. That contrasted with Harley’s head office, which held its U.S. press launch in Florida, where anything other than a right-angle turn is alien territory, and elevation an abstract concept. Okay, so it was Bike Week in Daytona – but even so, gentlemen, you should have had more faith in what your R&D guys have come up with. Their job may have been to produce an urban streetfighter aimed at bringing younger riders into the Harley fold, but the result is a great deal more than that, which deserves to be ridden hard and not simply treated as a simple traffic tool, effective as it may be at this. A 220 km high-speed day’s ride along some of the most demanding two-wheeled territory in Europe indeed underlined the broad capabilities of Harley’s new Street Rod package, in delivering H-D dealers with a genuine rival to the Triumph Street Twin, Yamaha FZ-07, and especially the Ducati Monster 797 and its Scrambler cousins – albeit one with a truly American personality at a super-competitive price. “We’re reaching out to customers in a space where we didn’t really have a product before now, who are already perhaps 32 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
Photos by Stefano Gadda and Lionel Beylot
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 33
press launch
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod Seat height is just 765 mm.
Colour options: Vivid Black, Charcoal Denim or Olive Gold.
Claimed fuel economy of 4.3 L/100 km.
Fully fuelled, the Street Rod weighs in at a not-so-sporty 234 kg. New 43 mm inverted front fork and piggyback reservoir rear shocks.
High Output Revolution X 60-degree V-twin redlines at 9,000 rpm and has a compression ratio of 12:1.
well-disposed toward Harley-Davidson, but haven’t yet found the bike in our lineup to meet their needs,” Jeff Strunk, H-D’s motorcycle product planning manager, says. “They’re primarily a younger crowd, living in a more urban environment, looking for a bike to get around on in a more exciting way.” Harley’s desire to make the Street Rod a world bike sold at an affordable price inevitably led it to base this Milwaukee Monster on its Street 750 introduced three years ago. Together with its Street 500 sister, the 750 has become a global success in spite of initial fit and finish issues that have since been resolved. 34 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
Tuned So, the Street’s liquid-cooled, wet sump 749 cc 60-degree V-twin Revolution X engine with a single chain-driven overhead cam operating the four valves per cylinder via mechanical lifters and forked rocker arms has now been comprehensively retuned to produce 68 hp at 8,750 rpm, and 47.9 ft-lb of torque at 4,000 rpm. This represents 18 per cent more peak horsepower and an eight per cent improvement in torque across the rev range versus the Street. That improved performance has been achieved via higher-lift cams and new pistons that raise compression a full point to 12:1, while a larger volume
Rake now 27 degrees and significantly steeper than the Street’s 32 degrees, delivering quicker steering.
Cathcart found that the tight placement of the right side foot peg and exhaust made it awkward to effectively use the rear brake lever. Limited lean angle resulted in grinding the foot peg feeler and the exhaust shroud. (below)
Specially developed Michelin Scorcher 21 radial tires – incorporating the Harley-Davidson name on the sidewalls.
tubular steel double-cradle frame with a rectangular-section backbone, and the swingarm pivots and shorter rear subsection are all stamped from mild steel. While superficially similar to the Street chassis, it has quite different geometry, with a significantly steeper 27-degree rake versus the Street’s 32 degrees for the non-adjustable black-anodized 43 mm upside-down fork. Dual floating front brake rotors with Brembo two-piston calipers. ABS is optional.
airbox feeds a 42 mm diameter twin port Mikuni throttle body (against a 38 mm item on the Street) via connected, but separate, intake manifolds and revised intake ports to the combustion chamber, which duly exhales via unchanged header pipes into a shorter but highervolume silencer. There’s a single injector per cylinder positioned under each butterfly in the twin port throttle body, and the rev limiter has been raised 1,000 rpm to 9,000 revs. Six-speed transmission ratios remain unchanged, as do the cable-operated oil-bath clutch and belt final drive. This so-called High Output Revolution X engine is installed in a
Personalized Trail on the Street Rod has also been reduced substantially compared with the Street, from 107 mm to 99 mm for a tighter-handling package, while the wheelbase is also slightly reduced, from a rangy 1,530 mm on the Street to a not much sportier 1,510 mm on the Rod. That’s in spite of a longer swingarm giving extra traction and a more forward weight bias. A pair of gas-charged, preload-adjustable coil-over shocks carry an external piggyback reservoir to increase fluid capacity and thus improve ride quality in offering 117 mm of travel. Dry weight is a hefty 229 kg as shipped, or 234 kg on the road with the 13.2-litre fuel tank brimmed. Specially developed Michelin Scorcher 21 radial tires – incorporating the Harley-Davidson name on the sidewalls – were designed specifically for the Street Rod. The 120/70 R17V front is matched to a 160/60 R17V rear, which
replaces the 15-inch rear on the Street. This helps increase cornering clearance from a cruiseresque 28.5 degrees either side on the Street to 37.3 degrees on the Street Rod’s right side, and 40.2 degrees on the left. The 3.5-inch front split-spoke cast-aluminum wheel now carries twin 300 mm brake discs, gripped by two-piston calipers sourced from Brembo. The rear wheel also has a 300 mm disc and two-piston caliper; ABS is optional for an additional $860. The only instrument is a single round clock with an analog speedo, and a discreet digital insert that can be scrolled through via a rubber button next to it to display an odometer, twin trips, time and a combined gear-selected monitor and tach – minimalistic but adequate. Harley-Davidson’s Smart Security System is also an option. That’s Awkward Hopping aboard the Street Rod revealed quite an aggressive riding position that seems curious at first, and while you do eventually get used to its position, it’s not really ideal, especially for taller riders. The flat, wide handlebar has you leaning slightly forward Monster-style, hunched over the tank that’s a carryover from the Street 750, but has been raised and moved forward by 13 mm; plus, the footrests have been moved 75 mm farther back and also raised. It’s okay for a rider of my five-foot-nine
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 35
press launch
height, but would be marginally bearable for anyone taller. My left foot was okay, but I had issues with my right foot. Basically, to give the Street Rod remotely sufficient ground clearance, they’ve had to raise the bulky silencer up and park the footrest right on top of it, with a strange-looking heel guard affixed to the top of the silencer shroud. This made it hard for me to put my foot on the right peg while also covering the rear brake pedal. And the stylized intake duct between the cylinders, which looks as though its previous gig was on a Pomona Raceway drag-racing funny car, didn’t make friends even slightly with my knee. Because of this, I ended up using only the front brakes, which was no hardship, since these are excellent in every way and stopped the Rod brilliantly every time, whether in panic situations or modulating the lever to keep up momentum through sweeping turns on the Ronda roads. Doing this is not a single-finger job, though – there’s a kind of servo effect on the lever, which
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod
means you must grab it decisively with a full hand to achieve proper stopping power during the second half of the pull. Do that and the brakes work well, and can be modulated controllably. The bar-end mirrors are effective and unobtrusive; plus, you can mount them above or below the grips, as you wish. They feature a patent-pending design that allows them to fold back without interfering with the rider’s hands, and they can then be restored easily to the default position. Happy Place But equally as impressive as the brakes on the Street Rod is the High Output Revolution X engine, which, in spite of a slightly muted exhaust note, is stirring and responsive in use, with a completely linear and very smooth power delivery; there’s no undue vibration at any revs, even when approaching the soft-action 9,000 rpm rev limiter. Though far from being a traditional Harley slugger of an engine – indeed, it’s the most eager-revving powerplant
36 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
in Harley’s entire range – it’ll pull wide open in sixth gear from just 2,000 rpm all the way to the limiter with zero transmission snatch. While you do feel an extra surge of mid-range power above 4,000 rpm, this in turn encourages you to use the clean-shifting gearbox to keep the engine pulling in the happy zone from there to 7,000 revs. I couldn’t help notice, however, the snatchy, unduly fierce pickup from a closed throttle in the bottom three gears. So, after trail-braking into the apex of a tight second-gear turn, when you get back on the gas again, the initial response from the Street Rod’s EFI is so abrupt that you risk missing the apex as you’re propelled into places you didn’t want to go. Pity. Likewise, it’s sometimes hard to avoid a jerky throttle response when inching along in traffic-choked streets. Since the Street doesn’t suffer from this, it must presumably be a mapping issue, so hopefully Harley can get this fixed soon. Apart from this, it’s a great piece of engine development and will surely be a platform that Harley will build on. Compromised riding position notwithstanding, the Street Rod was a brilliant companion on which to attack the Ronda roads. That smooth, fluid power delivery once on the move and the flat torque curve means it’s a motorcycle you can ride intuitively, and the tighter steering geometry makes it an easy bike to hustle through a succession of tighter turns, flicking it from side to side with ease. Yup – it’s a Harley that handles! Communication I was pretty impressed by the amount of feedback I got from the non-adjustable fork and the all-new Michelin tires. I’ll admit to blind mistrust in this combo to start with as I steadily upped the pace, with gradually diminishing suspicion as I took a little more lean angle and just a bit more turn speed. By the end of the morning, I was really happy with the extent I could feel what the front tire was doing. The same can be said for the rear, where the ride quality of the twin coil-over shocks with
spring preload set halfway through the five-position settings was pretty good for what is frankly budget suspension, without even any variable-rate springing. However, you must absolutely take notice when you start grinding out the not particularly long hero tabs on the flip-up footrests, especially on the right side, where if you ignore that early warning, the next thing to deck out is the very sturdy exhaust shroud – and that will indeed lift the back wheel off the ground. However competent and comfortable the Street Rod proved to be in the wide open spaces of the Spanish mountainsides – and that relatively broad and well-padded seat was very accommodating over my 220 km day spent sitting on it – its predominant design brief is as an urban-focused hot rod, a role it proved ideally suited to in stop-and-go Ronda traffic, or at either end of the day in Marbella’s ever more traffic-choked rush hour. The clutch lever action is light enough that your left hand doesn’t freeze up with repeated use, and traffic manners are good once you learn to kind of preload the throttle in traffic to eradicate that jerky pickup. The eager-revving motor allows you to launch away from stoplights with ease. Really, the only downside of riding the Street Rod in town is heat. Riding in jeans meant I
What’s Next? All in all, the great-looking styling and general sense of coolness, coupled with that iconic name on the fuel tank, and the invigorating performance from that excellent engine, which is the main star of the Street Rod, will surely together combine to make this new model a hit, especially at the killer price of $10,399. In doing so, the Street Rod and the successor models we can surely expect on this same platform – flat tracker, café racer, you name it – will be a pivotal component in Harley-Davidson CEO Matt Levatich’s professed aim to add two million new Harley owners in the next decade, fuelled by no fewer than 50 new models to be brought to market in the next five years. That ambition – which almost certainly only HarleyDavidson of all the world’s manufacturers, Japanese included, is in a position to achieve – can only be met by radically expanding the spread of customers for the company’s products, and that means making motorcycles like this Milwaukee Monster that are quite unlike anything with the barand-shield badge on them before. For additional photos of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod visit: motorcyclemojo.com
›
repeatedly had my left inside leg roasted by the rear cylinder’s rocker cover, and the fat silencer meant that I had to hook my right leg around it to reach the ground at rest, taking care in doing so, so as not to scorch my jeans on it. Not ideal – and quite possibly the shorter riders, whom the Street Rod in many other ways seems designed for, will have a problem here.
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod LIST PRICE $10,399 WARRANTY 2 years, unlimited mileage CONTACT harley-davidson.ca ENGINE TYPE Liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin DISPLACEMENT 749 cc POWER 68 hp (50 kW) at 8,750 rpm TORQUE 47 ft-lb (64 Nm) at 4,000 rpm BORE AND STROKE 85 x 66 mm COMPRESSION RATIO 12:1 FUEL DELIVERY Twin port fuel injection, 42 mm bore TRANSMISSION 6-speed FINAL DRIVE TYPE Belt FRONT SUSPENSION 43 mm inverted fork, non-adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Dual piggyback coil-over shocks with preload adjustment WHEEL TRAVEL Front: 132 mm (5.2 in.) Rear: 117 mm (4.6 in.) BRAKES Front: Two 300 mm discs with 2-piston calipers Rear: 300 mm disc with 2-piston caliper WHEELBASE 1,510 mm RAKE AND TRAIL 27 degrees/99 mm TIRES Front: 120/70 R17 Rear: 160/60 R17 WEIGHT (WET) 234 kg (516 lb) SEAT HEIGHT 765 mm (30.1 in.) FUEL CAPACITY 13.1 L FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED) 4.3 L/100 km FUEL RANGE (ESTIMATED) 304 km
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 37
Competition
2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
View Shane Scott’s run up the mountain by following this link: https://goo.gl/h6TuFG
Race
to the
Clouds It was forty years ago that this Canadian started his racing career on the dirt tracks of Eastern Canada, and this year he’s celebrating on his way to the top.
Photos by Jon Wallace
Story by Shane Scott
38 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
T
here’s uniqueness in being the only Canadian motorcycle racer at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC). I tried to keep this in mind as I headed out from Moncton, N.B., for the long 4,100 km drive to Colorado Springs, Colorado. As this was my third year in a row making the trek, the itinerary was well sorted: 1,000 km per day for four days. As a privateer, there’s no glamour in the trip. Each night I bed down in the back of the same Ford F-150 crew cab that’s pulling my 7 x 14-foot enclosed trailer, packed to the brim with race bike and endless totes of spare parts, tools, equipment, gear and the like. Founded in 1916 by Spencer Penrose, the Pikes Peak National Hill Climb, and the road he built to accommodate it, has presented a unique challenge to generations of racers. The Pikes Peak toll road winds its way up the length of the course 19.98 km with 156 turns to the 4,300metre summit, providing an incredible drive and views that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Because of this popularity, the road is closed for only one day per year – race day. That means all testing, practice and qualifying is scheduled between sun-up and 8:30 a.m., when the road opens. Conditions on the mountain course
are what could reservedly be called “variable,” especially hazardous for vehicles with only two wheels; race morning in 2016 saw snowplows scraping thick sheets of ice off the top of the track. A Sparse Racing Career For 2017, I was entering a 2015 KTM Super Duke 1290R, the same bike I’d ridden to a third-place finish in the Heavyweight division the previous year. We’d made improvements to the suspension, as well as added some aftermarket electronics but had not been able to test over the winter. Our one opportunity for a shakedown came in May at the first round of the Society of Atlantic Roadracing League series at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. It should be said that I’m by no means a road racer, having only dabbled in it over the years. Visits to Shubie have been few and far between, with races in 1984, 1993, 2005 and 2016, though my return in 2017 broke the long-standing tradition of one visit per decade. I came away from the weekend taking first place in the Pro Twins, first place in the Formula 46 class and third place in the Pro Superbike. More importantly, we had a
fa s t fa c t s DAY ONE rose found ed Pikes P eak National H ill Climb in 1916, with the firs t Penrose tr ophy goin g to Rea Lentz, finishing in a time of 20 :55:60. VARIETY In addition to motorcy cles, various clas ses of cars , trucks and quads also run th e course. PEDIGREE This hill cl imb is the second-old motorsport est s race in th e United St ates, next to the Indy 500. PIKES PEA K SPECS Course len gth: 19.98 k m Elevation at start line: 2,862 m Elevation at finish lin e: 4,302 m Number o f turns: 156 Average gr ade: 7% Maximum grade: 10.5 % Spencer Pen
Competition
good baseline as we began the trek to Colorado and America’s second-oldest motorsports race. Our arrival in Colorado Springs for the test weekend on June 10 and 11 was greeted with 70 km/h winds, gusting to 95 at the peak, which understandably had officials anxious, resulting in a group test run for safety. Even at that reserved pace, we were being pushed around on the road, with the wind most noticeably, and uncomfortably, doing its best to suck the bike off the side of the mountain. America doesn’t have the stomach for race fatalities as in the road-racing cultures of Ireland and the Isle of Man, and this fact very nearly ended the event for motorcyclists. The top section has not been kind to motorcycles over the past few years with fatalities in 2014 and 2015. After Carl Sorensen slid off the high-speed 19-Mile corner and plunged to his death in a practice run in 2015, it was said that in the days after the race, the PPIHC administration had made a decision to cancel future motorcycle participation in the event. Thankfully, that ruling was not made official. Tight Field This year’s competition was expected to be very tough. Returning for his seventh year was last year’s King of the Hill, Bruno Langlois from France on a specially prepared 2017 Z900, bristling with advanced race parts and electronics. Also back was Rennie
2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Scaysbrook on a new KTM factorybacked Super Duke 1290R, looking equally race-prepped. He had been well on pace last year to win the overall, but entered the hairpin at Elk Park with too much steam and put himself into the guardrail. The biggest threat, though, was rookie Chris Fillmore from L.A., also on a KTM factory-backed Super Duke 1290R. At 30 years old, Fillmore has spent most of his last 15 years as a KTM-backed pro AMA Supermoto and Superbike racer. I first met him in 2006, when we were racing a national Supermoto event in downtown Toronto. It’s a huge task to arrive at Pikes Peak for the first time and compete for a win, but Fillmore is not your average rookie. Testing early in the morning always has its challenges, the first of which is getting up at 2 a.m. to be on the hill at 3 a.m. But being early has its rewards in getting first choice of pit area – the closer to the starting line, the easier it makes getting situated for each practice run. Both days we were first in line to take advantage of the valuable lessons learned in years past. This year, my crew for the test weekend was veteran Canadian road racer and Harley-Davidson XR1200 series front-runner Blaise Fougere from Halifax. With time at a premium, we’re always under the gun to learn quickly and make smart adjustments, meaning I rely heavily on Fougere and his experience as a national-level road racer to move us in the right direction.
40 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
All Together We never actually get to run the entire course until race day; instead, testing, practice and even qualifying are completed on various sections. This first day of testing was spent on the top half of the hill, and after a few tentative passes, the surface began to warm and the pace picked up. We’d eventually manage the fourth-fastest time of the day. The second day’s testing took place on the bottom of the circuit, with its fast and flowing corners favouring the guys with a road-race background. The first series of corners is the most dangerous, with speeds high and tire temperatures at their lowest. The catch here is that the harder you charge out of the gate, the more temperature the tire builds and can hold onto for the cold climb to the top. By the third session, we were ready to lay down a fast time, but four corners into our run, at full throttle and maximum lean angle on a 160-plus km/h sweeping right-hander, my engine abruptly shut down. The suddenness of it locked the rear tire and sent the big twin into a skid toward the guardrail on the outside of the turn. I gathered it up just as I went over the white line, within a metre of disaster. Coasting to a roadside stop, I tried to digest what had just happened. I turned the key off then on, and it fired up immediately. The course was promptly red flagged, but not in time to stop the next bike, Fillmore, who seconds later flew by at a race pace just metres away. I unceremoniously rolled back down the course to the pits, the bike cutting out twice more along the way, suggesting a fuelling or electrical problem. We were done for the day. Gremlins I stayed in Colorado Springs for the week trying to solve our mechanical problems. Fougere flew back to Halifax for the week, to return next Sunday for the “Peak Week” schedule of events. I was offered a fuel pump from the KTM factory team as a possible solution. The difficulty was, there was no place to test the bike during the week. I discovered that the following Saturday, there was a track day down at Pueblo Motorsport Park, an hour south
Cog Cut 14,115 Ft
Finish Line
19
(Restricted)
of Colorado Springs, so I registered for that. Unfortunately, the fuel pump hadn’t fixed the issue, as the problem once again reared its head on my first out-lap. After some phone calls and pondering of the situation, I felt the issue must be with the aftermarket tuning electronics I’d installed on the bike to help with fuel mapping at race elevations. I spent the remainder of the day in the desert heat ripping off all of the new electronics and returning it to stock, only to miss the last practice session. I knew I couldn’t afford to miss any more practice runs on the mountain, so, at the suggestion of some well-informed locals, I rolled the KTM out of the trailer at the crack of dawn the following morning next to an abandoned warehouse in nowhere Colorado, surrounded by an expanse of flat desert, on an arrow-straight road that went on forever. Of course, being on public roads, in a foreign country, aboard an un-plated competition motorcycle with no insurance, carries with it a certain gravity, which I weighed with great care against the toils of an entire year. On this occasion, fortune favoured the bold, and my hunch about the wiring as the Super Duke was back on song, albeit down horsepower and a quick shifter in this stock form.
Summit Olympic 13,380 Ft
18
Boulder Park
13,060 Ft
Upper Gravel Pit 17
12,760 Ft
Bottomless Pit 12,780 Ft
Devil's Playground 14,115 Ft Altitude 99
Mile Marker
Start of 4th Leg 16
Start of 2nd Leg
Start of 3rd Leg Start of 1st Leg Cove Creek
15
Double Cut Ragged Edge 14
11,900 Ft
George's Corner
13
Glen Cove
Elk Park
11,440 Ft
(Restricted)
Sump 10,900 Ft
12
Ski Area
S/B Below Glen Cove Tin Barn Gilly's Corner
Heitman's Hill
Grouse Hill
Big Spring
11 Mile Water Station 11
Brown Bush Corner
Blue Sky
10,560 Ft
10
Gayler's Straits
Halfway Picnic Grounds Horseshoe Hansen's Corner
9
9,960 Ft
Engineers Corner 9 Mile
To Tollgate 8
8 Mile Pit Road
Crystal Work Road Main Event The Peak Week schedule began 9,160 Ft on Monday, June 19, with regisGarage Start Line 9,390 Ft tration and technical inspection. Dam My crew this year was the same as in 2016: the aforementioned it through the corner in a panic. Safely Fougere and Caleb Noiles. Noiles is an again thanks to improving times from back in the pits, we bled a large amount the factory-backed guys. experienced Canadian road racer from of air out of the brakes and surmised Moncton, who’s been running up front it had gotten in there from the violent in the 2017 Atlantic Pro Superbike and Fingers Crossed headshake the bike had been through Supersport Championship series. While taking care of the brake issue, the previous weekend when the engine On Tuesday morning, I decided to we also decided to try reinstalling the shut down. put all the problems of the past week electronics I’d removed when trackside The remaining two runs of the behind me and come out swinging on in the desert. Despite the risks, it would day were not comfortable ones. This the middle-section runs. I led the field give us the fuel injection map tuned mountain is no place to be without with the fastest time on each of the specifically for the race elevations, and brakes unexpectedly. I kept one finger first three runs of the day, with only it also meant the quick shifter I’d done on the lever for most of the runs, pulled one minor hiccup. Coming into the without all morning would be back on in just enough to feel there was brake final turn of my third run, I reached line and saving me precious fractions of pressure there. Surprisingly, though, for the front brake and the lever went a second with each use. Our hope was I ran faster times, but was eventually straight to the bar – no brakes at all! I that loose connections and not the units shuffled back to fourth fastest once locked the rear brakes and dirt-tracked themselves caused the stalling issues.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 41
Competition The next day, we were back on the top section of the mountain and spent much of the day working with the people at Pirelli to get the most out of the tires. We made headway, but it was difficult to attack the course at 100 per cent without feeling safe entering and exiting every corner. I kept one finger pulling the brake lever all day, hoping for the best. Friday, June 30, was qualifying day, with the best time of the day determining the race order, from slowest to fastest. On the first run of the day, thick fog covered the mountain from Picnic Grounds to Glen Cove. Visibility in some areas was nil, and I had to look down and follow the yellow lines to stay on course. I just backed out of the throttle and completed the run. After I returned to the pits, the session was suspended; when the fog didn’t lift, the morning session was cancelled. The one run we’d completed was used for our qualifying times and race order. The riders who went up first got the clearest run and best times. I think some gambled, perhaps knowing this may be the only run. In the end, I was seventh fastest and my starting position was 23rd for Sunday – race day. Just another wacky situation that makes up a Pikes Peak experience! My girlfriend, Melanie, flew in for race day and some good ol’ boys from home made the trek down as well. The familiar faces and camaraderie were a welcome addition to an otherwise tense couple of weeks. We were all up and driving to the mountain by 1 a.m. that Sunday. Once on site, we readied the KTM, making final adjustments, and I went through course videos, pictures and notes, and triple-checking everything. All prayers were answered, as it was a glorious clear and sunny morning on the mountain. The road temperatures were coming up steadily and ensured good grip for our run. That was a huge relief – a dry mountain course is dangerous; a wet mountain course is deadly. The Intensity of Pikes Peak The mood on pit lane was positive and jovial, but tensions clearly rose in the moments leading up to the start. The
2017 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb atmosphere was much like an X Games, with riders chatting, backslapping and hugging, exchanging “See you at the top” vows. I felt ready and calm. Every day for a year I worked on something to get to this point. It was time to put aside the week’s issues and enjoy my turn on the mountain. We got the signal to go, and the tire warmers were whipped off and the KTM was fired up. I rolled down to the start and took the starting position. At Pikes it’s a flying start. With the wave of a green flag I roared off the line and was in third gear wide open around the first tight left-hand corner and through the start timing gate. I pushed through the lower section harder than I’d ever dared before, the extra speed causing me to miss a few braking points. The momentum continued to build until I drifted onto the yellow lines coming around Tin Barn and lost the front end for a moment. With renewed focus, I barrelled through Glen Cove and into Section 3. The climb through the Cove really shows what you’re made of as you keep the throttle pinned, banging up the quick shifter from first through fifth while double-apexing a long blind right-hander around the mountainside – this is the essence of Pikes Peak. It only intensifies when the Elk Park hairpin appears and you need to throw out the anchor while still turning. Experienced racers Don Canet and Rennie Scaysbrook both made friends with the guardrail there. It’s one of the few places a guardrail is your friend, or at least friendlier than the endless cliff behind it. Over the Top Section 4 takes you over the top of the mountain, from Devil’s Playground to the Summit. It’s called Devil’s Playground for the spectacle caused by the way lightning dances and bounces about the area from rock to rock during alpine electrical storms. Up here, the road is colder and the drops are much
longer. Road conditions are also at their worst, the surface having to endure the harsh and ever-changing climate at these altitudes. Each turn requires a little more care to avoid bumps and settle the bike while still trying to fight for every second on the clock. The final left-hand corner to the Summit finish line is no place to relax. It’s a tricky camber with rough and broken pavement. I raced for every fraction of a second through it and crossed the finish line in full tuck, then carefully decelerating, thinking of Texan Bobby Goodin, who was killed here in 2014, having lost control of his bike at the finish line. I slowly rolled across the dirt parking lot to the race director’s position, where I received a big handshake and my race time of 10:28. Truthfully, I was disappointed for a moment. I’d beaten last year’s time by eight seconds, which was a significant improvement. However, the run was nearly flawless and had just felt so much faster. But the clock doesn’t lie, and the mountain has no favourites. I stood on the edge at 4,300 metres, watched the clouds roll by, counted my blessings and sunk a beer. Life goes on. It had been a full year of painstaking preparation. As a 53-year-old privateer and part-time rider from Irishtown, New Brunswick, I was incredibly proud of the team and our accomplishments – and what turned out to be a fourthplace finish in class. Not bad for a retired accountant. For additional photos of Pike’s Peak visit: motorcyclemojo.com
42 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
Mojo
Discover
Our amazing interactive issues for iPhone®, iPad® and Android tablets Proof 2
TRAVEL
Proof 2
NORTH CAROLINA MONTANA Going From The Sun Thunder Road
WEST COAST Pacific Coast Highway
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 CELEBRATING 15 YEARS
BMW HP4 Race BMW shows off its Carbon Fibre technology in this WSBK-spec powerhouse
Harley-Davidson
Street Rod
Mojo Garage Old-School Starter Fix
Proof 2
TRAVEL
Proof 2
NORTH CAROLINA WEST COAST MONTANA Pacific Coast Highway Going From The Sun Thunder Road
A Harley that handles Europe’s best biking roads
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017 CELEBRATING 15 YEARS
BMW HP4 Race
MOTORCYCLEMOJO.COM $5.95 • Volume 16 Issue 8
Plus:
Reviewed:
25 years of Joe Rocket
• LS2 Vector Wake Helmet • Book - Feel: My Story
BMW shows off its Carbon Fibre technology in this WSBK-spec powerhouse PM 40761040 Display until October 31
Harley-Davidson
Street Rod
Mojo Garage Old-School Starter Fix
A Harley that handles Europe’s best biking roads
MOTORCYCLEMOJO.COM $5.95 • Volume 16 Issue 8
Plus:
Reviewed:
25 years of Joe Rocket
• LS2 Vector Wake Helmet • Book - Feel: My Story
PM 40761040 Display until October 31
Download the September/October issue on August 23
Mojo digital ad 2017.indd 1
2017-08-02 4:23 PM
Showcase
25-Year Milestone
Rocket Man Twenty-Five Years of an iconic Canadian brand Story by
Lawrence Hacking
A
fter more than four decades in the power sports industry, the effervescent and seemingly ageless Bruce Parker has touched, in a positive manner, a great number of people. He has furthered the careers of many racers, partners, friends, employees, clothing manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and dealers. Within the industry, it’s easy to find people who only have good things to say about the man who did so much for so many. Maybe it’s because Parker has always done things with his own brand of flair and style. His humour and a self-effacing attitude are instantly likable. His ego always seems to be in check; in the time I’ve known him – and that goes all the way back to the mid-’80s – he’s always been quick to offer a sincere hello and a joke. Parker’s also a high-energy super-salesman who could easily sell screen doors for submarines if he wanted. Around
44 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
the time we met, he owned a Windsor-based motorcycle dealership selling Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson and Bimota motorcycles. He expanded into two more locations, including one in Etobicoke, Ont., that was managed by then top-250 cc road racer Dave Grummett. “Parker’s greatest asset is his drive to win and succeed. ‘Work hard, play harder’ describes Parker best,” Grummett says. A New Venture Begins By the late 1980s, Parker decided that clothing and accessories was the best part of the business, and he chose toproduce suits and jackets under the name Body Guard by Parker Bros. Ultimately Parker and his then employee Marc Bay developed the Joe Rocket brand, the name coming about during a brainstorming session in a bar fuelled by libations and good humour with long-time friend Chris
Photos courtesy of Joe Rocket Archives
Canadian racer extraordinaire Jordan Szoke.
Left to right - Ben Spies, Randy Robison, Mat Mladin, Bruce Parker (founder of Joe Rocket), Miguel Duhamel in Daytona, 2004 (above) Nicky Hayden wore Joe Rocket leathers (right) as did Ben Spies (below).
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 45
Showcase
25-Year Milestone
revolutionary Canadian-made material called 600D polyester, which is now an industry standard. Parker and Bay added abrasion-resistant Kevlar panels and amour in all the key areas using material they found at a military surplus vendor that had an overstock of Kevlar. They were faced with constant challenges, one of which was sun fading; some jackets faded from red to pink within a year. The problem was solved by a Canadian fabric mill, which developed a suitable UV-resistant material for the harsh conditions. “We tried to keep our customers happy, and we replaced or repaired defects without question and have always stood behind Joe Rocket clothing,” Bay says.
Ellis. The Joe Rocket name was born on a proverbial beer-soaked napkin, and Parker has never looked back. Using crayons, coloured pencils and markers, Parker and Bay penned the original logos and designs. Although neither is a professional graphic artist, the signature Joe Rocket look caught on quickly, and those scribblings established trends that are still in play today. Joe What?! Grummett continued, “In the beginning, Joe Rocket’s product range had names that were offensive and in-your-face but unforgettable. Names like Joe Schmo, Joe Highside, Joe T.O. and the most controversial – Joe Bitch. Originally, we didn’t think much of the Joe Rocket name, but it worked, and we sold a ton of jackets and suits. The first Phoenix jacket was awesome. When I saw the prototype, I knew we were going to sell a lot of those. One of the secrets to the Rocket brand was North Americans could pronounce the name, as opposed to some of the European brands.”
Eventually, Grummett went on to buy the Etobicoke Parker Bros. store when Parker dedicated his time to the wholesale side of the business. When asked what was the most memorable moment in his relationship with Parker, Grummett quickly replies, “Bruce sponsored me during my racing career starting in 1987; I was the first road racer to wear Joe Rocket gear. In 1990, I had a brand-new Yamaha TZ 250, which is a full-on Grand Prix road-race bike. Bruce wanted to ride it real bad so we fired it up, and wearing only a T-shirt, shorts, beanie helmet and sunglasses, he did laps on Walker Road in Windsor out in front of the store. We were killing ourselves laughing.”
Attention to Detail Bay adds that their “early design process was archaic. We’d send blackand-white faxes to the manufacturer and sometimes spend up to 18 days in a row at the Quebec factory tweaking the designs to get things just right. All the work and attention to detail paid off: the Joe Rocket Ballistic jacket sold like hot cakes and is still produced, albeit in an evolved form.” Bay also has a story related to the in-your-face-style Joe Rocket used to sell clothing. “One of our original logos was a cartoon of a rider, called Joe Speed, flipping off a cop. We never used it, but we did use a lot of lightning bolts, racing stripes and flames – our racers gave us a great canvas to try out new designs.” Bay explains that once a racer wore a design, “the following year we’d have a replica jacket available to the public. Over the years, we had a series of racer’s jackets, such as the Lawson 21, the Nicky 69 and the Schwantz 34. All of these rider replica jackets sold well for us.”
Humble Beginnings The company’s first brochure was shot by shutterbug extraordinaire Bill Petro. “The cost of shooting the photos for the first brochure nearly broke us,” Bay says. “These days, we’d love to have such reasonable prices for photography.” The first Joe Rocket textile jackets were made in Quebec using, at the time, a
Own the Podium Business was good for Parker. In Joe Rocket’s heyday, the company signed big name riders to wear its gear, and subsequently the motorcycle magazines gave the brand tons of exposure and, as a result, sales boomed. Joe Rocket riders swept the podium at the famous Daytona 200 a number of times. In 2006,
46 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
three stand-out riders, Mat Mladin, Ben Spies and Miguel Duhamel, carried the Joe Rocket name to the top. Most of the premier racers during the ’90s wore Rocket at one time or another, including Chris Carr, Doug Chandler, Jordan Szoke, Pascal Picotte, the Hayden Brothers and, most recently, Michael Jordan’s race team. Paying for riders’ endorsements was expensive, but was viewed as a capital investment and an investment in the sport that made a significant difference in brand recognition at dealer show rooms. According to J.D. Power surveys, Joe Rocket often led sales of motorcycle clothing during this era. “Two milestones changed Joe Rocket,” Bay recounts. “One was signing Steve Crevier in the late ’90s. Crevier did wonders for us; he won races and championships – plus he had that edgy image – you’d never know what he’d say or do next. In June 1999, we got a cover shot on Motorcyclist magazine that featured a Crevier jacket. I was paying for my subscription at the time and it was huge to see that, we thought we’d really made it when that issue came out!” They sold Crevier jackets hand over fist as a result of support for the iconic racer and that magazine shot.
Moving On In order to focus on designs and marketing, Parker and Bay decided to forego distributing the Joe Rocket brand to snowmobile clothing entrepreneur Randy Robison, instead selling it outright in 1996. Parker re-acquired 10 per cent ownership back in 2001, but left the company in 2007 and started another brand called Speed and Strength the following year. However, times changed, and in 2008, the real estate slump in the U.S. and ensuing slowdown in road-racing activity in North America saw a significant drop in sales for the Joe Rocket brand, and the industry in general. In 2009, Parker acquired the Joe Rocket rights for the Canadian market and enjoyed commercial success with, until recently, Motovan acting as the Rocket distributor. Currently, Gamma Sales distributes Joe Rocket in Canada, while another entity, Parker Synergies, operates the design team that works on both the Joe Rocket and Speed and Strength brands.
Motorcycle Dealer and Trade magazine, a now defunct insider industry rag. The close-up cover shot was so revealing you could count his nose hairs. The headline boldly stated: “How Did the Most Hated Guy in Retail Become an Aftermarket Superhero?” Undaunted, Parker seems to revel in the spotlight despite his ups and downs. When asked about the history of Joe Rocket, Parker responds that Joe Rocket wouldn’t exist if not for the Parker Bros. stores. “In its heyday, the Toronto store on Dundas Street had up to 40 race suits in stock and helmets piled to the ceiling. They said we tried to put Cycle World [which was next door] out of business. That wasn’t necessarily
Sticks and Stones Parker has been called a rapscallion and an incorrigible prankster, but he’s been called worse. He made the cover of a 2003 issue of the Canadian
Many of the most famous racers wore Joe Rocket leather at one time or another including Miguel Duhamel (below) and Mat Mladin (right).
september/October 2017 motorcycle mojo 47
Showcase
25-Year Milestone
Island BMW
Victoria, BC Tel: (250) 474-2088
High Road Vancouver Vancouver, BC Tel: (604) 731-5505
High Road Langley Langley, BC Tel: (778) 366-1999
Bentley Motorrad Kelowna, BC Tel: (778) 755-5540
Argyll Motorrad Edmonton, AB Tel: (780) 435-6811
Blackfoot Motorrad Calgary, AB Tel: (403) 243-2636
Steve Crevier was a huge boost for the Joe Rocket
European Motorrad
brand, according
Saskatoon, SK Tel: (306) 934-3717
to Marc Bay, V.P. Sales
Wildwood Motorsports
for the company.
Winnipeg, MB Tel: (204) 477-1701
Give a Little As a visionary, a philosopher and creative genius, Parker rose to meet every challenge that came his way. The ebb and flow of business never got the better of him. He is most definitely a survivor; his business sense, his
boundless energy and his motivation are probably Parker’s most endearing qualities, but his generosity is likely his most notable quality of all. Over the years, I’ve worked some shows with Parker Bros., helped out in the shop and wore Joe Rocket clothing, and I continue to enjoy the man’s company on any occasion. The one thing I regret is not wearing Joe Rocket gear to ride the Paris Dakar Rally in 2001. I still remember Parker’s words: “We want to dress you for the Dakar.” But I had already committed to wearing another brand through another old friend and couldn’t go back on that deal. Sorry, Bruce, I wish the timing had worked out better. When asked how he got Michael Jordan’s race team to wear Joe Rocket, Parker’s reply reveals volumes: “You pay! It’s that simple.” Parker was and is never afraid to invest, and some may even consider him a fast-and-loose gambler, but it has paid off. The year 2017 is a big one for Canada – 150 years since Confederation, and it’s also significant in the life of Parker; it’s the 25th anniversary of the iconic Joe Rocket clothing brand, and he’ll also be turning a spritely 65. So, look out for big things from Bruce Parker and Joe Rocket in the near future. For additional photos of Joe Rocket visit: motorcyclemojo.com
48 motorcycle mojo september/October 2017
Budds’ Motorrad Oakville, ON Tel: (905) 845-3577
BMW Toronto
Toronto, ON Tel: (416) 623-4269
Maranello Motorrad Toronto, ON Tel: (416) 238-7898
BMW Motorrad – Canadian Dealer Directory
true; however, I am quite sure John Bagby, the owner of Cycle World, would love to have put us under,” he says. “At one point, we found them looking through our garbage. Instead, we survived and flourished. Our customers would park in front of Cycle World and walk over to buy from us. It must have frosted their cookies, to say the least.” Chris Ellis, Triumph Canada’s general manager, remembers an era that built legends in the Canadian motorcycle industry. He fondly recalls a Yamaha dealer trip to Japan in 1982 that had Mike Inglis, Danny Baldwin, Peter Hurst, John Mochrie, Bruce Parker and himself pull some shenanigans that are probably still being talked about in the Land of the Rising Sun. “We stayed at Yamaha’s corporate retreat, called Summagoi, and visited pagodas – it was full-on frivolity, the details of which will stay in the vault forever,” the guarded Ellis replies, unwilling to elaborate, despite my pressing the subject. But he does say that “Bruce helped me get back on my feet after my shop closed. In hindsight, it was probably the best thing that happened to me career-wise.”
Endras Motorrad Ajax, ON Tel: (905) 619-5522
Wolf BMW
London, ON Tel: (519) 951-9482
Ottawa Motorrad Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 731-9071
Moto Internationale Montréal, QC Tel: (514) 483-6686
Moto Vanier
Québec, QC Tel: (418) 527-6907
Estrie BMW
Sherbrooke, QC Tel: (819) 821-3595
Carrier BMW
Drummondville, QC Tel: (819) 395-2464
Nadon BMW
St-Eustache, QC Tel: (450) 473-2381
Atlantic Motoplex Dieppe, NB Tel: (506) 383-1022
Avalon Motorrad St John’s, NL Tel: (709) 726-6500
BMW-K1600B-2017-E-Mojo.indd 1
© 2017 BMW Motorrad Canada. “BMW”, the “BMW Logo”, “The Ultimate Riding Experience”, all BMW model designations and all other related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and/or trademarks of BMW AG, used under licence.
BMW Motorrad
Find out more at bmw-motorrad.ca or visit your local area BMW Motorrad Retailer.
2017-08-03 9:18 AM
Discover stylish new horizons with the all new Bagger from BMW Motorrad. The K1600B boasts extreme comfort along with modern conveniences with a striking new look that will not go unnoticed. With 6 cylinders, an extraordinary running smoothness and its impressive power development, it leaves no doubts – the journey begins now.
THE TIME IS NOW.
travel
North Carolina
Thunder
Road Could this be the best-kept secret in the Smoky Mountains?
estled between the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Nantahala National Forest lies beautiful, resplendent Maggie Valley, arguably the motorcycle touring hub of the southern Appalachians. As the morning mist dissipates, unveiling the lush upper reaches of the surrounding mountains, the only sound is the humming of my tires and the purr of the Gold Wing’s engine. I spot Maggie, walking along the sidewalk. She is the village’s iconic tourism tactic, dressed in her period clothes. She gives us a pleasant wave, as she does to everyone passing through the village. Rubbernecking left and right, Tina and I, along with Rich and Liz, pass by the early-morning risers at the breakfast joints along the way. From Soco Road, Highway 276 climbs up and over the hills, skirting Waynesville, and rolls on to NC 74, the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway. The sun is peeping through the clouds, heralding another grand day as we take exit 81 and sweep around onto NC 23 into Dillsboro.
Derelict Movie Star State Road 23 goes through town, and after a right onto Haywood Road, we find the Great Smoky Mountain Train Depot. The sign says “No Trespassing,” so pleading ignorance, I ride tepidly down into the greasy repair yard where men are working on train cars and engines. I tell the approaching man in authority that we would like to see the train wreck from the Hollywood production The Fugitive, but despite all my pleading, we are rejected, so we downheartedly make our way back up the hill. Not one to accept rejection, however, I park the bike at the end of the chain-link fence, only to find another barrier: poison ivy. Through the trees, I can see the wreck from the movie and the bus that carried the prisoners. Too expensive to move after the filming, the locomotive and bus still lie where they were left between the tracks and the Tuckasegee River. Backtracking to Sylva, Hwy 107 threads us through Nantahala National Forest. Like a wriggling eel, the sinewy blacktop winds through villages with Cherokee names, Cullowhee and Tuckasegee, along
50 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
photo: eric Haggart
N
Story and Photos by Ron Keys
photo: eric Haggart
fa s t fa c t s
Richard posing under Bridal Veil Falls on Old Highway 64, just west of Highlands, NC. (left) After ascending a 7 km gravel road complete with washboard corners, Ron makes it to the Wayah Bald Fire Tower. (above) An early morning sunrise as seen from Wayah Bald Fire Tower. (below)
WAYAH ROA D From Fran klin, North Carolina, Wayah Ro ad gains m ore than 30 0 metres in elevatio n over 34 k m before reaching N antahala L ake. With an el evation of 92 5 m etres, Nantahala Lake is the second-hig lake east o hest f the Missi ssippi. Way ah Road then desce nds almost 300 metre 22 km to it s in s terminus at Highway 19 /74. SMOKY MO UNTAINS The name dates back to the time of settlem ent by the C herokees. They called the mounta ins Shacon age, meaning “p lace of blu e smoke.” MOTORCYCLE ROADS The Smok y Mountain s o ffer some o best riding f the anywhere. Famous ar ea roads include th e Tail of th e Dragon, R attler, Blue Ridge Parkway an d Cherohal a Skyway, to name just a few. THE MUSE UM THAT RUNS When in M aggie Valle y, be sure to out Dale W check alksler’s W heels Thro Time Muse u gh um. With m ore than 35 American 0 rare -made mo torcycles, it truly is a one-ofa-kind mu seum.
travel
North Carolina The road to Wayah Bald Fire Tower. (far left) The train and bus from the The Fugitive movie set at
photo: eric Haggart
Dillsboro, NC.
the shores of Lake Glenville, originally known as the Thorpe Reservoir. In 1940, the war effort created a need for more raw materials, so the Lake Glenville Dam was built at Onion Falls, by Alcoa Aluminum, creating the present-day lake. The lake occupies the entire valley north of the town of Cashiers – a beautiful, peaceful vacation destination, except when Duke Energy does a water release and Glenville Falls, at the south end of the lake, becomes a raging torrent, much to the delight of kayakers. Heading out of Cashiers, we’re treated to a ride along State 64 through dense North Carolina forest on our way to Highlands. For 16 km, curves and hairpins roll through bower-like overhanging trees; it’s like riding through cool, green tunnels protecting us from the sun. Finally, bursting out of the forest into the sunshine, we arrive at Highlands. At Buck’s Coffee Cafe, a cute hangout, we relax for a bit. The girls entertain themselves with some window-shopping in the well-to-do artsy town while Rich and I sit on a bench and do some people watching. All That Glitters Just west of Highlands on NC 64, as we round a sweeping bend, there it is: Bridal Veil Falls. From a huge rock overhang, an 18-metre curtain of water sprays downward on its way to Highlands Lake. Old Highway 64 once ran behind the falls, but winter ice caused problems, so the highway was diverted. Today, it’s a highly unusual and popular photo-op. That gnawing feeling tells me it’s time to feed, so we hurtle onward, following the meandering Cullasaja
River into Franklin, the self-described Gem Capital of the World. Sapphires and rubies are in abundance under these hills, and following that theme of glitter and gleam, the Motor Co. Grill, a 1950s-themed diner, is our choice for lunch. Embellished with polished chrome and shiny red vinyl, it reminds me of Arnold’s, the restaurant in the television sitcom Happy Days. The menu of burgers and shakes takes me back to a simpler time in America. But the gems we’re after today are made of asphalt, not precious metals, so in short order, we’re on the road again. Four-lane Murphy Road zooms us quickly out of town to Patton Road, where a couple of turns puts us into the hills of thrills, Wayah Road, aka Thunder Road. Wayah is also the Cherokee word for wolf, and for the next 45 km, this pretzel-like rhapsody in blacktop will twist and turn us, snaking its way up the Nantahala Mountains through Wayah Gap, and then careen us down its western slopes. This gem is off the beaten path for most motorcyclists, who are drawn to the more renowned, but heavily populated, Deals Gap, just a few hills yonder. No traffic here, except for some repaving work that slows us momentarily. Nobody knows how the name Thunder Road became its moniker, but moonshiners, fast cars and an old Robert Mitchum movie come to mind. It Was Worth the Adventure After 14 km of curves and sweepers, we turn right onto the gravel of National Forest Road. Not for the timid, and definitely not for 900-pound Gold Wings with passengers, we bump, twist and turn through washboard
52 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
corners, fighting for balance as we terrace upward for almost 7 km to the mile-high Wayah Bald and its stone tower. Built as a fire tower in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, it was decommissioned in the 1940s. Now it serves as a panoramic lookout with views of the Great Smoky Mountains and as far south as Georgia, and it’s here that the Appalachian Trail and Bartram Trail cross. Skittering downward to Wayah Road, we begin our descent on the west side of the mountain. Unlike Deals Gap, Wayah Road has driveways that sometimes, after heavy rains, can wash gravel onto the road. A rider must be
aware of the possibilities of a day’s ride ending in disaster and ride accordingly. Just a Big Sport Bike The blue May sky reflects off the waters of Nantahala Lake as we wind along its shoreline with just the silver guardrail and a few trees between us and the water. The Nantahala Lake Dam, 76 metres tall, serves the electricity needs of the area. Diving into the curves of this crooked mountain trail, I cast glances at the passing lake, delirious with the excitement of the moment. It doesn’t get much better than this. Circumspect of the disastrous possibilities, the penalty for inattentiveness, I
No
19
Waynesville 74 23
Sylva
74
23
74
Dillsboro
END OF THE THUNDER ROAD
Nantahala National Forest
107
Tuckasegee
23
1310
107
Franklin 64 NANTAHALA LAKE
photo: eric Haggart
a n i l o r a rth C
MAGGIE VALLEY
Cashiers 64
23
64
WAYAH BALD PARKING AREA
64 BRIDAL VEIL FALLS
107
Highlands
Georgia
Highlands
rein in the big Wing and cool my heels a bit. I always find it amazing that a bike as big as this still handles so well in the tight going. Under that comfortable big-bike Gold Wing ride hides a sporty spirit. Long past the apex of Wayah Road, we now hug the whitewater shoreline as the Nantahala River whooshes onward to provide more electricity at Fontana Dam near Deals Gap, and the Cheoah Dam, made famous by Harrison Ford’s spectacular dive in the movie The Fugitive, although it was actually a stunt man. In the Cherokee language, Nantahala means “Land of the Noonday Sun,” and because the river runs through such a narrow, steep gorge, it only sees sunlight when the sun is directly overhead. Regardless of the sun’s position, any time of day is good to ride Thunder Road, one of the nicest, least ridden and most crooked roads in the Smokies. So please, don’t tell anyone about this two-wheeled Shangri-la. For additional photos of North Carolina visit: motorcyclemojo.com september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 53
23
travel
West Coast
California Dirtbag West Coast pilgrimage on a shoestring budget Story and Photos by Claire Crimp
54 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
fa s t fa c t s
Ominous rainclouds delivered as promised, dumping a quarter of the annual average rainfall on me and the bike. (left) The rolling grasslands around Ojai, California, are as easy on the eyes as the perfectly engineered asphalt curves are easy on the soul. (far left inset) Elephant seals come ashore in the hundreds near Cambria during their winter calving and breeding season. With adult bulls reaching 5-6 metres in length and weighing 3,000-4,000 kg, the sight of so many so close can be an intimidating experience. (above) A chance meeting in the desert with two other Canadian woman led to a day of camaraderie and adventure in Joshua Tree National Park. Sharing a laugh with Toronto-based Sarah Stinchcombe. (below)
T
he best things in life are free. That’s what they say, though I’m inclined to believe that the best things in life can be had with a modicum of cash and a motorcycle licence. Riding a motorcycle on Vancouver Island comes with a unique set of blessings and challenges: On one hand, minimal snowfall means a 12-month riding season for those with a healthy sense of adventure and warm, waterproof gear. On the flip side, living costs are high and wages are low, so expendable income and time for extended trips are virtually nonexistent. Case in point: I had neither. So, naturally, I was planning a solo bike trip to Southern California. It was going
DEFINITIO N “Dirtbaggi ng” can be defined as endeavou ring to acco mplish a ta sk with few re sources, w hile often relying on the kindnes s of other like-minded individual s. ALL-AMER ICAN ROA D California State Route 1 winds alo 1,055 km o ng f California ’s coastline. WHAT A SI GHT Big Sur feat ures famed coastal redwood gr oves along th e b ase of the Santa Luci a Range, w here it plu mmets into the Pac ific. FIRST CLA SS According to the auth or, Californ ia State Route 33, n orth of Oja i, is some o finest ridin f the g she has ev er experie nced. YUCCA TREE Joshua Tre e National Park was n a U.S. Natio amed nal Monum ent in 1936 eventually , and a National Park in 199 At 790,636 4. acres, it’s sl ightly larg the state o er th an f Rhode Isla nd, and incl udes portions o f both the M ojave and Colorado d eserts.
to have to come in under three weeks and cost less than $2,000 – virtually impossible, especially with a departure date set for the autumn storm season. This was going to be a lowbudget, old-school mission: I was dirtbagging my way to Joshua Tree, California, and it was going to take some planning. I signed in to all the motorcycle websites and Facebook pages I could find, places like advrider.com and motostays.com. I reached out to friends and friends of friends down the coast and sent messages on couchsurfing.com to potential homestays. I pulled out the camping gear, changed my oil and got ready to leave. Departure was set for mid-October.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 55
travel
West Coast
In the week approaching the date I had set, Environment Canada started putting up dire warnings: storms, typhoons, historic rainfalls, high winds. Bulletins were posted: Baton down the hatches, scoop up pets and small children. Stay inside, and whatever you do, don’t set out on a motorcycle! Naw, I thought, I’ll just beat the system, literally. Leave a day early, beeline it south as fast as I can and stay a step ahead! Back on Schedule On day one, I made it off the island as far as Vancouver before my Triumph Tiger 955i died – so much for staying a step ahead. I was four hours waiting for BCAA to boost the bike; by then it was too late to break for Seattle with a dodgy battery and failing daylight. I spent the night at a cousin’s house, drifting off a mere 250 km from home to
the sound of rain starting to fall. It was to be my steady companion for many days, and in the morning I limped the bike through torrential rain and ominous wind to Rising Sun Motorcycles in East Vancouver. Day two was to be another late start, but happily the guys at the shop were extremely helpful. There was a cheery blaze crackling in their woodstove, and after an hour or two at the shop, a new battery and a surprisingly modest bill, I was back in the saddle for a wet, blustery second attempt to leave the country. On a motorcycle, the heavy traffic on I5 to Seattle is stressful and dangerous on a good day. This was not a good day. Sideways rain blinded me, spray from 120 km/h traffic reduced visibility to virtually none, and massive gusts shoved at the bike and me mercilessly. It was with profound relief that I finally pulled into Seattle and spent a warm night with dear friends, good food and stimulating conversation. The weather, however, was not going to cut me a break, and what had hitherto been the worst day of riding weather I had ever experienced became merely a warm-up for what I would encounter over the next week. Days in the saddle were punctuated with fuel breaks where I would shake the tension out of my shoulders, field incredulous questions from disbelieving passersby, change my socks, source new bags to line my boots with, and duct-tape the cuff of my outer pants to my feet so water would at least have to try a little harder before making it through my defences. It was easily the most challenging riding I’ve ever done.
56 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
Holed Up Despite the rogue weather, it felt amazing to be on the road. When I pulled over to ease the cramps in my shoulders and hands, the ocean vistas were wild, swarthy expanses of frothy waves and wind-bludgeoned trees. In Manzanita, Oregon, I narrowly missed a tornado that had touched down an hour before I passed through. Roads had just reopened, and though the 200 km/h winds had caused considerable damage to the town and buildings, fortunately, no one had been hurt. It was a humbling experience crawling through town, picking a careful line through shredded tree limbs and random detritus. The path where the tornado had crossed the road was clearly marked with trees completely smashed, power lines down, havoc and destruction everywhere. The wind was still furiously hammering the coast, everything felt raw and scary. I had never been so close to a natural disaster of that magnitude, and as soon as I could, I pulled over, took a hotel and
Nothing eases the tension of a long day in the saddle like a leisurely stroll on Pismo Beach under a classic California sunset. (top left) Tiny red bike, giant red trees. Taking a break under the massive redwoods of Humboldt County’s Avenue of the Giants. (left) Sun’s out, bags are off! Travelling light in Joshua Tree National Park. (right)
Vancouver
British Columbia Seattle
Washington Manzanita
Oregon
Paci
Idaho
fi c O cean
holed up for two nights waiting out the weather. I was thrilled to reach the northern border of California. The weather improved to merely “bad,” and there were even moments of watery, blustery sunshine. Near Eureka, I enjoyed warm hospitality from James, my first motostay. He and his daughter welcomed me into their home, allowed me to dry out my gear and myself, fed me and spoiled me rotten. It was to set the tone for the remainder of my trip, with complete strangers opening their doors and seeming to enjoy the visits as much as I was. Passing over San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge truly felt as though I had crossed a threshold into “California.” The overcast lifted dramatically like a curtain and I easily slipped through the city. A friendly local surfer with a board considerably longer than his tiny car guided me quickly and safely out onto the Cabrillo Highway, beautiful Route 1. This was what I’d been waiting for. I opened the throttle along perfect, nearly
Victoria
Eureka
Nevada
Utah
San Francisco
Ca lifo rn
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE
Carmel-by-the-Sea
BIG SUR
San Luis Obispo
ia
Arizona
Victorville
Ojai
Joshua Tree San Diego empty twisties, between palm trees and sand dunes, under a bright blue California sky. The ocean had changed moods, and now winked and sparkled at me like a cheeky friend. I luxuriated for an evening in posh Carmel, where a fellow adventurer put me up, and we swapped stories all evening. Big Sur took the highway, lifted it into the sky and folded it back on itself over and over in tight, technical, empty switchbacks. I revelled in the warm, comfortable breeze as it tickled my nose with the scent of eucalyptus while my Tiger purred happily along. I was in heaven. Burnt Rubber Around this point, I realized that the long kilometres and extra weight had worn my tires much quicker than I had expected, and alarmingly, a little patch of steel belt was showing on my rear wheel. I called ahead to a shop in San Luis Obispo that could take me in september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 57
travel
West Coast
Who could help but take photos of their bike against such a pretty background? Jumbo Rocks, Joshua Tree.
in the morning and that had a decent selection of rubber in stock. The boys at CoastRiders Powersports traded me roughly half of my remaining budget for a set of Metzelers and several new lifelong friends. They then suggested that I detour from Route 1 and head inland to a much lesser-used route – 33 – which would spit me out at my next planned stop, Ojai. It may have been the single best piece of advice I’ve ever followed. California State Route 33 started with a quick pit stop for stretches, a pee, a cold iced tea and easily the best pistachios I’ve ever eaten: organically grown, freshly roasted, and tossed with garlic or chili lime or just plain sea salt. There’s a short period of 40 km or so where it warms you up on a series of quick, gentle twisties and broad, grin-inducing sweepers. Then you make one final curve to the summit and everything you’ve ever loved about motorcycles suddenly comes together in one joyful, never-ending afternoon of absolutely primal delight. The pavement felt freshly laid; there wasn’t a crack or a piece of gravel to be seen. No cars or other traffic appeared ahead of me, the sun was hot and the wind highly scented with pitchy, spicy chaparral, pine and herbs. My brand-new tires never once rode their centreline that afternoon as I pushed the loaded bike deep, deep into countless twists and turns and 58 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear and a bad attitude! Smiling through the rain in Northern California. (left) Even bad weather looks good in California. Seaside Beach in Mendocino looking pretty in her greys. (below)
corkscrews and exhilarating plunges down steep canyons, through tunnels and past stunning vistas. It never seemed to end, and when it finally spit me out into gorgeous Ojai, I was exhausted, dusty and happier than I ever remember feeling in my adult life.
If there’s a motorcycle heaven, it’s on California’s forgotten State Route 33 from Ventucopa to Ojai: never-ending twisties, perfect weather and not another vehicle in sight for hours.
Devil in the Desert The remainder of the road to Joshua Tree was a fast, windy highway, and I made good time through straight stretches of desert. I shunned the bigger routes and instead took the smaller, more direct route via Victorville, approaching Joshua Tree from due west. In Victorville, I lost the highway for a bit and finally had to pull over for directions. A strongly built, swarthy man at a tattoo parlour looked somewhat surprised when I pulled in. He had huge forearms, neck tattoos and a strong Hispanic accent, and when I asked how to get to the Lucerne Valley, he replied, “No, man, you don’ wanna go there. I been there, man, there ain’t nuthin’! The Devil, he went there, too. He screamed for two days and no one heard him!” He did, however, point me in the right direction, and still chuckling about a place so desolate that it could make the Devil scream for two days, I finished the last of the road south. The event I was attending in Joshua Tree was dusty, hot and as much fun as you’d expect a gathering of 1,600 or so women on motorcycles. Many rides, drinks, hugs, meals, new friends and good times later, I reluctantly pointed my front tire north and headed for home. I now had new friends to visit along the way: girls from the event, the guys from the shop in San Luis Obispo. A
host in Santa Cruz met me in Big Sur and led me through a series of back roads that, even on a fully loaded bike, were tight and fun enough to have me laughing out loud as we snaked up impossibly tight and steep canyon walls. Often I could see my guide 12 to 15 metres directly above me on the road, and the bike rarely made it out of first and second gear for nearly an hour. Another friendly, generous host and another evening of superb company and storytelling. Trick or Treat? The rain met me shortly after San Francisco and kept me company all the way home to Vancouver Island. I rolled into my own garage on Halloween night, wet, tired, happy, fully 100 per cent over budget, and ready to hit the road again in the morning. My first big solo mission was a complete, utter success and had lit the fires of inspiration for more trips in the future. The saying about packing for a trip is true: Lay out all of your gear and all of your money before a trip. Then take half the gear and twice the money. My motto, through all the weather and adventure and crazy loneliness and beauty, became “Do or don’t.” Despite a grievous financial situation and no real ability to take time off work, I had chosen “Do.” And as always, it was the best decision of my life.
For additional photos of the West Coast visit: motorcyclemojo.com
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 59
mojo garage tech by Costa Mouzouris
Difficulty Level:
Three of four components in the starting system:
Old-School Starter Fix
the switch, the relay and the solenoid. The forth being the starter motor.
Sometimes a simple repair is all it takes to get you back on the road
C
hances are that if your bike is a few decades old, it’s getting harder to find certain parts for it. I discovered recently on a hard-starting older Honda that one such item is the starter solenoid. For older Harleys this is a very common item, but for 35-year-old Japanese bikes, you might have to get creative when it comes time to getting your bike running again if the engine refuses to crank over. Before we go further, though, let’s take a quick tour through the electrical side of the starter circuit. When you turn on the ignition and press the start button, current flows from the battery through a fuse (the first thing to check if the starter doesn’t turn over) to the starter button, and finally to the starter, though not directly. To fit the relatively small button in the handlebar switch pods, the copper contacts and the wires leading to them are tiny and can only handle very low current. The current
required to operate the starter, as it cranks over the engine, is high enough to burn those starter-button contacts. So, what needs to be done is to bump up the current from about a couple of amps at the starter button to somewhere between 20 and 40 amps at the starter. This is done in two steps. The first component following the starter button is the starter relay, which is usually a small cube with at least four terminals protruding from the bottom. When you push the button, you’re actually sending a small amount of current through a magnetic coil within the relay. When current flows through this magnetic coil, it pulls together a set of contact points, through which flows higher current than what can flow through the starter button. However, even here the current isn’t high enough to operate the starter, so it is instead directed to a starter solenoid. Simply put, a solenoid is a much larger relay, and is identical in
60 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
operation. It contains a much larger magnetic coil, which requires more current to operate than the starter button alone can provide, and draws together a much larger set of contacts. On older Japanese bikes, the solenoid is usually placed near the battery; it’s cylindrical in shape, and will have a pair of small wires and a pair of larger electrical cables attached to it. There are a few things that can cause the starter to refuse to turn over when pushing the starter button. Very rapid, successive, loud clicking indicates either a weak battery or a loose battery terminal; the current is high enough to operate the solenoid, but not high enough to generate a strong enough magnetic field to keep the contacts solidly connected. A single, very light clicking each time the button is pushed means the relay is operating, but the current is either not making it to the solenoid because the relay points are bad or there’s bad wiring, or current is making it to the solenoid but stops there because the solenoid is defective. A much louder single click heard when the button is pushed usually means that either current is flowing to the solenoid but stopping there because the contacts are bad or it’s reaching the starter, but the starter is defective. Ticking at the relay or the louder clicking at the solenoid can be verified by simply touching each; you can feel the contacts snapping together. The best way to troubleshoot the starting system is by using a test light and beginning from the bottom up, checking the flow of current to the starter, the solenoid, the relay, and finally the wires coming from and going to the starter button (yes, a service manual and wiring diagram will help you here). Starters can be rebuilt, relays are readily
The worn and pitted contacts are marked with black marker. (right) With the flat contact bar flipped over and the cable contacts turned 180 degrees, the contacts are now like brand new and should last another 30 years. (far right)
available, but solenoids, on the other hand, are a bit harder to come by. In my case, a Honda CB400 had an intermittent start situation. When testing it, I found that the solenoid clicked loudly when pushing the starter button, but current didn’t flow out of it to the starter, at least not consistently. This indicated to me that the contacts within were at fault. A search of the aftermarket proved fruitless, so the next step was to repair the solenoid. Fortunately, these old solenoids can be disassembled. Inside, the contacts consisted of a flat copper bar and two copper terminal studs, each with a contact surface, all of which were
pitted. A very simple fix was to remove the two terminals and rotate them 180 degrees, and to turn over the flat bar, exposing brand-new contact surfaces on all of them, and therefore curing the Honda of its intermittent starting for probably another three decades.
Technical articles are written purely as reference only and your motorcycle may require different procedures. You should be mechanically inclined to carry out your own maintenance and we recommend you contact your mechanic prior to performing any type of work on your bike.
september/october Product alert
sponsored
LS2 PIONEER HELMET
▲
If you’re a serious rider, you need serious equipment, and the Pioneer MX436 delivers! This helmet was developed for professional off-road use in collaboration with motocross, enduro and supermotard champions. LS2 visors are built with 3D optically correct A-Class polycarbonate, a space-age polymer with high impact resistance. To ensure good protection, the helmet must properly fit your head. Get this product (Product No. 194461) from your local dealer or at Kimpex.com. The LS2 Pioneer helmet retails for $189.99.
The stronger the magnet, the cleaner the oil!
▲
Dimple® products use extreme magnetism to rip the metal particles out of your oil, and keep them out. Continuous friction in the engine creates unwanted tiny metal filings, but an oil filter can only remove particles larger than 35 microns – Dimple® drain plugs remove the rest. If not removed, these minute contaminants circulate millions of times between each oil change, wearing down the metal until the engine is worn out. Dimple® products provide a solution that works, saving you money and extending the life of your vehicle. Visit milestone-motorsports.ca for a list of retailers or order direct. MSRP $34.95. Available for most makes and models.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 61
product review
LS2 Vector Wake Helmet A well-equipped helmet at an affordable price Reviewed by
Glenn Roberts
There are many full-face helmets on the market these days, and they all do the same basic job – protect your head in the unfortunate occurrence of an accident. One of the biggest differences in the various full-face helmets, though, is that prices can range considerably, from $200 to well over $1,000. At $299.99, the LS2 Vector Wake falls in the lower half of the price scale, but comes with a full array of higher-end features. The LS2 Vector Wake helmet has been designed for the oval-shaped head across three different shell sizes, and features a multi-density EPS liner, scratch-resistant optically correct face shield, flip-down sun visor, plenty of vents, quick-release strap, removable and washable hypoallergenic comfort liner, well-marked pull tabs to release the cheek pads in case of emergency and an LS2-designed fog fighter system (similar to Pinlock) – all rolled into a fibreglass composite shell. The finish on the Wake is clean and crisp; it’s obvious that care was taken when applying the final finish to the helmet. It fits snug, as it should, with no pressure points (at least on my head) and offers plenty of room in the ear ports should you choose to add internal speakers for an intercom system or listen to music. Doing up the quickrelease strap, with wide padded liners so the strap doesn’t dig in, is easy and efficient, and equally easy to undo with just a pull of the release tab. The sunshade is easy to access and use with
gloves on, while the face shield is crystal clear with no distortion when pulled down in place. When the face shield is clicked into its closed position, the helmet is surprisingly quiet. Tipping the scales at 1,550 grams, the medium-sized Wake weighs in as one of the lightest helmets in our full-face helmet arsenal. The main face shield is easily removed for cleaning or replacement, but the mechanism, although it works fine, seems to be overly complicated in
design. The Wake has a two-stage chin vent, a large top vent and an exhaust vent – all easily accessible while riding and wearing gloves. Overall, I was quite happy with the LS2 Vector Wake helmet. It’s a comfortable, well-appointed and affordable full-face helmet. The Vector line offers a variety of helmet models and colours. Go to kimpex.com or see a Kimpex dealer for more information or to purchase.
Sign up for our FREE monthly Newsletter
62 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
book review
Feel: My Story by Freddie Spencer Reviewed by
Misti Hurst
Feel: My Story is an autobiography by three-time World Champion American motorcycle racer “Fast Freddie” Spencer. The only rider in history to ever win the 250 cc and 500 cc MotoGP Grand Prix World Championships in the same year opens up and tells us, in his words, how it was all made possible. From riding for hours and hours in his backyard as a four-year-old boy to driving back and forth across the country with his dad to race dozens of races per season, Feel is part career race report and part philosophical life reflection. Spencer’s ability to remember dates and events in such incredible detail allows the reader to go back in time and relive moments vividly as if racing alongside him, crashing and recovering from injury with him or watching it all take place from the grandstands. This book is a fascinating story of perseverance and talent, of drive and accomplishment, and it’s a story that doesn’t stop at the height of achievement, but goes on to discuss what happens after you win it all. Where do you go when you’ve done everything you’ve set out to do? Spencer bravely opens up about things he has never before talked about and respectfully admits that he made decisions based on intuition and feel alone, something that many people are afraid to do. He also admits to times where he didn’t listen to his inner voice, and shares with us some of the regrets that followed. There are points where it’s hard to follow along as the book jumps from the present to the past and back again; Spencer uses a unique method of blending moments from the past into corresponding lessons of the present so that readers will be encouraged to
listen to their own intuition and let their sense of feel guide them toward the intended path. My favourite part is when Freddie meets Mr. Honda for the first time after winning both Championships, not only accomplishing his own dreams, but also those of Mr. Honda. He says, “And in that moment I knew all the things I had thought about, all the snapshots of something more, the victories and the crashes and the nagging doubt, all of it was for this moment. It was as if a jigsaw had been completed right then and there.” This is a fantastic read for anyone who was a fan of Fast Freddie at the height of his racing career, as it’s his story, told from the perspective of the man inside the helmet. It’s especially engaging for those of us who appreciate the feeling of being on a motorcycle and who understand what those feelings can teach and where they may lead. Feel: My Story by Freddie Spencer is available through Amazon for under $25 at amazon.ca; ISBN 9780753545614. september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 63
PArk-n-MovE
Absolutely Stunning! WOW!
Kinzua Sky Walk, Allegheny National Forest
w Now with ne ed and improv casters!
Store your bike in your garage exactly where you want it – EASILY! Just place your centre-stand on the Park-n-Move and glide and rotate your bike wherever you want it.
Park-n-Move Features:
• Heavy duty construction (1,100+ pound capacity) • No modifications to motorcycle required • Low profile, compact design • Lifetime warranty • Made in Canada of quality components Manufactured by AdMore Lighting Inc. www.admorelighting.com
One of the world’s “Top 10 most scenic skywalks” Order your Free Motorcycle Road Trip Brochure
800-473-9370
visitANF.com
RIDE ATLANTIC CANADA One Guide covers 4 provinces Printed + tax & shipping BOOK $5.99 Order your 2017 copy or buy at Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Real Atlantic Superstore & more locations - see website for details!
FREE App for all phones & tablets
Downloadable from our website & at the iTunes App Store & Google Play
www.MotorcycleTourGuideNS.com www.RideAtlanticCanada.com 64 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
Yama
2018 Star Venture TC
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
JOURNEY FURTHER All-New “top-of-the-line” transcontinental tourer combines emotional V-Twin performance with cutting-edge comfort and technology.
2018 V-Star 250
Great things come in small packages: light and nimble, plenty of torque, smooth power, huge MPGs and a low seat for confident handling. PRO CYCLE
READY YAMAHA POWERSPORTS
KELLY’S CYCLE CENTRE
360 Higney Avenue Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 902-468-2518 ProCycleOnline.com
430 Hensall Circle Mississauga, Ontario 855-896-0430 ReadyYamaha.com
1042 Upper Wellington Street Hamilton Ontario 905-385-5977 KellysCycleCentre.com
TILBURY AUTO SALES & RV YAMAHA
SNOW CITY CYCLE
CLARE’S CYCLE & SPORTS LTD.
1255 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario 416-752-1560 SnowCity.com
799 Highway 20 West Fenwick, Ontario Toll Free 877-659-9831 Direct 905-892-2664 ClaresCycle.com
20600 County Road 42 Tilbury, Ontario 800-387-3280 TilburyAutoSales.com
April 2017 motorcycle mojo 65
Yamaha Dealer tag SeptOct 2017 full .indd 1
2017-08-03 2:52 PM
TO TAKE YOU FURTHER, FASTER. Meet the KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE GT sports tourer. Packed with the same ferocious power as the infamous KTM 1290 SUPER DUKE R – but with additional long-distance capabilities. A larger 23-liter tank and improved wind protection enable you to race off further into the distance than ever before. If eating up miles is what you’re after, we’ve created the perfect machine for you.
READY KTM POWERSPORTS 430 Hensall Circle Mississauga, Ontario 855-896-0430 ReadyKTM.com
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
Victory Cross CountryÆ
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
Hard-ballô
VICTORY CROSS ROADSÆ CLASSIC
GP BIKES 1100 Champlain Court Whitby, Ontario 866-475-7111 GPBikes.com
2017 GUNNER DEERHAVEN MOJOSEPTOCT2017
THE BEASTLY POWER
896 Bell Boulevard West RR5 Belleville, Ontario 800-543-7869 DeerhavenPolaris.com
VICTORY® BAGGERS STAND UP TO ANYONE OR ANY RIDE. SET UP A TIME TO PUT ONE TO THE TEST AT
VICTORYMOTORCYCLES.COM. Victory and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and ® protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride Victory and Victory Motorcycles registered of Polaris Industries Inc. under the inflare uence of drugs ortrademarks alcohol. ©2012
Polaris Industries, Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ©2017 Polaris Industries Inc.
READY KAWASAKI 430 Hensall Circle Mississauga, Ontario 855-896-0430 ReadyKawasaki.com FAST TRACK PERFORMANCE 3418 Catherine Street Dorchester, Ontario 519-268-8429 FastTrackPerformance.ca
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
BURNABY KAWASAKI 7771 Edmonds St. Burnaby, British Columbia 888-852-8165 BurnabyKawasaki.com
66 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
SNOW CITY CYCLE 1255 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario 416-752-1560 SnowCity.com
Walridge Motors Ltd. 27 Years of Business
British Motorcycle Parts, Accessories & Literature
MO
D
Subscribe to get in on the best sales & promotions by emailing sales@walridge.com
TO
TE
LIMITED TIME OFFER For all the parts you need. R S L I MI
CHOOSE YOUR BOU
$1,700
33988 Denfield Rd. RR2, Lucan, ON, N0M 2J0 Canada REBATES UP TO † PH: (519) 227-4923, FAX: (519) 227-4720 Email: sales@walridge.com Website: www.walridge.com
Muscular cruiser look enhanced b
CHOOSE YOURVacation BOULEVARD. in Prince Edward County
Lakeand Vine$13,999
Muscular cruiser look enhanced by a modern feel. Enjoy: Sandbanks Provincial Park • Fabulous Beaches • Wineries and Artist’s Studios
MSRP
$13,999
live entertainment, the Millennium Trail, The Regent Theatre and more.
PURE SPORT ROADSTER
Lake and Vine Vacation House: 12 Lake St, Picton, ON Conveniently located 3 doors down from the Liquor Store offering an additional selection of County Ciders, Beers and Wines A Sandbanks Pass is included for use during your stay.
MSRP
HAS ARRIVED! GSX-S1000A 12lakeandvine@gmail.com
This house features 2 separate, totally renovated housekeeping units.
VACATION HOUSE
Unit 1 Top level 1200 sq.ft. sleeps 4-5. Private deck with BBQ. BOULEVARD C90T B.O.S.S. Unit 2 Lower level 1100 sq.ft. sleeps 4-5. Designated outdoor space and BBQ.
&UNWIND
email:
EW N LL A ALL NEW 2016
NAKED VERSION STARTING FROM JUST
$12,299
or call
705-791-2388 LIMITED TIME OFFER
PRO CYCLE 360 Higney Avenue MSRP* Dartmouth, CHOOSE YOUR BOULEVARD. BOULEVARD C90TNova Scotia 902-468-2518 Muscular cruiser look enhanced by a modern feel. ON ProCycleOnline.com
140+
NEW & RED E PARTS &SIGNED
$1,700
MSRP
COMPONEN TS
FAIRED VERSION STARTING FROM JUST
$12,999 • Factory Built Hard MSRP*
Sidecases are lockable with ignition key
PROUD SUPPORTERS
†
SELECT MODELS
READY SUZUKI $13,999430 Hensall Circle
Mississauga, Ontario BOULEVARD C90T B.O.S.S. • 855-896-0430 Factory Built Hard • Stylis Sidecases are lockable as pa ReadySuzuki.com
BEST IN CLASS FEATURES!
GSX-S1000FA
REBATES UP TO
with ignition key
ampl
BOULEVARD SNOWC90T CITY CYCLE
Legendary GSX-R1000 Engine 1255 Kennedy Road PROUDOntario SUPPORTERS BREMBO Dual Calipers with BOSCH ABS Toronto, 416-752-1560 3 •Mode Traction Control Stylish windscreen designed • 1462cc long-stroke Lowest SeatofHeight in the Segment as part the bike provides V-Twin isSnowCity.com torquey & fuel ample wind protection efficient Lightweight Package featuring an • Factory Built Hard • Stylish windscreen designed • 1462cc long-stroke All NEW Chassis Design Sidecases are lockable as part of the bike provides V-Twin is torquey & fuel with ignition key ample wind protection efficient MSRP † Off MSRP. Up to $1,700 in retail incentives applies to eligible retail purchase agreements completed b Full LCD Instrument Cluster VL1500BT / VL1500T models and varies by model purchased. These offers are valid only on select new a Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. This offer cannot be combined with any othe PROUD SUPPORTERS Incredible Starting Price! from $110 to $208, taxes, license, insur¬ance, applicable fees and registration are extra dependent on m Read your owner’s manual carefully and remember to observe all safety regulations. See your particip
2017
BOULEVARD C90T
BOULEVARD C90T
PROUD SPONSORS OF
$7,799
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
UNCORK
THE
O shops, N S Ebrew L E pubs, C T restaurants, MODELS Walk to: Downtown Picton featuring unique
ASK YOUR DEALER AB
† Off MSRP. Up to $1,700 in retail incentives applies to eligible retail purchase agreements completed between June 20th, 2014 and September 2nd, 2014. Rebates up to $1,700 valid on 2013 VL1500BT / VL1500T models and varies by model purchased. These offers are valid only on select new and not previously registered Suzuki Motorcycles. Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Offer ends September 2, 2014. PDI charges from $132 to $528, freight charges from $110 to $208, taxes, license, insur¬ance, applicable fees and registration are extra dependent on model. Specifications, product features and colours are subject to change without notice. Read your owner’s manual carefully and remember to observe all safety regulations. See your participating Authorized Suzuki dealer for availability and complete details. Suzuki. Way of Life!
ASK YOUR DEALER ABOUT SUZUKI EXTENDED WARRANTY
<† SUZUKI SYSTEM < FULL LCD INSTRUMENT PANEL Off MSRP. UpEASY to $1,700START in retail incentives applies to eligible retail purchase agreements completed between June 20th, 2014 and September 2nd, 2014. Rebates up to $1,700 valid on 2013 VL1500BT / VL1500T models varies by model purchased. These offers are valid onlyMultifunction on select new and LCD not previously registered Suzuki Motorcycles. Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. Flick the button andandforget Instrument Summer2014_C90T_Rebates_ad_EN.indd 1 Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. This offer cannot be combined with any other offers. Offer ends September 2, 2014. PDI charges from $132 to $528, freight charges it! The ECM takes over to fire Panel displays a multitude of riding MSRP listed is subject to change without notice. Dealer taxes, is not obligated sell productapplicable at MSRP. Dealer for less than Manufacture Suggested RetailSpecifications, Price. For full details visit www.suzuki.ca contactare yoursubject local authorized Suzuki dealer. from $110 to $208, license,to insur¬ance, feesmay andsell registration aretheextra dependent on model. product features andorcolours to change without notice. New GSX-S1000AL6 and GSX-S1000FAL6 includes 12 month factory limited warranty. Warranty to andobserve optional all SPPsafety warranty coverage has noyour dollarparticipating value and cannot be exchanged resold anyavailability monetary value. Model may not be exactly as shown. Read manual carefully and remember regulations. See Authorized Suzuki dealerforfor and complete details. Suzuki. Way of Life! up your theowner’s SV650A quickly and information, andregistration features aorbar-type Quantity and colours are subject to availability. PDI charges from $110 to $528, freight charges from $165 to $250, taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and are extra dependent on model and may change without notice. Specifications, product features and colours are subject to change without Read your owner’s manual carefully and remember to observe all tachometer. safety regulations. See your participating Authorized Suzuki dealer for availability and complete details. Way of Life! efficiently, everynotice. time.
VISIT SUZUKI.CA FOR DETAILS!
Summer2014_C90T_Rebates_ad_EN.indd 1
ASK YOUR DEALER ABOUT SUZUKI EXTENDED WARRANTY DUAL SPARK 90° V-TWIN FEATURES > LOW RPM ASSIST <
SLIM FUEL TANK & NARROW SEAT > An ergonomic fuel tank and streamline seat gives every rider superior grip, comfort and control in an upright position every time.
Summer2014_C90T_Rebates_ad_EN.indd 1
60+ new parts make this new engine run smoothly up to high rpm while delivering powerful torque that’s easy to handle.
Allows smoother september/october 2017 launching operation in low rpm’s and makes for more enjoyable riding at low speeds or through traffic.
motorcycle mojo 67
7/3/2014 3:52:35 PM
7/3/2014 3:52:35 PM
ille T12 Bonnev
AFRICA TWIN
0
Thruxton R
GP BIKES 1100 Champlain Court Whitby, Ontario 866-475-7111 GPBikes.com
GOLD WING
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
BARRIE HONDA POWERHOUSE 80 Mapleview Drive Barrie, Ontario 800-267-4449 BarrieHonda.com
TEAM HONDA POWERHOUSE OF MILTON 170 Steeles Avenue East Milton, Ontario 877-864-8588 TeamHonda.ca
KANATA HONDA 2500 Palladium Drive Kanata, Ontario 613-591-3311 KanataHonda.com
PRO CYCLE 360 Higney Avenue Dartmouth, Nova Scotia 902-468-2518 ProCycleOnline.com
KW HONDA 465 Conestogo Rd. Waterloo, Ontario 519-746-7900 KWHonda.com
READY HONDA 430 Hensall Circle Mississauga, Ontario 855-896-0430 ReadyPowersports.com
Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and please respect the environment when riding. Obey the law and read your ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s manual thoroughly. Honda recommends taking a motorcycle rider training course.
68 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
SNOWMOBILE • MOTORCYCLE • ATV • RIDER TRAINING
PrCaena-Odaw’s LanrgedestHSealerctlioenys Wheatley, ON Since 1958
PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR ALL AGES AND EXPERIENCE LEVELS 705-835-2790 (ext 1288) Barrie, ON www.cmts.org • yamaha@horseshoeresort.com
RobinsonM- Proticoesrc- yOcnllinee.com Pictures
ilable Low monthly payments ava We ship across Canada . 519-825-4222 Robinson Motorcycle Ltd
PURE .DRIVING.FREEDOM.
DEERHAVEN
PEAK POWERSPORTS-BARRIE
Belleville, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario
1264 Colborne Street East
896 Bell Boulevard West RR5
855-767-3703 GrandRiverPowerSports.ca
800-543-7869 DeerhavenPolaris.com
Brantford, Ontario
ELK ISLAND SALES INC.
22 Commerce Park Drive 705-881-1420 PeakPowersports.ca
PEAK POWERSPORTS
20423 Township Road 544
1174 South Service Road West
888-998-9159 ElkIsland-Polaris.com
905-681-7270 PeakPowersports.ca
Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta
Oakville, Ontario
Slingshot® is a three-wheeled motorcycle. It is not an automobile. It does not have air bags, and it does not meet automotive safety standards. Three-wheeled vehicles may handle differently than other vehicles, especially in wet conditions. Always wear helmets and fasten seat belts. Driver may need a valid motorcycle endorsement. Don’t drink and drive. ©2017 Polaris Industries Inc.
MOJOSEPT/OCT2017
GRAND RIVER POWER SPORTS
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 69
Motorcycle Messengers Tales from the Road by writers who ride Edited by Jeremy Kroeker
Available now at motorcyclemojo.com/shop
The ride of your life starts at an authorized Canadian Harley-Davidson® Dealership. Discover the home of the American legend, where you can break free of the everyday grind.
STREET GLIDE® SPECIAL Visit your Authorized Canadian Harley-Davidson Dealer today! ®
FOX HARLEY-DAVIDSON® 123003 Storybook Park Road
DUKE’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON® 5 Classic Car Drive
Owen Sound, Ontario
Blenheim, Ontario
KANE’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON® CALGARY 914, 11th Street SE
CALGARY HARLEY-DAVIDSON® 2475 Pegasus Road North East
Calgary, Alberta
Calgary, Alberta
866-633-9003 FoxHarleyDavidson.com
403-269-8577 KanesHarleyDavidson.com
877-354-0650 DukesHD.com
403-250-3141 HarleyDavidsonOfCalgary.com
Vehicle shown may vary visually by market and may differ from vehicles manufactured and delivered. See your Dealer for details. ©2017 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.
70 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
TRAVeL: COLORADO
nORTH des ERn BC erts to peaks adv enture
jUne 201 7 CeLeBR AT
Subscribe Today!
MADneSS dRuM aLbERHELLER Ta
j u Ly 2 0 1 7 CELEBR AT
Motorcycle Mojo • Great adventure & travel stories • Safety tips and techniques • Bike and product reviews • Mojo Garage where even the simplest of tips will come in handy • Includes our monthly newsletter FREE!
20
$
THAT’S A SAVINGS OF OVER 66%
000R
ROCK Y MTRAVO EL: U N TA TESTED: I N
WI TH HO RI ZO nS
Subscription to
2017 SU TeSTeD: GSX ZUKI -R1
InG 15 Ye ARS
A reflecti
Oh C A A L A SK A 2.5 yE ROAD AR T the beg
inning of the
MOT ORC $5.9 5
PM 407610
end of
a
HOnd Yama a REbEL ha YZF -R6
ING 15 yE ARS
Un LIM ITe D
on of Can
UNOBT 1926 H -D MOAINIUM 8-ValvDEL 17 e Race r DIS GENTLTINGUISH ED EMAN
adian tra
Dave pp erlsin Va’SncRIDE ou ve r PL US : Mojo Ga rag e:
nAdA !
Sh ort eni ng
1 50 RIp
YCL EMO
• Volu
me 16
40 Displa y until
JO.C OM
Issu e
INTRODUCING THE
a For k
5
June 30
Celeb Canadrate with a G ian Ad re ventu at re
MOT ORC $5.9 5
YCL EMO
• Volu
me 16
JO.C OM
Issu e
6
10 great issues plus a calendar at the beginning of the year
MOJOSEPTOCT2017
PM 407610
40 Displa y until
July 31
1255 Kennedy Road Toronto, Ontario 416-752-1560 SnowCity.com
plus tax
subscribe at motorcyclemojo.com/gift and use code 20MOJO16
®, TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its affiliates.
KTM 1090 ADVENTURE Protective accessories are coming soon.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 71
1174 South Service Rd. West, Oakville, ON
905-681-7270 22 Commerce Park Drive, Barrie, Ontario
705-881-1420 PeakPowersports.ca
Enjoy a career at one of Canada’s top motorcycle dealerships! Apply today!
Humber and Harley-Davidson are teaming up for 2017. Learn to ride, get your licence on the new 500cc Street! More course details coming soon... humber.ca/motorcycle
Classy Chassis & Cycles is expanding again!
Enjoy living and working in the beautiful Kawarthas.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ABOVE AVERAGE PROFESSIONALS: • • • • • • • •
Top service Techs Harley and Metric Experienced Motorcycle Service Tech apprentice Service Manager Service Associates Parts & Accessories Associate High-performance Motorcycle Sales Associate for Harley-Davidson and Metric Sales Sales Manager F&I Manager
Contact JON at revdadjon@gmail.com 72 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
R nineT Racer BMW is doing the retro thing in a big way. It all began with the R nineT a couple of years ago, and other models have spun off from there, including the Scrambler, the Pure, the Urban G/S â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and the one we ride in the next issue, the Racer.
Photo by Jeff Davison
next issue November 2017
Living the Frugal Life
Photo by Didier Constant
Jeff Davison enjoys the simple life en route to sun and sandy beaches in southern Florida. His low-budget approach takes advantage of compact conveniences, perfectly suited for nights under the stars and dinners for one. It appears heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s got the perfect plan for a solo adventure to Key West, but what was that saying about even the best-laid plans?
FEAR NO STORM
Distributed by
TwistedThrottle.ca
D-Series Modular Dry Bags
Guaranteed 100% waterproof. With a rigid core and slip-lock mounting straps, these bags can be used alone or combined for 8 unique packing solutions.
september/october 2017 motorcycle mojo 73
remember when? Your Motorcycle Memories
This is a 1967 image of my brother, Gil Neufield aboard a Hodaka 90 at Riley Crossing Motocross Track, just outside of Dawson Creek, B.C. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Submitted by Gary Neufield.
Submissions to Remember When? are always welcome. If your photo(s) is printed we will send you $25.00 High resolution digital photos are acceptable as well as prints. If you wish the print back please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send to: editor@motorcyclemojo.com 74 motorcycle mojo september/october 2017
X MOTO 2
GEAR UP FOR ADVENTURE PREMIUM COMPONENTS, UNIQUE FEATURES.
MOTORCYCLE APPAREL OLYMPIAMOTOSPORTS.COM @OLYMPIAMOTOSPORTS