SPORTSTER S SPORTSTER S SPORTSTER S
Model shown includes parts and accessories sold separately. Contact your local dealer for details.
BORN TO OUTPERFORM H-D.com/SportsterS
TABLE OF CONTENTS INSIDE Opinions 6 14 16 18 42 44 46
Inside Line | Patrick Lambie On the Pipe | Mark Dzikowski The Sharp Edge | Toni Sharpless To the Limit | Brett McCormick The Dirt | Dawn McClintock Frankly Speaking | Frank Wood Road Race Reality | Colin Fraser
INSIDE Features 34 38 52
Inside Touring Couple’s Therapy CHD Customs No-limit bagger IM Q&A Travis Koprowsky
August/September 2021 Volume 24 Issue 03/04 On the Cover: Originally introduced in 1981 with the R80G/S, BMW’s GS lineup has been developed and refined over the last four decades, culminating with 2021’s Edition 40 Years GS limited edition motorcycles. Our review of the 2021 R 1250 GS begins on page 20. Cover Design: Dawn McClintock Main Photo: Ben Quinn Bottom Photos: Patrick Lambie
INSIDE Competition INSIDE Impressions 20 28
The Big 4-0 2021 BMW R 1250 GS – Edition 40 Years GS Taking it to the Streets 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM
INSIDE Tech 50
Suspension Setup Front sag and a few questions
60
Rapid Classics Kim Newcombe and the Konig 500 GP
Also INSIDE 4 IM Zoom 8 Inside News 12 Inside Accessories 56 MotoGuide
Visit us online:
www.insidemotorcycles.com
@inside_motorcyc
facebook.com/ InsideMotorcycles
inside_motorcycles _magazine
While rainy cool weather hampered the beginning of the 2021 riding season, the dark cloudy skies provided a great backdrop for photos of the all-new 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM. PHOTO BY BEN QUINN InsideMotorcycles.com 3
4 Inside Motorcycles
STREET ART
The opportunity to not only photograph but also ride some of the amazing creations from Calgary’s CHD Customs offered a unique perspective that we couldn’t pass up. The challenge was finding locations that were equally unique. Fortunately, the city’s growing collection of vibrant street art provided a series of one-of-a-kind backdrops. Turn to page 38 to see more from CHD Customs and visit www.insidemotorcycles.com to check out the complete photo gallery.
ZOOM InsideMotorcycles.com 5
INSIDE LINE BY PATRICK LAMBIE
Inside Track Communications, Inc. PO Box 370, Brights Grove, ON N0N 1C0 (Administration) 78 Airdrie Road, East York, ON M4G 1M2 (Editorial) 416-962-RACE (7223) • Fax: 416-962-7208 • www.insidemotorcycles.com
Time flies
I
t is somewhat surreal to think that as I am writing this column we are already in the final days of July and the 2021 Canadian riding season is half over. The positive is that after months of a neverending cycle of will-we-or-won’t-we even get a chance to ride, we are finally back out on the road and trails. And while the weather hasn’t always been perfect, it is great to be back on two wheels. Racing action is also back on track and fans are even being gradually allowed to return to the stands. Of course, this return to normalcy comes with challenges and opportunities. While it is exciting to be back on our bikes, it is important not to let the thrill of riding and finally socializing with friends override the realities of safety. Unfortunately, every riding season is accompanied by news reports of serious – often fatal – motorcycle accidents and the frequency of these so far in 2021 suggest this could be one of the worst years ever. I get it, we have all endured 18 months of uncertainty and isolation so there is a natural tendency to twist the throttle just a little bit harder, but please keep in mind that you are ultimately responsible for your safety and, equally importantly, the safety of those around you. A return to normal also means a return to travel. I was lucky enough to do a quick tour in the Rocky Mountains with my wife for this issue (see Couple’s Therapy starting on page 34) and I can tell you that as anxious as we have been to travel, the staff who work in the hotels, restaurants and shops are equally as excited to have customers back in their establishments. In case you haven’t settled on a destination for your travels, it would be hard to find a more versatile motorcycle than the 2021 BMW R 1250 GS that is featured on the cover of this issue. Be sure to check out senior editor Jason Thorpe’s review starting on page 20 of the Edition 40 Years GS special anniversary model that Mr. Thorpe refers to as the best motorcycle in the world. Maybe you don’t want to travel. Perhaps a bike to get you around town (briskly) and blow off some steam during the occasional track day is more to your liking? Senior editor Colin Fraser has you covered with his look at Kawasaki’s brand new 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM starting on page 28. At just $6,799 this Supermoto will have you asking yourself: “What am I waiting for?” Finally, as you are reading through this issue, please take the time to notice the advertisers. These companies, along with all of your local motorcycle shops and dealerships, are critical to motorcycling in Canada. Now that we’re back, let’s not lose sight of the need to support them. Until next time, be safe and get out and ride. IM
6 Inside Motorcycles
EDIT EDITOR Patrick Lambie patrick@insidemotorcycles.com
GENERAL MANAGER David Weber david@insidemotorcycles.com
SENIOR EDITORS Colin Fraser colin@csbk.ca
TECHNICAL EDITOR John Sharrard acceltech@sympatico.ca
Toni Sharpless tojam39@gmail.com
OFF-ROAD EDITOR Mark Dzikowski mark.dzik.moto@gmail.com
Jason Thorpe jason@insidemotorcycles.com
COPY EDITORS Andrew Trevitt Elisa Ward
Andrew Trevitt andrew.trevitt@gmail.com
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Ed Gatner, Ben Quinn, Tim McGill
Frank Wood motor_mouth43@hotmail.com
SALES/MARKETING David Weber david@insidemotorcycles.com
Mike Galipeau mike@insidemotorcycles.com
Lindsey Broad lindsey@insidemotorcycles.com
Rob Morton rob@insidemotorcycles.com
ART/PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER James Neilson james@insidetracknews.com
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dawn McClintock Lindsey Broad
CIRCULATION/OFFICE OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Isabel Weber isabel@insidemotorcycles.com
SUBSCRIPTION RATES (CANADA) 1 Year (8 issues): $24.99 2 Years (16 issues): $39.99
Ethan Weber admin@insidemotorcycles.com
WHERE TO FIND INSIDE MOTORCYCLES You can find us at finer news outlets like: Chapters-Indigo Shoppers Drug Mart Walmart Loblaws Alternatively, you can pick up a copy at your favourite motorcycle retailer or insidemotorcycles.com.
CUSTOMER SERVICE/ SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES Lindsey Broad lindsey@insidemotorcycles.com SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES subscriptions@insidemotorcycles.com
PUBLISHER Inside Motorcycles is published 8 times a year by Inside Track Communications, Inc. PRESIDENT: John Hopkins john@insidemotorcycles.com
TREASURER: David Weber david@insidemotorcycles.com
VICE PRESIDENT: Greg MacPherson greg@insidemotorcycles.com
SECRETARY: Rob Morton rob@insidemotorcycles.com
CONTRIBUTORS Graham Clayton, Steve Hoffarth, Zac Kurylyk, Lee Martin, Brett McCormick, Suzanne Pelletier, Bruce Thomas, Shelby Turner, Todd Vallee.
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Editorial contributions should be preceded by a query letter. Inside Track Communications Inc. assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to materials. Letters are considered “for publication,” unless otherwise indicated, and may be condensed.
PHOTOGRAPHERS Graham Clayton, Richard Coburn, Don Empey, Shelley Gamm, Les Kalman, Rob MacLennan, Tim McGill, John Meaney, Bill Murphy, Outlaw Productions, Paolo Pedicelli, Karolina Pelc, Bill Petro, Bob Szoke, John R. Walker. MAIL PREFERENCES We may make our mailing list available to other carefully screened organizations. The material sent to you is reviewed by us before our mailing list is released to ensure the company is reputable and their materials are appropriate. If you would prefer NOT to share your information, write to Privacy, c/o Inside Track Communications, PO Box 370, Brights Grove, ON N0N 1C0 or email: privacy@insidemotorcycles.com. COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication without prior written permission of Inside Track Communications Inc. is strictly prohibited.
DISCLAIMER All content within this magazine is provided for general information, educational and resource purposes only. Inside Motorcycles is not responsible or liable for any action that a reader takes in connection with the demonstrated exercises, instructions and riding advice provided in this magazine. Please note that certain activities described in this magazine may be dangerous, especially if proper safety equipment and clothing is not used. RIDE SAFE All riders pictured and contributing to Inside Motorcycles are trained riders, riding in safe conditions. Please take care in riding and wear all safety equipment. RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN MAIL TO: PO Box 370, Brights Grove, ON N0N 1C0 ISSN 1480-0187 Publications Mail Agreement #40023793
THE BMW M 1000 RR BORN ON THE RACETRACK
Passion, commitment and the highest levels of performance – we proudly present the new M RR. It’s the first M model from BMW Motorrad. Are you ready for your next personal best? #NeverStopChallenging Visit bmw-motorrad.ca for more information.
© 2021 BMW Motorrad Canada. “BMW”, the “BMW Logo”, 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.
Sportster Revolution
In arguably the most significant change in the history of its Sportster lineup, Harley-Davidson has introduced the 2021 Sportster S. Built around the Revolution Max 1250T liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin that debuted earlier this year in the Pan America, the Sportster’s powerplant has been retuned to provide additional torque at low rpm. In an effort to keep the bike’s overall weight down, the engine is incorporated as a stressed member of the frame. Premium components include fully adjustable Showa suspension (43 mm inverted front fork and rear shock with hydraulic preload adjustment) as well as Brembo brakes. The Sportster S also features selectable ride modes (Sport, Road and Rain) which are programmed to provide optimal settings for the bike’s power delivery, engine braking and lean sensitive ABS and traction control. Riders will also have the ability to create their own custom ride mode. Instrumentation on the Sportster S is provided with a Bluetooth-equipped four-inch round LCD display, which is compatible with the Harley-Davidson app. Lighting is all LED including a Daymaker LED headlight. Colour options for the 2021 Sportster S are Vivid Black, Stone Washed White Pearl and Midnight Crimson. Available accessories include a mid-control conversion kit, detachable windshield, tailbag, solo seat and a pillion kit. The 2021 Sportster S is scheduled to arrive on showroom floors in the fall with an MSRP of $17,999. For more information visit www.harley-davidson.com/ca. IM
Yamaha Unveils 2022 Off-road Lineup
The 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S arrives in dealerships this fall. PHOTO COURTESY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON CANADA
Correction
In the June / July 2021 issue of Inside Motorcycles we noted that the windshield on the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX was not adjustable. As pointed out by the team from Canadian Kawasaki Motors, the windshield is in fact adjustable. – Ed.
Yamaha has rolled out their 2022 lineups of two-stroke and four-stroke off-road motorcycles highlighted by an all-new YZ125. The first major update to their 125 cc motocrosser in over 15 years is centred around a new liquid-cooled single-cylinder engine that has been designed with mid- and high-rpm performance in mind. Fully-adjustable KYB fork and rear shock, redesigned brake rotors and a revised six-speed transmission combine with improved rider ergonomics to create the latest iteration of the YZ125. MSRP for the 2022 YZ125 is $8,199. In addition to the 125, the two-stroke lineup is expanded for 2022 with the addition of the new YZ85LW (large wheel). Based on the proven YZ85, the large wheel version The all-new Yamaha YZ125. PHOTO COURTESY OF YAMAHA MOTOR CANADA features a 19-inch front wheel and a 16-inch rear wheel. MSRP for the YZ85 is $6,499 and $6,699 for the YZ85LW model. On the four-stroke side, both the YZ250F and YZ450F motocross machines receive significant updates for 2022 including new suspension settings, lightweight rear hub, updated rear wheel and new graphics. Both models can also be purchased with the Monster Energy Yamaha Racing Edition graphics package. MSRP for the 2022 YZ250F is $9,999 and $11,099 for the YZ450F. The YZ250FX cross-country racer also gains improvements for 2022 with a number of features drawn from the YZ250F, including updated brake systems designed to enhance feel while also providing better heat dissipation. A new high capacity muffler has been added for 2022 with a goal of improving high-rpm performance. MSRP for the 2022 YZ250FX is $10,099. Visit www.yamaha-motor.ca for details on Yamaha’s complete 2022 off-road lineup. IM OUND
CHECKE FLAG RED BACKGR
8 Inside Motorcycles
KTM Goes to Extremes
KTM is taking their LC8c engine lineup to the next level with the introduction of the all-new, track-only RC 8C. Drawing on the same 899 cc, DOHC, eight-valve parallel-twin found in the KTM 890 Duke R, the limited-production RC 8C features carbon-Kevlar reinforced bodywork inspired by the company’s RC16 MotoGP race bike. A 25CrMo4 steel tubular frame, fully-adjustable WP Apex Pro suspension components, Brembo race-spec equipment and lightweight Dymag wheels with Pirelli SC1 slicks ensure the RC 8C is ready for the track. An Aim MXS 1.2 race dashboard and data logger with integrated GPS is included for data collection. A five-inch TFT display, with integrated data recording, provides information to the rider. Canadian MSRP for the 2022 RC 8C is $43,999. The RC 8C is currently available for pre-order at www.ktm.com/en-ca/rc-8c.html The racetrack-ready 2022 KTM RC 8C. PHOTO COURTESY OF KTM CANADA In addition to owning one of 100 units produced, 25 customers will have the opportunity to attend a private RC 8C racetrack experience at Circuito de Jerez with KTM Factory Racing’s Mika Kallio and Dani Pedrosa in October 2021. Purchasers of this event option will also receive the KTM RC 8C Racetrack Package which includes an extra set of Dymag wheels, an extra set of front and rear brake discs, paddock stands, tire warmers and a KTM race carpet. IM
Triumph Heads Off-Road
Triumph Motorcycles has announced their intention to tackle the world of off-road racing with the planned introduction of new competition-ready MX and enduro lineups and a commitment to expanding the Triumph factory race program to include these disciplines. This latest endeavour includes the introduction of two new members of the Triumph team with motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and former EnduroGP and International Six Day Enduro champion Ivan Cervantes. Nick Bloor, CEO Triumph Motorcycles Ltd., said “This marks the beginning of a new chapter for Triumph. We are 100 percent committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world, with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle lineup for a whole new generation of Triumph riders.” Timetable of the launch of these new lineups will be announced in the coming months. Stay tuned to www.triumph-motorcycles.ca for further details. IM
Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael is part of the team that will take Triumph off-road.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES
InsideMotorcycles.com 9
Racing vs. Winning
Isn’t the saying “Win on Sunday – sell on Monday”? You got it wrong on page 12 KTM 2022 off-road article, you said “race on Sunday – sell on Monday.” Does that imply it’s junk and you didn’t win? I’m joking I love KTMs. Erwin Jands Peachland, BC Hi Erwin, thanks for your email. After reading it I was curious and looked into both the saying and its origin. You are 100 percent correct; that saying is reported to originally be coined in the 1960s by Bob Tasca Sr. of Tasca Ford in Providence, Rhode Island as “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.” The good news is that the way KTM has been performing this year, racing on Sunday is usually winning in Sunday as well. – Ed. IM
Who’s at Fault vs. Who’s Responsible
By Michel Mersereau / Rider Training Institute Becoming a motorcyclist is a cultural process. Regardless of the sub-group you identify with, the mystique and rebellious quality surrounding the lifestyle can complicate our attitude on the street; this can quickly turn into a double-edged sword if we’re not careful. Part of the problem is that it’s difficult for riders to adopt an objective state of mind regarding their road sharing responsibilities. This doesn’t exempt drivers in any way, but many riders have trouble accepting that their increased vulnerability means accepting higher-than-average responsibility for their safety. Below is a real-world scenario to help illustrate what I’m talking about. Who’s at fault and, more to the point, who’s responsible? Beyond anything else, this scenario demonstrates that fault and responsibility are not so easily painted with the same brush. Surely fault lies with the negligent Here, a left turning motorcyclist makes immediate eye contact driver, but who is ultimatewith the operator of a streetcar, having just stopped to disembark passengers. The operator waives the rider through to com- ly responsible? Despite the best intentions of the transit plete a turn ahead of the waiting streetcar. Despite an impaired line of sight, the motorcyclist proceeds on the operator’s invita- operator, the motorcyclist tion. Unbeknownst to the rider and the transit driver, a vehicle proceeded into a blind manhas illegally proceeded past the open doors of the streetcar. oeuvre assuming the coast was clear. Considering how tragic the outcome could have been for the rider, how little comfort would be found in knowing “It was the other guy’s fault.” Once the debris has been cleared, the insurance settlements brokered and the legal consequences doled out… riders involved in single or multi vehicle incidents are left to cope with the trauma of the experience years after the fact. The best approach to managing ourselves on the roads is to fine-tune our attitudes towards a more holistic worldview of road sharing with a view to minimizing risk. More often than not this means checking our egos and any sense of entitlement at the door before heading out. It also means looking at your ridership as a whole package, one that’s shaped by every choice you make. Are you an aggressive driver? If so, maybe you should leave the bike at home for the morning commute. If every bit of your bike is sporting the latest “dark matte” colour scheme, are you at least wearing some hi-vis gear? Do you tend to find yourself caught unaware in vehicle blind spots on the highway? Is your riding style aggressive, hesitant or assured? Most drivers would readily acknowledge that, as road users, motorcyclists are indeed a vulnerable bunch. Unfortunately, that goodwill can only extend so far because the majority of drivers will never appreciate what it feels like to experience that vulnerability day after day. Because of that it’s up to us to balance our expectations as general users of the road while accepting more responsibility for ourselves when we choose to ride a motorcycle. IM 10 Inside Motorcycles
A look through the August/September 2011 issue of Inside Motorcycles offers some insight into the movement of motorcycle prices over the last decade. Start with the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 that graced the cover ten years ago and at the time carried a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $13,699. Ten years later, the 2021 Ninja 1000SX that graced the cover of the recent June/July issue of Inside Motorcycles carries an MSRP of $14,999, roughly 9.5 percent higher or approximately a one percent per year increase. Conversely the 2011 Harley-Davidson CVO Street Glide that was reviewed in the August/September 2011 issue had a $35,949 MSRP compared to a $49,995 for the 2021 model, a 39 percent increase; four times the percentage increase on the Kawasaki. A lot of ink in the August/September 2011 issue was dedicated to CSBK competition and BMW’s Brett McCormick who was well on his way to claiming the CBSK Pro Superbike championship with his fifth consecutive win coming at Atlantic Motorsport Park on August 7 of that year. While most of the names noted in the CSBK coverage ten years ago, including McCormick, are no longer actively competing, the name that stands out is Jordan Szoke who is currently chasing his 15th Pro Superbike title in the 2021 season. The same issue saw IM travel writer Bruce Thomas recount his travels through BC as part of the 2010 WeSTOC event, attended by Honda ST owners from throughout western North America. Thomas, who would go on to organize and host the 2019 WeSTOC rally in Calgary, AB remains at his post with IM, having travelled and written about more miles in the last ten years than most people can dream of. IM
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
PEAC MAXIMA’S EXCLUSIVE ADDITIVE SYSTEM
PEAC additive system was developed by Maxima and tested with factory teams like Monster Energy Kawasaki, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki and Geico Factory Connection Honda. PEAC was designed to significantly improve performance in several critical areas: engine cleanliness, clutch performance, power & acceleration. This unique additive system is exclusive to the Maxima 4-stroke engine oil line-up. OEM Approved & Guaranteed by Maxima Racing Oils / Made in the USA / MaximaUSA.com
Olympia Gear Airglide 6 Mesh Tech Jacket and Pants
By Mark Dzikowski After reviewing the Olympia Dakar 3 two-piece suit last year and being highly impressed with their newest offering for the adventure riders, we were equally excited to test the brand-new Olympia Airglide 6 jacket and pants combo. The Airglide 6 is meant more for street riding and is best looked at as a three-season suit. Both pants and jacket now come with CE Level 2 protection armour for the back, elbows, shoulders and knees compared to Level 1 protection in the predecessors. Another upgrade is the 1000D Cordura fabric in critical zones of the suit (mainly where the CE protection is located). The jacket comes with 3M Scotchlite reflective tape at the front, sides and back and our black and yellow model was bright and visible day and night, which translates to a very welcome safety feature by increasing visibility in all conditions without being too obnoxious. You can also get the jacket in all black. Pants only come in the black option. The three-layer jacket includes the thermo mid-layer for temperatures below around 15 degrees Celsius as well as a waterproof layer that can be worn as an over- or under-layer. The pants come with a removable waterproof 2.5 layer which also doubles as a thermal layer on cold days. We tested the suit from around April onwards which included riding in sub 10 degrees Celsius to 38 degree Celsius temperatures during the late June heat wave. Once temperatures drop below 15 degrees Celsius, I always put the thermal layer on but only for shorter rides. On any long road trip in those temperatures, I donned all three layers for a cozy ride. In the warmer riding conditions, same as the Dakar 3 adventure offering, without the thermal or waterproof layer underneath, the jacket and pants flow a ridiculous amount of air. This is thanks to the ginormous mesh panels on the front and mid-back on the jacket and front thigh and lower back leg on the pants. Riding in 38 degrees Celsius is not pleasant to begin with, but with a water-soaked T-shirt underneath, it was actually much less miserable to ride in that heat. The fit, similar to the Dakar 3 offering, is of North American standard, meaning that if you’re more on the skinny side, make sure to order a size smaller than your normal street clothes, especially in the pants. I’m usually a 34-inch waist and a size 32 fit me much better but still roomy. At 6 feet 2 inches, 180 pounds I wore a Large jacket and it fit me well. The jacket and pants come with fleece-lined pockets and have quite a bit of adjustability on the arms, cuffs and waist and bottom hem on the pants and I was quite happy with the overall fit. The one gripe I had was with the neck collar, which was a little tight and pulled the jacket towards the back as if it was out of balance. I did not find that in the Dakar 3 jacket. It might be that it was driven by my posture and physique and it wasn’t a show stopper as I usually rode with the collar folded over back onto itself and attached to a convenient hook further back on the collar. A very neat feature by the way. Overall, another quality product from Olympia to add to the shopping list for those looking for an affordable and high-quality option from a Canadian company. Visit www.motovan.com for complete product details and the location of a dealer near you. IM Olympia Gear Airglide 6 Mesh Tech Jacket Sizes: S to 3XL Colours: Black, Grey/Red, Black/Neon Yellow MSRP: $469.99 Pants Sizes: 30 to 44 (waist) Colours: Black MSRP: $339.99
12 Inside Motorcycles
Pros
+ Affordable, high-quality protection and safety features + Versatile
Cons
– Pants only come in black – Neck collar / jacket imbalance
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
SAFE FOR USE IN ALL MOTORCYCLES
Maxima 4-stroke engine oils meet or exceed the requirements set forth in your motorcycle owners manual. For use in all motorcycle brands: Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas and more. Guaranteed by Maxima Racing Oils / Made in the USA / MaximaUSA.com
ON THE PIPE MARK DZIKOWSKI
Battery-powered off-road racing future?
W
came from Alta Motors, which developed a first true modern electric dirt bike. Alta started development around the same time as Zero Motorcycles, but it took them close to 10 years to release their Alta Redshift in 2016. The Redshift looked promising. Modern frame and suspension and power to compete with ICE powerplants of the masses. The bike was still heavier than the competition and more expensive, but that is understandable and would easily improve with increasing sales numbers to reduce cost and fund more R&D to reduce weight. That unfortunately never materialized and in 2018, Alta closed its doors after a failed deal with Harley-Davidson, which would have injected much needed capital into the company and save it from financial trouble. Yes, you might be thinking, “What about KTM. Don’t they make an electric dirt bike?” The answer is yes and no. KTM launched the Freeride E in 2011, but it is more of a crossover bike. By crossover, I mean it is not a fully spec’d dirt bike but more of a trialstrail bike hybrid with, for starters, a shorter seat height, shorter wheelbase and 43 mm instead of 48 mm fork, and a less powerful output motor. The bike debuted in 2011 and here we are in 2021. Still no full-size electric dirt bike from any of the major OEMs. So, what will this FIM E-Xplorer World Cup series be about? Apparently, the series will consist of 10 teams and 20 riders with equal male and female competitors which means it will be a male and female rider on each team. There will be head-tohead racing as well as time trial stages. For 2022, there will be five global events, but there are no details on exact locations and venues. What is also unknown is what kind of bikes will be allowed to enter in the series. Will this be purely for production bikes or prototypes and early developThe all-electric FIM E-Xplorer series is set to debut in 2022. ith the FIM announcement of the all-electric motorcycle off-road race series, the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup, scheduled to take place in 2022, I might have to change my column name to “On the Electrons.” That is a quality dad joke right there. With other motorsports already having electric vehicle racing championships like the Formula E (single seater racing for electric cars) or Extreme E (off-road racing series for electric SUVs à la Dakar), it is not surprising that it is finally coming to the off-road two-wheel world and frankly I’m shocked it took this long. At the same time, I’m not shocked as electric off-road motorcycles have not been the focus in development for the manufacturers worldwide. Let’s step back a bit and go over the most recent history of electric off-road focused motorcycle models. Yes, there are electric scooters, street bikes and trials bikes out there currently, but the pure high-performance motocross or off-road electric bikes have been sluggish in development. In the early 2000s Zero Motorcycles did come out with an off-road version of their street bike, but it wasn’t close to the performance of the ICE (internal combustion engine) off-road motorcycles and it was mostly a dual sport bike. The most promising project
14 Inside Motorcycles
ment models? Based on the limited press from the FIM, this series is being marketed as a test bed for electric two-wheel technology so my guess is that prototypes will be allowed. One thing that has me intrigued is that Eric Peronnard is involved in the venture. If there is one promoter that came make this racing series successful, it is him. The man behind Endurocross and other niche motorsport events like Redbull Straight Rhythm, Peronnard has a passion for motorcycles and know-how to market and grow any event from scratch. Virtually every event that he was associated with was successful. If the management team including Peronnard can somehow incentivize the major brands to enter into the series with full size motocross and enduro electric models, I think that would be a huge step forward. But I truly don’t see any brands being ready in the short-term to unveil anything before the 2022 season at least. I envision that this series will be comprised of bikes like the KTM Freeride E, modified Zero bikes, SurRon, a converted electric bicycle or a product from a new niche e-bike manufacturer. I hope the series is a success but I have my reservations. I’m always a ‘cup half-full’ kind of guy but I think the “On the Pipe” column name is here to stay for a bit longer. In my opinion, we are quite a way from full spec electric off-road motorcycles if history is anything to go by but I sure hope I’m wrong. Battery technology development is getting better and better every year. For off-road motorcycles, the power source is the main obstacle, as it needs to provide enough range and fast charging at low weight to make attractive electric alternatives to ICE. We are losing riding areas at an alarming rate, so I would welcome electric off-road motorcycles if it means we still get to twist the throttle in the backcountry. Let’s hope this FIM racing series is more than fluff, and it will make a positive shift in bringing viable alternatives to market soon. IM
THE SHARP EDGE TONI SHARPLESS
The psyche of the elite athlete
I
find the psyche of an elite athlete both intriguing and inspiring. Intriguing to observe the mental toughness and fortitude required to overcome the failures that come with winning and inspiring to see it done with resiliency, poise under stress and humility. Marc Marquez is a current example of an elite athlete’s mental toughness and fortitude. After a nine-month rehabilitation period due to a broken humerus bone in his right arm at Jerez in July 2020, the 28-yearold MotoGP superstar returned to the Repsol Honda team for the 2021 season. Prior to that there was a failed return to action a few days after his initial surgery that only proved to prolong his recovery by promoting an infection. His comeback finishes were far from the podium until Marquez won round 8 on June 20 at the German Grand Prix. “This victory makes up for the suffering,” Marquez said after the race. “This victory arrived in a very important moment because we were in a very deep situation.” Marquez went on to say he is still in rehabilitation, “One is the physical side, and the other is the mental side.” Working on the mental side to get back
into the game at full strength is one that I always found harder than the physical. Broken bones have a healing process of usually six weeks whereas a broken confidence can take longer with an uncertain process. I know this to a much lesser degree than Marquez, with a much lower injury severity and contractual stakes. I broke a collarbone at a CSBK event in Westwood, BC when I was slated to race a FIM World Endurance event at 24-hour Bol d’Or in France on the Paul Ricard circuit within two weeks. The clavicle was stabilized with a lot of tape and injections of pain-numbing anesthetic, but tape and shots were not going to treat my mental side. That came from within and with the encouragement from the right people around me. According to several online sources, Marquez found the boost he needed to his mental side within a 30-minute phone chat with MotoGP legend Mick Doohan who shared his parallel story. Like Marquez, Doohan had a fracture that became infected at the pinnacle of his career. Doohan missed only four races after the serious crash at Assen in 1992 that resulted in him in having his legs fused together to help with the blood supply to the injured leg. The doctors told Doohan he almost lost his leg. Fortitude and toughness prevailed as he stunned his doctors and fans by returning after missing only four rounds to finish the championship in second with a four-point loss behind Wayne Rainey. Doohan made up for it by going on to win five championship titles from 1994 to 1998. Curiously, at the time of writing Marquez just had a horrendous Marc Marquez returned to the top of the MotoGP podium in Germany. high side crash in free PHOTO COURTESY OF HONDA RACING CORPORATION 16 Inside Motorcycles
practice at Assen, the same track that was Doohan’s nemesis and on a Honda, apparently because of the RC213V’s electronics going awry. I can only imagine what kind of setback this has on Marquez’s mental side of his rehabilitation. To add to this, Honda has not been able to solve the mysterious right-hand slides that result in the bone breaking high sides. Luckily Marquez walked away from the Assen crash, but although he is poised and resolute you can feel the heavy stress he must be under by looking at his face in the media posts. Another warrior displaying poise under stress and resiliency is 24-year-old Ana Carrasco, the 2018 Supersport 300 World Champion. In 2020, while studying to get her law degree, Carrasco sustained two fractured vertebrae in a crash during a test session at Estoril, Portugal. The injury site was within a couple of millimetres from causing permanent damage. After two surgeries and eight months of recovery Carrasco says, “it was for sure a long recovery, but for me nothing change, I want to recover and to be fast again. I will take all this experience to try to be better.” Like Marquez and Doohan, Carrasco rehabilitated her mindset to return to the team and the sport she loves. It wasn’t long until she won a race, WSS round 2 at Misano, Italy in June 2021. George Mumford, a leading expert in sports psychology says simply, “Elite athletes are comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Marquez, Doohan and Carrasco are examples of this by pushing the limits on the track to amazing accomplishments after serious injury. Even though they have all admitted there were some low points in their rehabilitation Marquez said, “I was always optimistic, and this is the key point.” This proves the saying ‘to achieve you have to believe’ but I don’t believe that it only takes optimism, hope or belief in one’s ability to pull through a crisis or stressful situation, it also takes a resilient psyche to bounce back even stronger. IM
KISKA.COM Photo: R. Schedl
Lightweight and compact in stature, yet big in attitude. The KTM 200 DUKE is a 100 % NAKED force to be reckoned with. #GETDUKED
SEE MORE AT KTM.COM Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European specification model shown for illustration purposes only.
TO THE LIMIT BRETT MCCORMICK
The traveller
I
f you love motorcycles, you have to love travelling. The journey of touring on your bike, or the journey to every race really shapes all of us as people. Some of my most vivid memories from three decades of motorcycle passion are from the trips to and from the racetrack, or the stories that come from the time spent at a shabby motel in the middle of a bike trip so you can stretch the trip budget from three to four days. Always character-building, lesson-learning, great experiences. I can’t be the only one that appreciates the travel stories as much as the racing stories, or even remembers way more about the travel than the racing. I wish I tracked every trip over the years to count the miles I’ve made on a bike, or to go ride a bike, because with the balance in my memory bank it must be up there. I’m lucky because almost all the bike-related travel I’ve done has been alongside my dad, and we were able to stay close throughout all of it. We’ve definitely had some rough days, but that’s bound to happen – overall, he’s been an awesome
travel buddy. Everyone has different crews to travel with, and everyone has their favourite for certain reasons. Some of my favourite trips have been solo, but they rarely generate quality stories you want to tell around the campfire. Every mix of friends can bring something different to the table which I love, and I’ve travelled enough to know what to expect on each trip. I think that’s really important in travelling, especially with bikes, to realize what everyone has to offer. Not just talent, skills, or money – but more importantly personality. You can’t have too many decision makers, but you can’t have none. In my experience that’s a crucial element for a crew travelling – someone to know when to make decisions, and everyone else be the type to make anything work. The other golden rule of travelling is that you can never be overprepared, ever. Anyone else have that travel buddy that will “eat anywhere” and doesn’t want to make a decision on the spot to eat, but is quick to sulk and complain on the spot you picked? These travellers are almost as bad as the “I’ll be ready at 8,” but you don’t get off their driveway until 10:30. When it comes to food and travel, I know my mood depends on how much energy I have, so I try to be aware of this and stay fuelled. Nothing worse than travelling with someone that gets hangry (hungry angry) and isn’t aware of it. A good travel crew always has snacks on hand – can’t be waiting
Shabby motels can be a fun part of travelling by motorcycle. 18 Inside Motorcycles
for the next gas station to devour a Snickers bar and come back to life. The most exciting friend to travel with is the one that’s overly optimistic on how close (far) the destination is. This is my dad, with decades of stories from his touring buddies to back it up, every story ending with them riding their sport bikes in the middle of Nevada or Arizona at midnight when the map looked like “around two hours and we’ll be there by 8 to find a camping spot.” I think it’s genetic, because I might be even worse than him in this category. That being said, in my opinion the only person to blame in these scenarios is the person quietly accepting the suggested travel time. I’m trying to get better with it, err on the side of caution and usually add to my time estimate, because another thing I’ve learned on the road is showing up with extra time is much better than scrambling in late. Smartphones have helped this part of travelling, but I can’t be the only one out there that looks at the smartphone’s “6 hours and 32 minutes” drive time estimate and instantly starts computing, “well, that’s if you’re going the speed limit, which I never do, and they probably have some stops accounted for in there.” Maybe I’ll learn one day, because the smartphones seem to be learning and getting sneakily accurate at their predicted times. When I lived in Italy during the year of WSBK, I travelled by train a few times, which is a whole other beast when you don’t speak the language and your Italian phone is out of data. I was transferring in Milan to head over to Genoa and spend the weekend training, got on the wrong train in Milan, and headed two hours northwest (to the middle of nowhere). I made the decision to get off at the first stop and hope a train would be going back to Milan on regular intervals; I was wrong. Needless to say, I showed up about five hours late. Very underprepared on this trip, but at least I remembered snacks. IM
Experience the benefits of balancing your tires with Counteract Balancing Beads Reduce Tire Wear Eliminate Vibrations Increase Horsepower
1-800-572-8952 www.bikebeads.com
InsideMotorcycles.com 19
INSIDE IMPRESSION | 2021 BMW R 1250 GS
20 Inside Motorcycles
TURNING THE BIG
4-0
BMW R 1250 GS – Edition 40 Years GS BY JASON THORPE PHOTOS BY BEN QUINN
T
he late Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist for Rush, and the author of several motorcycle touring-related books, rode a BMW GS. He rode farther and with more intensity than anyone of my experience. And he rode a BMW GS exclusively. In my mind, as a Rush fan since forever, and as an avid motorcyclist, it’s hard to imagine a more intense, personalized recommendation. Peart rode several GS models – the 1100, 1150 and 1200. Unfortunately, I don’t think he made it to ride the 1250. But I am fairly certain that were he still alive, he would undoubtedly be riding the R 1250 GS in its 40th anniversary livery. How could I second-guess his choice? And here I am, 40 years after this bike’s inception, riding what feels like a perfected BMW R 1250 GS. Look. I’ve ridden many iterations of this motorcycle over the years. I’ve ridden GSs to the Maritimes, across South Africa and to the shore of James Bay. I’m familiar with the feel of this bike, its quirks, its strengths and its very few weaknesses. And every time I sling a leg across one of these bikes, as I pull away from the curb, I think to myself, this is the best motorcycle in the world. There. I said it. Now I should explain. The R 1250 GS gives off an air of complete confidence, solidity and, well, genius. It’s an odd-looking duck, and that’s part of its appeal. Each part, every component, is where it needs to be in order to work best. It’s the ultimate, platonic conception of a functional motorcycle.
InsideMotorcycles.com 21
One wrong turn on a trip to the beach led to some fun times in the sand. Lesson learned.
While they have evolved over the last 40 years, the outward position of the boxer engine’s cylinders (above left) and the beak above the front fender (above right) are synonymous with the BMW GS.
22 Inside Motorcycles
The Edition 40 Years GS as tested included (above top to bottom) gold-anodized tubeless spoked rims, dual display with GPS, BMW’s Dynamic ESA suspension and the special 40th anniversary livery.
There’s gizmos aplenty here. This particular unit was fully loaded, with a BMW-branded Garmin GPS right up near chin level to assist with rally raid navigation. Both rider and passenger seats are heated, and the instrument panel is a good-sized TFT display. Navigation between menu settings is accomplished via their jog wheel that’s located on the left grip - I found it a bit confusing, trying to find my way through the options, but familiarity and a longer evaluation period would likely fix that. Heated grips? Of course (but not stock though – you have to purchase them as part of an option package). Even the panniers do tricks – there’s a lever inside each pannier that in seconds expands the overall width and attendant interior volume by a good amount. The adaptive headlight is most slick – it angles the light in toward the direction of lean to assist with cornering visibility. The LED headlight itself is a pleasure, with a crisp low-beam cutoff and superb high-beam reach. There’s more. Cruise control, a full suite of traction and stability aids, ABS, more trip computer metrics than I have space to list and a nifty adjustable windshield that’s actuated by an actual tactile knob and is easily adjustable while the bike is in motion. Seat height is quickly swappable between two settings, and even in the high position, my 30-inch inseam had no trouble reaching the ground. The 40th anniversary colour scheme – which adds a hefty $2,725 to the price – provides splashes of yellow all over the place, and also includes snazzy gold-anodized tubeless spoked rims. While I do appreciate the sentiment of the retro bumblebee livery, it does feel a touch affected, and I noted that the hand guard plastic doesn’t exactly match the yellow on the tank. Still, it’s a handsome motorcycle – at least I think so. It’s an interesting contrast between my last test bike – the Harley-Davidson Road Glide CVO (review forthcoming) – and this GS. Every part on the GS looks like it was designed and placed just so because that’s exactly where it needs to go in order to function best. Continuing my reverse-engineering of BMW’s thought processes, each component is made from the material that best suits its needs. Plastic of a specific thickness. Alloy machined to the correct thickness – as it needs to be. Contrast that to the stunning art-deco, gothic-arch Harley, which was built to please a conqueror of worlds, without regard to cost, weight or overt function. Both approaches work well, depending on your design goals. The BMW might look kinda dorky, depending on your viewpoint, but it’s poetry in motion. As you snick the R 1250 GS down into gear and pull away from a standstill, everything falls to hand, the million spheres come into conjunction, and it just feels so right. The riding position is perfect – a good stretch to the knees, the bars drape your arms just so and the saddle feels like it was orthopaedically designed. This bike practically rides itself. Clutch actuation is cloud-like in its effortlessness, and the gear shift is likewise slick as soap on glass. The gearbox slides down into first almost without notice, and the long, strong motor pulls the bike away as if guided by thought. I’m eternally amused by the lateral torque effect of the big boxer motor. Blip the throttle at idle and the bike gently twists itself sideways, a reminder that there’s a big-ass crankshaft right in the middle that’s rotating perpendicular to the direction of travel. That’s the only real oddity though – you fast become accustomed to the ruler-flat torque curve that’s unique to these boxer twins, although in later generations of the 1250 liInsideMotorcycles.com 23
quid-cooled motor – and more so with this here variable-timing ShiftCam system – there’s a top-end rush that the older engines lacked. In fact, the motor in this version of the GS has turned the corner from being fast for a dual sport to just plain fast. Yes, at 136 horsepower there’s plenty of jam on tap. Fuelling is spot-on, with no lurches or dead spots, and as I hinted earlier, the GS motor is extremely well behaved. There’s a direct connection between rider intent, throttle position and activation of thrust. Whack the throttle though, and things happen fast. As with any motorcycle that produces over 100 hp, this bike is more than quick enough for any sane, well-adjusted human being. The GS, however, tempers its fury with its overall good manners - the throttle is silky in its actuation, and although the return 24 Inside Motorcycles
spring feels somewhat light, there’s no sense of jerkiness. Over each iteration of BMW’s Telelever front suspension I’ve noticed an increase in apparent sophistication. There’s always been a sensation of harshness in the initial phase of the damping, some sort of artifact of the design’s architecture, I’d wager. But on this most recent iteration of the GS I had to actively look for that stiction, so much has it been reduced. I could still sense a teensy reluctance on large hits, but the overall demeanour of the front suspension is so sophisticated that it’s mostly below the radar. It’s worthy of note that the R 1250 GS under test was equipped with BMW’s Dynamic ESA semi-active suspension, which is a $1,935 option. The differing modes – Soft, Normal
and Hard – are easily distinguishable, although each mode is directly tied to the riding modes themselves - Rain mode delivers soft suspension, Road mode engages normal, and Dynamic mode sets it to firm. Ideally I’d like to be able to directly engage the suspension setting of my choice - soft for highway droning, firm when there’s an upcoming off-ramp. Still I mostly left the GS in either Road or Dynamic modes and mostly forgot about it, the overall high quality of the suspension lulling me into nonchalance. So yes, the damping quality is excellent, with the 1250 GS delivering that buttery sophistication I’ve come to expect from today’s high-quality electronically assisted suspension. The 1250 GS is one the most neutral-handling motorcycles I’ve ever ridden.The bike neither stands up nor falls into corners. Initial corner setup is irrelevant, as the GS handles mid-corner corrections without concern. The brakes are also excellent. The Brembo radial-mount calipers up front are controlled by a non-radial master cylinder, but feel is great, with light initial travel aided by a slim, ergonomic lever. Turning over at around 3,500 rpm at 100 km/h, the engine feels relaxed on the highway. Wind protection is superb, and highway travel is peaceful and ridiculously comfortable. At the other end of the gearbox, the GS lugs down in first with reasonable grace, the low-slung engine conferring admirable balance. Up on the pegs, the GS feels surprisingly slim through the knees, given its size, and the standing position feels sufficiently stretched out to accommodate low-speed plonking. Minute one of the photo shoot for the 1250 GS found us at our ultra-secret off-road test site. Photographer Ben Quinn directed me down a slightly washed-out hill and into some deep sand. Being the obedient test rider, I complied, and the GS immediately dug itself in axle deep – not surprising as the road tires provided zero off-road grip. Quinn was worried, and asked me what we were going to do now. I responded that it’s obviously stuck beyond hope and we can let BMW know where to find their bike. He didn’t like this answer, so I figured I’d best deal with it. We took the panniers off the bike and I proceeded to rev it to the redline while pushing the thing for all I was worth. The GS started to move and began to plane out, so I hopped on and manoeuvred it toward solid ground out of the trouble spot. The takeaways from this fiasco were a) don’t ride big bikes with street tires in deep sand, b) you sure as hell can treat the big GS just like an oversized dirt bike and c) the GS looks just great dirty. By now you’ve likely got the message that I really like this motorcycle. That I like the GS really should be irrelevant, as my job is to tell you what this bike is like to live with and to ride. After all, in my position here at Inside Motorcycles, I ride many bikes and really like most of them. I hope that I have given you the measure of the R 1250 GS, but more than that, I think I’ve been obliquely trying to impress upon you that this motorcycle transcends its genre. It’s not merely a large dual sport, and it’s not merely the root of the large dual sport category. Rather the GS has the potential to be all things to most riders. Need to go on a long tour? Check. Got groceries to fetch? Check. Want to carve some corners? Got it. Fancy doing a bit of light off-roading? It’s covered. There aren’t many bikes that can do all this and do it so well. And there’s only one bike that’s been doing it for 40 years. IM
TAKE TWO. THE R 1250 RT.
I
didn’t really spend too much time investigating the R 1250 RT’s depth of features prior to picking it up – I was concentrating more on the GS as I had to write that one up first. So, as I was riding along I discovered a bunch of neat gizmos baked into this magnificent motorcycle. Hey – this thing’s got adaptive cruise control, I thought to myself as the bike slowed itself down to match traffic. And I can change gears without the bike losing its speed lock! A little later I gave an exploratory poke at the gear shifter without using the clutch and found out that yes, the RT is equipped with BMW’s Gear Shift Assist quick shifter. The only part of the RT that is a bit of a head shaker is the stereo – at a standstill it sounds muddy and indistinct, and while wearing a helmet and earplugs it’s essentially useless at anything over 20 km/h. Still, there’s so much to like here that I’m happy giving the stereo a pass. These amenities are nice and all, but it they would be lipstick on a pig if the bike itself didn’t work well. My, oh my does this bike ever work well. In my review of the R 1250 GS, I took a leap and stated that in my opinion it’s the best bike in the world. I rode the RT after the GS, after I’d submitted the review of the GS, and I had a moment there where I wondered if I’d made a mistake. Could the RT be even better? They’re built around the same motor and share much of the same componentry, the RT and the GS, but engine aside it’s hard to imagine the basic feel of two bikes being less alike. The compact RT stands in stark contrast to the gangly GS, and the experience while riding couldn’t be more different. The RT swings from below the hips – it’s so dramatically light when it’s underway, with rider input instantly reflected in the bike’s actions. It’s almost like you’re riding a moped, so feathery does the RT feel. It’s mission focused, the RT. Comfortable beyond belief, with its open riding position and firm, supportive saddle; stable at highway speeds while nimble as all get-out in corners. It’s hard to imagine a better long-distance bike. Other than the GS, that is. IM InsideMotorcycles.com 25
S P E C TA B L E
2021 BMW R 1250 GS
Suggested Retail: $21,550 / $29,527 as tested
Power: 136 hp @ 7,750 rpm
Frame: Two-section frame
Tire (rear): 170/60 R 17
Colours: Edition 40 Years GS Bumblebee Black and Yellow / Style Triple Black / Light White / Style Rallye
Torque: 105.4 ft-lb @ 6,250 rpm
Wheelbase: 1514 mm (59.6 in)
Fuel Delivery: Fuel injected
Engine: Flat twin air/liquid-cooled
Final Drive: Shaft
Seat Height: 850 mm (33.47 in) / 870 mm (34.25 in)
Brakes (front): Dual 305 mm discs, radialmount calipers, ABS
Displacement: 1,254 cc
Weight: 249 kg (547.8 lb) wet
Bore & Stroke: 102.5 x 76 mm
Transmission: Six speed
Compression Ratio: 12.5:1
26 Inside Motorcycles
Suspension (front): 37 mm BMW Telelever Suspension (rear): BMW Paralever Tire (front): 120/70 R 19
Brakes (rear): Single 276 mm disc, ABS Fuel Capacity: 20 L
InsideMotorcycles.com 27
FIRST IMPRESSION | 2021 KAWASAKI KLX300SM
TAKING IT TO
THE STREET 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM BY COLIN FRASER
K
PHOTOS BY BEN QUINN
awasaki’s new supermoto version of the dual sport KLX300, with the sub-heading SM, is a straightforward, entertaining machine. It is a versatile, flexible and friendly single, and a solid and well-priced step up from its predecessor. As with all types of supermotos, it starts with a dirt-oriented layout, in this case motivated by a mid-displacement double overhead cam, four-valve single, now up to 292 cc. The new thumper, broadly similar to the previous 250 model, is aimed at fun on the pavement rather than dual sport trail action. The initial “base model” KLX and the SM version share the same steel perimeter chassis and swingarm, as used on the earlier 250 offering. Thoughtful details, like the tucked-in passenger pegs, impress. Engine-wise, the KLX300 starts with the same powerplant as the off-road, Enduro-type KLX300R, launched last year. Inside the engine, the stroke is the same 61.2mm as the previous 249 cc model, while the bore is increased by 6 mm. The engine is certainly well-proven and sturdy. All of these takes on the same powerplant share the more aggressive cam profile originating with the newest R, suggesting a quicker-revving engine. The SM’s gearing is taller for more likely road work, with three teeth fewer on the rear sprocket. The SM’s most obvious change from the original KLX is the switch from 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels to 17-inch front and back. This alteration goes with the switch from dual sport rubber to more pavement-oriented IRS Road Winner street tires. The SM also gets a large front brake rotor to go with the added traction provided by the new front wheel and tire, the petal-shaped offering now measuring 300 mm rather than the base KLX version’s 250.
28 Inside Motorcycles
InsideMotorcycles.com 29
While the KLX300SM stands out on its own with 17-inch wheels and a large 300 mm front brake disc as well as the yellow on black graphics (top left to right) it shares the 292 cc fuel-injected engine with the KLX300 and a majority of components including LCD display and lighting (bottom left to right).
30 Inside Motorcycles
Chassis geometry-wise, the SM get a steeper rake, at 25 degrees, and less trail, down to 2.8 inches. Front fork springs and rear Uni-Track shock spring are stiffer than on the KLX. Kawasaki states that wheel travel is reduced just over an inch, both front and rear. There are other detail differences, including the blue all digital dash display on the SM, compared to the orange treatment with the KLX. The mirrors on the SM are kind of rectangular, compared to the traditional round offerings on the KLX. I think the old-school round ones work slightly better. While the KLX is often shown with a new camouflage pattern, the SM is more conservatively offered with either Kawasaki lime green or ebony. In both treatments, the overall theme is black since much of the bodywork, as well as the wheels, frame and swingarm, are black. This gives the SM a nicely detailed, classy appearance, although one wise guy said the lime green on the fenders didn’t quite match the brighter hue on the tank logo. In terms of pilot fit, the chassis setup for the SM allows for easy, feet flat on the ground seating, while stopped, for riders with a 30-inch inseam. Also, worth noting are the rubber inserts in the footpegs of the SM, likely calming vibration but also meaning you pull your feet up a little higher once underway. The handlebar on the SM version is also slightly narrower than with the KLX, and that also lessens vibration at speed. At 138 kg (304 lb) wet, the Kawasaki is a light bike, and with the situp riding position and wide bar, very confidence-inspiring for newer or relatively smaller pilots. And it is always worth mentioning that the SM’s standard tall, sit up riding position makes it much easier to see, and be seen, in traffic when compared to almost any other style of motorcycle. Kawasaki states that the front spring rate for the SM is 39 percent stiffer than the dual sport version, with a 23 percent increase in stiffness at the back. This adjustment helps with the pitch issues that are typical issues on dirt bike-based setups on pavement. Weight transfer is always your friend in terms of traction, but too much pitch can make controllability an issue. Even with our large-sized tester, the SM was well modulated, although the odd pothole could catch you off guard if you were not attentive – no different from most other two-wheelers. The SM could be a little front-end twitchy at speed, but one of the many benefits of the short tank and long seat is that it is easy to adjust your position on the bike, either to ease seat issues on the highway or aid stability. The SM has a tank size that requires frequent stops during any planned touring. The tank is rated at 7.7 litres, and we had the small fuel light and larger flashing FUEL display come up at almost 120 kilometres. When we gassed up about 10 kilometres later, the SM took 5.5 litres, so reserve is an extensive backup. In the interests of full disclosure, I owned an earlier version of the SM just over a decade ago, so I know the machine well. I liked the bike when I first tested it, and then a friend of mine who worked at Kawasaki in the US provided some inside information. It turned out that a range of parts meant for other Kawasaki models, including ATVs, could be installed to upgrade the 250SM. I eventually got the bike up to almost 30 horsepower
with the help of Z1’s Zaid Saleemi and Scott Cartier – quite an upgrade from the stock 18 plus. The bike still looked stock and was quiet, thanks to the ATV muffler! Eventually, I switched to a bigger flat side carburetor (this was before the current fuel injection upgrade), and that helped with the output, although the bike got snatchy to ride at low revs and low speed. Our 2021 tester ran on Brooklin Cycle Racing’s Dynojet dyno and yielded just over 23 horsepower at the rear wheel. Fuel injection means the bike is not nearly as cold blooded, or slow to warm-up, as its carb-equipped predecessor. In terms of power delivery, the SM likes to stay over 4,000 rpm, or it can be a little rough-running. It pulls well to the 10,500 rpm redline, although I found it a little breathless at very high revs – stick with the very strong and entertaining midrange. The midrange certainly shows solid improvement over the previous version, probably due to the different camshaft profile and fuel injection system. You can ride at 65 km/h in sixth gear, and that puts you at 4,200 revs, and the KLX300SM is happy to get down to business at a pinned throttle from that setting. The real sweet spot for me was just over 7,000 rpm. Our tester was almost brand new, and the gearbox action improved during our time with the SM. The transmission action was positive, with neutral easy to find. The clutch was also solid and predictable and should be good for learners and the initially cautious. We might consider an aftermarket adjustable lever. We could cruise at over 120 km/h on the highway with the SM, but the bike feels busy and revvy above that pace, and a long ride wouldn’t be great. However, the riding position and seat are reasonable, and a day on a variety of back roads at lower speed would be fun. Current SM owners please address your updates and complaints to Editor Lambie! Our time with the 2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM coincided with a period of unseasonably cold and wet weather in southern Ontario – not ideal for testing a machine that you look forward to leaning over and riding, well, aggressively. Instead, we wore all our warmest clothes and noted that while the SM didn’t offer much wind protection, it also didn’t produce much turbulence, perhaps due to the shape of the small headlight shroud up front. Hand guards might be a nice option in cooler conditions, and a quick look shows that Kawasaki offers them as an accessory. The tucked-in aftermarket rear rack also looks worthy. On our delayed photo shoot day, cold temperatures and drizzle led to some uncomfortable cornering, including one low speed, sideways moment on slick concrete. I know the bike handles well in both traditional, low speed, foot out, supermoto style, as well as knee down, more traditional road work method. Just not so much at four degrees Celsius! So, I was frustrated to miss out on cornering fun with the SM, and jealous of the American writers who recently tested at a go-kart track – a great choice to show off the tight turn prowess of the SM. My attempt to find a little track time in Canada was thwarted by the ongoing pandemic, so it clearly wasn’t meant to be! There is much to love about the new Kawasaki KLX300SM, and the price is certainly competitive. My only complaint would be the lack of ABS, and I hope Kawasaki looks at this in the future. Otherwise, the new SM is strong, able and most of all, fun. IM InsideMotorcycles.com 31
S P E C TA B L E
2021 Kawasaki KLX300SM PROS:
+ Versatile and fun + Improved, torquey and flexible mill
CONS:
- Most missed is ABS - Price is a treat
Suggested Retail: $6,799 Colours: Lime Green/Ebony Engine: Liquid-cooled, 4-stroke, DOHC, four-valves per cylinder Displacement: 292 cc Bore & Stroke: 78 mm x 61.2 mm Compression Ratio: 11.1:1 Power: 23.3 hp @ 8,100 rpm, rear wheel Dynojet dyno 32 Inside Motorcycles
Torque: 15.2 ft-lb @ 8,000 rpm, rear wheel Dynojet dyno Fuel Delivery: EFI, 34mm Keihin throttle body Final Drive: Chain Weight: 138 kg (304 lb) fully wet, claimed Transmission: Six speed, wet multi-plate clutch Frame: Box-section perimeter hightensile steel frame, aluminum D-section swing arm
Wheelbase: 1,435 mm (56.5 in) Seat Height: 860 mm (33.9 in) Suspension (front): 43 mm inverted cartridgestyle fork, adjustable for compression damping Suspension (rear): Uni-Track gas-charged single shock with piggyback reservoir, adjustable for rebound damping and spring preload Tire (front): IRS RX-01 F Road Winner 110/70-17 MC 54S
Tire (rear): IRS RX-01 R Road Winner 130/70-17 M/C 62S Brakes (front): Single 300 mm petal disc, Nissin two-piston caliper, Nissin master cylinder Brakes (rear): Single 240 mm petal disc, onepiston caliper Fuel Capacity: 7.7 L
P
COU
Y
L
THERA S ’ P E A Rocky Mountain Adventure BY PATRICK LAMBIE
The Rocky Mountains provide a spectacular backdrop for any adventure.
A
fter more than three decades of travelling together, the one trip that has eluded my wife Heidi and I is a motorcycle trip. In fairness, the fact that Heidi has no desire to ride on a motorcycle is a limiting factor. While I have always been accepting of her reluctance towards motorcycles, the inability to share the experience of travelling the country free of the confines of a car is one that I have long hoped to correct. With this goal resident in the back of my mind, a plan started to gradually formulate last year when Heidi willingly jumped on the back of a Can-Am Spyder RT Limited that I was testing for Inside Motorcycles. While she still was uneasy with this new-to-her proximity to the surrounding traffic, the perceived stability of three wheels vs. two gave her the confidence to join me for a ride. Planning kicked into high gear with the introduction of CanAm’s limited edition Spyder RT Sea to Sky model earlier this year. In addition to a stunning green paint colour dedicated to the natural foliage found along Hwy 99 as it ascends to Whistler, BC, the Sea to Sky model features every possible option including custom luggage designed to fit the saddlebags and front trunk, as well as a top case that can easily accommodate two full-face helmets, making it the perfect vehicle for a couple to tour with. Looking for a simple trip designed to appeal to Heidi, I took a page out of IM travel writer Bruce Thomas’ hub city playbook
34 Inside Motorcycles
and proposed a three-day trip using Canmore, AB as a base for exploring the Rocky Mountains. With its proximity to multiple destinations including Icefields Parkway and Jasper, Lake Louise and its year-round gondola, Hwy 93 towards Radium, and the Smith Dorian highway into Kananaskis, there are day rides to meet every style and level of riding. In addition to its great location, Canmore also has a large inventory of condo style hotels that cost the same as a hotel room in nearby Banff but offer full two- and three-bedroom units – complete with full kitchens – that are perfect for unwinding at after a day of riding. A call to Bellstar Resorts yielded a reservation at the Solara Resort and Spa, which in addition to being a short walk to all the downtown shops and restaurants, includes underground parking, perfect for keeping motorcycles protected from the weather and other unwanted elements. With plans firmly in place, the wildcard called weather reared its head in the days leading up to our planned ride with forecasts calling for cool temperatures and rain – lots of rain – falling on each and every one of the three scheduled days of riding. Despite serious consideration of cancelling our trip, the limited track record for accuracy in the local weather forecasts provided the confidence to proceed as planned and on a Friday afternoon in mid-June we set off from our home in Calgary
Wrapping up day 1 with drinks on our patio at Solara and a view of the Three Sisters mountains. The Can-Am Spyder RT easily accommodated all our luggage and two full-face helmets. Three wheels? Check. Gear? Check. Lots of luggage space? Check. Let’s ride!
under, of course, sunny skies. Wanting to make sure that Heidi had an enjoyable time, blasting down the TransCanada highway didn’t seem like a viable option so we made our way to Cochrane, AB where we turned onto Hwy 1A. While the 80 km section of Hwy 1A from Cochrane to Canmore, known as the Bow Valley Trail, may not be as popular as the Bow Valley Parkway that runs from Banff to Lake Louise, it also offers the chance to travel along some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. For anyone who has travelled this stretch of road in the past, the good news is that the road surface, which previously was full of potholes to the point of being treacherous, has received some attention over the last few years and now offers a much smoother ride. If you are planning to ride this stretch of road, keep in mind that the section that goes through the Stoney Nakoda Reserve has no shoulders and it is not unheard of to come around a corner to find a horse standing in the middle of the road. So, take your time, ride safely and enjoy the scenery. Whether it was the forecast of inclement weather or the time of day, we encountered minimal traffic, which provided the opportunity to ride a relaxed pace, stopping along the way for photo ops, including the mysterious dome at the Lafarge plant in Exshaw. Visible from the Trans-Canada Highway, the out-ofthis-world looking storage shed is even more imposing up close. Checked in to the resort with the Spyder securely tucked away for the night, we took the scenic walk downtown in the shadow of the Three Sisters mountains for dinner at our favourite restaurant, Murrieta’s, which is a must for steak fans. One final check of the weather forecast before calling it a day suggested that our luck was going to run out with the arrival of rain early next morning. Adopting an it-is-what-it-is attitude, we went to sleep with
plans for an early start to avoid the crowds that have become a mainstay at tourist destinations in the Rockies. Following breakfast at the must-visit Rocky Mountain Bagel Co., we made our way west along the Trans-Canada Highway in the cool, but dry, conditions, thankful for the heated seats and grips that the Sea to Sky Spyder offers both rider and passenger. I had hoped to jump back onto the 1A at Banff and ride the Bow Valley Parkway, but the section between the Banff exit and Castle Mountain is now reserved solely for pedestrian and cycling traffic. Arriving at the Castle Mountain exit, we found ourselves sitting at the railway crossing waiting for a long freight train to pass. On previous bike tours, where the goal was always focused on beating traffic to the next set of twisties, this would have been an annoyance; however, having adopted this weekend’s relaxed mantra, I sat back and took in the surroundings which included a perfect view of Castle Mountain emerging behind the train. This is something I would have never noticed in my typical hurry-up style of riding – there is probably a lesson in there somewhere. A casual cruise along the parkway brought us to Lake Louise and with hopes that the road to Moraine Lake was still open (park officials typically close the road when parking at the lake reaches capacity, leaving a shuttle bus as the only option for visiting this attraction), we headed up the mountain. Once again, the inaccuracy of weather forecasters worked to our advantage as crowds were very light and we were able to ride the winding 11-kilometre road up to the lake. For those who are too young to remember, Moraine Lake and its surrounding InsideMotorcycles.com 35
Moraine Lake always offers up once-in-a-lifetime photo ops.
The second highest waterfall in Canada, Takakkaw Falls is located just across the Alberta/BC border. Castle Mountain casts its imposing but
ten mountain peaks graced the welcoming shadow as we wait for the freight train to pass. back of the Canadian twenty dollar bills issued in 1969 and 1979, and being able to take it in was a great way to start the day. With Moraine Lake in the rearview mirror we set our sights once The Bow Valley Parkway between Banff and again on the Trans-Canada HighCastle Mountain remains closed to vehicle traffic, offering pedestrians and cyclists a unique way, heading west to Takakkaw opportunity to experience the Rocky Mountains. Falls, located in Yoho National Park just across the BC border. While the 13-kilometre ride along along the road that provides a great view of Cathedral MounYoho Valley Road and its three sets of tight switchbacks are tain and the upper tunnel of the Kicking Horse spiral train not for the faint of heart, the sheer spectacle of the 373-metretunnels. high falls (second highest in Canada) is something that defies A lunch stop in Lake Louise and another visit to the Bow Valpictures and needs to be seen in person to be truly appreciated. ley Parkway wrapped up an excellent day of riding as we made As an added bonus, train enthusiasts will appreciate a pullout our way back to Canmore in time to see the long predicted rain 36 Inside Motorcycles
ID… A S E H AND S
BY HEIDI LAMBIE
Gap Lake is one of the many photo stops available on Hwy 1A between Cochrane, AB and Canmore.
W At 2,206 m, the Highwood Pass on Hwy 40 is Canada’s highest paved road.
appear just as we arrived back at the Solara Resort. As we reflected back on our travels of the day over dinner, Heidi described the time on the Bow Valley Trail without the obstruction of a car windshield as “feeling like you are actually part of the experience.” Not bad for a first attempt at touring. The following morning, with the Spyder all packed up and ready to go, we made a quick stop in town at JK Bakery to pick up some incredible sandwiches for a picnic lunch along the road home (another first for me) before heading east on the 1A under sunny skies. This time we diverted off at the junction of Hwy 1X, which would take us to the Trans-Canada and a quick three-kilometre ride to the junction of Hwy 40, allowing us to continue with our theme of avoiding major highways while also experiencing Canada’s highest paved road. A stop at the summit for the obligatory photo stop, followed by a lunch stop by a river and even more of the incredible Rocky Mountain scenery, eventually led us into the towns of Longview and Black Diamond. Arriving in Black Diamond, Heidi directed to me a small German bakery that she had discovered on a previous visit where we purchased the most amazing desserts to wrap up a perfect weekend adventure. Funny thing is that I have ridden through Black Diamond countless times and never noticed this bakery. Even though I set out to introduce Heidi to a new way of travelling, I think I learned just as much and gained a new appreciation that taking the time to relax and enjoy your surroundings has the ability to take the amazing experience that is motorcycle touring to a whole new level. IM
hen Patrick posed the question of doing a touring trip on the Spyder a few months ago, my stomach fell, and my first thought was “no way.” I like the protection of a seat belt and the steel of a car around me. Then I thought, “Patrick is willing to do some of my adventures; I need to reciprocate.” So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and said yes, and quietly prayed we might have to cancel. My biggest concern about not being a rider is that I have no gear. Luckily Patrick’s collection of motorcycle gear is comparable to some shoe closets, so I had a diverse selection to choose from. With the required safety gear checked off, the next dilemma was how do you pack for riding and non-riding activities. I did not want to go out for dinner with the same clothes I wore riding – that would have been offensive. As I am an avid hiker, I realized this was not really a challenge. If I could carry my essentials on my back for a weekend backpack trip, I could pack them in the convenient rolling bag Patrick and I shared. Riding in Calgary with all the cars around made me more nervous than on the highways we travelled. I eased into being a passenger rather quickly and only needed to hang onto the handle grips going over bridges and some sharp turns. My core muscles got the best workout that weekend. On Sunday, my Apple watch showed I burned 347 calories while doing 30 minutes of exercise, all while riding! What I did not expect was the freedom I felt riding on the back of the Spyder. With no windshield acting as a barrier, I felt closer to nature; exactly how I feel when hiking. I was happy, though, that we were riding and not hiking when I saw the grizzly on the side of Hwy 40. For all the non-riders who have partners who ride, I would recommend extending your wings and join your partner on a riding adventure that is, of course, within your comfort zone. I am thankful to Patrick for nudging me to try something he loves a great deal. I absolutely enjoyed the places we saw and how we got there. Would I do this again? Not sure. You know the saying, ‘why ruin a good thing.’ I had a good experience that I will cherish for years to come. Thank you, Patrick! IM InsideMotorcycles.com 37
38 Inside Motorcycles
I
BY PATRICK LAMBIE
n addition to descriptions like chopper, café racer, bobber, bagger, etc., the world of custom motorcycles can also be divided into two overreaching groups: those that are created with a sole focus on visual design (a.k.a. the Trailer Queen) and those where performance is an unrelenting and all-encompassing pursuit. Recently I was introduced to a third category being one that is an uncompromising combination of both style and performance. Recognizing the demand for custom motorcycles, Calgary Harley-Davidson created CHD Customs with a goal of building quality bikes while helping clients achieve their wildest dreams. With a company mantra of “You dream it. We build it,” it comes as no surprise that this shop puts out some of the coolest bikes on the street. While each one is a rolling work of art, make no mistake that they are built to be ridden. With this in mind the invitation to ride one of their bikes was an opportunity that could not be passed up. Awaiting my arrival in the parking lot, the CHD team’s take on the current performance bagger trend was holding the collective attention of everyone within sight. Retaining enough of the stock 2019 Road Glide that served as the starting point for this build to remain recognizable as a Harley-Davidson, even at first glance there is no doubt that this is no ordinary motorcycle. From the impossible-to-miss paint scheme offset against blacked out finishes to the sport bike like stance made even taller by 12-inch handlebar risers, initial impression accurately identifies this as a one-of-a-kind motorcycle.
InsideMotorcycles.com 39
The devil is in the details and in the case of CHD’s Performance Bagger that includes (clockwise from top far right) carbon fibre body parts, 12-inch Kraus handlebar risers, hand-built exhaust, 143 cubic inch M8 V-twin engine, one-of-a-kind paint and carbon fibre Rotobox wheels and Beringer brakes.
Looks aside, this motorcycle is intended to be ridden and that included my scheduled test ride, which set it apart from every other custom bike shoot I have previously done. First on the agenda however was a closer look at some of the details, starting with the copious amounts of carbon fibre utilized in this build including the Hoffman saddlebags, side covers and fenders. Not only do these parts look amazing, but they also contribute to the overall weight reduction with the saddlebags alone shaving more than eight pounds off the stock version. While the carbon fibre weave remains visible through the clear-over-candy-overclear paint job, it also proved to be a challenging surface to work with resulting in several false starts before the perfect finished product was achieved. Of course, the more carbon fibre the better and no performance motorcycle would be complete without a set of carbon fibre wheels with the CHD team going all in with a set of Boost wheels from Rotobox. The race-ready chassis builds on the stock Road Glide frame starting with fully adjustable Ohlins suspension at both ends. While the Ohlins front end with inverted fork is key to the handling demanded by a performance machine, pairing it with the Kraus handlebar risers required additional fabrication. An all-aluminum swingarm from Trac Dynamics provides further weight reduction and increased stability while Aerotec brake calipers from Beringer provide enhanced stopping power and an added sense of bling. At the heart of this custom motorcycle is a 143 cubic inch Milwaukee-Eight V-twin engine. Following unsuccessful attempts
40 Inside Motorcycles
to build a 128 ci version from a stock 107, the team decided to go where no man had yet gone and the 143 M8 was born. Starting with a stock 114 Milwaukee-Eight and utilizing custom cylinders, heads, pistons and camshaft from Ward Performance along with a 62 mm throttle body from Horsepower Inc (HPI) and a custom CHD-built exhaust, the resulting engine dyno tested an awe-inspiring 173 horsepower and 176 ft-lb of torque at the rear wheel. A chain conversion kit from Trask ensures that this impressive output is safely delivered to the rear wheel. While the style and performance are obvious areas of focus, the design team also incorporated creature comforts including Oberon levers, a custom seat, LED lighting and a Rockford Audio system along with in-house fabricated floorboards and controls. With the details all covered off, the only thing remaining was to see how this bike rides. Never having ridden a 173-horsepower Harley-Davidson, not to mention one that required a healthy six-figure budget to build, there was an as-expected combination of excitement and nerves as I prepared to head out on the road. Swinging a leg over and settling onto the saddle, the seat height is immediately noticeable. Where the seat on a stock Road Glide sits just over 27 inches (695 mm) above the ground, this performance-based custom elevates the rider up to a near sport bike level. Also evident is how light this motorcycle is. Anyone who spent time riding a heavyweight Harley touring bike knows the sensation of lifting a nearly 900-pound motorcycle off the side stand. Not so in this case, as impact of the carbon fibre pieces and other weight-reducing components is very effective.
T One of my biggest apprehensions about riding this custom Road Glide was the 12-inch risers which bring the rider’s hands up to an almost ape hanger position. Turns out that my concerns were 100 percent unfounded. Not only was this the most comfortable riding position I have experienced on any Harley-Davidson, but it also offered near-perfect control over the motorcycle with it responding immediately and decisively to inputs on the motocross-style handlebar. Once leaned into a corner, the upgraded chassis components kept the bike on line as it railed hard around tight off-ramps with ease. The Beringer brakes proved more than effective and even under hard braking the Ohlins suspension kept the bike steady with no diving on the front end. As you would expect from a motorcycle with 176 ft-lb of torque, it pulls hard with have-to-experience-it-to-believe-it abandon from anywhere in the powerband. And the sound! Did I mention the sound? The exhaust note is so raw that it quickly becomes addictive as you look for any excuse to crack the throttle. While my time on the bike was limited to streets and expressways around the city, it was one of the most impressive rides I can remember. The combination of unbridled power with sport bike like handling and stopping power washed away any previous concerns as I found myself imagining what it would be like to take this machine out onto the racetrack. With this custom machine now up for sale, the team at CHD Customs is already planning their next foray into the world of performance baggers, and I can’t wait to see what they come up with. IM
he Harley-Davidson Breakout 114 was my favourite bike in the company’s Softail lineup and it was disappointing to see it disappear from the H-D offering. With a 21-inch front tire, raked out front end and wide back end, the Breakout offered a custom look in a factory machine. Despite its limited ground clearance and massive wide 240 rear tire, the breakout handled better than anyone would expect, tearing up corners with footpeg-dragging smile-inducing ease. With this in mind I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out CHD’s Blue Max Thunderbike Breakout. Starting with a 2019 Breakout 114, first item on the agenda was the bike’s engine, which received attention in the form of a Stage 1 kit complete with a Screamin’ Eagle Tuner and Trask’s two-into-one exhaust. Brakes also got a major upgrade with Beringer calipers as well as braided HEL lines, all in blue to match the bike’s custom paint. Rear air suspension from Legends makes it possible to drop the bike right down when posing, but provides ample clearance when you are ready to ride. Accessories from Thunderbike Cycles including headlamp cap, shortened rear fender, chin spoiler and a wraparound rear fender with built in LED lighting combine to elevate the Breakout’s custom look. Adding to the overall visual, the blue paint scheme is offset by the matte grey of Tungsten Cerakoting on multiple items including the V-line handlebar from Trask, wheels, engine components and the CHD-built pegs and controls. Out on the street this custom Breakout is both a head turner and a pleasure to ride. The addition of the Stage 1 kit provides a noticeable boost in power especially during hard acceleration. As with previous Breakouts, handling is surprisingly accurate with the bike ready and willing to handle even the most aggressive of inputs. An afternoon on this custom Breakout left me wishing for more hours in the day. Thanks to CHD Customs for an excellent ride on an excellent bike. It had all the features I loved about the OEM version and so much more. Well done! IM InsideMotorcycles.com 41
THE DIRT Dawn McClintock
Are we there yet?
W
e’re back at it! Not going to lie, I was really doubtful for the upcoming moto season given the rocky road we had coming out of the spring with COVID numbers soaring. Finally, we are starting to see a light at the end of the long, pandemic tunnel. It’s been well over a year of spinning our wheels to get back to some form of normalcy in the MX and offroad competition scene and we are peeking through to the finish line… we hope. A year ago, we were uncertain at each round of the MX nationals that the proceedings would come grinding to a halt with bylaw officers looking for any flaws in the protocols laid out to shut things down. We were also faced with some people calling the authorities in an attempt to try and have things shut down. A quick pass from the bylaw officers proved that everything was up to snuff, proved the whistle-blowers wrong and we carried on, business as usual. We were up against more than just the pandemic it seemed. We somehow managed to get through it all with a condensed moto season and we figured by the following spring everything would be all back to
normal. It wasn’t the case, and we started this year further back than we were year previous. This past month we eagerly awaited our opening provincial MX round here in Ontario as we were faced with recent lockdown and stay-at-home orders. We were waiting with hope that the tide would shift in our favour. As luck would have it, things did open up to allow us to go racing… finally! With the wait over, people came in throngs to the opening round at Gopher Dunes near Courtland, ON. We saw record number of entries and a similar pattern at the second round held at Sand Del Lee near Ottawa. There are all kinds of new faces we are seeing at the races these days. Families who once perhaps had their kids signed up for hockey or little league baseball have moved on to find a sport that isn’t team-based and dirt bike racing sure fits the bill. Despite the shortcomings of the industry supply, we are seeing our sport grow by leaps and bounds right now. The strongest numbers were in the peewee classes with entries like we have never seen before… ever. There will be a whole crop of minibike riders rising onto the scene over
While it seemed impossible just a few months ago, racing action is finally back. PHOTO BY DAWN MCCLINTOCK 42 Inside Motorcycles
this next season and it makes me smile seeing this happen. The calendar flips for the Canadian MX nationals starting the first weekend in July and it sounds like the Ontario government will be looking to push into the next phase of opening up, ahead of schedule. The federal government is also looking to consider opening the Canada/US border to fully vaccinated travellers, so things are looking up for our US athletes who have been put on hold for resuming competition north of the border. The only American pro rider I saw lining up for the Cash Class at round 1 of the provincials was Michigan native Marshal Weltin, who has come back to Canada to contest the 450 title. Weltin will be joined by fellow American rider Darian Sanayei who shares space under the Thor Kawaski Pro Circuit tent this summer. With border restrictions lifting, we might even see some privateer riders load up their pickup trucks and make the journey here to line up for the nationals. US riders always add more notoriety to our nationals and fill the gates, so they have really been missed this past year. Our local cross-country racers have also been in touch with me to get track tape to mark out courses for upcoming races planned so it’s great to see things opening up for our off-road riders as well. I’m seeing things are back in place for the Future West series out in BC and our Quebec riders have been lining up for races this past month too. As I pack my car up with boxes of gear, umbrellas and stickers, headed to round 1 of the Canadian Triple Crown MX Nationals in Walton, Ontario, it fills me with joy knowing that through thick and thin this sport always comes out swinging and ends up stronger than ever when it’s been dealt a crappy hand. It’s been a long year or so and as we continue to move through this whole COVID mess we will remember just how much we love this sport and the community that is involved in it. I look forward to seeing everyone at the track this summer. See you there and stay safe everyone! IM
PREMIUM MOTORCYCLE SEATS & ACCESSORIES
NO COMPETITION. Maximize the ride. Performance seats available for BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha sport / adventure touring motorcycles.
USE PROMO CODE: IM2021 AT CHECKOUT & SAVE!
1-800-749-7328 | MON - FRI, 8AM - 5PM - EASTERN
SARGENTCYCLE.COM
What is Biker Down? Empowering motorcyclists to save a rider’s life! • 3.5 hour duration comprising 3 Modules • Delivered by 1st Responders personnel & volunteers • Based on Fire and Rescue training
Visit www.BikerDown.ca to register today! Proudly Supported by:
We’re always looking for more like-minded supporters to work with.
Contact us TODAY!
InsideMotorcycles.com 43
F R A N K LY S P E A K I N G BY FRANK WOOD
Ahead by a Century
S
unday February 14, 2021 Hazel McCallion celebrated her 100th birthday. Best known as the former mayor of one of Canada’s fastest growing and fiscally successful communities, Mississauga, ON, she is a remarkable politician and a remarkable person. I first came to know Hazel when she was elected as mayor of Streetsville, a small rural town with a population of 1,200, which would become part of the growing metropolis of Mississauga. I was introduced to her by Reverend David Busby of Trinity Anglican Church, Hazel’s church of worship. Busby was a keen motorcyclist who had taken note of the plethora of small motorcycles that had started to appear on the town’s streets and occupied a large portion of the high school parking lot. It was his idea to form a motorcycle club, and many local young riders joined. The club, known as the Ville (as in Streetsville) Riders, with guidance from Busby
IM’s own Frank Wood and Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion. 44 Inside Motorcycles
became incorporated and affiliated with the Canadian Motorcycle Association. Although we were a few years away from holding CMA sanctioned events, we were very active in club contests and always on the search for a place to stage them. That was when Hazel stepped in. She put in the good word with a developer who would be building a subdivision just north of town and until such time as construction began he gave us his permission to ride there. I’ll quickly point out that neither Hazel nor her husband Sam had much personal interest in motorcycles but they did purchase a Suzuki trail bike for their son from Brampton Cycle, where I worked. Sam owned a printing business that printed, amongst other things, our club monthly newsletter. I want to veer away from motorcycles for a moment and tell you more about the lady who became known as ‘Hurricane Hazel.’ First off, before she went into politics she had already completed a successful professional career of 19 years in business. In 1970 she was elected as the first female mayor of Streetsville, then in 1978, with her little town now a part of a growing city, she was elected mayor of Mississauga. For the next 36 years she would hold that post, not retiring until age 93 in 2014. During that tenure, her popularity was such that she would win re-elections without so much as a lawn sign. She has the record of the longest serving female mayor in Canadian history. Last year she celebrated her 99th birthday at a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game where she received a standing ovation from the packed Air Canada Centre crowd. I feel that it’s important to share that this was not a one-way relationship between Her Worship and the club. The Ville Riders members shared a pride of community illustrated in their participation in events like the annual Bread and Honey celebrations and parade in Streetsville, their sponsorship of a minor hockey team in the local league as well as several sponsored rides with the proceeds going to charity.
Perhaps the most lasting memory and statement regarding Mrs. McCallion’s support of local motorcyclists was her influence in allowing an off-road motorcycle race to be held in one of Mississauga’s parks! It was a challenge race between our club and the Niagara Falls motorcycle club, headed up by Carl Bastedo, held in the spring of 1970 at Wildwood Park which is literally a stone’s throw from the International Centre and very close to Pearson International Airport. Ever the politician, Hazel attended the race and posed alongside yours truly whilst astride my Yamaha motocrosser. The local press celebrated the hometown victors with a story in the sports section of the Mississauga News headlined ‘Locals Outscramble Niagara Club’ while the photo of the mayor and I made the front page of the paper. The little motorcycle club from the little town gained more notoriety when it was featured in a CBC weekly show hosted by Roy Bonisteel called Man Alive. The magazine-styled show featured religious issues and the program ran from 1967 until 1989. The production was highly regarded as was the award-winning host. I’m not sure how that appearance came to be but can only assume that Reverend Busby had something to do with it. Unfortunately, there is no footage available from that episode. Did I mention that Busby rode a G50 Matchless? He rode a lot, and well, and had a very positive effect on the budding motorcyclists he attracted to the club he inspired. In all but the worst of weather his mount was parked in the church lot on Sunday mornings. Sadly, we lost David Busby in a light aircraft crash some years back in the Caribbean while on missionary work to third world countries. Hazel McCallion, however, is still going strong, still living in her beloved city of Mississauga and still highly respected. She made a lasting impression on a good number of motorcyclists, myself included; so, on behalf of them and me, a belated happy birthday Hazel. IM
Dewildt Marine & Powersports 450 Lake Ave N Hamilton, ON 1-888-656-7570 dewildtmarine.com
Dewildt Marine & Powersports 1300 Highway 7 East Peterborough, ON 1-844-291-6330 dewildtmarine.com
GP Bikes 1100 Champlain Court Whitby, ON 866-475-7111 gpbikes.com
Jack Carter Powersports Calgary, AB N: 630 46 Ave NE. #117 403-277-0099 jcpowersportsnorth.com S: 15220 Shaw Rd SE. 403-230-7777 jcpowersportssouth.com
KW Honda 465 Conestogo Rd. Waterloo, ON 519-746-7900 kwhonda.com
Markham Outdoor Power 9441 Markham Rd Unit 13 Markham, ON 905-294-2355 markhamoutdoorpower.com
Larry’s Small Engines 286270 County Road 10 Mono, ON 519-941-1517 larryssmallengines.ca
ROAD RACE REALITY COLIN FRASER
Razgatlioglu on the Rise
R
ecently, I watched Donington’s fourth round of the Motul FIM World Superbike Championship, available in Canada via cable through the REVS network, or by a reasonably priced internet subscription straight from WSBK. The UK event featured typical weather for the Midlands – I’ve been to Donington Park many times, and it has rained at least a little, and often a lot, during every visit. The first race of the three-event feature program started on a partially dry track, not ideal for tire choice decisions or rider confidence. With series king Jonathan Rea on pole at his sorta-home track for the first time on the works Kawasaki, a walk-away win was expected. However, no one told Pata Yamaha with Brixx YZF-R1 mounted Toprak Razgatlioglu, starting from a distant 13th on the grid, leading the fifth row. Razgatlioglu was an incredible fifth into the first turn and muscled past the works BMWs of local lad and former series champ Tom Sykes, as well as Michael van der Mark, after half a lap. From there, Razgatlioglu piled on the pressure, and Rea suddenly looked in trouble – a rare site. Razgatlioglu was visibly
Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu put on a wet-weather master class at Donnington. PHOTO COURTESY OF YAMAHA RACING. 46 Inside Motorcycles
on the ragged edge, something you don’t see much anymore in the modern electronic era. Anyone who has pushed hard on a sport bike in iffy traction conditions will tell you that if it looks at all hairy, it is in fact completely crazy. Rea continued to ride on the ragged edge as the confidently sliding Razgatlioglu hunted him down. On lap 3, Rea ran off through the fast, downhill Hollywood Corner, and was lucky to stay upright at full speed on the wet grass. Razgatlioglu was through, into a lead he would not relinquish. Rea closed at the finish, as Razgatlioglu ran out of gas heading for the finish line. He was lucky the opening laps were so wet... As the weekend progressed, Razgatlioglu proved he might just have something for Rea in 2021, forcing the works Ninja rider to take chances, leading to a big fall by Rea in race 2. Razgatlioglu headed for the next weekend at Assen with 183 points to Rea’s 181. Watching Razgatlioglu in the damp conditions sent me to YouTube to search out a famous lap at the same circuit by legendary Japanese ace Ryuichi Kiyonari. During 2009 WSBK qualifying on a recently repaved, soaking wet and slick Donington aboard the works Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 25-yearold Kiyonari is at one with his machine, Razgatlioglu style – maybe even more so. Both riders show a willingness to push into a slide, even at full lean, a very risky practice in the wet. Rear-wheel steering, backing it in, wheelies and front-end tucks are all handled with little delay or loss of line. Achievements such as these, living on via the web, are almost as important as traditional success markers such as wins, poles and championship titles. “It helps to do something memorable once in a while,” deadpanned Canada’s first Superbike champion, George Morin, describing the career of Michel Mercier as the former flat track racer climbed the Superbike ladder. When he retired from active competition, Morin opted to help Mercier in 1984, moving some sponsors over to Su-
zuki’s newest signing. Then Morin became Mercier’s manager with the move to the top class and the arrival of the game-changing Suzuki GSX-R750 the next season. Mercier generated many memorable rides, and lots of good television, while marketing the GSX-R750 in the mid-1980s. However Mercier came under pressure from several other quick Canadian-based Suzuki pilots, including former Kiwi Gary Goodfellow from Vancouver. In a career blighted by injury, ex-MXer Goodfellow was occasionally devastatingly fast. He and Mercier made the Match Race Team and travelled to the UK to race in 1987, where Goodfellow famously chased the legendary Kevin Schwantz at Donington before a popular video clip calamity. On a damp track, Goodfellow was hard on the heels of the leading factory Suzuki star, looking for a way past heading into turn 1, Redgate. Then “Goodie’s” back end comes around, the diminutive Goodfellow catches it, then loses the front end, and winds up surfing on top of the “Boutique Suzuki” Gixxer into the gravel trap. Clearly, Donington is a good place to show the world your maximum commitment level! In the fall of 1987, Yamaha Canada hosted an annual dealer event that included sponsoring the final Shannonville event of the season, “The Yamaha Ride to Win Weekend.” The feature race on Saturday was a WERA national six-hour endurance round, where the beleaguered regulars were looking to stay in front of a bunch of hastily former local squads. The WERA Series had run the weekend before at Pocono in Pennsylvania, and that sixhour was waterlogged, dominated by rising start Scott Russell on the Solmax Yamaha. A week later, conditions were worse at Shannonville, and Russell rode for more than five hours to walk away yet again. We didn’t know he was a world Superbike champ in the making, but clearly, Russell was something special. IM
Dewildt Marine & Powersports 450 Lake Ave N Hamilton, ON 1-888-656-7570 dewildtmarine.com
Tri-City Cycle & Sport Inc. 351 Weber St. N Waterloo, ON 519-884-6410 tricitycycle.ca
Larry’s Small Engines 286270 County Road 10 Mono, ON 519-941-1517 larryssmallengines.ca
Jack Carter Powersports Calgary, AB N: 630 46 Ave NE. #117 403-277-0099 jcpowersportsnorth.com S: 15220 Shaw Rd SE. 403-230-7777 jcpowersportssouth.com
Bob’s Motorsport Ltd. 615 St. Clair Street Chatham, ON 519-354-6377 bobsmotorsport.com
Larry’s Small Engines 286270 County Road 10 Mono, ON 519-941-1517 larryssmallengines.ca
InsideMotorcycles.com 47
ISDE 2021 Preview
By Mark Dzikowski With the world finally opening up its borders and relaxing the strict pandemic rules, race schedules for all forms of motorsports are revving up to full speed. This includes enduro racing and it’s great to hear that the 95th edition of the International Six Days of Enduro (ISDE) is back on the schedule for 2021. With the event cancelled in 2020, the hosting counMemories of Team Canada and the parade of ISDE athletes in Italy in 2013. PHOTO BY MARK DZIKOWSKI try and venue stayed the same for 2021, namely in the Lombardia and Piemonte areas of Italy. The last time Italy hosted the event was in September/October 2013 in Sardinia. With the late summer/early fall start, the temperatures in Sardinia were warm but moderate; however, this year’s event is being held at the end of August. Granted, it’s further north and in a more mountainous area, but chances are, it is going to be a hot one. Canada has ramped up its participation in the event over the last eight years with both Men’s and Women’s Trophy Teams competing as well as Club Teams. This year, Canada is sending a Men’s Trophy squad and a single Club rider. It is great to see that we have enough top-level riders still interested in representing Canada at the pinnacle event of enduro racing in the Trophy division. The Men’s Trophy Team will be made up of Phillipe Chaine, Jared Stock, Tyler Medaglia and Kade Walker. Many who follow Canadian ISDE efforts of the past decade will recognize at least the first three names. Chaine, a product of Quebec, has been a staple in Canadian enduro racing and GNCC racing in the United States for over a decade and, of course, represented Canada multiple times at the ISDE since 2013. Phillipe will be racing his KTM 250XC-F in the E1 class. Jared Stock, an Alberta native, is back after a three-year racing hiatus and is a member of multiple past ISDE Men’s Trophy Teams. A veteran Canadian nationals motocrosser who made a jump into the sport of enduro in 2013, Stock will be racing his KTM 500 EXC in the E3 class. Tyler Medaglia, from Nova Scotia, needs no introduction and will be the third ISDE veteran on the team and past Club C1 class winner. Winning a Club class is no small feat, as some of the best riders from around the world that didn’t make the cut on to their country’s premier Trophy Team enter the Club category. On top of his ISDE accomplishments, he is a multi-time Canadian national motocross champion, Arenacross champion, five-time member of the Motocross de Nations and still races the premier motocross championships in Canada and the United States at a ripe age of 34. Medaglia will be racing his GasGas EX 350 in the E2 class. While the first three members of the team are all proven ISDE veterans, Kade Walker is the new kid on the block to the Six Days but not to the enduro world or motocross racing. Originally from Quebec, Kade has been globetrotting and racing mainly in Europe, with his latest home-away-from-home being in Italy while racing the Italian Enduro Championship. This should be a great advantage to the Canadian team having a “local” on the ground participating in the event. Walker will be racing his KTM 250 EXC in the E1 class. I dare to say that this year’s team will be one of the strongest and experienced Men’s Trophy teams Canada has sent overseas in many years. With very little off-road racing being conducted over the past 16 months in Canada and the United States due to COVID-19, the riders will have limited time to get into the racing form before flying over to Italy. Seat time and practice is important, but nothing compares to getting into race shape other than actually racing. Tyler Medaglia is getting some race prep by competing in select AMA motocross rounds in the US and the Canadian Triple Crown series over the summer. The rest of the team will have to catch up and enter as many races as possible between now and mid-August when they will make their way to Lombardia for the event which starts August 30th. Many people aren’t aware that participating in the ISDE representing your country is not a cheap endeavour. Almost all riders, including professional factory-sponsored riders, pay their own way or raise the funds in order to go. The costs are always north of $10,000 per rider, on top of the costs of running the support team at the event. The Canadian ISDE effort is no different and relies purely on fundraising to send riders to represent their country. If you would like to support our Canadian team, please contact Blair Sharpless at blairsharpless@gmail.com. IM
48 Inside Motorcycles
VRRA 2021 Season Gets Underway
Joining the rest of Ontario on the road back to normalcy, the Vintage Road Racing Association got back on track with two invitational events, both held on the July 10 and 11 weekend in conjunction with the CSBK (Calabogie Motorsports Park) and SuperSeries (Shannonville Motorsport Park). Here are a few of the race winners.
(Left) Darrell Cooney – Winner Vintage P5. (Above) Rob Massicotte (No. 91) – Winner Vintage Two-Stroke. (Top, left) Tim Ruhl (No. 241) – Winner Vintage P3. (Top, right) Colin Duncan (No. 590) – Winner Vintage P4. PHOTOS BY TIM MCGILL
The regular VRRA season will get underway at the Vintage Festival on August 6 to 8 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the VRRA Grand Prix at Shannonville Motorsport Park on September 3 to 5. For complete race results and more information visit www. vrra.ca. IM
Dumas Dominates CSBK Season Opener
Alex Dumas monopolized the checkered flag in the opening round of the CSBK 2021 season. PHOTO BY TIM MCGILL
With a racing CV that includes MotoAmerica Junior Cup and Twins Cup championships, expectations of Alex Dumas’ foray into to the Canadian Superbike Championship were high and the 18-year-old sensation did not disappoint. Following a qualifying performance that saw him start from fourth on the grid behind Jordan Szoke (third), Tomas Casas (second) and Ben Young (pole), Dumas successfully piloted his Liqui-Moly Suzuki GSX-R1000 to victory in both of the season opening races held at Calabogie Motorsports Park. Heading into the season finals to be held at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Dumas holds a 17-point lead over 2019 CSBK Pro Superbike Champion Ben Young and a 29-point advantage over 14-time and defending champ Jordan Szoke. Visit www.csbk.ca for all the latest results and news from the Canadian Superbike Championship. IM
Canada’s Fastest No-bar Motorcycle
In just his third season in motorcycle drag racing, Ontario’s Jesse Vanbetlehem has achieved the crown of the fastest no-bar motorcycle in Canada. Entering the 2021 season, Vanbetlehem’s 2008 GSX-R1000, equipped with a new engine and turbo setup from VanPal Racing, immediately impressed running a series of 200-plus mph runs at the opening round of the Maxima Racing Oils Canada Heads Up Shootout Series on the quarter-mile dragstrip at Toronto Motorsports Park. In addition to winning the King of the Streets class that weekend, Vanbetlehem’s fastest speed of 204.77 mph set a new benchmark for no-bar bikes in Canada. For more information on the Maxima Oils Canada Heads Up Shootout Series visit www.ontariogrudgewars.com/canada-heads-up/. IM
Jesse Vanbetlehem set the Canadian record for fastest no-bar bike at 204.77 mph. PHOTO BY BLAKE FARNAN InsideMotorcycles.com 49
INSIDE TECH L
Front sag AND a few questions
ast month we discussed, in detail, how to set the rear shock’s preload properly to achieve target rider sag. Everyone should do this on every motorcycle! Even the cheapest bikes have facility to adjust the rear preload as rider and passenger or gear weight changes and has a dramatic, and sometimes even dangerous effect on a motorcycle’s handling. We discussed the procedure and I promised that this month we would discuss the front sag and how to adjust the preload properly. As discussed last issue, the first step is to get a ‘front top-up’ number. The easiest reference point to measure front wheel travel is along the shiny chrome fork tube. On an inverted fork where the upper fork tube is larger than the lower tube, we will measure from the fork seal wiper down to the cast aluminum portion of the foot. This number is often the same as the full available wheel travel, but is occasionally more. In our example, let’s say it is the very common 127 mm (strangely close to five inches... lol). On older conventional forks where the smaller male fork tube is up in the triple
50 Inside Motorcycles
By John Sharrard
clamps, we will measure up from the fork wiper to the lower portion of the bottom triple clamp. Now, to extend the suspension fully, the front wheel has to be off the ground. A centre stand is ideal, but you will need to get the rider to lean on the back of the bike as centre stands are usually biased to get the rear wheel off the ground. A gentle push down on the back of the bike will pop the front tire off the ground. If the bike doesn’t have a centre stand, you can carefully pry it left onto the side stand, or use other proper stands to allow the front wheel to dangle freely. Obviously, you cannot use a front stand that goes under the two fork legs; these are common for brake service and checking tire pressures and they are common at racetracks for the installation of tire warmers, but they do not unweight the springs. Now that the front tire is elevated and you are ready to begin, a mistake is often made when doing sags. Yes, we need to measure our top-up reference at this time, but, we need to ensure the forks are fully extended! There are small top-out springs inside your forks that are
designed to soften the impact when a motorcycle’s front wheel leaves the ground. This is common on an off-road racing or trail bike, but will also occur on a street bike during a wheelie. Without these top out springs you would hear a possibly damaging BANG when the front suspension extended and the wheel left the ground. So, at this moment of measuring, you can hold and position your tape measure with your right hand and gently push down on the front fender or wheel with your left hand to see (or confirm) that the top out springs are fully compressed and the front suspension is actually fully extended. You will usually see the exposed portion of the fork tube grow a few millimetres as you push down and gently come to a firm stop. Then you can take and record your accurate top-up number on a piece of paper or in your phone. The rider can now release their weight off the rear of the bike and it is ready to come off the centre stand. Now, drop the bike off the centre stand and have the rider hold it vertically from the side. I will push gently down on the triple clamps to make sure the bike isn’t sticking up and then I will bend down and take my front measurement again. This new measurement of bike weight only is called the ‘static number’ and once subtracted from your top-up number will give you the ‘static sag.’ The static sag will be commonly 20 to 30 mm less than our top-up on a five-inch travel street bike. If it is much more than 30 mm, the springs are too soft. Now, ask the rider to hop on the bike and a third person can balance the rider as they get into riding position with hands on the grips and feet up on the pegs. If I suspect the fork is sticky, I will reach in and give the triple clamp a gentle push down to make sure it is where it wants to be. Then, I bend down and take my last number, which we call our rider-on number. In our example of a 127 mm travel front fork, we are looking for a rider sag of 35 to 40 mm (top-up minus rider-on). If we are at 50 mm, I will stand up and add 10 turns of preload to the fork caps. The vast majority of fork caps containing preload adjusters will have a 1.0 mm pitch thread. So, we can expect a 1 mm change in sag with every turn of preload... easy peasy. If sag was 45 mm, add five turns to hit our 40 mm target. So, if you can’t hit the target number with the number of turns you have available, chances are, you need stronger springs. If your fork caps are low quality cheaper units that have no adjustability, you can take the fork caps off and fabricate longer spacers; however, if you need much more than 15 mm of preload on the springs, they are undersized for you. Don’t be surprised or annoyed that you need stronger fork springs, this is very common in North America as most riders are heavier than the 150 to 175 pounds that the Japanese and European manufacturers seem to target their designs for. Now, something we all love to do... Let’s switch gears a bit. After we do suspension service in our shop, many customers will trailer their bike home and often ask me about tying a bike down. They may start off by asking, “Is it true that pulling a bike down too hard is hard on the fork?” (Or fork springs, or seals.) Well, the answer is strange. The quick answer is no. You pulling the bike down with tie downs or ratchet straps is not much different than what it experiences bouncing down the road or trail. But... a fork seal operates in a wiping or sliding motion. This motion tends to allow dirt or contamination a
(Opposite page) Wheelieing this R 1250 GS so we can measure top-up of the front suspension. (Top) Measuring point for an inverted fork. (Above) On this Honda VFR with conventional fork, measuring is done on the male slider portion at the top of the fork assembly.
chance to wipe off the fork surface as the oil pressure builds inside the fork during normal operation. What the fork thinks is strange is to be cranked down to one spot (which builds air and oil pressure inside the fork) and then jiggled in your trailer. If (and it’s a big if) there is just a bit of dirt stuck in the seal, or there is a small groove or imperfection in your fork tube at this point of being tied down, the fork can leak during the trip. The fork may not have leaked at all during normal operation, but can leak during this odd combination in the trailer described above. You can’t predict or prevent this (other than knocking your wipers down occasionally to keep your seals as clean as possible), all you can do is try to crank the bike down as little as possible to avoid travel with high pressure in the forks. Transporting without securing the front of the bike necessitates a Pit Bull-style rear axle restraint system that doesn’t compress the forks at all, or alternately, using four straps pulled down gently rather than two straps pulled down aggressively. Anyway, for what it’s worth, that’s my two cents for this month! So, ride respectfully in traffic, carefully in the woods and we may see you out on the trails! IM InsideMotorcycles.com 51
Q & A with Travis Koprowsky BY PATRICK LAMBIE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRAVIS KOPROWSKY
W
ithin in minutes of first meeting Salmon Arm, BC’s Travis Koprowsky it becomes apparent that his family plays a major role in his life. This is evident as he follows in the footsteps of his father (as well as two uncles and a cousin) into a career as a firefighter. It is equally evident in the support he received from his family when he ventured down an unfamiliar path and started riding motorcycles. This same support never wavered when Travis’ motorcycling endeavours saw him start competing in enduro events, and in fact intensified with his parents learning and taking on the roles that have helped the now 20-year-old Koprowsky accumulate an impressive trophy collection despite starting his racing career only five years ago. IM recently sat down with Travis to learn more about this Beta Canada athlete as well as the bikes that he rides.
Inside Motorcycles: How did you get started riding motorcycles and what led you to off-road racing? Travis Koprowsky: It’s actually kind of a unique and interesting story that not a lot of people know about me. When I was about fifteen years old I grew up with a close friend of mine who always had dirt bikes to ride around their farm. That’s what initially got me interested in riding and I was determined at that point to get my hands on my own bike. I was so fortunate to have a supportive family that wanted to see me succeed. Soon after, I made an agree52 Inside Motorcycles
ment with my auntie. If I saved up enough money to purchase all the necessary riding gear, she would buy my first bike. After months of saving all my hard earned money from cutting grass, raking leaves and shovelling snow around the neighbourhood, I was able to do just that. My first bike was a 2006 Yamaha TT-R 125L, which I came to quickly outgrow, leading to my second bike, a 2006 Yamaha YZ125. That same friend had heard about a local off-road race in Salmon Arm, hosted by Shuswap Xtreme Recreation and asked if I was interested in signing up with him. Without question, I proceeded to beg my father to take me to the first race; finishing with poor results, I was hooked.
IM: Compared to many other competitors, you started competing at an older age. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of starting racing at an older age? TK: Starting to compete at the older age of sixteen had its disadvantages for sure. Showing up to the races with little knowledge of how the system worked or not really knowing anyone on the circuit proved to be very intimidating for me. Obviously the skill factor was a concern for me as well, some of the competitors had been riding since they could walk. I think that’s where the advantages come into play for me; being exposed to that I was more than determined to learn and achieve that same level of confidence and skill they had shown. That being said, I definitely didn’t take the learning opportunities for granted and continued to ask the right questions.
IM: What is your favourite accomplishment of your racing career so far? TK: My favourite accomplishment so far would have to be getting the opportunity to travel south to Prescott Valley, Arizona in 2018 for an Endurocross event. Although I wasn’t very experienced at the time with the Endurocross side of things, I couldn’t pass up the chance to test my abilities. This came shortly after taking ownership of my first Beta, and considering I didn’t have much seat time on the new bike it proved to be a race ready platform. Between the new bike and a lot of determination I was able to qualify for the televised night show to race in front of a sold out stadium. IM: How did your relationship with Beta get started? TK: Interestingly enough, my relationship with Beta started when I raced the ten-year-old YZ; Shuswap Xtreme provided us with exceptional customer service with parts and much needed advice. Being new to the sport and never having dirtbikes in my family the learning curve was steep. After many races, continued growth and some success I participated in some Beta demo days. It wasn’t long before we realized that in order to compete at a high level of enduro racing I would need the Beta. My parents and a neighbour who watched me grow up asked me a simple question: “How serious are you about racing?” My answer must have been inspiring because the next week I was sitting on a 2018 300 RR Race and winning races. Being from a small town we had known the owners and staff of Shuswap Xtreme for some years prior and they recognized my passion for the sport. They also worked closely with Beta Canada and a decision was made to assist my journey any way they could, it was truly humbling to be given such an opportunity. IM: Your family has played, and continues to play a big part in your racing. What roles have they played and what is a typical race weekend like with your family at the track? TK: It’s safe to say that without my family support I would not be riding at the level I am. From financial to travel logistics, mechanical, and even first aid they are the foundation that allows me to focus on racing. A typical race weekend starts weeks in advance, my dad and I discuss the race course, weather and elevation in order to make any needed changes to the bike beforehand, jets, tires, et cetera. Since many races take place on
consecutive weekends we complete any repairs at home early in the week; if any parts are required, a phone call to Shuswap Xtreme quickly provides them. I am very thankful to have both my parents attend these races. While my father preps the bike and tools for the event, my mother tracks and maintains my nutrition which ultimately plays a big role in my performance throughout the day. Before and after the event they are both doing everything they can to ensure some success was had, whether it be results, or continuing to build friendly relationships with fellow enduro enthusiasts.
IM: The travel and event restrictions related to COVID-19 played havoc with racing for the last year. How much seat time were you able to get during this downtime and how were you able to focus on keeping your skills and fitness up to race level? TK: Unfortunately COVID-19 has made racing challenging for everyone, not only the race competitors but even more so the race organizers and sponsors. For the most part the 2020 season was a complete writeoff, It was extremely tough to stay focused and find races still being held. I was lucky enough to have some connections in Alberta and received the okay to travel to Rocky Mountain House for two different rounds of the Rocky Motorcycle Club series. Being able to compete in those two events and land on top of the podium twice, kept my motivation to train and ride at a high. Between that, riding and training with friends and fellow competitors offered a fair amount of seat time. 2021 has been somewhat of a replay, although, with restrictions lifting it’s looking like the Pacific Northwest Motorcycle Association (PNWMA) will be hosting four events at the end of the season which gives us something to look forward to. InsideMotorcycles.com 53
IM: What draws you to enduro racing vs. motocross or other disciplines of competition? TK: Honestly I think it’s the diversity of the discipline that draws my attention. All types of racing are very physical and demanding, but the format of enduro and the changing terrain and obstacles is what sets it apart from the others! Not to mention the camaraderie that exists within this type of racing community, no matter what class or age of rider. The condition of the course can change dramatically depending on the season, one minute we could be riding on dry dirt, and the next, after steep elevation climbs we could be challenged with snow. The unspoken mutual agreement that these racers and families have when it comes to helping out each other in the pits, or on the course during a race is unlike any other sport I have seen.
IM: You are currently racing a 2020 Beta 300 RR Race. Tell us about some of the features of the bike that make it the choice of enduro racers and also how it compares to the 2018 model that you previously raced. TK: I raced two seasons on the 2018 300 RR Race and loved it, the power delivery and reliability were outstanding. When the 2020s were released I was excited for the new changes and improvements. While racing didn’t happen for us here in BC it gave me more time to fine-tune the new platform. The most noticeable change that made this bike better from the 2018 to the 2020 was the counterbalanced motor. This was a huge improvement, second to that was the KYB forks, in the past I have had all my suspension reworked to fit my needs. With this upgrade I found the forks to be fantastic right out of the crate and I was able to race comfortably for long durations. The last thing I found extremely noticeable is the redesigned frame and bodywork, this gives it a better centre of gravity and provides a more “narrow” feel allowing it to track better through tight trees and rock gardens. These Betas are well known for their low-end torque, in combination with these new improvements it makes this a very popular choice for many enduro riders. IM: What are your goals for racing over the next 18 to 36 months? TK: I’m constantly setting new goals for myself throughout the year, but for now I’m focused on continuing to learn new skills and become more proficient. The idea of moving up to the expert class and continuing to challenge my mental, and physical abilities has been my goal from the previous year, unfortunately COVID had other plans. However, if racing picks up in some neighbouring provinces I would like to travel and experience different types of events in the future. IM: You are fortunate to have some great sponsors supporting your racing efforts, who are some of the companies that make all of this possible? TK: Racing on a small family budget has its challenges, especially being that many of our events are so spread apart. Sponsorships are a huge factor in the racing world and I am very fortunate to have Shuswap Xtreme Recreation backing me to the nth degree. Beta Canada has also played a huge role in getting me where I am today. There are many other sponsors that play a crucial role in my racing activities. This year especially I received some much needed protection support from Leatt which I am very thankful for. Some other sponsors include Built To Ride Co., Fasst Company, Mobius Braces and Anytime Fitness. IM 54 Inside Motorcycles
Dewildt Marine & Powersports 1982 Commerce Park Dr. Innisfil, ON 1-888-656-8680 dewildtmarine.com
Bob’s Motorsport Ltd. 615 St. Clair Street Chatham, ON 519-354-6377 bobsmotorsport.com
Dewildt Marine & Powersports 1300 Highway 7 East Peterborough, ON 1-844-291-6330 dewildtmarine.com
Kelly’s Cycle Centre 1042 Upper Wellington Hamilton, ON 905-385-5977 877-953-5597 kellyscyclecentre.com
Southwest Marine + Powersports 94 London Road Hensall, ON southwestmap.com 519-262-3634 swmarineservices.com 519-238-2887
Tri-City Cycle & Sport Inc. 351 Weber St. N Waterloo, ON 519-884-6410 tricitycycle.ca
Jack Carter Powersports Calgary, AB N: 630 46 Ave NE. #117 403-277-0099 jcpowersportsnorth.com S: 15220 Shaw Rd SE. 403-230-7777 jcpowersportssouth.com
“When should I be checking my blind spot on the M2X road test?” Don’t know the answer? Our new Road Worthy Skills Course may be for you
www.ridertraining.ca
PREMIUM MOTORCYCLE SEATS & ACCESSORIES
NO COMPETITION. Maximize the ride. Performance seats available for BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha sport / adventure touring motorcycles.
USE PROMO CODE: IM2020 AT CHECKOUT & SAVE!
1-800-749-7328 | MON - FRI, 8AM - 5PM 56 Inside Motorcycles
SARGENTCYCLE.COM
MOTORCYCLE HELMETS •IN STOCK Street Bandit
$42990
•IN CANADA
Outlaw Bandit
$59990
Ghost Bandit
$64990
•DOT APPROVED •SNELL RATED 19 ANDERSON BLVD CANADA’S ONE-STOP SHOP FOR UXBRIDGE, ON RIDING & RACING PRODUCTS 905 642 1010 WWW.FASTEDDIERACEWEAR.COM InsideMotorcycles.com 57
DEALER SPOTLIGHTS
DEWILDT MARINE & POWERSPORTS
Info: www.dewildtmarine.com Locations: 450 Lake Ave N, Hamilton, ON (888-656-7570) 1982 Commerce Park Dr., Innisfil, ON (888-656-8680) 1300 Highway 7 East, Peterborough, ON (844-291-6330)
BOBS MOTORSPORTS
DeWildt Marine & Powersports is part of a third-generation family-run business, founded by Ted DeWildt in the 1960s. Featuring motorcycles, ATVs, marine and power equipment from Honda and Yamaha, Dewildt has the motorcycle you have been looking for whether you ride on the road, the trails or somewhere in between. Teams of highly-trained Honda and Yamaha technicians are focused on ensuring that your purchase remains in top working order for years to come, and if required, DeWildt is also a full line warranty dealer for both Honda and Yamaha. Dedicated parts and accessory professionals are available at every DeWildt location to assist you with you with making the best possible selection whether you are undertaking basic repairs and maintenance or looking to add a personal touch to your motorcycle or ATV. Located throughout southern Ontario with showrooms in Hamilton, Innisfil and Peterborough, DeWildt makes it easy to experience the latest products in person. Visit www.dewildtmarine.com for further details.
Info: 226-210-7807 or www.bobsmotorsports.com Location: 615 St. Clair Street, Chatham, ON Family owned and operated, Bobs Motorsport has been servicing the powersports needs of the southwestern Ontario’s Tri-County area for more than four decades. Selling and servicing Yamaha and Suzuki motorcycles and ATVs as well as Yamaha power equipment, side-by-sides and snowmobiles, Bobs Motorsport also offers a wide selection of used inventory. In addition to OEM parts and accessories, Bobs Motorsport carries a full range of apparel including products from Joe Rocket, Teknic, Fox, Thor, TourMaster, HJC, G-Max, Scorpion, Zox, Shoei and Arai. Conveniently located on St. Clair Street in Chatham, be sure to stop in and say hi to Bob and the entire team at Bobs Motorsport. You will be glad you did. Visit www.bobmotorsport.com for more information.
JACK CARTER POWERSPORTS
Info: www.jcpowersports.com Locations: 15220 Show Road SE, Calgary, AB (403-230-7777) 630 46 Ave NW Unit 109, Calgary, AB (403-277-0099)
Jack Carter Powersports South Calgary location
Jack Carter Powersports North Calgary location 58 Inside Motorcycles
Jack Carter Powersports is your one-stop shop for all your powersports needs, featuring complete lineups of motorcycles, side-by-sides, ATVs, marine and power equipment from premier brands including Honda, Yamaha and Beta. Making sure that your prized possession is maintained in optimal condition and always ready to ride is a priority for Jack Carters’ team of factory trained service professionals who are equipped with the latest tools and technology. Offering a wide range of parts, accessories and apparel, Jack Carter Powersports carries the latest products from HJX, Fox, Shoei, Icon, Olympia, Shift, Renthal, Seat Concepts, SWMotech and more. With locations in both the north and south of Calgary, the team at Jack Carter Powersports is ready to get you out riding and keep you there. For more information visit www.jcpowersports.com.
SAVE THE TAX! Use Promo Code:
NEW
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE SEEING? Don’t Miss Another Issue!
Subscribe Securely Online with Promo Code ‘NEW’ at:
INSIDEMOTORCYCLES.MYSUB.CA OR CALL 416-962-7223 E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS@INSIDEMOTORCYCLES.COM
Satisfying the need for vintage speed... CHECKERED FLAG BACKGROUND
InsideMotorcycles.com 59
KIM NEWCOMBE AND THE KONIG 500 GP
D
Story by Graham Clayton I Photos Courtesy of Norman White
ieter Konig’s venture into building a 500 cc GP racing motorcycle began in 1968. Konig was the chief engineer and boss of the Berlin-based Konig Motorenbau family business that over the previous four decades had developed considerable expertise in the building of high performance two-stroke outboard engines with which they won many hydroplane races and set numerous world marine speed records. Konig had taken over a one-off road racer project started by local racer Wolf Braun when injuries and financial difficulties forced Braun to abandon the project. Braun’s racing special was powered by a Konig longitudinal 180-degree flat-four twostroke marine racing engine fitted into a much-modified BSA frame fitted with road racing suspension and brakes. The Konig ‘marine’ engine was cooled by cold water drawn from the water course on which the boat was being operated. Its conversion to use as a motorcycle engine would critically depend on the development of an effective on-board cooling system. In addition, the marine engine had a straight drive which meant that a racing gearbox and clutch had to be developed for its use in a racing motorcycle. These two area areas would prove to be problematic for the new racing machine for a couple of years as various solutions were tried, proved to be lacking and replaced. While Dieter Konig had a lot of two-stroke engine expertise, he knew relatively little about racing motorcycles. Fortunately for Konig a New Zealand-born engineer named Kim Newcombe approached him looking for a temporary job until he could take up a position with Maico in March 1969. Newcombe had worked in Australia for a marine dealership and was familiar with Konig engines. He was also a successful motocross and speedway racer in Australia where he had raced Maicos for their Melbourne importer Modak Motorcycle. The move to Europe and Maico was part of Newcombe’s motocross career plan. Konig hired Newcombe as a marine engine development engineer, but soon made him the lead man on the Konig 500 GP racer program. The Konig 500 GP engine consisted essentially of two flat twins with their cylinders facing fore-and-aft much like an early Douglas twin. The engine employed a single shared three-bearing crankshaft housed in a common bottom end, but with each side’s pairing of front and rear cylinders having their own individual sealed engine case for separate pumping chambers. The original bore and stroke were both 54 mm that produced a swept volume of 494.7 cc. The Konig ran on a premix of gasoline and oil at a ratio of 16:1. This was fed into the paired twins’ cylinders via a rotary disc valve mounted flat on top of the crankcases. The rotary disc valve was driven by a rubber toothed belt directly from the right-hand-side (RHS) main shaft. With the help of two rollers, the belt drive turned through 90 degrees, up and over the top of the engine to rotate the rotary disc valve. The two BVF carbur-
60 Inside Motorcycles
etors fed fuel through the rotary disc to either the right or left pair of cylinders. Originally the exhausts of all four cylinders were fed into a huge crude-looking single canister-like expansion chamber. This was soon replaced. In the revised exhaust each pair of front and rear cylinder exhaust ports was fitted with a very short siamesed two-into-one exhaust header pipe. Each siamesed header routed exhaust gases through a single large expansion chamber upward and backward over the engine. Liquid-cooling for the engine employed a large rectangular radiator mounted to the frame’s front downtubes, plus a cast magnesium water tank (sump) bolted to the bottom of the engine, both of which were fed by a rubber band-driven water pump located on the right side of the motor. The use of the bottom-mounted sump to cool the engine cases required that its four cylinders be reversed so that their exhausts exited upward above the engine rather than downward. It also required that the gearbox be located at the back of the engine on its right side which resulted in a relatively long wheelbase. The primary and final drives for the bike were on the left side of the engine and utilized a toothed Westinghouse chain driven off the end of the engine’s crankshaft. The basic ignition system for the engine consisted of a battery, two sets of points and twin ignition coils. By late 1969 Kim had made significant progress improving the race-worthiness of the 500 GP and forgotten about the move to Maico. Newcombe had never planned to be a road racer, but by the fall he decided to race the Konig himself in a German Junior Championship race on the Avus street circuit in Berlin. It was his first ever road race and he won. It’s fair to say that Newcombe was a natural when it came to racing motorcycles. 1970 was another development year for the 500 GP, but Kim Newcombe found the time to enter and win five more German Junior Championship races ultimately making him eligible for an FIM GP licence. For 1971 Dieter Konig decided to hire Australian
(Opposite page) This precise copy of Kim Newcombe's Konig 500 GP, at times faster than the MVs of Agostini and Read, was built by his mechanic and fellow racer Rod Tingate. (Above) The slim, light and low Konig 500s shown here at the 1973 West German GP finished third, sixth and eighth after Newcombe DNF'd.
“continental circus” racer John Dodds as a development rider and works racer. As it turned out 1971 was not a good year or experience for Dodds for while the Konig proved to be very fast with strong acceleration, it was also very fragile as engine overheating and transmission problems plagued the bike causing DNFs. Dodds scored his sole GP point on the Konig with a 10th place finish at the West German GP early in the season and later left Konig to race Yamahas. He became the first FIM F750 World Champion in 1974. The power output of the Konig 500 GP in 1969 was 68 horsepower at 9,000 rpm at the crankshaft and rose to 75 hp for 1970. A major engine redesign was undertaken before the 1972 GP season with a larger 56 mm bore and shorter 50 mm stroke for a swept volume of 492.6 cc. Major changes included a new stronger four-bearing crankshaft, a switch to a twin-choke 45 mm Solex carburetor and changes to the non-unit primary and secondary transmissions. The new engine’s power output was close to 80 hp at the crank with usable power available from 7,000 to 10,500 rpm. While cooling continued to be a potential Achilles heel for the 500 GP, an improved radiator and successful experimentation with air vents in the bike’s fairing by Kim provided better engine cooling. Even so, unlike most race bikes, the Konig 500 was typically taken to the grid cold and started cold for races. Given this, poor starts were not uncommon. Newcombe also developed a new frame for the racer. It utilized a large diameter steel backbone tube that ran from the top of the steering neck angled downward at about 20 degrees before turning straight down to support the back of the engine. Two smaller diameter steel tubes connected to the lower left and right sides of the steering neck, angled outward and more steeply downward to provide further support behind the engine around the swingarm axle. Additional frame tubes at the rear of the bike provided top mounts for the twin Girling shocks and support for the rider’s seat. Finally, two much smaller downtubes to the front of the engine supported the bike’s radiator. The engine was suspended by the frame without any bottom tubes. For 1972 Newcombe had acquired an FIM GP licence in order to contest some non-GP international races and selected GPs. Two other racers, Ernst Hiller and Paul Eikenberg would also race the works machines on occasion. During 1972 Kim also met up with his former Maico teammate, Australian racer Rod Tingate, who would join the team as his mechanic and right-hand man. In his first ever GP in West Germany held at the 32.0 km (14.2 mile) Nürburgring circuit Newcombe finished an incredible third behind the two works MV Agustas of Agostini and Pagani, with his new teammate Ernst Hiller coming home fifth. It wasn’t long before the ever-stronger performance of the Konig 500 prompted Dieter Konig to start producing race kits and over-the-counter versions of the racer. InsideMotorcycles.com 61
Canadian retailer direCtory (Left) Newcombe astride a Konig 500 GP illustrates how diminutive the bike was, basically the same size and weight as a Yamaha 250/350 GP twin. (Above) This black 1976 Konig 500, seen here at the Barber Museum, is fitted with triple disc brakes, monoshock rear suspension and other updates.
Third place finishes by Eikenberg at the Yugoslavian GP and by Newcombe at the East German GP further boosted the race credibility of the Konig. At the Swedish GP Kim finished fifth, but only after having to push his bike all the way to the first corner before it fired up and then having his clutch cable break on the third lap. Despite these setbacks he was able to catch and overtake the entire field save for four riders. The more Newcombe raced the Konig the faster he got. By 1973 the Konig 500 GP developed 85 to 90 hp at the crankshaft. It used a 35 mm Ceriani GP fork and twin Girling rear shocks. Stopping power was provided by a Ceriani 230 mm 4L4S front brake and a 2L2S Ceriani rear drum brake. The bikes rolled on 18-inch alloy-rimmed spoked wheels shod with GP tires. The wheelbase was 1430 mm (56.3 in) and the dry weight was about 115 kg (253 lb). The bike had a low centre of gravity roughly equal to the height of the bike’s axles, was very narrow with a low frontal area, had good handling and was capable of extreme lean angles. Its top speed by then was 282 km/h (175 mph) in sixth gear, faster at times than the mighty MVs. The company had also developed a 680 cc version of the GP with 90-plus hp. After finishing 10th overall in 1972 Newcombe went all out in the 1973 500 GP series. Yamaha’s ‘Flying Fin’ Jarno Saarinen won the first two GPs with Newcombe finishing fifth and third. At the next round Saarinen broke his chain while leading. Newcombe also DNF’d, but Ernst Hiller took third on his Konig. Next came the tragic Grand Prix des Nations at Monza and a fifteen-rider crash on the opening lap of the 250 GP in which both Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini died and other racers were injured. Given the tragedy both the 250 and 500 GPs des Nations were cancelled, and Yamaha’s works team withdrew for the balance of the 500 cc championship. Next came the IoM Senior TT which most top GP racers boycotted for safety reasons. Newcombe then won the Yugoslav GP putting him into first place overall. Then came the Dutch TT won by Phil Read (MV) with Newcombe second, but still first overall by one point. By the time of the August break in the GP calendar Newcombe was in second place overall behind Read with only the Spanish round left. Kim had been invited to compete during the GP break in two major race meets in the UK, the latter of which was at Silverstone. Mechanical problems with his 500 GP forced him to ride the brutish 680 cc Konig at Silverstone. Kim had identified an unprotected trackside wall at Stowe corner as a serious hazard and requested hay bales be placed there, but the course marshal refused. In the big race, open to works F750 and 1,000 cc machines, Newcombe led the field for six laps, but then ran wide at Stowe corner laying the bike down and sliding into the unprotected wall. Kim sustained head injuries to which he succumbed three days later. The next day racer Stan Woods also crashed at Stowe Corner, but by then hay bales had been placed in front of the wall enabling Woods to walk away from the crash. Kim Newcombe finished a posthumous second overall in the 1973 500 GP World Championship. As with Saarinen and Pasolini, one can only wonder what Newcombe would have gone on to achieve. Newcombe’s death was taken very hard by Dieter Konig and basically ended his interest in solo racing motorcycles. His firm did however assist Rolf Steinhausen and his passenger Josef Huber to win the FIM Sidecar World Championship in 1975 and 1976 with their Busch-Konig outfit, basically Konig’s motorcycle racing swan song. IM 62 Inside Motorcycles
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
Kelowna Motorrad - Kelowna, BC Tel: (250) 860-1111
argyll Motorrad - Edmonton, AB Tel: (780) 435-6811 Blackfoot Motorrad - Calgary, AB
Tel: (403) 243-2636
european Motorrad - Saskatoon, SK Tel: (306) 934-3717
Wildwood Motorsports - Winnipeg, MB Tel: (204) 477-1701
BMW Motorrad Barrie - Barrie, ON
Tel: (705) 881-1420
Budds’ Motorrad - Oakville, ON
Tel: (905) 845-3577
BMW toronto - Toronto, ON Tel: (416) 623-4269 Maranello Motorrad - Woodbridge, ON
Tel: (416) 238-7898
Wolf BMW - London, ON Tel: (519) 951-9482
ottawa Motorrad - Ottawa, ON Tel: (613) 731-9071
Gabriel BMW Moto - Montréal, QC
Tel: (514) 712-7777
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 rallye Motoplex - Dieppe, NB Tel: (506) 383-1022
avalon Motorrad - St John’s, NL Tel: (709) 726-6500
40 YEARS OF ADVENTURE CURIOSITY SINCE 1980
Celebrating the anniversary of GS with exciting model updates and special editions that remind you of the origins of GS. #SpiritofGS Visit bmw-motorrad.ca for more information.
© 2021 BMW Motorrad Canada. “BMW”, the “BMW Logo”, 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.
