Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly - July 2016 by Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly

#176 FREE

20 Years Of Bikes And Other Stuff

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly®

Table of Contents July 2016 3

PUBLISHER Victor Wanchena

From The Hip

MANAGING EDITOR Bruce Mike

All The News That Fits Road Rash

REVIEW WRANGLER David Soderholm

COLUMNISTS

Thomas Day Paul Berglund

Geezer With A Grudge Avoiding Nature

CONTRIBUTORS David Harrington Harry Martin

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Photo by Victor Wanchena

From The Hip

WEBMASTER Julie S. Mike Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® is published nine times a year by: Hartman Press, Inc. 7265 Balsam Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55369 Phone: 763.315.5396 email: bruce@mnmotorcycle.com www.mnmotorcycle.com Subscriptions are available for $14.00 a year (U.S. funds). See subscription form below. Advertising inquiries: sales@mnmotorcycle.com 763.315.5396 Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly encourages your submissions. M.M.M. will edit all accepted submissions and retains nonexclusive, multiple use rights to work published in M.M.M. Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly will return submissions only if accompanied by an SASE. “Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly” is a registered trademark. Copyright 2016 by Hartman Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bike Review 20 Years Of MMM Reviews By Victor Wanchena

his month MMM turns 20. We’re not quite old enough for a legal drink, but that’s a long time for a motorcycle publication. It an even longer time for a group of motorcyclists equipped with just enough publishing experience to be dangerous. But, what we lacked in knowhow we made up for in passion and desire.

Feature Dressed For The Occasion

So on the occasion of our 20th anniversary, I want to say thank you. There are so many people, organizations, and movements that have influenced MMM over the years that I will inevitably miss someone in this heartfelt thank you, but here goes anyways.

Movie Review A Story Worth Living Calendar

First, I have to thank the advertisers. Without them the bills don’t get paid. We have always been blessed with an advertising base that has supported us through thick and thin. Their financial support has made these very pages possible. So to anyone that’s ever placed an ad in MMM, thank you. Second, to all the writers I say thank you. We have always been graced with a wide variety of talented writers. Their broad and varied voice has represented all corners of motorcycling. And without them MMM would have been exceedingly boring. I especially want to remember three MMM writers no longer with us. The witty Brian Day, the king of commentary Louis Cypher, and the exceedingly charming BJ Max. Godspeed to the three of them.

Third, I need to thank the production staff. Over the years several people have served their time under my oppressive rule slaving away to produce each issue of MMM. Without their tireless work no issues would ever have made it to print. Thank you Guido Ebert, Troy Johnson, Erin Hartman, Bruce Mike, Sev Pearman, Dave Soderholm, and Tammy Wanchena. And last, I need to thank you the readers. You all truly are the most important piece in the funky jigsaw puzzle that is MMM. You have read us without fail. You have sent us angry letters. You have supported advertisers. And you contributed your own stories. Without you none of this would have happened. To you I owe a deep debt of gratitude. I wanted to include a pithy quote on gratitude or thanks, but they all sounded like I’d been wandering the greeting card aisle. Instead I will simply say again, thank you. Where will MMM be in another 20 years? Who knows and only time will tell. We have no desire to quit and we still laugh at our own jokes. So as long advertisers keep using us, writers keep contributing, staffers keep enduring, and readers keep reading we’ll keep publishing.

Random Scootering The GenZe Electric Scooter

Tales From The Road Thieves in the Temple

Cover photos Courtesy of MMM Archives

Ride fast, take chances. V. Wanchena Publisher

MMM

Je Suis Charlie

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

All The News That Fits MMM Turns 20!

3. A staffer is arrested for riding at an “elevated and aggressive pace”. Pleas for bail money and a legal defense fund go unanswered.

o there really is only one story this month. Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly is now 20 years old! The first issue was published in July of 1996. In the spirit of a misty eyed retrospective on our funky little publication I bring you a brief history of MMM.

4. The Minnesota Historical Society deems MMM worthy of inclusion in the archives. Every issue is preserved for future generations to mock. 5. We run a picture of Erik Buell with a thought bubble that reads, “I left and the place went to hell”. Calls from H-D corporate soon follow.

MMM was founded in 1996 by Dan Hartman and Troy Johnson. Troy and his wife, Erin, had returned to Minnesota after having lived in San Francisco where they had been exposed to local motorcycle publications. The venerable publication City Bike was a motorcycling staple in San Francisco. Troy realized Minnesota had a strong motorcycling culture, but no publication serving this voracious group.

With an opportunity sensed, and Erin’s father, Dan Hartman (who’s name still graces our official corporate name Hartman Press, Inc.), agreed to act as publisher, while Troy would be the creative force. MMM issue #1 was published in July of 1996. My involvement began shortly after the first issue when I was recruited by Troy to write a story about working as a motorcycle escort for funerals. I was asked to contribute more stories despite my abhorrent writing skills, which I blame on a misspent youth avoiding English class. Eventually after hanging around long enough I was asked to join the staff as an associate editor.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

By 2000 Troy had grown tired of past due deadlines, sleepless production schedules, and day old coffee. He asked if I would take the reigns as editor. Dan was ready to move on as well, and offered me the role of publisher. I accepted, but only after deceiving my wife, Tammy, into believing it wouldn’t be that much work. It was a joint effort with my lovely wife picking up where I lacked, namely a witty take on biker films and an eye for grammar and speeling. (T.W. – I’m leaving this one.) But, I quickly realized that I needed more help keeping MMM on the road. And so, in came known high-miler Sev Pearman. His extensive knowledge

6. We run a lukewarm review of a Hyosung cruiser. The media rep is so incensed at our review that he personally threatens to make sure we never review another Hyosung again. Of course we do anyway. Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

of motorcycles and rumors of an Oscar for lighting work on a movie were exactly what MMM needed. His easy, Columbo-like style came in handy as he charmed us out of more than one speeding ticket on test rides. Where’s my wallet indeed! In 2010 after ten years of publishing and editing MMM I sensed the need for a change. No editor should stay forever and it was time for new blood to take the helm. Into the picture came Bruce Mike. Bruce owned a chopper and knew print publication. What more could I ask for. Bruce brought a fresh face to the publication and actual graphic design experience.

Soon after, Guido Ebert joined Bruce. He wrote a ton of material and did his best to keep us classy, but Polaris soon discovered his talent and lured him away to their PR department.

For 2016 Dave Soderholm came on board as our road test editor. As a long time contributor, Dave’s passion for motorcycling is evident. He’s just now realizing what he got himself into. So, with all that said I bring you a highly subjective list of the top 20 moments in MMM history. If we were a classic rock band this would be our greatest hits album.

1. MMM is founded. The rest of the list doesn’t happen without this. 2. We beg and plead with a dealer to get a demo ride for issue #1. We promptly crash the bike.

7. One of the founders of a failed local motorcycle brand calls looking for a job as a writer. He is promptly hired and assigned to write about his company’s demise. He never follows through with his first assignment.

8. Thanks to an early production model straight off the assembly line we scoop the rest of the motorcycling press with horsepower figures for the Victory 92C. Whoops, did we publish that? 9. We convince a local Kymco dealer into to giving us a scooter to ride for the day. 24 hours later we return the scooter with 1500 more miles on the odometer than when we started. I’m pretty sure you said ride it as much as we want.

course. The result is moto-journalism gold.

14. MMM is cited as a source in a doctoral dissertation. We question the validity of any PhD based on anything we’ve said or written.

15. We send readers on a wild goose chase across the state looking for a riding gnome we’ve hidden. The clues are less than helpful. 16. We recreate the famous Hollister motorcycle picture using coffee cups and scooter. The photo runs on the April issue cover and is an instant favorite.

17. MMM Founder Johnson and then editor Wanchena enter a long distance endurance rally. They use this as an excuse to ride to Chicago for a Twins game and take a nap in the stands of Comiskey Park. 18. Despite warnings from our legal council we run a Poetry Corner.

19. One staffer goes 0-4 for test rides without a crash. We blame the heels.

20. We send a staffer to interview Evel Knievel. He’s as crazy and crabby as we imagined. Thank you again for reading MMM. It’s been fun to produce. So here’s to the last 20 years and here’s to the next 20. Please join in a toast by raising a quart of 20W-50 or taking your bike off a sweet jump. MMM

10. We scoop the motorcycling press again with the revelation of several new H-D models thanks to a deep cover mole. We giggle that one model shares its name with a cheap wine.

11. Staffers mock one of Publisher Wanchena’s many crashes by running a fake classified for his crashed bike listing the mileage as “80,000 miles on road, ¼ mile other”. 12. A reader writes in to complain that our free classifieds come with a price after he notices we add the word “loud” before the description of any aftermarket exhaust pipes listed.

13. We challenge three staffers to buy and prep a bike for $300 for an unspecified journey. They are then subjected to 350 miles on gravel roads and a hot lap of an enduro Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

Geezer With A Grudge

Avoiding Nature common group number appears to be four, but three through six has been the regular pattern in Red Wing. So, if you see one: assume three more and make your speed appropriate for threading several animals in the near future. Don’t be a stupid as a deer, speeding up in the insane hope that going faster will reduce the chances of impact makes you into uncontrolled prey.

Photo Courtesy of wvgazettemail.com

By Thomas Day

f you didn’t know me you might suspect the title of this essay is saying something about my dislike for good ‘ole Mommy Nature. That’s not the case, of course. I’m a certified/certifiable tree-hugging, semi-environmentally-conscious guy and one of the many reasons I continue to call Minnesota “home” is the spectacular abundance of liveand-in-color nature we have here. However, I would rather not impact more than fresh air, the occasional rainstorm, and the more frequent hoards of bugs while I’m riding my motorcycle. On top of my list of nature’s gentle creations that I particularly try to avoid are deer (“hooved-rats” or whatever insulting nickname you’ve given these moving targets). Over the years and miles, I’ve developed a few tactics that I like to think have contributed to my survival while riding through some of the country’s densest deer populations. I’m not claiming that luck hasn’t played a terrific part in my avoiding death-by-fur-ball, but I do think some of the observations and statistical tactics I’ve collected, developed, and practiced have helped. I’m going to try to pass on a few

of these in this article and I encourage our readers to object to, add to, or refine anything I have to say here. First on my list is practicing braking and swerving skills on a regular basis so that I have the tools necessary when I need to make a major maneuver or apply my motorcycle’s braking system near the limits of traction, braking horsepower, and stability. When I talk about this in my MSF courses, I suspect most of my students think I’m either joking or exaggerating . . . but I’m not. While all of my riding skills are far from perfect, I think I have pushed my ability to haul my motorcycles to a stop harder than anything else I know about riding. That would be, mostly, because it’s easy to practice using the brakes well and often: at every stop light, stop sign, or any other time you need to bring your bike to a standstill. Use both brakes correctly and precisely and you’ll be ready to do something with those skills when you need them.

Now this tip is purely my own statistical analysis and personal observation. There is no real science, other than observation and experience, to this piece of advice. On two lane roads, travel near the middle of the road as often as is practical. In the MSF’s BRC, we break a highway lane into three sections: left, right, and center. During the active time for deer (and at night) I believe that you can statistically improve your odds of either chasing the deer out from the edge of the road and into your path or give yourself a little more time to avoid deer coming from the near (right) side. By sacrificing a little margin from the left side of the road, you can create a little space and time for yourself hugging the centerline. If the road is crested, you even get a slight line-of-sight advantage into the ditches from this position. There is no science to this. I haven’t read any studies that prove or disprove my theory, but the number of times I’ve had this tactic work for me is way into the hundreds, so it might work for you, too. This tip is useless for Iron Butt’ers, for the rest of us it’s just a minor sacrifice. When it comes to suddenly-appearing 100 pound animals with no traffic sense, your time to evaluate and execute road hazards is a fraction of a second. With that in mind, my advice is don’t ride at night. Once you’re riding on your lights and intuition, deer are unavoidable. You just don’t get enough warning from your headlights. Worse, the damn headlights often paralyze deer right in your path

of travel. If you are stuck riding at night, stay on the biggest road you can find, well-lit freeways are best, stick with traffic as much as possible, and slow down. Trying to make up time when your sight-line is only a couple hundred feet is close to suicidal. Implied in some of my other deer-avoidance advice is buying time and space and that almost always means modifying your speed. I’m going to repeat this last piece of advice, since I think it is the real key to surviving deer encounters. Speed kills, especially during deer prime-time and those long hours of poor-visibility. When your lights and line-ofsight are limited, you have to make practical accommodations for what you don’t have and set your speed appropriately. It’s impossible to make up time riding in the back of an ambulance, so consider that possibility when you are hauling ass through tree tunnels at dusk. Be realistic about your attention capacity. It’s one thing being on a short ride through a few of Wisconsin’s letter roads and another being at the tail-end of a 12,000 mile, month-long trip. If you are daydreaming, you are not scanning the edge of the road for potential moving obstacles. The moment you stop watching for Bambi will be the split-second you needed to avoid her. If you are tired, bored, or distracted, you are a moving target. The idea is to be the shooter not the target. Motorcycling is not a spectator sport. You don’t get to enjoy the scenery until you are stopped.

Watching deer cross the road in front of my house, I’ve learned that deer travel in groups, predictably. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a single deer in our neighborhood. The most

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

MMM

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

20 Years Of M Over the past 20 years we’ve tested a lot of bikes. Including all reviews, we’re at over 200 test rides. To celebrate our 20-year anniversary, we thought it would be fun to look back at our favorites. In keeping with our halforganized, randomly chaotic approach here are our favorite reviews from each of the last 20 years.

1996 – 2003 by Victor Wanchena

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

Photo Courtesy of sportbikerider.us

1998 — Polaris Victory 92C. This one was significant for us because Polaris was the first of the two local builders to make it to market. The motor and chassis were excellent. The style was a bit too industrial for our taste, but we were enamored with the LCD display and handlebar controls. Apparently we were easy to amuse back then. We were fortunate to snag #22 off the assembly line for our test. A small coup in the publishing world for our upstart publication.

2001 — Suzuki Hayabusa. We rode this two-wheeled missile and were stunned. The big Suzuki looked half melted and did the same to its tires. The king of speed raised the performance bar quite high and it got us riding like fools in the process. The tales of high triple digits and rolling burnout wheelies got the notice of the insurance man. Nope, we weren’t covered for any of that.

Photo Courtesy of Biggin

Photo Courtesy of motorcyclezez.com

1999 — Ural 650 Deco Classic. This was the Ural that set us on a love affair with the Russian sidecar brand. We tested it in late winter and were instantly enthralled by the all weather (read icy road) capabilities of the Ural. We were so smitten in fact that 2 out of 3 MMM editors have owned Urals. We didn’t seem to mind its faults, of which there were many, and instead just rode it like we stole it.

2002 — BMW K1200LT. The K thru 12, as the LT was known around MMM, opened up distant horizons for us. The BMW flagship tourer came well equipped with everything to make the continent your playground. Big miles were easy on the LT and it felt like a shame to ever put the side stand down. Staffers and known MMM associates have gone on to log several hundred thousand miles on LTs. Need I say more.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

1996 — Buell S1 Lightning. We liked it and didn’t have a lot more to say. But the real story behind the Buell was this was our first review bike and we crashed it. Yup, our first one ever. In fairness we put to the two shortest riders in our crew on the Buell, but we were 0-1 for bikes not crashed going into issue #2.

1997 — Valdez V8. This review was so wonderful because it was all a lie. The Valdez V8 was our first April Fools story and it worked. We got calls and letters asking for more information and follow up stories. There were plenty of clues in the story that it was fake, but plenty to make a person wonder. It was partially based on the news that Yamaha was building high performance motors for Ford. Ironically, the performance numbers, which we thought were mythical then, are common for liter class sport bikes now.

Photo Courtesy of Honda

2000 — Honda RC51. There was something about the RC that made us swoon. It was a hard-edged sport bike that was a blatant copy of Ducati’s superbikes, but somehow that worked for us. It also inspired one of the funnier analogies we ever penned, “When you compare the sound of a Harley to a Ducati, the Harley sounds like a crazy old man yelling at his dog.”

Photo Courtesy of catalog-moto.com

2003 — Moto Guzzi V11 Sport Rosso Mandello. The V11 is the sporting gentleman from Italy. For some reason MMM has always had a soft spot for Moto Guzzi. They’re not the fastest, most reliable, or the most tech laden machines. But in our minds as a motorcyclist you need to own one at some point in your life. The Rosso Mandello was a special 80th anniversary model to the venerable V11 Sport. It was a fine machine that had us dreaming of hot laps around Lake Como.

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

MMM Reviews 2004 – 2009 by David Soderholm

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives Photo Courtesy of motozombdrive.com

2004 — Suzuki Vstrom 1000. The bike that helped usher in the current ADV bike craze. It was the R1150GS that mere mortals could afford to ride. Charlie and Ewan didn’t ride it around the world, but many we have seen have multiple world trips on the odometer. MMM reviewers praised it for its versatility, power, handling and affordability. The big V was cheaper, more reliable and arguably a better bike than the GS of the day for what most people really used these bikes for. MMM penned – “I find it to be a great bargain. Sorry, but I refer to it as “The Perfect Strom”.

2006 — Triumph Daytona 675. It was a punch in the face to the highly competitive Japanese 600 class. The Daytona carried a 675cc version of the famed Hinckley triple. Broad torque, blazing top end and the distinctive howl were pure heaven. The unique Daytona was a much less demanding but no less quick bike to ride or race than the Japanese 600’s. The engine and chassis were so good it was used as the basis to produce the brilliant Street Triple®. MMM gushed – “Triumph finally has a serious contender in the hottest class in motorcycling.”

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2008 — Victory Vision Tour. A triumph of function and engineering. This stylishly polarizing bike showed that Victory had arrived. Love or hate the styling, but the engineering beneath it was world class and showed the direction Victory was headed. They carefully thought out and addressed the touring rider’s needs. MMM said – “Everything about this bike is based on engineering, performance and handling”….Somebody did their homework: the Victory Vision works”….and….” Victory can take a bow for building a bike that looks like no other and is built to ride.” Both reviewers loved the VVT from the hometown gang.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives Photo Courtesy of autoevolution.com

2005 — Triumph Rocket III. 2300cc’s 148 hp and 147 foot pounds of torque @ 2750 rpm – WOW. MMM wrote “…strong enough to shove even a tobacco barn down the road. Impressive? Yes, but scary too. In any gear, I could whack the throttle open and the bike slammed forward like an angry F-18 on full afterburner…. Those monster throttle bodies suck loud air, the horizon goes blurry, and around fifty-five hundred the mill really howls. By then you’ll back off anyway, palms sweaty and eyeballs itchy from windburn. This thing flat-out cooks.” The surprise (bonus?!) for us? It even handled well.

2007 — Piaggio MP3. A cool Italian scooter with 2 wheels up front that still leans. MMM loved it. “Riding the MP3 is, well, let’s just cut to the chase and say that this thing kicks ass.” The enhanced safety of the unique twin tire front end was a hit – “I like its quirkiness, but also appreciate its surefootedness on all types of road conditions. Good practicality was also a plus – “they were probably just interested in all the beer I was able to stash under the seat.” Overall, the MP3 was a loved, unique and practical scooter from Piaggio.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2009 — Yamaha YZF R1. A blisteringly fast sport-bike from Yamaha. The number one feature was the “big bang” firing crossplane crankshaft engine from Yamaha. It made big power like an inline four but sounded and felt very twin like. The 09’ R1 represented one of the great first Motogp technology trickle downs…..Motogp tech one day – Street bike Tech the next. MMM wrote – “In typical trickle down fashion, the technology that started on Valetino Rossi’s championship winning YZR-M1 MotoGP bike has come to the unwashed masses.” Now day’s things like Multi Maps / Traction Control / Slipper Clutches and Unique Engines are common across motorcycling. Yamaha started that with the amazing 09’ R1.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

20 Years Of Reviews (continued) 2010 – 2016 by Bruce Mike

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2010 — Grand National Replica. It’s a Flat-Track replica that is street legal. It is a hand-built bike with a racing pedigree. Out of all the bikes I’ve ridden through the years, this was and is my all time favorite. My fellow reviewer told me “It promotes hooliganism”. Most fun I ever had on two wheels.

2013 — Indian Chief. We’ve ridden a lot of Indians over the years at MMM and this variation, built after Polaris purchased Indian, was the best one yet. It is well engineered and the fit and finish is beautiful. It’s a giant motorcycle that rides and handles like a much smaller bike. Exactly what you need in a cruiser

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2015 — Ducati Scrambler. Everybody is building a Scrambler these days. Retro is wehere it’s at. With six different models, one at 400 cc and five at 800 cc, there is a scrambler for every rider. Like the Monster, this bike is as fun as it looks. This a very affordable Ducati and I have a hunch we’re going to see a lot of them on the road.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2011 — 796 Ducati Monster. I picked this bike because the Monster has been a been a big seller for Ducati since it was introduced in 1993. This was a new variation in 2011. It’s a naked street bike that anybody can ride. It’s a good, solid bike built with all the right components and it rides like you would expect from a Ducati. Our only issue was it was geared a little high from the factory. Change the sprockets and you have the perfect commuter bike.

Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2014 — Can-Am Spyder. We have reviewed several Spyders over the years. We even rode one on the Minnesota 1000. They are not a trike and they are not a typical motorcycle. They weren’t converted from something else, they were engineered from the ground up. If you have never ridden one, you should. Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2016 — 1972 Smith Brothers and Fetrow Chopper. This was my bike that I owned for 15 years and put about 400 miles on it. It was time to move it down the road and the April issue seemed the perfect time to review it. I wanted one since I was a little kid. I’ve had one and I never need another one. Victor’s take on the chopper — “I kind of liked the chopper. It was loud, crude, ridiculously hard to ride, and probably even harder to live with. But that was also its charm. I have a soft spot in my heart for hard to ride machines. They require dedication, perseverance, and commitment”. “Damn it. I like a chopper”. MMM Photo Courtesy of MMM Archives

2012 — CBR250R. “Most of us at MMM have adopted a new philosophy — Light Is Right. Simply put, you don’t need a bike with a kajillion ccs and twin nitrous bottles to have a good time.” These little sport bikes are a ton of fun to ride and make great starter bikes. If you are considering a scooter, you might want to check out one of these. They cost about the same.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

Movie Review

A Story Worth Living A Story Worth Living Directed by Erik Ticen California Road Studios (2016) 85 minutes By Victor Wanchena A Story Worth Living was a one-night limited release movie that was is theaters May 19th. The tag line for the film was “Six novice riders—father, sons and friends—take on the Colorado backcountry on BMW F800GS adventure bikes to create a film about life, meaning and the longing to be part of something epic that is written on every human heart.” The trailer showed gnarly roads and sweeping mountain vistas. Dramatic music underscored it all. You’re in, right? Well, if you missed it, be glad. What was billed as a motorcycle adventure movie turned out to be a men’s drumming circle/group therapy session/get in touch with your feelings/ group hug piece of crap advertised as a motorcycle adventure movie. My wife accompanied me to this and I’m still apologizing. Here’s the plot: these six guys get together every year and watch Long Way Round. This inspires them to ride some passes in Colorado. Charlie Boorman is their “like hero, like”. Only one of them has any riding experience so of course they select huge ADV bikes for the trip. And, they somehow get Arai, Klim, Twisted Throttle, and Denali to sponsor them with equipment. Hold onto your hats; they rode 1000 miles in 8 days. I know. Epic. Most of which was on paved road. They basically got a bunch of accessory suppliers to

sponsor their vacation. So maybe I’m a little jealous there. Most of the movie is them sitting around talking about their “story” and their feelings. Star Wars and The Chronicles of Narnia are referenced and quoted, often. To butch it up they play poker and smoke cigars in a couple scenes. Then the bait and switch comes. As the movie (and the riders) seem to go nowhere I begin to clue in on the sermonizing. What was billed as a motorcycle adventure movie is in fact just an evangelical pitch to Christianity. I looked around the theater a bit, and most of the other patrons seemed to be as bewildered as I was that they’d actually been sold this crapfest. The audience was mostly guys, and there was lots of riding equipment. The religious overtones didn’t bother me, but the bait and switch did. It finally ends, only to have them on a videoconference with Charlie Boorman. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I walked out. A bunch of others started leaving as well. A group came out with the same look of dismay as I had. In the short segment I sat through while they talked to Charlie, they started talking about where they’ll go next. I’m sure they made enough that night, ($17 per ticket) to fund their next attempt at riding somewhere exotic. MMM

Calendar Ongoing 2nd Monday of the month, 7:00pm Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Gathering

Diamonds Coffee Shoppe, 1618 Central Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis, MN. Not Necessary To Be a Member to Attend Gathering.

Every Tuesday, 5:45-9:00pm Ride To Sir Bendicts

Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, 805 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802 Have dinner, talk bikes.

1st Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm Dulano’s Pizza Parking Lot Party

607 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN Hang out, eat pizza, show off your bike, watch the variety of humanity.

3rd Thursday of the month, 6:00 pm Blue Cat Motorcycle Third Thursday

460 Prior Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN, bluecatmotorcycle.com Two wheel block party. The action starts at 6:00 PM.

July July 9, 9:00 am — 5th Annual Ride for the Future

Detroit Lakes Pavilion www.bgcofdl.org. Join the Boys and Girls Clubs of Detroit Lakes & Perham to raise awareness and support for afterschool and summer programs. This will be an approximately 100-mile led

ride through Minnesota’s beautiful lakes country. The Details, $20 per bike & $10 per 2-up, first 50 bikes receive a gift bag, 75th bike wins a special prize courtesy of Schultz Garage! Lunch will be served & provided by Pit 611 in Audubon, MN.

July 9 & 10 — 27th Annual Hawgs for Dogs Motorcycle Ride

Twin Cities Harley Davidson South, Lakeville, MN to The Hotel Marshfield, Marshfield, WI hawgsfordogs.org Saturday Dinner, Refreshments, Sunday Breakfast, Run swag, Trophies, Prizes, and more! $35 per person. ALL BIKES Benefit Run proceeds benefit Guide Dogs of America. We will depart from Twin Cities Harley Davidson-Lakeville, MN. We will ride to Hotel Marshfield, 2700 S. Central Avenue, Marshfield, Wisconsin.

July 14 - 17 — 2016 LCUSA Lambretta Jamboree

mnlambrettajamboree.weebly.com Duluth, MN. Over 100 vintage Lambrettas from all over the country are expected for the long weekend. Rides up the north shore, a traditional time trial, fish fry, meat raffle, show and shine and swap meet are planned along with a closing gala. The famed Wintermaster series 2 Lambretta is being raffled off to only those attending.

July 15 - 17 — British Biker Cooperative 36th Anniversary Motorcycle Rally & Show Year of the Chopper.

Eagle Cave Natural Park 16320 Cavern Lane, Blue River, Wisconsin 53518 britishbiker.net The event offers a weekend of activities including group rides and bike games, a Motorcycle Show, Friday night movie, band Saturday night, comfortable shaded camping with dedicated quiet areas, and refreshments. This event offers a great opportunity to see both rare vintage and late model British motorcycles in action on some of the best riding roads in the Midwest. All motorcycle enthusiasts are welcome.

July 16 — 2016 Patriot Ride

Key Air – Anoka County Airport (North Entrance) thepatriotride.org Support Minnesota Military members and their families. Ride, Vendors, Raffle, Vintage Planes, Emerson Ave Band

July 23, 1 - 10pm — Dirty Side Down Motorcycle Show-Off

331 Club Inc, 331 13th Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis. Live Music-Food-Drinks-Vendors. Hosted by Bob’s Java Hut

August August 13, 6:30 am — Team Lyle Minnesota 8 Hour Rally

teamstrange.com This Team Strange event is a perfect first rally for the rally curious, yet will offer plenty of challenge for grizzled rally veterans. This motorcycle riding, timed scavenger hunt, is a low key, casual and fun event.

August 20, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm — Gear-Head Get Together Show & Swap Meet

Maple Lake, MN gear-headgettogether.com There are only gear-heads, their machines, and anyone else who appreciates the laid back atmosphere and live entertainment! Guest appearance by Ron Finch, master bike builder. Featuring Brad Villand, motorcycle stunt rider.

September

September 8 - 11 — 2016 Minnesota North Shore Shindig

July 30 — Bring Out Yer Dead

Wildhurst Campground, Finland, MN northshoreshindig.wordpress.com A Dual Sport and Adventure Bike rally in the heart of the Minnesota Arrowhead and Superior National Forest.

July 30 - 31 — ARMCA D23 ATV/Motorcycle Flat Track Race

See the most current event listings on our website mnmotorcycle.com. Hosting an event? MMM will list your motorcycle event for free as a service to our readers. Email bruce@mnmotorcycle.com

Sir Benedicts Tavern on the Lake, 805 East Superior Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Vintage motorcycle rally and run. Food and drink. St. Croix Valley Raceway, St. Croix Falls, WI 5pm 651-253-1050 www.armca.org/schedules/dirt-track

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

The GenZe Electric Scooter

By David Harrington

hat do you get when you combine an Indian manufacturing conglomerate, Silicon Valley techies, and Michigan manufacturing? I’m fairly certain the answer is NOT “42”, as Doug Adams would be spinning in his grave over that particular question. I’m going to say the answer is a GenZe electric moped-legal scooter. Mahindra is the Indian conglomerate behind the GenZe. In North America, Mahindra is probably best known as tractor manufacturer. On a world-wide basis Mahindra is involved in aerospace, automotive, energy and other industries. The GenZe scooter was designed in Silicon Valley and the scooter is assembled in Ann Arbor Michigan. Bob Hedstrom at Scooterville in Minneapolis was kind enough to let me run around on their demo GenZe.

The GenZe is a battery-powered electric Minnesota-moped-legal scooter. The 1.6kwH Li-Ion battery pack is easily removable and charged via any ordinary 110V outlet. The frame is powder-coated aluminum and it rides on a 16 inch front tire and a 12 inch rear with a 50 inch wheelbase. The front and rear disc brakes offer some power regeneration. The GenZe weighs 232 pounds and has a carrying capacity of 295 pounds. Seat height is 29.5 inches, but it’s a wide seating platform. In order to sit flat-footed at a stop, one will needs at least a 32 inch inseam. Now the biggies – the GenZe’s top speed is 30 MPH and it gets there in under eight seconds and it has a battery range of about 30 miles. Oh, yeah, and it costs about $3,000. The 30 MPH top speed is part of the Minnesota moped-legal requirements and this is limited by the proprietary PCM or “Power Control Module”. The main rider interface is a large touch-screen display that shows speed, range, charge level, riding configuration and so forth. In order to “start” the GenZe, one makes sure the battery pack is locked in and the kill switch is in the run posi-

tion. Then one presses the small button located in the normal key ignition position. The touch-screen will come to life and one enters the four digit security code. That’s it. No noise, just ready to go. Now one decides “forward” or “backward”. Yes, there is a powered reverse selectable from a switch on the right hand control. Have said switch ion “forward”, twist the throttle and off you go. I was pleased with the acceleration (in the sport mode – there is also economy and easy for beginners) and the big wheels and generous frame size made for a comfortable ride. The seat is quite wide and floorboards are flat, but the front of the floorboards is limiting for foot space. Overall, I found the GenZe to be odd but acceptable in the ergonomics department. There is ABLE storage behind (and even a bit more under) the solo seat. In the base model, there is no secure storage. I can’t imagine running more than one errand with a GenZe without some way to secure my purchases from destination to destination. There is also no helmet lock built in to the scooter. The battery pack is just under the seat and key-locked to the frame. It’s easy to pivot out forward of the seat and then lift free from the frame to take away for charging. A nice design that makes it practical to charge up the battery pack just about any place. Build quality appears good and the parent company is a large, worldwide entity that should be around for a while so one would hope for good ongoing customer support. There is a smart phone app that gives one instant access to info about one’s GenZe including its location. A nice feature.

Who is this scooter for? I don’t think the price point is too bad, considering the technology. It’s moped legal so no motorcycle endorsement required and one should be able to take advantage of a lot of bicycle rack free parking. The hard limit of 30 MPH makes it an untenable machine for my use.

Photo by David Harrington

That’s simply not the real world traffic speed on roads posted “30”. I would swap some battery life for a 38 – 45 MPH top end so I could keep up with and avoid being run down by city traffic. If you want to go electric and can live with the speed limitations, I think the GenZe is worth a look. Twin Cities scooterist David Harrington owns and operates JustGottaScoot.com MMM

Photo by David Harrington

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #176 July 2016

Tales From The Road

Thieves in the Temple

By Paul Berglund

used to like seeing the scrap guys in the crappy pickups driving down my alley. I thought that might be a good job for a retired guy. Just drive around with one of your retired friends and make some money while you save the environment. I have no idea what kind of a living a scrap guy makes, but they were keeping busy and they were keeping metal out of our landfills. Then the price of steel dropped. Those scrap guys got more aggressive. It used to be homeowners could put things in the alley and scrap guys would take it away. Now things in my yard are being taken. Things of which I was very fond. When the price of steel was high, I spent several days and several hundred dollars building a large steel rack that would slide into any full size pick up truck and hold three dirt bikes. When not in use, it would stand on it’s end and not take up much space. We used that rack many times, taking street bikes to the shop, or more often, hauling dirt bikes to the trails. I was kind of proud of that rack, but more importantly it served it’s purpose very well. It was kind of a wondrous thing. You could strap all three bikes to the rack and if you were strong enough, slide it out of one truck and into another. It was self contained and fully functional. I’m sure small children who would later go on to become engineers would have marveled at it, given the chance. Then the price of steel dropped. Scrap guy wasn’t making his day rate off of scrap left in the alley any more. One of them saw a business opportunity in my back yard. On that fateful day a line was crossed. Sadly his decision lessened both of our lives and if he was lucky, he might have made a quick $3 off of that rack when he scrapped it. He might never think about that rack again, but I do. It put a cramp in my way of life. I can’t stack bikes in my truck bed like cord wood and what am I supposed to say to those sweet upturned faces of the next generation of engineers? Do I have to tell a bunch of nerdy kids to chain up their trikes, cause scrap man

Photo by Paul Berglund

is coming for their toys? Anger and wishing and plots of vengeance will get you nothing but a sleepless night. In the big scheme of things this was a small crime. I’m a victim, robbed of time and money nothing more. Just last week I traded my mighty Dodge wagon in on a used GMC truck. The used car manager “stole” far more money from me on that trade-in. So now I have a truck and no rack to haul bikes in. Towards whom shall I direct my anger? The guy we can all agree is a criminal, or the one who took (what I feel is) a criminal amount of profit from a legal transaction? Don’t get me started on lawyers. Motorcycles are a great way to get that anger out. Riding can clear your head. So the sooner I get back in the garage and make a new rack, the sooner I can hit the trails. Some of my friends have had their motorcycles stolen. Thats a worse spot to be

in. I still have my bike and the trails are still there. I just have to work out some logistics. I don’t want to loose my faith in motorcycles over money. We all have to drink a big glass of “that’s life” juice from time to time. It’s bitter and tastes like ass, but ultimately, how long that taste lingers is up to us. I prefer the minty fresh taste of trail riding. For those of you who have been reading Tales From The Road for awhile, you may be asking, “Wait, what about your trailer?” I’m wondering who you people are but to answer your hypothetical question, I sold that in an attempt to simplify things. Why have a car and a trailer when one truck can do the work of both? Life can take many twists and turns and so did the path that led me to my current truck. A tree fell on my last truck and squished it. Gas was $4 a gallon, so I decided to get a car and a trailer to save some money. Five years later I’m looking at a large bill for trailer maintenance and gas is $2 a

gallon. So I sold the car and the trailer and bought a truck. I try to live my life using logic and forethought. I just didn’t factor in the criminal element that prowls the alleys of our fair city. It’s true when I parked my trailer in the alley, I had it chained to a very large tree. I used a large chain and a large lock because I didn’t want to help a good boy go bad. That was quite logical. But the rack was in my back yard and I’m not going to chain up things in my back yard. Logical as it may seam, I don’t want to live like that. I’m a motorcyclist, I value freedom. I understand that there are risks involved with living this type of life. If I give into fear and paranoia, I’ll have a key ring as big as a school janitor. Not a cool look. Plus as guys age, it becomes harder and harder to keep our pants up. I’m three pounds of keys away from “pants on the floor”. No one wants that. Least of all me.

Photo by Paul Berglund

Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

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Photo by Paul Berglund

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