Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly - October 2015 by Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly

#170 FREE Don’t Knock It Until You Try It

Inside: C an-Am Spyder F3/F3-S • Tales From The Road • Special Section: Collector Bikes

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly®

Table of Contents October 2015 3 From The Hip

PUBLISHER

Victor Wanchena

All The News That Fits

MANAGING EDITOR Bruce Mike

Geezer With A Grudge Ride Like the Killer Robots Are After You

EDITOR

Guido Ebert

Tales From The Road There Is Always Room For Improvement

COLUMNISTS Thomas Day

CONTRIBUTORS Paul Berglund Benjamin Goebel David Harrington Amy Kempf Harry Martin

Road Rash Calendar

Photo Courtesy of koonceportland.blogspot.com

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 2015 by Hartman Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

8-9

Bike Review Can-Am Spyder F3/F3-S

By Bruce Mike

’ve been told that some of “the unwritten rules I live by” are weird. This may be true but they work for me. Some of them I got from my father and others I developed over time based on life experiences. These are a few I got from my dad which he may have gotten from his dad are; “Leasing a car is a rip-off, you should buy a car don’t rent it”. “Employment agencies don’t care if you get a job you’re good at or enjoy, they just want to get paid”. “It’s better to have more insurance than not enough”. And one I know isn’t original but the first time I heard it was from my dad; “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. I don’t necessarily agree with all of my dad’s “rules” but they are always in the back of my mind when relative situations arise. I think that’s the purpose of these. Whether they are things I’ve heard, or my own, they affect decisions I make. I’m a creature of routine and these rules play a part in that. I’ve never been diagnosed with OCD but my family may think I suffer from some form of it. I like to think I’m just consistent.

Here are some of mine. “It’s better to be 15 minutes early than 15 minutes late”. “Don’t ever buy cheap tires”. “Cheap shoes suck”. “Don’t work for someone you don’t respect”. “Don’t eat anything bigger than your head”. “Being honest is always the right thing to do”. “Helping others will make a bad day great”. “Walk through your fears, otherwise they own you”. Lastly, here is one that was said to my kids so often when they were growing up, they often use it as a parting statement. “Make good choices”. This is just a sampling of how I try to live. I’m pretty sure my wife and kids could double this list.

I recently discovered a rule that I share with some of my friends that was never talked about but came up when I was defending it. As you may have guessed I have pretty strong opinions which I try not to share unless I’m asked. Sometimes this is difficult for me. The unwritten rule that was discussed was; “Always stop on the right for fuel or food when travelling by car or motorcycle”. This is something I do, mainly because I’m impatient and if I stop on the right I get to resume in the direction I’m heading quicker than if I stop on the left. I’m convinced left turns take longer. Now, the way I defend this belief when talking about it is to claim that right turns are safer. That’s why a GPS will try to take you somewhere with as few left turns as possible. I believe this to be true but it’s not the reason I stop on the right. Recognizing the real reason why I do things takes my ego out of the situation and helps me do them differently. When it comes to riding a motorcycle my ego and impatience can get me injured or killed. My ego, for a number of years, kept me from wearing proper riding gear. It’s hard to be a badass biker when you’re wearing a helmet. Any close calls and speeding tickets I’ve had on a bike were a direct result of my impatience. Currently, I wear proper gear every time I ride and I’m really trying to be more patient. In recent years, I’ve taken an advanced rider course and plan on taking more. I want to be teachable. I’ve been riding for over 30 years and fortunately, I’ve never had a serious accident or injury. A new rule I’m adding to the list; “You have no control over someone else’s stupidity, but you have complete control over your own”.

10-12

Special Section Collector Bikes

Motorcycling In Minnesota Exploring the Alphabet Roads

Random Scootering Vintage Scooters Need You Minnesota Rider Catching Up with Racer Kaleb DeKeyrel

Feature Rider From the Record Books — Woody Carson Movie Review Mad Max: Fury Road Cover photo Rick Corwine

Can-Am Spyder F3/F3-S Provided By: Minneapolis Motorsports 801 Louisiana Ave. South Minneapolis, MN 55426 844.334.9838 minneapolismotorsports.com Evolution Motorsports 2102 9th Ave SW Watertown, SD 57201 888.749.0739 evolutionpowersports.com

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

All The News That Fits MN’s Underdahl Speeds to NHRA Finals

Cameron Beaubier and his Yamaha R1 won the 2015 AMA Superbike Championship, Jake Gagne won the 2015 AMA Superstock 1000 Championship on his R1, J.D. Beach is the 2015 AMA Supersport champion on his Yamaha R6, and Joe Roberts won the 2015 AMA Superstock 600 title aboard his Yamaha R6.

The 2015 MotoAmerica schedule included rounds at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas; Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga.; Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Va.; Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.; Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.; Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah; Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.; Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind.; and the finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

ISDE Many of the best off-road riders in the world took part in the 90th International Six Days Enduro, Sept. 7-12 in Kosice, Slovakia.

Photo Provided By NHRA

Minnesotan Jim Underdahl and his Suzuki are in a top10 points position in the Pro Stock Motorcycle class of the NHRA Mellow Yellow Drag Racing Series and well on their way to the final championship rounds. Performing in front of his hometown fans, Underdahl, of Forest Lake, clinched a 5th-place finish at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals held at Brainerd International Raceway in late August. That result put him in 7th place for the season.

MN Cycle Deaths Exceed 2014 The number of people who died in motorcycle crashes during the first eight months of the year surpassed the number of people who died in motorcycle crashes in all of 2014.

Minnesota Department of Public Safety officials say 47 motorcyclists had died to Aug. 31, compared to 46 in all of last year. Thirty-two motorcyclists had died on MN roads during the first eight months of 2014. Across the border, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) says 54 motorcycle drivers and two motorcycle passengers died in crashes during the first eight months of the year – up more than 15% from 2014.

NHTSA Fines Triumph $2.9 Million The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently imposed a $2.9 million penalty against Triumph Motorcycles for violations in reporting requirements and failure to fully respond to communications from NHTSA.

Triumph must pay a $1.4 million cash penalty and must spend at least $500,000 meeting a series of requirements to improve its safety practices. An additional $1 million in penalties could become due if the company violates the consent order or if additional Safety Act violations emerge. The penalty stems from Triumph’s September 2014 recall of more than 1,300 motorcycles for

Jim’s father, Greg, is himself a former Pro Stock Motorcycle racer and serves as crew chief for the 29-year-old’s Bad Boy Buggies-sponsored Suzuki. The 16-event NHRA Mello Yello Pro Stock Motorcycle Drag Racing Series season is divided into two distinct sections: the 10-race regular season and the six-race playoffs. After the first 10 races, only the top 10 drivers advance into the final six races. The remaining four races of this season take racers to Pennsylvania on Oct. 1, Texas, Nevada and California on Nov. 12.

a defect that could reduce steering capability and increase the risk of a crash. This April, NHTSA began an investigation into whether Triumph had violated the requirement to report the defect in a timely manner, and into other potential violations, including failure to submit quarterly reports on recall completion rates; failure to supply copies of technical service bulletins; and failure to file early warning data reports on death and injury claims, warranty data and other information.

Full Throttle Burns The Full Throttle Saloon, a bar near Sturgis, S.D., popularized via a reality TV show, was nearly completely destroyed by fire Sept. 8. The fire was reported just after midnight local time, and first responders saw smoke coming from the 5,000-square-foot saloon building’s roof. The entire main structure was fully aflame shortly after, with the blaze spreading to nearby buildings. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the fire, but published reports suggest it was further stoked by what was reported to be 500 gallons of grain alcohol in the building. Owner Michael Ballard said he doesn’t know if he will rebuild the popular watering hole.

Locals now wonder whether lax regulation and primitive infrastructure makes some of the Sturgis-area venues especially dangerous when thousands are in attendance. At the Full

Throttle, the nearest hydrants were almost a mile away and more than 100,000 gallons of water had to be hauled in using a rotation of six trucks from multiple fire departments.

No MotoGP in the U.S. in 2016 The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix will not be on the 2016 event schedule for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The MotoGP event was first hosted at IMS in partnership with Dorna Sports in September of 2008. The cancellation of the race is said to be a mutual decision by both parties.

However, according to the IMS: “Following the removal of the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca from the MotoGP schedule in 2014, the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix became the only summer MotoGP event in North America for the last two seasons. This caused both financial and logistical challenges that no longer made the event viable for the foreseeable future. Ultimately, removing the Indianapolis race became key to Dorna’s efforts to expand both the number of events it hosts and the geographic diversity of its schedule.”

MotoAmerica Finishes First Year The inaugural year of MotoAmerica, the new home of the AMA Superbike Championship, wrapped up in mid September following a final race at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J.

France won the World Trophy division, Australia won the Junior Trophy division and the Women’s World Trophy divisions. The U.S. Trophy Team finished 22nd, the U.S. Junior Trophy Team finished 13th, and the U.S. Women’s World Trophy Team was 5th overall.

A U.S. team has never won the World Trophy, although it has brought home the Junior Trophy four times: in 1973, 1991, 2006 and 2014.

Barber Expands The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Ala., already home of the world’s largest motorcycle collection, is undertaking a major expansion.

The current facility, which opened in October 2003, is 144,000 sq. ft. Guinness World Records last year named it as the world’s largest motorcycle collection, with 1,398 motorcycles.

The addition will add 84,650 sq. ft., resulting in a five-story museum about a quarter-million square feet in size. Project completion is scheduled for Fall 2016. “This expansion will help keep us as the benchmark for motorcycle collections worldwide,” said George Barber, the Barber Museum and Park founder. “People visit Birmingham from all over the world to see this museum and its collection, and we want to continue to ‘wow’ them with what they see.”

Mission Zapped, Files Bankruptcy Last month we told you about Mission Motorcycles’ attempt to bring out a massproduced electric motorcycle and its failure to deliver product in a timely manner. Well, the company’s current situation became clear in mid September when it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Watch for Deer This fall, as you’re taking your “fall colors” ride, be extra wary of the possibility of deer crossing the road. Minnesota is ranked seventh in the country for the most deer collisions. According to State Farm, the odds MN drivers will hit a deer in Minnesota are one in 81 compared to the national odds of one in 169. Evidently, vehicle operators are most likely to collide with deer in Minnesota in the fall due to mating and hunting seasons.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Geezer With A Grudge By Thomas Day

friend, Scott Jarrett, who has had a storied and impressive career as a professional musician once told me, “If you can imagine making a living any way but through music, you should.” For years, I took that as a semi-friendly put-down. It felt like he was telling me that, since I had regularly left the music world for the more regular income from electronic engineering and education, I shouldn’t consider myself worthy of being called “a musician.” I have no excess of confidence regarding my musicianship, so I took that advice and when someone asks me if I play or if I’m a musician I always say, “Sort of.” Recently, Scott was explaining to me his current financial dilemma that is mostly forced by the serious competition he receives from his past and current music students. These kids have the advantage of having had him as a step-up into music and the music business, plus they have the motivation, energy, and commitment and the advantage of of being young, footloose and unencumbered by obligations. He simply said, “I can’t keep up anymore. I can’t do the practice time or put in the hours to keep these kids from getting the jobs I used to own.” Scott described his situation as being similar to a scene in Douglas Adam’s Life, the Universe and Everything, where Arthur Dent, Slartibartfast, and Ford Prefect were watching some robots destroy a planet. Ford was explaining why the robots would win and destroy the universe while the three of them stood idly by observing their own demise. “We’re not obsessed by anything, you see,’’ insisted Ford. “And that’s the deciding factor. We can’t win against obsession. They care, we don’t. They win.’’ “I care about lots of things,’’ said Slartibartfast, his voice trembling partly with annoyance, but partly also with uncertainty. “Such as?’’ “Well,’’ said the old man, “life, the Universe. Everything, really. Fjords.’’ “Would you die for them?’’ “Fjords?’’ blinked Slartibartfast in surprise. “No.’’ “Well then.’’

Ride Like the Killer Robots Are After You “Wouldn’t see the point, to be honest.’’ When I heard that, “If you can imagine making a living some way other than as a musician, you should” suddenly made sense to me, in a non-insulting way. Scott is not

If you are absolutely convinced that magic and your biker stare is going to protect you from lousy riding skills and your distain for motorcycle protective gear, you’re an idiot and one of the many reasons we are so overrepresented in highway crash statistics. Motorcycling requires a similar obsession to being a professional musician. A motorcyclist is someone who constantly works on all aspects of his riding skills. She keeps her motorcycle in excellent condition by regularly inspecting the machine and spending the necessary money to keep it all in order. He reads books and magazines about riding, maintenance, and takes regular skills refresher courses to stay sharp and on top of his game. She rides as soon as the ice is gone in the spring and doesn’t put her bike away until the snow falls in the winter. He would rather ride his motorcycle than drive a car, ride a bicycle, walk, take the bus, or fly. She keeps herself in good physical condition so she has the strength, stamina, flexibility, and physical capacity to ride competently. He is obsessed with going places by motorcycle. When she rides, the only thing she is thinking about is riding a motorcycle safely, competently, and because it makes her feel more alive than any other thing she does.

“I do not encourage people to become motorcyclists. I train people who think they want to ride a motorcycle”. the kind of jackass you know me to be and I had always assumed that he meant this as a parable; unfortunately a parable that was simply beyond my comprehension. But I get it now. I was obsessed by music and, particularly, playing music on my guitar for about five years of the fifty-plus years I pretended to be a musician. Not nearly enough to count for the kind of obsession required to be a professional musician. In the United States, motorcycles account for 15% of highway deaths and an equally disproportionate number of serious injuries. If, as I’ve argued more than a few times, we amount to no more than 0.01% of highway traffic and, more likely, closer to 0.001%, the odds of dying in a motorcycle crash are somewhere around 1,500 to 15,000 times greater than in a cage. I know that traditional media claims the number is somewhere between 18 and 37 times more likely, but I think their math skills are suspect. 15% is 1.500 times greater than 0.01%. For motorcycling to be 37 times as dangerous as driving a car, we would have to drop our fatality contribution to 0.37% of total highway fatalities.

“If you can imagine going from point A to point B any way other than by motorcycle, you should.” I do not encourage people to become motorcyclists. I train people who think they want to ride a motorcycle, but I don’t give them a lot of encouragement. I am not a motorcycling cheerleader. I didn’t try to put my wife, kids, or my grandkids on a motorcycle. When they asked about it, I told them to get really good on a bicycle and get back to me. My wife tried off-road motorcycling for a few years, but never had any interest in street riding. They all had a few biking crashes, lost some skin, and decided that was fast and dangerous enough. I agree with that decision. If I didn’t work at turning my kids into motorcyclists, I’m sure not going to try to convince a stranger or, even, a friend to take on riding. It is dangerous, expensive, complicated, and a lot of hassle. If you are not obsessed, you should take the bus, ride the train, drive your cage, bicycle, or walk. They are all much safer and cheaper than motorcycling. If you are obsessed, I will try to help you in any way I can to become a better, safer motorcyclist. If obsessed people were the only people on motorcycles, we would drive that 15% down to 0.37% and keep pushing it lower until we approach zero.

Anything less than that is an unacceptable risk for minimal reward. If I thought it would help, I would repeat that sentence. To paraphrase Mr. Jarrett,

So, with those lousy odds in mind, how obsessed with riding a motorcycle are you?

Dr. Mudspringer

Your Neighborhood Motorcycle Accessory Store

Dr. MUDSPRINGER Spring Lake Park, MN

New Gerbing Gyde heated clothing Coming in September! Come see us for Fall closeouts on helmets & riding gear. 8465 Plaza Boulevard NE, Spring Lake Park, MN 55432 763.785.2191 www.DrMudspringer.com

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Tales From The Road

There Is Always Room For Improvement

By Paul Berglund

elf evaluation can be difficult. If you’re racing your motorcycle on a track, you can compare your times to other racers. You will know where you stand in that context and you can give your self a grade using that as a guide. It can be very hard to figure out how to improve your riding on your own. Riding on the street is only graded on a pass \ fail. Did you come home from your ride? Good, you pass. How well you ride is hard to judge on the street or out on the trail. Who do you ask to evaluate your riding? Cat Ely works for our fine paper. She’s a long time street rider. She’s been listening to me and my friends jabber on and on about trail riding for a few years now. She decided that she wanted to give it a try. She picked up a Honda CRF250L (an excellent choice) and signed up for a class at DirtBike Tech (DirtBikeTech.com or 763-757-DIRT). Cat’s not a slacker like me, so she scheduled the introductory class for one week and the next class (Basic Trail Riding) the following week. The first class was filled up right away but there were two spots open in the second class. She asked if my friend (another long time trail rider) and I wanted to join her. The class size was small, just four students and the two instructors, Troy and Doug, really know their stuff. I was curious to know how good of a trail rider I am. It was even possible I might learn something. So sign up I did. The class takes place near Henderson Minnesota. They have a large field set up with the usual cones and they have several trails laid out in the woods. The first part of the class is all about seeing how you ride a dirt bike. Troy and Doug start out by demonstrating an exercise and then watch you carry it out. They don’t just launch into the same program for every class, they take time to find out what skills you do and don’t have. Then they start to teach you. Like most people, I was surprised to find out what I didn’t know. I thought trail riding skills could be graded on a scale of 1 up to 3 or 4 and I was a solid two. For sure. Well, I may be a solid two, but the scale goes to ten. The men and women who get a ten for their skill set are professionals making millions of dollars or earning gold medals in the Olympics. You see them on TV, not in your mirror. So step one, realistically evaluating my skills as a trail rider, didn’t make me very happy. My ego took it hard. I quietly put my whimpering ego in my lunch box and got back on the bike. Step two went much better, like Oscar Goldman, Troy and Doug began to rebuild me. They made me better, smoother, oranger. I don’t have room to go into all I learned at DirtBike Tech, but I do want to address one thing that I mentioned in last months article. I accused KTM of making horrible seats for their off road bikes. That is still (very) true. KTM’s counter point was, if you’re sitting down, you are riding the bike wrong. Turns out, that’s (partly) true. One last observation, don’t keep your bruised ego in the cooler next to your lunch. It makes your sandwiches taste funny. At no point did my instructors tell me I was doing it wrong. They were very quick to praise things that were done right and when they saw room for improvement, they would demonstrate a better way to do things. They could break any skill down to components and work with you till you understood each part and

Photo by Sev Pearman

the whole of the skill. I wanted to pout, but I was too distracted by actual learning. It became clear that my bike is far more capable at trail riding than I am. I’m sure that’s true for you and your motorcycle. Whether we ride on the street, track or trail, our job as a rider is to not get in the way of the motorcycle doing it’s job. Your bike is already there, it’s you and me that are holding the process back. In my case, I was hobbling the bike by placing my body in the wrong place. When riding off road you should stand on the pegs to give the bike room to move. You remain upright and keep your weight balanced while the bike leans left and right and see saws front to back. I now understood how to ride better, but I had been doing it wrong for years now. I think it’s harder to change old habits than to learn new skills. Two weeks after the class I had the chance to go trail riding for a whole day. I knew in my head what I was supposed to do, but my body would stubbornly revert to it’s old ways when ever I wan’t paying attention. I have a long way to go, but the home work is an absolute blast. So what ever kind of motorcycle riding you’re doing or would like to do, take a class. Find out what you don’t know. Find out the best way to go about things. If you love motorcycles like me it can only improve your relationship. You will enjoy riding more when you improve your riding. A new bike can cost 10 or 20 thousand dollars. Figure out how much you have invested in your motorcycle(s). What percentage of that have you invested in learning how to ride? If you’re like me, it’s an embarrassing small amount. Like I said, your bike is capable of making it around that decreasing radius corner, or going over that log in the trail. Don’t you think it’s worth investing in yourself, so you can do it too?

Don’t you think your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer should actually RIDE a motorcycle?

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Calendar Ongoing

Rocktober

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

Oct 3, 6:00 am — GLMC Harvest Road Rally

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

October 10 — Frosty Ride

The 2015 Harvest Rally will begin at Fun Sports of Hutchinson in Hutchinson, MN. where Alvin Bertram will be our Rally Master. The street location is 16235 State Hwy 7 E., Hutchinson, MN 55350. The rally will end at Squeaky’s Grill and Bar, Hutchinson, MN

Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, 805 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802

www.glmc.org/harvest

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

www.slimeycrudrun.com/

Have dinner, talk bikes.

Oct 4, 10:00 am — Slimy Crud Café Racer Run

607 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN

Pine Bluff, WI - The Red Mouse Bar , Ride to Leland, WI - Sprecher’s Bar.

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.

Its origins are nearly as murky as Stonehenge, dating back to the early Seventies, according to one of its co-founders, former Triumph/ Bultaco/Matchless racer and current Triumph dealer Lyall Sharer. From humble beginnings, the event has become an organic thing that thrives on its own energy. At each gathering, it isn’t uncommon for anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 machines to show up.

822 Babcock Blvd West, Delano, MN 55328 The Frosty Ride will be held at Crow River Harley Davidson in Delano, Minnesota on October 10th, 2015

For more information about this event, Please see www.crowriverhd.com October 25—Zuhrah Motor Heads Fall Swap Meet Savage, Minnesota

Sponsored by Zuhrah Motor Heads Motor Corps

The swap meet is being held at the Shriner’s Fall Swap Meet Flea Market, 4851 W 123 Street in Savage. Gates open at 9:00 am. Vendor fee is $20.00. For more information call (952) 210-4401

November

Nov 1, 8:00 am —22nd Annual Minnesota Swan Ride Fury Motorcycle, 740 North Concord Avenue, South St. Paul, MN 55075 www.mnswanride.com/

Swan Ride, Twin Cities to Nelson WI. View Tundra Swans on a back water of the Mississippi.

January 2016

Jan 1, 10:00 am. — I-Cycle Derby

This is a short time-speed-distance road rally organized byTeam Strange. www.teamstrange.com

February 2016

February 5, - February 7 — 2016 Progressive International Motorcycle Show Minneapolis See All The Latest Bikes From All The Major Motorcycle Manufacturers Ultimate Builder Bike Show, Demos, Entertainment, Celebrity Appearances

100s of Vendors And A Whole Lot More!!! Visit www.motorcycleshows.com/city/ minneapolis

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

We’re running a previously published Road Rash this month but we think it’s quite appropriate for this time of year. Look for a new one next issue.

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Three-Wheeling on the C I

By Lee Bruns

arrived at Evolution Motorsports in Watertown, S.D., unsure of what to expect of the Spyder. I’m not unfamiliar with multi-track motorcycles having ridden sidecar rigs over a 100,000 miles and spent time on a few HD based trikes. This however was my first ride on a machine that is not a conversion but was instead designed and built to be exactly what it is, and it shows. The Spyder F3-S in Steel Black Metallic would look right at home in the Bat-cave. Every Bat-fan needs one. Its styling is modern, aggressing and original. It comes factory shod with modern block faced automotive style radial tires on 15-inch 6-spoke alloy wheels. Many people love the look, a few hate it, none are undecided.

The first thing you see when throwing a leg over the bike is a fantastic set of gauges featuring a large analog speedometer and tachometer on each side of a digital multi function screen. The speedo goes to 200 and the tach redlines at 7,500 rpm. I toggled through a few of the options on the data center and then left it set on speed, with a lower indicator of time and one of the three tripmeters. The switchgear is familiar with the addition of a button on the left side for reverse and cruise control on the right side. The cruise control was a real luxury on the interstate part of the test. The fly-bywire throttle works flawlessly, no overly abrupt or lazy throttle feel. The “Ufit” hand and foot controls are adjustable to custom fit the ergonomics to each rider. The unit I rode was set up with a foot-forward ‘cruiser style’ and would need the pedals brought in more before I’d want to ride a thousand mile day on it. The dealerinstalled accessory windshield on the test bike is height adjustable and flows air better than any windshield I’ve ever been behind. Even on its lowest setting I was able to keep my face shield open all day long with zero buffeting. Once underway the handling is more sidecar than motorcycle. Turn right to go right and weight the inside peg to hold a tighter line through the corners. Hanging off the bike isn’t always needed but is more fun when the road

Photo by Rick Corwine

Can-Am’s Spyder F3/F3-S offers a sportier ride than previous models of the three-wheeler map looks like a malaria germ. The electric power steering is speed sensitive giving the F3-S a light feeling at parking lot speeds without feeling twitchy at interstate speeds or above. The coil-over shocks are preload adjustable only. Cornering is consistent and predictable. Only when the suspension is pushed to its limit does bump-steer come into play. If you do manage to over-cook a corner though, the traction control kicks in. It is very subtle, just taking enough of the power away

Photo by Guido Ebert

The Spyder F3/F3-S provides an analog speedometer and tachometer, as well as a multi-function LCD information system offering odometer, trip & hour meters, gear position, temperature, engine lights, fuel gauge and clock.

to keep all three wheels on terra firma, nothing more. It does however make spinning cookies in a field of clover near impossible. Not that I tried.

Trail braking helped settle the chassis in onoff throttle transitions. The single foot brake pedal controls all three brakes. Up front is a pair of Brembo four piston calipers and out back is a single piston Brembo. All three grab on to 270 mm (that’s a little over 10 5/8 inches) rigid-mount rotors. The whole works is managed by a proportioning and anti-lock control system. It would be nice to have the option to turn the anti-lock system off for even more hooligan behavior, but for civilized and most uncivilized riding it works great.

Under the tank is a 1330cc inline threecylinder engine with hydraulic valve lash adjusters that never need checking. The newfor-2014 engine pumps out great gooey gobs of torque peaking with 96 foot-pounds at 5,000 rpm and a peak 115 hp at 7,250 rpm. The big fun though is the complete lack of any real “peak” to the power output. At most speeds you have the option of three gears to choose from in the 6-speed gearbox, all under the 7,500 rpm redline. BRP also offers the Spyder with a semi-automatic electric shifter that does away with the clutch lever entirely. Upshifts are done with a thumb switch and down shifts are automatic. There is never a need to downshift to pass though, just twist the throttle and point it and go, depending on what noise you want the engine to make. And it’s a really cool noise, more of an animal-like growl with a hint of something that sounds like a turbo spooling up. It is quite addictive.

Eighty miles per hour indicated a sedate 4,700 rpm in 6th gear. Feel free to drop a gear if you like, the power is the same, only the engine sound changes. If you’d like to improve your fuel economy, there is an “Eco” mode that can be engaged. As tested, I saw 41 mpg on 250 miles of spirited riding with and without an adult sized passenger.

The standard factory warranty is two years, but an extended warranty is available. In the accessory catalog we see everything from alternate mufflers to hitches and trailers in anticipation of buyers doing some long rides.

In all fairness though, I do need to point out the shortcomings of the F3-S. The front trunk is a bit small, only slightly larger than a fullface helmet. And the turn signal indicator is too small and hard to see in bright sunlight. That’s the complete list of things I could find to nit-pick on the F3-S. The engineers at BRP took notes from the previous generation of Spyder and made all of the changes needed. The fit, finish and function of their product is top-shelf. So the question is: “Who is the customer for this crazy thing?” Truth is, there are a lot of two-wheel riders who would really enjoy a Can-Am Spyder if they would give one a try. As well as cross-over ATV riders, snowmobile riders, sidecar riders or anyone who is presently riding a conventional-styled trike with a single front wheel. Thanks again to Evolution Motorsports in Watertown SD for letting me spend the day on such a fabulous machine.

Every issue 1996 thru 2015 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

MMM

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Can-Am Spyder F3/F3-S C

By Guido Ebert

Want to read more about Can-Am’s Spyder? Visit MnMotorcycle.com to check out our rundown of the Spyder RT Limited in MMM Issue #161.

anada-based manufacturer BRP launched the Can-Am Spyder in February 2007 and recently built its 100,000th unit. Sales ramped up quickly and the company began moving approx. 5,0006,000 units in the U.S. annually.

MMM

Can-Am Spyder F3/F3-S Specifications

Since its inception the Can-Am Spyder has had a truly divisive design, immediately deemed either queer or cool depending on whom you’re speaking with. Buyers have typically been motorcycle converts, existing power sports vehicle owners and, to a lesser extent, folks new to open-air motorized vehicles. While existing power sports vehicle owners can feel the nuances the Spyder shares with ATVs or snowmobiles, and newbies don’t know what they don’t know, motorcycle converts seem to have taken issue with the relatively upright seating position and electronically restrained performance dynamics inherent to the original Spyder family of vehicles. BRP appears to have listened to those concerns, and late last year introduced the Spyder F3/F3-S ($19,499/$20,999).

The folks at Minneapolis Motorsports in Golden Valley were kind enough to offer us a few days with the F3-S (which differs from the standard model due to its cruise control, colored tubular frame, machined wheels, fenders with LED lights and black suede seat with red stitching). The F3’s most obvious visual difference from earlier Spyder models is its foot-forward seating position. Mount the trike as you would a snowmobile or ATV. Seating position with no obvious pressure points suggests this is a vehicle that could provide long-haul comfort. The wide, well-bolstered seat proves spacious for the operator, and the operator foot pegs – mounted to the chassis tubing – are three-position adjustable. Up top, positioning of the bars can also be adjusted fore or aft via a standard fourbolt riser. BRP calls this modifiable operator positioning its “UFit System”. As for motivation, the F3 runs on a ride-bywire 1330cc Rotax ACE triple cylinder engine that delivers 96 lb. ft. @ 5,000 rpm and 115hp @ 7,250 rpm. At 70 mph in 6th gear the engine was whirring at 4,000rpm. Twist the

Price:

$19,499 (F3), $20,999 (F3-S)

Engine: Rotax 1330 ACE liquid-cooled, fuel-injected in-line 3-cylinder, ride-by-wire Bore x Stroke:

Photo by Guido Ebert

It takes some time to get used to the Spyder F3/F3-S controls. electronic throttle control. The engine spins up instantaneously, the rear end squats upon power delivery, and you’re squirted into the future (or an electronically limited 115mph).

With great power comes great responsibility. Nevertheless, compared to previous Spyder models, BRP appears to have relaxed the nanny aids – er, Vehicle Stability System – for the F3. This proved obvious during a couple days worth of wet weather commutes. Dynamic power steering still eases bar movement at slower speeds and becomes less pronounced at higher speeds, and trustworthy braking is still supplied by three 270mm discs, Brembo monobloc calipers and an electronically linked ABS system utilized by a hydraulically activated single right foot pedal, but the traction and stability control systems seem to have both been set to offer a more … exciting ride. As it is with any motor vehicle, the key to cornering well is a matter of controlling your speed and setting your line. Unlike on a motorcycle, however, cornering on a Spyder will have you pointing the front wheels in your target direction as you set up for the turn, hold

Photo by Guido Ebert

Belt drive motivates the big 225/50R15 rear rubber.

course and gently roll on the power. You’ll want to apply pressure to your outer footpeg to aid body lean to the inside of the turn, and I found myself utilizing the palm of my outer hand to cup the bar-end like a GNCC ATV racer.

With 4.5 inches of ground clearance, the Spyder F3 rides low and offers stiff pitch and yaw, which is pretty much what you want with a vehicle featuring these chassis dimensions. The front is outfitted with double A-arm suspension featuring an anti-roll bar and premium Fox Podium shocks, and the rear is suspended on a Sachs stand-up monoshock. Feedback through the suspension is noticeable, but both ends nevertheless offer great damping against roadway obstructions – important when at least one of the three wheels on the vehicle is likely to roll over an oncoming impediment.

I found the real magic to be in the F3’s transmission, though. Both the F3 and F3-S are available with your choice of a 6-speed manual or 6-speed semi-automatic (both with reverse). The F3-S we were on featured BRP’s 6-speed semi-automatic. That super trick transmission features a twin paddle system operated by your left hand. While it is necessary to upshift using the paddle adjacent to your left thumb, the system offers the possibility of automatic or manual downshifts. For instance, when in a higher gear and approaching a red stoplight, you can press on the brake pedal and either A) use the paddle adjacent to your left index finger to drop down through the gears or B) allow the transmission to downshift automatically. Either way, the engine automatically rev-matches for downshifts – which, together with the burblerich Akrapovic exhaust system from the CanAm Parts & Accessories catalog, makes the F3 sound “rally” cool.

I do have one word of warning about the F3, however: Despite its size, this is a vehicle that, like supersport bikes, isn’t designed for passenger comfort. While the trike’s passenger perch and handrails are twice the size of the pillion pad and grab bar found on the average sport bike, the vehicle’s performance capabilities may have your passenger utilizing more muscles in their quest to remain upright than they’ll use in an attempted yoga Firefly pose.

84 mm x 80 mm

Output:

96 lb. ft. @ 5,000 rpm 115 hp @ 7,250 rpm

Transmission:

6-speed transmission, manual or semi-auto, both with reverse

Front Suspension: Double A-arm with anti-roll bar and Fox Podium shocks 5.07 in. of travel Rear Suspension:

Swingarm with Sachs monoshock 5.20 in. of travel

Front Brakes: Dual 270mm discs with four-piston radial mounted Brembo monobloc calipers Rear Brakes: Single 270mm disc with single-piston floating caliper and integrated electromechanical parking brake Front Tires:

165/55R15

Rear Tire:

225/50R15

LxWxH:

104 x 58.9 x 43.3 in.

Seat Height:

26.6 in.

Fuel Capacity:

7.1 gallons

Maximum Vehicle Load: Dry Weight:

438.7 lbs. 850 lbs.

Vehicle Stability System: Stability Control, Traction Control Anti-lock Brakes and Dynamic Power Steering Instrumentation: Multi-function LCD information system offering tachometer, odometer, trip & hour meters, gear position,temperature, engine lights, fuel gauge and clock Colors: Steel Black Metallic, Pearl White, Pure Magnesium Metallic Can-Am Red Gloss (F3-S) Warranty:

Two-year BRP Limited Warranty with two-year roadside assistance

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Collector Bikes

Special Section

Antique Motorcycle Club of America

he Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AntiqueMotorcycle.org) was founded in 1954 by a group of antique-bike fans in the New England area. From the beginning, the purpose of the club has been the “preservation, restoration and operation of oldtime motorcycles.” Members of the AMCA own, restore, preserve, study or just admire motorcycles that fall into the “Antique” category – what they define as a bike at least 35 years old. At the national and international level, AMCA maintains a calendar of National meets and road rides that include some of the premier antique-motorcycle gatherings in the world. National meets typically include a full schedule of other activities, including a large vendor area, seminars, bike shows and antique racing.

Today, AMCA hosts nearly 11,000 members within 59 affiliated Chapters in the U.S. and abroad. The Viking Chapter serves us here in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. While the 200-member Viking Chapter has multiple events every month, the club’s largest gettogether – the Viking AMCA Antique Motorcycle Show & Swap Meet – occurs every June at the State Fairgrounds. In addition to events, AMCA members also get access to a high quality magazine six times per year, online forums and the AMCA Virtual Motorcycle Library that features downloadable copies of hundreds of old and rare sales brochures, parts lists and repair manuals. MMM

Locally, Chapters typically host regular meetings, plus activities like bike shows, swap meets and road runs.

Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club

ounded in 1977, the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club (VJMC.org) has thousands of members worldwide that are dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and enjoyment of vintage Japanese motorcycles that are 20 years old or older.

The VJMC’s annual membership fee costs $30. Becoming a member garners you a bi-monthly magazine and access to members-only content on the website. The fullcolor magazine includes stories related to vintage bikes and the people who ride them, technical and restoration tips, coverage of bike shows, rallies, and local events, and classified ads. The website offers classifieds, tech tips and articles, free digital back-issues of the magazine, an extensive members’ bike photo archive, video clips and slide shows, a VJMC regalia store, and registration information for various VJMC events. The VJMC is governed by a national Board of Directors with representation from 10 regions throughout the United States and Canada. The Board of Directors has appointed field representatives in many states and provinces who implement national policy and standards, conduct state or regional events, and assist in organizing a VJMC presence at other vintage motorcycle events. In some cases, VJMC chapters have been created to promote enhanced member involvement. Locally, the VJMC’s Minnesota Chapter (VJMC-MN.com) meets the second Monday of every month at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe in Northeast Minneapolis (1618 Central Ave.). You don’t have to be a member to show up, but you may want to join after conversing with fellow vintage enthusiasts. MMM

Photo Courtesy of VJMC

Rockin’ With Ton-Up Minneapolis

hether you’re a Rocker, a Mod or even a Mocker, riders who dig café racer culture may want to check out Ton-Up Minneapolis.

The Ton-Up Club originated in London in the 1950s. Based out of the now-famed Ace Café, they developed part of motorcycle culture that endures today. Ton-Up Minneapolis, a registered 517 non- profit with the state of Minnesota, is a nationally recognized chapter of Ton-Up Club North America. T-U Mpls members say the club is comprised of persons with varying backgrounds and ideologies that are united for their love of motorbikes and the further development of the motorbike culture. Most recently, Ton-Up Mpls has started to partner with various business and individual donors in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area on a scholarship program meant to encourage and promote the design, craftsmanship, development and furthering of passion for motorcycles and mechanics in the Twin Cities.

Dubbed the Dan Cunningham Memorial, the program is to award applicants a scholarship to a school of their choice based on a three-party review board on an annual basis beginning Fall 2015. Applicants must demonstrate or show evidence of: 1) beginning or furthering a career in motorcycle development, design or maintenance, 2) passion for motorcycles and culture, and 3) commitment to higher education at a MN Registered school/institute for the following year. The Award amount is to be determined on available funds raised by Ton-Up MC. The Award will be paid directly to the school that applicant is registered to for the year and cannot be used to fund housing, meals or other aspects of higher education and living expenses. Applicants should submit a request via Ton-Up’s website or in writing to Ton Up Club Minneapolis. Check out TonUpMpls. com to learn more about the club and scholarship opportunity. MMM

Photo Courtesy of Ton-Up Minneapolis

Every issue 1996 thru 2015 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Collector Bikes

Special Section

American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association

ith about 4000 members, the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association Ltd. (AHRMA. org) is the leading vintage racing group in North America and one of the largest in the world. AHRMA traces its roots to efforts to organize vintage road racing during the late 1970s in the northeast, but didn’t really take shape until it was formed as a privately held business in 1986. Other groups were quickly brought together under the AHRMA banner and one set of rules, and in 1989 AHRMA was reorganized into a member-owned not-forprofit association. Today, AHRMA offers vintage national and regional road racing, motocross, dirt track, observed trials and cross country competition. The classic machines active in AHRMA events span a full 70 years, from the 1920s to the early 1990s. The national-championship schedule typically includes at least 15 rounds in each competition discipline. Events take place at some of the finest and most historic venues in the United

States: Daytona International Speedway, Road America, Willow Springs, Miller Motorsports Park, Barber Motorsports Park, etc. The organization occasionally sponsors a concours d’elegance, swap meets and banquets featuring worldrenowned speakers, and AHRMA members receive a professionally-edited journal – Vintage Views – 10 times each year, an annual racing Handbook/rulebook, and access to the organization’s website. The annual AHRMA due is $75 for U.S.-based Competition Members and $40 for Associate Members. Or, if you just want to try an event to see if you like it, a One Event (weekend) Membership is available at many events for $30 and may be converted to a Full Membership within 30 days. However, a rider may purchase a One Event Membership just once in any 13-month period. MMM

AMA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Oct. 17

Photo Courtesy of AHRMA

he American Motorcyclist Association each year inducts new members into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. This year, on Oct. 17, six inductees will join the ranks of motorcycling’s greatest advocates and champions during a gala to be held at the American International Motorcycle Expo in Orlando. The Class of 2015 includes entrepreneur and industry patron John Parham, road racing champion John Kocinski, former Harley-Davidson CEO Richard Teerlink, off-road racing champion Rodney Smith, dirt tracker Alex Jorgensen and Yamaha race team manager Keith McCarty. Additionally, existing Hall of Famer and multi-time road racing champion Wayne Rainey will be honored as the 2015 Hall of Fame Legend. The public is encouraged to attend the event. General admission tickets are $25 per person; reserved seating tickets that include an exclusive preceremony reception and entry to the AIMExpo (AIMEXPOUSA.com) are $90. MMM

Barber Expands, Hosts Vintage Events

he Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum – already named by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest collection of vintage and contemporary motorcycles, with 1,398 unique exhibits – has launched a major expansion that will grow the 144,000-sq.ft. facility by an additional 85,000 sq. ft. “People visit from all over the world to see this museum and its collection, and we want to continue to wow them with what they see,” said George Barber, a Birmingham, Ala., businessman and longtime motorcycle collector who built the museum and 830-acre Barber Motorsports Park racing venue. Annually, the park and the museum attract more than 250,000 visitors. The 11th annual Barber Vintage Festival is set to take place Oct. 9-11, 2015, at Barber Motorsports Park. There’ll be road-racing, trials, cross country riding, motocross, a swap meet and more. Next year, the inaugural AMCA Lucas Oil Vintage Motorcycle Classic – for bikes that are at least 35 years old – takes place May 27-29, 2016, at Barber. The event is scheduled to include bike shows & judging, over 500 vendors, a swap area, tech seminars, daily rides and more. Learn more at AntiqueMotorcycle.org. MMM Image Courtesy of The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Collector Bikes

Special Section

The National Motorcycle Museum’s in Iowa

he National Motorcycle Museum is located just off U.S. 151 in Anamosa, Iowa, approx. 275 miles from the Twin Cities.

Founded in 1989, the not-for-profit has amassed more than 400 vintage bikes, as well as photographs, apparel, advertising art, toys and other memorabilia. Many motorcycles are on loan from private collectors from around the world, and the museum says it is always looking for additions. So, if you’re a collector, there may be room for your motorcycle in the galleries. Fans of classic bikes may be particularly interested in visiting the museum this coming June for the 6th annual Vintage Rally. Visit NationalMCMuseum.org for more information. MMM

Photo By Bruce Mike

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

nce each year in August about 200 of the most prized collector motorcycles and cars in the world roll into the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on California’s Monterey Peninsula.

in November and are due in January. Applications are then vetted before the Concours Selection Committee meets in late March to review them. In April, the best vehicles receive a formal invitation to participate in the Concours.

Representing the best of the best, vehicles are judged for their historical accuracy, their technical merit and their style—and the best garner reward and recognition. The selection committee accepts applications and makes sure that only the best— the most original, most authentic and elegant— appear at Pebble Beach. Entry applications go out

The Pebble Beach Concours included classic motorcycles for the first time in 2009. The motorcycles must run when the judges show up, and there are three winners in each of the classes. Learn more at PebbleBeachConcours.net MMM Photo Courtesy of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, May 14

he 8th annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering, to be held May 14, 2016, at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, Calif., celebrates both pre- and post-war eras of the world’s finest sports and racing bikes, as well as some of the finer things in life. One of the Club’s signature events that also include The Quail Motorsports Gathering and The Quail Rally, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering’s concours d’elegance includes Antique, Japanese, British, German, Italian, Other European, Competition On/ Off-Road, American, Custom/Modified, Scooter,

and additional classes to be announced. The Quail Ride, a 100-mile journey through the Monterey Peninsula, kicks off the weekend adventure. In addition to motorcycles, the event features a gourmet barbeque lunch with offerings from local wineries and breweries, live entertainment, displays by leading motorcycle manufacturers, lifestyle vendors and more. Visit SignatureEvents.Peninsula.com for more information. MMM Photo Courtesy of The Quail Motorcycle Gathering

Vintage Motorcycle Days

he AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event is held annually for three days in July at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

Every year tens of thousands of enthusiasts of vintage motorcycles attend to take part in vintage motocross, hare scrambles, trials, dirt track and road racing, peruse nearly 1,000 vendors, attend seminars and bike shows, meet stars from motorcycling’s past and present, and look for treasures in what organizers say has become the largest motorcycle swap meet in North America. And it’s all for a good cause, as AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days also serves as a significant fundraising event, with proceeds supporting the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, about an hour south of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Photo Courtesy of The AMA

Every issue 1996 thru 2015 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

MMM

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Motorcycling In Minnesota

Exploring the Alphabet Roads By Guido Ebert

This series of routes, found between Prescott and Genoa, Wis., explores our neighboring state’s lettered county roads described by many area motorcycle and auto enthusiasts as “the Alphabet Roads.” DISTANCE: 529 miles TIME: Multiple Days DIRECTIONS • CR O, found between Diamond Bluff and Hager City, runs north along the Trimbelle River to east on 480th Ave. to south on 840th St. to west and south on CR K. Follow CR K to WI-35 (15 miles, 30 min.). • CR A, found between Warrentown and Maiden Rock, runs north along the Rush River to U.S. 10 east to CR Cc south to Lund (21.6 miles, 29 min.), at which point you can turn right and travel on CR J to Stockholm (27.4 mils, 38 min.) or turn left and continue on CR Cc to WI-35 in Pepin (29.9 miles, 40 min.). • CR N is found in Pepin. Travel north on CR N to CR I west to CR Cc south (15.8 miles, 24 min.). Or, travel north on CR N along the Chippewa River to U.S. 10 east to Durand. From Durand, use CR Ff south to CR Aa south to CR V west to WI-25 south to WI-35 (41.2 miles, 1 hour 5 min.). • CR D is located just north of Nelson. Travel its winding course to CR J south to WI-37 south to WI-35 (26.8 miles, 39 min.). • CR I is located just north of Alma. Travel CR I north to CR II south to WI-37 in Tell. Follow WI-37 southwest to WI-35 (12.7 miles, 22 min.). • CR E can be picked up in Alma and connects with numerous other travel routes. 1) Travel CR E east to WI-88 in Cream. Follow WI-88 south to CR O west and ride to WI-35 in Cochrane (18.2 miles, 27 min.). 2) Travel CR E east to CR N north to CR S west to WI-37 south to WI-35 (14.4 miles, 26 min.). 3) Travel CR E east to CR N north to WI-37 south to WI-35 (19.8 miles, 32 min.). 4) Travel CR E east to CR N north to CR T east to WI-88 south to WI-35 (26.3 miles, 40 min.). • Our next set of routes start in Fountain City. 1) Travel WI-95 east to CR G north to WI-95 south back to Fountain City (16 miles, 25 min.). 2) Travel WI-95 east to CR P east to Dodge. Continue on CR P south to WI-35 in Marshland (15.2 miles, 26 min.). 3) Travel WI-95 east to CR M south and follow to WI-35 in Bluff Siding (9.5 miles, 15 min.). • From Marshland, ride CR P 5.3 miles north to Dodge, then you can: 1) use CR J south to CR G south to WI-35 (12.3 miles, 20 min.) or 2) use CR J north to CR Jj north to CR G south to WI-35 (22.5 miles, 38 min.) or 3) use CR J north to Meyers Valley Rd. south to CR G south to WI-35 (31.2 miles, 49 min.). • The next set of routes slither through the valleys east of La Crosse, from Holmen in the north to Genoa in the south. 1) From Holmen, follow CR D east to Mindoro, pick up CR De east and follow to WI-16 west to La Crosse (31 miles, 40 min.). 2) From Holmen, follow CR D east to CR W east to CR M north to CR D east to Mindoro, pick up Hwy 108 south to West Salem and WI-16 west to La Crosse (27 miles, 38 min.). 3) From Holmen, follow CR D east to CR W east to CR M south to West Salem and WI-16 west to La Crosse (16.5 miles, 23 min.). 4) From Holmen, follow CR D east to CR W east to CR M south to CR S west to Onalaska and WI-35 (13.5 miles, 21 min.). • From La Crosse, between I-90 to the north and US-14 to the south, use WI-33 to travel east to CR M south to CR Nn east to WI-162 south to US-14 west to WI-162 south to WI-35 in Stoddard (35 miles, 51 min.). • Exploring from Stoddard, travel east on WI-162 to CR K south in Chaseburg to CR O west to WI-162 back near Stoddard (19 miles, 32 min.). Or, travel east on WI-162 to CR O south to CR K south to WI-56 and WI-35 near Genoa (11.5 miles, 20 min.).

SCENERY Commonly referred to as the Western Upland portion of the state, southwestern Wisconsin’s landscape is marked by deep gorges and steep bluffs cut into the landscape by the Mississippi River and numerous tributaries, thick forest and green bottomland valleys. It is the most rugged topography in the state. The Mississippi river gorge in this area has a length of more than 200 miles, extending from Prescott to southwestern Grant County, with the river incised more than 500 feet below the level of the upland ridges. Beyond those ridges to the east are valleys that are one to 6.5 miles wide and increase in depth to the south. You’ll be riding south on WI-35 from Prescott to Genoa on the east side of the Mississippi, making frequent inland excursions over the upland ridges, around hills and through valleys.

ROAD QUALITY WI-35 – “The Great River Road” – is well maintained, but road quality otherwise differs from route to route. On the Alphabet Roads, watch for changing road surfaces, sand and gravel in the corners, blind entrances and hillcrests, slow-moving farm machinery, an abundance of wildlife, and maybe even wayward livestock.

NEED ASSISTANCE? Closest motorcycle service centers include Hitching Post and Fury Motorcycle in South St. Paul, River Valley Power & Sport and Red Wing Motor Sports near Red Wing, and Daniels Yamaha and Harley-Davidson of Winona.

ATTRACTIONS Communities you’ll be traversing include Prescott, Diamond Bluff, Hager City, Warrentown, Maiden Rock, Stockholm, Pepin, Nelson, Alma, Fountain City, Dodge, Holmen, La Crosse, Chaseburg and Genoa. MMM

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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Vintage Scooters Need You only real choice. You can stop rolling your eyes now. I know of several perfectly normal ant to start an argument and local scooterists who ride modern machines possibly all-out brawl? Tell a group and have an interest in something vintage as of “serious” vintage scooter people well. They often start with a Genuine Stella. that your 1979 P-200E Vespa is vintage. Introduced to the USA in 2003, not even the What??? That boxy THING with, with, with Minnesota DMV considers this machine a ELECTRONIC ignition?!?!? “collector” vehicle, but it does hold a lot of cards Most vintage scooter groups will have some sort in the game of vintage appeal. The Stella was of cut-off year/model and ONLY those and a manual-shift, 2-stroke, kick-startable scooter prior machines meet their criteria of vintage. one could buy new. It also had split rims with Sometimes it’s simply a minimum age – the inner tubes. The Stella was, in fact, an evolution scooter must be XX years old or older. Of course of the Vespa P-series scooter. You may have one can NEVER utilize the State of Minnesota noticed that these supposedly appealing traits “Collector” license plate revolve around the direct requirement as defined involvement of the rider. “Just because you have for cars and trucks Yes, one COULD push that’s a measly 20 years a button to start a Stella, old. Ha! I’ve had daily a new Genuine Buddy 170i but the kick-starter rider scooters that were was just so much more for zipping around town satisfying. I believe that more than 20 years old. That’s nothing … even 30 rider involvement is the and a Piaggio BV350 for first key to unlocking years. Why, 20-year-old scooters would include the vintage appeal. Not highway scooter-touring, just more participatory the hideous 1984 Honda Elite with its lame popactivity than a modern, up headlight. NOBODY your 1971 Vespa Sprint 150 automatic, scooter when would ever consider that riding, but also to keep won’t love you any less”. to be vintage. the scooter safely on the road. Even among those

By David Harrington

scooterists who like 1970 or 1971 as the drop-dead year for vintage, there are still arguments a-plenty as to whether the Vespa or Lambretta were the superior machines. Of course anyone with even a modicum of sense knows that the answer IS Lambretta.

Right, what about the moderate, non-fanatical scooterist with an interest in vintage? They need to search out a mint condition 1971 Lambretta GP200 and it has to be Italian, NOT some Spanish copy. Yup, that’s it, their

Minnesota Rider By B.P. Goebel

MMM: You are racer in what series?

Kaleb: MotoAmerica Supersport (600) Class. MMM: How old were you when you got your first bike?

Most maintenance on a Stella, or older Vespa, is not very difficult. Installing the spare and repairing a flat tire is almost shockingly simple. Cleaning carburetor jets? Nothing to it, they’re even easy to get at. Adjusting the cables? There’s a great, simple tool to help with that. With a bit of education and some experience, one can keep that 1960s – 1970s Vespa VLB1 or VLB2 running safely and (more or less) reliably. That kind of involvement is a strong draw for a lot of people.

that brand new Yamaha R1. The new R1s are definitely the race bike to have.

MMM: How would you describe how it feels / what it’s like when you are in the zone?

Kaleb: I think “the zone” is when you are

to be a professional motorcycle racer.

Kaleb: Currently I have a Yamaha R6 – which

Kaleb: Probably Millville (Motocross race).

ever born.

MMM: When did you know that you were hooked on motorcycles?

Kaleb: Ever since I was five; I knew I wanted

Of course there’s the history. Looking at the current marketplace, there are a fair number of 1960s and 1970s Vespa available at reasonable prices in reasonable condition. Just stay away from the “restored” crap out of Asia (talk to Bob at Scooterville about this for about five minutes and you’ll never be tempted by shinny paint on eBay again) and you’ll likely find a piece of history that can act as your direct conduit to a time that changed our society. The basic design and functionality of Vespa scooters has been virtually unchanged since 1947. For some, riding that older Vespa takes them back to their youth. For others, it’s a connection to a time before they were born. Maintaining and riding that older Vespa keeps a piece of living history alive.

MMM

present?

Kaleb: I would have to say either Valentino Rossi or Ryan Dungey.

MMM: If you were starting out riding again what would you do differently?

Kaleb: Back in my younger years I hesitated a

lot and didn’t push myself as hard as I should have. I think it was overall doubt in my head and not believing in myself. I didn’t believe in myself when I was little and it showed in my riding for sure.

MMM: Why are motorcycles so important in

is my race bike – I’ve got a 2014 Yamaha YZ 250F dirt bike, and I’ve got a NSR50. Three bikes right now.

Millville is really fun.

Kaleb: Motorcycles are all I know! Honestly,

Kaleb: The bike of my dreams is probably

Twin Cities scooterist David Harrington owns and operates JustGottaScoot.com

MMM: Favorite motorcycle rider past or

MMM: Favorite Minnesota motorcycle event?

why?

Vintage scooters NEED you. They need your involvement to run well and even just to be ridden. They need your interest and attention to keep from becoming piles of rust under a damp tarp in a dirt-floored shed/garage/barn.

An older Vespa will get along well with your other powered, two-wheeled conveyances. Just

MMM: How many motorcycles do you have?

MMM: Of any bike, what is your favorite and

because you have a new Genuine Buddy 170i for zipping around town and a Piaggio BV350 for highway scooter-touring, your 1971 Vespa Sprint 150 won’t love you any less. As long as you take it out for a spin once in a while, it’ll be happy. It will even sit right next to a 1974 Honda CB550 without feeling the tiniest bit of insecurity. The scooter knows how cool it is. It knows how you feel riding it.

Catching Up with Racer Kaleb DeKeyrel

confident in your self, for sure. You’re at the maximum confidence you can have; everything is working right … going right. It’s really weird how it happens, but somehow you’re really focused and you know what you are doing and what you want to do and what you are going to do after. And you just do it. Just go for it.

Kaleb: I had a Yamaha PW-50 before I was

Photo Courtesy of CorksAndCaftans.com

MMM: Favorite Minnesota road?

Kaleb: I don’t even have my motorcycle

license. We don’t do much road riding. It’s more dangerous than the track for sure.

your life?

it feels like you are in a totally different world, especially road racing. But when I put the helmet on, it feels like I go into a different world. MMM

Every issue 1996 thru 2015 — www.mnmotorcycle.com

Photo By Ben Goebel

Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #170 October 2015

Feature

Rider From the Record Books — Woody Carson

nducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Hall of Fame in 2001, Woody Carson was one of America’s preeminent vintage motorcycle restorers from the 1940s until he passed away in 2006.

the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.   A professional photographer took a photo of Woody working in his workshop in the late 1980s when he lived in Placerville, Calif. The beautiful image became an award winner and it was later used in magazines and books related to antique motorcycle restoration.

Member #11 of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (interestingly No. 11 was also his competition number), Carson was involved in the restoration of more than 50 vintage motorcycles. He lovingly restored numerous makes of machines, but his favorite was always Indian. A 1924 Indian Scout was the first motorcycle he owned when he was 15. An image of Woody methodically working with parts under lamplight in a small, quiet workshop, with a beautiful Indian 4 in the background, became an iconic image in antique motorcycling.    Carson was born in Minnesota in 1918 and later grew up in Loves Park, Ill. As a boy, Woody showed early signs of becoming an ace mechanic. He took apart his mother’s washing machine and would mount the machine’s motor in an old wooden cart and drive it around his house. When he was done riding the cart, he’d reassemble the motor and put it back into the washing machine before his mother returned home. Woody first became interested in motorcycles when he’d hear his neighbor pull up his driveway at night on his Indian. At just 15, Woody bought the Indian from his neighbor and began riding himself. Motorcycling would become a lifelong passion.

motorcycles. His first project was a 1913 Harley-Davidson single. In 1954, he became one of the earliest members of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. He later became a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the AMCA. In 1957, his employer, Woodward Governor Company, moved him and his family to Holland for five years. While there, he bought an original 1923 Indian Scout, very similar to his first motorcycle. He paid the equivalent of about $10 U.S. for the machine. In Holland, he also purchased and restored a 1902 Belgium-made F.N.

Carson passed away on October 15, 2006 in Ft. Collins, Colo. His influence in the world of motorcycle restoration was his unique contribution to motorcycling. - Reprinted with the permission of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

WHERE RIDERS BELONG

Motorcyclists like you join the AMA to unite together for a common goal – to protect our freedom to ride. Become an AMA member now to receive: • Expert representation in Washington – protecting your freedom to ride! • No cost AMA Roadside Assistance on all your vehicles* • Participation in thousands of AMA clubs, tours, events – national & local • Exclusive AMA discounts worth hundreds of dollars on riding gear, lodging, touring maps and bike rentals. Most of all, you’ll stand with hundreds of thousands of AMA members fighting anti-motorcycling forces that threaten your right to ride.

#WhereRidersBelong

H IN T E AMA TO d Ay

The formation of the AMCA gave Woody the vehicle for promoting his passion throughout the country and around the world. Over the years, he served as a regional director, international representative and as a member of the National Board of Directors. Along the way, he promoted hundreds of antique shows, swap meets, and road runs. He was instrumental in raising support for the National Motorcycle Museum, which later merged with

In addition to being a member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Carson was also inducted into the Indian Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame in 1999. He was also a member of the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

That’s why the AMA is where you belong.

AmericanMotorcyclist.com (800) AMA-JOIN

During the 1940s, Carson began restoring old

Photo Courtesy of The AMA

Carson’s expertise became invaluable in the burgeoning antique restoration community. He personally restored more than 50 motorcycles in his five decades of work and he helped dozens of others with their restoration projects. His wife once bought him an old bike that came in

Some of Woody’s machines were among the rarest motorcycles in the world. A 1902 F.N, a 1925 Indian Prince prototype, a 1932 Rudge Speedway racer and a 1909 Yale were just a few of the extraordinary machines Carson found and brought back to life.

WHE

Carson began riding cross-country and hillclimb races in the 1940s across Illinois and Wisconsin when he was 18. He continued to compete until suffering a broken wrist and bruised ribs in a hill-climbing accident in Waukesha, Wisconsin, when he was 30. By then, Woody was a father and decided it would be better if he simply worked on motorcycles.

Long before antique motorcycles became so valuable, Carson restored the bikes simply as a hobby. “It was something he dearly loved,” said his daughter, Penny. “I think his dream would have been to own a motorcycle shop.”

three bushel baskets for his birthday. Woody’s kids got involved, too. His son, Art, and daughters, Penny and Kristi, all pitched in at one time or another. Late in life, Woody gave each of his children one of the bikes that he’d lovingly restored.

*Restrictions apply.

Rs BElONg

Mad Max: Fury Road

Movie Review

Directed by George Miller Warner Brothers, 2015 120 minutes Rated R

By Amy Kempf

hile it just came out on DVD September 1st, I recommend you run out and buy Mad Max: Fury Road immediately; or at least rent it. For a movie with a man’s name in the title, Fury Road shows the power of women, on a new level. While Tom Hardy does an excellent job of playing the rebellious “Max”, the character that sticks out from the beginning is Furiosa, played by Australian actress Charlize Theron. Like the other Mad Max films, Fury Road is set in a post-apocalyptic Australia. When Imperator Furiosa rebels from tyrant, Immortan Joe, chaos is unleashed. Furiosa

steals a war rig, and with it, four of the tyrant’s wives. For a movie with a ton of action, the women shine and prove their strength and power. Headed to Furiosa’s homeland, the women seek a new hope, “the Greenland”. Upon their journey they encounter Max, who puts on a cold front, ready to fight them and steel their rig at any second. I found this movie to be extremely fast pace, and adrenaline building. The story is constantly switching from gory, race filled action, to plot development, but it still manages to hold the audiences attention. I will say it is hard to tell what side Max is on, as he plays into his “mad” role, and displays trauma, anger and distress. Yet, his character goes through so much throughout the series that you can’t blame him for being a wreck. The film didn’t have as much motorcycle based action as I expected, mostly focusing on the war rig stolen by Furiosa. Yet without

fail motorcycles were still included in scenes, my favorite being by an all women clan who fought with spears and chainsaws. Again, this movie proves how tough women can be. Furiosa and her women take on the tyrant and his men straight on, some even doing so while pregnant! Talk about badass. In the end, Mad Max: Fury Road exceeded my expectations. So much action and excitement occurs, even thought the characters spend most of their time in a desert and mountain landscape. The movie took a classic following, and added a new aspect of added power to women. By the end of the movie I was such a fan of Furiosa, I would be willing to shave my head and dress up like her for Halloween. This woman has major fighting and driving skills, to the point where she definitely comes out looking far tougher than Mad Max himself.

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MMM

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