Volume 1, Issue 4

WATERED YOUR BIKE? NO PROBLEM. Bytown Motorcycle Association

August 2009

NEWSLETTER Published by riders, for riders.

Calabogie

BOOGIE better than ever

boogie

BMA

GETS SAXXY

BMA Family

FUN Day RECAP

FREE VOLUNTEER POWERED!

BYTOWN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION

IN THIS ISSUE: STOCK:

dirt from the prez the view from here falling down exhaust note tekvest update

www.bytown-motorcycle-assoc.ca Dave “Woody” Percival The Man Mike Hillier The Other Man

BLING:

Carolin Lueders Big Spender

get ready to boogie looking back at boogies boogie tips - pick em right 2009 boogie report share our trails - please. get lost! - again ride to remember - get naked a pouch pouch review bma family day bake trail rides RULE - trail ride rules off-road royalty - w.thaxter

Mike O’Rielly History Taker Dave Phifer Beatin’ Bushes Andrew Jasiak Membership Guy Dallas Shannon Newsletter POWER! Kaveri Gupta Big Bwain

photo: Carolin Lueders

BMA Family Fun Day A Family Affair.

What does this man have to do with dirtbikes? You’ll have to keep reading to find out...

Steve Garnsey Jeff Ackert Barry Isherwood Larry Murray Warren Thaxter Mike O’Rielly Carolin Lueders Dave Phifer Scott Rivet Stuart Truba Kevin Eastman Contributors Carolin Lueders Anthony “Antontrax” Kerr Doug Hunter Larry Murray Photographs To contact anybody about anything please email us at: offroad.newsletter@gmail.com If you would like to receive the newsletter by email please contact: offroad.newsletter@gmail.com Written permission must be requested to reproduce, or reprint all or portions of the content contained herein.

© Bytown Motorcycle Association 2009

Dirt From the PREZ

by Dave “Woody” Percival

Hi everyone. It’s late August and the club’s yearly signature event, the Calabogie Boogie, is imminent. If you’re on our small volunteer army of organizers/preriders/sweeps, don’t forget to get one of our BMA signature mugs. Supper Saturday night is free for our volunteers as a thank you for all of their work.

We need sweep and pre-riders for Saturday’s big loop, if you can lend a hand, give Kevin Eastman or Larry Murray a call.

We want to thank our maximum mileage guy and trail boss for Saturday’s loop, Steve Garnsey, for his amazing work ethic in getting the south side ready.

The club members have followed his lead, and have shown what we are really made of.

Work on the Sunday north side loop is almost complete with Mike O’Rielly, Jeff Ackert and crew laying out new trails showcasing the Madawaska area with plenty of 1000ft vista for your viewing and riding pleasure.

Saturday night will be the usual dinner buffet at the golf course followed by our prize giveaway and guest speakers. Rally Connex will be there with their dual sport riders, working in conjunction with the BMA’s Terry Young. So if you’re passed by a 1000 dual sport in the off-road, you had better pick up the pace.

The ride will cater to most levels of riders. The orange loop is the basic loop, with available “outs” in green arrows. The pink loop is the more difficult loop and the white loop is the extreme loop. They are marked at the individual trailheads, with mileage, and difficulty (level 1-5) to let you know what to expect.

You will need a minimum of 80km of range for Saturday’s loops. We will have 2 gas stops, one at Flower Station, and one at Joan Lindop’s (lunch stop) with an accumix can and oil for two strokes, so bring cash for the fuel purchases on site.

On the land issue front, we get a serious heads up, from the closure of the Northumberland forest. The

photo: Carolin Lueders

There is a final day of trail touchups August 30, which should finish things up on the roughly 200km of trail.

The Prez - doing his best to show up the young guys.

chat is, noise issues are at the heart of the matter, and while it is a good drum to beat, I question, is it the only reason? If the NTR riders had been more politically positioned, i.e., working the inside, would that have let them see this all coming? I’m sure we will hear this loud and clear from Warren Thaxter at the Boogie’s Saturday night assembly.

Carolin and I are gone to the Indy GP and KTM dealer meeting (nice coincidence) from Saturday August 29th to Thursday September 3rd so we will see you later on the trails. Don’t forget to pre-register for the Boogie by calling Carolin or myself. For BMA members the cost is $75 and for all the others it’s $100. These are the prices before September 6th. After that, the price is $120.

Woody

PS. Don’t forget my 4 hour event on October 25th.

Get your teams together!

THE VIEW FROM HERE

by Dallas Shannon

Get ready to BOOGIE The biggest thing in the BMA world right now is the Calabogie Boogie.

The amount of resources and hours that goes into this event is enormous. I’ve been privy to countless emails from the organizers and stunned by the volume of work in the last 4 weeks. Luckily, because I’m new to the Eastern Ontario offroad scene, I don’t take this kind of effort for granted.

Last Sunday, I was on a ride with the, ahem, now ledgendary Glen Cooper and he pointed out what he called “Ed Bull Hill”. The name went along with a story about the day Ed climbed that hill for the first time and ever since that day riders have been trying to climb that hill. My point? The Calabogie area was explored on dirt bikes by the men who were involved with the beginnings of the Boogie. These men are still involved in the sport today. Glen Cooper is alive and well - just ask him. He’s still riding Calabogie better than half of you reading this today. If you disagree, get Glen to take you on a light ride down a trail called “L.A.” If you make it out of L.A. alive and still have enough energy to speak, remember to ask Glen his age. I suggest riding away before you hear the answer.

Everywhere you go in Calabogie there is a trail, cliff, vista, mudhole or lake that is named by the group of men who first explored the area. We are lucky that they had the insight to create the Boogie and we are even luckier that the Boogie is still around today. If you have ever ridden the Boogie or if you are coming to ride it this year, don’t forget that the trails you are riding on are courtesy of the people who founded them.

This issue has some interesting information on Calabogie, the Boogie and the people who rode this area in days gone by. We were lucky to get some “vintage” photos of the Boogie, some of which are sure to make you smile.

We’ve also given you a bit of information on the upcoming

photo: Warren Thaxter

The Calaboge Boogie has been going on for a long time.

Its roots are humble. The event was started based on the strength of riding in the Calabogie area. As I understand it, Glen Cooper introduced Warren Thaxter to the area, Warren Thaxter introduced Blair Sharpless and both Warren and Blair created the Boogie under an organization called STAB. Nowadays, a name like STAB would probably never be considered, but those were gentler times. Warren tells me that STAB was chosen because of Smith, Thaxter, Angi and Bull, the original people involved. Innocent enough.

STAB trail markers. Seeing these in the woods today would be weird. People would probably run screaming in the other direction - “STAB, this way”.

Boogie, how to prepare and a few tips on what you’ll need/ things to consider.

This issue is not only about Calabogie. We’ve covered the BMA Family day and we have some great shots of the action at Woody’s. A couple of new reviews on the TekVest and another product review I wrote while in a hammock.

We have also received an unbelievable story from Stuart Truba and Phil Bergeron. Weird stuff.

By the time you see next month’s issue the Calabogie Boogie will be behind us and the October issue should have lots of Boogie coverage. I’m hoping to get some ride reports of what the riders experienced on the trail and we’re hoping for some great photos.

Enjoy September and don’t ride barefoot!

LOOKING

BACK Story and Photos by Mike O’Reilly

The “Peter Willis Memorial Bridge” is a bridge along the Madawaska near Wabun Lake.

In the fall of 1978, a group of us, mostly instructors from the Ottawa Safety Council, were hosting a group of guys out of New Hampshire for a trail ride in the Madawaska Highlands. Back in those days, the bridge was a singletrack, footbridge only. If you lost your balance, the first step was a long one. As it happens Peter Willis did lose his

The bridge back then. Notice the beginnings of a ORV bridge starting to form on the right.

balance. When he re-surfaced and stood his ‘77 Yamaha IT 175 up, the water was deep enough that the handlebars could just be seen in the depths. The only concern was that he might drown because he was laughing so hard.

Some time later the bridge had been rebuilt to accommodate ATV’s and sleds. After last year’s Boogie the deck was showing its age. I wracked my brain on how to get in and fix it (ATV? Snowmobile in the winter?) and realized that I could boat from the launch at Wabun Lake right to the bridge. That made for some great afternoons outings. ∆

The bridge today. The Madawaska River is in the background.

A ride to remember...

BMA Riders Stuart Truba and Philippe Bergeron recently had a “twilight zone” experience while riding off-road. They emailed what happened to Woody and I spoke to Stuart briefly about the events. Below is Stuart’s rendition of what happened…

6km from any sort of road. So, 30 minutes after intense trails with nothing more than mud /rocks

It was about 30 degrees celcius at 9am on Sunday, August 16th when we found someone about an hour after we started our trail-ride. He was lost and had been wandering since Friday night. From what we could tell, he may have walked 30-35km in the woods.

We happened to see him sitting on a huge rock along the side of the trail (see map).

Dehydrated, hungry, diabetic and confused, he had no shoes or clothing except for his shorts.

He was trembling.

He had bug bites everywhere on his body, plus bruises and cuts from falling. He had lost his shoes in the mud, slept under the power lines for at least two nights and had run into a bear cub and deer.

We gave him water and a chocolate bar and then had to decide how to get him out. We were about 5-

BMA MEMBERS!

10

and nasty terrain, we finally get to a road. We headed past the Teleglobe satellite /earth station and ended up we meeting someone who could give us directions. We still had several kilometers to go before the village.

We ended up taking him to Lac des Seize Iles, where we called the police and paramedics. We stayed with him until he was in the ambulance.

For those you who ride off-road bikes, you can imagine the effort required to get a 200lb person in distress out of a typical Canadian shield rock infested trail without shoes. I was afraid that he would smash his feet. I kept telling told him to keep his feet on the footpegs as he was delirious and would not listen.

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What a day! More than likely he would have died of exposure in the intense heat if we hadn’t come along and found him. The total ride to the village was 17km, people at the village could not believe he was lost for 3 days.

After talking to Stuart on the phone he told me that the odd thing was that on the way into the powerline he had seen bare footprints in the mud. As he was riding by he remembers thinking that it was strange but didn’t give it much more thought. Then, about 30 minutes later they came upon the missing person. Stuart told me he heard someone whistling at them, he turned and saw that guy sitting on a rock. Stuart also said that the locals were giving them awfully strange looks while they were driving through town with a naked man on the back of a dirt bike. Can you imagine what that would have looked like?

Stuart and Phil did a great thing and most likely saved that man’s life. Great job guys! See what great people dirt bikers are? Especially BMA members! ∆

WHAT THE HECK IS THIS CARD? WHAT DO I DO WITH IT? Step 1 - Volunteer. - believe me, the club could use your help and I bet you’ll enjoy yourself.

Step 2 - Print this page and fill out the card.

Step 3 - Give this to Dave Phifer or any one of your friendly neighbourhood club execs.

SOMETHING TO SAY?

Step 4 - Clap yourself on the back. Your donation of time just helped the club and gained you some respect among your fellow club members.

Photos, product reviews, ride reports,are all welcome.

Gwammer, spwelling and punatuation are all optional (we have a GREAT copy editor)!

EMAIL!

offroad.newsletter@gmail.com

SHARING OUR TRAils

A GUIDE TO TRAIL SAFETY AND ENJOYMENT Responsible trail enthusiasts, both motorized and non-motorized, have much in common. They have an appreciation for our public lands and want to enjoy what our public lands have to offer.

In many parts of the country trails are open to and shared by equestrians, OHV riders, bicycle riders, runners and hikers.

Trail sharing can and does work when people respect each other and work cooperatively to keep each other safe.

While it is important for people to respect each other on the trail, it is important to remember that equestrians are dealing not only with other trail enthusiasts’ personalities, they also are working with horses whose temperaments are as individual as our own. Horses’ natural instincts can influence their behaviors and affect the way they react to circumstances encountered on the trail.

For these reasons, it is important that equestrians know their horses well enough that they are confident that they will be able to control their horses when they encounter other trail enthusiasts who are allowed on the trail.

Conversely, OHV riders, bicycle riders, runners and hikers must understand that “equestrian only” trails must be respected for the safety of both the horse and rider. These trails offer the opportunity for horsemen to acclimate their horses to basic trail conditions without encountering “unknown threats” that can trigger the horse’s natural instinct of flight.

MP3. Listening to headphones or ear buds can make it difficult to hear and communicate with other recreationists.

In some areas it is illegal to operate vehicles or bikes with both ears covered.

• Keep pets under control. Some trails require dogs

to be leashed. Be familiar with local rules.

Yielding •

•

• •

Guidelines for OHV riders when encountering horses on the trail:

•

•

• When equestrians on well-trained horses and other re sponsible trail enthusiasts meet each other on the trail

the encounters can be enjoyable social exchanges if the • groups understand how to work together to keep the en counters safe.

•

These basic guidelines will help ensure that meeting on the trail will be a safe and enjoyable experience:

Guidelines for all trail enthusiasts: •

Common Courtesy • • Respect all trail restrictions and use only trails open

to your mode of transportation.

• • Be considerate of others on the road or trail.

• When traveling on shared use trails, continually •

watch for other types of recreationists.

• Slow down when sight lines are poor.

• • Keep speeds low around other recreationists.

• Keep noise and dust down.

• Keep your ears open – no ear buds for an iPod or When young or inexperienced horses encounter new conditions on the trail like OHVs, bicycles, runners and hikers, and even certain scents, the flight response can end with disastrous results for the horse or rider.

Yield the right of way to those passing you from behind or traveling uphill.

Motorized vehicles yield to mountain bikes, run ners, hikers, and horses.

Mountain bikes yield to runners, hikers and horses.

Runners and hikers yield to horses.

Pull to the side of the trail far enough for horses to pass safely as soon as you see horses.

Pull to the downhill side of the trail if possible since horses tend to perceive unknown threats on the uphill side as predators.

Shut off your motor as soon as possible and re move your helmet. The horse will be more likely to recognize you as a human.

Speak to the oncoming rider and horse in a friendly, relaxed tone.

Horsemen may pull to the side of the trail a safe distance if they hear an OHV approaching but this does not necessarily mean it is safe for you to ride by. Stop and wait for instructions from the horseman.

Ask the horseman how he/she would like to proceed.

The horseman will know his/her horse and how the horse reacts to other trail enthusiasts.

The horseman may ask you to stay put and ride past you.

The horseman may ride to the side of the trail and ask you to ride or push past them.

If you ride by a horse, keep your rpm’s low and steady and your sound as low as possible. Sudden movements or sounds can startle horses. ∆

BMA SNAPSHOT

We won’t say who submitted this but a local rider was found in the fetal position after realizing that his trials bike was dishing out more than he could take.

Witnesses reported hearing the victim repeatedly mumble, “Nooooo, please stop, get away from me, no more...”. KTM execs declined to comment.

Coming to the Boogie?

Things You Want to Consider

For Saturday, the main loop (orange) will be approx. 80 to 90km. and up to approx. 210km. if riding all of the options (pink/white) with a lunch and gas stop at approx. the half way point.

Afternoon*

Riders should should prepare for:

*note: the afternoon loop will include Eagles Nest lookout, and Wabun Mountain so folks should plan on sticking around for the afternoon. We anticipate having everyone finished and ready to travel by about 3:00 plus or minus.

1. Fuel range up to 100 km if riding all options.

2. Tools to repair mechanical problems and flat tires.

3. Bring drinking water.

4. Check tire pressure, recommend 15 psi.

5. Please get going within 20 minutes of the riders meeting.

We need to get everyone out quickly.

6.Sound test will be 94 db and is MANDATORY. Get your bike tested as soon as possible.

Sunday’s ride will be from the gravel pit on 508, a few km. west of Calabogie. (look for the BMA sandwich board) Morning Basic loop: 32 km. - riding time approx. 2 hours Expert option: 13 km. - riding time approx. 1.5 hours

Basic loop: approx. 30 km. - riding time approx. 2 hours Optional loop: approx. 8 km. riding time 40 minutes

Saturday evening dinner (additional charge) and guest speaker Warren Thaxter. ∆

Upcoming Events Calabogie Boogie! - Sept. 12 & 13 Start and Finish: Calabogie Highlands Golf Resort, Calabogie Ontario.

SIGN IN: Friday 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Saturday & Sunday 8:00 to 9:00 am (must complete sound test before registration) RIDERS MEETING: 9:00 am and ride start directly after meeting.

ENTRY FEES: Pre-Entry: $100 (cad) by September 1. (includes commemorative mug) Post-Entry: $120, 1-day entry: $65 RIDE LEVEL: Easy Primary Loops, Saturday and Sunday! Suitable for novice level riders and up. All “optional “ trails will be rated for difficulty level.

Other upcoming events happening in Ontario: The ONTARIO DUAL SPORT CLUB presents...

MAZINAW Trail & GPS Dual Sport Rides September 19th and 20th, 2009 Bishop Lake Campground , Cloyne, Ontario Start and Finish: Bishop Lake Campground 1-613-336-2311 13621 Hwy 41, Cloyne ONT, K0H 1K0 Located 1 km south of Cloyne Sign-in: Friday / Saturday 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Saturday / Sunday 7:30 am to 9:00 am Riders meeting: Saturday/Sunday 9:15 am Sharp Ride Level: Saturday - Intermediate Trail Ride Sunday - Trail / Dual Sport Ride *********************************** Vintage Trials Event - September 27th @ Makin Farm, Lanark, Ontario see next page for details

Larose Forest Day-2009 Saturday, October 3, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

BMA will be there, please come and show your support.

More info contact: Marlene Bleau <mbleau@hotmail.com> *********************************** Corduroy Trail Ride • Sun Oct 4, 2009 • Location: Gooderham, Ont Date: To be determined • INFORMATION COMING SOON - please check OFTR.ca ***********************************

Meg’s Charity Ride •Sun Oct 11, 2009 Location: Cobourg, Ont • Date: To be determined

*Ladies Only*

INFORMATION COMING SOON Please check OFTR.ca

If you would like your free listing here, please email your event to: offroad.newsletter@gmail.com

Family Funday story and photos by Carolin Leuders

The second annual BMA Family Funday and Skills Competition was held on August 16th at Woody’s Cycles.

Around 1pm, the competition started. The first part was

The day dawned bright and sunny, with not a cloud in the sky. By 9 am, when people started rolling in, it was already stinking hot.

After signing in, riders went out and did a few laps of the track. They were able to choose between green, orange, pink and white trails. The white of course, being the extreme for the hard-core riders. All the riders, in my book, would turn out to be die-hard riders, if not hard core, for braving the heat. I am not, but someone had to take pictures for Dallas, right?

the obstacle course. Here the participants had to ride over logs, under the banner, drop a clothespin into the bucket, go across the planks, and through the stakes. Sounds easy, right? Not really.

First up were the youth. With them being on small bikes, some of the logs were bigger then they were, so they didn’t have to do them. Some of the little guys, like 5-year-old Carter Jackson, had to get help from his dad Rob. But he did a pretty good job.

Due to the warm weather, the attendance was down. I had heard through the grapevine that some people, I won’t mention any names, took this time to sit on a boat in a lake somewhere.

The teens were up next, with some pretty good riding. A tiebreaker had to be held between Colin Doyle and Matt Leonard.

Adults had their go at the course next. What can I say? We

BMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future...

had Tom, Woody, Dallas, Jackson, Dave P, and a few other competing for the medallions. Glen Cooper was the one of the officials, and here too, he had to call for a tiebreaker.

The tiebreaker was a long log where competitors had to ride down the log. The one who made it the furthest, won.

The first round was for the teens, and after a few practice runs, Matt made it the farthest. For the adults, we had a few more guys vying for the medal. There was Dallas, Rob, Peter, and Christian, with Rob making it the farthest down the log.

Next we head up the field to the barrel rolling competition, where the riders had to roll the barrels down the field.

Whoever crossed the finish line first, won. There were a few different methods used to do this, some pushing the barrel from its end,

and some rolling it down the field. Not as many riders tried this as compared to the obstacle course, but once again, Rob, Dave, and Matt were a few of the participants.

We had whole family winners on this day, like the Patterson family. Jeff and Allan both took home medals, as did the Jackson family, Rob, Abbey, and Carter.

After the awards ceremony some people went back out riding, while some just sat under the easy up, enjoying the shade.

A big thanks goes out to Woody, for setting up the course, the medallions, and providing the drinks. And to Marlene and Glen, for officiating the competition. â&#x2C6;&#x2020;

GET LOST!

by Jeff Akert

(with Jeff)

Jeff Akert is our resident GPS guru. In a series of articles he’s going to go over buying the right GPS for your needs, how to set it up properly and use it to it’s full potential.

This instalment of GPS 101 will delve into the boring but absolutely necessary setup of the instrument. We want to have the proper units of measure and direction set up so that we can relate them to Canadian topographic maps or even to share with fellow riders.

Setup Basics The first thing to start with is batteries. Invest in a good set of rechargeable NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) which in this case are AA batteries. Get twice the number you need for the unit so you can have a set charging while you are using the GPS. Or if you are out on a long ride or a 2 day event, you have backup ready to go.

Next, you will need to setup the time and date. If you power up your GPS outside, it will often obtain this information from the satellites themselves. If not, scroll through the Setup menu to the Time submenu and do this first.

This will ensure that when you upload and download data, you won’t get confused as to when it was collected.

Next is the setup of the units of measure. This you will find under the Setup menu, within the Units submenu. Other than a few hippie throwbacks living in the dark woods of

than a few hippie throwbacks living in the dark woods of Lanark, most people have fully accepted the metric system so we will go with this. Set distance/speed as “metric”, elevation and depth as “meters” and temperature as Celsius.

While you are in this submenu, we will set up the position format and map datum. Position format is the east and west numbers that locate the GPS on the ground. There are basically 2 formats that you would consider for this part of North America. The first being latitude and longitude which can be registered in degrees (hddd.ddddd), degrees and decimal minutes (hddd, mm.mmm) or degrees, minutes and seconds (hddd, mm, ss.s). The second would be UTM UPS. This one needs a bit of explanation as not too many people are familiar with this format. It is found on most of Canada’s topographic maps. This format uses a metric grid system that pretends the world is flat, but only

Lanark, most people have fully accepted the metric system so we will go with this. Set distance/speed as “metric”, elevation and depth as “meters” and temperature as Celsius.

While you are in this submenu, we will set up the position format and map datum. Position format is the east and west numbers that locate the GPS on the ground. There are basically 2 formats that you would consider for this part of North America. The first being latitude and longitude which can be registered in degrees (hddd.ddddd), degrees and decimal minutes (hddd, mm.mmm) or degrees, minutes and seconds (hddd, mm, ss.s). The second would be UTM UPS. This one needs a bit of explanation as not too many people are familiar with this format. It is found on most of Canada’s topographic maps. This format uses a metric grid system that pretends the world is flat, but only in very small sections or zones. I prefer using this format as it locates the GPS on the ground in metres east and metres north. It’s easier to visualize the distance between two points in metres rather than degrees of longitude or latitude. For the map datum, regardless of whether we use degrees or UTM UPS we will chose NAD83, as this corresponds to the datum used by all modern Canadian topographic maps.

After setting the Units, we need to deal with the Heading submenu. This will allow us to set the display to “degrees” and the north preference to “true”.

Our next and final menu visit will be in the System submenu, where we will ensure that we have the highest sensitivity by setting the WAAS/EGNOS to “enabled”. While we are here make sure that the Battery Type is set to the proper type (in this case NiMH rechargeable) Now we are ready to go. Sort of. We will have to decide before we take off on our bikes what we would like to do with the GPS. Are we going to collect Waypoints (these are manually selected points recorded by the GPS when we ask it to)? Are we going to automatically record our journey through the bush so we can see where we were and perhaps try to get back on the same track another day? And how are we going to carry the GPS? Attached to the handlebars by a bungee or stashed in a pocket of your Tek-Vest?

Mounting the GPS Let’s tackle the last comment first: mounting the GPS. In the previous newsletter we had some pictures that hinted at the appropriate device for carrying the GPS on your bike. RAM mounts are tough and versatile that are very reasonably priced. They are generally a 3-piece setup which includes a handlebar mount, an adjustable clamp and a GPS cradle.

The system works as a ball and socket setup and is adjustable in 3 dimensions.

The cradles are specific for each GPS so make sure you chose the correct one for your model. The handlebar mount comes either as a zinc plated or stainless steel Uclamp. Spend the extra few dollars for the stainless steel.

There are several places to get these in Canada, online at gpscity.ca or gpsmart.ca, or catalogue through Cabelas or Le Baron. Expect to pay about $35. One thing to note: the U-clamp is a one inch diameter, so those bikes with tapered handlebars may have a limited region to mount the clamp. As a safety precaution, you may want to attach the lanyard supplied with the GPS to the proper mounting point on the side of the GPS (not the soft rubber next to the antenna) and loop it around either the handlebar or something else solid. You don’t want to lose it if the mount lets go or gets knocked off.

Recording Waypoints Now we are getting somewhere. In fact, you are now out in the woods, ready to go on a trail ride. The first thing you want to do is record the position of your truck and trailer as you may want to at least find your way back to the refreshments stashed in your cooler. A brief explanation on waypoints: the name originates from marine navigation where the journey of a watercraft would head from point to point or waypoint to waypoint. A waypoint is just a position on the surface of the earth with at least 2 coordinates.

(Sometimes a third coordinate, elevation, is included) To record a waypoint on the Garmin Map 60, make sure it is on and receiving the satellite signals, then press the MARK button on the front keypad. This will bring up the MARK Waypoint screen.

You can use the central toggle button to scroll up and down through the various fields and to change any text within the field press the ENTR button on the keypad.

For example, we could change the waypoint name from the automatic consecutive numbers to “Cooler”. You would highlight the waypoint name field, press ENTR and then scroll through the on-screen keypad, selecting the letter and then pressing ENTR after each to spell “Cooler”. Then select OK to exit the keypad. Once you have renamed your waypoint you will have to save it by scrolling to the OK field at the bottom right and then press ENTR. The waypoint is now saved in the GPS memory. This GPS will store up to 1,000 waypoints.

Recalling Waypoints Now you have at least one Waypoint recorded, after riding for an hour or two you may want to see how far you are from your refreshment cooler. Press the FIND button on

the keypad and the Find Screen will appear with several icons to choose from. Highlight the Waypoints icon and press ENTR. This will list all the waypoints stored in the GPS, either in alphabetical order or those closest to your present position (you can change between these options by selecting the MENU button while in the Waypoint screen).

Scroll down in the Waypoint screen to the Waypoint you would like to recall. You will notice that at the bottom of the screen a window will indicate the direction in degrees and distance to the particular waypoint highlighted. Press ENTR when you have the proper Waypoint highlighted and it will bring you to the Find Waypoint screen. At the bottom of the screen you will have the choice now to view it on a map view or to navigate to the waypoint. If we chose Go To in the lower right corner, it will take us to a map screen with your current location as a black pointer, the location of the waypoint as a flag or other similar symbol and a highlighted line between the two. At this point we must remember that this distance and direction shown is “as the crow flies” and not the actual route taken. We will look at routes and tracks in the next section.

I find that the appropriate points for recording as Waypoints would be where single track trails start or end.

Sometimes these are not so obvious when you are blasting along a double track or forest access road, so it’s good to know where they are if and when you want to go back to them. Other waypoints could be a nice vista overlooking the miles of powerline you’ve just hammered across, a particularly gnarly hill or swamp you may want to avoid or even your home.

Tracks vs. Routes These two terms at first glance may seem similar, but they are quite different for the off-road rider. Your GPS can be set up to record a Track, which is a continuous “bread crumb” recording of where your path was on the ground. You can set up the Track mode on your GPS to take your position either every so many metres or every so many seconds or a combination of the two. The Track will show up on your GPS map screen as a coloured continuous line. A Route on the other hand is generally a series of Waypoints that you select before you travel to take you from your starting point to your final destination. Routes are usually used when you are navigating in your boat on

water or in your car. Most new GPS devices have a built in database of major roads that it will use to guide you along a Route from Waypoint to Waypoint. So as off road riders, the Tracks are more useful.

Setting up Tracks In order to leave a few virtual “bread crumbs” rather than parts of your bike or wrenches out of your tool belt on the ground, we will set up Tracks by selecting the Main Menu (press the MENU button twice to bring up the Main Menu from any screen). Select the Track icon to bring up the Track Menu. Scroll to the Setup field, press ENTR. Select “Wrap When Full” which will keep a record of your Track even when the memory is full. Select your Record Method as Auto and your Interval as More Often. This will cover most applications, whether you are blasting down the K&P at 100 km/h (God forbid!) or climbing Wabun Mountain at 5 km/hr. Press QUIT to bring you back to the Track page where we will make sure that Track Log is on. Now you can go out and keep track of exactly where you’ve been on your ride. When you’ve finished your ride and you’ve found your way back to your trailer and cooler (thank goodness you saved that Waypoint!), go back to the Track Menu and select Save.

This will bring up a screen that will allow you to rename the Track if you like or by default it will name the Track as that particular date. The Map 60 CXs will hold up to 20 Tracks.

Once you’ve named and saved your track, you can Clear the Track Log. This gets rid of the data in the active log and makes room for your next journey and its Track. You will see that once cleared the percentage bar will go to 0%.

We now have the two tools for basic GPS operation.

Selecting and saving waypoints and recording tracks. In the next instalment we will discuss the Trackback feature to retrace your track. We will also look at the Mapsource software that comes with the GPS and show you a few tricks on how to download and upload all those Waypoints and Tracks you’ve saved.

Checklist • •

•

•

• •

2 sets of rechargeable batteries Set the Units, Position Formats and Map Datum before you record any Waypoints or Tracks Install a secure mount for your GPS like a RAM mount Press the MARK button to record the position of a Waypoint Press the FIND button to go to a Waypoint Use the Track Menu to turn on the Track log and to save or rename the Track. ∆

TEK VEST REVIEW reviewed by BMA Members

TekVest is letting the BMA take their Off-Road Rally vest for a long term product review. We’re going to see to it that the vest take a serious beating over the riding season. We will have updates as to how the vest is holding up, what we love, what we like and what we would want improved. Other riders with TekVests weigh in...

The TekVest’s are making the rounds, I gave the tester to Dave Phifer and lent my XXL to Scott Rivet to try. Both got some use out of the vest and wrote a bit about their impressions. I rode a few times without the vest and, frankly, it was a pain in the arse. I’m growing to like my vest and the conveniences it delivers. But don’t take my word for it, check out what Scott and Dave say:

Dave Phifer’s Thoughts - Ride: KTM 300 Smoker Don’t. I said don’t, mess with MY TekVest...

Over the years, I have seen numerous riders wearing a TekVest and I always wanted to try one. It looks sharp but how well does it function?

Scott Rivet’s Thoughts - Ride: XR650L

Since the BMA was kind enough to loan me one for a week, a full test was in order. No one was injured during the testing of this vest.

I recently trialed the rally sport Tekvest that was loaned to the BMA to fully review its worthiness as a part of any rider’s protective apparel.

At first glance I liked the style of the vest. There were pockets to store items and my water bladder fit nicely in the back. The vest was easy to adjust for comfort. We are only missing the KTM orange. I normally wear a large but the medium TekVest fit nicely. I prefer my chest protectors to fit snug so in the event of a get off, I know the vest will remain in the correct spot.

I started my search for the Tekvest after taking a fall earlier in the spring that left me with two broken ribs and some terrible bruising along the right side of my body. I was wearing an off-road chest protector, but it didn’t cover the sides of my body where the injuries occurred.

I wore the TekVest at the BMA Fun Day and a 150km loop at Calabogie and I really liked it. Regardless of whether I was going at a snail’s pace or full blast down the power line, the vest felt great. I really didn’t want to give it back. How dare those other dirt bikers want to try my TekVest.

My first impression of the “vest style” was that is was similar to a sports fisherman’s vest but with fewer pockets.

The last remaining question is always, would I buy one? Yes. The look, feel and function of the TekVest were great.

I have already dropped some hints to my wife and started my Christmas wish list. I’m not taking any chances....

FREE DEMO! - The BMA is doing a long-term test review of the TekVest.

See page 14 for the first installment of our review. If you are are a BMA member and you are interested in being given a TekVest to demo, please email: offroad.newsletter@gmail.com

I put it on and immediately felt it hug my rib cage and its weight along my shoulders. It was a good feeling to have protection that I can see and feel covering my vital organs and bones.

My first outing was only a few hours on the road and the trail (DS rider here!). I had a jersey and a T-shirt on under it.

It was comfortable and snug and I was not too warm at the beginning. After the first 30 minutes on the trail, I honestly had to think about the protection I was wearing since it felt like I just had a jacket on. That is comfort right there. I was a bit warm on my ride home so I unzipped the front about a quarter of the way down to increase the breeze inside the vest and it worked very well to ventilate the vest.

On another ride, I was mostly road riding. I felt comfortable riding in the wind and the reflective areas of the vest were a good measure to ensure visibility to other vehicles.

Aside from the sticker price I am sold. I did go ahead an order one and it was well worth the price. I found the company that supplies the vest to be very informative. They were quick to respond to all of my questions before the purchase. I received my Tekvest two days ago and I can’t wait to go riding this weekend!

Thanks to the BMA (Dallas Shannon’s Tekvest review in the July newsletter) and the 15% off for BMA members. I am now a believer and the proud owner of a rally sport Tekvest. ∆

SAXX Underwear Review review by Dallas Shannon & Kevin Eastman

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Saxx Underwear: “Saxx is an innovation in men’s underwear featuring patented Saxx Comfort Side Panels™. These panels greatly improve men’s comfort by preventing leg and testicle contact, offering non-restrictive support where men need it the most” (from their website).

Saxx underwear first gained attention after appearing on the hit TV show Dragon’s Den. Saxx was featured in seasons 2 and 3 and will enjoy another appearance in season 4. Over one million viewers were exposed to Saxx on Dragon’s Den with 30,000 voting to award Saxx as the winner of the “People’s Choice Award” and the $50,000 cash prize.

I heard about them on TV and thought: “those would be great for riding. I bet they would send the BMA a pair to review”. And, that is exactly what happened. After talking with Dez, their marketing head honcho, and telling him about the club and what we do, he sent me a few pairs to try. He sent the “performance” athletic version of the un-

derwear, designed for physical activity in hot environments.

I kept two pair and gave a pair to Kevin Eastman. I have tried them during a few rides in the last few weeks.

The product is Canadian. For me that’s always a big plus as I like to spend my money on Canadian products, providing they are high quality. It turns out that Trent Kitsch (SAXX owner) has been actively promoting his product by unusual methods - sending his new underwear directly to professional athletes. “I sent pairs to some players during Spring Training last year and worked with them in design.

Over the season they asked for more pairs, and by the end Saxx was being worn in the World Series.”

The gamble paid off with Jeff Francis, a Colorado Rockies pitcher, signing a two-year endorsement deal with Saxx Apparel. “I know other players who are wearing it in Major League Baseball and the NHL,” says Francis. And Kitsch has recently sent pairs of his product for NBA players to literally try on for size.

First Impressions I was given the two pairs: the Performance Long Leg and the Performance Fit. The fabric is the type of high tech, blended wicking fabrics that you see in running gear and all the modern performance fabrics. The stitching is well done and overall the quality of the garment seems good.

Everything is very slick and well designed.

As you “open them up” and prepare to put them on you can clearly see the “junk sack” area that SAXX has created to take care of your cookies.

It’s like a hammock and it’s made of a very fine mesh. I believe this is a patented idea so you won’t be seeA “bird’s eye” view. ing a feature like this in your favorite “tighty whiteys” anytime soon.

In the Hammock Someone hand me a pina colada! When I first put the SAXX on, I had a “holy shit” moment. It takes about 10 minutes to get used to the side panels and the banana hammock. I suspect this is a feeling that you will either love or hate. Based on the amount of media attention and growth that this company has received, I’m guessing the majority of guys are loving these. It’s like wearing a cup without the cup. Personally, I like to be tucked in when participating in athletic activities and riding off-road rid-

ing qualifies. I don’t need the fellas’ bouncing around so I appreciate the support. In general, I really like the concept and I really like the fit. These are underwear that I could wear everyday. That said, there are a couple things that I’m not sure about.

invading my...umm...private space. In addition, was the fact that care had to be taken to ensure ...ummm...proper placement lest those two flaps inflict some serious damage. Also, as the Big D pointed out, the lack of a fly can be problematic.

1. We were sent the “performance” models. I liked the fabric and it really helped cool me down and reduce sweating. I’m not sure what the other models – “everyday” and “bamboo” would be like as they have a different fabric.

Would they prevent sweating and help cool you down? I’m not sure.

I followed up by wearing them for a Calabogie ride assuming that the increased physical activity was, perhaps, the forte of the garment. As usual, I was much too focused on survival for most of the day to be conscious of underwear function. But, at the end of the ride, those two special flaps were very close to causing the chafing that they are supposed to prevent.

2. The long leg performance model fit great and I really liked the extra fabric that went halfway down your thigh.

The “short” model I didn’t like at all. I found that the leg rode up and was uncomfortable. The way I see it, if I notice my underwear than they’re not for me. I would highly recommend the long leg cut.

3. You don’t notice this when you first put them on but they have no built-in fly. From an athletic perspective that’s not so bad, but if you are using these as your “daily driver” then I need a fly. I’m not sure if a fly is provided in the “everyday” and “bamboo” models but if they do, cudos to the designers as I feel this is needed.

So, obviously, I’m not too enthralled with this product. To be fair, I may not have been the best test candidate as I don’t perspire at an above average level. Maybe V.P. Mike Hillier would have been a better nominee as he is able to generate Niagra Falls like torrents from his brow from the exertion of strapping on his boots on a hot day.

Let’s just say that this is one piece of riding gear that I’m not planning to add to my ARSEnal. ∆

If you’re the type of person that likes cutting edge technical apparel and gear, this product may be worth a try. I’m guessing that you’ll know by the end of the day if you like the concept or not. If you are thinking about ordering a pair (I would order them online), SAXX has provided some financial incentive to try them. Enter code # 365621SXW and you will get $5 off of an order over $50. This will roughly cover the shipping.

In summary, I feel they are worth a try. For a very small financial risk you could find a product that will make itself into your gear bag and make your riding more enjoyable long term. Who knows, it may make you a better rider!

What Kevin Thinks...

A while ago I dropped in to visit Newsletter Editor Dallas only to have him throw underwear at me. I found this somewhat disconcerting as I prefer this treatment from the female of the species but he clarified by explaining that he would like me to do a product evaluation of the Saxx underwear. He expressed great confidence in my ability to broach this subject with the appropriate level of delicacy and decorum as befitting a family publication.

SAY WHAT????

So, to start off, I wore the test garment to work for a day.

From the minute I put them on until the end of the day I found them to be mildly annoying. The stretch material around the leg openings seemed to be constantly rubbing and I was continuously aware of the two special flaps

Above is the new BMA business card. The club has printed 1000 double sided, full colour cards so it’s members (you!) can “recruit” potential new members while on the trail. We’re going to be spreading them around to as many people as we can. Club execs should have some so please don’t be shy on asking where you can get them.

Also don’t be shy on spreading them around. The more members we have the more influence and power we wield.

Northumberland Forest has fallen, don’t think it can’t happen here.

“There is strength in numbers - go forth and spread thy message!” - unknown BMA Member

Calabogie Boogie Guest Speaker - Warren Thaxter

The Bytown Motorcycle Association is pleased to announce that Saturday evening’s speaker will be Warren Thaxter. Warren has deep roots in Calabogie and particularly the Calabogie Boogie. We appreciate Warren attending the Boogie this year and would like to thank him, in advance, for his time.

If you don’t know who Warren Thaxter is or thought you knew, here is the real scoop: After 33 years in the automotive industry Warren retired to become completely immersed in the motorcycle world.

Warrens earlier exploits include dirt bike shop owner, racer, rider and multi-time organize of motorcycle events. Previous exploits include founding the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders, founder and co-owner of a Dirt Bike School and Motorcycle Trail Tour Company. Warren originated the non-competitive trail ride concept in Canada and is presently a columnist and senior editor of a major motorcycle magazine.

More recently Warren has traveled to and ridden motorcycles in such exotic places as Spain, Morocco, Mexico and much of Western Canada and Alaska. Warren has organized motorcycle related events in Baja Mexico, Nevada, B.C., Alberta, Quebec and Ontario which include Demo Rides, Industry Rides, Adventure Rides and Trail Rides. ∆

Friends of the Bytown Motorcycle AssociAtion will receive 25% off a day of riding at Trail Tours and Dirtbike School.

Visit trailtour.com to book your loved ones ride today. While you’re there, book one for yourself.

Limit one coupon per rider. pLease indicate your discount upon booking.

CALABOGIE TRAIL NAMES This list came about with the help of Smokin Doug, Mike O, Coop, and Larry M. The email replies got so convoluted that we’re not sure who said what and who is “I” in each comment. I’m sure there’s a much longer story in each of these names but this is what I’ve got - so far... Anyway, the legend continues, this is how myths are formed.

BS - Blair Sharpless - first to open this trail (and many others) BS 2 - Blair Sharpless 2 - ditto Log Ridge Run - It runs along a ridge and had been logged, I believe Marc Leveque and Dave Wrack had a hand in this.

Ruth - Not sure, Ruth at one time was Marc Leveque’s GF? After riding the trail she dumped him in a screaming fit.

Quinns - After the lakes in the area, not the brothers.

Clutch Cover - Ask Doug Hunter about damaged engine covers, this trail also refered to as Egg Lake if you’re over 50.

Tantrum - Legend has it that Steve Busby did not like this trail. Wah. Of course that’s just a legend.

Daughter of Tantrum - A side trail off Tantrum or does Steve have a daughter?

Son of Tantrum - Another trail rumored to cause whining.

Thunder Valley - Glen Cooper, Kevin Eastman, Dave Wrack and a garbage bag. Impending storm, nuff said.

The Land that Time Forgot - When Glen Cooper first went in there it looked like dinosaurs were still roaming the area.

This has NOTHING to do with Glen’s age.

M & M - Marc Leveque and Mike Chenough I think.

Mair Lake - Paul Benchke and I cut and named this after the lake.

Dead Beaver - after the pond of the same name it runs around.

SS Minnow - A trail that might require more than three hours (if you fall down the rock face) - named after the lake with the rock face.

DMZ - Doug McNeil Zone - name by Blair after Paul Benchke and I cleared it out.

Ho Chi Minh - Blair Sharpless named this trail OR named after a famous Southeast Asian rebel leader who sought political asy-

lum in Flower Station and subsequently laid out the trail named after him. He returned to Vietnam after the communist victory in 1975 and then had a city (formerly Hanoi) named after him. He told me that he is still more honoured by the naming of the trail than the city.

Just Dandy - a nice trail named by Warren Thaxter, ask him how he’s feeling next time you see him and you’ll get it.

Blazing Saddles - Steve Garnsey named this one after he and I cleared it, just don’t ask Steve about monkey butt.

BFH - Big F’ing Hill - A continuing climb I scouted out a few years ago. It’s big.

Screw U - Not what you think. A U shaped trail (with north and south arms), only the north arms will screw u - but I liked the name.

Sleepy Hollow - Of the screw U stuff I found a number of years back, called so because it’s mostly shrouded in a hollow and seem to be damp and misty most of the time.

River Run - I named this after opening it based on the river crossing.

Expresso - in the quinn lakes aread - Steve Garnsey named it and he and I opened this up as the rumoured easier way up to the quinns from the west.

The Eliminator - Named by me since I marked it off to eliminate running down 511.

Richter Scale - Ask Glenn Cooper Mud Run - a number of trails have enjoyed this appellation, but some are losing their qualifications due to snowmobile and atv activity - Mike O and others from bygone days may know more. Ask them if you see them, they’re up to their arse in mud.

Forbidden Planet - a place we do not really have permission to be on LA - Named after Larry and Al Bartow - named after the nearby lake Chicken Out - A bypass taking out the whiny part of Tantrum - I named it I first rode it in the 70ies with Mike O and Bruce Gossin. Is this saying something about Mike or Bruce?

Larry Roessler - though I don’t think he ever set foot in the Madawaska Highlands.

Wabun Mountain Run - in future may be re-named as “The Newfie Autobaun” in honour of a section at the old BMA Hazeldean trials grounds.

Woody’s Wonderland - I was going to call it “Back of Beyond” and Woody wanted to call it “Zimbawe” or something

‘cause Jeff Ackert got a call from there on his Blackberry thingy while they were laying it out, but the Wonderland just seems to work.

FALLING DOWN Confessions of a True Beginner

by Barry Isherwood

Barry and his sons just started riding and are writing a monthly column on what’s it’s like to be green as the grass. This month Barry recalls what it’s like picking up gear for the first time...

So you’ve got your bike, you’ve purchased insurance and have an off-road plate for your bike. Now you’re ready to ride, right? Not so fast. It’s a dangerous world out there, and this can be a dangerous sport. It is time to gear up.

So, where do you find information on what to buy, where to get it and how much is it all going to cost? All the gear that I am going to discuss here is considered essential, basic equipment for safe riding.

For information about gear, you can check out the July BMA newsletter, but likely your best source is the guys you hope to ride with as well as your local dealer. Talk to them, and get a feel for what you need. Also, are you going for style, function, or both? I know for my son Alex, style was key. If you see a young guy out there looking as if he is pushing Rockstar Energy drink, that’s my boy! I, on the other hand, am the guy with mismatched, outdated gear.

But hey, it works just fine.

We started at the top with helmets. Alex went with about the most stylish Scorpion helmet the Ottawa Good Time Centre had to offer, while I went with a Zeus brand helmet.

It is much less flashy but every bit as functional. The key here is that it needs to fit right. Try a few on until you find the one that feels right. Do not skimp here and buy a $49 helmet. That belongs on a $49 head. The average price was about $200 each for ours. We also found some old ski goggles that seem to work just fine. Free!

Next, we went right to the other end with boots. Carolin at Woody’s Cycles helped us pick out some Thor Quadrant boots. She also ordered me a new buckle when I lost one on one of our rides (whoops). We paid about $160 a pair.

FYI, BMA members get a 10% discount at Woody’s.

For gloves, Alex went with Rockstar by Answer and I found some O’Neils that seemed to fit. They took a bit of getting used to, but I couldn’t do without them now. The gloves were about $30 a pair.

Style question comes into play with the pants and jersey. Alex went with a Rockstar design made by Answer.

They are nice looking, good quality and cost roughly $200. I found last year’s model of some MSR pants and an Extreme jersey in a similar colour. At $100 for the set, I couldn’t complain. We purchased the gear at Wheelsport and Ottawa Good Time Centre respectively.

For the rest we went to Woody’s: elbow pads (about $30), shin pads (about $30), and chest protectors (about $100).

Carolin ordered Alex a gold coloured chest protector from Extreme.

Well, it had to match the other Rockstar stuff didn’t it? I told Alex (who is 15 years old) that he couldn’t wear it until he grew a chest. He didn’t think that was very funny.

So, there you have it. Suited up and ready to roll. I don’t look as good as Mr. Rockstar when I’m falling down, but I can live with it.

Next issue, those first few rides… ∆

2009 BOOGIE NOTES

Mike O’Reilly

Preparation for this year’s Boogie is well underway. Like most events of this magnitude the preparation actually started the day after last years event ended.

On the north side (Eagle’s Nest/Black Donald) Woody, Jeff Ackert and I have scouted new mileage and done a lot of maintenance/rehab work (rehab the trail, not the workers).

I’m up to around 60 hours at this point, which is a reminder: keep track of those hours, they add up and they matter to the politicos.

As many of you know, a lot of what has been developed in that area is narrow single-track. Call us selfish, but we would like to keep it that way. Every year after the Boogie I go around and camouflage the entrances to some of the best stuff. If you are going to ride it at other times, great, but don’t move the brush. Go 5 metres to one side or the other and bushwack the first few metres until you pick up the trail. Your passing will go unnoticed, and the single track will remain single-track.

This year hasn’t been without incident: I’m nursing poison ivy, or something I picked up along the Ferguson Lake hydro line. And on a recent return from a day’s work, Woody uttered those immortal words, “I can’t seem to find my truck keys”.

Kevin Eastman in his excellent article recommended carrying keys, wallet etc. in a locked pouch. I prefer not to carry them with me for the exact reason Woody ran into.

My suggestion is twofold; hide your keys somewhere near the vehicle; carry D/L, insce. & registration along with some money in one of those plastic folders your insurance agent gave you. By the way, in my 30+ years of riding Calabogie I have yet to encounter a problem with theft – touch wood.

At last year’s event I hung out on Wabun Mountain to guide riders and see what kind of feedback we were getting.

What I found particularly gratifying was that not only were our riders raving about the trails, they also commented on how well arrowed the trail was.

The arrowing for the Ontario Trail Ride Series is now standardized (orange, pink, or white; OK Woody, maybe green) – a great step forward. There are a few other tips I’ve picked up over the years from many miles of following coloured cardboard pieces:

Rule #1 of Arrowing: Every arrow that you put up will likely have to be taken down (and in all likelihood there will be less volunteers when it comes time to take them down).

If you are on a piece of single track, and the trail is reasonably well defined, and there is absolutely nowhere else to turn, how necessary is the arrow? Sure, there should be arrows every so often (depending on the circumstances) to reassure riders, but every arrow that you put up, you should be asking yourself if an arrow is needed.

This is not a make work project, and I have noticed that the #1 thing that brings us to the attention of the public is the arrows. The fewer arrows that we put up and still get the job done, the better.

Rule #2: How many arrows does it take to mark a turn? (by this I mean a turn from one trail to another) The usual answer is 4 (maybe 5): - #1 is an arrow pointing down at 45 degrees, prior to the turn, indicating that there is a turn coming up, either left or right. This gives the riders a heads up; - #2 marks the actual turn; the best location in directly in front of the riders; alternatives would be to the right side (preferable) or left side of the trail (or maybe both) (again depending on circumstances); - #3 is a “W” arrow a short distance down the wrong trail (lets riders know they missed the turn, ideally should be visible from the turn); - #4 is a “confirming arrow” pointing straight ahead a short distance after the turn (lets riders know that they made the correct turn, ideally should be visible from the turn).

That is the standard for the Trail Ride Series. If someone misses all of that there isn’t a whole lot we can do. Similarly, if someone misses seeing one arrow on a tree, is it likely that they will see two? So why put up the second arrow if one will do the job?

Finally, stapling: again, remember someone will have to pull that arrow down, hopefully to re-use it next year. Two staples, at either end will usually work. Stapling in the middle will allow it to curl up to invisibility by the day of the ride.

Thanks to everyone for all their work so far. See you on the trail. ∆

Here’s some more information on Ontario trail rides and “the way to do things”. This was written by Warren Thaxter in 2007 and it’s a good way for the BMA to advance the standarization of trail rides across Ontario. If you’ve just ready Mike’s 2009 Boogie report you may find this interesting...

Pink Paper on Ontario Off-road Motorcycle Trail Rides

though all agree that any terrain which might challenge “Blair Sharpless” shall be considered a “5”.

Trail Difficulty 1 is for the absolute beginner to our sport on their first dirt bike or first trail ride and maybe even without adequate riding equipment.

Trail Difficulty 2, 3 and 4, would obviously fit between the 1 and 5 examples.

Warren Thaxter, November 2007

Trail Series Coordinator

The Ontario organized commercial, non-competitive trail ride concept has evolved since 1986. At the Ontario Federation of Trail Riders (OFTR) Presidents Council in November of 2007, trail ride organizers agreed upon a ‘Pink Paper’ of Acceptable Trail Ride Practices/Standards.

The OFTR will be the trail-ride coordinating agency and all trail ride information shall be posted on the OFTR website.

The OFTR website should be the medium for notifying the public of upcoming events and notification of all trail ride info.

The trail ride sport has evolved into a product and any good product has standards that provide consistency and value to retain customers and attract new ones. Unlike motorcycle competition events which have an escalating scale of ability classes, a trail ride simply dumps all levels of rider into the same pool. To help avoid confusion, an event classification has been established to explain the complexity and difficulty of the event, the severity of the expected terrain, the machine requirements, the legality of equipment and the ability level of the participant to partake in each individual event.

Pay Pal Entry System shall become the preferred means for entering these events.

EVENT DIFFICULTY or TRAIL RIDE CLASSIFICATION The length of the course shall be considered as well as the severity of the terrain when classifying an event.

Expert/Aggressive/Skilled: 150 or more kilometres of primarily single-trail shall be classified as Ride Level number 4/5 (with “5” being the most difficult of our Ontario terrain).

Recreation: Up to 50 kilometres of mixed single-track and two-track trail: Ride Level 2/3.

Dual Sport: 200 or more kilometres of primarily Ontario back-road and some two-track trail. Ride Level 3/4/5.

Family Ride (suitable for children): Up to 20 kilometres of wide single-track or two-track trail, maybe with repeatable laps; Ride Level 2/3.

Guided Beginner Rides: Usually consisting of 5 kilometre loops with stops for lessons on technique; Ride Level 1.

TRAIL DIFFICULTY Determining the severity of terrain is somewhat difficult

Entries A standardized entry form will soon be devised which would recognize all sponsors/supporters and explain the entrecotes of each individual event.

Entry fees are the business of the individual organizers and may vary from event to event depending on the different levels or ‘product’ supplied such as lunch/no lunch, commemorative items, charity event or for profit event.

Event Difficulty Trail Ride events will be labeled as to the difficulty of the event as well as the severity of the terrain used (see above).

Insurance Third party insurance, PL/PD is mandatory (Ontario Law) at all trail rides.

GPS Guidance GPS guidance is inevitable in our future and will be introduced to trail rides soon. This system will probably catch on quickly as motorcyclists tend to embrace most techno things related to motorcycles.

The benefits of a GPS guided event are numerous and include: • No arrows or fewer arrows eliminates days of work.

• The public isn’t aware of an event coming through and will not be able to remove arrows and possibly spoil the event.

• Changes can be made right up to the start of the event

without going out on the course.

• GPS guidance is probably much more precise than the average motorcycle odometer and route sheet, though a route sheet in conjunction with a GPS may also used at times when precise instruction is needed.

Course Marking In the foreseeable future paper arrows are the standard form of guidance for determining a trail ride route. The acceptable practice of style, colour and installation for arrows shall be as follows.

COLOUR (1) Orange arrows shall be the guidance for the whole route or the main route. It will be the shortest, easiest, most navigable and most direct route. Everything else will be optional.

(2) Pink arrows shall be used for optional routes off of the ‘Main Route’. When an optional route returns to a main route both pink and orange arrows will be displayed so that it is known that both routes have become one. Information as to difficulty and length of optional routes shall be posted at the beginning of each option.

(3) Black on white arrows shall be used for the most difficult level five options for expert level riders. When this level five route merges both colour arrows will again be displayed so that the rider will know the routes have become one.

(4) Orange markers with a black “W” will denote “wrong way”. When a rider encounters one of these arrows they should carefully retrace their tracks to the proper route.

“W” arrows are usually within 100 metres after the desired turn.

EZ markers A new type of arrow is being designed which will simply have the letters “E” and “Z” displayed on the face. This marker will denote an area when it is imperative to go ‘slow’ and ‘easy’.

ARROWING METHOD Each arrow used will always give an order. The direction that an arrow is pointing will denote the meaning of that arrow. For example, an arrow pointing upwards to 12:00 o’clock means the route goes straight or continues on or, yes, this is the way. An arrow pointing to 9:00 o’clock denotes a “left turn”. An arrow pointing to 3:00 o’clock denotes a “right turn”.

An arrow pointing to 6:00 o’clock is very important because it requires a rider to slow down and proceed carefully. More than one 6 o’clock arrow requires more caution.

While on route, arrows will occasionally be found pointing to 7:00 and 5:00 o’clock. These arrows indicate that an intersection is approaching with a (7 o’clock) left or a (5 o’clock) right turn. These arrows are aptly referred to as “Turn Indicators”.

After every turn or change of direction there shall be within 100 metres an arrow pointing to 12:00 o’clock. These are called ‘Confidence Arrows’ or, “yes, this is the correct way”.

Occasionally a trail or route will slightly bear left or right but not enough to be considered an actual turn. Guidance for these situations shall be an arrow pointing to 11:00 o’clock (bear left) or 1:00 o’clock (bear right).

Periodically trail rides will have two-way traffic on short sections of the route and on these occasions two arrows will be used together on the same tree or post in both the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions.

PRIZES The concept of awarding product prizes to participants of a trail ride will be continued but in the future many of the prizes may be awarded to those riders who pre-enter the event. Notification of the draws and prizes will be done via the OFTR Trail Ride website and email.

SWEEP THE COURSE At each trail ride there will be designated riders who will sweep the course or follow-after the riders to insure that no one broken down or in trouble. It is important that these riders follow as closely as possible to the last riders on route. These riders usually remove the arrows and effectively close the course. Therefore, it is imperative that participants leave the start area promptly within 45 minutes after the riders meeting.

PIE PLATES/SIGNS/MAPS Organizers will occasionally make use of pie plates or signs on the route, usually to explain optional routes. Some organizers will include maps of the route for the participants.

ROUTE SHEETS Route sheets are used exclusively for enduro competition and are occasionally used for trail rides. These route sheets often give turn-by-turn information and accumulative distance for the entire course. Organizers will advertise on the entry form if route sheet holders are necessary.

SOUND LEVELS Excessive noise has been the biggest enemy of our trail ride sport and quiet exhaust systems are mandatory for the trail rides. Trail Ride organizers usually conduct a sound check prior to the start of each event. The db noise level for 2008 shall be 94dba, out with a 2db allowance for atmospheric conditions. Riders with sound levels slightly over the maximum limits may be allowed to ride but their names will be recorded and such riders will be required to make improvements before the next organized ride. Riders with noise levels significantly over the limit will have their entry refunded and will not be allowed to ride.

REFUELING The fuel range of the participants motorcycles will be a consideration when laying out a trail ride. Where gas stations are not handy to the course organizers will make refuelling arrangements such as a gas truck to meet riders on route.

GREEN PLATE ACCEPTABILITY Each ride in the series will advise as to the required licensing of the motorcycles and if green/off-road license plates are acceptable.

LEGALITY OF THE EVENT Securing the necessary land use permits and permissions will be the responsibility of the organizer.

LEGALITY OF THE EQUIPMENT The legality of the motorcycles and related equipment are the responsibility of the participant/motorcycle owner.

While the ride organizer will not scrutinize equipment neither will they turn a blind eye to “blatant misbehaviour”.

Blatant misbehaviour might include: license plates missing or mismounted; too loud motorcycles; an absence of the basic equipment such as headlight, tail light, horn, mirror, DOT tires, etc. for trail rides using public roads. Those trail rides which can accommodate green plated motorcycles will also insist that plates be appropriately mounted and that all safety equipment such as fenders etc. are properly mounted.

CANCELLING AN EVENT Cancellation of an event shall be at the discretion of the promoter though if other than an inclement weather situation, cancellation will be done in time to properly notify potential and entered riders. Cancellation of an event because of weather should be a last minute choice and again should be at the discretion of the promoter. In the event

of a cancellation consideration will be given to pre-entered riders such as the option of carrying the entry fee forward to another event by the same organizer or reimbursement of entry fee.

RESERVED PARKING FOR SPONSORS AND MEMBERS OF OFTR Sponsors and OFTR are an integral part of the trail ride series/sport and will have preferred parking at each event.

PRE-RIDES At each trail ride there will be designated riders who will ride the course in advance of the first participants. These riders will have equipment and knowledge to repair or change a route if the need arises.

SWEEP RIDERS/ROVING MARSHALS In addition to sweep riders, the trail ride organizer will provide and identify Roving Marshals who will be scattered throughout the procession of riders to lend assistance as needed.

REMOVING ARROWS Organizers will remove the arrows and other marking after each event.

CONFLICTING DATES There is an increasing number of trail rides and a limited number of suitable days so on occasion there may be multiple trail rides on the same weekend. However, these rides will usually be planned to each attract a different category of rider. ∆

Boogie history

The group photo is from the second year of the Calabogie Boogie. The event started that year at Palmerston Lake and went north to use the customary trails. The thought at the time was that Palmerston was an hour closer to the Big Smoke and more riders might be enticed to come. Semi-successful. - Warren Thaxter

This group photo was from the MSR - Not Just Any Sunday- ride for dealers laid out by Blair and I one week after the Calabogie in 1996 or 1997. I cannot begin to name riders in this photo but there are a good number of BMA members who were trail leaders for the ride. - Warren Thaxter

This was taken in front of Crosbies Store in Flower Station. Mrs. Crosbie was a legend in the Lanark Highlands. She had had a million children and ran the store until she was in her 90s I believe. We used to fight our way through Straddlebug (aka, three floods) on stuff like Can-ams and Hodakas and then wander in there smelling of swamp water. We would buy a healthy snack of a Joe Louis and a Pepsi (I kid you not, the Joe Louis was a tradition for sure).

You could also get gas there from a single Shell pump. - Mike O Reilly

Playing around in a gravel pit somewhere down near Canonto Lake. - Mike O Reilly

Parking lot at the Norcan Lake boat launch (where we exit the Madawaska trail after coming down off Wabun Mountain). My green 1973 Toyota pickup, known as the Taber-truck because it was used to transport Team Tabernacle as in collis-estil-tabernacle.

I remember on the Cord in 1979 coming down a road in the Haliburton Boy Scout Camp and seeing this big hole in the woods where someone had got sideways and gone off the road. Turns out it was my own crew, and they had launched the Taber-truck off the road. - Mike O Reilly

BMA 2009 EVENT SCHEDULE BMA Club trail ride, Calabogie, Ont.

May 31

Watch the club web site for developments. This is a great area…lots of scenery and varied terrain suitable for most skill levels. Dualsport route is also being offered. For information call Doug McNeil at (613) 825-1444, mcneild@rogers.com

2 Hour harescramble, Woody’s, Perth

June 7

BMA/Woody’s Cycles club hare scrambles our annual spring pilgrimage into the forest. Usually a dust free event …there may or not be any mud. Always fun and challenging. Classes include youth, previous race experience with no bikes under 65cc,junior, intermediate, veteran (over 39 years old) or so and pro. Registration starts at 9am and practice till 11:15 am. Racing starts a noon .For info call Carolin or Woody @ 613-267-6861.or woody@woodys-cycles.com

Limerick Forest Kid’s Ride

July 12

Limerick Forest Family Ride. For kids of all ages, non-competitive, and focused on fun. Trails as always well marked for different riding levels. Bikes must be quiet, plated and legal. Sign in 9-10, start time 10:30 for more info call Mike Hillier 613-258-1164 or Larry Murry 613-926-2522

BMA Fun Day/Field Day at Woody’s

August 16

BMA Family Fun day @KTM Acres in Perth A day to kick back, ride, relax, play m/c games, and skill contests and really get to know other folks in the club .If you are so inclined we will have the property well arrowed up for the various skill levels for trail riding during the day. Bring a lunch and bug repellent. More details will follow. For info call Marlene Bleau 613-678-1676 mbleau@hotmail.com

Calabogie Boogie Trail Ride,

September 12-13

This is our clubs premier event of the year with 2 days of prime off road riding, arrowed routes to suit everyone from newbie to pro. Trailheads marked for mileage and difficulty, some dualsport friendly trails as well .One and 2-day packages, pre-registration are very advisable for this one. Watch the club website for updates and info. Pre-registration available thru Woody’s Cycles 613-267- 6861

BMA 4-hour harescramble, Woody’s

October 25

The Colin Snider Memorial 4 hour Team Scrambles. This is an annual favourite, with a low impact racing, format with an iron man class for the hardcore, a 2-man team competition and 3 to 4 man teams competing for individual honours. It is set on a course meant to be fun but reasonably challenging. A fundraiser for local charities and an excellent event for a family group to have… a really fun day and get some racing experience to boot No bikes smaller than 65cc call for info Carolin or Woody 613-267-6861

FOR A HARDCOPY, PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE OF THE NEWSLETTER

Wise sage Larry Murray gives us some more VET trail tips...

bike falls over it’s better to have the fuel run into the air box (fuel leaking under the tank can reach the exhaust and start a fire). I have seen some riders just run the factory single

WATERED OUT BIKE I was asked to give thoughts on the starting of a wateredout bike. I have watered-out many times and this is what I do. I may be all wet but this works for me.

There are three parts to the answer: (1) Bike preparation for deep water (2) Riding in and finding your way through deep water or water with an unknown depth (3) Restarting a watered out bike

Preparing Your Bike (a) Air box Close all large openings in the bottom and sides. If you know there will be lots of water on a given day, you should duct tape the access filter door to seal it. However, you will need a small drain hole or drain tube 1/2” (13mm) in the lowest point of the air box. Try to keep it away from rear wheel splash. Leave the air intake from the top of the air box and under the seat. Also, check and see if the rear tire is pushing water up under the seat. This can happen if there is a poor fitting fender or missing splash guards.

Keep your air filter clean and well sealed. After cleaning and reinstalling your air filter you must always check the seal between the air filter and air box. It should be tight and well oiled (I use a little grease). Get your hands dirty or use a glove but check this seal every time! (b) Carb Venting There are a lot of hoses and wires on the carburetors of new bikes and it is a good practice to vent the hoses that would go into the carb and send them over the top of the float bowl. The best way to do this is with “Tees” and more tubing. Place the tee as close as possible to the point the hose goes into the carb and run the new tubing into the top of the air box if you can or up under the tank. I do not recommend taking the factory installed tube or hoses that come from the carb and running them anywhere except down.

If your carb comes vented, run the top tubes into your air box or under the seat. If not, use the tees and tubing. Always try to put the new vent tubes into the air box. If your

vent lines up under the seat – I know it vents well, but the question is how would you get water out of a tube that’s up under your gas tank after it went over in a beaver pond?

How long would you kick a bike that had all that water draining back into the carb? Pouring water into a tube that goes straight to your carb is not a good plan. Vent your bike, don’t just move the lines.

It is also a good plan to change your carb drain tube to a clear one, that way you can keep an eye on your float setting without taking the carb off. This is a good trick. This will not take long or cost much money and only needs to be done once.

Riding in Water Q: Should I just go “balls to the wall”?

A: NO! It is important to be ready for anything hiding in the water (logs, rocks etc.), so watch your speed. You need to maintain momentum but not too fast. Slip the clutch to keep revs up and speed down. If there is water being pushed up into your face by the front wheel you’re going

way to fast! Slow down unless you know how deep and what’s under the water!

Q: It look’s deep!

A: If no other bikes have been thru maybe go for a walk!

Or send a friend for a walk. It’s better to help someone get there watered out bike going then to have it be your bike!

Q: Should I ride on top of a beaver dam?

A: Maybe if it’s wide and has been ridden before, but if you fall off you will be in deep beaver shit. If you can get on the top of the dam and get across it, there may not be a way to get down.

Q: Should I ride on the high water side of a beaver dam?

A: Only if you can’t ride on the low water side. If riding on the high water side, try to keep your bike out about 1’ (1/3meter) or so farther then you would like under normal conditions in the deep water. This will help avoid large sticks that are sticking out. Beavers have under water paths they use and there will be a path along the edge of the dam, it will be about 6” (150mm) deeper and 1’ (300mm) wide. If the water is not too deep you can ride in this path (they are normally well packed and easy to ride).

Q: Should I wheelie through the water?

A: Only if your a better rider then Al Jonker or know the water crossing (i.e how long, how deep and what’s on the bottom). In rocky areas it maybe the best and fastest way, but you must know the trail. Are you in a race or on a trail ride? Ask yourself this question! It may help you slow down.

Q: Stuck in the mud.

A: That’s why we ride in teams. The best way to get unstuck is with help. And the older you get the more you will understand this. If you see me stuck in the mud I need help!

Jerking and pulling is not the best way to get out. I have found that if you get help by having someone turn the front wheel and let the motor turn the rear wheel the bike now becomes a 2 wheel drive should walk its way out.

Restarting a Watered Out Bike There are maybe three types of watering your bike out: a) You never got the time to re-vent the carb.

And in a long water crossing the bike just quite and won’t re-start. If your bike is not vented for riding in water that is deeper then the vending tubes, there will be a vacuum in

the carb from the vent lines. While running through water the engine won’t be able to get fuel and may suck water up the vent tubes. The engine will most likely quit in the water first. It has been my experience that you will need to push it out of the water to clear the vent tubes before it will start. But once it’s out of the water, it should start with little trouble. b) Your bike got water in the air box and quit but never went all the way under.

Try to get the bike to high ground then remove the air box cover and drain the water.

If the air filter is wet, pop it loose but don’t remove it. Try to restart your bike with the air filter away from the intake for the carb. If the bike does not start put the choke on – fuel is your best friend if your plug is wet with water. It will be easier to start a fuel flooded bike then a water flooded bike.

If it still won’t start, drain the carb buy removing the 17mm nut on the bottom of the float bowl. Pull the spark plug, ground the spark plug wire and kick it over. If there is water coming out of the spark plug hole kick till it has cleaned itself out. You can add some fuel straight in to the cylinder to help wash the water out. Kicking it with the choke on should do the job. Replace the plug, choke turned off and try restarting it. You may need to do the exercise three or four times before it starts (I hope you have plugs with you). c) Your bike got water in the engine and the bike won’t turn over.

This just sucks. Do not try to kick it over! Get to a dry place were you can work. Remove the air box cover, air filter and spark plug, and ground the plug wire.

Put the bike in gear and pick up the front end like a wheelie straight up, you want to drain all the water out of the exhaust and muffler (some times the muffler needs to be removed to get all the water out).

I filled a four stroke KTM muffler with water held it up with the exhaust side down

and let it drain for a long time, at least five minutes. Then I turned the muffler around and got 360cc more water out of it! There are lots of baffles and chambers in a muffler that trap and hold water. You don’t want 360cc of water running back through the exhaust into your cylinder. The fastest way to

get the bike going is to get all the water out first. Then try to restart.

Open the throttle with the bike still in the wheelie, put it in neutral and turn it over by hand with the kick starter. It’s a good thing if it turns over. Pump as much water out of the cylinder as you can. Now you can put the bike down on both wheels. If the bike will still not turn over there is no point going any farther, push or tow it home, you may have a bent rod.

If it turns over?

Take your 17mm wrench remove the large nut at the bottom on the float bowl on the carb and let lots of fuel and all the water run out. Replace the large nut back on the carb. Ring out the air filter and place it back in the air box.

Do not lock it down, just let it sit there. Replace muffler if it was removed. Kick the bike over to check that there is no water coming out of the cylinder replace the spark plug dry or new. Choke on and try starting the bike – the air filter is just sitting in the air box so the engine will be getting lots of air and fuel. You may need to do this three or four times but it should start. After it starts, ride it or let it run so it can dry out, after a short time lock down your air filter.

Any time that you ride in deep water it is important to check your engine and transmission oil for water, it will look like milk and need to be changed ASAP. If it is not changed it will rust everything inside the engine and transmission. Do not leave the water in there. You may need to change the oil three or more times but you must do it.

This is not something that can you can leave or put off as it will ruin your motor.

Stay dry and have fun and ride safe! ∆

BMA Code Of Conduct 1. Do not trespass on private property 2. Ride on existing trails 3. Respect nature 4. Respect and be courteous to other people who also have the right to be on the trails 5. Remember that few other vehicles are as maneuverable as bikes, so give the others lots of room 6. Hunt camp owners do a lot of trail grooming - respect their efforts 7. Stop when you see a horse 8. Do not ride during hunting season 9. Comply with all legislation, bylaws and insurance requirements 10. Always wear a helmet and other safety gear (but take off your helmet if you talk to someone) 11. Do not litter 12. Leave the place better than you found it 13. Keep your bike QUIET. More sound = less ground!