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HARLEY CENTURY GEAR TESTS FILM FEST

AND THE WINNER IS CYCLE CANADA’S ROAD RACING ENTRY DOMINATES FROM THE START

CANADA’S LEADING MOTORCYCLE MAGAZINE

cyclecanadaweb.com

YEAR OF THE HARLEY BIGGEST UPGRADE YET FOR THE MOTOR COMPANY

VOL.47 NO.9 SEPT/OCT 2017

NONSMOKING STROKERS: Canada Post sales contract no. 41147038

HUSKY ISSUES A CROP OF GREEN TWO-STROKES ULTISTRADA 950: LOVE AT FIRST RIDE +M CAN $5.95

FROM THE SHORE TO THE SHIELD, I AM ONE EPIC RIDE.

#DISCOVERON

Discover your ride at ontariotravel.net/goride

ON THE COVER: W e’ve never done this before, but we’re so pleased with David Booth that we

quadrupalized him. Meet the new Harleys.

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FEATURES

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P RESS LAUNCH HARLEY-DAVIDSON 2018

Mr. Booth takes a Softail to the race track, and then rides it on the race track. And likes it. Has he gone soft? No, but Harley has gone hard. And fast.

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P RESS LAUNCH DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950

One of the absolute best motorcycles in the world says hello to a little brother. Ducati’s 937 cc “Many Roads” motorcycle is so good we’re tempted to buy one, and we get motorcycles for free.

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P RESS LAUNCH HUSQVARNA TE 250I & TE 300I

Husky introduces EFI on its motocrossers and introduces twostrokes that won’t clog up the atmosphere. Also, Eric Menard skis up a mountain, or something.

REGULARS

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RACER BOY XAVIER PARADIS

Guy Caron thought he’d introduce a kid to the race track and then try to keep him going. Instead, he’s following a 15-year-old who could become class champion. And woe is him!

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CELEBRATION YEAR

Harley-Davidson marks 100 years of Canadian presence with a series of short films and a program that introduces strangers to our home and native land. O Harley!

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THE OUTSIDER

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READERS WRITE

10

PADDOCK

14

SPECULATOR

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THE INSIDER

44

EVALUATION

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CHRONICLE

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FIRST PERSON

SHOWCASE

A German builder takes an Italian motorcycle and brews up a fancifully powerful custom.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 03

CycleCanadaWeb.com Customer Service: For any inquiries regarding your subscription, please contact: info@editionsjeanrobert.com 1 855 965-9494 ext. 200 President & Publisher: Montreal Office Jean Paré — jpare@editionsjeanrobert.com Vice-President Publishing: Montreal Office Jean Gherlenda — jgherlenda@editionsjeanrobert.com Editor: Jean Paré — jpare@editionsjeanrobert.com Contributing Editor: Steve Thornton — stevet@editionsjeanrobert.com Copy Editor: Steve Thornton — stevet@editionsjeanrobert.com Graphic Designer: Anh Dien Huynh — adh@editionsjeanrobert.com Contributors: David Booth, Roland Brown, Paul Penzo, Bill Petro Sales Representative: Barrie Office (705) 728-7110 Paul Stewart — pauls@editionsjeanrobert.com Sales Representative: Toronto Office (416) 617-6792 Tim Mank — timm@editionsjeanrobert.com Sales Coordinator: Montreal Office Alexandra Bourgault — abourgault@editionsjeanrobert.com Distribution: Disticor Magazine Distribution Services Return undeliverable mail in Canada to: Subscription Services, Cycle Canada, 300, rue George-VI, Terrebonne, QC, J6Y 1N9 info@editionsjeanrobert.com Fax: (450) 965-0990 Phone: 1-855-965-9494 Subscription Price: $25.00 for one year (10 issues) taxes included. Outside Canada add $20.00 for postage.

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LIVE YOUR DREAM & RIDE THE WORLD!

Printed in Canada Legal deposit — Bibliothèque du Québec Legal deposit — Library of Canada ISSN 0319-2822 Canada Post sales contract no 41147038 A publication of:

Order the free Edelweiss Travel Program 2018 and get inspired by 84 motorcycle and scooter tours in 77 countries.

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ack when the comedian Roseanne Barr was fat she used her poundage in her act. You got a problem and go to your skinny mother with it and what does she say? Go out and run around the block, the adrenalin’ll make you feel better.

You take your problem to your fat mother and what does she say? Oh well, let’s have some pudding and cookies.

I’ve always liked skinny motorcycles. To my eye, the sportbike is the best-looking motorcycle on the page or the road, and if Yamaha’s R1 and Ducati’s Panigale are not examples of mechanical art at its highest point, you can send me out to watch Monday’s (this tells you exactly when this was written) partial eclipse with a pair of Ray-Bans.

Beautiful, they are. But would I ride them? Maybe, for a short time.

In this issue we test the Ducati Multistrada 950 and in the review I say that an owner could live with this bike for a long time, and it’s true.

It’s not going to get boring on you next year, or uncomfortable long before that, or ugly long after that. It’s pretty much what you want in a mate, plus she (or he) is Italian so you know you’re going to be eating well and smiling a lot.

The last bike I owned, a Yamaha FJ1200, I had for 19 years, and only sold it because I was moving across the country and Mommy didn’t want to lug a 19-year-old just served with 150,000 kilometres on it me a bowl across five provinces. But I kept of pudding that bike for such a long time only partly because I liked it; mostly, it was a financial decision. I had no money for buying a new bike. (Also, I could occasionally ride a new bike thanks to Cycle Canada.)

I did like that Yamaha, but did I love it? I don’t think so. The only bike I’ve ever loved, and I use that verb advisedly, was a Harley-Davidson. I was tempted to write “Year of the Hog” on our cover, but I believe that the company in Milwaukee frowns upon such use, so I made it “Year of the Harley,” which works fine. And it’s accurate, because for 2018 Harley-Davidson has made some big and important changes to its motorcycles. What have been improving in quality and technology for some years now are actually becoming quite modern, and doing so without, apparently, sacrificing the old-fashioned qualities that have made HarleyDavidson such a successful brand: the looks, the great thumping 45-degree V-twin, the sense that

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it’s made with more real steel than anything else, the low seat, and the broad footboards. You can stretch out on a Harley like nothing else that isn’t in your living room. A few years ago, with a girlfriend, I set out to ride the 10 best roads in Washington State, and we did manage to ride nine of them, and as we headed home again (to Kamloops, B.C.) the bike under us felt just as comfortable and enjoyable as it did on the first day (actually, more so, because people, as they say, do come to resemble their Harleys).

What’s that got to do with Roseanne being fat? Well, two of Harley’s models (covered in this issue’s review by the not-fat David Booth) are the Fat Boy and the Fat Bob. Not names that I’d choose for a motorcycle, but they do reflect a quality of Harley-Davidson’s that must appeal to countless people. The motorcycles (many, not all, though) are just that: fat. And like Roseanne’s fictional fat mother, they offer something like pudding and cookies when you’re feeling down. When my former girlfriend Maggie and I rode into Washington State, we did so with the intention of strafing some apexes, on a Harley Electra Glide, because it was primarily apexes that caused the roads to be ranked from one through 10 in our guidebook, Destination Highways Washington. And you can say we should have taken a GSX-R or something else more sporting, but by god when you’re covering 300 to 500 kilometres in a day every day for a week you need more than a 50-degree lean angle to keep you going, and the Electra Glide had that, in spades. In brilliant, burning sunshine, in drenching downpours, in fog (on the way up Mt. St. Helens), and in the cool of the evening, Harley-Davidson’s Electra Glide kept us cozy and willing to get back on the motorcycle half an hour after getting off for a bathroom break.

And so now, when I’m thinking of organizing a Fall Tour for some of the boyz at CC, what am I thinking of asking for, as the bike I would like to ride most of the time? You got it, and with any luck, I’ll have it, and when Booth and Penzo are strafing apexes on whatever they choose to ask for, I’ll also be strafing apexes, on a Harley with a tail trunk and a seat that’s big enough for two. I’ll be strafing more slowly, but the thing about a big fat motorcycle is this: Curves are still fun, even when you take them at the speed of Electra Glide. An apex is still an apex, and the shriek of a footboard scraping asphalt is a joyous sound. And when the day is long and the miles are many, it’s hard to beat a big fat motorcycle that wants to pamper your ass and make you feel like Mommy just served you a bowl of pudding.

All that, and according to Mr. Booth, some technology, too? I’ll take it. And who knows, maybe I’ll go back out west and find that 10th best road in Washington state. I’m pretty sure it’s still there, even if the girlfriend is not.

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NOT READY TO MAKE NICE Mr. Booth: Apologize? Never. Maybe just let the incident go and live to ride another day. (In London, Ontario, the drivers are so bad you have to, or you wouldn`t think of riding in that city!) I understand your point, a motorcycle will lose, but I`ll be damned if I let them believe their stupidity is all my fault.

— Tom Anguish St. Thomas, Ontario Regarding Mr. Booth’s piece on road rage and mayhem, and with acknowledgment that the incident referred to was in Texas, and without comment on the wisdom of passing on them, yellow lines are advisory in the province of Ontario. In other words, passin’ on a yellow line ain’t illegal here.

Stupid? Possibly.

— David Tigwell Westport, Ontario, and Houston, Texas It is a rare person that does not develop a low-level depression at some point in their life, and often the victim does not realize it. One of the best indicators is a preoccupation with the negative aspects of life, and James Craig’s letter has that flavour. I would suggest that he find a compatible psychologist, preferably one who enjoys motorcycling and has some experience with getting mildly depressed people to enjoy life again. He needs to be able to focus more on how much he enjoyed riding. Since the bike he found the most fun was a 400 single, he should also visit a KTM dealer and check out a 390 Duke. Should help his insurance costs too.

— George King In the summer of 2015 my wife fell in love with a 2015 Triumph Street Triple RX. A limited edition bike and Inglis Cycle Centre in London, Ontario, had the last one available. The sales manager (Mike Inglis) would not budge on the list price and since it was the last one we said okay. When first service time came I brought the bike in and talked to the service manager Gord Inglis.

Gord laughed when I told him about the hard sale his brother Mike had given us and said that to ease our pain he would pick up the cost of the first service, a cost of about $250. I have to say I was shocked but also very pleased. Gord and his service 08

department at Inglis Cycle are honest and very good at their jobs.

— John Turner St. Thomas, Ontario Well, you’ve been holding the magazine together with duct tape and bailing wire and, I have to say, well done! I’m a little behind on my reading but I just finished the April, May and June issues of Cycle Canada while on vacation here at the cottage. The May issue was fantastic. I always love reading Michael Uhlarik’s industry insights, Paul Penzo’s dirt school fun was entertaining and I think I just read my favourite article written by David Booth (Safety Gear). I road raced for 11 straight years, half of which was enthusiastic national participation, and I had never considered changing out my body armour on my street jacket and pants. So simple and so obvious. (No wonder it never occurred to me.) I’ve bookmarked that article for future reference.

Love the mag. It’s rising from the ashes.

— Pat Boyd Ottawa

SCRAMBLED, NOT STIRRED I agree with Michael Uhlarik in his assessment of the “scrambler” bike genre. Like putting lipstick on a pig, it is an incongruous use of a road bike. In 1968 I bought a new Triumph TR6, which had the facade of a dirt-bike with none of the technicalities. The first and only trip to the sand hills north of Oshawa ended badly.

It was over 20 years later that I lost my dread of gravel roads at Blair Sharpless’s dude ranch for dirt-bikers on a 200 cc Suzuki.

— Jim McEllistrum Brooklin, Ontario I am writing in reply to the column on scramblers. While Uhlarik makes some valid points about their usefulness, the same could be said about other fads like choppers, cruisers and superbikes. A lot of bikers are poseurs in a small or big way.

I have a useless bikini fairing on my Guzzi because it looks good. A ton of chrome doesn’t make a bike perform better. I road raced for four years and I doubt that one in 500 sport bike riders can ride their bike to its potential and stay out of jail. Why do we need 140 hp to ride an adventure bike on dirt roads?

Living in Southern Ontario, dirt roads are probably a distant memory, but here in Thunder Bay they are an open invitation to explore. I like the Desert Sled but wish it was a 450. No one is going racing on one but for exploring gravel roads you wouldn’t dare take a street bike and unlike a small dirt bike you can keep up with traffic on the highway.

I have been reading CC since it came free with my racing licence and I hope it can survive in the electronic world.

— Bob Breckenridge Shuniah, Ontario I have two daughters, one in her late twenties, the other in her late thirties. They read every issue but have commented to me lately that there is not a gender female perspective on the discussions of new models or for that matter nothing seems generally aimed to encourage females to buy and ride bikes. I would suggest that gender perspective. I’m sure the manufactures would react favourably.

Over to you on that.

— John Kwast I’m writing to compliment your contributors on their editorial contributions, even David Booth, who I have admittedly disliked after reading his reviews of motorcycles long ago in the Edmonton Journal. All is forgiven, as you write very good articles now.

In regard to DCT, it is still misunderstood, as well as being unneeded.

A six-speed gearbox with a $100 quickshifter does 75 percent of what the DCT does.

Also, it is not much work to shift a modern motorcycle. Clutches are very light and responsive. The gears “snick in” very easily.

It seems that the Manufacturers are not listening to what people want, or are too slow to respond. How long have people wanted the 650 and smaller dual sport bikes updated? Probably over 20 years! Or, will 2018 be the year the Japanese respond to the KTM onslaught of street legal dirt bikes? Hope so, I have always bought from the “Big 4”, but it is getting very hard to do that anymore. I cannot believe that they won’t update the XR650L. — Glenn Lutic Send your letters by email to cyclecanada@editionsjeanrobert.com.

Include your address. Name and address will be withheld upon request.

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 09

BY GUY CARON

Shawn Maffenbeier (#12) is leading the MX2 championship with three races to go.

Photo: mxnationals.ca/Stallybrass Promotions Inc.

CMRC ROCKSTAR ENERGY NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP; A YANKEE, A FRENCHMAN AND A CANUCK IN THE TOP THREE ith three rounds to go as I write this, Matt Goerke (Yamaha) is leading the MX1 championship, 19 points ahead of series newcomer Christophe Pourcel (Husqvarna). French expatriate Pourcel, who is the 2006 MX2 world champion, has bagged three wins in the first four races but Floridian Goerke kept piling consistent results, near the front, with one win to his tally. That gets him closer to a third Canadian title after his 2012 and 2015 triumphs. Four-time Canadian champion Colton Facciotti (Honda) who now resides in St-Thomas, Ontario, is not far behind the two leaders and also has a win under his name.

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MX2 battlegrounds The MX2 class was an all-out battle between defending champion Cole Thompson (KTM, from Bridgen, Ontario) and Shawn Maffenbeier (Yamaha, Swift Current, Saskatchewan).

Was is the word here as Thompson had to retire from the seventh round in Truro, Nova-Scotia, where he tried to ride with a freshly dislocated thumb, the result of a crash at the previous race in Bon-Conseil, Quebec. That retirement likely signalled the end of his season, just like his KTM teammate in the MX1 class, Kaven Benoit, who was also injured seriously at Bon-Conseil.

IT’S TIME FOR THE CORDUROY! he Corduroy Enduro is touted as Canada’s toughest race by the club that promotes the event. Here’s a hint of what it is about, directly from the event’s blog: “The Corduroy was a hard enduro long before ‘Hard Enduro’ was coined as a phrase. The event is venued out of Gooderham, Ontario, in the historic hinterlands and through original pioneer settlement roads of ‘Upper Canada’.”

The 64th edition will of course take the riders through the infamous Tunnel of Love as well as some gnarly extreme special tests, as necessary according to some sadistic tradition.

Maybe competing in the Cord is too much for you? And just spectating is not enough, to just stand and watch when you are itching to ride? The dual-sport and ADV tours planned around the enduro might be just right for you then. I’m looking for an opening in my schedule to make it to the Haliburton area and kick up some dust on my own adventure bike come September 23rd and 24th.

T The Corduroy has been a “Hard Enduro” for such a long time, way before that term was hip!

Photo: The Corduroy Enduro/ British Empire Motor Club

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The riders that will represent us in Matterley Basin, UK in November are Colton Facciotti, Tyler Medaglia and Shawn Maffenbeier.

Photo: James Lissimore Photo

TEAM CANADA MOTOCROSS DES NATIONS RIDERS ANNOUNCED eam manager Kourtney Lloyd has announced the riders that will represent Canada at the Motocross des Nations, at Matterley Basin in England next November. Colton Facciotti will join Shawn Maffenbeier and Tyler Medaglia who both were on last year’s successful team.

The Motocross des Nations is an annual competition that is often referred to as the Olympics of Motocross. The format is that each country sends three riders who compete in two races each.

The lowest tally of finishing positions wins. The riders are riding on different classes of machines, MX2 (250 cc) MXGP (450 cc) and MXOpen.

Last year the Canadian team scored one of its best results at the Motocross des Nations with a 10th place overall.

The introduction this year of the Youth Ambassador Program will give the chance to two aspiring racers to follow the team and experience the atmosphere of that unique event.

Jacob Piccolo of Abbotsford, British Columbia, and Jake Tricco of Collingwood, Ontario, will travel to Matterley Basin with the whole crew of dedicated enthusiasts that can make this whole enterprise successful.

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ROAD RACING ON THE UPSWING ACROSS THE BOARD t is not that all the major teams now show up at the track in million-dollar, shiny 18 wheelers and that riders can earn big pay checks but road racing is doing pretty good across the country nowadays. The grids are well populated, be it in the regional series or the CSBK Mopar National Championship.

We are a little part of this at Cycle Canada (through my own team, Le Racer projet Kawasaki Ninja 300 CSBK) and a lot of the space in the paddock is occupied by such lower profile, lower budget operations. As you know, the pro ranks are filled by riders moving up from the lower echelons, hence the importance of having a strong base.

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With the relatively lower-cost racing classes, the numbers of participants goes up. The lightweight classes are growing in popularity around the world and we follow that trend nicely here in Canada. I can see, in the not so distant future, that we will have more than one class for smaller machines. The KTM RC Cup (390), the soon to be released Ninja 400, the Japanonly Honda CBR 250RR and other well-prepared modern small bore machines such as the Yamaha R3 are a step above the more budget-oriented motorcycles that are still plentiful at race tracks around the country. A lower-spec lightweight class would also be less intimidating for newcomers to get theirs toes wet; no need to get humbled by some Jared Walker, Amy Szoke, or our own Xavier Paradis who are just way fast on the tiddlers.

Another important step in the racing scene that is coming is the replacement of the supersport 600 cc class by some form of middleweight-naked-bike category. From the World Superbike series to MotoAmerica and here, there is talk about such a switch in the short term. Manufacturers are interested in this move, they sell so many more naked bikes than 600 cc supersports, and they also have keen interest in the lightweight class.

Replacing the 600s makes sense to distinguish the racing classes; “too much like the Superbike for the general public to notice the difference,” I was told by two of the founders of MotoAmerica. “We will move soon to something along the line of the dirt track regulation that opened the gate to a whole lot of competitive, different and affordable motorcycles.”

Think 650 cc to 800 cc twins and other roadster style bikes, no or little bodywork and be ready to see racing that will reminds the old timers of the early days of Superbike racing.

Come to think of this, I’ll have to see if I lean toward preparing a Z650 or maybe a Monster 796. An FZ-07 might be quite interesting too but I may wait to see the KTM 800 roadster, to be unveiled soon, before starting another project.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 11

BY GUY CARON

Valentino Rossi is smiling again since he got the newest version of the M1 chassis, mid-summer.

Marc Marquez is quite happy with what is rumored to be the 2014 version of the RC213V chassis; he won again in Germany to prove it’s not outdated…but don’t ask him about it!

Photo: Guy Caron

MOTOGP NOTES ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE TO THE SIDE averick Viñales was trying to avoid a simple question after the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. “For the race today, did you use the new frame that Yamaha developed for the M1 during the summer?” was the query. The answer that finally came out: “I am not allowed to tell you. Team policies prevent me from answering.”

How come such a simple question, that can be put behind him with a simple yes or no makes the new darling of the paddock sweat? For the Japanese factories, Yamaha in this case, it is very hard to accept that a newer version of their product is not better than the one it replaces. At least not better here for Viñales as his teammate Valentino Rossi seems quite happy with the change.

The refusal to answer likely means that he was using the previous chassis, a chassis that he rode to three wins in the first part of the championship and on which he looked pretty well set on imposing his authority on the field.

Rossi was not so fond of that first 2017 M1 chassis, citing a lack of front-end grip on corner entry that kept him from charging the corners, like he usually rides. Still, it worked well enough for the two Yamaha teammates up until the MotoGP circus came to low traction circuits where their results showed the deficiencies.

That frame was built to help conserve the rear tire and did not find traction when it is scarce. In 2016 Rossi and Lorenzo were both struggling over the last laps of the races with too much

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degradation on their rear Michelins. We have to remember that the first 2016 chassis, with the rear-mounted fuel tank as tested ahead of the season, was rejected. The team reverted to a slightly revised 2015 frame, which is likely the base for that latest version introduced after the Catalunya Grand Prix this summer. Confused yet? At least we’re not the only ones to be, Viñales and his crew are somewhat confused too!

After a stellar start to his season on the Yamaha, he is now under a lot of pressure after losing the championship lead, first to Andrea Dovisiozo who won two races back to back on the Ducati, then Mugello and Catalunya where Viñales struggled to a tenth place finish. He is now trailing Marc Marquez by five points in the standings at the mid-way point of the season. We have also to take note that 10 points only separate the top four riders in the championship, Marquez, Viñales, Dovisiozo and Rossi, something never seen before!

Talking about Marquez, he is apparently still using the 2014 chassis on his Honda RC213V since he had such a hard time with the 2015 version. The team has been playing with different swing-arms and suspension linkages but the chassis itself is said to be the one he won that second championship with and that he prefers. Don’t count on me to ask him about it still! I want to keep my access to the press point of the Honda Repsol team when I can attend!

|| SLR

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SLINGSHOT® is a three-wheeled motorcycle. It is not an automobile, it does not have airbags, and it does not meet automotive safety standards. Three wheel vehicles may handle differently than other vehicles, especially in wet conditions. Always wear dot approved full face helmet and fasten seat belts. Driver may need a valid motorcycle endorsement. Don’t drink and drive. ©2017 Polaris Industries Inc.

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT17-08-16 2017 13:34 13

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Film List Finalized

Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival announces film selections

A scene from Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story, one of the films to be shown at Toronto Motorcycle Film Fest in late September at the Revue Cinema.

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ovies have been chosen for the first ever Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival, which takes place Sept. 28 through Oct. 1 at the Revue Cinema in Toronto. From the film festival’s PR department: “The Festival combines a passion for motorcycles and storytelling and screens current films curated from around the world that feature motorcycles and motorcycle culture. The Festival is the only motorcycle themed film festival in all of Canada.”

Festival creator Caius Tenche said he received a number of excellent films, some short, some not, from around the world, and that includes Canadian entries.

The final list is Jory Lyon’s A.K.A Brokentooth: Canada’s Ice Road Biker; Roberto Serrini’s The American Wall of Death; Jesse James Miller’s Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story; Simon Lee’s Dream Racer; Abel Gonzalez’s The Freedom Machine; Ugo Roffi’s Giovanni Burtlando’s Vision; Nick Nummerdor’s Hill Climb; Radek Marko’s Howl Seat; Michelle Bauer Carpenter’s Klocked: Women With Horsepower; 14

Tom Long’s The Little Person Inside; Ned Thanhouser’s The Monkey and Her Driver; Dmitry Khazhinov’s The Road is Calling and I Must Go; Henrik Hansen’s Shinya Kimura–Chabott Engineering; Gusmano Cesaretti’s Take None Give None; Matthew Sanders’ Trail Master; and Jay Cagney’s Virginia’s Harley: A Girl’s Bike.

A panel of judges will select winners for Best Canadian Film, Best Short Film and Best Feature Film Awards. In addition, the festival audience will vote for their favourite film which will receive the People’s Choice Award. The awards presentation will be held on Oct. 1.

Immediately following the awards presentation, a Q&A panel session will be held with attending filmmakers and members of the judging panel, which includes esteemed CC photographer Bill Petro.

Pfaff Harley-Davidson has signed on as presenting sponsor for the festival.

For more on the festival, go to torontomotofilmfest.com.

Rockin’ on Sunshine And don’t it feel good!

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f the German helmet maker Schuberth wasn’t the first company to produce an inside sun shade to make a helmet visually useful in both daylight and nighttime conditions without swapping face shields, we don’t know who was. The design may have come from helmets used by fighter pilots, who generally don’t have the convenient option of pulling over and switching to a clear face shield when the light fades.

You reach up, flick a little switch, and a dark half-shield slides down out of the forehead of the helmet, inside the main, fullsized, clear visor, and you’ve got a shaded view in sunlight.

It’s a hell of an idea, because carrying two face shields is a pain in the ass, even after they figured out tool-less shield removal. And it can even act as a sort of safety shield in emergencies. A few years ago, a CC rider lost the main shield on another helmet when he turned to check his six in a 130 km/h wind; the inside sun shield remained and allowed him to continue down that fast highway with reasonably functional vision.

And as happens with good ideas, everyone’s getting into the act. Here we have an HJC helmet with integrated sun shield, and it works well.

The RPHA ST comes with a face shield insert (shaped like a smaller face shield) that attaches with pinlocks and does a good job of keeping the shield clear even when conditions would fog up unequipped shields; it’s up to the owner to attach the insert, but it’s a simple matter: use your forearm to straighten the shield by pressing down on it, fit one cutout end of the insert onto a pinlock near the outer left edge of the inside of the face shield, then fit the other insert end onto the other pinlock at the right side, and release the shield to let it take its normal curved shape. A silicone bead should seal the insert against the face shield. We’ve heard complaints that these kinds of antifog inserts affect vision in some lighting conditions, and they can be noticed, but this one, at least, doesn’t interfere with what you see when you’re on a motorcycle. And it should really improve your CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 15

vision in the rain — you’ll be able to close your face shield and see through it.

If you wear eyeglasses, of course, we’ll place our bets on the fog. (Back when Thornton wore glasses, he would ride with the shield up in the rain, better to ride with watery lenses than fogged ones; at least he could see, kinda sorta.)

We’ve also heard complaints that the RPHA ST is a little heavy, but when we placed it on a scale we found its weight, 1,545 grams, right in line with other helmets. Perhaps the awareness that there’s a bit of extra material with the sunshade apparatus leads people to think it’s heavier, but we did not find that to be the case, nor did it feel heavy in use. Our size M sample fit securely and comfortably on a 90-minute ride and never felt heavy. Also, we noticed that the venting allowed a breeze to stir what remains of our hair when we tilted the helmet down a little to look at the speedo. It’s not a big wind, but it’s noticeable.

With earplugs in and a bikini fairing on the bike so the RPHA punched into clear air at highway speeds, it was reasonably quiet, too. We could hear the words of the Harley rider (in a gorgeous Italian accent) next to us when highway traffic stalled, and wind noise was not severe when the traffic moved again.

Now about that sunshade: the lever that trips it is on the left side of the helmet, naturally, and tends to flip the shield down in one quick motion; there’s no sliding action, it’s in and then it’s out, ba-boom. And then, if you want, ba-boom it’s in again. The motion does not seem inclined toward producing damage to the sunshade, but it’s a bit startling with its mouse-trap suddenness, and it does give a little rap to the wearer’s nose (well, Thornton’s nose — your nasal mileage may vary) but then rests about half a centimetre above the tip of the nose, so it’s not distracting. The sunshade itself is nicely tinted, darkens a bright day enough 16

to improve comfort, but does not warp vision, affect colour, or cloud the scene. We like it and we would not be inclined to buy a street or touring helmet these days without such a feature. Coincidentally, as this is written, the North American eclipse is expected in a couple of hours, so the subject seems appropriate, though we’ll use a different kind of sunshade to view that event, if the skies are clear.

The face shield itself is clear, of course, and attaches and detaches without any tools other than strong fingers.

The mechanism seems durable and is simple enough to understand that you don’t need to decipher the manual’s instructions, which is good. The shield ratchets up and down easily, snaps into place securely when you want it nailed down, and releases easily with a central button.

We find that we like everything about the HJC RPHA ST, except its weird name. It retails for about $450 up to about $900, depending on the paint. Ours, in a simple grey and black scheme that we find attractive, goes for about $500.

Distributed by Parts Canada.

POWERFUL PERFORMANCE The CRF1000L Africa Twin’s 1,000 cc parallel-twin fuelinjected engine draws heavily from Honda’s winning off-road racing bikes, including the CRF250R and CRF450R.

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 17 2016-10-19 11:04 AM

The Shining

Slippery stuff that puts the hurt on dirt, rust, and engine wear

T

hree products from Maxima Racing Oils promise to improve looks, loosen stuck parts, and keep your engine running like new.

Maxima SC1 High Gloss Coating is a spray on touch-up coating that the company says will prevent the build-up of gunky crud, or whatever you want to call it. We sprayed it on a Ducati and then polished it with a rag and liked the way the bike smelled and looked afterward. The can’s blurb states that it’s a “New Bike in a Can.” That’s a tough promise to follow through on, but the stuff does produce a nice shine, it actually does make the bike smell better, and you get a lot in a can. Hell, you might get half a dozen new bikes in one of these cans.

It appears to be safe for use on all kinds of surfaces, including plastic, paint, carbon fibre, and vinyl. It can be applied and left untouched, or buffed to a shine that won’t attract dirt.

From the blurb on the can: “For beautiful dry sheen, buff area with clean microfibre towel. For mud/rubber release, leave area wet after spray.”

Maxima Ester Fortified ProPlus+ four-stroke engine oil is an ester-fortified full synthetic oil that meets the standards

There’s nothing like the smell of a new Ducati in a can.

18

for modern motorcycle oils, and promises to “prolong engine and wet clutch life” and to offer “excellent feel.” Since the company sent us a sample of four litres, we poured some into our office runabout, Thornton’s SV650 Suzuki. He reports that it poured well and that the plastic containers were easy to use, sans funnel. Will it protect his Suzuki? From him? Maybe not.

But from engine wear, overheating, and unsightly deposits, quite probably.

Maxima’s MPPL Multi-Purpose Penetrant Lube is claimed to inhibit rust, display moisture, make an excellent fogging oil, and free corroded parts. It comes in a 428 ml spray can and should work as well as any penetrating oil, though we cannot state that with any assurance. But Maxima Racing Oils are good products, and we’re confident that this one, and the other two mentioned, with work as well as anything you can buy.

Maxima SC1 and MPPL retails for about $11.50 in Canada, and the ProPlus+ ester-based synthetic engine oil sells for about $16 a litre. At better motorcycle shops everywhere.

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Specifications, product features and colours are subject to change without notice. PDI, Freight and administration fees apply. PDI charges to a max of $176 and freight charges to a max of $208 are extra dependent on model. Dealer may charge less. Read your owners manual carefully and always wear a helmet and protective gear when operativng your Suzuki motorcycle and remember to observe all safety regulations. Be responsible, take a rider training course and always respect the environment. See your participating Authorized Suzuki dealer for complete details. Suzuki. Way of Life.

Ninja1000 ABS

Prices are Manufactures Suggested Retail pricing for model (DL650XA/EXP ABS) at $11,399, (DL650XA ABS) at $9,599. PDI charges from $132 to $528, freight charges from $110 to $208, taxes, license, insurance, applicable fees and registration are extra dependent on model. Specifications, product features and colours are subject to change without notice. Read your owner’s manual carefully and remember to observe all safety regulations. See your participating Authorized Suzuki dealer for availability and complete details. Suzuki. Way of Life!

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Modern aggressive styling with sharp and edgy lines makes it unmistakably Ninja. The ultimate sport tourer infused with superbike technology makes it the Ninja 1000 ABS motorcycle. From the daily urban commute to back roads and 2-up touring, the Ninja 1000 ABS offers open-class thrills, everyday comfort and enhanced touring performance.

Please see your local Kawasaki dealer for current financing options.

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CMYK, Rich Black 40-40-40-100 + Green 65-0-100-0

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HAMILTON, ON

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT17-08-16 2017 13:33 19

I

t is said that the cruiser is America’s motorcycle.

After three decades as the best-selling on-road type in North America there is little doubt that the large, V-twin-powered bike with foot forward controls is the preferred format. Pop culture and the motorcycle media have long ago declared the cruiser as the archetype of American motorcycling. After all, what is more American than a Harley-Davidson roaring down a desert highway?

Well if you set aside popular iconography, the facts point to something dirtier.

North America is a vast and largely empty expanse of nature populated by adventurous peoples.

Whether your roots are aboriginal or of recent or ancient migrant stock, most of us like to indulge in private explorations both physical and cerebral.

Our culture owns the road trip. We champion this freedom to roam the roads which is why the cruiser works so well here for so many people.

But ask most North American motorcyclists where they got their first taste of motorcycling and they will likely tell you it was on some form of dirt bike. For many it was a small two-stroke ridden across a field. For others it was aboard the fleets of knackered dual-sport rigs operated In the mud by colleges as learner bikes. Or if everyone is you grew up in the rural north as I did it was wailing down a street in the same a cloud of blue smoke on the back shade of of an unlicensed Serow XT225 brown wearing a borrowed helmet with no chin straps to buy a popsicle from a gas station. Dirt bikes introduce Americans to motorcycles, and they pervade into American motorcycle households long after. They are, by the numbers, the most common type of bike on our shores.

During most of the history of the motorcycle North Americans rode most of the bikes they owned on dirt most of the time. The cruiser owes a lot of its form and layout to this reality. Harley, Indian, Henderson and the rest designed their big twins to handle the rough roads and rough hands of users, the majority of whom lived on farms in isolated communities with few paved roads. Long fork rake, wide handlebars and balloon tires are not conducive to crisp road-holding, but are useful for stability and shock absorption over uneven ground.

As time marched on the basic motorcycle evolved into two distinct groups: most with an on-road bias and those with a distinctly off-road

20

one. The former continued to fragment into the bewildering array of genres and niche categories known today while the latter was eventually distilled into the motocross motorcycle.

The great American motorcycle boom of the late 1960s and ’70s saw over a million new bikes sold per year and the lionization of the motorcycle in popular culture with films like On Any Sunday, Easy Rider and TV shows like ChiPs. By the 1990s the baby boomers who drove that sales bonanza had aged away from deadly road missiles like Kawasaki’s H2 Mach 3 towards more relaxed, more romantic and decidedly tamer motorcycles like Harley-Davidson’s Electra Glide. By the early 2000s, with reality TV shows about choppers on every night, exploding sales of large cruisers and substantial marketing to that end, the general public could be forgiven for thinking that the cruiser was the non plus ultra of moto culture.

But every other winter weekend across North America, 50,000 spectators pack stadiums in large cities to watch Supercross events, featuring riders doing unearthly things with dirt bikes to the deafening sounds of rock music and fuelled by energy drinks. In small towns throughout the heartlands kids and adults gather on hot summer nights to race on dirt ovals under the flood lights. In the back woods, hunters, woodsmen and friends blast along logging roads into the vastness of North America’s wild spaces.

The humble dirt bike is in many ways the purest distillation of the classical motorcycle and of idealized American values. They are a result of necessity.

They are practical, easy to work on and frugal.

Devoid of superfluous adornment, these narrow planks suspended by two skinny wheels represent the very least amount of equipment needed to be a motorcycle.

Dirt bikes are completely at home in any household regardless of social class. Cruiser riders may or may not relate to sport bike or scooter enthusiasts but everyone is welcome on the dirt.

The intense tribal rivalries that often stain motorcycle culture don’t exist on bikes with knobby tires because once in the mud everyone is the same shade of brown. To ride in the dirt is universally appreciated, and doesn’t conflict with an individual’s on-road motorcycle values. A motocross machine can share a garage with any other type of motorcycle.

Since 1970, dirt bikes have overall outsold every category of road bike. More dirt bikes remain in the total operational fleet because they don’t require paperwork or insurance to be employed. Europe’s off-road motorcycle concept, the scrambler, may be enjoying a minor resurgence and cruisers still shine on the road, but the numbers are in. The dirt bike is the most common and accessible type of motorcycle in the land, as well as the most democratic. What could be more American than that?

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 21

2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS

MILWAUKEE  Harley-Davidson turns its products into motorcycles

By David Booth 22

MIRACLE CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 23

2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS

The Fat Bob. For $21,299, you get an external hydraulic adjuster for the rear shock.

I’

m riding around Blackhawk Farms Raceway, a sinewy little ribbon of a racetrack an hour southwest of Milwaukee. It’s a club track, not unlike Ontario’s own Shannonville Motorsport Park, a long-in-the-tooth piece of tarmac that rewards sharp handling, accommodating suspension and a lotta lean angle ’cause some of the corners are off camber. Oh, and big brakes because each of its two long straights is punctuated by a diabolically tight hairpin. A perfect track for a light 600 supersport; make mine a 675 cc Triumph Daytona, please and thank you, for its sharp handling and torquey jump off tight apexes. In a pinch, a big single might do, again emphasis on the hell-for-strong brakes and enough ground clearance to get Marc Marquez excited. Not a litre bike though; that’s just too much

24

motorcycle. Not even a 750, come to think of it.

That’s how tight Blackhawk is.

So why the hell am I trying to clip its red and white curbing on a Harley-Davidson Softail Slim? Yes, a Harley Softail. Yes, a Slim. Yes, yet again, a racetrack.

Softail and racetrack are words not commonly used in the same sentence — unless, of course, to disparage its complete unsuitability thereof — and most certainly not the Slim, the most groundclearance-challenged of any of Harley’s groundclearance-challenged cruisers. Yet here I am pushing a Slim through Blackstone’s long sweepers wondering when the damned floorboards are going to start grounding. It’s my second lap in and the floorboards are not yet sparking. I’m starting to get paranoid, thinking I’m not doing something right — not going fast

enough, taking the wrong line, something — because the darned thing just isn’t doing the scrape-wiggle-scrape-wiggle thing that happens every time you normally bend a Softail Slim over more than a few degrees.

And, a few laps later, damned if the Deluxe, another Softail variant known for showering sparks at every apex, is proving almost as reluctant to trade hardware with tarmac. Oh, to be sure, eventually the floorboards do make contact with terra firma but that’s only after I start riding it like, well, a motorcycle. And just to compound my confusion, the Deluxe’s suspension isn’t bottoming out over that big bump in Corner Three. WTF? Though the hyperbole may be a little over-the-top — yes, both the Slim’s and the Deluxe’s floorboards were severely tested — what we were witnessing is probably the largest wholesale model shift in Harley-Davidson’s recent history. For one thing, there are no more Dynas, all the models that used to be

on that chassis having been rolled into the Softail platform, which, as you might have guessed from my only slightly exaggerated commentary above, is vastly improved.

First and foremost, the you-say-pull-we-say-push underslung dampers of Softails previous are history, having been replaced by something called the Da Vinci (at least that what it was called when I snuck a peek at some internal documents I wasn’t supposed to be looking at) chassis, which is essentially a large single-tube spine frame mated to a monoshock rear damper. Now, neither of those is really revolutionary — Egli popularized the spine frame concept in recent years (though his were round and Harley’s are square) and Milwaukee’s monoshock looks like it could have been purloined from any number of late ’70s motocrossers — but that doesn’t make them any less effective.

The devil — or, in this case, the chassis rigidity — is in the details. For instance, Ben Wright, the Softail’s chief engineer, says that by getting the suspension geometry just right — the rear shock is directly in line with the frame’s upper rail — load on the upper frame is minimized, allowing engineers to make the upper stanchion significantly lighter, contributing to Harley’s claim that the new Softail’s frame is about seven kilograms lighter than the previous version while being 35 percent stiffer. Furthermore, says Wright, by boxing the upper frame rail, Harley was able to locate much — actually, most — of the electric wiring and cables inside the frame for that “clean” cable-less look that custom builders are always claiming takes thousands of dollars to perfect (a neat side benefit of which is that, because all the wiring is now in the upper frame rail, there’s a USB power port right where the steering lock used to be).

It also — and, yes, this is often a secondary consideration for Harley owners — modernizes the suspension. Now operating in traditional compression — in case you didn’t get the previous you-pull-we-push reference, the underslung system worked in extension — the rear shock’s spring now compresses under load and is now more easily adjustable for preload.

Just how much more easily, depends on the model. On models where space is at premium and stylistic concerns rule out an external adjuster — the Slim ($19,499), Street Bob ($17,999) and the new Low Rider ($18,999) — one needs to remove the seat and attack the rear shock with a traditional suspension spanner.

Models not so cramped — Heritage Classic ($22,999) and Deluxe ($22,499) — get a hydraulic preload adjuster, still under the seat, but not requiring nearly as much muscle or finesse to adjust.

And the sportier versions of the new Softail line — the Fat Bob ($21,299), Fat Boy ($22,999) and the Breakout ($22,999) — get a, shades of modernity, external hydraulic adjuster similar to premium adventure and sport touring bikes.

There are even two different length shocks — not interchangeable between models, mind you — with different strokes. So, while the cruising oriented models make do with 86.4 millimetres of travel, the truly sporting and touring-oriented versions — basically the Fat Bob and Heritage Classic — see their rear wheels working through a 112.8 mm stroke. Rounding off the suspension upgrades is the Showa Dual Bending Valve front fork first seen on last year’s touring models.

OK, that’s the chassis, but as you might have expected, as part of 2018’s refresh, all the new Softails will now be powered

by Harley’s new Milwaukee-Eight V-twin. Essentially a fourvalve upgrade to the venerable 45-degree V-twin, the 107 cubic CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 25

2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS

26

inch (1,746 cc) versions power the Slim, Deluxe, Street Bob and Low Rider while the Heritage, Breakout, Fat Bob and Fat Boy are available with either the 107 or 114 cubic inch (1,868 cubic centimetres) mill. However, all Softail Milwaukee-Eights, unlike Harley’s rubber-mounted touring models, get a second balancing shaft since the engines are rigidly mounted.

For the record, even though the new motors are significantly more powerful than the previous versions — resulting in acceleration as much as 10 percent faster than the old Twin Cam 103 models, says Harley — the emphasis is still on torque, the 107 producing just 78 horsepower and the larger 114 about 82 or so ponies at the rear wheel. It is worth noting, however, that, armed with enough dollars and a willing dealer, you can order up to four various iterations of Screamin’ Eagle goodness with the Stage IV — cams, throttle bodies, bigger pistons and ported cylinder head — massaging 120 horsepower out of the 107 (which gets punched out to 114 cubic inches in the process) and 122 ponies (again, rear wheel) from the 114 (which grows to 117 cubes). And yes, they are fully emissions compliant (you might remember Harley got in a little trouble earlier this year with the compliance of some earlier Screamin Eagle kits). We’ll hopefully be testing one of the full-zoot Stage 4s soon.

Horsepower infusion or not, the motors are not the primary focus of the 2018’s rejuvenation. And as I mentioned, both Slim and Deluxe are much improved in the comportment department.

Cynics will have a point that a) both were starting from a pretty low baseline, and, b) the handling improvements I’m trumpeting really only bring them up to normal biking standards. Nonetheless, Harley haters now have one less thing to carp about and anyone who was

on the fence about purchasing either because of their dynamic limitations now has their qualms settled.

As much as both have improved, however, the most noticeable difference is the rejuvenated Heritage Classic. What before paid but lip service to serious touring — the suspension compliance was average, it responded poorly to being tasked with passengers and cargo and its saddlebags were prone to leaking — is now a serious contender to the Road King as the best overall “sporttouring” bike in Harley’s cruiser lineup. The 107 Milwaukee-Eight has plenty of torque, even two up, the new suspension — extended travel version of the monoshock in the rear and Bending Valve Showa in front — is now compliant, the saddlebags are now lockable as well as completely weatherproof and, thanks to that hydraulic preload adjuster I mentioned earlier, you can now pack them to the gunwales. Pump it up to 114 cubic inches and the Heritage even has some serious jam, especially, again, compared with the Road King which is some 50 kilograms heavier.

Although the Softails had the most to gain from a suspension upgrade, the former Dyna models also see some improvement.

Even the Street Bob — “mini-ape” handlebar and all — can be hustled around corners with something approaching dispatch.

Again, it takes some getting used to, leaning a Harley with apehangers without grinding footpegs to shards. Ditto for the other cruisers like the Low Rider though their improvements are less.

As significant as the engineering alterations to the Softail cruisers are, it is the sporty Fat Bob that sees the most dramatic visual revision. What was once a Low Rider-cum-Street Rod now sports a truly sportbike stance. The previous model’s traditional CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 27

2018 HARLEY-DAVIDSONS

The $22,499 Deluxe. Hydraulic preload adjuster is under the seat.

side pipes have been swapped for a 2-1-2 header feeding a pair of half-an-Akropovic stubbies. Even the riding position is kinda, sorta sporty (at least by Harley-Davidson standards). And with the upgraded suspension — in the rear, the longer 112.8 mm travel version of the monoshock and, in the front, a cartridge-based inverted fork — mated to the tightest steering angle of all the new Softails — 28 degrees — the Fat Bob has some (semi) legitimate sporting abilities.

28

Those bona fides are, however, somewhat spoiled by Harley’s traditional devotion to styling uber alles, the fly in the ointment being that, for 2018, Harley swapped out the old 130/90-16 front tire for a humungous 150/80-16 Dunlop D429.

As aggressive as it looks — and it does look bitchin’ — it ruins the steering: What was, in last year’s model, perfectly linear steering now wants to constantly understeer, the rider always having to force the 2018 version to hold its line through fast corners. In the

The Fat Boy retails for $22,999 and is, according to Booth, “Harley’s best styling work.”

end, the new 2018 Fat Bob may be sportier than the old, but it’s now higher effort.

Harley pulled the same trick with the Fat Boy, coupling what, for all the world, looks like a rear tire, to the front forks.

Indeed, the new Fat Boy’s 160/60R18 front is bigger than the Slim’s rear rubber. Like the Fat Bob, the Fat Boy’s oversized Michelin Scorcher II does nothing for the steering, but, unlike the Fat Bob, no one is likely to care. What matters much more

is that the new Fat Boy is Harley’s best styling work in almost a decade.

And, in the end, that remains Milwaukee’s real priority. As much as Mr. Wright may trumpet the Softails’ improved frames, suspension and motors, the truly devoted’s main concern is their looks. The main contribution of the upgrades, therefore, is to give punters sitting on the fence less reason not to buy Harley’s most important commodity — style.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 29

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950

PINT SIZED WONDER At 937 cc it’s about two pints, actually, but Ducati’s littler ADV packs a lot of goodness into its punch

By Steve Thornton

30

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 31

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950

E

ver since Ducati upgraded its adventurestyle Multistrada with a 1200 cc Testastretta 11° engine in 2010, we’ve been hoping for something a little smaller, a little lighter, a little less adventurous, even — and a lot cheaper. There’s nothing wrong with the 1200, but it’s expensive, the base model 2017 Multistrada 1200 retailing for $20,195 (there are five Multistrada 1200 models) and the top-of-the-line Pikes Peak going for (gulp!) nearly six thousand dollars more. Also, with a claimed 160 horsepower, it’s pretty powerful, maybe more so than we need (more than we want is, of course, not practically possible). For a few dollars less, we could live with less power, and at $15,000 Cdn, the Mulstrada 950 gives us exactly that. And less.

The smaller Multistrada is powered by a 937 cc Testastretta 11° V-twin that pumps out a claimed 113 hp at 9,000 rpm and 71 lb-ft of torque at 7,750 rpm. It’s a pretty sweet engine: a seatof-the-pants impression uses words like muscular and quick. It’s got snap, that is, and a sudden twist

32

of the wrist in first gear will loft the 19-inch front wheel. That’s not unusual in a modern 900 cc motorcycle with any kind of sporting pretensions, but it tells us that Ducati has not failed to observe the importance of readily available power in its little brother Multistrada.

At 206 kilograms dry, the smaller Multistrada is not a lightweight bike, and with a seat height of 840 millimetres it’s no shorty, either, but once underway the 950 feels light and nimble, even with its large 19-inch front wheel (the standard Multistrada 1200 uses a 17-inch front wheel, though the 1200 Enduro is fitted with a 19-inch hoop). Our shorter riders found its seat height slightly intimidating, but they find everything intimidating, and at any rate they quickly adapted to it, feeling comfortable in the saddle while doing things like U-turns. It’s a one-foot-down motorcycle for riders under six feet tall, but it’s an easy bike to get used to, despite its relatively high seat height.

One of the advantages of a reduction in engine size is that the motorcycle demands less from the rider. The 937 cc twin is free revving and accelerates very quickly, but its power output, while thrilling, is manageable and never overwhelming in the way a larger, more powerful motorcycle can sometimes be. At speed the engine emits a nice raspy sound, though it chugs a bit at low speed.

One of the advantages of a reduction in engine size is that the motorcycle demands less from the rider.

The 937 cc twin is free revving and accelerates very quickly

It likes to spin, but it’s not buzzy, and the slightly higher rpm does not feel busy when you’re blasting down a highway.

When costs are cut, items are taken off the menu, of course, and the 950 does without some of the electronic aids and high-quality fitments of its larger brothers, though it does not feel cheap or under-equipped. The front brake, for instance, is fitted with two radially mounted Brembo Monobloc four-piston callipers and ABS is standard as part of the Ducati Safety Pack, which brings in traction control as well as antiskid. The ABS is a good thing because that front brake is a little grabby, and inexperienced riders could find themselves in trouble on wet roads were it not for the antiskid function.

It’s not a bad brake at all, just a little anxious. The rear brake pedal is a bit too low for well-modulated use, but then, it’s a rear brake, if you want finesse, go to France.

There are four Riding Modes (Sport, Touring, Urban, and Enduro) and the ABS and traction control settings are customized for each mode. The fork is a 48 mm KYB unit, upside-down, and the rear shock is a Sachs monoshock — there’s none of the Öhlins and “Skyhook” suspension that decorates some other Multistradas, but it’s well-sorted and smooths out pavement ripples nicely, though you wouldn’t want to take this Multistrada far off the road, even with its larger front wheel — it’s a pavement-oriented ADV bike, which makes sense given the literal meaning of “multistrada.”

If we have any gripes with the 950, they are few, and minor. The clutch lever pull is a little too firm for situations

where stops (for red lights, for instance) are frequent. It could be lighter, too; it’s a bit of a handful to manoeuvre around on foot and it’s less than 10 kilos below the 1200’s weight; you’re giving up about 1/3 of the power and only losing 1/30th of the weight. And the seat, while broad enough, is a little firm. But that’s peanuts. The Multistrada 950 gives you a useful power range, Brembos, decent suspension, and a comfortably upright seating position for a little more than $15,000, and it strikes us as a bike that an owner could remain happy with for many years. It wouldn’t be out of the question to consider riding one from the eastern seaboard to the west coast and back and with available hard bags it would make a decent long-distance traveller. What we noticed first about the Ducati Multistrada 950 remains what we noticed last, however: that engine is a wonderful piece of technology.

It sounds subdued and muscular at idle but produces a nice rip when the throttle is opened, and the Multistrada will surge convincingly when the throttle is opened in any gear. There was a time when a motorcycle that made 100 hp was stunning news. That time is well in the past, and it’s common for a motorcycle to make much more power than that in 2017. But it’s often been said that numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. The Ducati Multistrada 950 may make middle-of-therange horsepower, but when it’s applied through the seat of the pants, there’s nothing moderate about it. It feels like a very capable, very exciting motorcycle, like a middleweight sportbike dressed up as an adventure model, and that’s exactly what it is.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 33

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950

CONTINENTAL DRIFTER Made for a man, but strong enough for a woman: Mr. Booth takes his much-better half for a Multistrafe

By David Booth

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I

took a diametrically opposed route to our esteemed contributing editor in testing Ducati’s new Multistrada 950.

For one thing, I flew halfway around the globe to its native Italy, that I might get a taste of the continental spirit that is supposedly bred into every Italian motorcycle.

For another, all my riding was extra urban. Oh, I spent a little time in Bologna and Verona, but I really went to Italy to strafe its Alpine passes and abuse its autostradas (Italy’s highways actually do have speed limits but good luck getting a speeding ticket). On top of that, I spent almost the entire time riding two-up which meant that, unlike Steve’s stripped 950, my Multistrada was chock-a-block with options, sideand top-cases adding some storage space for herself’s shoes and ablution products, a touring screen so the autostrada’s pummelling didn’t rip my Schubert E1 off and a centrestand because, well, with more than our fair share of cargo, I wanted secure parking for the blood-red Duke.

All that said, my first impression is the same as Thornton’s, namely that the loss of cubic inches is really no loss at all, the 937 cc L-twin has all the moxie one needs, even two-up and loaded for three weeks of touring. There was a couple of times, when trying to pass an especially slow-moving RV uphill at more than 2,500 metres of altitude, that I had to rev it like a middleweight. But in most cases — even calling for full jam at 140 kilometres an hour to get out of the way of fast-moving Porsches — precious little downshifting is needed.

Besides, as Steve said, the 11° Testastretta doesn’t mind revs at all, willing to spin hard all the way to — and a little past — its 9,000 rpm peak. And, making the most of that willingness to rev, the 950 spins a little harder than other litresized V-twins, the 5,000 rpm it spins at about a buck-twenty around a thousand rpm higher than my old V-Strom. Thank goodness it’s smooth.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 35

DUCATI MULTISTRADA 950

Clutch-wise my complaint was that the 950’s engagement point was rather grabby in the morning, when the bike was cool. A typical Ducati trait, had I been riding by myself, I might not have minded. But my passenger — happy wife=happy life — found the morning’s herky-jerkiness a little jolting.

One thing that was much appreciated was the 950’s relative lack of avoirdupois. Although, as Steve mentioned, it’s no lightweight, it is nearly 10 kilograms lighter than the 1200 and some 20 kilos lighter than even the lightest 1200 GS. That means relatively easy navigation of the Umbrail Pass’s firstgear hairpins — of which there were many — and a fleetness of foot on the Stelvio’s slightly higher speed switchbacks (of which there were even more). That said, I could do without the 950’s 19-inch front hoop. It’s ostensibly changed to make the smaller Multi more offroad worthy — can’t see it myself — but the frame was not altered in the switchover. Which means the front end has been kicked out and there’s 1.2 degrees more rake in the 950’s steering than in the 1200’s frame with its 17-inch front wheel. Always appreciating a pointy motorcycle,

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I would prefer the smaller rim. As for the 1200’s gee-whiz electronic suspension, I missed it not a whit, though I did wish for a little more rear preload (you’d be surprised how much facial creams weigh!).

As for Steve’s contention that the 950 seat is firm, no argument. That said, it surprised both of us by providing decent comfort for numerous six- to seven-hour days. No, it’s not as cossetting as my V-Strom’s perch but that’s got the best saddle in the business as far as I am concerned.

Just as important — especially if you’re heading out on a long trip with a lady friend — there’s plenty of cargo space. The saddlebags are sufficiently spacious — the right side, because of the underslung exhaust pipe, a little smaller (I’ll give you but one guess who got the smaller one) — if a little smaller than some of the panniers loaded onto the side of BMWs. That said, the rear topcase — complete with rear back pad for passenger comfort — is positively cavernous, easily swallowing two fullface helmets as advertised. Adding to their goodness, they weren’t fiddly at all, on or off the bike.

Factor in 15,000-kilometre service intervals (30,000 km for those tricky desmodromic valves), ABS and traction control and you have a more than passable touring mount. Indeed, in the end, I thought of the 950 as less of a Multistrada than a 600 cc sportbike that was comfortable enough for touring.

Or a BMW GS light enough to clip an apex. Sporting, yes, but touring riders will like it too.

The 937 cc L-twin has all the moxie one needs, especially two up and loaded for touring

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 37

HUSQVARNA TE 250I & TE 300I

MODERN

STROKERS Husky advances two-stroke technology with smooth new models

By Eric Menard

38

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 39

HUSQVARNA TE 250I & TE 300I

W

ho said two-strokes were a dying breed? Following sister company KTM’s release earlier this year, Husqvarna Motorcycles is taking a big leap forward, introducing a revolutionary electronic fuel injection system on its TE 250i and TE 300i two-stroke enduro models. Visually very similar to the rest of Husky’s line-up, this new technology redefines both the market and future of two-stroke offroad competition motorcycles. We were invited to the launch of these two new models at Panorama Mountain in British Columbia.

The day’s program was simple: climb the mountain as many times as possible through trails as rough as possible. We were in for a helluva ride. Just getting to the base of Panorama,

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which is located in the Purcell Mountains near Invermere, will get you high, 1,150 metres, that is.

Leaving the charming village, we barely rode a kilometre before attacking a steep hill climb, no time to warm up, it was full throttle for the climb to the top at 2,300 metres. The bikes didn’t seem to mind though. The first thing I noticed was the sound level of the motorcycle. They are quieter than regular two-strokes and don’t have that ring-a-ting-ting typical noise, at least not as pronounced as regular two-strokes. They still retain a two-stroke character while also offering the benefits of reduced emissions and a notably lower fuel consumption that seriously increases the bike’s autonomy for long days in the saddle.

But the big features are certainly the elimination of the need for oil premix and jetting changes. Featuring a pair of fuel injectors positioned at the transfer ports, the new system delivers the perfect amount of fuel into the engine at all times, across all conditions. It provides a smooth and clean power delivery on both machines. Thanks to injectors delivering the fuel mixture downwards into the transfer port, the system ensures a much more efficient combustion.

Technically, a lot of things happen in that little mill.

Carefully placed at the rear of the cylinder, a special tube relays intake pressure data to the new ECU. Gathering information from the throttle position sensor, the air and intake pressure sensors,

together with the crankcase pressure and water temperature sensors, the ECU automatically compensates for temperature and altitude changes eliminating the need to modify carburettor jetting going up the hill. What it does for the rider is allow a steady and reliable power delivery in ever changing conditions.

The Panorama environment was certainly a good choice to allow us to test these statements. Any skier who rides has dreamed of riding a motorcycle up these hills and we were offered just that. A steep climb to test the bike’s fuel injection system in varying altitude. A perfect place to see how the engine adapts. We weren’t disappointed. My first climb was on the 250.

I clicked the first gear, then the second and third gear to gain momentum before attacking the slope. As the steepness rose I had to concentrate on my position but also listen to the engine.

I ended up in second gear all the way.

Later that day, riding the same hill on the 300, I could easily see the difference in power. Where I had to manage throttle and gears on the 250 to make it to the top, the 300 didn’t even stutter. I could even accelerate as long as grip was there. Although the bikes are physically quite identical, the 250 engine was a charm in the tight sections where its bottom end was allowing me to stay in the same gear while negotiating rocks, roots and trees. The bikes are similar but overall I favoured the 300i power.

A standard map select switch on both bikes allegedly allows riders to customize power characteristics according to personal preferences or in varying conditions. The no-nonsense Swedish approach named these maps simply “map one” and “map two.” Map one is standard and map two is smoother through the entire powerband. Although very similar, map one offers quicker throttle response and worked great on the wideopen, steep uphills we rode throughout the day. It wasn’t until I rode on map two that I realized how smooth and tractable each bike was. Unfortunately the switches and engine maps weren’t perfectly set on all bikes. Some journalists felt no difference at all between the maps but most bikes were fine. They told us the engineers didn’t have enough time to work on this before the launch but it is a detail that is probably already settled by the time you read this.

Both models feature a 39 mm Dell’Orto throttle body that is linked to the new dual-cable handlebar throttle assembly.

With a new throttle position sensor (TPS) relaying airflow data to the ECU, the system ensures an optimal air, fuel and oil mixture. Additionally, the system features a bypass screw for idling speed regulation, with a cold start device providing more air for cold starts. The bikes were easy to start and felt good going quickly.

Vital for crankshaft, cylinder and piston lubrication, the two-stroke oil is stored in a separate tank that together with an electronic oil pump eliminates the need for pre-mixing. With its filler tube running through the upper frame, the 0.7 litre tank contains oil for five to seven full tanks of fuel depending on riding conditions. Controlled by the EMS, the oil pump delivers the ideal amount of oil according to the current RPM and engine load reducing waste as well as excessive smoke from the exhaust. The average ratio achieved for fuel/oil is 80:1.

Riding in a group of two stroke motorcycles, one usually gets a high from the exhausts but with these new engines, we were able to breath the fresh Panorama Mountain air even while we CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 41

HUSQVARNA TE 250I & TE 300I

TWO-STROKE ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION - HIGHLIGHTS • Fuel injectors at the transfer ports → Ideal amount of fuel in all conditions • Oil pump & oil tank → Convenient, eliminates pre-mix • 39 mm throttle body → Regulates air flow, TPS relays airflow data • New EMS → Modern engine management, no need for jetting changes • Standard map select → Customize power characteristics • Frame integrated oil filler cap → Simple refills

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The hydro-formed, laser-cut and robotwelded frame expertly crafted by WP is no stranger to this excellent shock absorbing

were waiting in a group for our individual photos. A welcome improvement for two-strokes and a technology that renders a two-stroke bike more interesting for environmentally friendly riders and their neighbours.

The airbox features a new intake snorkel that is adapted to the new throttle body and holds the air temperature sensor.

Air filter access remains tool-less, with the standard Twin Air filter and failproof filter cage ensuring maximum performance and ease of maintenance.

The two models feature a fuel tank made of translucent plastic so the fuel level can be checked quickly and easily. The fuel tank has a 9.25 litre capacity and houses an integrated fuel pump and fuel level sensor.

The premium motorcycles also come equipped with D.I.D. rims, Metzeler tires and a WP Performance System–designed front fork. The forks were specifically designed for enduro riding and consist of an open cartridge layout with a spring in each leg and split damping functions. Compression (left) and rebound (right) can be adjusted via clickers situated on top of each tube.

Fork pre-load can also be modified without the use of tools, via the standard adjuster.

These suspensions worked like a charm and smoothly absorbed everything we could throw at them. They gave excellent feedback and kept the traction needed on these hilly trails at an optimal level. You could feel the precision offered by the front fork as well as the rear suspension’s optimal grip for a truly excellent ride. When the trail opened up and we could click the fourth gear, the suspensions offered excellent stability as well.

The hydro-formed, laser-cut and robot-welded frame expertly crafted by WP Performance Systems is no stranger to this excellent shock absorbing. The composite three-piece subframe is made of 30 percent carbon fibre, which makes it remarkably light (1.4 kg).The frame is also fitted with frame guards and an engine protector that bolts directly to the frame.

The Huskys are serious trail bikes right out of the box.

A hollow, cast aluminum swingarm is designed to offer optimal stiffness and reliability at the minimum possible weight.

The machining above the rear axle allows the chain adjuster markings to be seen from above for easy maintenance.

A new Magura front and rear braking system replaced the Brembo offered last year. They have a similar layout to the previous design (two piston front & one piston rear) with brake disks of 260 mm for the front and 220 mm on the rear.

Needless to say we needed strong and precise braking on this launch as the group leaders had been riding these trails for a few days before we got there and the pace was quite fast. I even crashed hard while descending a very steep hill thanks to my feet accidentally hitting the shifter to neutral before a big hole in the slope. It was superb! I landed flat on my stomach with the bike flipping over me.

All in all these two new models offer excellent performance in a premium package. The bikes look good, the engines react well and suspensions smooth everything out allowing you to concentrate on the task at hand. All you need to do is point them where you want to go and they will not only get you there but smack a big smile onto your face. Husquvarna claims to be a pioneer and proves it by offering a new technology that works and brings yet more choices to enduro enthusiasts.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 43

SIDI VORTICE AIR BOOTS

By Eric Menard

S

idi has made its mark in the sport boot category with the Vertigo being one of the most popular boots amongst serious sport riders. Sidi recently introduced two new models: the Vortice and Vortice Air. Featuring the typical Italian quality manufacturing, these boots not only feel good but look good as well.

Opening the box and seeing the product, we instantly got the feeling these were not ordinary boots. Considering the $600 price tag was also a clue about the quality of these puppies.

Many parts blend together perfectly to make these boots one of the most comfortable pairs of any kind of motorcycle boots we have ever worn. Calf, shin and instep Techno tensioners allow a micrometrical fit for just about any type of feet and size of calves. Two air intakes, on the front and side of the boot, make these boots fresh while riding in warm temperatures on a hot track. A much welcome feature when you are wearing leathers all day.

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The liner is made of Teflon mesh for protection and comfort and a shin plate will take care of any projectiles you hit. Fibreglass reinforced nylon ankle bracing and shock absorbing heel cup offer great protection in case of a crash.

For long-term use and durability, Sidi installed a gear change pad and reinforced toe slider with alloy insert. A polyurethane and rubber composite racing sole will also provide laps and laps of protection and comfort.

Putting them on for the first time, I was immediately able to get great feel and felt like they were already broken in. Definitely a plus for the rider who pays big bucks for a few track days or the road rider who wants to feel comfortable from the get go. Fine leather really is a must to get such a quality finish and Sidi has done it again with these slippers.

The price tag is high but the boots are well made, look good and are very comfortable. Protection is optimal and the original tensioners allow for a perfect fit. The Air model with its two vents and perforated leather really works to keep the feet fresh all day.

OLYMPIA X MOTO 2 JACKET

By Eric Menard

O

lympia manufacturer has been around for 15 years and has grown steadily to become an important player in the premium riding apparel segment. Founded by moto travel enthusiasts, Olympia is now distributed by Canadian distribution giant Motovan.

Guided by its core values of always using high quality components, the Olympia X Moto 2 Jacket utilizes Olympia’s clever 3-layer system to accommodate changing weather and conditions.

Layer One - consists of a rugged 500D and 2000D Cordura shell that is equipped with a vent panel system allowing a constant air flow in warm temperatures. It includes a zip-off integrated backpack with a 2-litre hydration bladder, six external storage pockets, two interior stash pockets plus an oversized waterproof back storage pocket, a cushy neoprene framed collar, side waist adjuster straps and 3M reflective piping detailing at the chest, back and side arms.

Layer Two - consists of a fully functional AquaRes laminated rain jacket that can be worn over or under the main outer shell as weather conditions dictate. It is also useful when the ride is over and you want to go for dinner without having to wear a padded jacket. A stowaway hood with a rubberized neck gaiter conceals neatly inside the collar and fits comfortably under a helmet. Additional features include side entry pockets and an interior stash pocket for stowing personal items.

Layer Three - consists of a removable full-sleeve thermal layer with Thermolite insulation and an interior storage pocket.

This layer can be zipped into the main out shell or the rain jacket shell as needed.

Other features include: • MVS Mega Vent Panel System at chest, back and arms • Removable CE approved Motion Flex armor at elbows and shoulders • Removable CE approved Motion Flex articulated back protector • Custom Fit detailing at collar, cuffs, elbows and waist • E ight storage pockets plus oversized waterproof back storage pocket Designed to coordinate with the X Moto 2 the X moto pants offer a 2-layer system design and an original mega vent panel system to maximize airflow.

Made of the same 500 and 2000 denier Cordura fabric as the jacket, the pants have full side zippers extending to the waist and removable and height adjustableCE approved amor at the knees and EVA compression foam at the hips. A cool mesh airflow lining helps cool the rider on warm days.

3M Scotchlite reflective piping from waist to hem help for visibility and an 8-inch connecting zipper allows zipping the pants to the jacket for maximum weather protection. Bottom hem cut is made to fit over on- or off-road boots and the rain pant liner can be worn over or under the outer shell.

Jacket: $719.99 Pants: $429.99 CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 45

VEMAR ZEPHYR FULL-FACE HELMET

By Eric Menard

V

emar was off the grid for a while but, as many other brands in the motorcycle industry, the pheonix rose from its ashes and is back offering more affordable models and a brand new line. We got to test the Zephyr, a $200 range full-face helmet with a drop-down sunshield and adjustable vent system. Good or not? Read on.

Coming out of the box, the Zephyr looks like a higher priced lid and its styling is modern and low-key. The exterior shell is constructed of a lightweight but very strong Advanced Thermo Material (ATM).

The Zephir features a double density high impact inner EPS liner and the fit on my pumpkin didn’t reveal any pressure points.

It features a mid-oval shell shape which offers a more generous fit front to back and a more snug fit ear to ear without compressing your cheeks. The liner, cheek pads and chin curtain are easily removed for washing and easy to put back. The liner and cheeks pads are made of a technical fibre that fights bacteria and fungus (ouch!) and offers an average wicking capability.

The helmet is also communications-systems ready with slots on both sides for speakers. The padded chin strap is extra comfortable and the caliper buckle closure system is easy to set-up and use. Two surprising features for such an affordable helmet.

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The shield and sunshade show no distortion and the field of view is wider that most helmets. A double-position visor locking system locks the visor when fully closed yet allows the visor to open 3 mm to increase air circulation. Operation of the shield is a bit clunky but the sunshield goes up and down without a noise thanks to a sliding actuator on the lower edge of the left side of the helmet. The actuator mechanism is slick and very well integrated to the helmet and it allows operation of the sun shade easily.

An airflow system with easy-to-operate vents in the front, top and back offered a promise of great venting but ended up being average.

Engineered in Italy and manufactured in China, all sizes are made from two different shell sizes. Both are made of thermoplastic.

Riding with the Zephyr is a charm. The helmet is light, the field of view is wide and clear and the sunshield works great.

The inside liner is removable and is washable. The fabric is comfortable and moisture wicking which helps in warm weather.

We have better air isolation from the front shield when closed all the way down but it is minimal and tolerable at regular speeds.

The matte black finish of the helmet we tried was also a plus.

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 47

SURPRISE RESULT Cycle Canada’s rookie racer surprises with track success

By Guy Caron

48

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 49

D

riving back from the first round of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship, I have a recurring thought: what have I gotten myself into? No, there was no tears or blood or torn flesh to mar the weekend. We actually have two trophies on the back seat of my Sprinter van, next to the 15-yearold leader of the Kawasaki Ninja 300 Spec Class Series who is fast asleep. It’s not supposed to be that way.

I did not have much time to make it through the neverending list of to-dos for the participation involving me, Cycle Canada, Xavier, and a few partners in the Mopar CSBK national championship. I had to get the little Kawasaki ready in a few short weeks. If I was to count Xavier’s total track time in hours on my fingers I’d still have most of one hand free to hold the coffee that should keep me alert for the drive through the night ahead. But here we are leading the championship after that first race and I will have to do whatever is needed to provide decent support to keep Xavier progressing from now on. In three days he went from being happy to be at the track to being the one to beat!

I will have to be even more involved, if that could be. My credit cards are going to suffer some more! Maybe it’s only retribution; after all I’m the one who got the Paradis family involved in racing in the first place. Last year I invited their then-14-year-old son to jump on my new, bone-stock 2015 Ninja 300 for a provincial lightweight race. I knew that they did not suspect how different their lives would be from that moment on. Someone outside of the racing world couldn’t foresee that.

He did good for that race, a fourth place, but the most important aspect was that he could absorb all the information thrown at him and apply it right away. I saw a racer’s mind at work through his eyes.

The Mopar CSBK project was a low-key effort, put together in only a few weeks before the start of the season.

Now it becomes a more serious operation. We were supposed to go racing and document the adventure in these pages. The story would be something along the lines of how to get your feet wet by racing in the most affordable Mopar CSBK class, how to work with a new rider, and how to ensure his improvement. My 15-year-old rider had a different view of this and, most definitely, the ability to back his aspirations.

Track day lessons: Guy instructs Xavier in the art and science of going fast on a race track. Below: Xavier takes a moment to chill.

Marc Paradis (back to camera) and the author work on the Ninja at Shannonville.

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Xavier does not have the typical racing kid’s experience.

He did not grow up around racetracks, dirt or otherwise, but he is focussed, to say the least. After only a track-school day under his belt, the day we spent together at that race last August and a two-and-a-half-hour evening session two days before heading out to Shannonville, the rookie had what he learned from reading A Twist of the Wrist and my instructions to figure out how to go fast.

And figure it out he did. He started the national weekend riding on a set of Dunlop Alpha 13 tires that had seen a lot of track use. That was good enough for the level he was at for the first practice and to learn the track. By Saturday’s qualifying session, Xavier’s lap times were down enough for him to find his way into fourth place. It was already time to provide him with more traction and for me to be ashamed; I did not get the little Ninja on the official scale earlier and was shocked that it was under the 340-pound minimum weight for the class. We learned that with the 337 pounds measured at the post-session

inspection, I had wasted Xavier’s effort and that he’d be starting from last place.

One thing that Xavier had practised for on his trail bike is the start, and so from the back of the grid he rocketed his way through the pack. A first podium came in the first try at a national after picking his way through traffic. Since that first race we’ve seen him start from the front row at every race and he finished first for the following three races. A second place, another win and two more runner-up results means that Xavier Paradis now leads the Kawasaki Ninja Spec Series championship by 41 points with only the last two races to be run at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in a few days.

I know it is still not much experience for a racer, even if we did get to do a couple of track days on top of his races to refine the young speedster’s riding technique, but I am now trying to get him a wild card ride in the MotoAmerica RC Cup series and I had his dad Marc take a look at the Red Bull Rookies Cup sign-in forms.

Yes, I won’t aim too low for Xavier from now on!

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 51

YOU’RE GROUNDED With film series Common Ground, H-D brings it all together

By Samuel Paré

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CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 53

F

red Deeley Sr., a Vancouver dealer of bicycles and motorcycles, became in 1917 the first retailer in Canada to sell Harley-Davidson motorcycles. To mark this event’s centennial, Harley-Davidson Canada produced a series of documentary films called Common Ground, in which three Canadian hosts guided three passionate foreign motorcyclists through Ontario, Québec, the Rockies and the Maritimes. Cycle Canada met Charles-Édouard Carrier, the chosen guide for the central ride.

Founder of Oneland online magazine, Carrier was the perfect candidate to carry out the host mission that the legendary firm had entrusted him with. In his webzine, he and his contributors attach great importance to community spirit and, while they like the bikes, the underlying culture behind the motorcycling world interests them as much, if not more. There are the Harley-Davidson motorcycles, but there is also the Harley-Davidson culture, for the machine is nowadays preceded by its legend. That is what Common Ground provides the opportunity to explore. “At Harley, you buy a bike, but you, above all, adhere to a lifestyle,” says Carrier, who is in his element at the MR250 Bar Lounge in Montréal. It was in that spirit that he introduced New Zealander Jay Reeve, an ambassador of Harley-Davidson, to the motorcycle scene from Toronto to Rivièredu-Loup. The central motif of their tour was community, whether it rests on friendship and mutual aid or on the Harley‑Davidson legend.

The title of the film, Common Ground, is clear: the road is what rallies the motorcyclists of the country, for everybody has to take it to go. The spirit of community runs right through the documentary, from its design to the journey itself. “The route was made of what I knew about the road, but it was an exchange between the film crew, the Harley team, me and the community members,” says the founder of Oneland. “Everybody had to contribute to show the largest possible number of aspects of the motorcycle scene of Québec and Ontario.” The various stops, almost all known to the host, were also unifying places and

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events, whether we talk about #TheMotoSocial in Toronto, the Bikers Church in Ottawa, or even the Ladies & Gentlemen Rider motorcycle club, which was the first community to welcome Carrier when he made his debut as a motorcyclist. The party organized by his friends at Hardcore-Cycle in Portneuf made him proud and was all he needed to convince him, with Jay Reeve lost in wonder, of the beauty and the richness of the motorcycle scene of his part of the country. “With the videos shot in California or in Bali, we tend to envy what happens elsewhere, but this afternoon that we spent at Pat’s (Patrick Dessureault), it’s a defining moment that will make sure Jay will get back home saying to himself that the setup is beautiful in Québec. We have a beautiful scene, and people are connected: from Toronto to Rivière-du-Loup, everybody knew each other, and that impressed Jay,” says Carrier, not without pride in his voice.

During their tour, Carrier and Reeve were able to see the united character of the motorcycle scene in Québec and Ontario, but the fact of riding Harley-Davidson motorcycles opened for them the doors of an even wider community. “There’s a legend behind the make, and when you buy a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, you’re automatically part of the legend. I don’t think that there are other factory owners that can boast about having a network and a community spirit as big as Harley’s,” says Carrier. Owner of a Sportster from the very beginning of his riding days, he was struck by the impressive number of dealers and the speed of the service offered to travellers. However, the numerous personal stories related to the make are what made him feel, no matter his way and his destination, that he rode within a big family. The motorcyclists heard a lot of these anecdotes during their journey, even when the cameras were off.

“At some point, we stopped to put in some gas at a small service station in the Highlands between Toronto and Ottawa, where they had above-ground gas tanks,” said Carrier. “We filled the bikes, and then a man came to fill his can. We talked with him for at least 30 minutes about the tanks, the region and motorbikes, because he had owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the past. The worst of it was that it was raining heavily, and the guy didn’t have a raincoat! As if the story was more important than the rain.” Behind the private stories is also revealed the Harley-Davidson legend, the universal history of the make, and the trip provided an opportunity to explore it as well, particularly because of Jay Reeve, a real encyclopaedia with respect to the history of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, according to his host.

Photos of old Harley-Davidson motorcycles were observed by the travellers at Les Loups Moto Company, in Rivière-du-Loup.

“We went into the historical aspect of the bikes and the make deeply during the tour,” concludes Carrier.

Would the founder of Oneland, after being host, discover a foreign country on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle? The answer is yes. It is precisely what he believes the make offers to travellers: the certainty of finding abroad another enthusiast anxious to show his part of the world. “It was obviously staged to make a documentary, but what happened with Common Ground could happen to any Harley-Davidson driver.”

To view episodes of Common Ground, see https://pages.m.harley-davidson.ca/commonground.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 55

56

German builder creates a classic from an old Guzzi

By Martin Hodgson

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 57

hand-formed aluminum struts. To set off the green, the seat is a gorgeous leather in a natural hue that could have very easily served as the interior of any ’70s 911. Now rid of the horrific factory bodywork and with Axel’s own in place the gloss black steel duplex cradle frame is allowed to finally get the attention it deserves. To finish out the look a simple chrome ringed headlight illuminates the way with a vintage tail light out back, small subtle touches that leave the class of this machine free to shine through.

Of course there is no doubt the drivetrain looks incredible too, the full glory of the distinct Guzzi V-twin exposed and finished to perfection. But this lump is more than just a looker and Axel had two-valve specialist Bernd help him unleash some real thunder. The bike now packs 1000 cc, with the balanced crank now swinging new rods and pistons. Given Bernd’s racing background he slotted in one of his specially ground cams for the application and the heads have been modified to handle the

It’s running with a mighty and beautiful sound

I

magine you’ve built the bike that sits before you, pouring your heart and soul into the creation of a classic custom ordered by a meticulous client who collects vintage Porsches. Such is your attention to detail that each machine upon completion is stripped, every bolt re-torqued and over a thousand parts double-checked.

Then, just as you are ready to deliver your masterpiece, a single clutch plate sticks. Unwavering in his commitment to perfection, Axel Budde of Hamburg’s Kaffee Maschine doesn’t try an easy fix with a few heavy dumps of the clutch. Once again he does a full tear-down of the machine and you start to appreciate the genius and devotion that emerges in the form of his latest build, KM21, a classic cafe racer from a 1981 Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk II. Axel is clearly a fastidious builder, everything has to be right, triple-checked and tested until he’s totally satisfied. His dedication can be tiring and he tells us he’s off on a holiday soon that will be spent “on my Kaffee Maschine cafe racer with friends in the French Alps.” But it’s clear from the KM21 that the blood, sweat and tears he invests into his customer’s builds is more than worth the effort. The donor bike for this project was picked up in nearby Bremen but it was a long way from being anything that could earn the right to wear the Kaffee Maschine logo. For the first of three times the stock Le Mans II was pulled down to disassemble every last component.

The frame has been smoothed out, de-tabbed and made ready for the parts that Axel had already determined and designed in his mind. The tank of the Le Mans is not one of its finest features so instead our man in Hamburg hand-formed an alloy tank from scratch. It takes the shape of a previous build, KM8, which had initially attracted the client’s eye. The lines are simple, yet stunning, creating a classic feel that far exceeds anything offered by Moto Guzzi then or now. “The client has several vintage Porsches, so I chose a Porsche green for the main colour. He gave a lot of input into the paint design and the choice of the main parts surfaces.”

Axel crafted custom fenders front and rear that wear the same Porsche colour, the front perfectly suspended by two 58

extra air flow. They’ve also been machined to accept twin plugs and finished off with brilliant Kaffee Maschine engraving and head guards.

The cafe’s short block was disassembled so it could be thoroughly cleaned and detailed. While the supporting hardware is no less impressive, there is a new generator hidden behind a custom KM cover. A painstakingly pieced together wiring loom helps fire the allnew electronic ignition. With thumping twin Dell’Orto carbs feeding the fuel into the thirsty twin Axel spent an enormous amount of time making sure they were tuned and balanced to perfection. Finally a set of KM’s own headers and rear pipes were fabricated for the build and brilliantly follow the lines of the Guzzi, eliciting the most incredible bark.

The client wanted a powerful package and the two builders of the engine couldn’t be happier with the result of working together as Axel explains of Bernd. “I got to know him and his bikes when I was racing myself. It´s running absolutely smooth with a mighty and beautiful sound, always roaring for more revs.” But with that racer blood there was not a chance Axel would leave the handling or braking to second chance. Up front the factory forks have been totally overhauled and rebuilt with a FACS damper set. A new set of tubes has everything looking brand new and a steering damper takes care of any tank slappers.

At the rear end the extra weight of the shaft drive and hub means factory shocks would never pass muster and in their place are a set of progressively sprung items from Ikon. The cafe racer’s braking system hasn’t been forgotten either, staying at the rear Axel fitted up one of his company’s own KM adjustable brake torque supports, while new master cylinders provide extra power front and rear and send the fluid down stainless braided lines.

Finally the wheels go lightweight with rims from Morad laced with stainless spokes and all wrapped up in Metzeler Sportec Klassik rubber that Axel finds works a treat on a Guzzi.

Right across the build are drilled billet filler caps for oil, trans and hub fluids, as well as their associated level check and drain ports. To match the look a set of Moto Italia rearsets is added to custom drilled brackets and the small weight saving modification gives a distinctly classic racer feel. The Guzzi’s bars on the other hand had to serve two purposes, the owner wanted to keep the racer look going but be comfortable on a long ride. So to reduce the amount of weight on the wrists Axel fabricated a custom set of clip-ons especially for the task. Wearing seat-matching leather grips, the rest of the controls are old school and on a needs only basis.

“For Axel it’s the perfect combination of power and rideability with an understated, classic look.”

The final touch is the beautiful vintage instrument gauge that is 90 percent tacho with just a small digital display for the other seemingly pointless information. It’s all part of a machine that has a true mechanical sensibility, one you ride with the senses, with no computer controlled inputs to get in the way. For Axel it’s the perfect “combination of power and rideability with an understated, classic look.” But it is hard not to think about the lucky owner who walks out to his garage, gazes at his classic Porsches and then strolls past them on the way to climbing aboard the real motor vehicle masterpiece in his possession, the Moto Guzzi KM21.

CYCLE CANADA SEPT/OCT 2017 59

DAVID BOOTH

I

think there’s an existential threat to the sport of motorcycling on the horizon. A serious threat.

A future in which you may not be allowed to ride a motorcycle on public streets. Worse yet, you may not want to.

No, there is no Trumpian plot afoot to punish Japanese and/or European motorcycle manufacturers with tariffs because trade deficits are out of whack.

Nor am I decrying the malaise that Millennials seemingly have for motorcycling: There are still enough twentysomethings eager for two-wheeled adventure to support a motorcycle industry, albeit diminished. It’s not even yet another diatribe decrying the uselessness of electric motorcycles — though, it’s worth noting that I have never, ever seen an electric motorcycle being ridden on public roads other than at a press launch. Nonetheless, Zero and their like will not be the end of motorcycling.

But autonomous automobiles just might be.

Now, obviously an explanation of how autonomous cars are going to kill motorcycles is in order, but first a little irony: In the initial phases of converting to autonomous automobiles, self-driving cars — or, more accurately, the advanced driverassistance systems (ADAS) that power their self-driving abilities — will be a huge boon to motorcyclists.

For one thing, many motorcycles already have many driver- — or, more accurately, rider- — assistance systems, the anti-lock brakes and traction control that make our 200-horsepower superbikes at least somewhat controllable just early precursors to the revolution in self-steering and self-braking that is coming. And secondly, the next stage in automotive autonomy — Level III autonomy that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines as partially self-driving — will represent the greatest boon in motorcycle safety ever. Yes, more than the crash helmet, more than CE-certified armour.

The next technology that comes down the pipe will be what’s called vehicle-to-vehicle communications, V2V in the acronymology that nerds cherish so. Essentially, as was discussed in an earlier column, vehicle-tovehicle communication allows every vehicle on the road to talk each other. In other words, every V2Vequipped car will know where a nearby V2V-equipped motorcycle is at all times. If you’re approaching an intersection, rounding a blind curve or about to cross their path as they blindly reverse out of their parking lot, drivers of the computerized car of the future will know exactly where you are, the ages-old excuse that every long-time motorcyclist has heard at least once in their lifetime — “I didn’t see him” — will be no more. If this isn’t motorcycling bliss, then I don’t know what is.

Where this two-wheeled euphoria may come to an end, however, is when technology allows Level

60

IV and V self-driving, the much-promised totallydriverless-there’s-nobody-at-all-behind-the-wheel soothsayers are predicting within 10 or 15 years. Now, the problem isn’t that, sans driver, these even more advanced cars will be more dangerous to bikers. In fact, the opposite, virtually all the experts in the field agree that the less interaction that a human being has with the steering wheel the better.

And therein lies the problem. Already many are predicting a day when not only won’t we want to drive our own cars, we won’t actually be allowed to drive our own cars. Essentially, either the government will ban driving or manufacturers — as Google and Ford have threatened —will stop making cars with steering wheels.

What’s all this talk of cars that drive themselves got to do with me riding my motorcycle, you ask? Well, first of all, one of the main concerns for regulators moving forward is how self-driving vehicles and the human-conducted variety will share the road, man and machine seemingly incapable of inter-vehicular cooperation. Indeed, once fully self-driving vehicles are available, safety optimization calls for the phasing out of human-controlled four-wheelers as soon as possible.

So, where does that leave those of us riding motorcycles? It’s hard to believe that governmental safety types would outlaw driving on the basis of safety and still allow human-controlled motorcycles — which are statistically 13 times more likely to result in a fatality — to roam our roads.

The other choice, of course, is to ride a self-riding motorcycle. Yamaha, with its MotoBot, has already proven the technology exists. But to what purpose?

Motorcycling has always been a visceral experience, we bikers trading the comfort, practicality and, yes, the safety of a four-wheeled cage for that greater feeling of engagement that riding a two-wheeler engenders. Take away that control, that involvement and what is left?

Nothing enjoyable as far as I can see: It’d be like being a passenger on your own motorcycle.

And that would seem to leave motorcyclists between a rock and a hard place, not allowed to control our own motorcycles and no reason to ride one if we can’t. If driving becomes illegal, it’s hard to see how riding survives.

Indeed, what’s lost in all the talk of an autonomous automotive future is that the actual technology — will it be safe; will it be reliable? — should be the least of our concerns. The legal issues (who is responsible for a vehicle with no driver/rider at the helm?), moral issues (whose life is it more important to save, the owner of the computerized car or the two pedestrians crossing its path) and cultural are much more problematic. It is this last which I think poses motorcycling’s greatest threat in almost 125 years. Just as autonomous driving threatens countless people’s livelihoods — the taxi drivers and long-haul truckers whom self-driving will put out of work — computerization could spell the end of motorcycling as we know it.

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MATT RISI, THOROLD, ONTARIO

I’

d been looking forward to this morning for weeks, since my brother Mike, who holds a sales position at Clare’s Cycle & Sports here in Niagara, asked me if I’d be interested in joining a demo ride for the new lineup of KTM motorcycles.

I arrived at the shop an hour early, where I was told that I could not in fact ride the bike I’d been thinking about for the past fortnight, as KTM required a full M license to ride their newest bikes. My dismay, however, was short-lived, as I was brought around to the parking lot to behold the monster that has since haunted my dreams and muscle memory, a 2015 KTM Super Duke 1290 GT demo unit belonging to the shop.

I met and exchanged pleasantries with the other riders and the KTM rep, a youthful gearhead with a rad Québec accent who seemed a bit relieved upon hearing that I wouldn’t be taking out one of his bikes. At this point I had not let fly the magnitude of foreignness that the Super Duke imposed on me, aside from only having had my license for a year: back home, my one and only bike is a Yamaha BWs 125 scooter. Although I’d completed the Motorcycle Training Course to attain my M2 here in Ontario and have ridden a few other motorcycles, I am admittedly a fairly green rider, and this imposing KTM was my first foray into the realm of superbikes.

Following an eternity of waiting for riders to arrive and then demonstrations of controls to occur, I felt as though all eyes were on me as we set off. I’d taken some time to sit on the bike and gain appreciation for the heft of it, weight distribution, controls (set to Rain mode, with the most forgiving suspension, traction and braking controls, at my request), and gingerly engaged the clutch, rolling on a millimetre of throttle. Luckily our first stop was down the road to fill our tanks, where it was suggested gently by my brother that I drop closer to the rear of the group. I happily obliged.

Setting off again on to some straights and highways, I quickly gained appreciation for the poise, civility and quality of the ride when ridden with the caution and care this occasion called for.

The Super Duke truly is a total pussycat when handled gently, and provides a comfortable, precise and obviously calculated overall riding experience. Our ride out to rural Hamilton, Ontario, through towns and service roads helped me to gain some confidence and working knowledge of this bike, which I loved more and more as we went on.

When we stopped for lunch I spoke with a retired firefighter who’d been riding for many more years than I’ve been alive; I revealed the truth about my humble experiences on motorcycles in general, and the 125 cc scooter that awaited me at home. A few seconds of silence around the table ensued. My older brother cringed slightly. Then, characteristically Québécois, the KTM representative exploded into a story of youthful escapades on his past scooters, as new riders are able to own 50 cc bikes of their own at the age of 14 in his home province. His tale disarmed any reservations around the table, and stories of low-displacement, high-intensity thrills ensued.

I positively could not wait to get back on my Super Duke, as my new firefighting friend was to lead the pack through a twisty bit of road entitled “The Devil’s Punchbowl” and onward to Pelham.

62

The Super Duke is truly a total pussycat We wound our way through twisting roads, barrelling straights, gravel, and impossibly sharp, spiralling downhills. I was amazed at the transformation of the machine according to what I demanded of it in the moment. In town it was entirely manageable, even at low speeds, and obliging in its delivery of power. Having entered this type of riding environment (and having engaged Street mode as my confidence was now high enough), the Beast was released and I was a completely giddy, smitten and enraptured mammal bellowing along on this truly superior machine. Once I’d sorted out the proper gearing for these sharp bends and hills, I rode with more aggression, counter-steering and shifting gears briskly through picturesque views of this amazing area I call home. Not without a few “Oh shit!” moments (thank you ABS and traction control), we wound our way out of the bendies and back on to the main roads, on to Clare’s again, my head swimming and hands seemingly welded to the bars.

The truth of the matter is that the Super Duke behaved itself wonderfully, and was incredibly forgiving to such a relatively inexperienced rider as myself. Though I have taken out my share of bikes to try, and Mike had allowed me to ride his beloved Yamaha V-Star 1300 a handful of times, I do consider myself to be a new rider and this KTM never once made me feel as though I was in over my head. This bike is a masterfully crafted, brutally powerful machine that only gave me what I asked of it, though it had plenty more to offer.

Our ride ended with giddy and stupid smiles all around, hearty handshakes and words of thanks. For me however, this was not just a demo ride that I can compartmentalize into other similar experiences. This constituted one of the most visceral, exciting and spiritually poignant events of my young life. I felt no qualms in getting back on my beloved 125, but I’ve harboured a different bike between my ears than what is between my knees as I’ve ridden along ever since.

First Person is dedicated to readers of Cycle Canada.

Tell us about a motorcycle trip, tale, or experience that you won’t soon forget. Contributors will be paid $100 upon publication. Send 1,000 words and a photograph to cyclecanada@editionsjeanrobert.com.

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