The Motorcycle Times - May 2012 Edition

COMMUNITY

Key West - part two

IRON SIRENS

What’s been going on in your community? We’ll get you up to speed

Making their way back from the sunny south, follow the ride as it detours to Washington D.C. on the way home.

For those ladies serious about riding and community, give the Iron Sirens a look.

See page 10 for details

See page 14 for more

See page 20 for more

MOTORCYCLES POWER SAVINGS!

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SEE PAGE 13 FOR DETAILS! MAY 2012

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Brain Storms...................................................................................4 Skid Marks ......................................................................................5 Motorcycle News ....................................................................6 Two Cents........................................................................................8 Community.................................................................................10 Shop Talk........................................................................................12 Open Road Diaries - Key West.................................. 14 Finish Lines ............................................................................... 16 Profile - Iron Siren’s.............................................................. 20 Riders Marketplace ........................................................... 21 Events ........................................................................................... 22 Safety Scene ............................................................................ 22

Off Duty Officer Charged with Stunt Driving A chilly start to this April day did not stop thousands of riders from making the trip to Port Dover, Ontario for the now infamous Friday the 13th motorcycle enthusiast event.

Approximately an hour south of Hamilton, your journey takes you through the small town of Hagersville and once upon the outskirts of Jarvis, the sign reads Port Dover 13. A five-minute blast up the road then leads you into the lakeside town of Port Dover. Along the way, the legions and local churches have

welcome bikers signs and some even offer up pancake breakfasts and such.

What Started out in 1981 with just a handful of friends riding to Port Dover to meet for a beer and get together, has now turned into a mega bike rally, attracting tens of thousands of riders for the biggest one-day event anywhere. This tiny little town of 5,000, famous for their beaches, perch, live theatre and craft shops, welcome tourists during the warm summer months, but also rolls out the red car-

NOW OPEN!

An Ottawa police officer has been charged with stunt driving charges after being clocked at more than 200 km/h on Highway 174 while off-duty.

Officers were conducting radar options on the eastbound highway near Tenth Line Road and caught the off-duty police officer.

Const. Yannik Bernard was charged with stunt driving under the Highway Traffic Act. As a result his motorcycle was impounded and his rider’s license was suspended for seven days.

If he’s convicted, Bernard face fines up to $2,000. Needless to say he has been reassigned to a ‘desk job.’

NEW LOCATION: 1963 Merivale rd., Ottawa | 613-736-8899 | www.hdottawa.com

pet to riders from all walks of life. Whether you are a white collar, blue collar or wear a dog collar, Port Dover has become the place to be on any Friday the 13th. There never seems to be a dull moment in Dover. From peoplewatching to vendor-shopping, checking out the mild to wild bikes and trikes or feasting down on the wide variety of food and cracking a couple of cold ones, this event has it all.

By day, the hordes of riders are lined up for miles on one of three routes see page 3

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 2

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From Cover... into town with non-riders parking on the outskirts of town and being shuttled in to downtown Port Dover for a day to remember. I started attending this event back in 1983. Those days were filled with parties and craziness and just seem like a blur now. Back then, the town more or less rolled up the sidewalks, battened down the hatches and hid their daughters thinking the big bad bikers were coming back to town. Only the bars stayed open in the beginning. One year, maybe fifty riders attended, and the next, upwards of a hundred, and every year after, the numbers continued to grow.

When it reached 5,000, the town had to request bringing in more police in fear of problems. Problems, that never occurred, except maybe traffic congestion. The riders just wanted a place to go, a place to meet and let loose a little. Party it up some, see old friends, reconnect and blow off a little steam from the day to day mundane. They converged on this tiny little community, ate their food, drink their beer and gathered with friends for one-night of loud music, good fun and catching up. Yes, they were loud, the bikes roared through the streets and they drained the area of every once of food and beer, but, paid their tab and did not rape the town or pillage the women. Somewhere over the years though, around the boom of the Internet, the word about Port Dover’s Friday the 13th really went viral.

The numbers rocketed from thousands to tens of thousands virtually over night. What once was a small-scaled meeting of friends became a gathering of the masses. When the word got out, riders were making the

journey from out of the region, then out of the province, out of the country and in some cases, from other continents. Families started showing up, with mom and pop pushing the kids in strollers, to see what all the fuss was about.

The motorcycle clubs, riding clubs, independent riders alike, were all meeting in this tiny hamlet town in harmony. The riders and visitors opened their wallets too. They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at local merchants in appreciation for having them there.

Eventually, came a committee, and permits were required, and vendors from across the country signed on for a piece of Friday the 13th. Commercialism took hold and never looked back. Oh well, you either go with the flow or pull off to the side of the road, right?!

This writer left Hamilton just after the frost burnt off, but not before loading on the leather, the insulated gloves and bandana for the –2 chilly morning journey to Lake Erie for this year’s second of three Friday the 13ths.

After a peaceful, morning ride to Port Dover, I made a bee-line to the only Horton’s in town for a extra large warm-me-up, then started to make my way around town to see who was where and what was set-up for the day. I noticed some campers on the outskirts of town but not the amount of tents you normally see during a summer event. The pier was virtually empty of vendors and the streets were quiet compared to most years. I think a lot of the merchants felt the weather would be a crap-shoot and elected not to come. I am sure they are kicking themselves now, as by noon; this Friday the 13th must have hit re-

cord numbers for the time of year. The streets were packed in leather and denim with the sweet stench of exhaust fumes, the bikes lined both sides of Main Street, down the middle and as far out of town as the eye could see. A steady stream of riders were making their way across the lift bridge and were diverted by the men and women in blue, to find parking on the side streets off the main drag.

Most of the usual vendors were there in the park and some of the clubs were set-up beside the GT Boutique selling their event or support shirts. The food vendors were barbequing up lunch, the Arbor was already in full swing with foot longs and fries and the shops were bustling. Tim Horton’s converted their drive-thru to a walk-thru like usual, and both inside and outside lines were a dozen plus deep all day long as they scramble to keep us fed and hydrated.

I love the first Friday the 13th of the year for many reasons. One; many of the bikes have just come out from a long winter of overhauls to new paint, airbrushing and addition of new shiny parts. So, you get the opportunity to walk the strip seeing who did what to their bikes and see the ever-growing transformations from mild to wild. Secondly; after a long winter of parkas and snow boots, the tight jeans, high heels and tiny tops reappear on scene. That’s a guy thing! Although a sunny day, the temps remained chilly by the lake and the girls and guys, set up above the local pizza parlour with their “Show Me” sign, were unable to encourage too many of the female passer-bys to shed their tops for pics, but I did see way too many hairy chest biker dudes flashing the patio girls. Oh well, there’s

always July 13th.

I worked my way about town, a few times throughout the day and spent a lot of time catching up with friends from the past. I girl named Jen from London came by the booth and filled me in on her riding group; the Iron Sirens. She rode in from London on her trusty stead “BOB”. She’s V.P. and co-founder of an all-girl riding club that’s up and coming.

Check their club profile later in this issue and visit their website at www.ironsirens.ca The men and women of law enforcement controlled traffic in and around town and kept congestion to a minimum. They also had their usual Ride Programs at the main routes leading from Port Dover to keep an eye out for over indulgence. The few officers I spoke with throughout the day were very polite, helpful and seemed to be enjoying their time in Port Dover for this event. I haven’t heard the official numbers yet from the day but I would guess seventy thousand plus were there by the peak of the event, trickling off throughout the late afternoon as the winds picked up off the lake and cooled the air.

Like myself, many go for the whole day, sun-up to sundown, while some prefer to ride into town, do a quick hot lap, buy a shirt and head back out before the rush.

Later in the day, the evening crowd that had to work during the day, come for the nightlife of good music in the bars, the flowing beers and the town lit up with the sights and sounds of the biker lifestyle. Whatever your pleasure, you’re sure to find what your looking for in Port Dover on Friday the 13th.

Be safe this season riders and we’ll see you all in July! TMT

May 1st, 2012 - May 31st, 2012.

3 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

Peaking Numbers at the Port this April? Wait till July.

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 4

BRAIN STORM opinions

LINDSAY THOMSON Editor, The Motorcycle Times

C.R.A.P. Every so often, the old “let’s raise the speed limit” debate rears its head and we have the same useless discussion all over again.

We all know that the 400 series highways, in particular the 401, were originally designed in the 1960s to handle speeds up to 80 miles per hour, based on the vehicles we had back then. The gradual curves and elevation changes were engineered to allow the heavy, bouncy, four-wheel, drum-braked behemoths that prowled the pavement, to use the Detroit and Windsor horse power that cheap, leaded (42 cents a GALLON!) fuel released. Some readers may remember the stretch that the 401 actually did have a seventy mph limit, but the manufactured energy crisis in the mid-seventies put paid to that.

I understand the argument that the vehicles that we have now are lighter, better handling and all around safer platforms than what was available back then. That the modern cars get more usable energy from much less fuel and, that they pollute less, but it still won’t change the situation. Believe me; I think that low speed limits can actually contribute to accidents by boring drivers into a stupor, or causing the operator to spend so much of his or her attention on watching the speedometer that they are actually distracted from the road. We still won’t get the” Politicians Really In Control of Kaos,” or PRICKs, to listen. The PRICKs are the ones who decide what is good for everyone, and they only listen to the “People Mad at Society,” or PMS. Now the PMS basically choose to believe that no one is intelligent enough to make decisions about their own welfare, so they create special interest groups to further their “Needs, Ambitions and Decisions,” or NADS. The NADS, by making the most noise and “Lobbying Indecisive Councillors, Key Individuals and Negotiating Gradually,” or LICKING, find ways of getting what they want. As we all know, LICKING is often required as a process to get to what we actually want from government.

Of Course, all these acronyms mean nothing if we don’t find ways to work through the different levels of government to be heard. We have to come up with a “Creative and Realistic Action Plan,” or CRAP, to attack the premise that speed is bad. As we work out our CRAP, we must also remember that we need to find “Politicians Agreeable to Proposals from Expert Riders,” or PAPER. A good CRAP

is a waste of time without putting it on PAPER. I’m sure you are beginning to understand my point. We have to change the perception that speed is the problem, and that the real problem is that we need to increase the “Skill Levels and Understanding of Traffic,” or SLUT. If we can raise the SLUT level with our CRAP, the PAPER work will have been worth it.

Here’s where it gets ugly. Recently, the Ministry of Transport Headquarters, or MT Heads put a governed limit on the maximum speed on transport trucks. Trying to pass a row of transports who are also trying to pass each other, all at a maximum speed of 105 kph has become the rolling chicane of the highways. As this situation has built, a technique has been developed by professional riders called Professional Highway Action Riders Team or PHART. What PHART entails is really picking the spot well ahead of arrival, letting loose on the GAS and timing your pass perfectly.

Bottom line in today’s highway environment, the best thing you can do is time your GAS to use PHART to beat what the MT Heads are trying to limit us to. If you can increase your SLUT by getting your CRAP on PAPER, then, as a group, we can apply our LICKING to the NADS, bypass PMS and deal with the PRICKS. Well, all joking aside, my opinion is that there is no incentive to raise the limits, because the easy income that is raised by only enforcing the speed limit would not be replaced, were the authorities to focus on policing driving skills instead of speeding. Firstly, although any drive on the highway gives us many examples of poor driving, most drivers are travelling at speeds over the limit. RADAR doesn’t see illegal lane changes or tailgaters, so handing out speeding tickets is cheaper, easier and much more profitable. Those in power like to point out that speed is a factor in many highway crashes, but if we fostered better driving skills, drivers would be much better equipped to deal with the extra speed.

Create an environment where building driving is a matter of pride, rather than something we do to get to places, and the skills will develop. If our elected officials and our enforcement personnel were actually interested in making the highways safer, raising the level of driving quality would be much more important that applying the “Speeding Tax.” So let’s get our CRAP on PAPER.

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5 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

THE REAL WORLD

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 6

MOTORCYCLENEWS B.C. Police seize motorcycle featured in high-speed ride in YouTube video

$1.13 Billion buys Ducati Ingolstadt/Bologna, April 18, 2012 – AUDI AG is acquiring from Investindustrial Group the tradition-steeped Italian sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.P.A., which has its registered office in Bologna. The transaction will be completed as quickly as possible once authorized by the competition authorities.

The Supervisory Boards of AUDI AG and Volkswagen AG approved the acquisition today in Hamburg.

Audi brass did not say how much it cost to buy Ducati from its previous owner though sources stated that the car company paid approximately $1.13 billion (US) Ducati is known worldwide as a leading brand in motorcycle manufacture, with outstanding expertise in engine development and lightweight construction. Alongside the traditional Italian brands Lamborghini and Italdesign, Ducati is now a third pillar for AUDI AG in Northern Italy.

Another building block in the Company’s growth strategy thus falls into place. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, declared: “Ducati is known worldwide as a premium brand among motorcycle manufacturers and has a long tradition of building sporty motorcycles.

It has great expertise in highperformance engines and lightweight construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle manufacturers. That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”

The progressive control systems and special combustion chamber process of Ducati engines, their resulting sporty character, and Ducati’s extensive know-how in lightweight construction thus offer great

potential for AUDI AG and the Volkswagen Group. Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council of AUDI AG, explains that the employee representatives of AUDI AG support the Company’s sustainable, codetermined growth strategy. “We must use the opportunities offered by globalization for Audi – and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Everyone at Audi is looking forward to working with our new colleagues from Ducati,” commented Mosch.

Ducati is a globally active company and has manufacturing operations at its headquarters in Bologna and at its own factory in Thailand. It maintains a series of importer companies in strategic markets.

Experts predict that the motorcycle market will enjoy strong growth over the next few years, especially in Asia. In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some $631million (US), employing around 1,100 people.

Founded by Adriano and Marcello Ducati in Bologna in 1926 they were known originally as Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati and initially built parts for radios. It ventured into the manufacture of motorcycles in 1946.

Ducati has been actively involved in motorcycle racing for many decades through its racing division Ducati Corse. Its racing activities are currently focused on the Ducati official factory team in the MotoGP class of the Motorcycle World Championship and in the Superbike World Championship, supporting competitive private teams. Ducati won the manufacturers’ championship in this latter class 17 times in 21 championships and the pilots’ 14 times. TMT

The Canadian Press, SAANICH, B.C. - Police on Vancouver Island have seized the motorcycle they believe was featured in a YouTube video racing along the Trans-Canada Highway at speeds of almost 300 kilometres an hour.

Saanich police say a tip from the public led them to the suspect bike, a blue Yamaha, that bears scratches and other marks that match those visible in the video.

The motorcycle’s owner is an Esquimalt woman, but police suspect her 25-year-old son was the offending driver, although they haven’t been able to prove that yet.

The woman has been issued tickets for speeding, driving without due care, excessive speeding, and driving without insurance — all of which could result in fines totalling almost $1,500.

Police say the woman’s son has more than two dozen traffic tickets for issues such as speeding and not having a valid driver’s licence, and the motorcycle was not insured on the day the video was shot.

The video, which was posted to an anonymous YouTube account on April 8 and has been viewed more than 100,000 times, shows a motorbike zooming between cars and trucks on the divided highway.

Bieber Buys Superbike Justin Bieber has splashed out $20,000 on a limited edition motorcycle and took delivery of the arctic white silk Ducati Superbike 848 EVO on Thursday (19.04.12).

The 18-year-old singer - who doesn’t yet have a motorcycle license - chose the arctic white silk Ducati Superbike 848 EVO from a Los Angeles dealership a few weeks ago on the recommendation of his friend and mentor Usher, who has the same model in black, and has since taken delivery Justin - who is dating Selena Gomez already has a fleet of expensive cars, with the most recent addition being an 18th birthday gift from Usher and his manager Scooter Braun.

During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Justin was presented with the luxury sports hybrid vehicle, a Fisker Karma, and was stunned by the $100,000 gift.

He said: ‘’What? That’s for me? ... Wow. Is it all electric? This is amazing.’’

He also owns a $160,000 Range Rover, a Batman-themed customised Cadillac and a Ferrari. TMT

Canadian Electric Superbike Product Test Video Lito posts new video of Electric Superbike during testing stages.

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In addition to the SORA superbike, we also provide sub-systems and design services for powerful, eco-efficient vehicles of various sizes. Visit our Technology section to learn more. www.litogreenmotion.com

Harley-Davidson® Joins Forces With Marvel In Canada CONCORD, Ontario - Harley-Davidson Motor Company has recently entered into a promotional partnership with Marvel Entertainment for the new movie, The Avengers, which is slated to premiere in theatres on May 4, 2012. Based on the everpopular Marvel comic book series, The Avengers film brings together the mightiest superhero characters, such as Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow, on screen for the first time.

As part of the promotion around The Avengers, the “Assemble Your Freedom” Contest is now running throughout Canada, with the exception of Quebec.

From now through July 1, the “Assemble Your Freedom” contest will be running online at www.h-d.com/avengers.

Contestants can “heed the call” by creating their own character and designing their own bike. A total of five lucky winners, one of whom will come from Canada, will be immortalized by being drawn in an Avengers comic and will win the bike that they designed in this first-of-its-kind promotion.

The involvement of Harley-Davidson in Marvel’s The Avengers includes product integration into the film, a promotional partnership, and media placement through print and online media properties.

BMW Motorcycles: Best Q1 sales BMW Motorrad is optimistic about 2012 sales and things are looking up a little at Husqvarna too with increased sales for three successive months.

BMW Motorcycles exceeded the previous year’s figures in the first three months of the year, thus achieving the best first quarter result in its history. Sales rose +5.5% to 24,373 vehicles (prev. yr. 23,109). A total of 12,295 BMW motorcycles were delivered in March 2012 – an increase of 5.3% (prev. yr. 11,675). Husqvarna delivered 1,182 (prev. yr. 676 / +74.9%) motorcycles last month to its dealer network. Year to date, deliveries grew +36.2% to 2,642 motorcycles compared with the first three months of 2011 (prev. yr. 1,940).

Husqvarna Motorcycles, the BMW Group’s second motorcycle brand, recorded an increase in sales for the third month in succession. As of March, Husqvarna had sold 2,642 motorcycles (1,940 last year), an increase of 702 units or 36.2%. In March the figure was 1,182 units (676 last year), a 74.9 % increase compared to the previous year.

7 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

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Harleys roar to life in Cuba

By Peter Orsi Associated Press

Varadero, Cuba -- Harley-Davidson, the motorcycle brand that says America as much as apple pie or the Super Bowl, also has die-hard fans in communist-run Cuba, and on Saturday they kicked off the island’s first national gathering in honor of the “Hog.” About 70 black-vested Harley owners rumbled into this resort city from across the island, many riding double with their loved ones, for two days of rock `n’ roll, schmoozing, showing off their bikes, and, most important, sharing their mutual obsession with the powerful machines.

“You’re sitting atop the history of Cuba,” said Max Cucchi, the owner of a 1958 Harley. “It’s like being on a bull that wants to run.”

Cuba’s “Harlistas” are just as passionate as their American counterparts, but like the owners of rumbling 1950s Detroit classic cars that still prowl the streets of Havana, vintage Harley fans have had to get creative to keep their bikes road-worthy.

Rally organizers say vehicle registries show nearly all the estimated 270 to 300 Harleys on Cuban roads today were built before 1960. They are what’s left of the estimated 2,000 that existed here at the time of Fidel Castro’s 1959 Cuban Revolution, when they were favored by police and military for their power.

“Normally all the motorcycles you see would be in a museum elsewhere in the world,” said Cucchi, an Italian resident of the island who helped organize the event and is working on a book about Harlistas.

“Here people use them to live.”

With no retail sales of new Harleys or parts during the 50-year U.S embargo, tales abound of makeshift monkeywrenching: substituting Alfa Romeo pistons, mounting Volkswagen Sedan wheels and tires, even scavenging residential piping to replace a handlebar or exhaust pipe. According to one story, motorcyclists in the countryside with no way to fix a punctured tire would fill it with grass instead.

“It was tough. The blockade was very strong. There was no possibility to do anything. Anything,” said Jorge Fonseca, a mechanic by trade and Harlista by love. “Those who had motorcycles and were capable of maintaining them were people of great merit, because without any possibilities they kept going with their Harleys.”

Things began to ease in the 1990s as Cuba opened to increasing tourism. Canadian and European visitors in particular have brought in parts as gifts. Islanders’ friends and relatives in the United States are increasingly doing the same as restrictions on Cuban-American travel back home eased in recent years. Import taxes are said to be manageable.

“Right now it’s relatively easy,” said Adolfo Pez, another event organizer. He said he can even order parts online and have them shipped to Canada. “Friends

there bring them to me in Cuba.”

But there’s still a need to use one’s wits.

Fonseca confessed that while most of his 1954 Panhead is original Harley, the alternator more properly belongs in a Russianmade Ural.

“You know how much a (Harley) alternator costs? $400!” he said on a recent afternoon as he tuned up his bike for the rally, clad in a black Bon Jovi T-shirt and Harley baseball cap.

“The Ural? $15,” he said with a laugh. “$15 but it works for me.”

A closely knit community, Cuban Harlistas share tools and help each other with repairs. They get together periodically and party to classic rock tunes like Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” rather than Cuban salsa or reggaeton.

There are more than 200 registered Harleys in Havana alone and three clubs, including the national-level Cuba chapter of the Latin American Motorcycle Association.

Some gather each Saturday in the shadow of Havana’s seafront Hotel Nacional to display their vintage bikes, sip rum and coke and trade stories of the garage and the highway. Most are men, but a few of the riders are women. It’s a diverse crew that includes mechanics, tour guides, retirees.

Many bring spouses and children along.

Even politics are set aside. A U.S. diplomat sometimes shows up with the 2007 Harley he brought to the island. So does the youngest son and namesake of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, though he was unable to make it to the gathering on Saturday because a part on his motorcycle broke, said Kristen Mac Queen, a Canadian woman married to the leader of one of the clubs.

At the two-day gathering, about a block from the waves in Varadero, the Harlistas were entering skill competitions like catching hot dogs in their mouths from bike-back and seeing who can ride the slowest without putting his feet down. There were also awards for the oldest, best-restored and most classic bikes, and the greatest distance traveled.

It was up to attendees to cover expenses like gas, lodging and meals, with the exception of a dinner donated by a Canadian resident of Varadero. The event was put together independently by the Harlistas themselves on a budget of less than $1,000, with the goal of promoting restoration and maintenance of the bikes.

Organizers said they plan to make the event an annual fixture and, if successful, next year give Harley-lovers from other countries the chance to cruise with them through Cuba’s verdant countryside.

“I’ve always ridden other bikes, but getting on a Harley is different. It’s another way to roll. It can’t be described verbally, it’s something inside you,” Fonseca said when asked about his hog’s deafening roar. “That’s why they say what they say about the Harley, they say in English, `Live to ride.’”

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 8

two cents SCOTT MACDONALD Contributing Writer, TMT

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Some People’s Children Probably by now most of you have seen or heard something about the idiot on the west coast riding a high speed pass on the Trans-Canada highway topping out at speeds of 300 kph. Well, my intention after hearing of this was not to give this moron more press than he’s already had but, I, like so many others - 100,000 plus ‘youtube’ viewers and growing - just had to see it with my own eyes. If you haven’t seen the video, go to youtube and search ‘299 kph motorcycle, victoria’ and you’ll find at least one of many copies to have a look at.

Since watching this video and loosely following this story through various media sources, I can tell you that the bike has been tracked down and seized by Police and the owner of the bike, the mother of the suspected rider has been the person to receive the fines. Totallying almost $1,500, charges include driving without due care, excessive speeding and driving without insurance. According to police, they believe the rider to be the owners 25 yr. old son. The delima facing the police is suspecting and proving exactly who was behind the controls are two very different things. Here’s the “catch” if you will, unless the rider has bragged to someone about the ride, in effect confessing to the crime, this guilty rider will remain unnamed and unaccountable, so who’s gonna step up to the plate?

If said son had any respect for his mother, and it’s clearly evident that not only does he have no respect, but the ‘balls’ he thinks he has grown from that stupid stunt still haven’t dropped. Be a decent son, even if you can’t be a man!

Riders like this guy are not as uncommon as you think, I have been witness to similar stunts by riders who take to our streets and highways and think that they are untouchable, weaving in and out of traffic, wheelies at dangerous speeds. In fact, I have been in conversations with riders who have described their experiences in and around the GTA, some of the things they have described would raise the hair on the back of your neck just thinking about them.

One afternoon last summer, I was heading up the 400 towards Barrie travelling near the posted speed limit when I was passed by a single blur followed by the unmistakable high pitched whine blasting from some sport bikes exhaust. I use the word blur because it’s the only way to describe what passed me. The worst of it was that this rider was not simply speeding in ‘his’ lane, but that he was lane splitting at whatever speed he was doing just

to get through the usual heavy traffic on that highway. We’ve all given the finger to and shouted at cars and trucks on our highways changing lanes as we approach without any warning. Nevermind a shoulder check. As his luck would have it, the horseshoe he obviousy packed just right did it’s job and he just kept on riding till he was out of sight. The only indication to his location ahead of us were the sudden flashing of taillights as he blew by traffic in the distance.

What bothers me about guys like this retard on the video, other than the fact he could have ‘lost it’ at any given time and not only killed himself but caused serious injury or death to innocent person.

If he wanted to test his skills and the limits of the bike, there are facilities designed to do just that. For a third of what the “mother” was fined, sonny could have taken a course with a local racing school, learn to actually ride the bike in a safe environment, not on our highways. Having a fall on the track when you are wearing the proper gear and after hours of instruction is much better than a fall in traffic on the highway at 250 kph. – Just a puddle of blood, bone and bits of bike left to clean up in the middle of the Trans-Canada.

I do realize that it’s hard to get through to some younger people these days – like us, we knew it all and were afraid of nothing, I do understand the thrill and rush of adrenaline a run like that would give you, yes I was once young too, and full of piss and vinegar. There were times when I thought about just cracking the throttle and letting it all hang out, but my common sense slapped me back to reality so I wouldn’t kill myself. So what do we do about these lunatics who seem to have a death wish and are willing to take you and I out in the process? When you figure that out, let me know.

The other interesting thought I had about this story is what will the unadvertised ramifications be that we are going to feel in our insurance rates down the road? I am sure somewhere there is an underwriter watching that video with his sleeves rolled up, rubbing his hands together trying to figure out a way to jack up my insurance rates a few more notches because some moron on the west coast want’s to show off to his buddies.

My last words to sonny is ‘be a man” and take the heat you know is rightly yours, do you expect your mother to be responsible for your stupidity for another 25 years?

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*Motorcycle license required for open-road test. Without a motorcycle license, you will ride the Can-Am roadster on a closed course. ©2012 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Offer valid in Canada only from March 5 to July 4, 2012.

See the “TRY A ROADSTER” section on www.can-am.brp.com for a list of available demo and/or rental options. †To be eligible for the $500 in Can-Am riding gear and accessories, you must participate in the test ride event and receive a coupon. The promotion is subject to termination or change at any time without notice. BRP reserves the right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring any obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicable local laws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.

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9 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

It’s not cool to be a dead biker.

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 10

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The Niagara Motorcycle Show

Heroes Highway Ride 2012 The Motorcycle Times would like to congratulate Dorr Motorcycles on yet another successful leg of their Military Tribute Bobber Tour. As reported in a previous issue, the boys at Dorr had teamed up with Al’s Shoe Factory in Brantford, where their military tribute bike was on display, raising funds to aid our returning injured servicemen and women.

Capt. Wayne Johnston from the Wounded Warrior’s Fund and Lou DeVuono; founder of the Heroes Highway Ride were on hand to meet and greet all the great supporters who came out for the final day at this location. The door prize table was generously filled with donations from Al’s Shoe Factory and various local merchants and businesses, who came on board with their support.

The Dorr Military Tribute Bobber is the first in a series of ‘one-off’ custom tribute motorcycles built by the team at Dorr Motorcycles to raise awareness and funds for our returning injured servicemen and women.

The tribute bobber’s next stop will be on

Parliament Hill in Ottawa on the morning of May 31st as it welcomes vets riding in from all over Canada and the United States to take part in ceremonies there. The bobber and motorcycles will then travel to C.F.B Trenton for a second ceremony and gathering of vets on base later that afternoon, finishing off this leg of the tour on June 2nd at The Sound Academy at the end of the Heroes Highway Ride at Polson Pier on the waterfront in Toronto.

Come out and show your support on Saturday, June 2nd by attending this free ride from C.F.B. Trenton base traveling 170 Km’s along the entire route of The Highway of Heroes to the waterfront in Toronto. Come and enjoy the show and shine, great music, food and fun but most of all to support and say thanks to the men and women of the military who fight and sacrifice for your freedom! TMT Check out the websites for more information and departure time and details. Visit one or all of these sites at: www.Heroshighwayride. com, www.Woundedwarriors.ca, and www.

Dorrracing.com

STONEY CREEK

Bikers Church, Hamilton Swap Meet This past Saturday got me off the couch and out to the Biker’s Church’s first annual Swap Meet held in Stoney Creek. A good showing of vendors and patrons were on hand to make this a successful showing of support and good start to a yearly event. I talked with Pastor Kent Williams, who seemed happy with the turnout as the church attempts to raise funds to send a busload of city kids to Ryerson Camp on Lake Erie this summer.

It costs roughly 2000 dollars to send just one busload of kids to camp and you can still help out this worthy cause by contacting the

church with your financial contribution.

The Bikers Church was established in Hamilton in 2010 shortly after Paster Kent was ordained. They gather on Thursday evenings at 6:30 pm at 40 Wood Street East, Hamilton.

So, if you are interested in bringing a smile to a child’s face this summer by affording them the opportunity to attend camp or gathering in a spiritual setting, the Bikers Church door is open to you. Visit their website to learn more at www.hamiltonbikerschurch.com

July 20 - 22 - Scotiabank Convention Centre (SCCN) Niagara Falls, Ontario Show Hours: Thursday July 19, 7 – midnight Friday July 20, 10 – midnight Saturday July 21, 10 – midnight Sunday July 22, 10 – 5 Exhibiting hours: Friday July 20, 4 - 10 Saturday July 21, 10 - 10 Sunday July 22, 10 – 5 Ticket Prices: Adult Day Pass $20 Presale $18 Adult Weekend Pass $40 Presale $36 Child Day Pass $10 Presale $8 Child Weekend Pass $20 Presale $18 VIP All Access Pass $300 Poker Run Registration $45 Pre Registration $40

Pre-Events

The search is on to find the first ever Miss NMS! Think you have what it takes? Register to qualify and join us at Margarittaville for our preliminary competitions May 19th, June 2, 16, 30, July 14 and July19th at the NMS Kick Start on Queen. (missnms@niagaramotorcycleshow.com) We will select 2 girls from each of the 6 rounds totaling 12 finalists. The 12 girls will compete at NMS on Saturday July 21st to claim the title of Miss NMS and take home a one-year modeling contract with Geoffrey Chapman and become the face of NMS for the next year. All 12 finalists will be featured in the 2013 Miss NMS calendar and be photographed with the build off bikes during the show.

On Thursday July 19th at 7pm, Niagara Motorcycle Show will take over downtown Niagara Falls with the NMS Kick-start on Queen. This will be a free event to kick off the show!

On Friday July 20th 3 themed Charity Poker runs will take place from 10 - 3pm prior to NMS officially opening at 4pm. Storm the Forts – showcasing the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, Ride the Vines – featuring wineries and breweries throughout Niagara, and Culinary Cruise highlighting unique to Niagara food establishments. The grand prize, a trip for 2 on the High Seas Rally

(www.highseasrally.com) will be awarded Friday night. It will consist of an official poker flop between the 3 ride winners on the main stage. Dean and Debbie Anderson, owners of the sold out, 10th anniversary, famous motorcycle rally on a cruise ship will be on site to award the prize. Celebrity marshals will distribute cheques to designated charities.

The Show Itself!

We are thrilled to announce our official host/emcee for NMS, Laurette Nicoll (http:// www.laurettenicoll.com), who will be onsite all weekend keeping you up to date with all the events and elements of the show.

Over 250 exhibitors will be both indoors at the SCCN and outdoors in the SCCN lot. We have secured 2 other lots to accommodate free bike parking.

Inside the SCCN, we will host exhibitors, a stage for concerts, celebrity appearances (Sons of Anarchy) and fashion shows (OEM and Terez Leather), pro builders showcase, food court and Molson beer garden. A VIP lounge will be located in the upper level of the center offering VIP entertainment, complimentary F&B, celebrity gathering area, and a lounge.

The ballrooms will play host to an invitational MMA event throughout the weekend.

The 1000 seat theatre will feature the first ever-international red carpet premier for Cruzing Time Productions premier of ,“Ron Finch That’s All You Get.” Ron Finch will be onsite with some of his motorcycles and other creations.

The pre-function space of the SCCN will be transformed into a GMC showroom welcoming Falls Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC onboard as a platinum sponsor of NMS. They will host a display of their impressive line up of trucks and sports cars, and will have representatives’ onsite to advise and negotiate deals.

Outside the SCCN in the lot will host the main stage featuring concerts and competitions all weekend, exhibitors, parking, demo rides, stunt shows from Nick Lee’s World Burnout Tour, an NMS pit stop complete with tire and oil changes, bike washes, food court, Molson beer garden, Ride in bike show, dyno shootout, Miss NMS Pageant, Sailor Jerry’s Airstream Tour, etc.

West City POWERSPORTS Come visit us in June 2012 to see all the latest and greatest Honda Motorcycles 670 Dundas Street West , Belleville 613-962-9513 or 877-269-4400 www.WestCityHonda.ca

11 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 12

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Whether you want more performance, better gas mileage or maybe you just want to kick the sound output up a notch, you’ll need a little know-how to mix and match your extras properly. The nice thing about performance modifications are, if set-up properly, you’ll get more horsepower, sometimes better gas mileage and as an added bonus, along comes the meatier sound. The trick is to match your components so they compliment each other. Firstly, always start with a properly tuned engine. If your bike is brand new, right off the showroom floor, it doesn’t hurt to give it a break-in period. Most metric manufactures recommend an initial valve adjustment after the first thousand kilometers and all motorcycles should have their first fluid change at that interval. I have found a lot of motorcycles come detuned from the factory and by starting with proper tuning by a qualified technician; you’ll get a baseline of performance before you begin.

Let’s start off with a couple simple tips that don’t break the bank and we’ll work our way up to the deeper pocket purchases. Indexing spark plugs is a first step in getting proper detonation of your gases. Some believe this to be useless, but I have tried it and believe it to work. Indexing the plugs ensures that the gap is facing the combustion chamber. If the stem of the ground electrode is facing into the chamber, then the spark is shrouded from the majority of the fuel/air mixture. When the stem of the ground electrode is facing away from the chamber, the fuel/air mixture will burn more quickly and completely. The easiest way to accomplish this is to mark the insulator or metal base with a felt tip marker showing the location of the ground electrode stem. Install the plugs and torque. Ideally, the gap will be facing toward the intake valve or centered between the intake and exhaust valves. You want to be able to see your mark on the plug. If they are not within this range, try swapping the plugs to another cylinder or to the rear head and vice versa, and they will usually come pretty close. You can also purchase indexing washers in 4 thicknesses for both the 12mm and 14mm plugs, but they are rarely necessary.

Most engines will gain ponies by simply allowing them to breathe better, so a good start is to change out the breather and/or filter. I use K&N filters as they have a lifetime guarantee and they are an easy clean-up and if you re-oil at recommended intervals, it keeps them efficient. You may get lucky with this change out without re-jetting your carburetor or re-mapping your older fuel injecting system.

The next step up would be pipes and depending on what you choose, this starts to be an investment. With such a wide variety of choice out there, it now comes down to

personal preference, but do your homework as many pipes and exhaust look nice but can actually lower your performance if not adequately baffled or flow properly. I prefer stock headers with the addition of a good flowing muffler. Baffles are generally used to reduce the sound level of the exhaust note.

The secondary value of baffles is that they help create back pressure in the exhaust system. Back pressure helps the engine create torque. The narrower the inner diameter of the baffle, the more back pressure, therefore the higher torque value. Very high performance engines may not require as much exhaust back pressure restrictions created by baffles, so they run shorter straight pipes wrapped to keep the heat in. You require a certain amount of back pressure and air swirl inside to get them to draw out the air. Thus combined with proper tuning, a good breather filter and flowed exhaust, your engine power, and sound should increase and your gas consumption may even come down.

Some newer motorcycles with fuel injection systems may not need re-mapping as their modules have a wider self adjustment.

When changing out the pipes, first, attach them but don’t tighten the bolts down until they are positioned right where you want them. It’s best to bolt to the heads first and use either a plastic tie to hold the bracket up in place or I use a piece of hot water pipe Styrofoam wrap with the slit down one side. It warps around the pipe and keeps the bracket in place to avoid scratches to the chrome.

Make sure to torque the pipes to specifications, then align and tighten the remaining bolts to the exhaust brackets. Wipe the pipes down with Windex to remove any greasy residue or fingerprints that can burn into the pipes after they are heated. Cover with heat shields if equipped and you are ready to cure the pipes if not double walled. Simply start the engine until it is warm to the touch and then shut down. Cool the engine and re-start and run for a few minutes longer each time.

After a few times of doing this, the pipes will have less chance of bluing. Yellowing pipes indicate running lean and a deep blue hue indicates running too rich. Ride your bike through the many ranges and if you get burps, farts or flat spots, tuning is required.

Changing jets, remapping and such is more complex, it should be conducted by a professional and/or on a dyno to get the best results. I will baseline mine up mountain passes or nice steep hills under load to get an adequate feel through the ranges.

If you have questions, comments, concerns or maybe you just want to sound off. Drop me a line at: shoptalk@themotorcycletimes. ca and I’ll do my best to address it in a future column. TMT “It’s not about the destination, but the journey riding there”

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 14

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Clockwise from left: Zero mile marker Key West FLA., Savannah River Queen, Smithsonian Exhibit:1942 Harley-Davidson, Boeing 747 - Air & Space Museum, The Wright Flyer, Spanish Moss on Oak Trees - Georgia, The US Capital Building- Washington D.C.

Mr. Merritt goes to Washington Key West or Bust Part two, the return trip with a detour

by BLAKE MERRITT Contributing Writer - TMT In April’s Open Road Diaries, the context for the road trip to Key West, Florida was set...a week of vacation “found” in early June, a bike with a fresh oil change, and an itch to hit the pavement toward the southern US. No set plan, just a destination. It took 3 days of solid riding to get to the southernmost point in the contiguous 48, but not without some weather challenges and some sore muscles.

After spending an entire day relaxing at the tip of the Keys, I was back on the bike and ready for the trip north along the east coast. The following are a continuation of the “blogs” that were sent home nightly to family and friends...

Day 5; Key West, FL to Savannah, GA – 1040 kms What a long, hot and wet day. I’m sitting here in my room in Savannah again, hands black with die from my gloves.

Left Key West at 7:30am this morning, and hit the road with hopes of a nice easy ride.

Didn’t happen, ended up riding in and out of about five storm fronts. The routine was set early in the day: pull over, put the gear on, ride into the rain, drive out of the rain, get cooked alive in the gear, pull over, take the

gear off...and so on. Thankfully I stopped by a Harley Dealer in Daytona for a quick break.

I don’t mind riding in the rain, but not in hurricane force winds that whipped up out of nowhere while I was inside the store. By the time I was geared up and ready to go, it had slowed down to a downpour. There were about half dozen Harley riders all huddled up under the canopy at the gas station when I went to fill up. Bunch of Fair Weather Bikers....what’s to fear of a little water, really?

Then again, they all had weathered faces, harsh features, and tattooed arms as big as telephone poles. So I kept my smartassed thoughts to myself, nodded politely and hit the highway before they could read my mind!

Under the category of “Passing Time on a Long Ride”, I started with singing tunes... some classic rock, a couple country tunes, and but stopped when I degraded to “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” using the highway mile marker numbers as the bottle counters (I think I sounded pretty good with the tires on the grooves in the pavement giving me some “musical” backup). I then started checking out the cars and wondering about the people you see and what their stories are. A cantankerous looking couple flying by in a U Haul, towing a car behind that was packed to the roof with everything imaginable, or the girl with a hatchback jammed to the hilt with personal effects like

a boot shoved in here, a shower caddy stuck out there, what looked like a belt hanging out the door and dragging on the ground.

Then, as the ride become long and the light was fading, I watched parts of a Disney flick on a DVD screen in the back of a mini van that passed me. People probably wondered why I sped up and stuck to their left flank for a while. Shame I couldn’t plug my headphones in.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but I learned today that a sore back-end is a good motivator too. I figured out how to put my feet on the rear pegs of my cruiser and ride the bike like a crotch rocket. Lets the butt get some circulation going again after sitting for a long time. Probably looks odd, but my butt doesn’t care!

So here I sit in my room at another local hotel, typing out this update. Sticking around for the day in Savannah tomorrow.

For now, I’ve gotta go...pizza is here!

Day 6; Savannah, GA - 75 kms As I type some of this update, I sit in downtown Savannah on a curb right where Forrest Gump sat on a park bench and talked about the fabled box of chocolates. The bench is now in the Savannah Museum, but the curb is exactly like it was in the movie.  It’s been a great day so far. I’ve been taking the trolley tour around town, best way

to see the city and saves trying to find spots to park all over. Got to see more old buildings with that amazing southern architecture than I could count, 200 year old live oak trees (complete with the Spanish Moss the south is so famous for), and the Old Pirate House which part of is the oldest structure in Savannah.

It was hot here today too, stinking hot. It hit the mid 90’s and was humid. Even sitting waiting for the next trolley I’d be sweating up a storm. Good thing is that I seemed to be sweating the dye out of my hands. Even after my shower this morning they were still bluish tinged from my wet ride yesterday. I also booked and went on one of the “Ghost Tours” here tonight. It was fun, but the 60ish year old lady that was our tour guide was over-the-top hammy trying to act her part on the tour. Call it intuition, but something has me doubting she’s here on sabbatical from Broadway.

This evening I hopped on the bike and rode up further east from Savannah to this nice area right on the coast called Tybee Island. I got wind of this great local restaurant called The Crab Shack (emphasis on “local”), complete with menus hand drawn on legal sized paper and put in plastic sleeves. The restaurant is mostly outdoor with a few sections under a roof with screening. The outdoor dining area is situated under big, old growth trees which are smothered with little

Day 7; Savannah, GA to Herndon, VA - 955 kms Arrived in Herndon, Virginia today which is a burb outside of Washington, D.C. by the airport. Long ride, but one of the more interesting so far. Good news was that it was sunny the whole way! No rain. Bad news is it was sunny the whole way…my already tanned arms got burned again.

The only frustrating factor is that my bike started stalling at every stop when I got into D.C. This can be bothersome, to say the least, in rush hour traffic. “Stop and Go” traffic for me was, “Stop, Stall, Curse, Start and Go” traffic. It’s done this once before, and the only thing the guys at the shop can think of is the gas. It was fine until I stopped just outside the city for some gas, and now boom. Some places here have higher amounts of Ethanol in their gas and my bike is supposed to get only premium (according to the manual). Unfortunately the place I had to stop at wasn’t a big name, but I was on fumes so you take what you can get. Oh well, I’ll run this tank dry and give her some good stuff down the road on Saturday.

The ride was good and uneventful. Not much to talk about. There was a HUGE traffic backup on the other side of the highway as they were resurfacing the pavement.

Honestly must have been start and stop for at least 8 miles.

Got into town around 7ish tonight which gave me time to relax with a drink on the patio, and then walk down the street for a bite for supper. I hooked into a good deal at another national chain that I found through Cont. page 18

15 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

white lights. The tables all have holes in the middle with garbage cans underneath and they throw EVERYTHING in there. Forks, plates (all plastic), and even beer bottles (they don’t recycle in these here parts, nor pay deposit apparently).

The restaurant also has this Gator Lagoon where they have 20 of the little fellas that you can feed one of two ways; for $3 the hostess will give you some meat on a fishing pole and you dangle it down for the gators to eat, or for no charge you can just dangle your fingers. Your choice. Local cats also come in and out of the outside restaurant area looking for scraps. This one old boy that was cleaning the floor in our particular area only had three paws. Apparently he got too close to the lagoon… damn gators. Seemed to be getting around ok though, and I swear he hammed it up to get scraps. The table next to me with two teenage daughters must have fed the cat a week’s worth of food. Awww, poor kitty.

He hobbled and limped while they were feeding him, but once they left and I wasn’t feeding him, he actually ran away. Ran. Man does he have us figured out.

Long ride ahead tomorrow. Decided I’m going to head to Washington, D.C. next.

Was debating riding along the east coast on the way back, but that would be three days straight riding and honestly I don’t think my back or butt would appreciate it. Early morning tomorrow!

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BRAMPTON POWERSPORTS 105 Van Kirk Drive, Brampton 1-888-224-6593 www.bramptonpowersports.com

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 16

FinishLines Majority of AMRA Demo Fleet Stolen Thieves broke into the AMRA storage Seacan and cleaned out half of their demo bike fleet, CR100’s, CBR125’s, CRF50’s and 15 + sets of new Honda leathers and equipment for their teen program.

“It’s a sad day for the AMRA,” stated Jay Fox, President of AMRA. “We had so much planned with this equipment and rely so much on it to run the kids programs.”

There is still enough left to run some of the AMRA summer programs as the older half of equipment is located in another storage site.

We ask that each and everyone of you please keep an eye out for the AMRA demo fleet and leathers.

Mopar CSBK Pre-Season Test Announced TORONTO, ON (April 6, 2012) - Frontline CSBK Inc. will hold a complimentary test day for all 2012 CSBK membership holders.

The event will take place on Thursday June 7, 2012 at Shannonville Motorsports Park on the Pro Track.

The test day will be open to all 2012 CSBK classes including the new Honda CBR250R Challenge spec class.

Schedule: 7:00 AM - Registration Opens 8:00 AM - Technical Inspection Opens 9:00 AM - Track Opens 5:00 PM - Track Closes Pirelli Tire and Fuel service will be available at the test day. Please see the www. csbk.ca forum for updates.

Valentino Rossi Out of Excuses after Qatar Performance Twelfth place in qualifying (just in front of Colin Edwards on his CRT, and last among the manufacturer bikes) followed by tenth place in the race. All this after a full year of development (a year that, in itself, was full of excuses). Valentino Rossi is out of excuses.

Teammate Nicky Hayden fought hard to finish in sixth place, and was full of optimism after the Qatar race. He had a bad start.

The bike will only get better. These were Hayden’s thoughts, and comments.

Rossi is complaining profusely to the Italian media, by contrast. He is quoted as saying his Ducati is unrideable, and his performance at Qatar this year is actually worse than his performance at Qatar last year… his first time on the older Ducati, a bike he had virtually no input on designing.

Sure, things could’ve gone better during the race. At one point, Rossi was essentially pushed off the track, and lost several seconds. His starting position was poor (given his abysmal performance in qualifying), and the machine he is riding is still in the very early stages of its development.

There are at least two massive problems, however. First, Rossi is beginning to consistently lose pace to other Ducati riders, and not just Nicky Hayden. At one point during the race, Rossi was in 12th position, before Karel Abraham retired (on a Ducati), and then Spies drifted backward with handling issues on his Yamaha. In the end, Rossi was beaten not only by Hayden, but by Ducati satellite rider Hector Barbera. Of course, the bikes ridden by Hayden and Barbera have no more development behind them than Rossi’s bike, and Rossi has more support than either of them in terms of staffing and factory attention.

The other major problem is that Rossi appears to be embarking on another season where he will “hope and pray” for a podium, or two. It can be argued quite forcefully that

Rossi is the greatest premier class rider in history, and he is undoubtedly being paid a king’s ransom by Ducati and its sponsors.

Rossi was not hired to “hope and pray” for a podium, he was hired to win races and win championships. After a full year in which his team (including his legendary crew chief Jeremy Burgess) had every opportunity to direct development of the bike, his performance at the opening race is worse than last year.

Does anybody really think Rossi will be beating Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, or Dani Pedrosa anytime soon? At this point, it seems unlikely he would beat any of them all year absent some bad luck on their part, and a race win by Ducati seems unfathomable.

The third problem is that Rossi joined a team that already had a bike that was winning races from time to time under Casey Stoner. A bike that didn’t suit Rossi’s style, apparently, but the fact remains that Stoner could win races, and grab pole positions, with the old bike.

It is my opinion that Rossi will never be the dominant rider he once was. Age eventually robs us all of our youthful skills and fortitude, but the death of close friend Marco Simoncelli cannot be discounted as a factor.

It would be bad enough that Rossi lost his good friend on the same racetrack, but video indicates Rossi’s bike struck Simoncelli’s body during the accident (along with the bike ridden by Colin Edwards), and although everyone knows it was an unavoidable accident, this could clearly be robbing Rossi of concentration on the track.

So the “marriage made in heaven” between the legendary Italian rider and the legendary Italian motorcycle manufacturer has turned into a bit of a disaster. With the strength shown by both Honda and Yamaha so far this year, prospects don’t look good for Ducati or Rossi in the near term.TMT

Hayden to test at Mugello On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, Nicky Hayden will join the Ducati Test Team during the final two days of a three-day test at Mugello, with the goal of making up for time lost during the winter testing season due to injuries incurred at the 2011 Valencia Grand Prix and in a December training incident.

This will give the American the opportu-

nity to carry out set-up tests that he was not able to complete prior to the start of the 2012 season. Hayden will join official test rider Franco Battaini, who is already on track today (Tuesday) as he continues his development work on the GP12.

As usual, these updates will be tried by Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden during future tests.

FOGI Racing Set for Success in Round 2 of Spanish Moto2 Championship Halifax, Nova Scotia - Canadian motorcycle road racing team FOGI Racing is ready for a great weekend in historic Pamplona Spain. The team took advantage of some well deserved testing time at Circuito de Navarra in preparation for round 2 of the CEV Spanish Moto2 championship.

Following the successful testing event at the Navarra circuit last week, rider Tommy Aquino has his goals set squarely on a solid result for round 2 of the Spanish Moto2 series. Backed by Canadian motorcycle racing team FOGI Racing based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia the team is in place to build on their positive experiences from Round 1 at Jerez only three weeks ago and are hoping to have a great finish for round 2 Andrew Murray of FOGI Racing was asked to comment on the upcoming round of the Spanish Moto2 Series, “We have a great team in place for this season, as well as world championship machinery from FTR. This coupled with our recent testing at Navarra we are confident we will have a

strong finish for round 2. We are also very excited to be taking part at this new circuit” FOGI Racing has partnered with motorcycle chassis developer FTR for the past three years. FTR continues to build world championship products used in the Spanish CEV as well as throughout Moto GP paddock.

FTR had a huge start to the MotoGP season in Qatar where they achieved great results; FOGI Racing looks forward to adding to great results for FTR chassis this weekend.

Pamplona, known for its annual running of the bulls is the location for Round 2 of the Spanish Championship at the Navarra circuit. This world class circuit is the newest in Spain and is capable of hosting events at national and international levels.

Follow FOGI Racing on Facebook and Twitter, and live timing at www.cevbuckler. com/en.

Follow us on twitter and join the conversation

17 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

CSBK Announces Spec Fuel for Nationals

Toronto, ON (April 11, 2012) – Frontline CSBK Inc., organizers of Canada’s National motorcycle road racing Championship series, is excited to announce that Sunoco 260 GT Plus will be the spec performance fuel for the upcoming 2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship.

Competitors in both the Professional and Amateur Superbike and Sport Bike classes will have the choice of using either locally available unleaded pump fuel or the new spec Sunoco GT Plus performance fuel. Sunoco is also the current spec fuel supplier in the American National road racing series.

Brooklin Cycle Racing has agreed to be the sole and officially recognized distributor for the Canadian series approved Sunoco 260 GT Plus fuel supply.

Brooklin Cycle Racing will handle transportation and distribution for all CBSK events. A set price for the new spec fuel will be guaranteed for the entire race season. CSBK National Class Champions from each National division will receive a free drum of fuel as one of their rewards for their upcoming Canadian tour success.

“This plan has been a long time coming as we have discussed the move to non-leaded fuel since the late 1990’s,”confirmed CSBK boss Kevin Graham.

“We are really pleased to finally be able to make this announcement.”

“While we are happy to simplify things for our racers and level the playing field, the big issue is one of health, safety and the impact on our environment,” continued former racer Graham. “Everyone involved in CSBK feels strongly about the need to get leaded fuel out of the pits, trailers, dyno rooms and shops.” “There are other obvious benefits, and our guaranteed price will be considerably less than what many of our teams are currently paying for their performance fuels. We think that overall this will be an economical win-win situation for our competitors. If they wish, racers can purchase regular premium pump fuel from their local gas station, or else arrive at each National venue and be guaranteed a supply of appropriate, safe and legal fuel as recognized and sanctioned by the CSBK series.”

The official CSBK series spec Sunoco 260 GT plus fuel will be available shortly through Brooklin Cycle Racing, and teams looking toward pre-season testing should contact Rob Egan at rob.bcracing@gmail.com or call (905) 831–7223.

The 2012 Mopar CSBK Canadian Superbike Championship opens with the official pre-season Test at Shannonville Motorsport Park on Thursday, June 7.

Round one of the Nationals takes place back at Shannonville, June 22-24.

Visit your local Authorized Kawasaki Dealer for more information MotorsportS Pickering 3260 Highway 7 (west of Lakeridge Rd) Pickering 905-620-1171 www.motorsportspickering.com NEW LOCATION

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Cycle One 127 Ingersoll Road, Woodstock 519-421-3333 www.cycleone.ca

TONY’S CYCLE 1768 Bath Road Kingston 613-389-3552 www.tonyscycle.com

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 18

Mr. Merritt goes to Washington

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from page 15... the web last night, so prebooked to make sure I could just drive in, no worries of finding somewhere to stay. Turns out the hotel is nice, like a dorm in fact with a group of buildings all in a cluster, two floors in each building with 6 – 10 rooms.

Mine is like a bachelor apartment. Kitchen with full sized appliances, living room area, bed area off the side with a full bath, and a patio off the bed area. As a matter of fact, I’m sitting here watching the firefly’s buzz around and typing this update. Makes up for the stalling bike.

Mr. Merritt goes to Washington tomorrow….

Day 8; Washington, DC 20 kms Washington has always been one of my favourite cities. There’s no shortage of things to do and see, and anything within the Smithsonian set of attractions (museums, zoo, etc) offer free admission.

I got up this morning around 8:00, made a quick breakfast in the room, and headed out toward the Metro Rail station. It was only about 10 minutes down the road, just a quick jump from the hotel to the station. I still have a lingering concern with the bike though. Even with a full tank of new, clean and high octane gas, the bike was still stuttering a bit. I have a long ride home tomorrow so hopefully that will clean any of the remaining crappy gas out.

I spent the better part of the day checking out the American History Museum which has four floors full of anything that’s defines the heritage that is “America” (including Dorothy’s ruby red shoes, a mock up of the Apollo Theatre, and artifacts from many of the Presidents and First Ladies).

Even outside the walls of the museum, there’s history around every corner of the city itself, not to mention the monuments and landmarks that we see in the movies and TV. What always surprises me when I come to visit is the fact that the White

House is right in the middle of it all...monuments, office buildings, the Capital. Most movies portray the White house as having vast amounts of green space around it, but when you walk up to the fence, you really aren’t that far away and can get a pretty good look at the most famous “house” in the world.

The day was perfect, but he weather is a little more in the normal range for this area this time of year. No more 90 degree days, low 80’s is as high as it got. Checked out the town, had street meat (hot dog) for lunch, and ended up seeing a fair amount of the town. You could spend two weeks here and not be able to take in all Washington has to offer.

Got back to my room and walked two blocks to hit a local Italian joint for an amazing supper. Glad I walked over though, needed to exercise off the impact of those large portions...mangia mangia!

Well, I have about an 8 hour ride ahead of me tomorrow and then I’m home. Keeping my fingers crossed (which, by the way, makes pulling the clutch in somewhat difficult) that the stalling issue on the bike is a thing of the past, but we’ll see. See you tomorrow night!

There it is (in two parts)...the anatomy of a road trip. No agenda, just a destination and the end result was worth it.

Mechanical issues with your bike are always a risk you run when you take off on a trip like this and could cost you down days while they get repaired. I was fortunate in that my trusty iron horse managed to get me all the way home. The techs at my local shop took the tank apart when I got back and found that the fuel filter inside the tank had come loose, it wasn’t an issue with gas at all. Such is life on two wheels.

Bike road trips are always a great idea, but give yourself the freedom to pick a destination and just go. You might just be surprised to see what the open road has in store for you.

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 20

PEOPLE PROFILE

The Iron Sirens

siren: noun |sīrәn| “seductress” • a woman who is considered to be alluring or fascinating but also dangerous in some way.

by BRENT WAKEFORD Contributing Writer, TMT Over the years, women have become more active in the motorcycle community. Not only have they started riding, but more and more are forming riding clubs specifically for women. One woman from London Ontario has done just that. Christina Hopkins; the President and Founder started up The Iron Sirens in November of 2010. She was eager to participate in a women’s riding club that was serious and active. After searching, she did not find anything locally that satisfied her desire and hence moved forward with putting a club together herself.

The group started very small, a few friends who rode and a few women who had googled for riding clubs in the area and stumbled upon the Iron Siren’s website. The spring of 2011

brought together 6 to 8 regular riders who showed up to the weekly rides and organized and participated in weekend rides. By the summer of 2011 the membership grew and the weekly rides attracted more women each week. Word spread very quickly throughout the motorcycle community and interest in their organization continued to grow.

While the President and Vice President roles have been in place since the spring of 2011, the quickly growing membership prompted the decision that fall, to put a formal Officers Team in place. A number of key individuals who participated informally in leadership were offered Officer roles and formalized their participation.

Today they have a very active membership across the province with several interested parties in opening formal chapters (or families as they call them) in several cities. They are

proud to be the first and only women’s club to be members of the Ontario Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs.

They have partnered with the Women’s Community House as their charity and are organizing their first charity ride on August 18th 2012 in support of this initiative.

The most surprising aspect of this group of women comes from the rich culture of inclusiveness, empowerment and acceptance that permeates the organization. There is a genuine camaraderie and sisterhood that unifies their diverse membership which includes every background and profession including truck driver, legal and medical professionals.

New comers are often surprised by the warm welcome and immediate familiarity of their members. Their members are avid motorcyclists with all levels of experience. The experienced riders tend to mentor the new rid-

Subscribe to Win and learn to Ride like the Pros!

Sign up for Ontario Home Delivery of The Motorcycle Times and ‘Like Us” on facebook and you are automatically entered for a chance to win 1 of 4 spots to participate in a Professional Motorcycle Training Course on July 21st, 2012.

RULES: Contest closes Friday June 22/2012 . (4) Winners will be randomly selected from all new subscribers from February 2012 thru June 22/2012. Winners will be announced in the July issue of the Motorcycle Times. Course date/location: Saturday July 21, 2012 - St. Thomas, Ontario. No cash value, prize is non-transferrable. Must be an Ontario resident and have your own motorcycle, proper riding gear and M2 level license to qualify. You must sign a waiver to participate in the course. A full story will follow the event in the August issue of The Motorcycle Times.

ers providing support and encouragement.

Eventually, the new riders are experienced enough to start working with newer riders and so the cycle begins again.

Non-member women are welcome to join their rides and events and the Iron Sirens also have co-ed events a few times per year.

As they approach the 2012 riding season, it promises to be an eventful year for Sirens.

Their membership has doubled since their appearances at the London and Kitchener Motorcycle shows. The Iron Sirens are busy preparing for their monthly events which include rides to Hell Michigan, the Elmhurst Inn and SPA and a Wasaga Beach Women’s Weekend.

For more information, pictures of previous events and members and all the details regarding their charity and rides, check out their website at www.ironsirens.ca

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RIDER’S MARKETPLACE

May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 22

EVENTS Check our new online EVENTS section. Monthly Calendar format with Google Map support and it’s printable. www.themotorcycletimes.ca for the full list of events!

May 4, 2012 - World Wide Female Ride Day Globally synchronized campaign for women riders with the purpose of building awareness, while encouraging women to start riding. Any Where.

May 26, 2012 5th Spring Poker Run Registration 9:30 all kickstands up by 11am., ride leaves and ends at Queen’s Bush Pub 451 10th St., Hanover. $25 to register includes prizes, dinner and entertainment (collect $100 in pledges you get a free limited editon shirt). We travel 200-250km of Grey and Bruce Counties famous roads, four stops where stamps are collected and redeemed for the best poker hand back at the pub, prizes for best poker hand, silent auction, 50/50 draw and entertainment with local band Dirty Mac and dinner. All proceeds go to Big Brothers and Big Sisters and Grey Bruce Literacy. Anita Maahs queensbushpub@yahoo.ca 519-364-6666 or www. queensbushpub.com May 27, 2012 - Toronto The B.A.D Ride 8am Register-Dave & Busters at Hwy 400&7. $75/each rider.

A fun-filled day, starting with a back roads ride and ending up at Markham Fairgrounds for the BBQ, events and music, Motorcycle prize draw. karen@ torontodistresscentre.com, 416-595-1716, www.thebadride.com June 2nd 2012 - Trenton Hero’s Highway Ride C.F.B. Trenton, Hwy. 2 near R.C.A.F. Road, follow the signs.

Registration FREE - just sign a waiver. 8:30-11:15a.m. Ride Departs 11:30. Register at www.heroshighwayride.com.

The route leaves from C.F.B. Trenton to R.C.A.F. Road, north, pass the base before joining the Highway of Heroes to the

our new rally location on the waterfront at Polson Pier. The Heroes Highway Ride is being honoured by Base Command from C.F.B. Trenton.

June 3, 2012 - Bayfield Bayfield’s “ Old Bike Day” 1 Main St, Bayfield, - Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group, Sarnia. 3rd annual at the Clan Gregor Town Square from 10-4pm. No fee, no official judging, no vendors, it’s not a swap-meet. The Albion Hotel, “Best in Show” Award voted on by fellow registered participants. Includes an overnight stay for 2 plus breakfast at the Albion. All make/models of Vintage & Classic bikes welcome. The 1960’s time period of the “Mods & Rockers, Scooters and “Ton-Up” Cafe Racers.

Contact jbaljeu@ebtech.net, 519-336-8756.

June 9, 2012 - Brantford Lansdowne Children’s Centre Brantford & District Civic Centre (69 Market St), Registration at 9am, Ride departs 11am, $30 per Rider/$15 per Passenger (FREE for both when you raise a min of $250 in pledges), Fully police escorted ride that follows over 70 kms of scenic routes through city and country settings. Enjoy breakfast and lunch (included in your registration fee) provided by our friends at Strodes BBQ & Deli. Erin ehelmer@lansdownecc.com, 519-753-3153 x221or www.lansdownecentre.ca/ride.

June 10, 2012 - Waterloo Ride for Autism & Veterans Register 9:30-10:30am., Ride at 10:30am. Wing 404, 510 Dutton Dr, Waterloo. $20/Driver, $10/ Passenger; raise $100 ride for free! Enjoy a scenic ride - road captained by the Gulf-Kuwait Motorcycle Unit - destined for Monkton, ON. Snacks, service dog demos and surprises!

A 50/50 draw, pictures with puppies and win great prizes. lindsay@nsd.on.ca, 519-6234188ext.10, www.nsd.on.ca June 15-17, 2012 Ride For Sight -Orillia The Central Ontario Ride for Sight will be returning to Tud-

GOT AN EVENT?

Send your event listing to: scott@themotorcycletimes.ca

hope Park in Orillia next year.

Raise a minimum of $75 and enjoy the celebrations of the weekend. Live concerts, demo rides, bike games, stunt shows, show n’ shine and of course the traditional motorcycle parade. Online fundraising opens on December 1st and the first 200 people to register and raise the minimum will receive a free Ride for Sight hat.

June 17, 2012 Yellow Ribbon - Base Borden Registration 10;00 to 11:30, Canadian Forces Base Borden Ontario. $20.00 per Rider $5.00 per passenger. Base Borden Motorcycle Club (BBMC) will once again be hosting their annual Yellow Ribbon Ride for Our Deployed Troops and Their Families Back Home.

All proceeds from the ride go directly to the Yellow Ribbon Fund at the Borden Family Resource Centre. This fund supports families of deployed troops from the area, not just Base Borden.The ride will be a lead ride of approximately 100 km ending at The Royal Canadian Legion in Lisle, where there will a BBQ. Contact Kev Parle, pr@bordenriders.ca www.bordenriders.ca June 23, 2012 Muskoka Ride for Diabetes 8am registration, 10am ride departs, return at 4pm, Dinner at 4pm. The Bracebridge Sportsplex 110 Clearbrook Trail. Biker $30, Biker & Steak Dinner $50, Passenger $10, Passenger & Steak Dinner $30, Dinner only $20. Enjoy a full day of motorcycle touring, cruising through the nostalgic towns and hotspots of Muskoka!

Commencing and concluding in the town of Bracebridge this event includes Lunch prepared and served to each rider at The Cottage Waterfront Grill in picturesque Huntsville Muskoka ! Meet back where it all began to enjoy an exquisite Barbecued Steak Dinner! Daryl ph: 705.801.5131 em: darylbeaumont@muskokacharityride.ca, David ph: 705.788.8828 em: davidforbes@muskokacharityride.ca, Walter ph: 705.394.8746 em: waltermurray@muskokacharityride.ca, www.muskokacharityride.ca.

PRIVATE Motorcycle Instruction • Choose Your Lessons • One-on-One Instruction • Skills Refreshment • Slow Speed Riding • Emergency Skills • M2 Exit Skills Practice • Your location, your bike Note: Proper riding gear required, DOT helmet, leather gloves, boots and sturdy jacket. Gear Not supplied.

Call: 905-975-1890 for rates or to reserve your space.

Minimum M1 required to qualify.

Safety Scene CHRIS VAN TILBORG Contributing Writer, TMT

Do As I Say...

Let’s face it, we aren’t perfect. Most of us like to give advice in areas where we feel we excel. Some of us just like to give advice whether we know better or not. Regardless, it is usually given with nothing but good intentions. Unfortunately when it comes to following our own advice, how many of you actually “practice what you preach” 100% of the time?

75% of the time? Less? Now think of someone that could actually benefit from some of your well wished wisdom. How do you think they are going to absorb what you have to say best… simply listening to your advice or actually seeing it in practice?

Motorcycle safety starts with the rider.

The skills we learn from day one will shape the rest of our motorcycling life, long or short as it may be. I’m sure we can all agree that most new riders out there are getting into the sport because they know someone who is already riding be it family member, friend or otherwise. There are however, several people who are doing it completely of their own accord… some young and enthusiastic, some later in years and have just always wanted to. These people will start off on their own but quickly develop friends and acquaintances they feel a common bond with. The point I’m making is that whether you know it or not, there is a good chance you are someone’s two-wheeled mentor. This person is listening to what you have to say and watching every move you make. Don’t screw up! Your habits, good and bad, are going to transfer on to this eager little beaver and will help shape the successes or failures they experience on two wheels.

If there is any chance that you could be someone in this position (PLEASE) try to remember all the GOOD habits you learned in your early days, the safety measures you used to take in bike and gear prep and start to “practice what you preach”. No matter what you say, your protégé will default to what they see you demonstrate. So for their sake and your own good brush off some rust, break out the leather and boots and be vigilant in what you say and do when out on the road.

If you are the ‘eager beaver’ in this scenario do yourself a favor and make your presence known. So many new riders, whether they feel intimidated or are just shy tend to fall back in the crowd and go with the flow. They don’t want to make any waves and they feel that if others know they are newbies it will only attract criticizing eyes. What you need to realize is that as us veterans acquire experience and our skills transform to instinct we tend to become complacent and ride much of our ride

based on expectation. Expectation of what ‘usually’ works… what ‘should’ happen… and this leaves room for bad habits to manifest. The person (or people) you are riding with WANT to make you a better, safer rider for everyone’s sake. If they don’t realize that you are watching and absorbing from them, they will unknowingly be passing on their not so safe practices to you. So in an effort to make things easier for you, make your presence known as a newbie to all you ride with.

If anything, it should at least give you fewer bad habits to sift through as you evaluate the ride. Also, just because ‘they’ are doing it, doesn’t mean you have to. If you’ve taken a Motorcycle Safety Course, you already have the basic toolkit to stay safe. Use it!

The value of taking a Motorcycle Safety Course cannot be overstated. Whether you are new to riding, new to the street, back into riding or even a seasoned pro, there is a course designed for you. Heck, they even have a course for you offroaders! Although the fundamentals of motorcycle safety are fairly steadfast, many ideas are always evolving. So even if you’ve taken a course but it was many moons ago, a refresher course could be right up your alley. You will be surprised at all the valuable tips and guidelines you acquire that may seem like common sense but had never been laid out in front of you. We as instructors have a wealth of knowledge to pull from to see and correct any concerning habits you may never have known you had. We can also explain to you ‘why’ one way is better than another… something few untrained riders can clearly communicate.

So to sum up…

New Rider • Take a course. Practice everything you learn.

• Make your ‘newbie’ status known to those you ride with and anyone from whom you seek advice.

• Keep in mind that just because someone you are following has been riding a long time, that doesn’t mean they know better.

Veterans • Take a course. You WILL learn something.

• Someone is watching you so give them every opportunity to learn good habits from you.

And finally…

• Do as YOU say… new riders will ignore what you say if they see you doing something else.

Always FREE?

Yes, you can always get your issue FREE at your favorite dealer in Ontario. or Subscribe today at: themotorcycletimes.ca

23 – The Motorcycle Times, May 2012

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May 2012, The Motorcycle Times – 24