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Daytripping Nova Scotia
Hitting The Dirt
Spyder ST-S
Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse…it did. We were faced with another 20% uphill grade but this time it was in soft sand. Facepalm!
People gawking at you or engaging you in a conversation of 20 questions the moment you stop – anywhere...
Well, was I surprised. That flat seaside community was no where to be found.
Chief Revealed at Sturgis Historical ties between bike and rally makes this unveil an extra special event
Most likely, by the time you are reading this, the 2014 Indian Chief will have already made its grand entrance at the 73rd annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally at the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. The unveiling of the 2014 Indian Chief will feature live music, celebrity appearances including Mike Wolfe of History’s “American Pickers”TV show, interviews with Indian Motorcycle
team members, a multimedia tribute to Indian Motorcycle’s history and more. It’s only fitting that Sturgis was chosen as the place to unveil the new Chief since the bike and the rally have historical ties to one another. “The Sturgis Rally was started in 1936 by the local Indian Motorcycle club, the Jackpine Gypsies, and has grown to become the world’s
largest motorcycle rally, drawing riders from across the globe.” said vice president of Polaris Motorcycles Steve Menneto. “Our team has put their hearts and souls into the design and development of the 2014 Indian Chief. Sturgis is the perfect place to unveil the next generation of Indian motorcycles and share the message that choice in American motorcycling is finally here in the form of the stunning
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new Indian Chief.” The company also announced a weeklong schedule of events designed to introduce riders to the new Indian Chief. The Chief will enter the market with a starting price tag of $18,999 More information is available at the official Indian Motorcycle website www.indianmotorcycle.com.
August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 2
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3 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
Police Biker Clubs.
Are they Hurting the Credibility of Law Enforcement? Zusha Elinson, journalist at the Wall Street Journal, wrote the following article regarding he proliferation of Police Biker Clubs and the incidents which they have been involved possibly hurting all the law enforcement credibility. Prosecutors are considering criminal charges against four members of the Iron Brotherhood motorcycle club for their roles in a Christmas time bar brawl in Prescott, Ariz., that sent one man to the hospital. Their nicknames are Tarzan, Mongo, Guido and Top Gun. They rode Harley Davidson motorcycles, wore vests decorated with skulls and some allegedly carried knives and brass knuckles. Their day jobs were police chief, county sheriff’s sergeant, police officer and paramedic. An increasing number of police officers are forming motorcycle clubs, and hundreds now exist nationwide, according to experts on motorcycle gangs. Gang investigators fear that such clubs, some of which have the trappings of outlaw biker groups, can hurt the credibility of law enforcement and undermine criminal cases brought against traditional gangs. “In the last 15 years I would say that we’ve probably seen a tenfold increase in these clubs,” said Terry Katz, vice president of the International Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association, who works for the Maryland State Police. “The first ones were pretty straightforward. They were family-oriented clubs. What we see now as a trend is biker by night and cop by day.” The growth of such groups worries some law-enforcement officials because of the rowdy and violent behavior that sometimes goes on. In South Dakota, for instance, prosecutors charged a Seattle police detective who was a
member of a group called the Iron Pigs with shooting and injuring a Hells Angels biker in a 2008 brawl between the clubs. The charges were later dropped. This year, the police chief in Melrose Park, Ill., a Chicago suburb, disbanded a police motorcycle club called the Reapers whose members had allegedly been in a bar fight. “If this is not addressed, you’re going to continue to have these issues like you have in Arizona,” said David “Vito” Bertocchini, a retired detective who investigated motorcycle gangs in California. “If these guys were dressing as street-gang members and they had red rags hanging out their pockets, would this be tolerated? Absolutely not.” In the courts, defense attorneys seek to torpedo charges against alleged gang members by arguing they are no different than police motorcycle clubs. Jorge Gil-Blanco, a retired San Jose police officer and expert witness, said the issue “muddies the water for juries.” He adds, “I shouldn’t have to sit there and justify this type of behavior.” Members of police clubs say the concern is overblown. The Blue Knights, a law-enforcement club with more than 20,000 members around the world, was formed to raise money for charities and ride bikes with fellow officers and families, said D.J. Alvarez, international vice president. “We try to maintain a positive appearance,” he said. “We promote motorcycle safety, we involve families and we’re not discriminative,” he added. The national board of directors for the Iron Brotherhood didn’t respond to requests for comment, but on its website appeared to distance itself from the Arizona bar fight, denouncing “any behavior by its members that would reflect negatively
on our club or our profession as law-enforcement officers.” The board said what was known as the Whiskey Row Chapter in Prescott no longer exists. The fight broke out Dec. 22 last year at Moctezuma’s Bar in Prescott, where members of the Iron Brotherhood had gathered for their Christmas party. A patron approached Bill “Tarzan” Fessler, president of the Iron Brotherhood chapter and the police chief of neighboring Prescott Valley, and either grabbed his vest or asked about the club’s patch, according to witness accounts in a report released by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A melee ensued and a security guard observed an Iron Brotherhood member “pounding” someone’s face, the report said. Investigators concluded that the man, who was treated for a possible broken nose, and another patron were hit. State investigators recommended assault charges against two Iron Brotherhood members, obstruction-of-justice charges against Mr. Fessler and another member of the club, and disorderly conduct charges against the patron.
A spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said prosecutors were reviewing the recommendations, but have yet to decide on filing criminal charges. Yavapai County Sheriff’s personnel board recently recommended terminating three employees who were members of the club. “I know the badge has been tarnished, and we will work relentlessly to regain the community’s full trust and confidence,” said Yavapai County Sheriff Scott Mascher. The Hells Angels, which has been labeled a dangerous criminal organization by federal authorities, though its members dispute the characterization, also weighed in on the incident. The local chapter expressed its disapproval to a local news site and challenged the Iron Brotherhood to a boxing match. The Brotherhood didn’t take up the offer. “[The boxing challenge] was really kind of to stand up to these guys,” said Michael Koepke, vice president of the Yavapai County Hells Angels chapter, who last year had charges stemming from a 2010 shootout dismissed. “They give a bad name to motorcycle clubs.”
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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 4
TwoCents opinion The Motorcycle Times is published 11 times a year from Feb thru December.
SCOTT MACDONALD Editor, The Motorcycle Times
A Mixed Bag of Frustration Well, here we are in August. It feels like just last week I was hoping to get the bike out for my first ride. Actually, that’s not too far from the truth. I am a bit frustrated this season, I spent one warm Saturday back in May or June – it’s all a blur now, getting my bike and my wife’s bike ready for the season. Got the oil changes done and adjusted this and that. I picked up a set of ‘quick release’ saddle bag brackets while in Florida this past May, so I installed them too. In the end, I parked the bikes in their garage and for the most part, there they have sat. Apart from literally a hand full of local evening rides, I haven’t even gone far enough to burn through a full tank of gas. How pathetic is that? It’s not like the weather hasn’t been decent, it’s just that our schedules haven’t allowed us to enjoy riding this year. Between preparing this newspaper for press time, travel demands and the arrival of a new grandchild, our bikes have all but been retired this summer. Just to get a bit of riding in, we planned a trip to Nova Scotia ad were going to trailer the bikes east, but go figure, the week we were to travel forecasted rain each of the days we’d been in Halifax. Needless to say, the bikes stayed put as we went on our way. The frustrating part about that trip was that until the very last second, literally just before I pulled out of the driveway, I was still undecided if we should chance it and just take the bikes. Well, go figure, the forecast was right on the money, for the most part. We did get rain at
some point each day that we were on the East coast, but not what we expected. In fact, most of our touring was done outside the Greater Halifax area and the whole time away from Halifax the sky’s were a beautiful shade of blue with barely a trace of any clouds with a temperature hovering between 23 to 29 degrees each day. Next time, the bikes are coming with me regardless of what the meteorologist has to say. On another issue all together, is it just me, or does the stranglehold insurance companies have on us not bother anyone else. I was reviewing the rates I have to pay for all the things I need to insure. Everything is under one policy which includes my daily driver, a vintage car that gets driven a dozen times a year during summer days – and that’s a stretch, two motorcycles and the house. The problem I have is that their rationale concerning my daily driver and our vintage car is that since there are two drivers in the house, each must be a primary driver of one of those vehicles. Fine, I would agree with them if both cars were late model vehicles, but with a vintage car that never sees rain or snow or even temperatures below 15°C it just doesn’t compute with me. I’m sorry that’s retarded! Not to mention that the same rationale is applied to our motorcycles and that rather than having a blanket policy which transfers to whatever vehicle I am driving at that specific time, I have to pay full premiums on both bikes too – and like you, for the full year.
Just bend me over and tell me when you’re done, thank you very much. How can I ride a motorcycle and drive my truck and a vintage car, all at the same time? I know it’s a cash grab, you know it’s a cash grab and they know it’s a cash grab. It’s not like you can take your business and shop it around cause they are all the same. Yeah, maybe you’ll get a good rate on your bike with agent ‘Orange,’ but he’ll stick it to you on something else when you’re not looking. When it all boils down, the few big underwriters, and trust me, your money ends up in the accounts of one of them, only care about profit. Make sure this year out performs last year. Let me ask, how much is enough? Last year alone saw Canadian insurance companies take you for 4.4 billion dollars in profits, that’s up by 24% by the way. Not a bad return in a slow economy eh? No matter what you or I do, make a claim or not, insurance rates will continue to go up cause 4.4 billion will not be enough next year. The worst part is that we all know these facts, but do nothing about it. Instead as honest hard working people we try our damnedest not to have a claim even if we are entitled while some abuse the system and get paid enormous sums of money. At the very least we all should be arguing, no, demanding some sort of insurance reform that is fair to everyone and takes into account that you can only drive one vehicle at a time. Ride Smart,
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SKID MARKS is the place to let it all hang out, not literally. Have an outrageous picture of a friend and want to share it with everyone, recommend a road, get your scars out, SKID MARKS is the place to let it all hang out, not literally. share some toppicture tips or just onoutrageous about something Have an funny of a blather friend, an picture, funny. Watch our website, we’ll be posting the goodtips. stuff... recommend a road, get your scars out, share some for the world to see.and we’ll be posting the good stuff for Watch our website the world to see.
Email editor@themotorcycletimes.ca--Subject: Subject:SKID SKIDMARKS. MARKS. Email to:to: readers@themotorcycletimes.ca
Crash in turn six, gives the lead back to Alonzo
Hans, bravely scouts for the lego invasion force advancing from the north with his binoculars. Ralph, Victor and his passenger Kraus immediatly escape on their motorcycles to a safe house to the east where they will regroup and organize a rescue mission to return Hans to safety.
Mittens and Emily heading out for a nice ride in the country.
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Acres away from Lazy wind. et g r ei th e ak am the Murray and Edn e, and throwing caution to ag ill V t en Retirem
Nice bobber. And the bike is cool too.
My muddah? No, yo Muddah!
Are we done here?
s ime cle T orcy t o M The
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Ya never know, maybe there’s a hidden Woodward or Bernstien in you somewhere. ExtraExtra.indd 1
12-05-30 2:24 PM
** Price shown is not applicable in Quebec. Always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing, and please respect the environment when riding. Obey the law and read your owner’s manual thoroughly. Honda recommends taking a motorcycle rider training course. Applicable taxes, licence, insurance, dealer administration fees (if applicable) and registration are extra. Dealer may sell for less. Dealer order/trade may be necessary. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. Offer valid from August 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013. See your participating dealer or visit honda.ca for details.
e Motorcycle Times,Times, August2013 5 – The Motorcycle August 2013
SKID MARKS SKID MARKS THE REAL WORLD
e Motorcycle Times , June 2010
THE REAL WORLD
TalkTimes Ducati’s dedicated exhaust for 1199 Panigale The new 2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale promises quite a stir once it will hit the roads, thanks to its lighter construction, powerful engine and racing heritage. And to make things even more interesting, Akrapovic has announced a dedicated exhaust for this awesome bike. With the standard Panigale losing almost 10 kg/ 22 lbs for the 3012 season and stripping down to 163.7 kg/ 361.5 lbs, it already shames the rest of the bikes in its class. The new ehxaust system will be ready in November and it will comply to the
FIM noise regulations. Furthermore, this Akrapovic aftermarket exhaust will also sport a noise-reduction insert allowing for an even lower noise level to be attained. Akrapovic notes the Panigale exhaust will be a Titanium Evolution Line on and will weigh approximately 6 kg/ 13 lbs. If you’re planning to get a Panigale and are looking to endow your bike with increased power and better sound, while at the same time making it lighter, the new Akrapovic exhaust is your thing. Prices to be announced around release date.
Yamaha has revealed a new parallel twin engine that carries on the ‘crossplane’ thinking of its R1 engine and the new MT09’s triple. The firm is building a whole line of motors around the crossplane concept, and this is the latest, revealed in an event in Japan. Details are virtually non-existent. We don’t even know the capacity of the motor yet, although it looks like it’s between 500cc and 1000cc, given its external proportions in comparison to the MT-09’s 850cc triple, photographed alongside it. Of course, the whole ‘crossplane’ is slightly diluted by both the triple and the
twin. While the R1’s engine is quite innovative, replicating the power delivery of a V4, the MT-09, with its 120-degree crankshaft, is quite conventional for a triple. True, the crankshaft isn’t flat-plane, but it’s not as unusual as the R1’s design. On a twin, the same idea surely relates to a 270-degree crankshaft, imitating the power delivery of a 90-degree V-twin. That’s the arrangement Yamaha already uses on the TDM900 and the Super Tenere parallel twins, so this new design isn’t likely to be as ground-breaking. However, it bodes well for a new Yamaha, or even a range of them, potentially rivalling Honda’s new CB500 line-up.
30”Wheel off Production Line
Rick’s Motorcycles of Baden-Baden, Germany, announces they are going for the TUV certification for their newest, biggest and “insanest” custom rim: the 30” wheel, the next in line after their recently-homologated 23” and 26” pieces. They’ve already built a prototype Harley-Davidson with this wheel and will bring it to Rome, Italy, for the H-D 110th
anniversary, for public display and the amazement of the present custom bikes enthusiasts, for sure. The 30” wheel is CNC machined from billet aluminium and Rick’s Motorcycles claims it offers almost the same stock trail when combined with a 5-7-degree triple tree on a Harley-Davidson. Prices and US availability to be disclosed soon.
Helmet with Heads Up Display Reevu’s development engineers have invented and built another World’s first “Intelligent” EYE Helmet device. The compact Multiple Reflective Optical Systems. M.R.OP.S was the invention that allows a functioning Helmet that can deliver information without eye strain or unnecessary distraction to the wearer. “Being able to integrate mobile communication systems in the form of a heads up display overcomes a number of issues in relation to the environment that a helmet inhabits.
Noise is an issue that visual electronic Data overcomes and we have Invented, not only a functioning product but a product that has passed most of the World’s international standards, the invention can be used by a number of helmet wearer’s, an example is diagnostic engine Data or GPS capability, while the current product is for the motorsports sector further products are on the drawing board using the invention” Markus S. Engineering team leader.
Harley-Davidson posts 2nd Quarter Earnings
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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 6
Yamaha commits to ‘Crossplane’
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE: HOG) second-quarter 2013 diluted earnings per share increased 13.1% on higher motorcycle shipments and continued gains in operating efficiencies, compared to the year-ago period. Second-quarter net income was $271.7 million on consolidated revenue of $1.79 billion, compared to net income of $247.3 million on consolidated revenue of $1.73 billion in the year-ago period. Second-quarter 2013 diluted earnings per share were $1.21, compared to $1.07 in the year-ago quarter. Through six months, Harley-Davidson net income was $495.9 million on consolidated revenue of $3.37 billion, compared to net income of $419.3 million on consolidated revenue of $3.16 billion in the year-ago period. Six-month 2013 diluted earnings per share were $2.20, compared to $1.81 in the year-ago period. “Harley-Davidson again drove strong financial performance in the second quarter, reflecting the many improvements in operations we have made throughout the Company over the past few years as well as our brand strength globally,” said Keith Wandell, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. “Our employees, dealers and suppliers continue to do an outstanding job, working as one team and moving in one direction, to deliver a great experience for our customers,” Wandell said. Retail Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Sales Dealers worldwide sold 90,193 new HarleyDavidson motorcycles in the second quarter of 2013, compared to 85,714 motorcycles in the year-ago quarter. In the U.S., dealers sold 58,241 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the quarter, up 4.4% compared to the year-ago period. In international markets, unit sales were up 12.3% in the Asia Pacific region, 39.2% in the Latin America region, and 3.6% in Canada. Through six months, dealers sold 144,447 new Harley-Davidson motorcycles worldwide, compared to 145,391 motorcycles in the year-ago period, with retail unit sales up 11.9% in the Asia Pacific region, 22.8% in the Latin America region and 2.4% in Canada, and down 2.7% in the U.S. compared to the first half of 2012. The Company believes first-half U.S. retail sales were adversely impacted by a prolonged and abnormally cool and wet spring in 2013.
OCC returns to the small screen Despite filing for bankruptcy with their merchandise operation, Orange County Choppers are planning to begin production of a new TV series with another network. And before the camera starts rolling, it looks like they’re in need of fresh blood to help Mr. Teutul Sr. So they started searching for new team members. A recent press release states that the positions are full-time both on and off the camera, so they’re looking for guys who really want to work with Orange County Choppers. OCC has not forwarded a list of required skills in the motorcycle world, but they however mention the new guys should “know the world of choppers, be outgoing, fun and think they can withstand Seniors’ onslaught when he’s angry”, as some of the valuable assets. On another note: It looks like ‘chef’ Paul Teutul Sr. of Orange County choppers decided to lend the company name to a new restaurant scheduled to open this summer in Newburgh, New York. The Orange County Choppers Roadhouse will be able to provide more than 325 people with food, drinks, live music and access to a OCC shop. Additionally, every Thursday night will
be “American Chopper” night, with new episodes of the popular reality show being aired live. The new restaurant, however, is being developed under license by Advent Entertainment, who will own and operate Orange County Choppers Roadhouse. Otherwise it would have probably been called “Chez Teutul”... “American Chopper’ is one of the most popular reality shows in the world, and we are creating an international entertainment, leisure and lifestyle brand to be enjoyed by people of all ages, food and beer aficionados, concert-goers, motorcycle enthusiasts, sports fans and night-life revelers,” said Mark Advent, founder and chairman, Advent Entertainment. The menu, created by Chef Christopher Lee, will serve tasty meals like custom burgers, traditional macaroni and cheese, pizza and many of the Chef’s surprise Orange County Choppers Roadhouse customized culinary creations. “I am a huge fan of Orange County Choppers and have watched the TV show since it started,” said Chef Lee. “I love the idea of creating a broad menu which has mass appeal for this exciting entertainment and leisure driven concept.”
7 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013 Victory and Victory Motorcycles are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet. Eye protection and wear protective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never rider under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Copyright 2013 Polaris Industries Inc.
August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 8
the west breeze MARISSA BAECKER Contributing Writer - TMT
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I don’t know about the East but drivers out West are in major need of a road education on how to look, listen and share the road with motorcycles. The mentality of the average British Columbian is that only vehicles have rights on the road and bikes are second-rate traffic citizens. In the Okanagan Valley, summer-time temperatures soar to 40+ degrees and when you are on a bike, dressed in full riding gear, sitting in traffic will burn more calories than a Bikram Yoga class. One instance in particular I recall was returning to the city from an early morning ride and being stuck at the lights trying to turn left onto the highway. Temperatures were soaring around 102F at 3 p.m. and after standing still for two sets of lights, I decided I was either going melt into a puddle of leather and potentially pass out waiting to turn left or I could do something about it to get that wind flowing and cool down. What most drivers don’t realize or perhaps least appreciate about motorcycles is the ability we have on bikes to accelerate and be gone long before a driver gets their foot pushing the pedal past 30 km/hr. I watched the traffic light and as it was about to turn orange, I pulled out of the left turn lane, rode the centre lane to the lights just as it turned red and then walked my bike in front of the first car turning left. You can imagine the reaction. I received several hand gestures, a honk of the horn to which I simply looked back and wondered how the passengers in that car were enjoying their air conditioning. What they didn’t know is what all riders know. My presence in front of them wouldn’t matter as I would be long gone before they made the corner. This was a situation of survival on a bike – overheating, dehydration, getting the wind flowing and bringing the body temperature down. My solution worked and I was long gone before that driver made the corner. If you ask me if I would do it again and risk getting a ticket – absolutely. We do what we have to do to stay alive on a bike and we each know our own limits behind the bars. Recently, I went to California. Los Angeles is one of the most congested traffic centers in North America and I feared having to navigate my way through LA on a bike loaned to me by Ducati North America. My only saving grace was that I had a personal GPS named Mike on a Multistrada as I followed on my Hyperstrada and together we made our way to the Pacific Coast Highway and headed for Monterey, the Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca and the MotoGP. I am aware of the LA law regarding lane splitting but admit I have never taken advantage of the rule. The fear of some disgruntled driver or
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As I set up my tent in the rain I asked myself, “What could I have possibly done to avoid this?”
I never really gave much thought to bad habits and didn’t even know I had them.
We play with risk, or should I say, with risk assessment, every time that we ride.
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Introducing the 2014 all new CTX Series—the CTX700N and the CTX700T. The first in a new family of future CTX models to come. Honda introduced a number of terrific new bikes in 2013, and now they’re carrying the momentum forward with even more innovative models that will continue to meet the lifestyle
of today’s customer. The new models are not only exciting in concept but have attentiongrabbing good looks and are fun to ride. CTX stands for Comfort, Technology and eXperience—a rider experience that’s unique to these machines because of new Honda technologies that focus on class-leading com-
fort, easy-to-operate features and versatility. These first CTX machines share the same innovative design as the NC700 Series and place a premium on lightweight handling thanks in part to a low center of gravity, ergonomics that translate into day-long comfort and distinctive urban roadster styling.
CTX700T (with ABS) The open road has never looked more inviting than when you’re rolling along on the all new 2014 Honda CTX™700. Made for travel with an efficient fairing and windscreen up front, the CTX700 boasts features that make it an ideal see p.3
passenger opening a door just to prove a point was sitting at the forefront of my thoughts. The California Highway Patrol defines the term lane splitting: sometimes known as lane sharing, filtering or white-lining, refers to the process of a motorcyclist riding between lanes of stopped or slower moving traffic or moving between lanes to the front of traffic stopped at a traffic light. There are rules like not riding faster than 10 mph than the rest of the traffic or splitting when traffic if flowing faster than 30 mph and there is a motto called the “Four R’s of Lane Splitting – Be Reasonable, Be Responsible, Be Respectful and be aware of Roadways.” There are also offences and punishments for non-cooperative drivers Heading out of LA for the coast, moments of grid-lock was unavoidable and as much as I was admiring that California sun, it was packing a punch beneath my gear. Having never had the opportunity to take advantage of lane splitting before, I wondered when the opportune moment was to try it out for myself. Other riders were going by – seasoned lane splitters I imagined but coming from an area of the continent where I am certain the term ‘road rage’ was born, I wasn’t making a move. The decision was made for me as Mike began to edge his way to the dotted line and I followed like a newborn duckling trying not to lose its mother as she headed out of the nest for the water the first time. To say I was nervous, was an understatement as I am wired a bit too tight to begin with. I could almost hear the harps as the traffic on the right moved over and then the traffic on the left followed suit, making our dotted line escape wider. Heading into Monterey Friday afternoon of race weekend, we eased through what seemed like three miles of asphalt at a cautionary pace but kept the wind flowing through our leathers. Again, we were gone off the lights before anyone had time to complain and no driver was worse for wear as a result. No one even hand gestured us – in fact quite the opposite – the drivers we were between admired the bikes. Monterey was a sea of motorcycles and two wheels definitely out-numbered four – yet everyone got along in traffic just fine. From what I can find, California seems to be the only state that allows lane splitting and although I have not researched the statistics of traffic incidents directly related to the privilege, I have questioned the rationale behind the restriction of the law in the rest of the country and Canada. As riders, have you ridden in California and taken advantage of the lane splitting law? Are you in favour of enacting lane splitting laws in your own backyard? What do you think? To split or not to split – that is the question!
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9 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
World’s first motorcycle usage-based insurance This Pilot Program Partnership with SGI Will Enable UBI program for Motorcycles Baseline Telematics is creating the first pilot program in the world to offer a Pay-As-YouDrive and Pay-How-You-Drive insurance coverage to motorcyclists in Western Canada. SGI would be the first in the world to use telematics for motorcycles. Often called Usage-Based Insurance or UBI, Baseline Telematics has already a unique solution it offers Canadian insurers so they can use telematics devices in vehicles to record driving information, such as speed, braking, mileage and driving location in order to determine the risk of a claim associated with a vehicle. Baseline Telematics has already assisted several “early adopter” insurers take advantage of the benefits of the quickly evolving telematics based insurance trend. The Baseline Telematics’ technology provides a turn-key insurance telematics solution and the fastest implementation available in the market. The Baseline solution possesses its own integrated Policy Administration System that runs in a hosted Cloud-based environment. The solution is extremely affordable, and sold as a monthly per-policy-in-effect service. It is already in use and is proven to provide significant improvements in combined loss ratio, lower customer acquisition cost, increase customer retention and decrease ongoing customer service costs. However, using this unique solution for motorcycles will be a first in the world. Baseline Telematics is partnering with SGI to implement a pilot program for several hundred Saskatchewan motorcycle riders to volunteer to have a telematics device installed on their bikes. The primary purpose is information gathering only and the pilot could begin this riding season, pending on the availability of the volunteers, devices and installation. “We are proud to have been chosen to work in close collaboration with SGI on this project” said Paul-André Savoie, President of Baseline Telematics. “Our UBI programs have already proven to attract better drivers and improve the driving abilities of all drivers. This project pushes our abilities into new markets in great need of lower insurance rates and improved combined loss ratios. Over 60% of motorcycle accidents are single vehicle, occur in daylight, on dry roads, while cornering. This trial will provide unprecedented information which will allow SGI to develop very innovative, cost effective and fairer insurance products” “We heard loud and clear from the motorcycle community that most motorcyclists are safe, responsible riders,” said Andrew Cartmell, President and CEO of SGI. “Usage-based insurance provides the opportunity to recognize and reward these riders. It will also help promote safe driving habits among new riders, ultimately benefitting all road users in the province.” Find all the information regarding this pilot project at www.sgipilot.ca.
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Daytripping Nova Scotia Stimulation for all your Senses.
by SCOTT MACDONALD Contributing Writer - TMT
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Clockwise Top Right: The Warf, Downtown Halifax; Bearley’s Blues and Ribs, Halifax; Lighthouse Peggys Cove; Fog rolling in Scotts Bay; The Cabot Trail; Halls Harbour
For years family and friends have been urging me to take an east-coast vacation. Finally, after years of coaxing, I decided to take to the road and visit our eastern shores. Nova Scotia was my destination with Halifax being the hub from which my wife and I would daytrip each day. Before leaving, I tried to imagine what Nova Scotia would be like. I imagined a flat seaside community with boats and water. Not very exciting, if you ask me. Many have said it’s like going to Scotland but I’ve never been there either. I didn’t want to see it from someone else’s point of view, so I decided not to investigate it on the internet, and just experience it for myself. Since my main interests lie in architecture, landscape and people, I wanted to see just what Nova Scotia had that would interest me. Well, was I surprised. That flat seaside community was no where to be found. As far as the eye could see rolling majestic hills adorned with rocks like a King’s crown; lush expansive unspoiled forests, varied architectural settlements sprinkled throughout the landscape, charming fishing villiages along the seaside, candy coloured houses from a story book and diverse culture from the Scottish, Italians, Dutch, French, Greeks and Romans as far back as the 1750s’. What a beautiful place to experience. You really
need a couple of weeks to take in all that Nova Scotia has to offer. I’m sure I only saw a smidgeon of Nova Scotia, so I think there will be several more trips in my future. Nova Scotia is a place where making a wrong turn takes on a whole new meaning, so throw away your map. It’s an exercise in stimulation for every one of your senses. Hitting the roads out of Halifax offers travellers glimpses of famous sites like Peggy’s Cove plus gorgeous but less heralded spots like Cape Split and Blue Rocks. Centrally located in downtown Halifax, the Atlantica Hotel provided quick and easy local access as well as direct routes to the province’s outbound highways. Navigating Nova Scotia turned out to be an easy task. There are only a few major highways that encompass the province with north-south links for convenience. Most of the sights that Nova Scotia is famous for are typically located along its coastal perimeters, so driving times can be minimized. Secondary and rural roads make up the rest of the road network. South Shore The Southern Shore of Nova Scotia, a.k.a. the “lighthouse trail” or highway 3, takes you along winding shoreline in and out of some of the most beautiful coves and harbours you will ever see. Heading west outbound from Halifax along highway 3, our first stop is the famous
Peggy’s Cove on the eastern point of St. Margaret’s Bay. A once active fishing village with the province’s oldest working lighthouse, this picturesque burg is dominated by unusual rocks that were formed more than 400-million years ago. The quaint village, supported mostly by tourism, is surrounded by colourful but weathered homes overlooking the small working hub where the catch of the day is still lobster. A few twisty kilometres west of Peggy’s Cove is the monument recognizing the Swiss Air flight 111 tragedy. The monument pinpoints the crash site and recognizes those who lost their lives and the fishermen and volunteers who assisted search and rescue efforts. Moving further westward, along some of the best motorcycling roads in Canada, we stopped in Mahone Bay. This postcardperfect maritime town combines centuryold architecture with modern-day amenities. The main street is lined with romantic bistros, eclectic specialty shops and three famous churches. Lunenburg, with its hilly terrain and colourfully painted shops and houses, is home to the famous Bluenose II schooner. The town’s German heritage has been maintained and has influenced the architecture of many business and homes. Lunenburg is still a strong fishing and shipbuilding town with many ties to the past and as a result, the town of Lunenburg has been designated by
the Canadian government as a place of National Historical Significance. Just a seven-km drive away lies a sleepy little cove known as Blue Rocks. We discovered this gem by chance on our way out of Lunenburg. At low tide, the scenery is spectacular with dark rocks and contrasting golden seaweed growing on the surface. Blue Rocks once flourished with fishermen, and today it is home to many local artists and guesthouses. It’s also known to be one of the best kayaking spots on the South Shore. North Shore, Bay of Fundy Travelling outbound on Hwy. 102 from Halifax we exited onto Hwy. 101 towards Windsor. Our goal was to experience the Bay of Fundy’s incredible beauty and significant tidal changes. Exiting northward towards Canning, our destination was Scott’s Bay and Cape Split. Reaching the summit of the mountain range via Gospel Woods Road, a lookout offers visitors a chance to appreciate the beauty of the Annapolis Valley region. Continuing north, we reach Scott’s Bay. The best time to experience the bay is during low tide around 2:30 pm. The dramatic tidal drop reveals a foreign sea-floor landscape. If you continue to Cape Split, you will be able to park and take the hiking trail to see the narrow straits. Reaching the strait is a fair hike – approximately 16 km – and
Cape Breton Connected only by the Canso Causeway, Cape Breton is Nova Scotia’s eastern island. Famous for its spectacular Cabot Trail, Cape Breton is also home to a unique Celtic culture and heritage that dates back more than 200 years. The Cape offers visitors a variety of activities to see and do. Notable attractions are the Fortress of Louisburg, the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site of Canada and the Glenora Distillery, home to North America’s only single-malt whisky distillery. To reach the Cabot Trail, follow the signs once over the Canso Causeway to the eastern route that will take you clockwise around the island and connect up with the Cabot trail at Margaree Forks, just north of Inverness. Before you need to make that decision be sure to stop in Mabou County for a short visit and experience the beautiful beaches and mountainous scenery tucked away in a picturesque valley. Once you reach Margaree Forks, you will need to decide if you can invest the remaining three-hour drive around the top of the Cape – and be sure to top off the gas tank. It’s difficult to sum up the Nova Scotia experience in a single story and even tougher if you have limited time. We experienced as much as we could in the five days we had – taking the advice from some of the many locals had a lot to do with our incredible experience. Greater Halifax Halifax is divided into halves with a large international harbour nestled in the middle. Dartmouth on the eastern side is more of a bedroom community than its sister Halifax to the west. Halifax includes most of the big-city must-haves like a typical urban downtown, tall commercial buildings and trendy nightspots. Halifax harbour is home to the Canadian Atlantic Fleet. The downtown waterfront became a favourite place of ours. Buzzing with vendors, cafes, restaurants and even a casino, artisans and museums also make the harbourfront their home, adding to the diversity and appeal of this area. Be sure to visit the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and take a self-guided tour to gain insight into Halifax’s important role in both world wars and learn how Halifax rebuilt itself from the cataclysmic munitions ship explosion in the harbour that wiped out much of the downtown core back in 1917. While in Dartmouth, a must-visit restaurant is Cheese Curds. Trained chef Bill Pratt has taken the gourmet hamburger and poutine to the next level. If upscale dining is what you seek, there are more than enough extraordinary restaurants in the downtown core to satisfy any culinary craving. TMT If you want to plan your visit: destinationhalifax.com or Novascotia.com Accommodations: atlanticahotelhalifax.com
11 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
should be taken with caution. But the reward is a view of one of the province’s most famous rock formations. Head back on Old Gospel Road and follow the signs to East Halls Harbour Road. Turning right takes you into Halls Harbour. The steep road winds its way down to the shores to the most beautiful working harbour on the North Shore. Stop and enjoy lunch in the restaurant where the specialty is the lobster roll, but if you wish, you can purchase lobsters by the pound and experience a real maritime feast overlooking the fishing vessels tied up. Continuing on to Brow of Mountain Road, there are many more small harbours along the north shore to discover. Heading west on Hwy. 101, you will continue through the Annapolis Valley and into Digby. Here, take advantage of whale-watching tours, and before you leave, make sure you get to sample the famous Digby scallops from one of the restaurants that line Water Street.
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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 12
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An Era of Inspiration I first caught an early episode of Cafe’ Racer TV and thought “That’s me! That’s my style.” Because I am big into Rockabilly music. I love the whole 1940’s - 1950’s period. The clothes, the hair, the music. That all inspires me. I love the vintage bikes because of the simplicity of them. They didn’t have to have the new fangeled electronics. Pure basic machine. I love working with my hands. Being able to take a piece of metal and form it into something you can use, it’s a feel of accomplishment. I just started looking for the old Hondas and went to town. I had to do something original with the bike and decided that I needed to find an original 1950’s Shure microphone and turn it into a taillight. It definitely is me and makes the bike. My name is Josh Pantleo, I’m 33 yrs old. I grew up in the Midwest but have lived all over from Colorado to California. I grew up listening to old records of my dad, which is the reason I am into Rockabilly music. I love the whole 1940’s - 1950’s period. The clothes, the hair, the music. That all inspires me. I love the vintage bikes because of the simplicity of
...hey, got a second?
them. They didn’t have to have the new fangeled electronics. Pure basic machine. I grew up on dirt bikes and four wheelers when I was about 6 - 7 yrs old. I’ve always had it in my blood. My dad and uncle rode and still ride. I love working with my hands. Being able to take a piece of metal and form it into something you can use, it’s a feel of accomplishment. I first caught an early episode of Cafe’ Racer TV and thought “That’s me! That’s my style.” I just started looking for the old Hondas and went to town. Being in the Midwest we are usually not the first to do something, but we have a great rockabilly and cafe racer scene growing here. I love being apart of it and love riding my bike around town! It gets so much attention. The paint job I went with was inspired from the older Triumphs. I also had to do something original with the bike and decided that I needed to find an original 1950’s Shure microphone and turn it into a taillight. Most people are drawn to that. The staff here love the era and the whole cafe racer look. Hope you enjoy many miles of safe riding, good work Josh. TMT
Have you been wrenching on a project. Send us some before and after photo’s; a little info about what you’ve been up to and we’ll make you famous. Ok, maybe not that famous. Email your pics/story to: readers@themotorcycletimes.ca
Gas prices are high at the pump and rising higher as riding season approaches, and prospective motorcycle buyers -- especially firsttime buyers -- often cite fuel efficiency as their No. 1 reason for wanting to swap four wheels for two. It’s always a good swap, as far as mileage goes. Even the thirstiest gas-guzzling motorcycles get more miles per gallon than the most economical cars. Honda’s road racing CBR100RR gets a reported 41 mpg, for example, while a big beast like BMW’s R1200GS gets close to 50 mpg. A powerful road bike like KTM’s 1190 RC8 gets close to 40 mpg, as does a mid-range cruiser like the Moto Guzzi V7. But some motorcycles are really fuel efficient. Advances in engine technology, fuel injection technology and tire technology, among other
things, have produced a wide variety of motorcycles that get 60 mpg and up. A bike like Suzuki’s sporty GZ250 gets 80plus miles to the gallon, while Yamaha’s V Star 250 gets more than 90, according to a study compiled by the online moto destination TotalMotorcycle.com.
Honda CRF250L Honda’s smaller-caliber CRF250L sips gently at the gas, getting a reported 73 mpg.
Kawasaki KLX250s Kawasaki’s dual-sport KLX250s performs at 70 mpg.
BMW F650GS BMW’s F650GS is a big-bore street bike, but it gets little-bike mileage -- a reported 63 mpg.
Honda 2013 NC700X Honda’s new NC700X delivers up to 64 miles per gallon, and some owners are reporting even higher fuel economy.
Yamaha V Star 1300 Yamaha’s 1300cc V Star touring bike has a big footprint but a small appetite for fuel, getting a reported 78 mpg.
Honda CMX250C Rebel The popular Honda Rebel -- a hit with younger, newer riders -- is easy on the wallet, getting a reported 84 mpg.
Suzuki TU250X Suzuki’s retro TU250X is much more fuel efficient than any of its 1960s predecessors -- it gets nearly 80 mpg, according to some reports.
Kawasaki Ninja 250R Kawasaki’s smaller-bore version of the popular Ninja street racer has all the earmarks of its track-ready bigger brothers, but gets a reported 77 mpg.
Royal Enfield The classic Royal Enfield road bikes, get as much as 85 mpg from their 250cc single-cylinder power plants. Suzuki DR200SE Suzuki’s popular DR series is good onroad and off-road, and it gets an estimated 68-plus mpg.
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13 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
Motorcycle mpg: 10 very fuel-efficient bikes
Competing in an offroad adventure has its bumps & rewards by SHAUN DE JAGER Contributing Writer - TMT
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Hitting the Dirt
Photos by Fiona Campbell
When Lawrence Hacking invited me to participate in his newly created Overland Adventure Rally, I couldn’t possibly turn it down. Once the question about scheduling was cleared up, my friend Fiona offered up her Russian Ural (complete with the sidecar) to participate in the event. Now the question was, would my son be able to join me as my navigator, which turned out to be not so, since he was heading off to camp that same weekend. Once again Fiona stepped up to the plate and said she would join me. In hindsight this worked out well because had the navigation been up to my son, we would have gotten well and truly lost. My adventure partner was full of mixed emotions with high doses of both excitement and trepidation over joining me. This was the first time she had ever been offroading (in any vehicle) and it was also the first time she’d ever participated in a rally style event. Well, truth be told, I’ve never been in a rally either and although I have done some off-roading in the past, I’m hardly ‘experienced’ at it. There was also some concern on both our parts about doing this in a sidecar. Sure the Ural is built like a tank, or more accurately, like a three-wheeled tractor (and needs to be driven as such), but we had to wonder, just how rough was this route really going to be? Could the bike handle it? Could we?? We were about to find out…one way or another. After arriving on Friday and speaking with Lawrence and Eric (who both designed and tested the route), some of my concerns were put at ease. However there was one section that I was told would be pretty dodgy for our bike to get through. I figured we’d just make a judgement call when we got to that point. There were two other Ural’s entered in the event so I foolishly figured whatever they could do…we could do too. Well…the problem with that was that they were far more experienced at taking their Ural’s off-road than I was.
Actually…I’d never really taken the bike offroad. There was also a heightened sense of self-preservation on my part. Getting hurt is one thing but getting injured would be quite another and getting proper medical attention would be impossible. Fiona is an experienced nurse but that experience would only buy us a little time and maybe not enough. So this brings us to the morning of the event. I stupidly made the mistake of leaving the cover off my tent thinking it would be too warm to comfortably sleep in but it turned out to be a rather chilly night resulting in a horrible nights sleep. In the morning I felt horrible, looked horrible and the bags under my eyes were the size of suitcases and I couldn’t even blame it on a late night of partying. Multiple cups of coffee later and I was starting to feel ‘human’ again. After breakfast and the morning meeting, all the riders geared-up and mounted their metal steeds, which was a mixed bag of old and new from various manufactures. BMW, KTM, Ural, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, and a few others all took to the starting line to begin their adventure. The biggest challenge turned out to not be the off-road sections so much, as reading the pace notes and doing the navigation. It didn’t help that some of the roads were mislabeled which left many riders, including us, scratching their heads wondering ‘Where the hell are we??’ This was made even more challenging because since the route was last tested, some local construction was started and a bridge that was usable two weeks ago, had become an impassable obstacle. Even those who relied on GPS units had to get creative and adapt to the changes. This is part of the challenge of rallying though and adapting to change and finding solutions is deeply satisfying. We didn’t have a GPS , not even a road map, so we did occasionally have to rely on those who did to find a solution. Strangely though, later in the day, some bikes were following us because despite having extra navigational aids like maps and GPS units, they were having difficulty following the
pace notes that were provided to us all at the start of the race. For being her first time doing a rally, Fiona did an amazing job of not only keeping us on course but also at improvising new alternatives when we had to deviate from the laid out route. Case in point was when we came upon the more challenging off-road section. We stopped so I could make a judgement call about taking the risk and in the end decided ‘Nah…ain’t gonna happen’. We knew it would be rough down there and I figured if we got stuck, we would have no room to turn around and backtrack. So we decided against it and improvised a way to side-step that section of the route. This turned out to be the prudent choice (we found out later that one of the other Ural’s got well and truly stuck in there and they required the assistance of a few more bikers to get them free). After several more kilometres, the suspension and my soft bits were being slammed hard by the rough roads (if you’ve ever ridden a Ural, you will know how much a beating your groin gets even on regular paved roads…and this was getting painful). We eventually found ourselves right back at the same spot and noticed a rider coming out of that area (the one we decided to avoid) and when we asked him why he turned around, he replied with “It was too hard and I don’t have the right tires for it. I don’t want to crash”. After hearing that, we felt a lot better about the choice we had made. While figuring out the next leg of the journey, more riders came along, each of which were all making the same choice ‘try it…or abort’. One poor guy though had a more pressing problem which left him wondering where the nearest gas station was. Yeah…that’s a problem for sure. Fortunately for him though, we had plenty of spare gas packed on the bike. Note to self… Ducati’s are even thirstier for fuel than the Ural is. I always compared the Ural’s thirst for fuel to be like a drunken Russian’s thirst for Vodka…and for this metallic Russian, gasoline was its Vodka and damn it loves to drink! With the Ducati fueled up though, we
all headed on our respective ways. More paved roads, more dirt roads and more roads that left us thinking ‘what the hell were they thinking when they added this section?!’ Going up steep hills in the Ural isn’t exactly easy because the front wheel tends to lift off the ground leaving you with the inability to steer (it really doesn’t matter how much you stand on the pegs and put weight over the front wheel). Add to that going up steep roads that are chock full of deep ruts and pot holes that made me wonder if it had been shelled by artillery, we found ourselves bouncing all over the place and once again, my man parts were again taking a serious beating. Time to dig deep, grab a handful of intestinal fortitude and put caution aside…throttle wide open, engine growling like a constipated Siberian Tiger, tire spinning, and manhandling this bike into doing things it really didn’t want to do. This pushed our limits and the limits of the bike but with much persistence and commitment, we made it to the top. Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse…it did. We were faced with another 20% uphill grade but this time it was in soft sand. Facepalm! Time to reach deep again and go hell bent for leather, but this time, we couldn’t find the momentum required to get our 800pds of wobbly, poor handling Russian motorcycle up the hill. We got stuck…just 1/3 from the top. I heard one of the bikers below us say “Oh that’s not good”. Fiona jumps out and gets ready to push from behind but as soon as I said that wouldn’t work, she instantly ran to the front and sat on the front of the side car. She knew I needed more weight forward on the bike and thanks to her quick thinking, me throwing the bike into 2WD, wicking open the throttle and burning some clutch metal, we started moving. Actually, when the bike finally found traction, Fiona’s legs flew up in the air and she nearly flew clean off the bike. “Get off!” I shouted…and off she flew (although not entirely by choice) as I started getting the needed grip and speed to reach the top of the hill. Try that Charley
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Boorman! Once again though I could hear the experienced off-road bikers behind us, but this time they were laughing and saying ‘Well done! I thought for sure we would have to push you.” Actually, I think I will mention that trick to offroad legend and instructor Simon Pavey when I see him later. Shortly later the roads became more subdued and manageable but my hands and butt were in agony. I was starting to feel like I had been molested by an angry gorilla (or rather the aforementioned Siberian Tiger). I was getting tired, cranky, feeling very physically beat up, and once again we were stopped on the side of the road trying to figure out where we were. Are we lost or again cursed by the mistakes in the route notes? Turns out the cursed route notes were again mislabeled and we were both getting frustrated. Fiona took over riding for a while so I could rest in the side car and be the ‘naviguesser’ for a while. She was doing great despite needing to stop and contemplate whether or not she could actually tackle some of the gravelly slopes she was presented with. With a bit of encouragement and some determined resolve (aka “stubbornness” and if you know Fi you know exactly what I mean), she mustered on. Although it was only about 10min later that we came to a section of road that she couldn’t handle…and I knew it. It was another nasty, loose gravel, steep uphill grade, with a tight corner near the top. Just the kind of thing that the Ural strongly objects to doing and it was going to need more skill and physical strength than Fiona could throw at it. I was grateful for the rest but it was time to get back to work. Once again our stubborn, wobbly Russian steed needed to be kicked in the proverbial ‘exhaust pipe’ to get up the hill. Eventually we found ourselves on paved roads again and although I should have once again let Fiona to take over, I guess my own stubbornness kicked in. Did I mention I was getting cranky? I wanted to get this over with now and I knew that my comfort level of riding at high speed on dodgy roads was higher than Fiona’s…so I stuck it out. Finally we crossed the finish line and we were treated with a wonderful steak dinner followed by guest speakers Rene Cormier and Simon Pavey, both of whom regaled us with tales of their own adventures making what we just did today seem like child’s play. Everyone was exhausted and throughout the evening more and more great stories came out of people’s experiences from the day. People crashing (without injury), getting stuck in deep mud and even a fellow I knew suffering some nasty fuel drama. He ran out of gas and forgot the key to his fuel cap back at the campsite. I should mention that he too was on a thirsty Russian Ural. Haha… poor guy. Opps…I shouldn’t laugh…sorry. He had spare fuel, which is great, but it’s useless when you can’t get it into the bike. Simon Pavey came to the rescue on a BMW 1200GS and they hacked together an IV fuel line to pump fuel up into the Ural’s tank. Ahhh…more Vodka! Clever thinking! They had to do it a few times though and along the way, Simon ended up running out of fuel himself because he pumped too much into the other bike. Now that’s funny…although I’m sure they didn’t think so at the time. The evening carried on to live music, prizes and give-aways and many of us drinking late into night. Fiona and I spent most of the night chatting away with Simon Pavey over a few of beers…not just about his off-roading career but just about life in general. We found in each other a friendship that I hope will last quite a while. This was the first Overland Adventure Rally by Lawrence but certainly not the last. At the end of Saturday night’s presentations, he announced the second rally for next year and I will certainly be there for it. Sometimes you just need to let yourself go and in keeping with the event moto…Live the Dream. TMT
August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 16
Friday the 13th in Port Dover
July 2012 17
Dover Thunder Apparel celebrates 13full years of business throttle day 13th clothing. Using such Norfolk businesses as Truckin’ T-shirts for silk screenRUSSELL WILSON Contributing Writer - TMT ing and Quick Stitch Embroidery as well as various graphic designers, Margit’s Dover Thunder clothing line includes men’s and ladies’ t- shirts, hats, crests, kids apparel, and both long and short sleeve choices. Margit, who has lived in Port Dover for the past 35 years, is the mother of two daughIn today’s society it seems as if most everyone even if you’re a motorcycle safety instructor. ters. above the age ofthe thirty (chronologically Admitting business is a bitspeaknerve They won’t give you a reduced rate, no matter ing) tends to reminisce about days of lore, or how long and hard you try to rationalize the wracking because it is so weather depenabout how the world is going to hell (why not injustice bestowed upon you. There’s nothing dent and requires substantial financial inheaven?) in a hand basket. People don’t hold worse than going into a gun fight when you vestment and physical work setting up tents, doors open for strangers as much as they used know you’re outgunned and2010 not even aware Margit at the October Friday the Margit Friday 13th in Port Dover. to. If youloves see someone stranded along the side who your opponent is or who’s on what team. 13th. “I’ve met people from allisn’t overtothe world. of the road your first reaction stop and When it comes to motorcycle insurance, they angereally withmind a cowboy graphic is a popular I’veifmet who but havetoflown bikes don’t see theypeople need help, laugh their and possiyou shopping around since choice of some men. in make from athe and people havejust ar- their rates are relatively the same……..must bly fewU.K. crude jokes whilewho slowing Women will often go for butter yellow or rived bytolimo. lot ofquota people come enough fill theA ‘nosey’ for the day,back be- be coincidental. cactus green, if they are looking for someevery year and myoutside clothing. They fore speeding off!look The for child the drug Fully insulated • Energy Efficient Speaking about insurance companies and thing different than black. Shoppers enjoy mart longer get toselling knowchocolate you. It is bars a lotisofnofun,” shea mosaid. their blatant interested in extolling the great• Cost Effective • Mold & Water Resistant theamount qualityofand unique that Martivated student tryingabout to help funds money out designs of your wallet I’m Margit employs 20 raise people for for the est a school trip, but an enterprising soon to be git’s Dover Thunder Apparel offers. reminded of my divorce many years ago. (Oh • Light Weight • Low to No Maintenance event. She sets up Thursday and takes Margit Wamsley, right, and friend Connie Prime showcase some of Margit’s juvenile delinquent trying to con unsuspect- yeah,If I you paidmiss the piper andher gotonout jail.) I can seeing theofstreet, she down Saturday. “Dover Thunder Apparel”. ing Every do gooders out of their hard earned cash remember sitting in my lawyers office many year, Margit enjoys working with can be reached at wamsley@cablerocket. It’s the right solution for all your needs. to buy a new video game, worse! You’re times discussing divorce law, and how and different colours and or designs. Texasnot or- acom a Special Events Coordinator for Norfolk even By Donna McMillan sure if you should stop for that ‘black and why certain laws existed, and to when, how, County in her regular work day, will once white’ with the roof lights on and siren blaring and why certain amendments were accepted “Dover Thunder Apparel”, specializing again have staff manning two booths that behind you because that doesn’t mean they’re (even though it was agreed they were ‘unfair’ in Friday 13th biker wear is celebrating its feature “Dover Thunder Apparel”. They really cops! Saw it on T.V. towards the male party. My lawyer explained Go to your local motorcycle shop and you’re to me it came down to monies being made 13th year of business this year, a year of can be found next to Dover Hairport, near three Friday 13ths and expectations that the Dover Dairy Bar and in The Arbor bound to run into motorcyclists who’ve ridden not only by individual lawyers, but also by the during many different eras. If you hear them institution as a whole. Everyone made a killthis July 13th could be the biggest event in parking lot. Thirteen years ago, Margit started off out you will realize the farther away from the ing and benefitted with the system as it was, Port Dover to date. Owner Margit Wamsley, who works as designing hats and quickly moved to Fri- present the era is, the greater the riding expe- except the male in the divorce process and no
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rience was. The bikes weren’t as reliable, fast, one had the personal monetary interests to or as comfortable as they are today, but the propose a change. He told me about a case experience was more enjoyable because the where a couple with an eighteen month old world was simply a better place. The hope child divorced and the courts awarded the for a more simple time makes one forget the ex-wife ten thousand dollars per month child overt and admitted prejudice and profiling of support. That’s a lot of pablum. What does bikers. Whether one was atop a bike or walk- this have to do with motorcycling? Absoing down the street dressed like one. Bikers lutely nothing! It’s a ‘divorced man’ thing. You were fair game exponentially as one goes wouldn’t understand. furtherThe back in time. I’m ® ® glad to see the EBike Can-Am Spyder RT and RS ®roadsters. With a unique,Economies struggle. Societal pressures beThe Can-Am Spyder® RT and RS roadsters. With a unique, three-wheeled stance and intuitive, rider-focused features, backlash hasn’t tainted motorcyclist as of yet. ing placed on all aspects of life, no matter if three-wheeled stance and intuitive, rider-focused features, it’s everything you need to become one with the road. Probably because we openly admit it’s everything youwe need don’t to become one with the road.one feasting or the one begging. you’re the It’s riding. Reinvented. Discover what thousands of riders It’s riding. Reinvented. Discover what thousands of riders like them either. have yet to see a biker wave Everyone wishes things were simpler. A less already knowI at can-am.brp.com. already know at can-am.brp.com. at an EBike rider (I either). we have ® haven’t ® confusing and much more enjoyable period The Can-Am Spyder RT and RS If roadsters. With a unique, stancea and intuitive, rider-focused the samethree-wheeled enemy there’s possibility we could features, in time, when looking back through our rose it’s everything you need to become one with the road. be friends. coloured glasses. Motorcycle companies have It’s riding. Reinvented. Discover what thousands of riders I find there are some EBike riders who would retro bikes that baby boomers can purchase already know at can-am.brp.com. rather ride a motorcycle but can’t afford to. to hoist their leg over and envision themselves Motorcycle costs have not escalated a great cruising down Main Street, Any Town with deal over the years in comparison to automo- the high school cheerleader squeezing tight biles, but insurance companies (as most lob- and hanging on for dear life. Wind blowing byists) appear to have a ticket to ride! The gra- through hair – long gone. No aches or pains. vy train that is, at your expense. I’m currently Not much money either. Alimony? Never hear getting my motorcycle insurance via an Insur- of that. Child Support? Yeah right! Living the ance Broker and every year my premium goes dream! If only ‘til it’s time to ride back home to VEHICLE reality STABILITY SYSTEM DYNAMICSTEERING POWER STEERING up about thirty dollars, even though I’m a year – andSEMI-AUTOMATIC today. TRANSMISSION VEHICLE STABILITY SYSTEM SEMI-AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DYNAMIC POWER system No clutch or foot shifter here. required Adjusts required effort through An automotive-like systemAn automotive-like No clutch lever or foot shifterlever here. Adjusts effort through older, with no accidents or tickets. Laststability, yeartraction I fiToday’s not bad. Not much choice inandthe integrating stability, traction Yourup left thumb up and your acceleration, steering integrating Your left thumb shifts and yourshifts acceleration, speed andspeed steering braking forshifts an down. forefinger shifts down. Withangle reverse. angle comfort data. Moreand comfort and and anti-lock braking for and an anti-lockforefinger With reverse. data. More nally had enough and threatened to abandon But,(Manual yesterday, man, that’s where it confident available) improved control. incredibly confident ride. incrediblymatter. (Manualride. available) improved control. said broker and look for insurance elsewhere was! No one stranded on the side of the road VEHICLE SEMI-AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DYNAMIC POWER only to find I was already getting theSTABILITY lowestSYSTEMin the rain struggling to change a tireSTEERING while automotive-like system No clutch lever or foot shifter here. effort through rate possible. My broker/agent An said bluntly, high schoolAdjusts kidsrequired raced in integrating stability, traction pimple Your left faced thumb shifts up and your acceleration, speed and by steering and anti-lock braking for an shifts down. With reverse. angle data. More comfort and ‘They’re raising the premiums simply theirforefinger mother’s is sellincrediblybecause confident ride. (Manual available) mini-van. Little improvedJohnny control. they can’. If it smells like collusion, and walks ing chocolate bars for next to nothing trying like collusion then it’s probably collusion. If to raise a few dollars for a school field trip to you’re motorcycle is considered a Super Sport the zoo. Those cherries flashing in your rear then your insurance options are more limited. view mirror accompanied by the blaring siren Also, if you’re attempting to insure a bike that’s zoom on by racing towards an important call. Dealer Imprint Dealera Imprint ‘black listed’ it doesn’t matter if you have You, you’re right where you want to ON be. Sitting 14HereRegional Road 13, Courtland, Goes Here Goes motorcycle safety course under your belt, or back and reminiscing; living the dream.
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©2011 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Always ride responsibly and safely and observe applicable laws. Remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. ©2011 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. 610376 Always ride responsibly and safely and observe applicable laws. Remember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix.
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17 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
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Belleville & Lawn Centre Suzuki Newmarket Snow retail purchaseSport agreements completed between July 3rd, 2013 to September 30th, 2013. Non-Current Suzuki dollarsOf should they apply can be used only towards the purchase of the particular model to city cycle & marine WWW.SUZUKI .CA which those Suzuki dollars apply and are available only at participating dealers. This offer is valid from July 3rd, 2013 to September 30th, 2013. See your dealer for complete details. PDI charges from $132 128 Church Street, Belleville 80 Harry Walker Pkwy, Newmarket 1255 Kennedy Road, Scarborough 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.416-752-1560 Way of Life! 613-968-4559 or 877-968-4559 905-898-1081 or 888-376-7779 or 877-766-9248 www.bellevillesportandlawn.com www.suzukiofnewmarket.com www.snowcity.com Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. Limited time offers are subject to change without notice. This offer cannot be combined with any other offer. Up to $2,900.00 in retail incentives applies to eligible SUZ-SizzSumm_June2013_ad.indd 1 retail purchase agreements completed between July 3rd, 2013 to September 30th, 2013. Non-Current Suzuki dollars should they apply can be used only towards the purchase of the particular model to which those Suzuki dollars apply and are available only at participating dealers. This offer is valid from July 3rd, 2013 to September 30th, 2013. See your dealer for complete details. 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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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 18
motogp
Rossi delighted with 3rd consecutive podium
Szoke goes for seventh Shubie Superbike win TORONTO, Ont. (July 24, 2013) – Jordan Szoke will try to add to his points lead in the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at one of his favourite hunting grounds this weekend, as the six-race series reaches its halfway point at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, N.S. The Brantford, Ont. ace has six career Superbike national wins on the rolling 2.56km (1.6-mile) 11-turn circuit and is one victory away from tying Steve Crevier for the alltime AMP wins mark. Additionally, Szoke has won three of the last four Superbike nationals at AMP and four of the last six. In addition to putting him in exalted company at the top of the AMP win list, victory this weekend would keep Szoke well on track toward an unprecedented ninth Canadian Superbike number one plate. He has taken his Waznie Racing / BMW Motorrad Canada / Parts Canada BMW S1000RR to victory in the opening two rounds of the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park and Autodrome St-Eustache, and comes into the weekend with a 20-point lead over Jodi Christie in the standings, 111-91. A race win is worth 50 points. Christie has been more than a match for Szoke through the early part of the season, however, and will not let the BMW rider take his second straight national crown without a fight. The Keene, Ont. up-and-comer led at both SMP and St-Eustache and claimed his first career Superbike pole in round two aboard the Jodi Christie Racing / Honda Canada / Accelerated Technologies Honda CBR1000RR. Christie also has a good track record at AMP, having finished a close second to Szoke in this round last summer. Another likely winner is Uxbridge, Ont.’s Alex Welsh, who sits third in the standings with 78 points after a pair of third-place finishes this season on the AW7R / Kenwood Electronics Canada / Parts Canada Suzuki GSX-R1000. Welsh scored his first career Superbike win last summer and has been in the thick of the lead battle at the first two races this year. Frank Trombino of Kleinburg, Ont. sits fourth in points with 64 after an impressive fourth place finish at St-Eustache in the debut of the Royal Plumbing / FDS Racing Aprilia RSV4, but just seven behind him is Longueuil, Que.’s Sebastien Tremblay, last
year’s top rookie Pro with the MotoNation BMW S1000RR. Also keep an eye on 2013 Sunoco Pro Rookie of the Year Award contender Trevor Daley of Mississauga, Ont., who is coming off a solid sixth place finish at St-Eustache on the ProStar Motorsports / One Speed Honda CBR1000RR. This weekend also sees the third round of the Hindle Exhaust Pro Sport Bike Championship, in which Christie enjoys a healthy 25-point lead, 109-84, over Calgary’s John Ross MacRae thanks to wins in the opening two rounds. Riding the Riedmann Racing / Castrol / Blackfoot Triumph 675. MacRae is just two points clear of Honda rider Trombino in the standings. A wild card in this class will be local ace Austin Shaw-O’Leary of Falmouth, N.S. The rookie Pro is coming off a sweep of Pro victories in last weekend’s Atlantic Roadracing League regional event at AMP on the GoLo Racing / Dua Motorsports / Pro Cycle Yamaha YZF-R6. Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Crevier will be chasing his third straight win in the Harley-Davidson Canada XR1200 Cup this weekend. The MotoSport Plus-backed rider enjoys a 33-point lead over Ruthless Racing’s Darren James in the standings, while Dartmouth, N.S.’s Blaise Fougere, supported by the Maritime Harley- Davidson Retailers, sits fourth in points. Orangeville, Ont.’s Steve Hoffarth holds a slim five-point lead over fellow BMW S1000RR rider Riley Dawe of Toronto in the Magnetti Marelli Amateur Superbike standings, while Dawe (Yamaha YZF-R6) is 19 points clear of St-Eustache star Mitch Card (Honda CBR600RR) of Ripley, Ont. in the Bazzaz / Inside Motorcycles Amateur Sport Bike class. Runaway Honda CBR250R National Race Series points leader Tomas Casas of Peterborough, Ont. will try to get back to his winning ways after being beaten twice at St-Eustache by Japanese interloper Hikari Okubo. Practice for this weekend’s event opens Friday. Qualifying, including the battle for Magneti Marelli SuperPole in the Mopar Pro Superbike division, takes place on Saturday. The first of two Honda CBR250R National Race Series rounds goes Saturday, with feature races in all six national classes set for Sunday.
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi has said his Laguna Seca podium was better than his Sachsenring rostrum finish, after maintaining his recent good form. The Italian finished third for the second race in succession, building on his Assen win and last week’s solid result in Germany to move up to fourth in the World Championship standings, 20 points adrift of his injured teammate Jorge Lorenzo. Indeed, Rossi’s recent run of form has coincided with Lorenzo’s difficulties due to his broken collarbone, whilst Dani Pedrosa’s injury weakness and Cal Crutchlow’s offcolour Laguna Seca ride opened up the podium options. “I’m so happy about this podium,” Rossi stated. “It’s more important and positive than Sachsenring because we suffered a bit with the Yamaha here. It looks like we had some disadvantage compared to the Hondas, but I had a good race with good pace and I was
the first Yamaha.” “I had a fantastic start but did not have enough pace to stay with Stefan (Bradl) and then Marc (Marquez) did a great overtake on me. Anyway, he was also too fast for me and from that moment I had a great battle with Alvaro Bautista who was very strong today. “I tried to push and push constantly without making any mistakes. I had a big, big moment with the front where I had to pick up the bike with the elbow so I thought, ‘that is a sign’, as I didn’t crash at that point. I had some trouble with the back-markers because the blue flags were not clear, so Bautista cut the gap and we arrived at the last corner together; but I’m so happy about this, it’s a third podium in a row and I’m happy about the race and the result.” Rossi now heads into the summer break ahead of the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, which will signal the start of the second half of the 2013 season in mid-August.
MotoGP Rules Update
Technical Regulations MotoGP Class Effective 2014 Electronics (ECU) Regulations A detailed specification and permitted options were confirmed. • The use of the official MotoGP ECU, including an internal datalogger, and the official MotoGP software package is compulsory. • Maximum fuel capacity is 24 litres. • Maximum number of engines per rider, per season, is 12. Factory Status • Each Manufacturer, (including motorcycle manufacturers & chassis manufacturers), can choose to enter up to 4 riders for the season who will participate with “Factory” status. • The use of the official MotoGP ECU is compulsory. However manufacturers are permitted to develop and use their own software. • Maximum fuel capacity is 20 litres. • Maximum number of engines per rider, per season, is five. (Nine Engines for the first year of participation by a new manufacturer). • Engines are subject to the engine homologation regulations which mandate frozen engine design and internal parts. (New Manufacturers are not subject to frozen engine design and internal parts in their first season of participation).
motogp
Casey Stoner to test for HRC Casey Stoner will climb back on a Honda RC213V, for the first time since Valencia 2012, as a test rider for Honda Racing Corporation. The two-time World Champion left the sport at the end of last year and has been linked with rumours of a wild card appearance this season but this is now out of the question. The Australian rider will do four tests in Motegiin the next few months with Honda Racing’s R&D team, working on the evolution of the RC213V and also on the new production racer bike that Honda Racing will sell to selected team next year to race in MotoGP. “It’s been almost 9 months now since Valencia and I’m still happy and comfortable with the decision I made to stop racing.
Sometimes I miss riding my RCV, so I am happy that HRC asked me to do some tests in Motegi this year. This will allow me to enjoy what I miss: riding a MotoGP bike! I’m looking forward to getting on the bike and see how it has changed from last year and I’d like to thank Honda for this opportunity” Shuhei Nakamoto - HRC Executive Vice President. “We are very pleased to have Casey back on a Honda! He knows this machine very well and I’m sure he can help our engineers and technicians with the development of the RC213V. We will also ask him to test the new production racer and give us his initial feedback to assist us in producing the best machine possible”
19 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
Sexy and fun to ride, what a combination.
by SCOTT MACDONALD Contributing Writer - TMT If you have a complex about other people gawking at you or engaging you in a conversation of 20 questions the moment you stop – anywhere, then keep clear of the Can Am Spyder – especially if it’s painted in bright banana yellow.
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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 20
TestTimes
2013 Spyder ST-S First impressions Before you throw a for sale sign on your two wheel hog, please listen close to what I am about to explain to you. This is not a motorcycle. It does not have any characteristics of a motorcycle. The only common things the Spyder has with any motorcycle are few hand control placements, and you need an M class license to ride one. The moment I threw my leg over, I knew I was in unfamiliar territory. This particular model had no clutch or hand brake. There was a paddle shifter (finger/thumb) to change gears and a foot pedal on the right floor board which operates all three brakes. Starting up felt a bit like I was running through a preflight checklist on a jetliner, with parking brakes needed to be released and a console screen requiring selection, ensuring neutral is selected all the while depressing the foot brake – ok, maybe no so complicated. Once you have selected to either go forward or backward and chosen the correct gear, the throttle by wire begins to bring the 998cc Rotax V-twin engine to life. Making a turn on the Spyder is much more like a car or a Skidoo than a motor-
cycle. For anyone who has had any time on a trike, you will understand how flat this three-wheeler handles any degree of turn. No push steering here. You turn the bars the direction you want to go and away you go. At slow speeds the assisted steering is sensitive to input, but as speed increased, the steering dampening system takes over and is much less susceptible to minor steering inputs. Just the same, the first time on the road was a little unnerving as I found myself weaving from side to side from too much overcorrecting. Minute input at roadway speeds is all it requires. Time in the Saddle As time passed and the kilometers began to mount up, I found the Spyder much easier to control at all legal speeds. The fairing and adjustable windshield made for a very pleasant ride with no worries of stone and bug strikes to the forehead. The Can Am Spyder comes equipped with a standard front lockable trunk, which comes in mighty handy for small groceries and storing helmets when you find a spot you want to get off and explore. If you are looking to tour, hard bags are available on the STLimited or there is a touring RT model and available with hard bags and tour pack with armrests for your passenger. As far as comfort goes, the soft wide saddle provides good cushioning for both rider and passenger, but like any stock seat, this saddle too will begin to cause pain in your keester with any real distance covered. This Spyder ST–S was equipped with slightly angled floor boards for the driver
to improve ergonomics while the passenger is provided a set of height adjustable floor boards and handrails for added safety. The three wheel configuration provides a stable flat ride and even on the worst roads the front Double A-arm suspension soaks up the bumps without affecting steering. When stopping is necessary, the three wheels will bring the Spyder to a hurried stop thanks to 270mm discs and Brembo single pistons brakes at each corner. After having an absolute blast during my week with the Spyder ST,-S I was sad to see it go, but now that I have a chance to reflect back on my experience, one question keeps haunting me. Who is this designed to appeal to? Is it an aging rider who still wants to have their face in the wind or is it a much younger demographic looking for something different, something cool, something with a bit of an attitude, or could it be someone in-between? I can see the Spyder appeal to all age groups and especially to those who don’t ride motorcycles. Personally, I think new riders will have an easier transition to this three wheeler due to its unique characteristics in cornering. Riders transitioning from two wheels will find it slightly harder to get used to because its cornering characteristics are not like those of the motorcycle. Since the Spyder can’t lean into a corner, the rider and passenger tend to have the feeling of almost being hi-sided rather than using the centrifugal forces in a lean to counteract that feeling. I had the chance to chat with a few riders and couples who have chosen a Spyder as their ride of choice. The common comment
was the learning curve and understanding how this wheel configuration handles different road conditions, and without hesitation they all had high praise for their Cam Am Spyder. The Spyders start at $18,699 for a base RS and top out fully equipped at $36,985 for a Spyder RT-Limited with all the comforts and conveniences. You can also include a matching trailer for just $5,549. The Can Ams are a great option for those who are looking at the touring bike market, someone with limited mobility. When compared to having a motorcycle conversion to a trike, the Spyder begins to make sense. Afterthoughts If BRP is trying to market this unique trike to the motorcycling public, the one thing they need to do is make it lean into a corner. According to sources, BRP has been working on technology to mechanically lean the body of the trike through corners, taking into consideration, speed, G-forces etc. and returning it back to an upright attitude when travelling in a straight line or at a stop. I believe that anyone migrating to the Spyder or any three wheeler regardless of the configuration with any considerable saddle time on two wheels will find the transition a bit of a challenge to make a confident transition. There are other lesser three wheelers on the market with the ability to lean, so unless there is some major issue with BRP’s R&D, it is this writers opinion that a leaning Spyder is the missing link here. TMT
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Aug. 10, 2013 Chapman’s Ride to a Cure Register 9am Oshweken Speedway 1987 Chiefswood Rd, kick stands up 11am. Rain date Aug 11. Supporting the Canadian Diabetes Association. Prizes, raffles & entertainment by Mike Blackborow & Company, Blake Halladay. Ride ends at Beamsville Legion 5545 Regional Road 81. www.chapmansridetoacure.com Aug. 10, 2013 The Blue Tie Ride For The Cure Register 8am at GP Bikes, 1100 Champlain Crt Whitby. Ride begins 9am. $50 and are asked to collect donations. 12pm at Crabby Joe’s 14375 Simcoe St, Port Perry. 12-4pm BBQ lunch, live entertainment, motorcycle vendors and silent auction. Benefiting Prostate Cancer Canada is a three hour ride from Whitby to Port Perry. Dolly 647-719-2098, dollybetancourt@hotmail.com Aug. 11, 2013 Victoria’s and Amy’s Annual Toy Ride Riverwood Park, Lindsay, 10-3:30 pm. New toy or cash donation. Ride departs 11am and returns about 12:30, BBQ, Entertainment, Door prizes and trophies. www.lindsaytoyride.ca, Dave 705-340-5656.
905-975-1890 or privatelessons1965@gmail.com for rates or to reserve your space. Minimum M1 required to qualify.
Aug. 11, 2013 Ride for SickKids Register 8-10am at Mackie Harley Davidson 880 Champlain Ave. Oshawa, Kickstands up 10am. Riders $40, Passengers $25. Includes entertainment by Riki Knox, escorted ride, light breakfast, lunch at Shoeless Joe’s and giveaways back at Mackie Harley-Davidson. Register for a chance to win a 2103 HarleyDavidson. Supporting the Hospital for Sick Children and The Research Institute. www. rideforsickkids.com
Injured in a Motorcycle Crash? Accidents will happen, especially on a motorcycle. When they do, I am on your side. I am a personal injury lawyer Tim Leigh-Bell, and at my firm in Mississauga, I help victims of motorcycle accidents and their families throughout Ontario recover the compensation they need to recover and carry on with their lives.
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Aug. 16-17, 2013 Mods n’Rockers Toronto - 2013 Join us for a weekend of vintage motorcycles & scooters, classic Rock n’ Roll and Motown, stunning burlesque performances, food, sites and fun. Michel michel@bluebeatdesign.com, 416 -893-9197
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August 2013, The Motorcycle Times – 22
Toronto’s only authorized Moto Guzzi, Aprilla, Vespa and Paiggio dealer and service centre
Aug. 2-25, 2013 Military Police Nat’l Motorcycle Relay Ride Full ride is 2-25th, Ontario portion 9-14th. National Rider (more than 10 Days or more than 3 provinces) $1500 per person. Provincial Rider (2-8 days or stay within province) $50 per person or Free rider with $200 in donations, or with passenger $250 in donations. Local Rider (1 day or stay in local area) $25 per person or free rider with $150 in donations, or with passenger $200 in donations. Proudly supporting the Military Police Fund for Blind Children up to the age of 21. 100% of the funds goes towards the children. Operated by Military Police volunteers. www.mpnmrr.ca, Ontario portion: Dale 613998-7597, Full ride: Lamont 778-430-5989
Aug. 17, 2013 Cruise and Beach Bash Register 10am at Mitchell’s Bay Park, $10 per person, Kickstands Up 11:30 am. Ride Shore to Shore from Mitchell’s Bay to Erieau. Beach Bash 1:30pm. Perch on a Bun or Pulled Pork on a Bun. Kids’ activities include face painting, games and prizes. Labatt sponsored Beer Tent, Live Bands, plenty of vendors and more. Toni Martin 519-351-1582, toni.martin@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca, beachbash.ca Aug. 17, 2013 Riders Against Hunger Register at 8:30am, ride 9:30am at Eden Community Food Bank 2-3185 Unity Dr, Mississauga. Min. $35 donation per person, or $50 with ride t-shirt & draw ticket. Signed 3 hour poker run-style ride. Breakfast is provided and lunch at the end venue. Bill bill@ ridersagainsthunger.org, 905-785-3651x4, www.ridersagainsthunger.org. Aug. 17, 2013 Grey Bruce Motorcycle Toy Ride Register from 10am-11:45am. Sauble Beach Community Center. Toy donation or food bank donation. Toy Ride then back for donuts and refreshments. Norm normt2707@ hotmail.com, 519-396-5533
Aug. 17, 2013 S.O.S. Ride and BBQ Register 9am, Bellamere Winery Estate 1260 Gainsborough Rd, London. Departs 11am. $20 per person and includes ride, BBQ party at IBREW Union Hall 6688 Temp Rd London, live music by Sara Smith. Silent auction, door prizes, raffles and giveaways’, and charactures. All proceeds donated to ‘My Sister’s Place’ a safe, supportive community for women facing or at risk of homelessnes. www.ironsirens.ca/charity.html Aug. 18, 2013 Miles for Smiles Motorcycle Ride Register at Riverstone Event Centre 414 River Rd, Welland 9:30am. $25/Rider, $10/ Passenger. Rain or Shine! $50 in pledges per person and you Ride & Eat Free. Presented by Southern Cruisers Erie Shores-ride helps the ‘Help a Child Smile Charity’ which supports families whose children are diagnosed with cancer. All bikes welcome. Tour the Niagara Parkway & the shores of Lake Erie. BBQ, prizes, music and 50/50. www.southerncruiserserieshores.com, http://helpachildsmile.com/html/events.shtml Aug. 24, 2013 Motorcycle Poker Run/Treasure Hunt Presented by Red Knights Motorcycle Club Ontario 19 Chapter. Rain date Aug. 25. Register at Kendricks Park, 245 Short Point Rd in Lyndhurst 8-10am. $25 rider/passenger. Maps provided so ride the 4 hour route at your own pace. End back at Kendricks Park for entertainment, bbq and prizes at 4 pm. There will be prizes for best poker hand and door prizes. Steve 613-802-4013, redknightsont19@kingston.net, Theresa 613-2735291, theresa@rideau.net Aug. 24, 2013 Wicked Ride Register 10am at the Perth CountyWelcome Centre 2146 Line 34 on Hwy 7&8, and ends in Listowel with a full course meal and prizes. $30 per person or go on the bus $45 - both includes dinner! A women’s only motorcycle tour of Perth County. Travel Perth County collecting stamps at specified locations and receive small gifts. No bike? No problem, ride along with the bikers on an bus tour! There will be a special luncheon, Amazing Dinner in Listowel, prizes, crazy games can be played and a good time will be had by all. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a women’s charity - recipient TBA. There is also a special pick-up in Listowel at 9am for anyone that would like to hop on the bus. There is limited space. Cathy Bieman 519-6033724, info@visitperth.ca, www.visitperth.ca Aug. 24, 2013 Young At Heart Ride Registration and continental breakfast at 9am at IOOF Seniors Homes Inc. 20 Brooks Street, Barrie. Ride leaves 10am. $30per person or “Free” with $100 donations. 4 hour scenic motorcycle ride followed by a dinner and prize draw. Judy Cruse jcruse@ioof.com, 705-725-4614, www.ioof.com Aug. 24, 2013 BMA’s Toy Ride Parade A new unwrapped toy or $20 donation. Brampton Soccer Centre, Dixie & Sandalwood–Parking lot. Register 8-10:30am, Parade departs 11am. Police Escorted Charity parade with all proceeds going to the Brampton Civic Hospital and theToys forTots program–Brampton Salvation Army. Live entertainment, BBQ, Silent Auction, 50/50, Door prizes, club participation awards. Mike 905-456-2968, www.the-bma.org, bmatoyride@gmail.com Aug. 25, 2013 Freedom Ride to End MS Presented by Freedom 55 Financial. Starts & ends at Bingemans in Kitchener. Register 8am, kick stands up 9:15am. After breakfast & coffee, depart on a 2.5– 3.5 hour ride in scenic before returning for lunch, draw prizes, and entertainment. The $50 registration includes breakfast, lunch, ride t-shirt, goodie bag and a chance to a 2013 Harley-Davidson Iron 883 Sportster. Each additional $50 in pledges means another chance to win! www.freedomridetoendms.com
23 – The Motorcycle Times, August 2013
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