volume 6 | issue 10
NOVEMBER 2015
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Canadian Bruce Cook first paraplegic to backflip on a motorcycle Decked out in his bright white, green and blue outfit, his heart pumping and his body strapped to his motorcycle, Bruce Cook goes up the ramp, flips upside down and lands cleanly on the other side. And with that, the 28-year-old sets a new record – becoming the first paraplegic to successfully backflip a motorcycle. The Kelowna, B.C. native completed the feat earlier this month in front of a packed house at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. “It was great to succeed after failing so badly,” said Cook, recalling how he felt after sticking the landing. Things went very, very badly the last time the freestyle motocross star tried to set a record. The athlete was attempting a record-setting double-front flip on his bike at Copps Coliseum (now named FirstOntario Centre) in Hamilton on Jan. 3, 2014. He went up off the ramp and it looked like he was going to make the record books, but then his bike slammed into the mats and he flew off, landing hard on his back. He reportedly said to the first person who ran over to him: “I can’t feel my legs.” Just a few days later he was in a Hamilton hospital bed and told local media at the time he hoped he would walk again. That was not to be. When he crashed his bike, he broke his T-11 vertebrae and damaged his spinal cord, according to a press release. He went through extensive medical treatments at several facilities, but is now mainly confined to a wheelchair and is paralyzed from the waist down. He has not let this limit what he can do. Days after crashing and falling off his bike he woke up in his hospital bed following surgery and thought: “I’m going to get back on my bike again, you know, like getting back in the saddle again?” Cook recalled. Nine months later he did just that.
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Honda updates 2016 crossover lineup Honda redesigned the NC750X and CB500X towards creating a common visual theme for its entire Crossover family. Along with several prototype motorcycles that were unveiled ahead of the Tokyo Moto Show, Honda also announced updates to its Crossover X-models – namely the VFR1200X Crosstourer, NC750X and CB500X. The latter two have undergone a major redesign that will be fully revealed in Tokyo, while its Adventure Touring flagship receives some practical updates. Just one week before the 44th Tokyo
Motor Show opens its doors, Honda continues to drip feed more news on its 2016 model lineup. After the first wave of prototypes, spearheaded by the Neowing tilting three wheeler, and a second batch that included a brand new reincarnation of the Super Cub, now it’s time for some actual production model updates. The NC750X and the CB500X (produced as the 400X for the Japanese market) are two mid-sized Crossover models that have made the best seller lists in many countries, particularly in European mar-
kets. For 2016 both have been redesigned towards creating a common visual theme for the whole Crossover family. Honda chose to disclose only their main technical updates, escorted by a teaser photo of each motorcycle, in anticipation for a full presentation of their new styling in Tokyo. On the other hand, the largest Crossover model in Honda’s lineup, the VFR1200X Crosstourer, is not expected to change much, but will also benefit from some technical upgrades. CONTINUED ON P.03