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 2024 MT-09 SP
ROAD

Master of Darkness
Sharper & More Compact Body I Full colour 5” TFT Screen with Connectivity I Smart Key System

Discover More Yamaha – Genuine Parts & Accessories, Service and Finance
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024



   
$    
by Glenn Roberts

        

  Motorcycle information
BMW once again sets the bar high and inspiration
with the redesigned big GS.

    

 
       
    !! 
   
Could the future of the CVO program
be the introduction of heavily revised  by Misti Hurst
models?    
by Clinton Smout
"#          
!      !! $   
Chasing dinosaurs (and roadside   ( )! * by Emily Roberts
attractions) across the Prairies. The all-new Suzuki V-Strom
800DE heads west.
"$     
    +    
!    %& ! 
This self-taught hobbyist pays some   !     ,,  $#  
serious attention to detail and Presenting historical recognition to Winter Tires
ingenuity. Canadian motorcycle legends since
2006. $   
      Ride Free,
    +    A Memoir by Willie G. Davidson
!   !     !!
$  
It’s impossible not to be      
by David Booth
overwhelmed by the scenery of this Don’t overthink it, just do it
beautiful Adriatic country. because it’s what you enjoy. '#    
      
 , %-.$+% /0(#1$! ))$2
      

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 + 1-1,

      

KISKA.COM
Photo: R. Schedl

990
DUKE

REAL AND RAW,

NO BULLSHIT.
KTM.COM
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner.
Please note that model specifications may vary from country to country. Accessories and apparel shown may not be available in every country.
       
           

  

 


 

    

     


    

     

We learned a long time ago that before heading home.   
we can’t please everybody all the One of our two travel features
     
time, but I think this issue has a little in this issue highlights the amazing     
something for everyone in it, from riding opportunities in the country of
   
new bike tests that reach the ends of Montenegro, a small Balkan country
the spectrum and the custom Honda on the Adriatic Sea.     
CX500 that describes one man’s In our second travel feature,     
ingenuity to a feature article on the starting on page 30, Jeff Davison     
2023 Motorcycle Hall of Fame induct- crosses the Canadian Prairies with
ees and a thoughtful piece on why we a focus on the country’s wealth of     

ride. And, of course, we have a couple dinosaur discoveries. Oh, and speaking    
travel articles. of dinosaurs, size does matter as he
      
BMW has once again set the bar also stops at some of Canada’s bigger-
high with its release of the R1300GS. is-better roadside attractions that are    
The Bavarian company has redesigned part of our rural small-town fabric.
     
its long-running big GS again from It always amazes me at how   
the ground up, which includes a new talented some people are. Take Bruce
frame and suspension, and while the Brooker for example. On page 36 we    

engine is still a boxer, of course, it has
been heavily modified. See the full
write-up starting on page 18.
Since their inception back in
1999, Harley-Davidson CVO models
have always been a showcase for
the company’s Parts and Accessories
division by throwing accessories at
a regular model to show customers
what can be accomplished by dressing
up a standard bike. Well, the Motor
Company changed things up a bit in
2023 with the introduction of the CVO
Street Glide and Road Glide. These are
two models that still exist in regular
form, but have had some major body
feature his Honda CX500 that he cus-   
tomized from the ground up. With the
   
exception of some of the bends in the
custom-made exhaust, this self-taught   
builder accomplished every aspect of      
the build himself including designing      
the rear suspension, learning how to    
powder coat, and how to vacuum bag
     
carbon fibre into body panels.      
We also celebrate a handful of
      
people who are worthy of being
inducted into Canada’s Motorcycle        
Hall of Fame, and last but not least,
     !
we’ll leave you with an article titled       
“Why I Ride.” Some of the thoughts
in this closing article may be similar to    

and mechanical changes, making them yours, or maybe you have your own      
virtually brand-new models. Check different reasons for throwing a leg
    
them out beginning on page 24. over your motorcycle and riding off
We also bring you a quick primer into the sunset. Drop me an email at     
to Suzuki’s new V-Strom 800DE. The glenn@motorcyclemojo.com and let
     
V-Strom has had a cult-like following me know the reasons why you ride.
for the past 20-odd years, but in 2023, Thanks to everyone who submitted       
Suzuki introduced a brand new Wee- a photo or two to our 2024 calendar
   
Strom sporting a 776-cc parallel-twin contest. As usual it was tough deciding    
engine. Will this new bike enjoy the the winning photos.
     
same cult status as its predecessor? It’s been a long time coming and we
Time will tell but for now you’ll be are excited to be attending most of the      
reading more about this bike over the motorcycle shows this season. If you
  
next year as Jeff Davison takes the find yourself at one of Canada’s shows
800DE along Route 66 in its entirety this winter season, be sure to stop by    
and up the Pacific Coast Highway and say hello. 

      

CA LET’S RIDE, CANADA’S PREMIER
POWERSPORTS SHOWS
NA CANADA
DA WIDE. MAJOR MANUFACTURERS
NEW 2024 MOTORCYCLES
ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES

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VANCOUVER JAN 12-14, 2024 TRADEX IN ABBOTSFORD
EDMONTON JAN 26-28, 2024 EDMONTON EXPO CENTRE
CALGARY FEB 2-4, 2024 BMO CENTRE, STAMPEDE PARK
TORONTO FEB 16-18, 2024 ENERCARE CENTRE, EXHIBITION PARK
MONTRÉAL FEB 23-25, 2024 PALAIS DES CONGRÈS DE MONTRÉAL

Powered By:

Learn More

 
 
 
  

Ducati recently launched the

Hypermotard 698 Mono, its first
Ducati Hypermotard single-cylinder motorcycle since the
rare, Pierre Terblanche-designed

698 Mono Supermono race bike, built between

1993 and ’95.
Ducati’s new liquid-cooled single is
derived from the 1299 Panigale V-twin.
It shares the same 166-mm bore, but
has a longer 62.5 mm stroke, versus
the 1299’s 60.8 mm, which gives it
a displacement of 659 cc. It claims
76 horsepower and 46 lb-ft of torque.
The engine can be boosted to 84 hp
and 49 lb-ft with the addition of a
Termignoni race exhaust, which is an
astounding output for a single.
The Superquadro Mono engine is
highlighted in the new Hypermotard
698 Mono, an ultra-lightweight
(151 kg/333 lb. wet) naked hooligan
bike, loaded with a full suite of
electronics, fully adjustable suspension,
and Brembo radial front calipers. Two
versions will be available: the standard
red model for $15,295, and the RVE
with bold graphics and red-and-black
wheels for $16,395.

Kawasaki Goes Electric

For 2024, Kawasaki includes a pair of emissions-free,
electric motorcycles in its Canadian line up: the faired
Ninja e-1 and the naked Z e-1. Styling is easily recogniz-
able, as each bike closely resembles its gasoline-powered
400-cc stablemate, except for the absence of a muffler.
The bikes are propelled by an air-cooled, 9 kW
(12 hp) brushless electric motor, which produces 29.5 lb-ft
of instantaneous torque. The motor is powered by a pair
of removable lithium-ion batteries that weigh 11.5 kg
each. Charging time using a 110-volt power source is
3.7 hours from a fully depleted battery to a full charge,
and 1.6 hours for the standard EV measure of a 20 to
80 percent charge. Claimed range on a full charge is up
to 72 km. Eco mode limits top speed to preserve battery
power. Among the features is an E-boost mode, which
provides a top speed of up to 105 km/h for up to
15 seconds.
Retail pricing starts at a very respectable $9,199 for
the Z e-1, and $9,499 for the Ninja e-1.

      

Suzuki GSX-8R
Suzuki adds the sportier GSX-8R to
join the naked GSX-8S introduced last
year. It’s powered by the same 776-cc,
270-degree parallel twin that powers
the 8S, but it adds a full fairing and
has a sportier riding position, with
lower clip-ons replacing the tubular
handlebar of the 8S. It is available in
blue, yellow or silver, and retails for
$11,599.
Also new on Suzuki’s line up is the
GSX-S1000GX “sport crossover.” Based
on the GSX-S1000GT, the GX has a
three-quarter fairing, and a bunch of
new features, namely Suzuki’s first use
of electronically controlled adaptive
suspension. Suspension settings are adjusts throttle response accordingly
tied to the bike’s different ride modes, to provide a smoother ride. If the road
and a unique new feature is the Suzuki gets really rough, for example, the
Floating Ride Control, which uses throttle will be softened to reduce the
sensors in the suspension to gauge likelihood of unintentional throttle
how bumpy the road surface is, and blipping. Pricing starts at $20,699.

MV Agusta KTM Duke

LPX Orioli
While every-
one is waiting
for the produc-
tion version
of the Lucky
Explorer 9.5 to
¿QDOO\DUULYH
the Italian mak-
er of premium
motorcycles in-
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Hidden beneath its bodywork is a twin-beam steel frame
and removable steel-trellis subframe. Sachs provides the
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litres in capacity.
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also get a wooden crate that contains a Termignoni slip-on
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yet been released.
KTM’s 390 Duke has been
completely redesigned for 2024,
with a new engine riding in a
new chassis. The engine retains
the same 89-mm bore as before,
but gains 4 mm of stroke, now
at 64 mm, which bumps dis-
placement to 399 cc from 373.
Claimed output is 44 hp and
28.8 lb-ft of torque.
A new steel-trellis frame is
more compact, and uses a new
upper shock mount that allows a 10-mm lower seat height,
now at 820-mm, which can be lowered to 800 mm by remov-
‹‰ƒ•’ƒ ‡”Ǥ•Š‘”–›—ˆϐŽ‡”‹•–— ‡†‹—†‡”–Š‡„‹‡ǡ
thanks to a new, curved cast-aluminum swingarm. Suspension
is adjustable for compression and rebound damping in the
front, and for rebound damping and preload in the rear.
There’s an all-new 250 Duke joining the 390. This baby
Duke rolls on the same chassis as the 390, but is powered by
a 249 cc liquid-cooled single that claims 31 hp and 18.4 lb-ft.
Seat height is 800 mm, and it uses a more budget-friendly
suspension, adjustable only for rear preload. Pricing for the
250 Duke has not yet been released, but it will cost less than
the 390 Duke’s starting price of $6,999.
If a bigger Duke is on your mind, there’s the all-new 990
Duke. It’s underpinned by an all-new, 947 cc LC8 parallel twin
that features a larger bore and longer stroke compared to
the previous 890 Duke. It pumps out 121 hp and 76 lb-ft of
torque, an increase of 7 hp and 8 lb-ft. A new chromoly frame
has a repositioned swingarm pivot that improves stability,
and the swingarm, which has lost its characteristic external
reinforcing webbing, is now curved on the right side to make
”‘‘ˆ‘”ƒŽ‘™Ǧ‘—–‡†—ˆϐŽ‡”Ǥ‡™•–›Ž‹‰‹•Š‹‰ŠŽ‹‰Š–‡†
by a spaceship-trippy LED headlight, there’s a new 5-inch TFT
‹•–”—‡–’ƒ‡Žǡϐ‹˜‡”‹†‡‘†‡•ǡƒ“—‹ •Š‹ˆ–‡”ǡƒ† ”—‹•‡
control among other features. Pricing starts at $14,499.

       


   
      
    
  
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Congratulations to I had been waiting for an article to come out on
Emily Roberts on a alternative rides, since, when you get to a certain
  superb story about
the trip she and
others took to deliver
age, you are maybe unsure of all the weight. I
didn’t get my licence till I was 67 after taking a
course and ended up with my first bike being a
pet food to the 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan 900LT, weighing about
frozen north. I 650 lb.
actually got cold I enjoyed the article in the September/October
reading her story. issue of Motorcycle Mojo magazine about the Royal
HARRI JANSSON Enfield Super Meteor 650 so I went down to the
VIA EMAIL dealer just south of Nanaimo, B.C., to see if they
knew when they would be available. I got talking
Just wanted to say how impressed I am with to a retired mechanic that helps out at the shop
the Nov/Dec issue of Motorcycle Mojo magazine. and he asked me what kind of riding I did. I told
The “Special Delivery” story by Emily Roberts, him pretty much the secondary highways on
“The Motorcycle Wave” article by DB Ryen, and Vancouver Island. He asked me if I had ever
“Riding the Northern Florida Wilderness” by ridden a 350. I said no, and he said you should
Curtis Nickel are all great pieces and very enlight- try one, so I did. The following week I traded my
ening and educational. Congratulations to the Vulcan for a 2023 Royal Enfield Classic 350. It’s
whole staff on another top-notch issue! a fun ride, has enough speed for me, and weighs
CHRISTOPHER THIESSEN VIA EMAIL approximately 227 lb less than my Vulcan.
Thanks for that article as I had never heard of
I just read Emily Roberts’ “Special Delivery” article Royal Enfield before.
in the November/December 2023 issue, which RICHARD FREED VIA EMAIL
brought memories of riding my motorcycle all
over Toronto during the winters of 1964/65 This
   
was not the first time these memories have been       

stirred, like the madness of that Ice Road Biker,

TON OF FUN
Oliver Solaro, and his epic delivery of a half-ton Many new compone
engine and atte nts, a willing
ntion to detail
of dog food to Churchill, Man., on a sled pulled makes the new
Supe
a plea sure to ride r Meteor 650

by his BMW 850 GSA, converted to a snow bike.    

  

 

Back in my mad winter times I rode a post-

war BMW boxer which, due to its relatively R oyal Enfield has

in its best-selling
of 650 twins it debut
in 2018, when it
launc
the first spinoff mode hed
range

started building
ls

ed
 
“
  
 
    
     
first twin-cylinder its
motorcycles to be

low centre of gravity — well-balanced by the made in India. Powe

air/oil-cooled, eight-
parallel-twin engin
crankshaft and centra
red by the same
valve 648 cc
e with a 270-degree
 
”
l chain-driven

opposed cylinders — made it well-suited for

SOHC equipping
the Interceptor and
Continental GT,
these have now
joined by the range been
-topping Super
Meteor 650 duo,
one a standard
Cruiser model and

winter travel. No studded tires in those days. I

the other a Toure
variant, unveiled r
at last November’s
EICMA show.
Riding both new
variants in
Rajasthan, India’
s largest, emptiest

remember an epic 40 cm snowfall where I was state pushed right

Pakistani border
open desert roads
with a curry for
up against the
with kilometres
— think Arizona,
supper — confirmed
of

their appeal. The

one of the few vehicles on the road. My riding fuel-injected engin

claimed 46 hp at
peak torque of 38
Bosch ECU-equipp
e produces a
7,250 rpm, while
lb-ft is delivered
ed

5,650 rpm — 400 at

buddy Peter on his Honda 305 Dream and I

revs higher than
on the older 650
twins. But RE’s
chief engineer Paolo
Brovedani states
there are no mech
anical changes to
the engine in the
new models, only

made occasional winter forays in the country- that the Super Meteo
exhausts are all-ne
with revised mapp
r’s airbox and
w, which coupled
ing for the ECU
delivers a cruiser-frien
dly wider spread
of torque, with 80

side north of Toronto; those were interesting  

per cent of that

   
    

times.  

    
   

Thanks for stirring those memories, Emily.

DIETER EBERHARDT VIA EMAIL
   
    
I am so amazed at the way your entire staff cares
about us, your subscribers. You are truly one in
a million companies that give personal care and
attention to us.
Thank you so much for going to the extra
effort to make sure my son was able to get his
Motorcycle Mojo magazine. He will be thrilled to
get the calendar and the future issues.
CLARA AND JOHN HUBACEK VIA EMAIL

      !"!## "   !! # $

%##  !&'()!#)&&'##"&)&$ & &*#!!#+$!#$

       

     
   
 
     
Imagine being eight years old and
spending weekends racing motorcycles
against other kids. How cool would
you be at elementary school, proudly
bringing your helmet and trophies to
show and tell? While motorcycle rac-
ing might not be a common childhood
dream, it’s a reality for an increasing
number of youngsters, including many
girls, who are making a significant
impact in youth motorcycle racing.
At the final event of the Pacific
Coast Mini Roadracing Club (PCMRC)
season, in B.C., 13 kids aged six to
nine lined up on the grid, making it
the biggest the club has seen in years,
perhaps ever. Almost half of them
were girls. It was also the first time
two competitors — Martina Cardenas
from B.C., and Ethan Reardon from
Alberta, both eight — would battle
head-to-head in a series of races,
causing parents, spectators and other
racers to cheer with excitement.
Martina is energetic, seemingly
always happy, and she loves going
fast. She began riding at four years
old on an Oset electric motorcycle her
dad purchased. She also excels at kart
racing. In 2023, Martina dominated
the PCMRC Youth Spec 70 class at the
Greg Moore Raceway, her home track
in Chilliwack. She won nearly all her
races by a considerable margin, and
also broke the track record for her class.
What she needed was stronger
competition to push her riding even
further. What she wanted was a
challenge — someone to race. That
someone was Ethan Reardon.
Ethan began riding at age three,
enduro racing at six, and was road
racing at seven. He’s an active kid,
fearless and tenacious, able to solve
a Rubik’s cube puzzle in under a
minute. He enjoys baseball, driving
his side-by-side ATV, and watching
motorcycle racing.
      
His race season was similar to
Martina’s; he won most of his races
with the Alberta Mini Roadracing
Association (AMRA) — with consider-
able leads over the rest of the pack — at
the Strathmore Raceway Motorsports
Park, his home track. He holds the
track record for his class.
Martina’s name came up during a
discussion with Ethan about finding
a competitor to challenge him. His
family decided to attend the final
PCMRC race of the season. “I wanted
to beat Martina’s lap record,” he said
with a sly grin.
While it was Ethan’s first time rid-
ing the challenging kart track in B.C.,
he learned quickly and was soon hot
on Martina’s tail. Both riders exhibited
fierce competition and a deep under-
standing of riding technique and race
strategy during practice, qualifying
and racing. There was intense passing
and near photo finishes.
As spectators, we were going
wild! There was a spectacular race
for first and second place, and battles
throughout the grid with kids pushing,
improving, riding faster and smiling!
Even more impressive than that
was the instant friendship formed
between the two champions. They
were inseparable all weekend, their
camaraderie off track as strong as their
rivalry on it.
In the end, Ethan won three of the
four races in intensely close battles
against Martina, while she clinched
a new official lap record. A drastic
mistake in the final race resulted in a
tearful DNF for Ethan, who thought
the race had finished and pulled off
early. Martina was the only one able
to console him, bringing him her
favourite book and a snack for com-
fort. In an interview after the podium
celebrations, I asked them what it was
like to race each other.
“Challenging and satisfying,” said
Ethan. “I tried to beat Martina’s lap
record, but instead, she got me.”
“Yeah, I got a new lap record!” said
Martina, grinning. “It was cool because
this year I had no one to race with, so
this competitor was so fast,” she said
pointing at Ethan, “and we’re very
good friends now!”
When asked what they liked most
about racing, Martina piped in first
with a Cheshire cat grin. “What I
like most is touching my knee on
the ground and feeling that. It’s
refreshing.”
“I like doing the cornering,” said
Ethan, “leaning off the bike, and just
relaxing in corners. It’s very fun.”
Becoming an experienced motorcy-
cle racer in Canada often begins with
youth mini-road racing. Volunteer-run
clubs, like PCMRC and AMRA, provide
a safe, fun, and competitive environ-
ment for riders of all ages to participate
in the sport. Both clubs offer demo
bikes and gear for new riders, and
youth racing is always free! Having
attended races at both clubs during the
summer, I witnessed the dedication
and enthusiasm these organizations
have for encouraging youth to partic-
 
ipate in motorcycle racing. The future
of the sport relies on nurturing young

talent, and PCMRC and AMRA are
committed to doing just that.

Keep an eye on Martina and Ethan.
The racetrack is their playground, and
they are going places fast! 
      
   
   

   
Do you ride staggered? I mean
when you are riding with others,
not after leaving a bar! Conventional
wisdom says that the best way to ride
in a group is to do so in a staggered
formation. The goal of staggered
group riding is to take up less space
on the roadway, while allowing for
ample braking distance between each
motorcycle. Using the left and right
tire tracks within a lane allows a
tighter formation, which also prevents
other vehicles from wandering into
the group.
To ride in a staggered formation,
the lead rider stays in the left tire track
of the lane nearest the right shoulder
or curb. The second rider stays behind
the leader, in the right tire track of
the same lane. The minimum distance
between the first and the second rider
should be at least one second. Because
they are staggered, and not directly
in line with each other, this leaves
ample room for the second rider to
avoid the first in case of an emergency
manoeuvre.
A third rider should be in the same
left tire track as the lead rider, fol-
lowing at least a second behind rider
two, which leaves a safe distance of at
least two seconds behind the leader.
To determine the correct following
distance, simply pick a landmark, like
a hydro pole, and count the time it
takes you to reach it after the rider
ahead has passed it. Remember, two
seconds behind the vehicle straight
ahead is the minimum in ideal
riding conditions; if it’s dark, dusty or
slippery, add more time.
This works most of the time, but
there are times when sticking strictly
to a staggered riding formation just
doesn’t work, or can be absolutely
unsafe. Riders in groups have to be
flexible and ready to change their
position within their lane quickly, as
      
traffic patterns and direction goals
change. For instance, when planning
for a left turn from a two-lane road-
way, the lead rider should signal the
lane change as soon as possible, thus
allowing more distance and time for
the whole group to make their way
over to that lane.
So when the group of riders
switches over to the left lane, every-
one’s tire track should also switch.
The lead rider moves from the left
tire track of the right lane to the right
tire track of the left lane to maintain
the blocking position. Everyone else
should follow. It’s cool to watch this;
when the group moves fluidly it looks
like a huge mechanical snake.
If everyone in the group doesn’t
make it through a traffic light, then
the tire track position within the lane
might also change. For example: if
the fourth rider has to stop for the red
light, they then become the lead rider
and should move over accordingly.
Everyone behind should also adjust
their lane position accordingly.
After many years of travelling in
groups I have seen many things you
should and shouldn’t do. On twisty
roads at speed, you shouldn’t stay in a
fixed lane position through the curves.
You should stop riding in a staggered
formation and increase the distance
between bikes. This is especially true
in rural areas with soft shoulders or
no shoulders at all. Increase your
following distance and use the whole
lane to your best and safest advantage.
It is wiser to maintain an increased
distance between bikes and to be able
to apex corners using the entire width
of your lane — but don’t get too close
to the centre line on left turns.
Another scary group riding habit is
staying in a tight staggered formation
when there is no guardrail or median
separating oncoming traffic. Too
many group riders have been killed
or severely injured when some idiot
in an oncoming car crosses the centre
line and hits several riders in a group.
I almost lost my head recently, while
travelling in a group on a single-lane
highway in British Columbia.
A driver travelling toward us
(probably on their phone) crossed
over the centre line, and his mirror
hit the left hand protector of the bike
two positions ahead of me. The rider
behind him and I had just enough
time to swerve out of the way, oth-
erwise we would have been hit head
on. As I always do, I had left far more
than two seconds following distance,
and that extra time and space not only
allowed me to swerve to the right,
but also allowed me to duck out of
the way to avoid the car’s broken side
mirror, which was heading right for
my helmet!
 
Riding in a staggered formation
is just a suggested way of keeping

a group together. If you don’t feel
comfortable doing it, or if the speed

of the group isn’t to your comfort
level, then back off and ride your
own ride! 
 Our prediction:
No shadow.

Representing injured riders for over 75 years. 905-525-2341

NEW YEAR, NEW ROADS:

GET READY FOR 2024!

SCAN ME

www.edelweissbike.com

      

  
   


One thing I’ve learned this past year
with humility is how driving in North
America is different to everywhere
else in the world, and not necessarily
for the better. I used to think it was
great: a long open road, having a
whole lane to myself, getting angry
that a car was too close behind me,
constantly having my head on a swivel
to ensure surrounding cars take notice
of me. But maybe the driving culture
in Canada is just rigid, to the point of
being dangerous driving.
David Booth mentioned a
staggering statistic when comparing
motorcycle deaths in Europe and
North America in his Last Word
column in the July/August issue
2022 of Motorcycle Mojo. He found
that in 2019 the motorcycle deaths
average in the U.S. amounted to
58.33 for every 100,000 registered
motorcyclists. In Europe, the best he
could find, according to the European
Commission, the average rate in 2018
was 11 for every 100,000 motorcycle
registrations. By the best he could tell,
in Canada, our average is around 30
for every 100,000 motorcyclists.
Considering there are more
riders in European countries overall
compared to Canada or the U.S.,
these stats pose the question: why are
European drivers safer, and can we
learn a thing or two from them? Of
course, infrastructure plays a big part
in how driving culture has evolved
around the world. In many other
countries, the roadways are older,
often causing them to be narrow, and
sometimes butted up against buildings.
The concentration of people is higher
overall, causing large amounts of
traffic at any given time, and many
roads and highways are often lined
with cities or towns, adding a constant
change in speed at any given time.
These factors force users to use
every inch of the road to their
      
advantage, to understand spatial
awareness with their vehicle, and
to have a constant awareness of the
vehicles around them. They also give
little opportunity for riders to get dis-
tracted by those pesky cellphones. Not
to mention, the abundance of scooters
and motorcycles in other countries
far outweighs the number of riders in
Canada. I think this is attributable to
a hyper-focused — what we would
perceive as hectic— culture that helps
to build driver’s awareness skills
instead of fostering complacency, as
we do here.
Yes, I do think drivers in North
America overall are complacent and I
don’t think that’s our fault; it’s merely
caused by our landscape. In Canada,
we have wide-open roadways, and
riders rarely enter the congestion
that our few cities offer. Our roads
are new, and most were set up to
take on a large amount of traffic to
begin with, allowing for more space
overall. Our lanes are wider, our cars
are bigger and so is the cushion of
comfort we feel safe in while driving.
Experiencing large distances between
cities — although some of the roads
might be windy — certainly doesn’t
foster the concept of constantly
checking your surroundings, because
there’s no need to.
To embody a new way of thinking
about driving in Canada would be
nearly impossible to adopt because
of the diverse landscape of driving
terrain in the country, from rural
to urban. And that’s fine: there’s
nothing horrendously wrong with our
driving culture; it just seems inefficient
compared to others.
In Lisbon, I rode through the
streets, easing up to the front of the
lane at each traffic light, greeted by
people with the understanding that
a motorcycle is not the same as a
car. Casablanca and Marrakech were
chaotic, to say the least, with bumper-
to-bumper traffic. With inches to
spare, a car would pull into the next
lane and jam on the brakes, horns
honking and a continuous flow of
cars criss-crossing. Somehow, though,
it worked. It was organized chaos:
understanding the space you take up,
checking your mirrors, and knowing
that other road users do see you, and
they’ll still get closer than you could
imagine.
It seems that what we call chaotic
is just normal for others. In Morocco, I
gained a whole new set of riding skills,
along with a new love of city riding.
If you find yourself riding in a new
country this year, ease into it, and take
the time to understand the driving
culture. The rules that are enforced or
abided by may be different than ours.
Also take the time to learn common
road signs and even traffic lights, as
they may be different to what you’re
used to.
Understand that a painted lane on the
 
road may only be a suggestion, and that
fostering their style of driving instead of

our rigid style can help keep you safe.
Most of all, stay relaxed and have a good

time. If you’re riding in another country,
it likely means you’re on a trip of a
lifetime. Enjoy the chaos. 
 IT’S A NEW YEAR,
MAKE SURE
IT’S A SAFE YEAR!
#RIDEWITHADMORE MAKE SURE YOU’RE SEEN.
ADMORELIGHTING.COM/MOJO ORDER YOURS TODAY!

LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE

TOUR CATALOGUE

OFFICIAL TRAVEL
PARTNER OF

      

   

A MOST
IMPRESSIVE
REDESIGN
BMW once again sets the bar
high with the redesigned big GS

  
  

  


      

       
           
       

I
’ve spent more time in the
saddle of BMW’s big GS than
on any other press motorcycle
I’ve ridden. Actually, I have
owned one of the German boxers in
the past, an original R80 G/S, which I
had bought new in 1986. Having been
introduced in 1980, the G/S was the
grandfather of all adventure bikes. My
’86 model was six years into its life
cycle, yet it was nearly identical to the
original — changes came at a much
slower pace back in the early 1980s.
There were also very few variations; in
’86 you could get the standard G/S, or
the Paris-Dakar version, with a larger
32-litre fuel tank, a solo seat and a
luggage rack. The latter is the one I had.
Forty-four years and several gen-
erations later, evolution has produced
the most radically redesigned and most
potent GS ever: the 2024 R1300GS, a
direct descendant of the R80 G/S. We
flew to Málaga, Spain, where we spent
one day on the road, and a half day off
road on the big ADV bike. We learned
that while it’s still very much a GS, it is
a very different GS.

The Nuts and Bolts

As its moniker suggests, the GS’s
liquid-cooled boxer has grown in
displacement to 1,300 cc from 1,254 cc,
via a larger bore, but a shorter stroke
(106.5 x 73 mm vs. 102.5 x 76 mm),
though it has the same 9,000-rpm
rev limit. The engine is 3.9 kilos
lighter, and to improve the engine’s
weight distribution, while also giving
it a symmetrical appearance (boxer
cylinders are inherently offset), the
left cylinder has its cam drive at the
rear, and the right cylinder at the
front. The valve train still features
BMW’s ShiftCam technology, which
enables variable timing and lift on the
intake valves, thus broadening torque
delivery. Intake and exhaust valves
are bigger, now measuring 44 and
35.6 mm versus 40 and 34 mm. The
compression ratio is also higher, at
13.3:1 compared to 12.5:1.
Output is now 145 horsepower and
109 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 9 hp

       

   

    3   4 )% /   / 0   '   

      %    2 &        0
      5  +"          0
        %  '    &        
            
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and 4.4 lb-ft over the R1250, making
this the most powerful production
boxer ever made. It actually feels more
powerful than those numbers would
suggest, because the bike has lost 12 kg,
now weighing 237 kg wet, though fuel
tank capacity has dropped one litre to
19 litres to help achieve that number.
One big change within its engine
cases is with the six-speed gearbox,
which has been relocated from its
traditional location behind the engine,
to below the engine. This makes for
a remarkably compact powerplant,
while also lowering the centre of
gravity. Gear ratios for first through
   fourth are the same; fifth and sixth are
taller. Power transfers to the gearbox
via a wet slipper clutch.
New Frame
At first glance it looks like an alumi-
num frame has replaced the tubular-
steel frame of the R1250GS, but it’s
actually made from stamped steel
pieces that are welded together and
fully boxed, producing a more compact,
more streamlined, and stiffer unit.
The old tubular-steel subframe has
been replaced by a more rigid die-cast
aluminum piece that is lighter, more
rigidly secured to the main frame,
and offers more mounting possibilities
for accessories. Its monocoque design
should be more resistant to breakage,
which the steel subframe was prone to
do when overloaded by overly ambi-
tious travellers.
The frame and subframe flow into
the bodywork more fluidly, and com-
ponents that were bolted-on assem-
blies — like the headlamp assembly,
for example — are now integrated into
the bike, giving it a much more coher-
ent, streamlined silhouette. There is a
variety of luggage racks, grab handles,
and passenger seats that allow you to
have a narrow, minimalist rear end,
or one that is fully decked out for two,
with side cases and a top case.

      


  
  
  
    
  
  

 
   
   
  

       
     !
"  # $  !
# %  &
   
 
The Bouncy Bits
The suspension, too, has been rede-
signed, and there are four variations
available. There’s the standard sus-
pension that’s manually adjustable for
rear spring preload, the electronically
adjustable DSA (Dynamic Suspension
Adjustment) suspension, the new
adaptive height control DSA suspen-
sion, which drops the bike 30 mm at
both ends when rolling to a stop for
an easier reach to the ground, and
raises it once rolling above 25 km/h to
regain ground clearance, and the Sport
DSA suspension, which has 20 mm
more travel than the other options
for serious off-roaders. Like the ESA
suspension it replaces, the new DSA
adjusts damping settings electronically
based on the selected ride mode, but
it differs in that it now adjusts preload
electrically at both ends, rather than
just at the rear.
Another big suspension change
is in the front end. BMW is the only
manufacturer of mass-produced
motorcycles to utilize an alternative to
the conventional fork for front suspen-
sion. The company has been using the
Telelever system for about 30 years,
and it utilizes a pair of telescopic forks
mounted to an A-arm-like swingarm,
with damping and springing duties
provided by a separate shock absorber.
Its inherent design sees some
forward movement of the front wheel
as it moves up over bumps; therefore,
to compensate for this movement, it
needs spherical bearings where the
forks mount to the top clamp. This
design reduces the torsional rigidity of
the front end, allowing for some twist.
To greatly increase front-end rigidity
— and consequently steering response
and feedback — larger-diameter fork
tubes (45 mm from 37) are now rigidly
clamped to the top fork clamp, with
a single, larger spherical bearing now
mounted at the top of the steering
neck, instead of a pair of smaller
bearings at the top of each fork.
This system now allows the entire
top clamp to pivot slightly as the front
wheel moves forward on compression,
but makes for a much more rigid
suspension assembly torsionally.
Adding more stiffness to the front
end is a larger diameter wheel axle
(25 mm from 20) that is also lighter
than before. To prevent the handlebar
from pivoting with the top clamp, it
is mounted rigidly to the fork stem,
with a flat, triangulated spring plate

        
     
         
        
transferring steering inputs to the fork
clamp. BMW calls this new system
EVO Telelever. It’s a system that’s very
similar to the one used previously on
the R1100S and the HP2 Sport, though
those bikes had clip-ons and did not
need a spring plate.
The Fit
The rear of the fuel tank is not as
steeply angled as before, providing
a roomier cockpit. A convenient
compartment sits atop the fuel tank for
your phone and includes a USB port.
A 6.5-inch TFT screen offers all the
ride info and mode selection screens.
The bike is narrower between the
legs when seated, which makes the
reach to the ground easier than before,
and is beneficial when standing up off
road. There’s also less of the bike visi-
ble in the rider’s view, which makes it
easier to see obstacles just ahead of the
bike at low speeds.
The standard foot pegs are serrated
for off-road grip, and come with remov-
able rubber inserts. Optional, larger foot
pegs can be mounted in two positions
for height, and the brake pedal pad can
be flipped to a high or low position,
      
  
for sitting or standing. There’s also an
optional shorter-reach handlebar, as
well as two riser inserts, one raising the
handlebar 15 mm, one 30 mm.
The standard windscreen is small,
but can be flipped to a high or low
position via a lever to the left of
the gauges. An optional electrically
adjusted screen is available (part of the
$655 Comfort package). One thing the
GS has lost is the adjustable-height seat,
though there are several optional seats
available, offering different seat heights
($70 for any non-standard seat), as well
as adjustability for seat angle.
Standard seat height is 850 mm,
but depending on the chosen seat and
suspension combination, seat heights
vary from 800 to 890 mm — the bikes
I rode were set to the standard height.
The riding position is upright, though
legroom is a bit tight with the standard
seat — as a six-footer, I’d spring for
the taller seat, which adds 20 mm
of height. Although I did not get an
opportunity to ride a bike equipped
with the height control suspension, I
did sit on one that was lowered and
had a low seat; its 800 mm seat height
put a comfortable bend at my knees
with my feet on the ground.
Electrics and Options
Even if you choose the base model,
      

you get a good selection of standard
features. Included are four ride modes
(Rain, Road, Eco, Enduro), hill-hold
control, adjustable lean-sensing ABS
and traction control, engine braking
control, and cruise control. The bike
also comes with a lightweight lithium
battery and heated grips.
When it comes to options, well, the
selection is vast. Among the items you
can get within the various optional
packages are a quick shifter, radar-
enabled active cruise control (main-
tains a preset distance behind vehi-
cles), blind-spot alert (a small warning
light illuminates in the right or left
mirror to warn of vehicles approaching
from the rear), and front collision
warning with brake intervention to
help reduce the severity of a front-end
collision.
There’s a standard LED headlight,
but you can also get a brighter,
adaptive LED headlight that illumi-
nates corners when turning. Pro ride
modes (Dynamic, Dynamic Pro, and
Enduro Pro) are available, offering
more aggressive settings and config-
urability. Other options include the
aforementioned electrically adjustable
windshield and suspension, and
heated passenger and rider seats.
Although it’s not technically
electric, a centre stand is optional, but
when combined with the
adaptive height control,
the bike will automatically
raise when you drop the
stand to facilitate propping
it up. Another clever design
feature is a folding foot lever
that swings out of the way when
the stand is retracted.
On the Road
The 2024 R1300GS pricing starts at
$22,795. The bike I used for day one
on the road was equipped with the
Dynamic package, Comfort package,
Innovation package and a heated
comfort seat, which bumped the price
to $27,450. Those packages add a lot
of the features mentioned above, the
more notable ones being the DSA
suspension (without height control), a
taller electrically adjustable windshield,
Pro ride modes, and the electronic
rider assists. It was equipped with the
standard Metzeler Tourance 2 tires.
Rolling out of the parking lot, I
immediately note that the new boxer
engine is remarkably smooth. It’s
so free of vibration that I can state
confidently it is the smoothest twin
I’ve ridden to date. Hitting the moun-
tainous twisty roads outside of Málaga,
it’s no surprise that in Dynamic mode,
with the suspension firmed up, the
GS handles like a sport bike. You can
charge aggressively into turns, staying
hard on the brakes until well past the
turn-in point, and even in higher gears
it will blast out on the boxer’s instan-
taneous torque.
Steering is light, neutral and
precise, and the bike holds a line with
no further effort on the handlebar
than the initial turn in. Suspension
compliance is exemplary, keeping the
bike planted through fast turns, yet
soaking up sharp bumps without a
trace of harshness — and that’s while
adjusted to its firmest setting.
Plenty of Power
The bike definitely feels less top-heavy
than before with the tank full, and
transitions through esses confidently
and quickly. Stability is unwavering,
whether you’re leaning hard into
sweepers or riding at Euro-friendly
speeds on the highway (between 130
and 140 km/h). Not only is the engine
the smoothest twin I’ve ridden, but it Steering was much more precise  
revs quicker than before, and almost and stable over loose rock than the
all traces of the sideways lurch expe- previous model, thus validating the 
rienced when blipping the throttle (a changes to the front suspension. 
characteristic of a transversely mounted Many people wonder why BMW  
boxer), are gone. The engine has tons didn’t fit the GS with a 21/18-inch    
of low-end grunt, with a flat, wide wheel combo, but the truth is it han-   
spread of torque, and it continues pull- dles rough terrain quite handily on  
ing hard to redline. Passing at highway its 19-inch front and 17-inch rear, a  
speeds doesn’t require a downshift. combination that doesn’t sacrifice road      !! 
The optional taller windshield on handling for extreme off-road capability   
my test bike also comes with wind — which isn’t really the bike’s forte, " ##
deflectors, and when it is raised, wind anyway. What does affect road handling  
protection is excellent; there’s no is the knobby Metzelers, which have "$ !%"#&'() # !
buffeting and the airflow is remarkably very good grip on dirt and pavement, 
calm. With this setup the GS offers but on the latter they slow steering "#*%"$&+) ,## !
better wind protection than many response considerably, reduce steering   
dedicated touring bikes I’ve ridden, feel, and make the bike want to stand up "#,- 
and is a big improvement over the in turns. If you plan a long trip off-road,    
previous model. The optional comfort install the Karoos; if you stick mostly to "  ."
seat remained comfy until we parked pavement, choose the Tourance.    
the bikes at the end of the day. /01   
So Many Choices  
Off the Road There are so many available options, ,! 
The next day we switched to bikes packages and accessories that you   
equipped with the GS Trophy package can certainly build an R1300GS that 2 *
(blue, red and white paint, tubeless fits you like a glove. This makes it   
spoked wheels), Dynamic package difficult to assess the bike in the time I 34(/567   8  9  .
(DSA, Pro ride modes), Enduro Pro spent on it, because there are so many
:2;! 
package (off-road damage protection, possible variations. The two bikes I
  
risers, other off-road items), and the rode did give me a good idea of how I
2 '!   9  <
optional aggressively treaded Metzeler would spec one for myself, though.
:2;! 
Karoo 4 tires, bringing the total to I’d take the tubeless spoke wheels,
   
$27,020. the comfort package for the electrically
0 ."#%)
Unfortunately, we only had a half adjustable windshield, the Dynamic
= .##%)
day of off-roading, though it was in package for the DSA suspension, and
  
an enduro park located within a rock the Enduro package for all of the crash
0 .7 "#
quarry, with tight, rocky single-track damage protection and the risers. This
* !   ! 
trails, steep, rocky climbs and descents, would bring the cost to $27,090. By
= .&
and some faster dirt roads. far, the priciest of these options is the
! ! <' ;32
To start, our guide took us directly Dynamic package, at $2,200, but if
  
through some of the rocky trails, yet you are to add just one item to the GS,
despite being rusty (I hadn’t ridden ""&%&)
that’s the one, because you can’t do
off-road in a couple of months), I felt     
without the DSA.
immediately comfortable standing on For now, this new platform is avail- ,>""
the pegs and pitching the GS around able only on the R1300GS, and it is  
tight corners, over boulders, and under without a doubt, the best GS yet. The 0 ."#>#="
low-hanging branches. It felt immedi- Adventure is still available for 2024, = ."#>,#="
ately familiar, but lighter and narrower but it’s the R1250GSA based on the  
between the legs than the R1250GS. previous platform. Although there was  '%)
The 30-mm risers also put the han- no confirmation from BMW officials,   
dlebar in a taller, more comfortable it’s highly likely that an R1300GSA &#% )
position for me. will eventually be introduced, as will    
In Enduro Pro mode, with the an R1300RT. This platform is just too " 
suspension set softer than the default good and too much of an improve-       
Enduro mode (Pro modes allow you ment for this not to happen.  $&>"##'
to tailor various parameters), the bike       
soaked up big bumps without jolting       ,'
the handlebar or bouncing off course.     

       

          

ADVANCING
TRADITION
Could the future of the CVO
program be the introduction of
heavily revised models?

  
     
   

Y
ou probably don’t know
it, but you can tie a link
from luxo-tourers like the
BMW Grand America, the
Honda Gold Wing, and the Kawasaki
1700 Vaquero, all the way back to
1969. That year, Harley designers
developed the batwing fairing and
installed it on the FLH 1200 Electra
Glide. They might not have known it
at the time, but when they did that
they created the original long-distance
touring bike. The FLH already had
fibreglass saddlebags, a large touring
saddle and floorboards, but the
batwing fairing gave it distinctive
touring-bike styling, and it provided
better wind protection for extended
time on the road. Harley-Davidson did
not invent the motorcycle, but it did
invent the modern touring motorcycle.
Harley is tied to tradition, however,
and while the Milwaukee-based Motor
Company has made major technologi-
cal improvements to its touring models
over the decades, styling has remained
largely untouched. The company
walks a very fine line when it comes 45-degree, pushrod V-twin — might fenders, fairing and saddlebags on the
to making big changes, especially to attract new riders, but they might also 2023 Ultra Limited is almost identical
the styling of its big twins, always put off its devout followers, of which to those same items on the 1969 FLH.
considering the effect potential alter- there are plenty. That’s not to say that the machine
ations will have on its feverishly loyal beneath hasn’t been vastly improved
customers. Making drastic changes Introduction of the CVO — back then, vibration would literally
to styling, or to certain fundamental Even an untrained eye can see that the break off parts, and if a bike wasn’t
Harley hallmarks — like the mighty design of the fuel tank, front and rear leaking it meant there was no more

      


 
  
   
   
  
  
  

oil in it. But what remained in view
stayed pretty much the same. Well,
that has changed with the introduction
of the 2023 Harley-Davidson CVO
Road Glide and Street Glide models,
which are drastically different from the
non-CVO bikes that share their names.
Harley’s CVO division (Custom
Vehicle Operations) was created in
1999 as an outlet to offer factory-
customized models utilizing the
company’s vast selection of parts and
accessories. The first models to come
out of the CVO design centre were the
FXR2 and FXR3, both in very limited
numbers (1,800 examples total), and
both based on the FXR model, which
hadn’t been in production since 1995.
Aside from being exclusive models,
Harley had thrown every accessory in
the book at them and gave them flashy
custom paint jobs — and charged an
appropriately high price. The custom-
izing branch has since evolved into a
showcase of Harley’s newest technol-
ogy and high performance, through
a handful of limited-edition specials
based on regular-production models.
Departing CVO Tradition
While the CVO Road Glide and Street
Glide are based on existing models,
they are, in fact, entirely new
     
          

,      ' !  (  
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     motorcycles. The first noticeable

     change is the all-new silhouette. Both
    machines boast completely redesigned
    fairings and bodywork, while still
    maintaining styling cues that link them
    to the originals — the Road Glide to
       the 1980 FLT Tour Glide and the Street
    Glide to that 1969 Electra Glide.
The CVO Road Glide’s frame-
mounted fairing looks taller top to bot-
tom, and it has a large opening below
the windscreen that directs airflow

      


      
    
        
     
! 
&'  
     round, but elliptical. Bullet turn signals
  
    
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 ! formed like a smooth teardrop; it has
(     
)*+ ),+
    
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!    
  %
    
 "$$    this gives the rear of the bike a much
into the cockpit to reduce buffeting.
The windshield has been laid down at
a very shallow angle, and now “floats”
atop the fairing for an overall lighter
appearance. The twin LED headlights
and tacked-on turn signals of the
previous design are gone, replaced by
a single, goggle-shaped LED headlight
with integrated turn signals.
The Street Glide’s fairing has really
broken from tradition, and while
it is now very different from the
                   
batwing from which it was inspired,
it still looks familiar. It is much more
streamlined and angular, has a large
opening below the windshield, and
like the Road Glide, its windshield also
floats. The fairing still boasts a single
LED headlight, though it is no longer
are gone, replaced by long, thin strips
integrated into the fairing.
Body and Engine Redesign
The fuel tank on both machines
has been reshaped, and is no longer
chamfered edges on top along either
side that match the shape of the rede-
signed saddlebags. To lighten the bike’s
appearance, the saddlebags have been
shortened top to bottom, and have
been bevelled at the bottom rear. To
retain useable volume, the bags now
have curved, bulging outer surfaces.
Another big change is at the rear,
where an opposing pair of C-shaped
LED taillights with integrated turn
signals replace the single taillight
that has been shining off the back of
various Harley rear ends for decades;
cleaner appearance. Overall, the styl-
ing on both motorcycles is much more
streamlined and contemporary, while
still retaining traditional styling cues
that clearly tie them to their ancestral
touring rigs. I think the bikes look
stunning in person, especially in the
optional Whisky Neat paint scheme.
The bikes have also lost some weight;
16 kg for the Road Glide and 14 for
the Street Glide.
Harley didn’t just dress up these
redesigned CVO models in new duds;
they are powered by a new Milwaukee-
Eight VVT 121 V-twin. It is the first big

     
twin engine to feature variable valve
timing, which broadens the already
fat torque curve, and improves fuel
economy by up to five per cent. The
1,977-cc liquid-cooled engine claims
115 horsepower and 139 lb-ft of
torque, the latter of which peaks at
just 3,000 rpm. The engine mates to a
six-speed gearbox.
First Ride
My first ride is on the Street Glide. Not
that long ago, a 121 cubic-inch V-twin
would have been seen exclusively in a
drag racing bike, yet here it is power-
ing a tourer. The massive torque hauls
the rig up to speed relentlessly, and so
quickly in the lower three gears that
you have to mind the shifter or the
engine will bounce off the rev limiter
abruptly at 5,500 rpm.
Since the bike needs a clutch
that can handle touring-bike weight
and drag-bike torque, lever pull is
moderately heavy. The transmission
shifts with a deliberate clunk, but
shifter effort is light. Highway passing
is effortless, and I suspect it will not
be much slower even when loaded
with a passenger and luggage. The
bike rides smoothly, aside from some
engineered-in throbbing vibration
that is required to keep those loyalists
happy — it is neither intrusive nor
unwelcome.
A new infotainment system
includes Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto connectivity, as well as an
embedded navigation system. A
12.25 inch TFT touchscreen replaces
the former analogue instruments
and 6.5-inch screen. Gauges are
now digital and configurable for
different views. The handlebar switch
assemblies are new, with left and right
     
           

 

   
 
 
     
  
  
 
! "    # $
  
%&&
 
%% ' ()* +,-  .. '

% /0 (%) 1-  ... '
  
%. 2 %%& 
   
%% 3%
joystick-style controls used to navigate my preference was for the Street Glide,    
the various screen menus. The Road as it felt lighter and more agile at low 456 $  )     /
Glide has a pair of storage compart- speeds, and it actually provided better  
ments on either side of the inner wind protection, though it’s hard *'
fairing; the Street Glide has a drawer to make a complete assessment of a   
below the instruments. Both bikes touring bike on a 200-km ride. 7
have USB-C ports inside the storage   
compartments. Previous Model Comparison &    0 + 8 /
Just before riding these new CVO   
Updated Suspension models, I had spent a considerable 9$  +   '  8 
The suspension has also been revised, amount of time on a 2023 Ultra Lim-    
and for the first time on a big twin ited, which is a direct descendant of 5  3 %%&  ( * -
there is an inverted fork greeting road the original Electra Glide. These new  3 &*  (. -
irregularities. It is a beefy 47-mm CVO models are a marked improve-   
non-adjustable unit that is accompa- ment over the current design, in 5  3 9$ .    $ 
nied by a pair of emulsion shocks in handling, wind protection, suspension 0 '   ' 
the rear that feature an easily accessi- compliance, and power (the Ultra uses  3 ..   $ 
ble remote preload adjuster, as well as the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine). 0 '  ' : !7
rebound damping adjustability. There’s The fly in the ointment is that they   
more wheel travel than before at both don’t come cheap. Being premium CVO
%*  (* -
ends, and suspension compliance is products, they are priced accordingly,
    
firm enough for excellent control on with the Street Glide starting at $52,399
*;%&. 
twisty roads, yet without harshness and the Road Glide at $54,299. Maybe
 
over sharp bumps. Harley execs are still a little apprehen-
5  3 %.*.7%
The Road Glide feels heftier because sive about offering big changes to their
 3 %).7%)
its fairing is heavy and is mounted hardcore followers, so they’re only
 
high, and it takes up a larger area in making the bikes available in limited
the view ahead. It’s also heavier at the quantities through the CVO program? ).% + ()))* /-
scales, weighing in at 391 kg versus I’m actually sad that Harley did not   
380 kg for the Street Glide. I also make these changes more accessible &%%  () -
found that the fairing created a bit by applying them to its regular touring    
more buffeting at speed than on the bikes. But my guess is we’ll see that &  
Street Glide, though both bikes man- happen sooner than later.        
age this well via an adjustable vent in .<%.. +
the fairing that redirects airflow for            
different rider heights.          =>
After spending a day on both bikes,     

      

      
    

S
COU
NTRY TO
U R

 
S
CRO

AYS

TO
Chasing dinosaurs (and roadside attractions)
EP

URN SL
ÉE À TRAVER

across the Prairies

    

P
erhaps my childhood
obsession — filling the
pages of a sketchbook with
pastel portraits and the
facts I’d gleaned from the How and
Why Wonderbook of Dinosaurs — was
unusual. That, and posing my collec-
tion of plastic dinos for photos in the
swampy meadow behind our house.
But when a return trip from the west
coast saw me traversing the prairies
on a 2022 Suzuki V-Strom DL650XA,
my latent love had me leaping at the
chance to explore the many sites in
                      central Canada that are devoted to the
        prehistoric.

      

 
     
         
             
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Rather unintuitively, however,

this leg of the adventure began in
the galactic future, where I met the
crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise — or at
least their cardboard cut-outs. Rolling
into Vulcan, Alta. (pop. 1,769), I
discovered a diminutive town with
a playful soul. A replica of the iconic
Star Trek starship hovered outside the
visitor centre, and inside I was met by
a friendly Trekkie and a centre full of
just about anything Trek-related anyone
might ever hope to own — including a
photo of oneself sitting in the captain’s
chair on the bridge. Of course, I sat. A
short walking tour past sci-fi murals

      

    
on the main street led to a transporter
(where, again, I posed), and a bronze
bust of Mr. Spock. It was accompanied
by a cast handprint from Leonard
Nimoy, who had himself visited in
2010. This year will mark the 30th
anniversary of VulCON, an annual
convention featuring various celebri-
ties from the franchise.
Famous Watering Hole
Turning my front wheel toward
Drumheller, it was time to turn my
attention to the past. By degrees. En
route, I followed Eleven Bridges Road
to the ghost town of Wayne, where all
that remained of a mining settlement
were the Rosedeer Hotel and Last
Chance Saloon. Both had a storied past
and looked like they’d just stepped
out of a Western film. (In fact, several
movies had been shot here, including
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and
Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Noon.)
After sailing endlessly across the
open prairie, it was a shock to drop
over the lip of the Red Deer River
Valley and gaze across its yawning
expanse. Several hundred metres
below, I stopped for the obligatory
photo in downtown Drumheller with
the “World’s Biggest Tyrannosaurus
Rex” (it was monstrous!). But I was
headed for the Royal Tyrell Museum of
Paleontology which housed the largest
collection of fossils in Canada. There I
stood face-to-jaws with Black Beauty,
one of the world’s most complete
skeletons of Tyrannosaurus Rex, and
was mesmerized by displays of Alber-
tosaurus, Triceratops, and five other
      
Guinness World Record-holding dino
skeletons.
A Popular Loop
As darkness fell, I rolled out my bivy
on the edge of Horse Thief Canyon
and watched the Red Deer River
meandering through badlands that
marched to the horizon. A snowy
owl set down unobserved on a fence
post right behind me, and a startling
screech shot a tremor up my spine. By
his second cry — and before I could
grab my camera — he was off again on
hushed wings.
I wasn’t sure if he had been curious
about this unusual intruder, or simply
interested in the complex of prairie
dog holes all around me. It was a very
silent night that was only interrupted
at dawn when a single prairie dog
sentinel whistled a warning to his
neighbours.
        
      
  ! "#  $%&' $(
Crossing the river on a tiny cable-
guided ferry, I stopped at the hoodoos
of Drumheller, six-metre-high sand-
stone columns that, because of their
rock caps, have resisted erosion for
thousands of years.
At the Tyrell, I had been surprised
to learn that most of the real fieldwork
happened in Dinosaur Provincial Park,
170 km to the southeast. And so in no
time, I was off exploring the UNESCO
World Heritage Site whose badlands
boast the largest deposit of Cretaceous
fossils in the world.
Too Hot to Ride
An Alberta heat wave, however, had
me sitting out part of the afternoon.
Temperatures above the human body’s
37 C meant that riding even at speeds
above the posted 110 km/h served
only to act like a hair dryer and I was
feeling the early signs of heat exhaus-
tion. In such situations, along with
a constant intake of water, options
include soaking your base layers for
the increased evaporative effect, filling
your pockets from an ice machine, or
taking a break in an air-conditioned
rest stop. A McDonalds in Medicine
Hat would do.
As evening came on, I set out again,
but my destination in Eastend, Sask.,
was a long way off. I was relieved to
see the rising of a full moon, but the
back country roads were surprisingly
dark, and even on high beam (which
wasn’t much better than low), at 80
km/h I was overrunning the V-Strom’s
headlight. Vigilantly scanning the
roadside brush for a bolting deer, I was
equally challenged by the lack of a
centre line which made the serpentine
route much harder to decipher in the
blackness.
It was near midnight when I pulled
into Eastend and I felt my way into
the darkened municipal campground.
I could only hope I was setting up in
a permissible spot. (A postscript here
is that I later replaced the bulbs with
LED, and so has Suzuki for all 2023
models, simultaneously increasing
brightness and decreasing draw on the
electrical system.)

World’s Largest T. Rex

In the morning, I paid my fee and
the friendly attendant recommended
Jack’s on Main Street for a good
breakfast. The street was wide and
the businesses sparse. A classic prairie
town. I had singled out Eastend as it
was the site of the newly established
T. rex Discovery Centre and home to
“Scotty,” the largest and oldest Tyran-
nosaurus ever found. One look at the
two-metre skull and I realized I would
barely amount to a mouthful. The cen-
tre’s host was enthusiastic enough not
only to give me a personal tour but
also to take me past the STAFF ONLY
sign to proudly show me his work-
space, where he was piecing together
the skeleton of an early mammal.
It was then that he spoke of a fossil
dig happening at Grasslands National                         
Park. A paleontologist was welcoming
guests to join her in excavating a A reflex to let up on the throttle
recently discovered Triceratops, and — and the subsequent snaking —
while the event normally booked up reminded me that it was exactly the
months in advance, there had been a wrong thing to do and an old mantra
single cancellation. My eight-year-old returned: “When in doubt, throttle it
self nearly exploded: My dream job at out.” Immediately, Suzy straightened
last! up. Later, awaiting a presentation
around a communal campfire, other
The Throttle is Your Friend travellers commented on how their
I twisted the throttle, perhaps over- cars were sliding around, and suddenly
zealously, flying past expansive rolling my two-wheeled tango felt a little less
fields of wheat while Saskatchewan’s clumsy.
farmers harvested next winter’s Earlier in the summer, I had been
Shreddies. But the final 18 km to the disappointed to arrive at the Philip
East Gate had been newly and deeply J. Currie Museum in Wembley,
gravelled. The ruts left by other wheels Alta., only to find it closed. So I was
made it difficult to hold a line, and once delighted when our presenter turned
or twice I thought I was going down. out to be Dr. Emily Bamforth, curator

      

    
“    
   
   
      
    ”
of the Currie. She would also be
leading our dig.
Don’t Cross That Line
Just after sunrise, a dozen would-be
paleontologists loaded into a van and
bumped our way 30 km across a corru-
gated prairie to the site where “Clifford
the Big Red Triceratops” had been
discovered. One stretch of barbed wire
fencing marked not only the boundary
of a ranch but also the International
Boundary with the United States.
When I remarked on how little wire
prevented us from simply walking
into Montana, a couple of ranchers
on board added, “That and an armed
helicopter that’ll suddenly show up.”
When we could bounce no further
and had begun to hike, we spotted
untouched dinosaur bones protruding
from hillsides, and what appeared
to be the skeleton of a Triceratops
emerging slowly from an eroding
knoll. In the same formation, Dr.
Bamforth — “Emily” — pointed out
      
the K-Pg Boundary, a narrow layer of
the earth’s crust that contains iridium.
Not of this world, iridium was the
result of an enormous asteroid that
crashed into Earth some 66 million
years ago. A 180-km-wide crater in
Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula suggests
how such a cataclysm might have
wiped out the dinosaurs — both those
who were immediately vapourized,
and those who starved to death when
the ash in the darkened atmosphere
obstructed plant growth.
A Slow Process
Our destination was “Fever Ridge,” so
named for its abundance of Hadrosaur,
Triceratops, and Tyrannosaurus fossils,
and once we came upon our group
of actual scientists already crouched
under wide-brimmed hats, I marvelled
at their deliberate — and slow — use
of tiny picks and brushes.
Joining in with our own instru-
ments, I asked how long it would
take before Clifford was on display
in a museum. Quite matter-of-factly,
Emily replied that Scotty the T. rex
had taken 30 years. The glacial pace
and the hot sun did nothing to hinder
my fascination, however. In fact,
quite the opposite. It was one thing to
read about dinosaurs, and something
more to see their fossils displayed in
a museum. But to be excavating on
this site — precisely where this lone
Triceratops lay down for the last time
— was a visceral, physical connection
and the 66 million years between us
wholly evaporated.
A Changing Landscape
I was still processing my good for-
tune the next morning as I got back
out on the road and made a more
deliberate push toward home.
Riding due east, I witnessed
the changing landscapes from
crumbling sandstone to rolling
farmland to fields spread flat
to the horizon. There was a
palpable increase in humidity
and the soil grew black. Golden
wheat made way for sweeping
yellow fields of canola and even
the pale blue flowers of flax that
gave the illusion of a distant billowing
lake.
In Weyburn, I paid homage to
a statue of Tommy Douglas, “The
Greatest Canadian.” In Montemarte, I
posed by a miniature Eiffel Tower. And
in Kipling, before a huge red paperclip,
I tipped my hat to barter king Kyle
MacDonald who, in 2005, launched
an online series of trades — beginning
with a paperclip — that would see him
progressively owning a doorknob, a
snowmobile, a recording contract, a
day with Alice Cooper, and ultimately
a two-storey house in Kipling.
Extinct Marine Reptiles
Rings of cattails began to appear
around innumerable ponds and tiny
lakes and I arrived in Morden, Man.,
where, under a setting sun, I found
a place to wild camp on the edge
of the first cornfield I had seen in
weeks. Happily, the next morning, the
promised rain didn’t start falling until
I was comfortably inside the Canadian
Fossil Discovery Centre, home to two
very large Mosasaurs: Bruce and Suzy.
At more than 13 meters in length,
Bruce is the largest publicly exhibited
mosasaur in the world, and along with
Suzy, had been an apex predator in
the Western Interior Seaway that once
covered the prairies.
As I said farewell to western Canada,
it seemed a fitting summation to
stumble upon a huge hockey stick
in Winkler, and the “World’s Largest
Painting on an Easel” in Altona. Appar-
ently now as in the late Cretaceous, on
these far-flung Canadian prairies, size
has always been a big deal. 
    
    
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to   
This self-taught hobbyist pays some serious
attention to detail and ingenuity
  
  

F
rom one extreme to the other, a pair of Honda CX500s owned
by Bruce Brooker are at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a
completely restored example of a stock machine, while the other is a
full custom with literally no part untouched. His attention to detail is
meticulous, but Brooker’s early life didn’t start with much interest in building or
riding motorcycles.
Instead, “I started off with sports cars as a teenager,” Brooker says from
his home in Caledonia, Ont. “I was given a wrecked MGB and rebuilt it from
scratch, and my first new car was a 1973 BMW 2002Tii. I’ve always liked
European sports cars, and bought and rebuilt a 1969 Porsche 911, which I still
own, and then got into Mazda Miatas. But my younger brother, Brad, has always
been into motorcycles, and after he gave me a Honda XL200 in boxes to put

      

   
          !  
" #      $  %&'' (") * 
   $ $+   + 
,    )  -)  )* ) (
 )   )    *)-) *
       $   *
. $(/ * * -  -     
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“     
    
         
       
  
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back together, I started enduro riding
with him. I would have been around
45 or 50 when we started, and we’ve
ridden in Utah and Mexico a couple of
times and done most of the Baja 1000
route, too.”
Introduction to the CX500
Brooker took motorcycle safety
training and got his street licence and
rode a Suzuki DR350 for many years
before acquiring two old Hondas from
his dad, Clyde. At 80, Clyde had quit
      
riding and offered Brooker the bikes,
one of which was a 1979 CX500. His
collection of CXs grew when a friend,
who in 1980 bought and rode a new
CX500 and then stored it away in
his garage for 25 years, offered him
another one.
“His was in perfect condition,
which I bought and restored,” Brooker
explains. “It’s all showroom stock
original. So, I had this other one of my
dad’s and decided to build a custom
out of it.”
Looking for a direction to head with
a custom CX500, Brooker spent time
on the Internet researching the model.
This was in 2017 and 2018, and at that
time Brooker found the CX500 was a
popular platform for a café racer-style
machine. Working on his computer,
Brooker began finding images of
CX500s and various parts and began
cutting and pasting together a machine
that he could work toward creating in
real metal. Competent with his hands,
Brooker has a well-equipped 30-foot
by 50-foot shop, with tools such as a
lathe and milling machine and welding
gear.
“I’m all self-taught,” Brooker says
about his skills, but adds, “I did take
machine shop in high school, but
beyond that it’s been learning as I go.”
  
   
     

  
“ 
  
   
    
    
 
”
Major Design Change
At first, Brooker thought he would
maintain the CX500’s existing rear
frame section and twin shock setup.
However, the more time he spent on
the computer and doing mockups, he
decided the bike needed a monoshock
layout. More research on how to
execute such a modification ensued
and, while out in the shop, Brooker
tore down the machine to the bare
frame. He cut away the back end of
the CX and started designing his own
rear suspension system. The CX incor-
porates shaft drive, so to maintain its
integrity, Brooker had to reinforce the
existing swingarm with steel plates at
the top and bottom of the yoke area.
His initial design and setup would
have had minimal travel and required
what he thought was an excessively
heavy spring. He called Race Tech in
Corona, Calif., and talked to a techni-
cian who suggested Brooker come up
with a better plan.
Buying a motorcycle design book
titled Motorcycle Dynamics written by
Italian mathematician Vittore Cos-
salter, Brooker studied some of the
author’s designs and calculations, and
came up with his own pushrod and
rocker arm arrangement. This doubled
the travel and decreased the spring
rate. An added bonus of this setup is
that the static sag (spring perch) and
ride height (push rod length) are inde-
pendently adjustable, making the rear
end setup very tuneable. Brooker cut
and machined from 6061 aluminum
the rear suspension parts and also
polished and anodized these pieces.
     
 ! 
   
 "

  
#   
Parts Bike and body filler. Once the plugs were
“Through the process I learned a lot created, with all of the special recesses
and it was fun,” Brooker says. “For the necessary for clearance, he laid down
suspension parts, I found a fellow who fiberglass to create moulds and laid
had crashed a 2007 Honda CBR600RR. in the carbon fibre and then vacuum
I purchased it and harvested both the bagged the pieces. By evacuating the
rear shock and the front end from that space between the membrane and the
for the CX project. I had to grind the mould, it compresses the carbon fiber
front steering stops down off the CX and resin and creates a strong, void-
frame, but it worked well for what I free lightweight part when done.
needed, and I mounted it with an All “I’d worked with fiberglass before
Balls tapered bearing headset.” on sailboats and such,” Brooker says,
For rolling stock, from Cognito and adds, “but I’d never vacuum
Moto in Richmond, Va., Brooker bagged the parts before, and that was
ordered new spoked hubs, stainless also a fun new learning experience.”
steel spokes and black Warp9 alumi- Cognito Moto also provided the
num rims, the front to fit the CBR headlight, while the bars and controls
fork, the rear specifically for the were all from the CBR donor bike.
CX500. The laced wheels — front Gauge unit, a Koso RX-2N-GP multi-
with the dual discs from the CBR, the
rear with a Cognito Moto disc brake
conversion — give the machine a
much sportier appearance.
To create a new rear subframe,
Brooker bought chromoly tubing and
bent it to his own spec and welded the
new pieces to the frame of the CX. He
kept the stock CX gas tank but mod-
ified it by cutting the filler neck out
and welding in a new piece of metal
to accommodate an aircraft-type filler
cap. To level the tank, he raised it at
the rear approximately 3.8 cm higher
than stock.
Carbon Fibre
Industriously, Brooker created his
own seat cowl, seat pan, under seat
electronics tray and front fender using
carbon fibre. He carved all of his         
own plugs out of Styrofoam, wood    
       
 
function item, came from Koso North
America and incorporates speedometer,
tachometer and warning lights.
Also, from the CBR are the after-
market rear set footrests. Brooker
says mounting rear set controls on all
CX500 customs is a challenge. The
shifter orientation is opposite to most
bikes, so some complicated linkage is
required. After studying what other
builders had done, he designed and
built what turned out to be an elegant
solution. The majority of electronics
are MotoGadget, with mo.unit Blue
control unit and mo.Blaze disc turn
signals.

Replacement Engine
Brooker says as he had received the
CX500 from his dad, it looked as
though it had fallen hard and some
of the engine components were
damaged. It wasn’t too serious, he
says, and it could have been repaired.
However, he instead found a replace-
ment engine in decent condition for
not a lot of money and bought it. This
replacement motor was stripped down
completely, case halves, cylinders and
heads cleaned, sealed and blasted and
then powder coated semi-gloss black.
Again, he did all of his own powder
coating, learning how to do this while       
building this CX500.      
“Everything was pretty good in it,”      
he says of the engine. “It measured up
and didn’t require pistons or rings. I
did stone the cylinders to put the cross Putting the engine back together, either powder coated or anodized by
hatch back in but it’s on the standard Brooker used a rebuild kit and Brooker. And, as a fan of European
bore.” replaced all bearings. He also installed sports cars and racing, there was no
a custom electric fan conversion question he’d finish the machine with
and Rick’s Motorsport G8 stator and Martini Racing livery. He painted
lithium regulator. Sparks are provided the gas tank and tail section himself,
by a RAE-SAN Electronics CDI Hall and also stitched a diamond-pattern
Effect ignition conversion kit with a leather seat.
Harley-Davidson coil pack. “Apart from the safety inspection
and the bends at the muffler shop, no
Custom Exhaust other hands but mine touched this
Not keeping the stock exhaust, bike during the build,” Brooker says
Brooker made his own 2-into-1 set up proudly — and justifiably so. He fully
using 1.25-inch stainless steel tubing, finished the custom build in the fall
having the bends done at a muffler of 2022, and Brooker admits he now
shop, and then cutting and piecing it rides both of the CXs “a little bit, but
together. It’s capped with a LeoVince to tell you the truth, I think I actually
carbon fibre muffler. Intake chores are enjoy building them more than I do
handled by Mikuni VM34 carburetors riding them.” 
and pod filters Brooker sourced from
        Murray’s Carbs.     
        Anything black on the bike was     

      

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and  
  
       

    
      
    

      

  
       
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to be overwhelmed    !!"  #       $
by the scenery  %&  !        
of this beautiful   '$   (&  )       $* 
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I
t’s not what you know; it’s
who you know. It’s a business
adage we all recognize, if
not actually subscribe to. It
emphasizes the advantage of close
connections to those in power as more
important than “mere” knowledge
and skill, and that making friends in
high places is never a bad thing when
you’re trying to make a buck.
It may be even more important
when you’re travelling in foreign
countries. Let’s just say, for instance,
you’re a motorcyclist at the border of a
former Eastern Bloc country — just for
fun, let’s say it’s Montenegro — and
the customs guard is rushing through
a rapid-fire spittle of far too many
consonants and not nearly enough
vowels. The only word you catch
might have sounded something like
“insurance” but you can’t be sure. The
only thing you can be sure of is that
he is pointing across the road — with
some emphasis! — to a building that

      

  

       

    
          
  

looks too dilapidated to be a garage, let before the latest conflagration — who bigger than Cape Breton) — renting
alone a place of high commerce. came to Montenegro seven years ago motorcycles, his fleet consisting of two
to work in IT on Peter Munk’s Porto Yamaha Tracer 900s, two Triumph
Making the Connection Montenegro superyacht marina and Tiger 900s and the latest in triples, the
You are, at best, confused. You might resort project and fell in love with the 660 Trident. He also has an R1250GS
even be scared. As in: the old “What charm that is the little postage stamp- available, but for those thinking
the h-e-double-hockey-sticks am I sized country on the Balkan’s Adriatic. bigger is always better, understand
getting myself into?” This is where, Blessed with Slavic hustle and that Montenegro roads are tight as a
if you’re smart and connected, you’d entrepreneurial spirit, he’s been man- Scotsman’s purse. They can also be
text your new best friend Sergey, and aging money, moving automotive parts enthusiastically policed, which is why
in but a heartbeat, you would a) get around the globe and, more important saving your border-crossing bacon is
directions to the building’s back office, for my current need for people in not the only reason to have a local
where you would be b) assured that, high places, becoming Montenegro’s “friend.”
yes, up those seriously rickety stairs resident motorcycle touring expert.
and through the crusty door is c) a guy The guy to know, as it were. Stunning Riding
sitting in a barely lit room asking for He’s also one of the few people Hence, one bright and incredibly
10 Euros — cash only! — who really in the small country — just 620,000 hot morning — 30 C by 8 a.m. and
is a legitimate insurance broker. Or, people in 5,333 square miles (a little heading toward 37 or 38 — my
at least as legitimate as you’re going
to get. More importantly, legitimate
enough to get you into the country.
Thus do you get into the beautiful
western tip of the former Yugoslavia
with five minutes of smiles and thank
yous all around rather than spending
two hours yelling at someone who
really didn’t give a you-know-what if
you got into his country or not. That
saving of time and aggravation, in case
you’re still struggling with the meta-
phor, is the result of who you know …
because it most certainly wasn’t what
you knew.

Motorcycle Rentals
As for who Sergey Vikultsev might be,
well, the first thing to know is that !   "          #$% # 
he’s an expat Russian — long gone ! &   ' ( 

      

           !            "# #    $   % 

V-Strom 1000 joins his Tracer 900

on a romp up the Montenegrin hills.
Now, Montenegro is renowned for its
majestic coastline — Munk was but
the latest to “develop” the Tivat-Kotor
region for the spate of cruise ships that
now dock daily — but what all those
“tourists” miss is that the vast majority
of its land surface is a mountainous
region that would do the Swiss Alps or
the California Coast proud.
Indeed, not ten klicks out of town,
Montenegro started to look like the
hills above Santa Barbara, only with
far fewer Bimmers and Bentleys.               
Flowing roads pass grass-covered
mountains that feed into lakes. Man- calm, it is made up of little islets, all or 30 km or so before one reaches
made lakes. It seems that Montenegro well-wooded and barely populated. Bosnia-Herzegovina is a valley entirely
either needs to pool its waters or Indeed, the oddest thing about seeing filled with the water backed up from
else it just likes having lakes at high such a beautiful lake is how undevel- the Mratinje Dam.
altitudes. Whatever the case, one oped it remains. Anywhere else in the The lake itself is nothing short of
moment everything’s looking arid, if world, there would be McMansions spectacular. Seemingly endless and
kinda greenish, and the next there’s galore and overly large — and pow- even more incongruous than the
a whopper of a lake that once you erful — speed boats disturbing the first, the water is pure azure blue and
get over its beauty and shimmering peace. Here, there’s just a couple of again, its surface all but unblemished
stillness, has a location that makes farmhouses and a few cows who have by watercraft. Slicing through hairpins
absolutely no sense. That’s because it’s a view of what, in any other country, high above its surface while admiring
artificial. would be the ultimate in idyllic its beauty proved a little tricky. Stops
retreats. I’m still not sure if that’s a for photos were frequent. Not for the
Picturesque and Unspoiled good or a bad thing. first time, I wished I had studied Ansel
But wow, is Slansko Jezero — literally “But wait,” says Sergey, “there’s Adams more adroitly. In any event, I
“salty lake” — beautiful. Strikingly a bigger and better one.” The last 15 was captivated by its beauty.

      

  
The Soviet-era dam, not so much.
Not because it wasn’t captivating, but
because it felt a little like it was stuck
in a time warp. Built in 1975 — you
know, when Brezhnev, he who
invaded another neighbour, Afghani-
stan, was in power — it was Soviet-era
bleak. Not only that, but we were, for
no explicable reason in these sup-
posedly peaceful times, shooed away
from anything near its edge or parking
area, by the guard — a former appa-
ratchik to be sure — who was trying
to prevent us from taking pictures or
even looking over the side.
Beware the Foghorn
It was pure theatre. If the meeting
with the border “insurance” agent was
comical, then said shooing from the
Mratinje Dam was high art. At first,
he just gave us a beep of his industri-
al-strength foghorn. I guess in the old
days that would have been enough
to send us, thoroughly intimidated,
scurrying. When we didn’t get that
message, there was a longer bleat and
the beginning of much hand waving.
Our proffering of cameras then elicited
what, in a language I don’t understand
but which always sounds menacingly
guttural, was more than enough
to have me beating a hasty retreat.
Indeed, for a North American raised
on James Bond movies with villainous
Eastern Block stooges, it seemed to
definitely call for an army on war
manoeuvres retreat.
That said, the entire episode really
did feel theatrical. Seriously, to be run
off a period-piece Soviet dam — both
imposing and seemingly sadly con-
      
structed — by a Cyrillic-spewing lackey
with a bullhorn and a serious attitude
problem is as close as this 65-year-old
is ever going to get to Cold War cinéma
vérité. In fact, it was all so silly that I
actually asked Sergey if he had set it
all up for my benefit. He claimed he
hadn’t, so maybe Putin’s latest temper
tantrum has addled brains far from the
Russian-Ukraine border.
Spectacular Mountain Passes
As much as all this real-life drama was
entertaining, the ride’s real highlight
was riding the Durmitor Ring. One
of two roads through the similarly
named park, it is nothing short of
breathtaking. Grass-covered miles-
high high plateaus are dotted by small
farms, lush fields and out-of-place ice
cream stands. A little later, it’s all crags
and soaring peaks with horses bathing
hip-deep in cooling ponds and sheep
beating the summer’s incredible heat
by frolicking in some of the few snow
patches that the summer’s sun had yet
failed to melt. Disparate countryside
barely blemished by tourists and some
of the loveliest remote settings on the
planet, the Durmitor is truly worthy of

   
   
  
  
    
 
 of Mad or Nomad article — Motorcycle
any motorcyclist’s bucket list.
And here, again, I have to thank
Sergey. Frankly speaking, the road
through the Durmitor would barely
pass muster as a cottage driveway in
Canadian Laurentians, let alone the
main route through a national park. In
fact, there’s absolutely no way myself
or any other North American tourist
would have believed — even with
commands from a normally-reliable
GPS system — that a quick right turn
into a crude, unassuming and unlit
tunnel was actually the entrance to an
hours-long spectacle of neck-snapping
scenery.
Or that, such a tiny little single-lane
road could be the 30 or so kilometres
that serve as the main road to what is
one of the most spectacular parks in
the Balkans. And, if you’re catching
my drift, no way would I have had
one of the most delightful rides in all
my summer in Europe.
But then, I knew someone. 
Sergey Vikultsev operates Stoppie.me,
which, amongst other things, will rent
you a bike should you make your way
to Montenegro. He will also, just in case
you came aboard a cruise ship, rent you
 topflight riding gear as well, including
helmets, boots and gloves. All apparel
comes with CE Level 1 or 2 protection and
 the helmets even offer the latest ECE 2206
 rating. Digital maps are provided with
every rental as well and can be had with
pre-planned routes. He is also the author
Travel Guide: Montenegro — the best
biking guide to Montenegro. Sergey can
be contacted at 382 (067) 537-677 or
bookings@stoppie.me. Look him up; he just
might save your bacon too.
   
    
 

WHAT IS RAWHYDE ALL ABOUT?

More than 95% of the world’s roads are unpaved. There is literally an entire world out there waiting for you to explore on two
wheels; you just need the skillset and know-how to do it! That’s why we created our Adventure Camps – to help riders like
you develop their riding skills on full size adventure bikes, in any kind of terrain you might encounter in the backcountry. Our
mission is to give you the tools and confdence to use these bikes the way they were designed: to go anywhere!
We offer a variety of guided adventure rides in North and South America. These fully supported trips provide riders a way to
venture off the beaten path and immerse themselves in some of the most scenic settings imaginable, all the while with the safety
and conveniences of a fully equipped support truck, mechanic, medic, and chef. What’s more is we handle all the planning and
logistics, so all you have to do is show up ready to enjoy the ride.

LEVEL 1: INTRO TO ADVENTURE LEVEL 4: EXPEDITION CV

Designed for riders who know how to ride on the
street, but want to start to develop their off-road
skills. Unless you consider yourself an experienced
off-road rider, this is where to start!
LEVEL 2: INTRO PLUS
Ideal for riders who have taken courses or have
a lot of off-road experience, but have simply
not had time to practice recently. This is part
refresher course but with a day of new skill
development to help prepare you for the
following course.
LEVEL 3: THE NEXT STEP
This course was designed to add the skills nec-
essary to safely increase your speed on the trail
and to begin to tackle more challenging roads
and trails that you will likely encounter in the
backcountry.
Put all the pieces together with this 5-day
excursion that is part training and part
application. This course focuses on all the
other skills you need to safely travel the
EDFNFRXQWU\LQFOXGLQJXVLQJ*36DQGVDWHOOLWH
communications, bike diagnostics and bike
SDFNLQJDQGHYHQÀUVWDLG7KHQZHULGHWRRXU
Base Camp in the Mojave Desert before putting
all of our skills into practice by exploring the
Mojave and Death Valley National Park.
INCLUDED:
• Training with experienced RawHyde coaches
on your own bike (rentals are also available)
• Onsite overnight accommodations
(indoor not in tents)
• All meals prepared by our trained chefs
‡ 'ULQNVDQGFDPDUDGHULHDURXQGWKHFDPSÀUH
or lounge

RawHyde Ranch is located about an hour north of Los
Angeles near the town of Castaic, CA, and sits on 2,500 acres
of land and is the primary training facility for the Fall, Winter
and Spring seasons. This location is also the starting and end-
ing point for RawHyde’s Mid-Winter and Baja guided tours.
Base Camp Alpha is Situated on a small parcel of land in the
Mojave Desert, this serves as a destination for RawHyde’s
post training group ride. This location allows riders to imme-
diately put their new skills into practice as they traverse the
desert landscape for an overnight at Base Camp Alpha.
RawHyde Colorado is outside of Hartsel, CO, and this is
RawHyde’s base of operations during the summer months due
to the cooler temperatures in the Colorado Rockies.
$QRIÀFLDOWUDLQLQJSDUWQHURI%0:0RWRUUDG
5DZ+\GH$GYHQWXUHVRZQVDÁHHWRIQHZ%0:*6
motorcycles.
$YDLODEOHWRULGHUVIRUXVHLQWKHLUWUDLQLQJFRXUVHVWKLVÁHHW
LVRXWÀWWHGZLWKDOORI%0:·VSUHPLXPRIIURDGDFFHVVRULHV

Phone: 702-209-8503 Email: info@rawhyde-offroad.com Website: www.rawhyde-offroad.com

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA!
Facebook: facebook.com/TeamRawHyde Instagram: @RawHyde_Adventures
YouTube Channel: youtube.com/rawhydeadventures
   
PRELUDE TO
ADVENTURE
The all-new Suzuki
V-Strom 800DE heads west
   
I
s there a rider anywhere that
did not sit up with interest at
the announcement of a new
V-Strom? Honestly, it is hardly
hyperbole to say that since the first
sport-touring model — the DL1000 —
appeared in 2002, little has changed
aside from fairings and farkles. Yes,
the hugely popular DL650 made its
debut two years later. But Suzuki had
gotten it so right with the V-twin that
R&D found their own achievement
hard to beat. ABS appeared in 2007
and in 2008 the bike evolved into
an adventure-tourer with colour-
matching hard luggage.
Largely dictated by increasingly
stringent emissions standards, two
generations followed (in 2014 and
2017 for the DL1000, and in 2012 and
2017 for the Wee), each with alter-
ations that reduced size and weight
while increasing torque and suspen-
sion. And the (in)famous beak?
    
           
   
  

The First with the Beak
While many believe the BMW GS
pioneered the design, it was in fact
Suzuki in 1988 with the release of
the DR750S (lovingly referred to as
DR Big, and later upgraded as the
DR800S). In 2014, the DL1000 revived
the beak and added traction control,
while it took another year for baby
brother to grow a beak of its own
along with tubeless spoked tires for the
adventure crowd.
In 2020, the 1000 became the 1050,
and in 20 years that’s about all there
was to report. That and an adamantly
loyal following: try convincing a
Stromtrooper that a better bike exists
in its class and be prepared for vio-
lence. Suzuki’s apparent R&D inertia,
however, had led some recent observ-
ers to opine that the company was
quietly preparing to exit the manufac-
ture of motorcycles altogether.
It was therefore a welcome big deal
to hear from Suzuki late last year that
a new, completely redesigned steed
    was about to be unveiled: The V-Strom
   800DE.
  
    
    
     
       

Route 66 with an All-New Engine
For me personally, it was an equally
big deal when Motorcycle Mojo promptly
arranged a long-term test ride. Route
66 was calling, and I could hardly wait
to ride the new Strom west and up the
Pacific Coast Highway. Let’s get this
party started!
The 800DE truly is all-new. Even
the “V” has been replaced with what
many consider the new workhorse in
the industry: a parallel twin. This has
raised questions in some circles about
the name, but let’s be honest, P-Strom
just doesn’t sound as cool.
And to release a V-Strom without
a V-twin isn’t new, actually. The
original Suzuki V-Strom 250 had a
parallel twin. And the newer V-Strom
250SX has but a single-cylinder. Make
no mistake, however: the 776 cubic
centimetres and 270-degree crank give
the new power plant characteristics
that will be quite familiar to lovers
of the 90-degree V-twin. Offering
83 hp and 57.5 lb-ft of torque, the
same engine is now driving the 2023
Suzuki GXS-8S.
Full Redesign
Designed to be Suzuki’s most
off-road-capable street bike ever, the
800DE features a 21-inch front wheel
and 17-inch rear, 220 mm of front and
rear suspension travel (the longest
ever on any V-Strom) and 220 mm
of ground clearance. The Dunlop
Trailmax Mixtour tires clearly prefer
pavement over dirt by 90/10, but the
Showa forks are inverted for greater
strength and less weight, and both
forks and shocks are fully adjustable,
as is the rear suspension via a remote
preload adjuster.
While not as tall as some other
adventure bikes, the seat height of
855 mm prompted this short-legged
adventurer to order the lowered seat
which subtracted 20 mm. I also chose
the optional touring windscreen which
added an extra 85 mm to the height
and 175 mm to the width. (And to
that I even added my own spoiler.) At
255 mm x 318 mm, the stock screen
is sporty and attractive but minimally
effective for long-distance touring.
First Ride
Riding away from Sturgess Cycle in

Hamilton, Ont., where I had picked
it up, the first thing I noticed was the
wider, tapered handlebars which, with
a motocross-type feel, offered a greater
sense of stability. An unintended
bonus was that this pushed the mirrors
out just enough that I didn’t feel the
need for mirror extenders. Another
nice off-road touch was that the easy
removal of the rubber pads from the
footpegs revealed a metal-toothed
platform for better grip when standing.
A rider aid that was new to both me
and the Strom was the bi-directional
quick-shifter — a feature I was eager
      
   
to try. Initial impressions are that it is
surprisingly smooth — certainly more
rapid and effortless than my manual
shifting — without giving up the feel
of the bike’s response beneath me.
Electronic Intervention
ABS is standard and offers two levels
of intervention that can also be turned
off at the rear wheel for better off-road
performance. Traction control is also
standard, and offers three levels of
control, plus an off-road G (gravel)
mode. This too can be turned off.
Ride-by-wire facilitates the SDMS
(Suzuki Drive Mode Selector) which
provides three throttle-response
modes: “A” is aggressive, “B” is mod-
erate, and “C” is more reserved (and
best for rainy conditions). I have to
say that even in B mode, from a dead
stop, I could feel the front end friskily
popping up on acceleration.
All of these settings are made
clearly visible on the 5-inch colour
TFT instrument panel which can
be adjusted for brightness, and the
day/night mode can be set to switch
automatically. Up front is also a USB
port from which to power a phone,
GPS, and other electronics.
Manual Adjustments
Above the dash, the windscreen can
be adjusted to three different heights.
Riders of more expensive machines
may balk at the need for a hex key
to make said adjustments, but really,
electronic adjustment seems to me an
unnecessary luxury if the bottom line
shows a more reasonable dollar figure
(and I’m nothing if not reasonable!).
Suzuki also chose to reserve cruise
control for the 1050. But again, for me, if
it means reduced costs, I’m quite content
with an aftermarket throttle lock.
New Model Concerns
Frankly, I only had two concerns
when setting out on an extended trip.
First, the curb weight of 230 kg,
which is heavier than the competition
in this middle-weight class, and
heavier than my DL650 by 15 kg. How
would it handle? How much harder
would it be to pick up? (I’ve already
discovered the handling is nimble and
any extra weight disappears as soon as
I start moving. As for picking it up, I’m
      
  
sure I’ll have more to report before
my adventure is done.)
And second, for reasons I do not
grasp, Suzuki opted for tubed tires.
Traditionally, off-road riders went for
tubes because, if a rim got bent by
a trail rock, the bead on a tubeless
tire would no longer hold air. That,
however, is an easy workaround by
inserting a tube (carried in your pan-
nier for just such an event) and you’re
back in business. I took exactly this
precaution on my ride to Prudhoe Bay
last year. The other reason for choos-
ing tubes was that a spoked wheel
offered more flex than cast aluminum.
Fair enough, but the advent of wheels
that are both tubeless and spoked has
rendered tubes (almost) obsolete.
To be honest, I’ve heard more than
a few potential buyers take a pass
based solely on this feature. No one
wants to be removing a wheel and tire
and patching a tube roadside when a
simple tire plug would do.
It is, after all, the first model year,
so I’m hoping this is one of the “bugs”
to be fixed in upcoming iterations.
And if cost is the issue, as much as
I like to cosplay Valentino Rossi, I
would happily give up the novelty of
a quickshifter in favour of tubeless
spoked wheels.
More Questions on the Road
On the other hand — and speaking
of Rossi — I love the angular lines
of the bodywork and the yellow and
blue colour scheme with detailing that
evokes a racing image. I fully expect
that on this journey I will need to
allow more time for fellow travellers
at gas bars and convenience stores
who want to chat. This model is going
to catch a lot of eyes. And out on the
road that conspicuity becomes an
added safety feature.
In short, I really do love this bike.
After a few hundred kilometres of
pre-trip warm-up, I’m ready to give
the V-Strom 800DE a top rating: it’s
comfortable and smooth, has lots of
power, and is downright pretty.
Additional options I’ve chosen
include heated grips (always a god-
send), aluminum skidplate, engine
guards, centre stand, black anodized
panniers and 38-litre top case. The
latter are identical in size to the
luggage on my 2022 Wee-Strom so
packing will be easy.
Let the Road Trip Begin
And with that preamble, I will be
making final ergonomic adjustments,
loading up my favourite gear, and
rising with the dawn. Wonder awaits
in the form of nostalgia on The Mother
Road, ocean breezes on the Pacific
Coast, majesty in Yellowstone, and
twisting tarmac in the Black Hills
of South Dakota — with a little dirt
wherever I can find it. All the while,
I’ll be slinging my camera and filling
my journal with experiences and
impressions, further sizing up Suzuki’s
new entry in the ADV world and cel-
ebrating all that is good in our world.
For updates on both, come along for
the ride in upcoming issues. It prom-
ises to be a great adventure! 
      
     
     

Presenting historical recognition to Canadian motorcycle legends since 2006

     

T
he 16th annual Motorcycle
Hall of Fame induction
banquet and reunion is in
the books. The 2023 cere-
mony, which was held in Mississauga,
Ont., just west of Toronto, was a huge
success that was very well-attended,
with around 250 attendees. The hall-
ways around the event centre were
filled with motorcycles and displays
that had a direct connection to many
of this year’s inductees.
The evening, hosted by Pat
Gonsalves, started off with a few
words from Paul Germain, the Hall
of Fame’s Chair, which were followed
by the presentation of the The Bar
and Hedy Hodgson Award. The Bar and
Hedy Hodgson Award’s inaugural
year was 2007, and its mandate is
to encourage the preservation of our
Canadian motorcycling heritage            !    !  
by honouring a person, group or "   # $%  &'( )"*# ! $ )

      

    
organization that has made a signifi-
cant contribution to the preservation
of that heritage.
This year, the recipient of that
award was Can-Am for its contribution
50 years ago with the introduction
of its motocross and enduro models
that took the off-road motorcycling
world by storm by winning land
speed records, ISDT gold medals,
American motorcycle championships
and winning or placing in just about
every competition a Can-Am bike was
entered into.
The name Can-Am would also be
heard many times during the evening.
Not only was Can-Am the major
sponsor of this year’s Hall of Fame
       
Bob Fisher
Five-time ISDT medal winner Bob
Fisher’s first bike was a 441 BSA Victor
which he then changed the gearing and
was competing in motocross scrambles.
A year later he traded his BSA for a 360
CZ and moved up to expert class and
was winning championships. He was
inducted for not only his racing success
but also for his contribution beginning
in 1971 as Can-Am’s engineering man-
ager, and for organizing the company’s
R&D department in helping develop
the Can-Am for Bombardier.
      


“  
  
     
  
  
    
    
    
 ”
(HoF) awards evening in celebration of
its 50th anniversary, but there would
also be inductees who raced Can-Am
motorcycles and played major roles in
the growth of the company decades
ago. Two of the inductees in the
Competitor/Contributor category who
had connections with Can-Am are
David McLean and Bob Fisher.
Dave McLean
Similarly, David McLean was inducted
for not only his prowess in ice racing
and dirt track, but also for his contri-
bution in R&D at Bombardier for his
assistance in developing the Can-Am
motorcycle. In just a few short months
of receiving a 125 cc concept engine
from Rotax, Dave had a complete
motorcycle ready for testing. The
250 MX-1 was to follow. Thanks to
his development, Can-Am shook up
the world’s motocross and enduro
scene.
    
  !" #
$%  &'()
* * !" + #
      
Bill Jamieson
Bill’s name is synonymous with
volunteering as his weekends since
1973 are usually spent organizing
trials, ice and dirt track races, trail
building and maintenance, building
motocross tracks or securing riding
areas. He was president of the
non-profit, family-oriented amateur
race and riding club Bayside Trail
Blazers from 1974 to 1980 and was
instrumental in securing 50 acres for
the club adjacent to Shannonville
Motorsport Park.
Colin Fraser
Colin has been called the father of
Superbike racing in Canada. Colin
joined forces with then-Shannonville
track owner Jack Bostrom to start
sanctioning RACE events. Colin
continued to immerse himself in the
Canadian racing scene. He was owner
and president of Professional Motor
Sports Productions and Canadian
Superbike Championship, which he
ran for over 40 years. South of the
border, Colin also secured leadership
roles with the AMA for a few years.
Dave Lloyd
Dave has always believed in giving
back to the industry that played
a major role in his life. He started
racing in 1962 and competed in his
last race in 2021, which he won, at
81 years young. In that time period,
he competed in the “Continental
Circus” competing against the likes of
Hailwood, Redman, Duff, Read and
Agostini. Dave sat on the Board of
Directors at the Canadian Motorsport
Hall of Fame, and he also played a
primary role in the start-up of the
Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

      
    Chris Ellis
  
Jordan Szoke
Jordan’s career began as the youngest
road racer to earn a professional licence
at the age of 15, and then winning his
first National Championship at age
16. As a competitor he is unequalled.
Jordan is a multi-discipline success
story as he competes in off-road, ice
racing, top-level bicycle racing and is
a four-time Canadian Observed Trials
Champion, but his biggest successes
come from road racing — 14 Pro
Superbike championships and five
National crowns in the Pro Sport Bike
division. Even after suffering serious
injuries while motocross training in
2022 and health issues in 2023, he still
stood on the podium at the final road
race of the 2023 season. He was also
inducted into the Canadian Motorsport
Hall of Fame in 2016.
Greg Williams
Greg began his professional hill climb
racing career in 1982. The plan was
to take over his dad’s 500 cc Honda
race bikes but he soon realized that
the competition had surpassed the
once-dominant four cylinder. With
the help of Nick Kemp, the Williams’
builder and tuner, Greg experimented
with nitrous oxide on top of the already
potent nitro methane, producing an
estimated 250 hp. Greg began his string
of World Championships beginning in
1985, then 1986 and 1987 with his last
championship in 1989.
As a side note: The Williams
family is the only family to have three
members in the Canadian Motorcycle
Hall of Fame. In addition to father
John Williams being inducted in 2009,
Greg’s brother, Wade, was inducted
in 2019. Both John and Wade were
inducted as hill climb competitors.
   
The Ambassador Award was intro-
duced in 2022 and represents individ-
uals who own or run a company and
who have gone above and beyond
in their contribution to motorcycling
and/or the betterment of the sport.
Selection is by the Board of Directors.
Chris rode his first bike at age 10, and
ever since then motorcycles have been
the focus of his life. Chris competed in
every form of motorcycle competition,
but he is best known for his flat track
racing. Chris was the owner/partner
of Twin City Cycles in Waterloo, and
later, Central Ontario Cycle. He spent
thousands to sponsor up-and-coming
riders from all disciplines of the sport
including Jon Cornwall, Steve Crevier,
John Parker, Al Perry, Rob Kuchma,
Bob Sobering, Todd Sharpless and Toni
Sharpless, among others.
Chris began working with Triumph
in 1994. Many probably know him
as the face of Triumph Motorcycles in
Canada as he became the Canadian
General Manager for Triumph Canada
in 1999. He supported many events
and clubs and was a faithful supporter
of the Hall of Fame. Chris was an icon
in the Canadian Motorcycle Industry
and was passionate about the industry
as a dealer principal, a racer, and for
the past 25 years as the Canadian
General Manager of Triumph Motor-
cycles. Shortly after retiring from
Triumph Canada, Chris passed away
suddenly in 2021. He is remembered
as a man who had a true passion for
motorcycling — it was his life!
Bob Ramsay  
Bob saved his money and    
bought his first motorcy-     
cle, a 175 Honda, at the  
age of 16. Motorcycling
soon became Bob’s
passion as well as his
livelihood for most of his
life. After university, Bob
worked for a Member of
Parliament and Cabinet
Minister but found a
perfect job when the
MMIC was looking for a
specialist in government

relations and advocacy in 1984.
Over the years, Bob helped to
establish the Open Road Motorcycle
Insurance Program, and expanded the
MMIC motorcycle shows from three
to seven a year. Bob helped to set up a
rider training program to ensure new
motorcyclists did not have long waits.
He also helped to strengthen advocacy
on behalf of motorcycling and motor-
cyclists through the MMIC and helped
organize and provide some funding
for the Motorcyclists Confederation of
Canada, which has helped heighten
awareness and understanding of
motorcycling issues at the national,
provincial and municipal levels across
Canada.
Bob played a major part in bringing
all of this to fruition. In December
2021, he retired after leading the
MMIC, COHV and Power Sports
Services as President for 34 years. 
In 2006, the Canadian Motorcycle
Hall of Fame was created to preserve
and promote Canadian motorcycle
history for the benefit of the motor-
cycling community and public and
since then, over 130 distinguished
motorcyclists and organizations have
been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The Canadian Motorcycle Hall of
Fame is a not-for-profit association
with charitable status governed by
an independent board of volunteer
directors from across Canada. Go to
canadianmotorcyclehalloffame.ca for
more information.

     
    

        

      

“       
    
N
ot too long ago, we were
          limited to travelling only as
far as a horse or the wind
        on a sail could take us.

       
Along came steam powered ships and
trains, and then planes, and we could

         travel…well, anywhere we wished.

Provided we could afford it.

  ” Remember the “jet set?” I’m 69 and

I recall my parents using that phrase to
refer to those fortunate few who could
afford to fly to places most could only
read about in books and magazines
like National Geographic. Now, the cost
of flying somewhere is accessible to
almost all of us and we take air travel
for granted. Yet, given the gauntlet
of travails just to get on a plane and
the tortures that await us in flight,
the novelty of flying has waned. Air
travel is at best a hassle; at worst, a
nightmare.
It wasn’t until about the middle of
the 20th century that an extensive
network of paved roads began to
spider web itself across the U.S. and
southern Canada, and made it possible
— even easy — to take a road trip to
visit grandma, even if she lived a few
provinces or states away.

I Ride Because I Can

When I first got my driver’s licence
and I was pumping gas at the service
station on the corner, even though my
father worked as a clerk at the local
Ford Assembly plant, you wouldn’t
find me fawning over the new Mus-
tangs that pulled in or engaging the
drivers with questions about where
they were headed. But a biker? While
he or she carefully pumped the gas
into their gleaming tanks, I was
gushing with questions, leading with:
“Where are you headed?”
Certainly, Stingrays and Mustangs
were impressive, but they didn’t trans-
fix me like a motorcycle. Besides, most
16-year-olds can’t afford a Stingray.
But a BSA 650 Lightning? I was riding
that by the time I was a freshman
in college. A motorcycle is the most
affordable personal conveyance that
will handily take us to places and
adventures near or far, whether we
have a couple hours, a weekend, or a
couple of weeks. No multiple security
screenings. No monthly payments.
I picked up my mint condition 2006

      

    

Triumph Bonneville with 6,000 miles

on the odometer in 2019 for $3,500.
Try to get a running car for that price.
No meeting other people unless we
choose to. Just go to the garage, the
shed, the carport, or uncover your
bike, do the T-CLOCS inspection, and
go. At an average of 55 mpg, I’ll be out
of the state before I need to top off my
tank which, even when I’m on reserve,
still comes in at well under $20.

Form Follows Function

I have developed and honed the skills
necessary to safely ride a motorcycle
and am physically able to operate the
machine. And life is about discovering
what we’re capable of, and is too
short not to indulge our talents and
abilities. As a rider, I become part of
the form — the bike, the road, the
landscape — maintaining my balance,

      

 “ 
  
 
     
      
  
   
    ”
knowing how to brake, throttle, and
lean through curves. If these skills
aren’t precise, if I fail to be in harmony
with the form, the bike and I will not
function properly, and the conse-
quences may be dire.
Indeed, it’s that titillating danger
that adds to the appeal, gets the adren-
aline flowing, keeps us focused, and
lets us know we’re alive, just as, when
I was a ranger in Yellowstone National
Park, the awareness that I wasn’t at
the top of the food chain kept me
sharp. A motorcycle is a reasonable
risk (relative to, say, being a test pilot,
a cave diver, a Roman gladiator…).
It puts us slightly inside that zone
between life and death where we feel
most alive.
Riding is a
Multisensory Experience
The danger inherent to riding is the
bond among riders. We acknowledge
that camaraderie as we pass each other
on the road, a nod to the willingness
to accept the risks of two-wheeled
travel, of going without the steel
frame, seat belt, air bag, and electronic
warnings that would save our lives,
and enduring the cold, heat, bugs, and
the numbness in our hands as a fair
exchange for the adventure of riding.
The bike is the tacit opening line. No
need to think of something clever; it’s
understood. You ride. That’s all we
need to know. Welcome to the club.
In a car, we’re inside a bubble,
being transported past our surround-
ings. In a bike, we are, as Robert
Pirsig writes at the beginning of his
epic book, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance, “in the scene.” I feel the
changes in temperature as I pass out of
the cool shadow of the mountain into
the warm sunlight. The briny wind fills
my lungs as I cruise along the Maine
coast.
I could touch the toe of my boot
to the blurred asphalt whizzing under
the bike. I don’t, but I could. It’s right
there, a few inches under my foot, a
tangible reminder that I am physically
in, rather than a spectator of, the
moment. I hear and feel the purring
of the steadfast engine, and I brace
myself against the rushing wind. It’s all
just so exhilarating!
Because I’m a Child of the Sixties.
When I was an adolescent, there was
a television show called Then Came
Bronson about an itinerant biker, Jim
Bronson, who, after becoming disillu-
sioned with “the system” as we referred
to the status quo back then, took off
to “find himself.” The star of the show
didn’t escape his conventional life in a
Ford Galaxy 500; he disappeared down
that vanishing road at the end of the
pilot episode on a motorcycle. When, at
a stoplight, a commuter leans out the
window of his car and asks Bronson
where he’s headed, Bronson looks up
with a smirk and replies, “Oh, I don’t
know. Wherever I end up, I guess.”
That carefree sentiment inspired
me then, and still does today. The
lure of the open road, the notion
that I could simply ride on forever is
overwhelming on a motorcycle. Once
I did, in my twenties. I took off on that

BSA 650 Lightning with a camera in
my saddlebag and began my life as an
intrepid nature photographer. I didn’t
“settle down,” as my dad would put it
(he called me a “nature bum”), until I
was 44.
Now I come home at the end of
my rides, but like going on vacation,
the escapism is therapeutic. (I have a
friend with a bumper sticker on the
back fender of his bike that reads “I
don’t need a therapist; I ride a motor-
cycle.”)
Because Experience
Trumps Materialism
In a 2014 article in The Atlantic
magazine, James Hamblin wrote that
experiences — a vacation, attending
a concert, or simply going out to
dinner — bring more happiness than
things — say, a new couch or iPhone.
Simply put, experiences are, for most
of us, exceptional, perhaps even once-
in-a-lifetime events that we not only
remember indefinitely, but often take
weeks, months, or years to anticipate.
(As I write this, I am eagerly antici-
pating a photo/dive trip to the coral
triangle in Indonesia planned for next
year.)
Purchases, even big-ticket items —
a car, a house — eventually become
part of our lives, the setting in which
we live, and they quickly lose their
lustre. They are no longer exceptional:
we see that couch every day, while
that road trip to Newfoundland or that
comet shooting across the night sky
     
    

     
“    
       
 dle that seat and start the engine. Each Escape, whenever I pull my Bonne-

       turn of the road becomes a challeng-

ing, stimulating event. The changes
ville into the garage and turn off the
engine, I’m already eager to start it up

          in the air, the stroboscopic flashes of

sunlight and shade through the trees,
again.

   ”
will stay with us forever.
A motorcycle is both a thing and an
experience. Yes, it’s the same bike, but
those indicator lights auger a new and
unique adventure every time we strad-
the roar of the engine and the feel of
the bike as I shift through the gears all
leave a lasting impression.
I know the landscape intimately
because I feel the topography in a way
that I do not when I’m driving my car.
Every ride is an exciting experience,
and while I don’t necessarily look
forward to running errands in my Ford
For the Quality
Pirsig’s Zen is a disquisition on quality.
What is quality? How do we know
it when we have it? Can it even be
defined? His book, at 540 pages, I
don’t believe, ever arrives at a con-
clusion. Certainly, neither will I in a
six-page article. Yet, if we do some-
thing proficiently and enjoy doing it

      


well (for me: when I’m behind my
camera, on my Bonneville, or when
I’m writing), we are in the moment.
We are experiencing quality or, as
psychologists call it, self-actualization.
In other words, we realize our own
talents and potentials and find fulfill-
ment in pursuing them regardless of
any reward other than doing what we
love, like an artist who never earns a
profit from his or her art but continues
to paint because it’s fulfilling and makes
them happy.
In such a Zen-like state, our minds
are not wandering. Psychologists feel
that focused minds are happier than
minds that wander. Find a passion,
particularly one that requires a skillset
— skiing, gardening, fixing a tractor,
playing an instrument — and learn
to pursue that passion skillfully, and
you’ll be happy.
Who would argue that riding a
motorcycle requires skill and focus?!
When I am on my Bonneville, I am in
the moment, keen to my surround-
ings, alert. The past and future become
irrelevant. That’s when I feel that
there is no place or time that I would
rather be. Is that not quality? If you
feel this way while riding, you are
where you belong.
For the Pride
Most of us are not spoiled with the
finer things in life. We don’t take
them for granted. Instead, if we are
diligent and patient, we eventually
earn the privilege and honour of (fill
in the blank with your dream vaca-
tion, your dream car or motorcycle,
your dream house, or an award or
trophy). It is human nature to want
to be recognized in some fashion, not
vanity. Recognition adds to our sense
of self. I don’t attract anyone’s atten-
tion driving my Ford Escape down
Main Street. But when I’m cruising
around town on my Bonneville,
heads turn. My bike is an existential
manifestation of who I am, and I am
proud to show it off!

Cowboys and Iron Horses
Let’s be honest: that western mythology
is inescapable in our culture. Guys (yes,
mostly guys — American cowboys,
Canadian Mounties) on horseback
riding silently, stoically, bravely into
the distance. A motorcycle is our iron
horse and on it, again, we can imagine
ourselves escaping the restraints of
civilization if only temporarily.
For a few blissful hours we can let
loose the rebel in all of us. We become
Captain America and Billy riding high
on the hallucination of an unfettered,
carefree life. Remember, though,
the tragic ending of that movie. I
love coming back down to Earth and
returning to my wife and dogs at the
end of my rides.
Riding a motorcycle is fun!
Toward the end of the last episode
in season four of Yellowstone, John
Dutton (Kevin Costner), frustrated
by his family’s travails at preserving
their ranch and homestead against
on onslaught of modernization (golf
courses, casinos…), asks a young boy
bringing up a pair of saddled horses to
take them back to the barn.
“What’s the point in riding?” asks
Dutton.
The young boy gives him a
bemused look. “There doesn’t have to
be a point,” he says. “It’s just fun.” 
     
    
     
  
 

Regular motorcycle tires aren’t designed
to be used in cold conditions
Unless you’re out having fun on
snowy trails or on a frozen lake
using studded tires, riding your
motorcycle in winter might not
be a good idea. Aside from the
possibility of frostbite, the
grip you’re accustomed to
during the summer will
not be available. Cold
temperatures, snow, ice,
and things like the sand,
gravel and salt used to
combat the wet, slippery
stuff make your tires
struggle for traction. Also,
if you really value your
motorcycle, unless you wash
it thoroughly after every ride,
salt will cause corrosion.
I live in Quebec where, from
December 1 to March 15, the
      
government mandates approved
winter tires on all passenger vehicles,
including motorcycles. Winter tires
are identified by a 3PMSF symbol:
a snowflake within the outline of a
three-peaked mountain. Even if the
tire has the M+S designation in the
sidewall, indicating it can be used in
mud and snow, without the 3PMSF
symbol it is not an approved winter
tire.
The Quebec law is really meant
to keep bikes off the road during
  
winter. According to the law: “The
Regulation respecting the use of tires
specifically designed for winter driving
also applies to motorcycles. Therefore,

from December 1 to March 15, you

must have your motorcycle equipped
with winter tires that meet established
standards and are in good condition in
order to drive it on the road network.”
Continue reading to see why this is a
critical statement.
There are several special features
built into winter tires. The treads are
deeper and more aggressive, and the
tread blocks have multiple small slits
in them called sipes that give water or
snow a place to go, thus allowing more
rubber to contact solid ground. These
sipes also allow the tread to flex more,
which also increases grip. Another
factor is the rubber itself, which is
made from a special, softer compound
that is designed to operate at lower
temperatures, more specifically at
temperatures below 7 degrees C. The
rubber may also contain a higher
concentration of silica, which greatly
improves wet grip. Finally, the tire’s
carcass is designed to be more flexible,
to allow the tire to contour the road
better. This is why, even in your car,
you shouldn’t rely on all-season tires
to get you safely through the winter.
All of the above factors apply to
car tires, though motorcycle winter
tires should be no different. The
problem is that there are no approved
winter motorcycle tires available in
Canada. Well-played, Quebec. There
are, however, winter motorcycle tires
available in Europe, though there are
only a few tire manufacturers making
them. Germany’s Heidenau makes
three winter tires, the K 37S, K 58S
and K 62S, the S signifying it is a snow
tire. According to the manufacturer,
“Heidenau’s Snowtex compound is a
brilliant mix of a high-quality silica
rubber, and special textile fibres. This
compound is designed to maximize
the on-road traction in sub-zero
conditions.”
Mitas, which is a subsidiary of
Yokohama, has a single model, the
MC-32 Winter that “features a special
compound which maintains elasticity
even at temperatures well below 0 C
and the sipes improve traction on
snow and/or slush.”
And finally, Anlas, a Turkish tire
maker, produces two winter tires, the
Winter Grip 2 and the Winter Grip
Plus. According to their maker, “The
[Winter Grip 2] tread pattern enhances
     !
      
     
     
!   

         
             
rotational grooves and improves water
and slush removal.” And the Winter
Grip Plus is “designed to keep its users
on the road, when others have to
leave their bike at home due to cold,
wet and/or snowy weather.” I’m sold!
Now, aside from the fact that none
of these tires are available in Canada,
there are a few big caveats. Tire sizes
are extremely limited. The Heidenau
K 37S is a square-edged 19-inch tire
designed for sidecar rigs, and the two
other Heidenaus are available only for
scooters. The Mitas MC-32 can only be
had in 100/80-17 and 130/70-17 sizes.
The Anlas tires come in the widest
range of sizes to fit scooters, and
motorcycles with wheel sizes ranging
from 16 to 21 inches. And, finally, the
biggest caveat of all is that while all of
these tires have many of the design
features that make them suitable
for winter use, there is only one tire
maker that puts the all-important
3PMSF symbol on its winter tires:
Anlas.
If you do plan on riding your bike
this winter, make sure your tires are
in excellent condition, that they have
ample, deep treads (don’t ride on sport
tires designed for the track), and adjust
pressures to spec. Don’t go out if the
forecast calls for any precipitation in
near- or sub-freezing temperatures. You
want to continue on to enjoy your bike
in the warmer months, after all. 
            
          
          
         
      
         
       
     
       


   
 
Willie G. describes his life, his work and an insider’s
look at the modern history of the Harley-Davidson There’s no question that Harley-
Davidson Motor Company has a legion
Motorcycle Company of fans the world over, and it would
stand to reason, then, that motorcycle
history buffs have read more about the
history of the Motor Company than
any other motorcycle manufacturer.
In fact, I can’t think of another
motorcycle manufacturer that has
more books written about them than
Harley-Davidson.
Well, now there is yet another
book on the market, but this one is
different, as it shines some light on
the inner workings of the company
with a behind-the-scenes look at the
world’s most enduring motorcycle
manufacturer. Even the most steadfast
motorcycle historian probably doesn’t
know about all of the information
laid out in this memoir by Willie G.
Davidson.
Willie G’s name is synonymous
with Harley-Davidson. In fact, I’d bet
that most motorcyclists the world
over have heard of Willie G., and
they can tell you who he is. Just in
case you need a refresher course,
though, Willie G. is a grandson of
William A. Davidson, one of the four
founders of the Motor Company, and
a third-generation Davidson to work
at the company, in this case as head of
the design department.
Willie G.’s memoir begins by
telling the inside history of the Motor
Company, which, if you’re a history
buff, you likely already know. But it
gets more interesting once Willie G.
becomes an integral part of the inner
workings of the company.
Willie G.’s father, William H.
Davidson, was president of the
company for three decades, allowing
Willie G. to basically grow up at the
factory. He says he was born with

      

gasoline in his veins and a crayon in
each hand, so it only seems fitting
that, after design college, he eventu-
ally took a job at Harley-Davidson.
He began his work there in February
1963, starting up the company’s first
design department, and he was the
only designer in the department until
1974. He is also an accomplished
watercolour artist and lover of all
things mechanical.
Every Harley-Davidson design
element since 1963, whether it was
a motorcycle or parts thereof, a logo
style or an advertising piece, came
from him, or, later on, was approved
through him based on his insight of
the company and his goal of keeping
the integrity of the company’s histori-
cal designs intact.
It’s safe to say that the Harley-
Davidsons of today would not be
what they are without his 50 years of
design excellence. The Super Glide,
Low Rider, Cafe Racer, the FX (factory
experimental) line, the Softail line, the
Road King, and the V-Rod are just a few
of the motorcycles he designed, some
of his design elements are still with us
today because they’re timeless, like the
Batwing fairing and the FLH saddlebags.
He was there when the company
went public in 1965, for the take-over
by AMF in 1969 and for the trials
and tribulations that came from that
merger, and he was one of 13 involved
in the buy-back from AMF in 1981.
The book takes on a more interest-
ing feel after the buy-back as Willie G.
explains more of his insider knowledge
of the company. For instance, the com-
pany was at the edge of bankruptcy
on New Years Eve, 1985. Waiting on      
a call to decide which stack of papers
to sign — one stack meant they found Harley-Davidson fan, this memoir by
financing to keep going, the other Willie G. Davidson is a must-read. It’s
stack was to be signed if financing a true modern history of the company
never came through and would with information that you are unlikely
initiate Chapter 11. At the eleventh to find anywhere else.
hour, literally, Harley-Davidson ISBN 9781637630860, 15.25 cm
averted bankruptcy. It’s these kinds of x 22.75 cm paperback, 288 pages
intense personal memories that make with 59 colour images in two photo
this book fascinating. sections along with images of
If you are a fan of motorcycles and Willie G’s watercolour paintings,
their past, this book is an important $37 at Chapters/Indigo in person or
part of that history. If you’re a online at indigo.ca. 
 
  
   
    
       
             
                 
          
 !"#$"#%## "
#&#&'(
#")(')#")%#*#+),
  
 
    
 !"#"$%&'"(
      
 2024 IS LOOKING GOOD

PEAK POWERSPORTS & PEAK POWERSPORTS &

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE OF OAKVILLE INDIAN MOTORCYCLE OF BARRIE
1174 South Service Rd. West 22 Commerce Park Drive
Oakville, Ontario Barrie, Ontario
MOJOJANFEB2024

Always wear a helmet, protective eyewear and clothing and insist your passenger does
905-681-7270 705-881-1420 the same. Ride within the limit of the law and your own abilities. Read and understand
your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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It is almost axiomatic that the
heyday of any technology dependent
sport, particularly any form of motor-
sport that involves internal combus-
tion, is its very beginning. No one, not
even the most brilliant of engineers,
knows what will work — or, more
importantly, what will not — in the
beginning. Invariably they will, until
they find out better, try to adapt
some form of existing machinery to
whatever the new rules might be. Oh,
the same axiom says that eventually,
as all the engineers learn pretty much
the same lessons, said solutions will
coalesce on but a precious few —
witness the virtual hegemony the V4
enjoys in MotoGP these days. But
until they do, their search for speed
looks pretty much like the wild, wild
West of crankshaft configurations.
That’s certainly true of superbike
racing. Amazing machines all, modern
superbikes appear like cookies cut
out of the same mold. Paint modern
superbikes all the same colour and
the average race fan couldn’t tell one
from another without a program. Strip
them of their bodywork and their
badging and, save for the Ducati with
its V4 engine, even the technologically
savvy might have a hard time distin-
guishing Yamaha from Honda and
vice versa. The fact is — again, save
for the Duke — that the entire WSBK
field differs more for their tuning (cam
timing, valve angle and compression
rating) than their engineering. For
those who see racing as the pinnacle
of technological development, modern
superbikes are, frankly, boring as snot.
It was not always thus.
In fact, in the beginning, super-
bikes, as a racing series, was started by
the AMA circa 1976 to capitalize on
the exploding popularity of large-
displacement motorcycles invading
North America; racing was pretty
much a run-what-ya-brung rodeo
      

of unlikely contestants. Oh, modern
enthusiasts would recognize a few
of the now ubiquitous inline fours,
but despite their now acknowledged
technological superiority, they were
often beaten to the checkered flag
by a hodge-podge of now-shunned
oddball twins. As I said, what is now
well-known — that you need at least
four high-revving pistons to win a
race — was not nearly so apparent
when Reg Pridmore was racing around
without knee pucks on his leathers (or
a back protector underneath).
And no book captures this techno-
logical diversity better than Superbike:
An Illustrated Early History by Kevin
Cameron and John Owens. We all
know Cameron — an elite tuner in
the ‘70s and a Cycle World contributor
since, well, forever — but Owens is
more of a mystery.
Until you start leafing through
Superbike that is. What you will find
inside, if you’re old enough to have
lived through superbiking’s origins,
is a familiar compendium of photos
from some of the great magazines of
the day; the incomparable Cycle, the
blessedly still-alive Cycle World, and
the era’s racing digest, Cycle News. For
motorcyclists of a certain age that grew
up in this era of glorious nonconfor-
mity, Cameron and Owens’ Illustrated
Early History is, from the very first
page, like opening a diary into your
own worship of the motorcycle.
Eddie Lawson is on the cover,
Wayne Rainey not far behind and
the first (of many) pictures of Freddie
Spencer captures how perfectly his
“aw, shucks” choir-boy innocence
masked the ferociousness of his
relentless ambition. And that’s even
before you’ve gotten through the
authors’ bios.
Leaf further and you’ll find familiar
reminisces of Reno Leoni’s odd-duck
Moto Guzzi (ridden by Mike Baldwin),
the thoroughly reinvented Butler &
Smith BMW flat-twin (engineered
by the brilliant Udo Gietl and ridden
by Pridmore) and, of course, the
legendary “California Hot Rod” ridden
by Cycle’s editor-in-chief Cook Neilson
and tuned by fellow Cycle alumni Phil
Schilling. There are also, because this
is a most comprehensive historical
reference, some surprises. Who, for
instance, knew that Erik Buell rode a
Duke? But there he is on page 37, flat
on the tank of the Tesone Enterprise
900 SS. Hell, there’s even a picture of
Freddie Spencer — yes, that Freddie
Spencer — riding an equally Italian
Ducati.
But if Owens’ amazing pictures
remind us of an era almost forgotten,
it is Cameron’s words, as always,
that explain it. On top of all the
descriptions of who’s who and what’s
what, it is Cameron’s trademark pithy
explanations of the how that made
me truly love this book. His discourse
on the difference between 4-into-1
and 4-into-2-into-1 exhausts are why
he remains a legend amongst moto-
journalists (it has to do with a second
negative pressure wave caused by the
latter’s second joining of pipes). His
analysis of inline versus V4s (refer-
encing Honda’s VF750F Interceptor)
should be required reading for anyone
who thinks they understand motor-
cycle racing.
Indeed, just a collection of his
insights could probably fill another
book. In the meantime, we have this,
one of the best — if not the best —
motorcycle coffee-table books I have
ever read. If you love motorcycles, buy
a copy. If you’re looking for a gift for a
bike-mad friend, they will be forever
in your thrall. It really is that good.
Superbike: An Illustrated Early History
costs US$75 (US$90 signed by both
authors) and is available from
superbikebook.com. 
 March 2024
    
    
             
          
             
     
    
        
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