Innholdsfortegnelse for Jun-12 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

RE: THREE WHEELS HITS A NERVE. Is the Spyder a motorcycle or not? That is a matter of opinion. Does it have a place in the motorcycle community? Absolutely yes! I have met quiet a few long time motorcyclists who don’t want to go touring anymore because the old Gold Wing or Harley is just getting to heavy or they are just no longer comfortable riding two-up plus luggage over mountain passes and down winding roads. If the Spyder, or any other motorcycle with a sidecar, allows them to enjoy our sport and stay within our community for a few years longer, then why not. As for the “idiots at the Government” (I am an examiner at Drive Test). Most people don’t know that if you show up for a…

The experts are telling us that the cost of oil will hit new heights this summer. The price per litre of top-grade gasoline might even end up on par with a passable bottle of singlemalt scotch. Undoubtedly, a bunch of gas-guzzling cages will be traded in for more fuel-efficient chariots, and people won’t travel as often to check up on their old aunt when a quick phone call will work just as well. Around the same time, motorcycle sales will probably hit the roof, and we’ll start to see more bikes on the road than cages. It’s cool how the cost of fuel can change our landscape in more ways than what we see on the road. The really neat part is that increases in fuel costs are generally the…

We’ve already discovered that a Can-Am Spyder makes a great touring platform, but does a stripped-down version of the three-wheeler work in a more sporting role? Mojo travels to the demanding hills north of Hollywood to find out if the sportiest Spyder really clings to the road or just weaves itself a tangled web. The stars passing beneath my feet indicated that I had accidentally stumbled upon Hollywood Boulevard. Having left the hotel to stretch my legs after a day of air travel, the unexpected find felt surreal. After all, Hollywood is a place renowned for its excesses and for highlighting the disparity between dreamers and the select few who actually live those dreams. Amidst the glitter, glamour and competing egos defining this capital of American entertainment, it’s nearly impossible…

By the early 1950s, BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) had become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, building and selling up to 75,000 machines per year. This claim was, in part, accomplished by following Triumph’s lead in building, right after the Second World War, a 500 cc vertical-twin using a simpler and less costly pushrod OHV engine. While some pre-war design work on the BSA vertical-twin had been carried out by Val Page, most of the detailed design work on the A7, as the post-war 500 twin was called, was engineered by Herbert Perkins, BSA’s chief designer at the time. Introduced in 1946, the first A7s were modest machines with low compression and a single carburetor. They differed from the 500 Triumphs in that they were of a semi–unit construction design, so-called…

Observing the steady decline in participants and spectators at local motorcycle racing events in British Columbia, Scott Borthwick decided to take action. A former Westwood Motorcycle Racing Club (WMRC) pro racer, Borthwick has created a new racing series in the hope that it will rekindle interest in the failing sport of motorcycle road racing. Called the Western Canadian 250 Gold Cup, its inaugural season consists of eight rounds split between B.C.’s Mission Raceway and Greg Moore Raceway. The concept behind the 250 Gold Cup is straightforward. Its rules dictate the use of production-based motorcycles and don’t allow many modifications to the machines, so it’s a very economical way to participate in motorcycle road racing. The similarity of the motorcycles will also ensure that races will be closely fought. The use…

The pictures reflect my uncle Dave Shepard’s love for motorcycles. He started early at 17, with an apparent unusual riding style of no feet or hands. My first real memories of Uncle Dave was with his beloved BSA Gold Star that he raced in Shannonville, Ontario, during the 1960’s when leathers were thick and goggles, well just damn weird looking. Although he does not ride anymore the real lasting motorcycle legacy he left was he taught his daughter’s and nephew’s, myself included, how to ride and instilled a love of that experience that we still enjoy today. Submissions to Family Jewels are always welcome. If your photo(s) is printed we will send you $25.00 High resolution digital photos are acceptable as well as prints. If you wish the print back…

Riding season is now in full swing, and as with every summer, our goal at Mojo will be to attend numerous events where we hope to chat with many of our subscribers. Of course, in a country as big as Canada we can’t be everywhere, but we will do our best. Some events we have already booked are the New Liskeard Bikers Reunion, Atlanticade, the Niagara Falls Motorcycle Show, Bikefest in Bobcaygeon, the Dutch Mason Blues Festival and the Wharf Rat Rally. There are also a few rallies in Western Canada I’d like to attend, and I am currently looking at our schedule to see how many of those are doable. Riding season is always a welcome time of year, and we were fortunate to have an early start. However,…

Next to riding, I love to work on my bikes. And since a number of them are old and tired, there’s never a shortage of bikes to work on. I most enjoy that tinkering time when no one else is around; I know that might sound selfish and antisocial of me, but distractions have a way of ruining the experience. Many years ago, when I was just about finished with the installation of a new rear tire, my dog began to act nuts. Looking up, I saw that the pretty new girl in the neighbourhood was walking her dog by us. My dog really wanted to meet her dog, you see, so I grabbed my helmet, hopped on my bike, and took off after them. Unfortunately, when I applied the…

Being around motorcycles all her life, this teenager knew it was time to find her own adventure on two wheels. Little did she know at the time that her 22,000-kilometre escapade would involve one deer, two sets of tires and three tattoos. Growing up, I always thought the coolest job would be as a waterslide tester, but when I realized that wasn’t a real job, I decided my dream was to explore the world on my motorcycle. Everything really began to gel when my parents enrolled me in my first trailbike course when I was seven, and there hasn’t been a summer since then that I haven’t been riding. Fast-forward 11 years, and finally the time had come where I was of age to set off on my first big…

Rays of sunshine trickled through the morning mist as Cathy and I swabbed the dew off the seats and our bike sputtered to life in all her ear-pounding splendour. I found myself repeating over and over again, “It doesn’t get any better than this,” a phrase I’d used many times but never with more delight. I’d been away from biking for several years, and this was to be the summer . . . I thought. I’d looked at several bikes, and they were more than Cathy and I were willing to spend. I’d given up on the idea and then, on a restless night, I tortured myself one last time and clicked on Kijiji to see what I couldn’t have. Hallelujah, there it was. A 2000 V-Star 1100, in great…

Last year I had an opportunity to try out the new Dimple super magnetic drain plug, which for simplicity’s sake, is really nothing more than a stock oil drain plug, except that the stock magnet has been replaced with a super magnet; it will easily lift a five-pound steel hammer off a work bench. Playing around later, I actually lifted a fifteen-pound tool with it. So, why have a super magnet in your oil plug? All moving metal parts, of which there are plenty inside your engine and transmission, wear from friction. This wear creates minute particles that might not get trapped in your oil filter. The super magnet on the Dimple oil plug will catch those particles, hold onto them, and keep them out of circulation until you wipe…

Of all the riding skills and techniques, trail braking has to be the most misunderstood. Motorcyclists are drawn to the idea of trail braking, yet they don’t fully understand what it means, when it might be useful, or how it is properly executed. Trail braking refers to the technique of entering a turn with the front brakes still applied, and then gradually and smoothly releasing them as you move through the turn before you begin to get back on the gas. Trail braking is considered to be an advanced riding and racing technique, because it takes a lot of practice and finesse to successfully pull it off. Anytime you attempt to simultaneously turn a motorcycle and use its front brake, you’re testing the limits of front-tire traction. Trail braking puts…

Brought up in the most notorious urban back alleys, the streetfighter developed an attitude and survival skills using bare knuckles and minimal resources. Cash-strapped hooligans who would trash their sportbikes couldn’t afford to replace expensive body panels, so they would strip their bikes of unnecessary parts and scrounge whatever the bike needed to survive and ride another day. Born was the Streetfighter. I found it surprising that Ducati would launch their new street-fighting machine in the playground of Hollywood’s elite, Palm Springs, California, a city better suited to gambling and the gentleman’s sport of boxing. I suspected that terrorizing the streets of this well-heeled desert city was not in the cards, but then again, where would we ride a bike better suited to carving canyons when we are surrounded by…

Dennis Luison was in his early 20s when he bought this 1977 Sportster from Poole’s Harley-Davidson, and while it was purchased as a running bike, a lot of its pieces came in a box. He would never have guessed at the time that 30 years later, he would still own the same bike. As time went by, a tired, worn-out back dictated that Dennis move up to a more comfortable Road King, but the Iron Head Sporty always had a special spot in his garage. While wiping the dust off of the Sporty one day, he decided it was way overdue for a face-lift, so he began saving his pennies. Dennis’s line of work allows him to periodically collect various types of scrap metal, so he began socking away all…

Difficulty: 3.0/5.0 Reader Duane Sprague recently inquired about some contradictory information he received from various shops and dealers regarding the installation of a Stage 1 performance kit on his 2009 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Classic. Replies to his queries ranged from claims that the kit would make no measurable difference in performance to warnings of possible engine damage if non-Harley sourced parts were used. Some shops recommended using the Power Commander V EFI calibration system, whereas some swore by the Screamin’ Eagle Pro Super Tuner. These differing opinions only served to confuse Sprague (rightly so), forcing him to abandon his quest for more performance. As he put it, “I certainly don’t plan on spending any money at this point on an upgrade that’s so controversial and where the opinions are so…

The CMDRA Eastern Nationals, brought to you by Fox Harley-Davidson, will bring to the GTA North America’s best racers. From the 900 horsepower fire breathing Screaming Eagle Harleys and Nitrous turbo Pro Mods running the quarter mile in six seconds at well over 200 mph, there is a class for every fan. The Eastern Nationals at Toronto Motorsports Park, June 1 – 2, is the second stop in the CMDRA’s 2012 Nationals Series. New racers are encouraged to take part in the free race school Friday. Check out our website at cmdra.com or torontomotorsportspark.com for more information. Ride for Sight rolls into Sault Ste. Marie For the first time ever, Sault Ste. Marie will host the famed Ride for Sight charity motorcycle event this summer. From June 29 - July…