Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2017 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

FAST FACTS DINOSAUR VALLEY Drumheller is located in what is commonly known as Dinosaur Valley, which is in the heart of Alberta’s Badlands. MORE THAN A PILE OF BONES The area’s abundant paleontological treasures places it among the world’s most significant sites for the study of ancient life, and as such, it draws experts from around the globe. A LAYERED ENVIRONMENT Badlands are areas where soft clay and soil deposits have been significantly eroded by wind, water and glacial movement, exposing the more dense strata beneath. The result is often a visually dramatic though barren landscape. HEIGH-HO, HEIGH-HO, IT’S OFF TO THE MINE WE GO The Star Mine Suspension Bridge was constructed in 1931 to provide miners at the mine a more efficient route to work. In 1958, the Alberta…

August 2017 BIG THINGS, SMALL PACKAGE We welcome Jamie Elvidge to the Mojo roster as she brings us a report from the press launch of the new Kawasaki Versys-X 300 that took place in Utah. She says it “doesn’t feel like a small motorcycle, though it does feel extremely light and manoeuvrable.” And its 19-inch front and 17-inch rear spoked wheels give some indication of this diminutive adventure bike’s intended use. The question is, can it play with the bigger boys in the adventure-bike market? HOT TIMES ON OHIO’S WINDY 9 Sweltering temperatures push Jeff Davison to the limits and beyond on his journey through Ohio. But his subsequent suffering and perseverance are rewarded with fine riding routes beside rivers and on ridges that overlook valleys and villages, along with…

This is a picture of me on my Matchless Twin G9 circa 1956 on a private estate in England. The AMC Owners Club was participating in a Gymkhana charity event, which included horse races, motorcycle field events and stunt challenges such as the one in this photo. This is the last year I was living in the United Kingdom before I immigrated to Canada. P.S. I am still riding today! Submissions to Remember When? 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 please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send to: editor@motorcyclemojo.com…

Our sesquicentennial has arrived! That’s 150 years of Confederation for us Canadians to toast. And how better to celebrate than to get out on our bikes and experience as much of this massive and majestic country as possible. So in hopes of inspiring you to search out some Canadiana, here are a few historically significant locales from our rich history that just happen to coincide with some fantastic motorcycle routes. British Columbia: Chilkoot Trail Made famous during the Klondike Gold Rush by lines of prospectors trudging single file over its snow-covered slopes, the Chilkoot Trail is now a hiker’s paradise, and a perfect destination for adventurous motorcyclists who want to be enveloped by a vast wilderness. Alberta: Cave and Basin National Historic Site In 1883, three railroad workers stumbled upon…

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 1 The Spectacular Icefields Parkway (Alberta) By Glenn Roberts There are a vast number of amazing roads to experience in Canada, and each possesses its own charm and challenges. In the east, you move from the breathtaking beauty of our Maritime roadways, as well as the less travelled ones leading to quaint fishing villages of Newfoundland, to the colourful red roads of Prince Edward Island and the charming roadside churches and architecture of days gone by in Quebec. As you travel farther west into Ontario, you can’t help but be impressed by the rugged scenery as you skirt Lake Superior. The landscape changes drastically upon your arrival in Manitoba, where the land eventually becomes wonderfully flat with a seemingly endless sky. Southern Saskatchewan is rife with beautiful, sweeping river…

There was a time not that long ago when 600 cc supersport motorcycles were the pinnacle of high performance. So popular was the category that the Big Four were redesigning their respective 600s every couple of years. And we’re not just talking plastering on new graphics – 600s were being completely made over from the ground up with new frames and new engines, and with each makeover they got lighter and more powerful. This frenetic pace in development was partially driven by the 600 Supersport class, which was at the time the most popular race class, with 600 cc machines filling race grids across North America. The cost of this rapid development must have been staggering, though worldwide sales made the expense worthwhile Then the economy tanked in 2008, sapping…

Let’s face it, most adventure-bike riders use their bikes for touring, commuting or exploring dirt roads, rarely taking them truly off-road. And there’s nothing wrong with that; adventure bikes are powerful, they’re comfortable and their long-travel suspensions are better suited to deal with broken, pockmarked pavement than any naked, sport or sport-touring bike. However, there is a small percentage of adventurers who do dare take their big bikes where only 250 cc dual-sport bikes should go. Some hard-core riders don’t hesitate to take bikes like the gargantuan BMW R1200GS Adventure off the pavement and onto technical, single-track trails or up steep, rocky hillsides, or to even use them as oversized trials bikes. And in the right hands, the big bikes are very capable off-road machines. But they are a lot…

The goal of every motorcyclist is to enjoy the ride while out on the open road, but more importantly, we need to stay safe. We are all aware that one of the biggest dangers to a biker is the dreaded left-hand turn from an oncoming vehicle. But equally dangerous is having an inattentive car driver following us. This threat requires a constant eye in our mirrors and, as with the left-hand turn situation, a quick formulation of a possible escape route if things don’t go according to Hoyle. But there is a tool on the market that helps to capture a following driver’s attention when a regular brake light doesn’t seem to be enough. AdMore Lighting has been in the business of making our rides safer for many years by…

1957 The year of production for this F.B. Mondial 250 Bialbero Grand Prix bike, which recently won Best in Show at the 2017 Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley, California. 2 The number of handlebar-mounted levers spied on the 390 Duke-based prototype electric motorcycle that KTM was recently caught testing, indicating there may be a manual gearbox in development as well. 17,700,000 The number of motorcycles sold in India last year, surpassing the 16.8 million units sold in China and making India the number one motorcycle market in the world. 9,389 The number of people, as of this printing, who have contributed their images to the Ride Canada 150 collage celebrating Canada’s sesquicentennial. Check it out at ridecanada150.ca. 10 The number of HJC replica Luke Skywalker Rebel Fighter helmets that…

The Honda Rebel is one of those bikes that have had an unusually long production run, and for good reason. First introduced in 1985, the 250 Rebel has had a healthy run for decades, and was a mainstay of Honda’s entry-level motorcycles as well as a staple mount for training centres across the country. The Rebel was also the first bike of many of today’s riders. In fact, there was one in my garage in the late ’80s, as it was my wife’s first bike. There are various reasons for a bike to be on the market for several years or even decades: perhaps it continually serves the purpose it was designed for, or it’s reliable and just plain works well in its original form. In other words, why change…

FAST FACTS JO IN THE UNION Vermont is one of four states that were once independent nations (Texas, California and Hawaii are the other three). It was independent for 14 years before joining the Union. HEY , THAT’S OUR RACKET! “The Green Mountain State” is America’s largest producer of maple syrup. ON THE CO VER At the outset of the First World War, Norman Rockwell was turned away by the Navy for being underweight. Undeterred, he bulked up, made the grade and was shipped off to war, but he didn’t make it very far before the vessel was diverted to South Carolina, where he soon became the illustrator for the navy yard’s periodical. PRIZED POET Famed American poet Robert Frost received four Pulitzer Prizes, along with a United States Congressional…

I first discovered Rok Straps around 2004, at the Vancouver motorcycle show. After years of dealing with metalhooked bungee cords, one look at the Rok Straps and I could envision their functionality; and I bought a package of two of the 150 cm (60-inch) straps. I haven’t used a traditional bungee cord since. I have, however, purchased more pairs of Rok Straps over the years – they’ve gotten misplaced, or I’ve given them to family or friends. The beauty of Rok Straps is the strong 15 cm elasticized section that offers a limited amount of stretch combined with the regular nylon strap that has attachment loops at each end, making it easy to secure the straps to any mounting point of your motorcycle. The fact that there are no metal…