Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

2019 The year Suzuki’s Hayabusa will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Word is, there’s the possibility of a refresh and maybe even a turbo for the big event. 1,103 The displacement in cubic centimetres of the Ducati Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, which produces a claimed 210 hp and 88.5 ft-lb of torque. 17 The number of years H-D produced the V-Rod, which has now quietly been left behind for 2018. RIP V-Rod. 15,000 The number of people who gathered at Italy’s Lake Como to celebrate Moto Guzzi’s 96th anniversary. The event also marked 50 years of the V7. 464 The quantity of BMW R nineT motorcycles affected by Transport Canada Recall #2017399, regarding loosening of the swingarm pivot pin bolt.…

A century may not be a big deal in terms of the history of humankind as a whole, but for most of us alive today, it’s hard to fathom the changes the world has seen in that time. People have gone from riding horses and driving Model Ts to (allegedly) self-driving Teslas. Two World Wars have been fought, costing millions of lives. The advent of electricity and indoor plumbing in every home, so Dad didn’t have to take the newspaper out back and freeze. And the Deeley family business selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles in Canada has soldiered on the entire time. That’s right, Trev Deeley Motorcycles is celebrating a century of selling Harleys in Canada this year, making it one of the world’s oldest Harley dealers. But it wasn’t always called…

FAST FACTS EARLY START Frederick (Fast Freddie) Burdette Spencer was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1961. By 1966, he was already developing his race craft on dirt tracks near his hometown. LAST MAN In 1985, Fast Freddie won the Daytona 200, and both the 250 cc and 500 cc GP World Championships. He never won another GP race after that historic season. FAIRYT ALE As a child, Spencer dreamt of competing and winning as a factory Honda rider – a dream he would eventually realize, and in doing so gave Mr. Honda the double-championship he’d long sought. PERFECT MATC H Legendary Honda tuner Erv Kanemoto was the head mechanic for all three of Spencer’s championship campaigns. NEW ENDEAVOURS Although Spencer’s race career was cut short by nagging wrist injuries, he…

Once again it’s time for our fifth annual world travel edition of Motorcycle Mojo. This issue has become a staple in our publication schedule and highly anticipated by our readership. We have contributing writers from around the world offering advice on how to get started and to inspire you to make that once in a lifetime adventure happen, or you can just sit back and enjoy reading and looking at amazing photographs from another part of the world. These two articles are just a small sampling of what you can find in the December world travel issue. TRAVEL – ISLE OF MAN One hundred and ten years ago in 1907, the first Tourist Trophy race was held on the Isle of Man - a small, oval-shaped island lying between Great…

THREADS MOTORCYCLE INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION Harley-Davidson will be celebrating 115 years of production in 2018 with the largest-ever product development project in the company’s history. The result is a complete revamping of its Softail lineup and the introduction of the all-new Fat Boy, Heritage Classic, Low Rider, Softail Slim, Deluxe, Breakout, Fat Bob and Street Bob motorcycles. According to Paul James, manager of product portfolio, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, “Thousands of hours of research and testing were put into the complete ground-up design of these new cruisers.” In all, that’s eight brand-new Softail custom motorcycles ready for 2018, all with a stiffer, lighter steel frame and swingarm, plus the addition of premium front and rear suspension. Brad Richards, the company’s vice-president of styling and design, says, “Harley- Davidson motorcycles are not…

The advent of the motorcycle marked a massive step forward for personal transportation around the globe and, indeed, here in rural Canada. The benefits of an economical and accessible means of transportation, at a time when most families still relied on a horse and carriage, opened new possibilities and freedoms for the average person. But, it was also during this time that the world began to experience conflict on a scale previously unknown – conflicts made possible by the very technological breakthroughs meant to improve our quality of life. By the outbreak of the First World War, the motorcycle was being pressed into service as a means of delivering orders and intelligence quickly and efficiently. As has always been the case, the job of dispatch rider was a volunteer position,…

“Is that your gorgeous cruiser out there?” She’s drawn out the word “gorgeous” like warm butter across fresh bread, then accentuates it with a darting eye roll. I’m five-deep in a torturously slow grocery line at the Albertson’s in Missoula, Montana. Glancing outside I can see the devilishly hot sun winking off the Indian Roadmaster’s nostalgic green-and-cream fairing. The bike is drawing yet another small crowd. I’m not sure an ice cream truck would please as many people. “Yup,” I say sheepishly, wondering if my Gatorade, apple and Snickers bar are worth waiting in the long grocery line. “Well, it’s not exactly mine.” I admit. “I’m just testing it out. It belongs to Indian.” I know this answer is going to solicit further questioning, but the cashier has called for…

FAST FACTS WHERE TO The FAST Riding School is located at Shannonville Motorsport Park, a few hours’ drive from Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal, near Belleville, Ontario. THE FAST GUY The owner and primary instructor is Michel Mercier, a 25-time Canadian National Champion. ALL HANDS Each teaching day, the school employs four highly experienced road racers to instruct and assess the students, along with Mercier’s daughter Lea, who handles registration and paperwork, corner marshals, a full-time mechanic, a flagman/grid manager at pit out, an ambulance with two paramedics – and me, their photographer. WHEN There are three levels of instruction offered, running from May through September HOW MUCH The course including school bike, leathers, helmet, gloves, boots: $575. Optional (but encouraged) insurance: $129 in advance, $139 day of class. The course…

It was just going to be a ride to Ontario – at least that was the original plan. Then I sent a message off to the Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Unit in Nova Scotia (2 CAV), asking if anyone there would be interested in accompanying me. I soon discovered a number of members were heading to Rolling Thunder in Washington, D.C. This was a ride that’d long been on my bucket list, so I asking if I could join them. And that’s how Tom (Ironside) Skelding, Paul (Trapper) Cane, Chris (Red) Hatton, Earle (Grizzly) Eastman and I ended up in Grizzly’s garage in St. Stephen, N.B., the day before starting out for Rolling Thunder. In the interests of full disclosure, I’m an “Old Soldier,” but not Army, rather, an old…

This photo was taken in September 1964, in Montreal. On the front of the Vespa is Denis who was nine years old at the time. On the back is brother Jean-Marie at 10 years old. We all rode when we were in our teens but unfortunately stopped when we became responsible adults. Near retirement, we became irresponsible seniors and returned to our early passion of riding motorcycles. The second photo was taken 50 years later at the Ride For Dad rally in Kingston, Ont. Denis and Jean-Marie are both in the same position but this time on a Suzuki Boulevard C50. All three of us have been riding for the last six years and we’re hoping to still be riding when we’re all in our seventies, which is coming soon…

editor@motorcyclemojo.com THE FINAL FRONTIER I absolutely loved her [Lisa Morris’] story, to the point of reading it twice [“The Final Frontier,” June 2017]. Words, emotions, sincerity . . . excellent writing, experience and trek. I would gladly purchase more Mojos just knowing she may again write from her memoirs. DENIS GOSSELIN VIA EMAIL SHOW AND TELL Very nice “Life in the Fast Lane” story by Misti Hurst. Great “Motorcycle Show and Tell” for your readers too. MIKE FOREST VIA EMAIL DIGGING THE DIRTBAG Very well-written article [“California Dirtbag,” Sept/Oct 2017] – it’s inspiring. I will add State Route 33 to my bucket list. I’m also a big fan of Triumph. Glad to see a fellow rider enjoying the brand. Thanks Claire [Crimp]. Tom via motorcyclemojo.com Beautifully written! Loved hearing about…

FAST FACTS LONG HISTORY There is evidence that Nevada’s first inhabitants date back about 12,400 years ago, as determined from the many petroglyphs and archaeological sites in the state. JAGGED SKYLINE Most notable of the state’s mountain ranges is the Sierra Nevada – loosely translated from Spanish to mean “saw blade covered in snow.” THE LOWS AND THE HIGHS While Nevada is mostly desert, it boasts several hundred mountain ranges; in fact, more than any other state. WHAT’S IN A NAME? One of Nevada’s nicknames may be the Silver State, but it’s the largest gold producer in the U.S. and is the second-largest gold producer in the world. CLASSIC DUSTER The popular 1950s-’70s TV show Bonanza was set around 1860 in Nevada Territory near the famous Comstock Lode silver discovery,…

“Do you take that bike off-road? I see you have the tires for it.” I turned to see a bearded twentysomething following me out of the Florida Visitors’ Center. He was focused on my 2006 Suzuki V-Strom. “Yes, and sometimes I even keep it vertical,” I replied (half) jokingly. “Man, you are set up, with your panniers, tank bag, tent – You are living the dream!” His words would stay with me a long time after I pulled out and back onto the interstate. Ordinarily, I avoid such arteries whenever I can. As John Steinbeck once prophesied, they make it “possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing.” But I had limited time and miles to munch, so with head to the wind, I pressed…

The Heroes Highway Ride runs the first Saturday of every June to commemorate the repatriation of our Afghanistan casualties. The ride starts at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton and proceeds on Hwy 401 west to Port Hope, Ont. Reports say close to 3,000 bikes enjoyed the wonderful reception in Port Hope, with flags along the road leading into town, and vendors, food, service clubs and a pipe band to greet us at Memorial Park. There were speeches and testimonials, the most moving of which was a veteran who told how his riding group pulled him back from the cliff, when he sat in his kitchen with a gun in his mouth. Trapper spoke as well and was magnificent. Given that he and I had been roommates…

Hogtunes has taken motorcycle audio to the next level with the introduction of the Wild Boar Audio brand for all 2014 and newer Harleys. Features include 6.5 inch and 6 x 9 inch speaker options that boast real carbon fibre woofer cones, extra large magnets, external crossovers and high-power amplifier solutions. Wild Boar Audio by Hogtunes owner, Mike (Pez) Pesdirz proudly says, “We’ve long wanted to offer a line of high end, big-power products, done right, with the safety of the bikes charging system in mind. This is a game changer in the motorcycle audio world!” Hogtunes has been designing, engineering and manufacturing aftermarket audio components from the ground up for use in the motorcycle environment since 2004. For more information about the new Wild Boar Audio line and other…