Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2018 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

Campagna Motors, based in Montreal and makers of the unique BMW-powered T-Rex and Harley-Davidson-powered V13R three-wheelers, has announced it will partner with Zero Motorcycles to produce its first all-electric T-Rex. Campagna Motors has been producing the T-Rex three-wheeler for almost 25 years, and has always used motorcycle powertrains, in the past from Suzuki, Kawasaki and, most recently, the 1,649 cc inline six-cylinder engine from the BMW K1600GT. This partnership with Zero Motorcycles will incorporate the complete electric motor, controller and lithium-ion battery pack from a Zero motorcycle. An early prototype was shown at the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show in April, and a second more-advanced prototype is planned for this summer. There’s no word yet on when a production model will be available. Pricing for the six-cylinder T-Rex 16SP starts at…

KTM has made a key roll of the dice with the introduction of the 790 Duke, its first-ever parallel-twin powered by the all-new LC8c (liquid-cooled, eight-valve compact) engine. Previously, KTM had only its 690 Duke single-cylinder niche model to compete in the significant segment that is the middleweight marketplace. Now, with the 790 Duke twin – aka “the Scalpel,” on account of its focused design and pared-to-the-minimum weight and bulk – KTM has a mainstream contender for marketplace supremacy, making this a vastly important bike for the company that’s both competitively priced and highly distinctive. What’s more, in transferring production of this and all other future middleweight KTM – and Husqvarna – models powered by the LC8c engine to China in 2020, KTM president Stefan Pierer will ensure that the…

I get a buzz every time I ride in the Colorado Rockies, and it has nothing to do with the state’s copious cannabis supply. There’s a fantasy-like feeling of plentitude in this mountain range that doesn’t exist anywhere else I’ve ridden in North America. Like a restaurant that only serves your favourite dishes, or a clothing store where everything fits, almost every road you ride in these mountains is unreservedly epic. Imagine passes that soar over cathedral-like peaks at more than 4,000 metres, endless tangles of asphalt and dirt that connect heart-wrenching vistas and national parks with haunted mining towns and milk-and-honey destinations like Telluride and Aspen. Even if you lived right there in the heart of it, it would be your life’s work to explore all the options. For…

It was a sunny Sunday. There were many other motorcyclists passing in the other direction. Friendly waves were visible as they rumbled past me in the cool of the Fraser Valley. There were more and more of them, seemingly hungry to pack in as much riding as possible in the fertile lowlands, as though they didn’t have anywhere else to go. British Columbia had an alarming number of wildfires in the summer of 2017. Many raged near the Cariboo Highway corridor: Highway 97, specifically between Cache Creek and Williams Lake. I had planned a longer ride on this weekend, one that would have had me riding near Quesnel Lake, but there were too many highway closures and evacuation orders. I wished the best for those who had to leave their…

My aunt Ruth Miller on her father’s (Jimmy Miller’s) Indian motorcycle with her mother, Kathleen Miller of Victoria B.C., standing behind her. The picture was taken in Campbell River, circa 1935. Submitted by Sheila Best 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…

MOTORCYCLE INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION Autodrome St-Eustache, located 45 minutes west of Montreal, has announced that it will be closing down following the 2019 season. The popular local racetrack, which hosts CSBK nationals, was founded in 1964 by Anatole Lavoie, and has changed owners a few times over the years, including former stock car racer Claude Aubin, auto racers Stéphane and Daniel Descoste, and, most recently, Alan Labrosse. While the previous owners all had ties to auto racing, it’s former motorcycle road racer Labrosse who bought the track in 2007 and who ramped up motorcycle activities at the circuit. The venue includes a 4/10-mile paved oval, a 1/8-mile drag strip, and a 1.8-kilometre road course; it also hosts stock car races, drifting events, drag races and auto racing. The track has…

When it comes to motorcycle design, Erik Buell has always played by his own rules. While this has led to some innovative creations, several attempts to reboot his brand have failed. The assets of his most recent attempt, EBR Motorcycles, was sold off at auction last year by owner Liquid Asset Partners. Despite these letdowns, Buell can’t sit still, so he’s teamed up with Vanguard Motorcycles co-founder and CEO Francois-Xavier Terny, and Spark Racing Technologies founder Frédéric Vasseur to create a new company called VanguardSpark. New York City-based Vanguard Motorcycles produces the exclusive, low-volume Vanguard Roadster, which is powered by a 117-cubic-inch V-twin based on an S&S X-Wedge engine. Spark Racing Technologies, located in France, builds hybrid and fully electric powertrains, as well as the Renault SRT_01E Formula E race…

Lyndon Poskitt is one of those unique individuals who marches to the beat of his own drum. At 39 years old, he recently completed his third Dakar Rally, which is one of, if not the most, arduous off-road motorsports competitions on the planet. The 2018 edition marked the 40 anniversary of the race and is widely considered as being the toughest Dakar Rally ever. Finishing this is a victory in its own right, but competing in the Original class – which is the unsupported class that mandates the riders must work on and maintain their bikes by themselves without the aid of outside support – is considered the most respected way of competing in the Dakar. The feat has been likened to climbing Mount Everest without oxygen. I first met…

4 The number of electric power-assist bicycles Yamaha will be launching in the U.S. this summer. (The company has been producing electric drive units for bicycles and complete e-bikes for about a quarter century in other markets.) The bikes incorporate an electric motor into the bottom bracket, which boosts power to the rear wheel by providing up to 59 ft-lb of additional torque while pedalling. Models include a road bike, a hardtail mountain bike, a hybrid and a city bike, with pricing starting at US$2,399. No news as to whether Canada will also get Yamaha e-bikes, but you can find out more at yamahabicycles.com. 343 The speed in miles per hour at which Valerie Thompson crashed while attempting to beat the motorcycle land speed record of 367 mph. The “world’s…

Trends have a way of coming and going with the passing of time. This is mostly true of fashion, but it also applies to other categories, including motorcycles. Cruisers, for instance – particularly those that borrow styling cues from American bikes, like forward controls, buckhorn handlebars and skirted fenders – have been part of the motorcycling scene for more than three decades. Not that long ago, cruisers accounted for the biggest share of motorcycle sales in North America, but if you peruse any of the Japanese manufacturers’ websites today, you’ll see a dwindling selection of these low-slung low riders, and the ones you do find haven’t been updated in several years. Honda had more than a dozen cruiser models to choose from about a decade ago; today, the company has…

The highway widens into four lanes as the steady kathump kathump kathump of the cemented road pulsates through my handlebars. Approaching Bradford, Pennsylvania, Tina and I catch the light scent of oil wafting in the air and pass by the telltale nodding donkeys as they teeter-totter tirelessly, pumping high-grade crude, just as they have for the past 150 years. Rolling through Bradford on our way to Kane, I’m wondering what Transylvania, Spotsylvania and Pennsylvania all mean. Apparently, sylvania means “woodland” in Latin, so literally, this is “Penn’s Woods.” A rather appropriate name given that America was over 90 per cent forest when the first Europeans arrived. In 1681, long before motorcycles were invented, William Penn, a devout Quaker, approached King Charles II of England and requested that a family debt…

July 2018 KAWASAKI Z900RS The retro scene is huge these days and every mainstream manufacturer has a long history to pull from. Kawasaki reached back into its history books and has released the highly anticipated Z900RS, a bike that pays homage to the legendary Z1 of the early ’70s. In the words of test rider Jamie Elvidge, “This bike is ridiculously awesome.” Find out more in the July issue. NEW MEXICO Exploring New Mexico finds cobalt-blue skies contrasting with glistening white sand dunes rising up from the earth. This area is White Sand National Monument and is the largest gypsum dune site in the world. World travellers Lisa Morris and Jason Spafford say “There is nowhere else that reminded us of New Mexico.” This is one of the amazing locations…