Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2016 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

fast facts SAY WHAT? Portuguese is the official language of nine countries. UNCHANGED Since 1139, Portugal has had the same defined borders, making it among the oldest nation-states in Europe. TO URIST DESTINATION The Algarve region has an area of 3,362 square kilometres and around 209 kilometres of coastline, much of which is covered with strips of fine sand beach. DON’T FOR GET SUNSCREEN The Algarve region averages more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. From December to February, you can expect temperatures in the low 20s Celsius in the sunshine; March to April is around the mid-20s to 30, while October and November range around 25 to 35. Summer temperatures can exceed 40 in the sun. THOSE ARE SOME CREDENTIALS Simon Pavey trained actors Ewan McGregor and Charley…

fas t facts The Travellers Bettina Höbenreich, aged 33, and Helmut Koch, aged 34, from Upper Bavaria, Germany sold all their belongings, quit their jobs and set off in June 2011 to travel the world on their motorcycles. The Bikes Bea is riding an old 1989 Honda Transalp and Helmut is riding a 1993 Honda Transalp. Over two winters, Helmut had modified both bikes and changed them from supposed “old iron” into Transalp-Africa Twin hybrids which turned out to be absolutely reliable and robust long distance motorcycles. The Distance Five years ago the couple took one wrong turn and has spent the following years riding 155,000 km through five continents and 28 countries. After passing through Mexico, western U.S.A. and Canada, they are now recently back in Germany. South American…

SCR950 For riders who are looking for a rugged vintage design but want the reliability of today’s motorcycles, look no further than the all-new SCR950. With distinct scrambler style, modern technology, and a pulsating 942 cc V-twin, the SCR950 blurs the line between past and present. 2017 FZ-10 The all-new, aggressively styled FZ-10 is the one you’ve been waiting for. This fl agship model offers serious power and agility thanks to its R1-derived engine, chassis and fully adjustable suspension. Experienced riders will appreciate its comfortable upright riding position, torquey power delivery and corner-carving precision. The FZ-10, guaranteed to provide an emotionally charged riding experience. 2016 XSR900 Introducing the new XSR900. Based on the popular FZ-09, the XSR is a beautiful blend of 3-cylinder performance and eye catching “authentic sports” styling.…

This is truly the season of giving, at least for the OEMs as they roll out the new models for 2017 and prepare to ship them to shows around the world for our viewing pleasure. It appears we’re all in for a treat, because there’s a glut of exciting new product set to entice. Here are a few of the new offerings in no particular order. Suzuki After several years of mostly bold new graphics, Suzuki is charging into 2017 with a redesign of its extremely popular DL650: increasing power, reducing weight, adding traction control and updating the styling to bring it in line with the DL1000. In the world of sport bikes, Suzuki has officially revealed the allnew 2017 GSX-R1000, and GSX-R1000R, both having shed major weight over their…

fast facts LAY OF THE LAND Tajikistan is a mountainous landlocked sovereign country in Central Asia and is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north and China to the east. THE LEGEND PERSISTS Over the years, Russian soldiers have repeatedly reported sightings of the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. COME DIC RELIEF The country provided the setting for the Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd Cold War comedy Spies Like Us. ANCIENT HISTORY The Tajik language is nearly identical to Persian, as the country was part of the ancient Persian Empire that was ruled by Darius I and later conquered by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. The M41, or Pamir Highway, formed one link of the ancient Silk…

Booking a motorcycle tour abroad is an excellent way to experience foreign countries on two wheels. Although these tours may include motorcycle rental and a chase truck to carry your luggage, you still have to pack your riding gear and daily necessities. Being an experienced traveller, I’ve learned over the years the dos and don’ts of air travel, especially when travelling with riding gear. Get a Proper Gear Bag First, invest in a roller gear bag; it’s the best way to carry your gear. My former Ogio 9900 gear bag lasted six years and logged hundreds of thousands of kilometres before one exceptionally brutish baggage handler managed to break its frame, which is no easy task. I’ve since replaced it with the 9800 model, which is proving at least as…

fast facts THE SPANISH EMPIRE Global exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries allowed Spain to claim vast territories in North and South America. The Spanish empire became a global power, dominating the oceans as well as European battlefields. The empire, at the time, was the largest in the world until the 18th century. PARADORE S OF SPAIN In 1910, the Spanish government came up with the idea of creating an upscale hotel infrastructure. There are now more than 90 Paradores located throughout the Spanish countryside. Most of these renovated luxury hotels are historically and culturally important buildings, such as convents, monasteries, castles and fortresses. A GRO WING ECO NOMY Spain is the largest olive oil producer, claiming 45 percent of the world’s production. In 2014, the country was the…

Travel – Texas Between Austin and San Antonio, and running some 322 kilometres west is the Texas Hill Country. The bucolic setting has rugged terrain and wooded canyons, towering mountains, mind-blowing scenery and endless winding paved roads. Join Ron Keys on his latest expedition into the heart of the Lone Star State. Test Ride – 2017 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Special There are great expectations riding on the shoulders of the new Milwaukee-Eight powerplant from Harley-Davidson, both from the company and its legion of loyal followers. Our recent test ride of the 2017 Road Glide Special gave us the opportunity to put some hard miles on the 107 cubic-inch twin, and we’re looking forward to telling you all about it in the January/February issue of Motorcycle Mojo.…

editor@motorcyclemojo.com A memo to you all I’m not even sure why I worry about it, but could you put out a memo or whatever encouraging writers to “Say What?” to state their city of residence? “Letters to the Editor” in Motor Trend or Car and Driver do it and it’s interesting for some reason. The comments in Motorcycle Mojo would have a little extra context if the person lives in Yellowknife vs. Charlottetown, for example. Murray Wright, Toronto, Ont. A continual need to learn I have been thoroughly enjoying the Sept/Oct issue of MM. Intended or not, this issue seems to carry a definite theme: Humility. For those of us who have trained under Clinton Smout and look up to his skill as a rider, it was refreshing to hear…

fast facts THE RULES There are only three rules to abide by on this long-term journey: 1) No GPS; 2) Just ask for directions; 3) Never pay for sleeping accommodations. SEL F-PROMOT ION Manu Torres and Ivana Colakovska have created a YouTube channel, Facebook page and website, all entitled Around Gaia and all of which chronicle their ongoing adventures and experiences over the past four years. WHERE IN THE WORL D As of October 2016, Torres and Colakovska were exploring Namibia, the 45th country visited during their travels. MULT ILINGUAL Much of their Internet content, including social media, is posted in Spanish, English and Macedonian. SEEING THE SIGHTS The Around Gaia project has now crossed five continents and covered more than 125,000 km. TRUSTED STEED The motorcycle of choice for…

fast facts LAND OF THE FREE Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that was never colonized by a European country. Like England, it’s actually a constitutional monarchy. Thailand, in Thai, is Prathet Thai, meaning “Land of the Free.” SIAM-ESE Thailand was known as Siam until 1939, and then again from 1945 to 1949. Siamese cats are native to Thailand. SPIRITUAL UNITY Over 90 percent of the country’s people practise Buddhism. RO ADS WITH A VIEW Many of the country’s high mountain roads are recognized as some of the best and most picturesque motorcycle rides on earth. I watched in my left mirror as another souped-up hatchback blazed across three lanes of traffic behind me, looking for the fastest route through whatever was in front of it. I dropped down…

If you’re at all familiar with around the world travel on two wheels, you almost certainly have heard the name Sam Manicom. In 1992, with only three months’ riding experience, Manicom set off for a year of exploration in Africa. Before he knew it, a year had become eight, and he had travelled more than 320,000 km and visited 55 countries. Into Africa: Africa by Motorcycle – Every Day an Adventure (2005), his first book, detailed the varied beauty of the continent, as well as the many amazing cultures he encountered. It also told of the bone-shattering accident that would have seen a lesser explorer heading for home. Instead, Manicom headed for Australia, and continued the journey through New Zealand, Asia and Europe. The sequel, Under Asian Skies: Eye Opening…