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BUILT TO THRILLTWENTY15 I FJ-09THREE-CYLINDER ENGINE IALL-DAY RIDING COMFORT IABS AND TRACTION CONTROL

PERFORMANCE, VERSATILITY AND VALUE ALL IN ONE MOTORCYCLE.

Unit shown with optional accessories


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18 THE GENTLEMANS ROADSTER PRESS LAUNCH 2015 BMW R1200R

Though dressed less extravagantlythan its BMW siblings, this renedroadster is looking for a long-termrelationship.

26 BAD INFLUENCE TEST RIDE

2015 MV AGUSTA DRAGSTER RR As if the base models werent

already remarkable, MV takes it upa notch with its new Dragster RR.

30 THE GRAND ALGOMA LOOP TRAVEL ALGOMA, ONTARIO

We ride the northern coasts of LakeSuperior and Lake Huron andexplore some of Ontarios favouriteroads during the last days of fall.

6 CROSSROADS byGlenn Roberts

8 THREADSMotorcycle informationand inspiration

12 LIFE IN THE FAST LANEbyMisti Hurst

14 RIDING WITH STU

byStu Seaton

16 LIFES AN ADVENTUREbyClinton Smout

64MOJO GARAGE Horsepower vs. Torque

66 PRODUCT REVIEWS Spyke Pathnder Gear On Any Sunday:

The Next Chapter82REMEMBER WHEN?

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

30

26

36 SYMPLY PUT TEST RIDE 2014 SYM WOLF CLASSIC

Spending time with a real classicthat has survived decades andcontinues to offer economy and funin a small displacement package.

40 CANADIANS INVADE ITALY(AGAIN)

TRAVEL ITALY A connection to the past take Curtis

and Karen Nickel to Italy in searchof Canadas forgotten heroes.

48 RIDE FOR RASH TRAVEL CALIFORN IA

The loss of a brother and a rideleft unnished has Terry Sowdenpointing his wheels south for theCalifornia border.

54 CLOSE COMPETITION

IN WIDE OPEN SPACESADVENTURE RALLY MONGOLIA

Lawrence Hacking takes Mojoreaders along on the 20thanniversary of Rally Mongolia inthis motorcyclists paradise.

60 ISLAND ESCAPE TRAVEL VANCOUVER ISLAND

A father and son skip school fora daytrip on the island. Beingmarked absent was never so sweet.

MAY 2015 MOTORCYCL E MOJO 3

54

CONTENTSMay 2015


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Motorcycle Mojois published in Thornton, Ontario by Riptide Resources Inc.

and is proudly printed in Canada. #9310 issues per year. Available at Newsstands across Canada.

We acknowledge the nancial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical

Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

Publications Mail Agreement #40761040

Return undeliverable Canadian Addresses to

Motorcycle Mojo

229 Barrie Street, Thornton, Ontario, L0L 2N0

ISSN 1913-7621

4 MOTORCYCLE MOJO MAY 2015

So what is aMOJO?It is, in short, the staple amulet of African-American

hoodoo practice, a annel bag (magazine) containing

one or more magical items (motorcycles). The word is

thought by some to be a corruption of the English word

magic but it more likely is related to the West African

word mojuba, meaning a prayer of praise and homage.

A prayer of praise and homage

toward motorcycles?

The articles submitted to Motorcycle MojoMagazine will be treated as unconditionallyassigned for publication and copyright purposes and are subject to editing. Somearticles do not necessarily reect the ideas or thoughts of Motorcycle Mojo Magazinewriters or employees. To maintain the integrity of Motorcycle MojoMagazine we askthat your articles and stories are suitably written for all ages to read. A self addressedstamped envelope must accompany submitted materials if to be returned. Tech articleswritten purely as reference only, please contact your mechanic prior to performing anymaintenance on your bike. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without writtenpermission. Copyright 2015.

ON THE COVER2015 BMW R1200R

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BMW

MAY 2015 VOLUME 14 ISSUE 4

Publisher Riptide Resources Inc.

Editor Glenn Roberts

Associate Editor Costa Mouzouris

Editorial Associate Marcus Martellacci

Copy Editor Deanna Dority

Business Manager Gwen Roberts

Advertising Sales

Roger Parsons, Martin van der Staay

Art Director Amy McCleverty

Assistant Designer Ashleigh Campsall

Contributing Writers

Clinton Smout, Costa Mouzouris, Curtis and Karen Nickel,

Glenn Roberts, Lawrence Hacking, Marcus Martellacci, Misti Hurst,

Stu Seaton, Terry Sowden, Tim King

Contributing Photographers

Amanda Berk, Bill Petro, BMW, Curtis Nickel, Marcus Martellacci,

Mike Jacobs, MV Agusta, Rob LaRue, SSER Rally Mongolia,

Terry Sowden, Tim King, Travis Favretto

Online & Technical Gooder Marketing

Printing Transcontinental LGM Coronet

Circulation and Fulfillment KCK Global Limited

DistributionDisticor

PRINT & DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

www.motorcyclemojo.com / [email protected]

1-877-330-3737

Motorcycle Mojo, P.O. Box 1234, Station K, Toronto, ON M4P 3E4

Sign up for ourfree newsletter at:

motorcyclemojo.com

ADVERTISING INQUIRES

Roger Parsons:[email protected]

Martin van der Staay:[email protected]

1-877-665-6624 229 Barrie Street, Thornton, Ontario L0L 2N0

COMMENTS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[email protected]

Member


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kawasaki.ca2014 Canadian Kawasaki Motors Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye

protection and proper riding apparel. Never ride under the influence

of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your

owners manual. Professional riders on a closed course. CanadianKawasakiMotors@CanadaKawasaki

THANKS TO A CUSTOM CONCEPT CALLEDERGO-FIT, WITHOPTIONAL HANDLEBAR AND SEAT ACCESSORIES, AND ADJUSTABLEFOOTPEGS, THE VULCAN S IS THE PERFECT FIT FOR ANY RIDER. The Ninja inspired 650cc gives you all the confidence and power

you need at the same time, and comes with ease of handling

youve yet to see in this category, Until now, that is.


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SET THE WHEELSIN MOTION

B

y the time you read this,most of you will already beout on your bikes. Keep in

mind that May is motorcyclesafety month throughoutNorth America. Motorists

in Canada have had all winter to forgetabout motorcycles and may not be look-ing for them, so youll have to be extradefensive when riding. And it wouldnthurt to remind every driver you knowto watch out for motorcycles.

While most of the country will beriding soon, the exception might bethose on the East Coast where bliz-zards hammered the area during the

last half of March. The Maritimes havehad a tough time this winter, withrecord snowfalls that turned two-lanecity streets into a single lane with snowbanks in excess of two metres tall. Addto that some warm days that began tomelt the snow followed by cold snapsturning it into ice, and you have a verydifcult and lengthy cleanup. The jokein Halifax during the motorcycle showon the third weekend of March after aparticularly brutal series of storms wasthat bikers might not be able to even

nd their bikes until July.Whether youre still digging out or

polishing your chrome, I hope youllenjoy our wide range of articles thismonth. A diverse look at three uniquemotorcycles: BMWs R1200R, a brand-new roadster when compared to lastyears model; the drop-dead gorgeousMV Agusta Dragster RR; and the SYMWolf Classic, a 150 cc tiddler based onthe 1969 Honda CB125S.

Also in this issue we have ve travelfeatures. Heartier than the mailmen

of yore, Marcus takes a late-fall ridethrough rain, snow and ice pellets toAlgoma Districts north shore of Lakes

Huron and Superior for one last slipand slide before winter ofcially digs itsclaws in.

Curtis and Karen Nickel take a long-awaited trip to Italy, not only to experi-ence the fantastic riding that the AmalCoast has to offer, but also to see whereKarens grandfather went ashore dur-ing a 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily andto remember those who never returned.

We also have two West Coastfeatures. One is a circle day trip alongthe southern coast of Vancouver Island

and then returning through the interiorand back to Victoria. The other is TerrySowdens remembrance ride calledRide for Rash. What was suppose to bea pair of brothers taking a three-weekride down the west coast to Californiaand then over to the Sierra Nevadasturned into a solo ride after Rash suc-cumbed to cancer.

Our last travel adventure takes placein Mongolia. Lawrence Hacking shareswith us a gruelling eight-day, 3800 kmoff-road rally that this Paris-Dakar n-

isher claims as relatively easy riding.My hope is that all of these diverse

travel features will set the wheelsin motion for you to plan a bike tripthis summer, whether it be a multi-week tour far away or a series of dayor weekend adventures in your ownbackyard. Either way, exploring thisgreat country, and continent for thatmatter, by motorcycle is the best wayto see, smell and feel the roses, so tospeak. But Im betting you alreadyknew that.

CROSSROADS

by Glenn RobertsADVERTISERDIRECTORYPLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS.

75 ADMORE LIGHTING/PARKNMOVE

13 ADIRONDACK

7 ALGOMA REGION TOURISM

59 ATLANTICADE

29 AVON TYRES

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76 MD DISTRIBUTIONS

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53 MOTORCYCLE TOUR GUIDE NOVA SCOTIA

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& CUSTOM WORKS

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MAY 2015 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 7


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M O T O R C Y C L E I N F O R M A T I O N A N D I N S P I R A T I O N

H E A D L I N E S

HANDCRAFTED BEAUTYI n 1950, ArturoMagni joined MV Agustas racing department as team manager, where heremained until his retirement in 1977. During those years, Magni guided the team to 75world championships and more than 3000 race wins a record unmatched by any manu-facturer. His riders included John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and, perhaps the greatest of all,Giacomo Agostini, who won 15 world championships with MV Agusta.

After his retirement, Arturo and his sons began producing limited edition motorcycles utiliz-ing existing power plants from MV Agusta, Honda, BMW, Moto Guzzi and others. Each bikewas handcrafted, and many featured bespoke frames and components inuenced by Arturosracing expertise.

The most recent model from the Magnis is the Filo Rosso the thin red line, so to speak, thatconnects Arturos racing legacy to all of his subsequent creations.

The Filo Rosso was created by son Giovanni to pay homage to his father and the legendaryMV Agusta 350/500 GP racers of the past.

Inside the classic steel-tube double-loop frame is the current MV Agusta 800 cc triple, making125 hp. The rest of the components are a mix of classic parts, such as the Ceriani forks, 18-inchcast-aluminum wheels and period Brembo disc brakes. The production version of this bike willrequire some changes to incorporate current generation parts, but we cant expect it will lookany less beautiful or be any more desirable than it is here.


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News...A ir Canada hasannounced new ratesand guidelines for shippingmotorcycles on its aircrafts.Bikes can be dropped off upto 24 hours in advance of thefight, and will be loaded andsecured by Air Canada cargospecialists. Upon arrival atthe destination, it can takeover four hours to get the

bike back, so the airline rec-ommends shipping the bike aday prior to your own fight.

For full details, visitmotorcyclemojo.com andcheck out our news section.

70

The approximate

number of seconds

it takes for a

cheetah to go from

0100 km/h. Thats

about the same as

a modern superbike

piloted by a skilled

rider.

2 0 1 6 The year through which Mopar has committed to remainingtitle sponsor of the CSBK (Canadian Superbike Championship).

C H E C K I T O U T

MotorcycleAdventure

Bush to Beachhttp://goo.gl/OpSVIL

A 900 km trek downunder illustrates the joyand challenges of adven-

ture riding.This is just oneof many greatvideos from thishigh-qualityYouTube channel.

BY THE NUMBERS

3388

The running time in minutes of the

original On Any Sunday by Bruce Brown.

The advertised ft-lb

of torque generatedby the 2015 Zero FXelectric bike at any rpm.For reference, modern450 cc motocross bikesmake around 35 ft-lbof torque.

The distance in metres that Robbie Maddison trav-

elled through the air to break his own world record

for longest motorcycle jump. The previous record

was from a jump in Las Vegas on New Years Eve,

2014. He did it on a modified Honda CR500,

hitting a speed of 165 km/h on the takeoff

ramp and reaching a height of 20 metres.

107.29

The total number

BMW K and R ser

motorcycles, man

factured between

November 2003 a

April 2011, affecte

by a recent recall

367,000


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T E C H T A L K


The Dark SideA tinted visor at thepush of a button

Mark It on YourCalendar

Grant and SusanJohnson

of Horizons Unlimited

continue their busy schedule

for 2015 with a full calendar

of events around the world in

addition to maintaining their

site horizonsunlimited.com.

The website has become a

repository of information andinspiration for motorcycle

adventurers everywhere, and

their Travellers Meetings allow like-minded individu-

als to gather together and share experiences and

advice. This years calendar includes two Canadian

stops: The rst is in Ontario from June 18-21 on the

shores of beautiful Lake Couchiching at the OELC

(Ontario Education Leadership Centre), just an hour

north of Toronto. The second event will take place in

Nakusp, B.C., August 20-23, amidst incredible riding

roads and breathtaking scenery. Online registration

for both events is now open.

MayisrecognizedasMotorcy-

cleSafetyAwarenessMonth

acrossNorthAmerica.Soinkeep-

ingwiththespirit,wehere

at MotorcycleMojojust

wanttoremindyou

tobebothsafe

andaware. Seri-

ouslythough,

dontforgetthat

motoristswill

still beawaken-

ingfromtheir

winterslumber,

andpavementwill

becoldandjustget-

tingcleanedup. Erring

onthesideofcautionduringthe

earlyseasonandleavingalittle

extraroomforourcagedfriends

couldprovetobealifesaver.And

it doesnthurttoremindfriends

andfamilywhodrivethat motor-

cyclistswillbesharingthe

roadwiththem.Doing

somayjustget

themtotakeone

morelookbefore

changinglanes

orturningleftatanintersection.

Bright colours

couldalsocome

inhandyatthis

timeofyear,when

overcastandrainy

dayscanbeprevalent.

Hereswishingyouallasafeand

enjoyablestarttotheseason. See

youontheroad.

MOTORCYCLESAFETYMONTH

AGV has introduceda new LCD visor that tints at the push of abutton. Utilizing an LCD lens bonded to an outer shield, the

AGVisor is powered by an integrated battery thats good for 12 hourson dark mode and many times that when in standby mode. A fail-safefeature defaults the visor to clear when the battery runs out. Rechargetime is two hours via a micro USB, and the system is sealed to preventfogging and keep it waterproof. The new visor will be available forthe GT Veloce, Pista and Corsa models. There hasnt been an announce-ment on pricing or availability in North America as of press time.


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DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?We love hearing your thoughts on an article, comments, suggestions or criticisms.

Comments selected for publication may be edited for grammar, readability and length. Send notes to [email protected].

MORE BIKES OF THE BIG SCREEN

Just nished reading my March issue ofMotorcycle Mojo.I am so glad I renewed my subscription at the Januarymotorcycle show in Toronto. Your mag has improved somuch from when I last had a subscription in 2012. I forgothow much I enjoyed every article, every photo, even ifsome werent to my taste, they are all well written andfull of info. And the new format is so much better. Welldone everyone! Its made my dealing with the winterblahs so much easier. Your mag is the only one I subscribeto. Having a homegrown mag in my own backyard suitsme just ne.

And by the way, one of the best motorcycle momentson the big screen should includeMission Impossible 2. Tom

Cruise and Dougray Scott are amazing in one of the bestmotorcycle chases Ive ever seen.

KENJANZENVIAEMAIL

Big fan of your magazine, keep up the great work! Imresponding to page 10 of your most recent issue (March2015), which I found absolutely awesome!

My favourite motorcycle momentfrom the big screen is denitelyMilla Jovovich on a BMW K1200R inResident Evil: Extinction. It helps that

I have the same bike.MATTGREENBERGVIAEMAIL

One of my favourite motorcyclemoments was the VMAX scene fromNightmare on Elm Street 5. It was acouple of decades before I got myown beast of a VMAX that took overmy soul when I vaporized the reartire in any gear!

Oh yeah, and Arnie on theCB750Four is my preferred bike scene

from the original Terminator.I always thought they should

have used a Kawasaki ZL900 Eliminator for the irony.On a different note, its always been a pet peeve of

mine when I see a bike in a movie and they have thewrong engine sound! Many times a Ducati sounds likea GSXR, or a two-stroke sounds like a four. Drives menuts and ruins the scene. Youd think the motorcyclecompanies would have that in the contract, proper bike proper sound.

CHRISDONNELLYVIAEMAIL

AN FZ07 FAN

What a nice story (March 2015). No numbers for com-parisons, just the riders feeling. It makes us realize that

the fun of riding a bike sometimes has nothing to do withperformance numbers. I demo rode the FZ-09 in October2013. The sound of this triple is a symphony. I was allsmiles, but I didnt buy the bike. My answer to my dealer,if the FZ-07 comes to Canada, dont call me, just do thepaper work for a red one. The FZ-07 is my 10th street bike.

ERICMATHIEUVIAEMAIL

Say What? [email protected]


From Ron

Muddys Pit BBQSometimes the best placesto eat are close to home.Muddys Pit BBQ, in thehamlet of Keene, Ontario,where Indian River entersRice Lake, serves beefbrisket that is smokedon site and melts in yourmouth.

From Stu

The Flying FishThe Flying Fish, a shn chips shop that doesthings the old way: maltvinegar strong enough tomake you cough and shdone just right. The own-ers used to run the FlyingFish in Whitby, Ontario,before retiring to Brightonon Prince Edward Street.

From Misti

Arms Reach BistroI like the Arms ReachBistro in Deep Cove, B.C.,because the food is amaz-ing, its not outrageouslyexpensive and its in abeautiful setting with alovely view of the cove. Itmakes for a great destina-tion ride.WTF

WHERESTHE FOOD?

Staff Picks

Got a favourite restaurant or pub? Send us an email to [email protected] and tell us why.

Tom Cruise in

Mission Impossible 2


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THROWBACK

SUNDAY

Thanks to a visit to the Vancou-ver Motorcycle Show, I had thechance to take an unexpectedtrip down memory lane.

I gured the show wouldbe a great family outing, so

my husband, my two little ones and Idrove to the Abbotsford Tradex in B.C.We wandered into the building, whereI spotted theMotorcycle Mojoboothimmediately, so we headed straightover to say hi. Editor Glenn Robertswife, Gwen, all smiles, replied, Misti!We were just talking about you! asshe nodded toward a young couplestanding in front of her. They smiledat me and said that they really enjoyedreading my column.

Im a new rider and I always learn

something new from your techniquearticles, said the young woman, butits especially nice to feel like Im notthe only one struggling with thoseissues. Its nice to feel like someoneunderstands and has gone through itbefore. Its nice to feel like you are talk-ing to us, telling us a story.

I appreciated the compliment, shookher hand, took a photo with them forMojos Facebook page, and continuedwandering through the show thinkingabout what she had said. I wanted her

to know that she certainly wasnt alonein her quest for riding knowledge, andin her progression from new rider to amore advanced and condent one. Butwhat was the best way to convey that?By telling a story, of course.

Like everyone else at some point, Iwas a new rider at one time as well, andI fumbled through learning the ropesand progressing through the normalmilestones that most riders go through.At the motorcycle show, I ran into manypeople who reminded me of that pro-

gression from beginner to stunter, racer,coach, writer and now to a somewhatseasoned professional.

I bumped into Glen, one of theVancouver Island riders who had beenthere in the very beginning. He and hisfriends had long ago watched me rideup to their group of sportbike riders onmy very rst bike, for my rst groupride. I was new and inexperienced,but cocky and proud of being one ofonly two female riders in the bunch. I

worked my way up from being slowand uncoordinated, and crashing a fewtimes, to learning how to cope on wetroads and understanding how to ridein wind, on the highway, and in largegroups. I asked lots of questions backthen, and made lots of mistakes. Welaughed, remembering how squidly wewere, doing stunts downtown, yingdown side roads and sweet-talking thepolice into giving us warnings insteadof tickets. We laughed about how muchfun we had in those early days.

I ran into Jamie, who had sold mea 2001 Kawasaki ZX6R. It was my rstnew motorcycle, and I used to visit theshop just to look at it with the SOLDsign sitting on top, while I waited forthe nancing to come through. I was inlove with riding and motorcycles. Theaddiction had started.

I spoke with Keri, from a differentshop where I used to buy parts and getmy bike serviced. I had begged them togive me discounts and to sponsor mefor my premier races, and was so thank-

ful when they supported me. I was on amission to fulll a racing dream.

Brian, who had sponsored me whenI moved to Vancouver to be closerto the racing scene, gave me a gianthug. I was small potatoes then, but hebelieved in me, and as I looked aroundat the people at the show, I realizedthat there were so many people whobelieved in me and helped me along theway. That is the beauty of the motorcy-cling community. The people are nice;

they smile a lot because they love thesport; they help when they can.

I saw friends I had competed againstwhen I rst started racing at MissionRaceway, and people from Parts Canada,Suzuki, Honda Canada and Kawasakiwho supported me on my various racemachines. There were students Idcoached, kids Id mentored who arenow faster than me, and readers whotold me that they enjoy my articles. Itwas like going back in time and relivingthe story of my riding career.

I realized that we all start off asbeginners, and we all count on othersto help us through the learning pro-cess. I realized that we all have peoplewho have helped to bring us into thecommunity and sport of motorcycling.And I was able to really appreciate thepeople along the way who believed inme and helped me along my path.

I hope Im able to encourage andsupport others the way I was sup-ported, and I encourage you to do thesame.

LIFE IN THE FASTLANE

by Misti Hurst

This Honda CBR was

Mistis frst bike in 2000.


13/84


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14/84

Im sure youveseen that occasionalrider perched on his or her bikelike a concrete statue eyes straightahead, jaws clenched to the pointyou can hear molars cracking,hands gripping bar ends so tightly

that primordial petroleum is oozing outbetween the persons ngers. That, folks,is one uptight rider. These riders are alsoaccidents waiting to happen. The oddpart about riding uptight is that Im sureweve all done it. I know I have.

In this world of ever-expandingextreme sports, motorcycling is prettytame stuff. However, its not so tame thatit wont bite you if you do somethingdaft, and I suppose thats the beauty ofit. Ive always found that when I put myhelmet on, the world becomes a little

more dened. When I slide a key intothe ignition of a sweet ride, my focusbecomes even sharper. Once the engineis warm and ready to roll, theres onlyone thing on my mind, and its not thehydro bill that was due yesterday. I be-gin settling into the bike, all the systemsthat are whirring around in the bike arealso whirring around in my head: whatfeels right, what could feel better andwhat may be trouble. The same goes formy body: Is everything in its sweet spot?If not, then why not?

A few years back, editor Glenn Robertsand I had the chance to do some exten-sive testing on Lehman Trikes, in SouthDakota. If there were ever an example ofuptight versus relaxed, this was it.

When it came time for LehmanTrikes to cut us loose and ride unescort-ed, our trike instructor said, Guys, it isgoing to take about 100 miles for you tofeel comfortable on these, but please, donot give up before then. His commentstruck me as odd, and a glance over atGlenn indicated that he was struck the

same way. We both catch on quickly,but 100 miles? There must be way moreto this than I rst thought.

The instructor disappeared, leavingGlenn and me by the side of the roadwith a map in hand. We both comment-ed on a few things that were differenton the trikes, then took off to ride theNeedles Highway. If you had seen uson these trikes, you wouldve wonderedif we hadnt stumbled upon some localmoonshine. In corners we were either

over-the-line wide or crunching gravel.Nothing was easy, and everything feltbackwards. We stopped a short timelater; I was uptight, almost angry. Was Ithat lousy a rider? What werent we get-ting? Fortunately, we took our instruc-tors advice and tilted forward, completewith cracking molars and stern looks.

After a few close calls with insigni-cant objects like logging trucks, thingsbegan to change. The clouds parted andthe sun shone, and all wed been toldcame into being. Corners tightened up;

some were even on our chosen lines.The next thing I knew, my back teethdidnt hurt anymore. My neck muscleswere nally starting to go from titani-um stiff to being pleasantly exible, andmy hands were loosening up from theirdeath grip. Glenn and I were starting tolaugh at each other, and the green agdropped. We played like two kids withthe worlds best toys. There wasnt onebad word dropped at our next bio-stop,

just chuckles and a few good challengeschucked at each other.

Now that we were happy, relaxedand laid back, were we better riders?Had our concentration gone from fo-cusing on what felt wrong to watchingthe road and surrounding trafc? Couldwe avoid a situation, should the needarise? The answer to all the above wasa resounding yes. Could I have said thesame at the beginning of the day? Noway. We were a danger to ourselves andeverything we came close to.

I used the trike as an example

because the start of the ride and themidpoint were diametrically opposed.It was very easy to see the differencebetween feeling uptight and feelingrelaxed. What about something lessclear? Say, perhaps a new rider, ridingwith a group more experienced. Ivespoken to several riders and Ive hearda recurring theme: I was so worriedabout so-and-so dropping his bike,keeping up, riding beside someone . . .The list is long and varied. Sometimesa new rider is just good enough that an

experienced one doesnt notice some ofthe uptight telltales or, even worse,ignores the signs of stress.

This season, if youre riding in agroup and you see the obvious ormaybe not so obvious signs of an up-tight rider, take the time to shore up theperson. Slow the group down, maybedrop some of the more challengingroutes; make that rider feel at ease. Whatyou did wont be forgotten, and it willalways be a positive inuence, whichwill more than likely be passed on.

RIDING WITH STU

by Stu Seaton

RELAX,WILL YA!



15/84


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Afer hearing some comments

from a few motorcycle showvisitors recently, I got think-ing about rider and drivertraining. I dont need ridertraining. I have been riding

for X number of years, they said. Iguess the assumption is that experiencealone is training enough. I believe, how-ever, we all have bad riding habits, andwithout training, we can get really goodat doing the wrong thing.

Have you ever followed anothermotorcyclist and critiqued the riders

skill? Its an occupational habit ofinstructors and licence examiners, andI found myself doing just that en routeto the Vancouver motorcycle show. Arider was in the middle of the lane, andfollowing the vehicle ahead too closely.He never checked over his shoulderbefore turning, and he was applyingthe brakes in corners. His slow-speedskills were just as bad. As soon as trafcslowed, his feet came off the pegs likeoutriggers on a sailboat. We parkedclose to one another, but I said noth-

ing; I didnt feel comfortable preachingsafety skills to a stranger.

At the show, I helped my staff setup for teaching children how to ride,and I performed riding-tip demos threetimes a day. When not doing demos, Isplit my time between the Yamaha andBMW booths, chatting to folks who werechecking out the bikes. At some point,the gentleman I had followed to theshow asked me about the BMW R1200GSAdventure. I asked him how long hehad been riding his V-Strom. I explained

that I had followed him on the road andrecognized his jacket. We had a nice chatand I invited him to come watch mynext riding demo on things street ridersshould practice on their own bikes. Itworked out perfectly, since it felt awk-ward pointing out his errors. Instead, Ishowed him and the others ve impor-tant tips for new and seasoned riders.

Riding slowly in a straight line isharder than riding fast (no offence todrag racers). Many riders struggle with

clutch control, so a great way to get com-fortable with it is to walk beside yourbike, in rst gear, and control the speedto a walking pace by not letting theclutch out too far. You learn to controlspeed with the clutch, not the throttle.You should use the clutch like a dim-mer on a light switch. Then, get on thebike and ride as slowly as you can in astraight line with your feet up, again us-ing only the clutch to control your speed.

Next, practice turning large circleswith your chin on your shoulder, look-

ing in the direction you are going, all thewhile riding the clutch to control yourspeed. The goal is to gradually tightenyour circles as much as you can. A tipis to shift your butt off the seat to theoutside of the bike as you lean it over tohelp tighten up the circles. Use imagi-nary bungee cords to help keep your feeton the pegs when riding slowly.

Another riding tip I demonstratedwas how to handle traction loss. Bypulling in the clutch, hammering onthe rear brake and turning the bars, I

showed how to lose traction and stayin control. Its safer to practice this ona gravel parking lot rather than onpavement, though. If you learn how tocontrol a rear-wheel slide, you wontpanic when it unexpectedly happens.

I also demonstrated emergency brak-ing by performing harder and harderstraight-line stops. Knowing that youcan stop in time when a car cuts youoff is a fantastic skill to have if youdont have time to swerve. Practicing

in a parking lot will really help, and isa great way to ne-tune your skills inthe spring, when youre rusty from thewinter break.

Many of us follow other vehiclestoo closely, and if we suddenly see anobstacle on the road, we often do thewrong thing: our instinct is to chop thethrottle and white-knuckle the bars. Ifyou dont have time to swerve aroundthe obstacle, you can often ride overit. Get your butt off the seat, give thethrottle a little shot just before impact to

unload the suspension and lighten thefront end, and look past the obstacle towhere you want to go. The last thingI demonstrated was how to pick up afallen motorcycle using a YamahaFZ-07, in case you do have a mishap.

The best option for refreshing andstrengthening your skills is signing up forsome advanced training. If there isnt atraining program or a racetrack school nearyou, you can always look up my ridingtips on YouTube; simply search for ClintonSmout. Good luck and ride safe!

LIFES AN ADVENTURE

by Clinton Smout

RIDERTRAINING?NOT ME


17/84


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PHOTOSBYBMW

The newest roadster to come

out o Germany not only rulesthe corners, but can also dodouble duty as an eicient

sport-touring bike

Stor y by Costa Mouzouris

PRESSLAUNCH 2015 BMW R1200R

Gentlemans

Roadster

the


19/84


THE R1200R HAS AN ALL-NEW

CHASSIS, ON WHICH YOULL

NOTICE THAT AN INVERT ED

FORK HAS REPL ACED

BMWS TRADEM ARK

TELELEVER FRONT END


20/84


PRESSLAUNCH 2015 BMW R1200R

HEATED GRIPSare standard onCanadian models.

TELELEVER FRONTsuspension wasdropped on theR1200R in favourof better front-endfeel from the 45 mminverted fork.

EXPOSED REARportion of theframe emphasizesthe pared-downnaked bike look.

SEATING POSITIONmakes you feel asif youre sittingin the R1200R,as opposed toon top of it.

FULL ARRAY ofoptional BMWelectronic goodiesincludes dynamictraction control,stability control,selectable ride modes,electronically

adjustable suspensionand an electricshift assist

KEYLESS IGNITIONavailable that includesa keyless lockinggas cap.

R1200Rs engine istuned to produce abroader spread oftorque, with more of itavailable at lower revs.

Radially mountedfour-piston Brembocalipers upfrontprovide superiorstopping power;switchable ABSis standard.

INGENIOUS ELECTRONICALLYlocking gas cap can be openedwhen engine isnt running andkey fob is within distance.

LEFT AND right switchgear controlall of the optional electronic packages.

DISTINCTIVE LEDdaytime runninglight is an ex-worksoption on theR1200R


21/84

MAY 2015 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 21 MOTORCYCLE MOJO 21

panish weather is usually airlypredictable. Conrming this notion, upon arrivalfor the launch of the 2015 BMW R1200R in Alicante we were told, This part ofSpain only gets three days of rain a year. But the weather in southern Spain

these days seems to belie all regular patterns. Alicante is a vacation destinationfor Europeans coming from Germany and France, and although we were in theoff-season, the weather was nonetheless supposed to be temperate and dry withtemperatures in the high teens. What we got instead were temperatures justbarely breaking out of the single digits, and rain. And the temperatures woulddrop farther along our route into the surrounding mountains.

Although Id have preferred to ride in more seasonable weather, the coldand wet conditions would allow a chance to try out this latest boxers new

lean-sensing dynamic traction control (DTC), especially critical in this part ofSpain, where wet pavement has about as much friction coefcient as a rawsquid. DTC is but one of several new additions to BMWs latest roadster,which is one of two new boxers to hit the market this year; the other beingthe fairing-shod R1200RS.

Ninety-Plus Years o the Boxer

BMW has been making horizontally opposed twins since 1923, but throughthe natural course of product evolution, the German company now produces

singles, parallel twins, inline fours and inline sixes, and even made triples fora while. By now you should be familiar with BMWs latest boxer engine, intro-duced in the 2013 R1200GS, on which for the rst time since the engines 1923inception, BMW used liquid cooling. This engine later found its way into theR1200RT and R1200GS Adventure, and it now powers the R1200R.

If youre keeping track of all things boxer, you should note that the only modelleft in BMWs line-up that still uses the previous-generation air-cooled engine is

the R nineT retro bike. Feeling nostalgicabout BMW boxers? You might wantto scoop one up before the engine, as it

was originally conceived, disappears.The engines in all of the above-men-

tioned liquid-cooled bikes are almostidentical, with only their differentairboxes and exhaust systems dictatingthe slight variations in tune betweenmodels. Horsepower across the modelsis 125, with torque peaking at 92 ft-lb.In the R1200R, however, the engineis tuned to produce a broader spreadof torque, with more of it available atlower revs than the RT or either of theGS models.

Ditched the Telelever

The R1200R has an all-new chassis, onwhich youll notice that an invertedfork has replaced BMWs trademarkTelelever front end. This was the topicof some discussion at the launch, asthe Telelever has become a signature ofBMW boxer twins, rst appearing onthe 1994 R1100RS, and soon thereaftermigrating onto other models. It eventu-ally made its way onto all BMW boxers,except for a few special editions, such

as the HP2 Enduro and the R nineT. TheR1200R is the rst regular BMW modelof late to use a telescopic fork, as doesthe R1200RS, which is based on thesame platform.

When I asked about the change,several reasons were given, includingmore dynamic handling characteristicswith more precise front-end feedback.A fork was also incorporated to providethe additional room needed behind thefront wheel for a single, central radia-tor. A Telelever, with its frame-mounted

A relaxed and upright

seating position and

comfortable distance to

foot pegs and handlebar

make it feel like you are

sitting in, as opposed to

sitting on top of the bike.

A full array of informationis displayed on the TFT

display serving up a wide

array of information.

A light sensor is used

to automatically adjust

the brightness depending

on ambient light levels.


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plan to track ride the R1200R, which itsperfectly capable of doing.

In Rain mode, the bike still felt strongoff the bottom with very smooth throttleresponse, which is typical of this latest-

generation boxer. Despite the slipperypavement, I rarely saw the tractioncontrol illuminate to advise me thatthe bike was saving me from disaster,though it did come on occasionally atsome corner exits when I deliberatelygassed it harder than I would normally.Switching to Dynamic ride mode reallyperked the bike up, with smooth, livelyacceleration from nearly off idle thatwas absent of any abruptness. Theengine also likes to rev, pulling hard ina linear manner all the way to redline,

though visiting the upper rev rangeisnt necessary owing to the enginesmuscular bottom end.

Aside from some mildthrobbing, the counter-balanced engine wassmooth throughoutthe rev range.I purposelyswitched the ridemode to Dynam-ic on the wetpavement, which

provided moreaggressive throttleresponse, yet foundthe bike as easily con-trollable as when in Rainmode. This is a testament tothe boxers broad, exible powerband, but also a reminder that bikesonce did ne without ride modes.

Dynamic Mode

As the weather improved and the roadsdried, I set the suspension to the rmer

Dynamic setting, which felt about asrm as it did on the nineT great formaintaining control on smooth roads,but likely to lift you off the seat on bigbumps. Steering is light and neutral,and the R1200Rs more relaxed steeringgeometry makes it more stable than itsretro-styled stable mate. It also diveswhen braking, allowing you to tightenup your line through a turn with muchless effort than its Telelever-equippedpredecessor. It feels more planted andlonger, and will likely be less fatiguing

LIST PRICE

$16,050

WARRANTY

3 years, unlimited mileage

CONTACT

bmw-motorrad.ca

ENGINE TYPE

Liquid-cooled horizontally opposed twin

DISPLACEMENT

1170 cc

POWER

125 hp (92 kW) at 7750 rpm

TORQUE

92 f-lb (125 Nm) at 6500 rpm

BORE AND STROKE101 x 73 mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

12.5:1

FUEL DELIVERY

EFI with 52 mm throttle bodies

TRANSMISSION

6-speed

FINAL DRIVE TYPE

Shaf

FRONT SUSPENSION

45 mm inverted ork, non-adjustable

REAR SUSPENSION

Single-shock adjustable or rebounddamping and preload; ESA optional

WHEEL TRAVEL

Front: 140 mm (5.5 in.);

Rear: 140 mm (5.5 in.)

BRAKES

Front: Two 320 mm discs with radial

4-piston calipers;

Rear: 276 mm disc with 2-piston

caliper; ABS

WHEELBASE

1510 mm (59.6 in.)

RAKE AND TRAIL

27.7 degrees/125 mmTIRES

Front: 120/70ZR18; Rear: 180/55ZR17

WEIGHT (WET)

231 kg (509 lb)

SEAT HEIGHT

790 mm (31.1 in.)

FUEL CAPACITY

18 litres

FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED)

4.7L/100 km (average hwy)

FUEL RANGE (ESTIMATED)

380 km

2015 BMW

R1200R

For additional photos of the2015 BMW R1200R visit:motorcyclemojo.com

on long rides than the R nineT.BMW had an R1200R on display

dressed up with saddlebags and a topcase; add an accessory windscreen andthis bike will make a more competent

sport tourer than the nineT. Its 18-litrefuel tank will be able to handle those longrides without too many gas stops, espe-cially since the bike claims an averagehighway consumption of 4.7L/100 km.

New Tech, Same Price

The new R1200R has nothing in com-mon with the outgoing model exceptthe price. At $16,050 for the base mod-el, the price hasnt changed from lastyear. There are three styling choices:the blue base model with black frame;

Style 1 (an additional $540), which iswhite with tank graphics, and has a red

frame, a mini-yscreen and anengine spoiler; and Style 2

($385), which is blackon a dark grey frame,

and my favourite ofthe three.

Although itwasnt my initialintention to com-pare the R1200Rwith the R nineT,

a mental compari-son was inevitable,

because theyreboth boxer roadsters,

and I like both thesemachines very much. The

base model undercuts the R nineTby $150 and has standard (basic) trac-tion control and heated grips, itemsthat are absent on the retro Beemer.Despite the seemingly better bargain,Id still have a tough time decidingbetween the two machines, because

while BMW claims that the R1200R isthe most dynamic boxer its ever built,the R nineT feels more visceral andit has that nearly intoxicating exhaustnote. The R1200R, however, is forthe more practical rider looking for alonger-term relationship with the road,and for many, that will be the ultimatedealmaker.


24/84


25/84

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26/84


An increase inhorsepower, along

with a host of otherupgrades, turns thishooligan into theexotic bad boyyour parentswarned you about

PRESSLAUNCH 2015 MV AGUSTA DRAGSTER RR

BadInfluence


27/84


A Stor y by Costa Mouzourccording to MV Agusta chief Giovanni Castiglioni, there was nomarketing research done to determine a target market for the Dragster;no focus groups were tapped for input to boost sales. They just builtthe Dragster because they thought it was cool, and they expected to sellmaybe 500 units. Within six months after its introduction last year, almost2000 Dragsters were sold, and according to Castiglioni, if they had builtmore, they would have sold those too. To follow up on the Dragsterssuccess, for 2015, MV Agusta released a hotter, faster and meaner RRversion, and I was invited to ride it in Siena, Italy.

The Dragster is a customized offshoot of the Brutale 800 naked bike,which has become the Italian bike makers bestselling model. It sharesmany components with the Brutale 800; what distinguishes the Dragsteris its unique adjustable handlebar, its blunt rear sub-frame that ends at theseat theres no tailpiece and a fatter, 200-series rear tire mounted on asix-inch-wide wheel. Many of the components of the standard Dragster have

transferred onto the RR, including chassis specs and bodywork, as well asvarious other bits. Where the RR version splits from the standard is in engineand suspension tuning, and there are some important styling variations.

An Uprated Dragster

Like the standard Dragster, the RR uses a 798 cc inline triple, thoughit uses different tuning, which bumps engine output by 15 hp to 140,and the torque curve is atter. Suspension components are mostly thesame, except that theres a new 43 mm Marzocchi inverted fork that usesaluminum male sliders with a DLC coating for longevity, and suspensionsettings are frmer. It also gets an adjustable steering damper (no damperon the standard bike).

The RR shares the Dragsters eight-level traction control and four

selectable ride modes. New is an electric shift assist that allows clutchlessgear changes both up and down, and it has a slipper clutch.

The Dragster RR is among the most radically styled production bikesIve come across in a while. It uses tubeless spoke wheels with uniquespoke mounting that really accentuates the rims, and theyre fnished incontrasting colours. I think the Dragsters wheels, whether painted blackor white, look spectacular.

Technical Riding

Our route took us on the sinuously tight and narrow roads intertwinedamong the hills and vineyards of Tuscany. We turned out of the hotelparking lot onto a ridiculously narrow, winding road, and within minuteswere just hammering along at a pace set by MV Agustas guide riders

Smooth lines and compact details make the

Dragster a best seller for MV Agusta.

Boasting 140 horse-

power and only167 kg, Costa found it

hard to keep the front

wheel on the ground.


28/84


PRESSLAUNCH 2015 MV AGUSTA DRAGSTER RR

For additional photos of the2015 Agusta Dragster RRvisit: motorcyclemojo.com

that would have easily put us in theadvanced group during a track day.

The RR has a compact riding posi-tion, its forward-biased seat nestling mesnugly against the fuel tank. The bikefeels tiny until you twist the throttle,

when it lunges forward with enoughforce to strain your shoulder sockets.Theres no doubt it has big-bike power,and it just keeps pulling hard all theway to redline. Because of the bikesshort wheelbase and light weight, thefront wheel lifts going into fourth gearat full throttle, at speeds exceeding 160km/h (not that Id know).

Unfortunately, the fat rear tireexacts a slight toll on handling, andthe Dragster RR needs a fair amount ofsteering effort to maintain a lean, with

the effort increasing the deeper youlean. It also feels nervous and twitchyover bumps, causing me to crank upthe steering damper a couple of clicks.Although I never felt headshake, thefront end felt light and not too assuredover bumps.

I dont recall the standard DragsterI rode last year exhibiting such twitchi-ness, so I attribute it to the RRs rmersuspension, though a number of theroads we travelled were very bumpy.Our MV Agusta hosts were apologetic

about the rough roads, but I thankedthem for providing riding conditions Ican relate to back home.

Clawing at the Sky

Throttle action, though instantaneous

when in Sport mode, is not abruptand is easily modulated, even at lowspeeds. Twist the right grip over smallcrests in the road and the front wheelgoes skyward; this hooligan machine isa bad inuence and should be riddenaccordingly hard, but bear in mind thatItalian authorities are more lenient thanour draconian law enforcement ofcials.

Sport mode also allows clutchlessdownshifting (as does Custom mode,but not Rain or Normal), blipping thethrottle automatically when downshift-

ing to smooth out the gear changes;on a couple of occasions, however, itprovided an extra blip after the shiftwas completed, jerking the driveline.Regardless, I resorted to using the shiftassist on downshifts for most of the day.

Throttle control gets softer inNormal mode, which makes putter-ing about town easier, and if youredown to your last couple of points onyour drivers licence, you might wantto keep it in Rain mode, which limitsoutput to 100 hp and provides the soft-

est throttle setting. I found Sport suitedmost situations and it was my defaultride mode until our 200 km day ended.

Significant Growth

MV Agusta, with the help of Giovanni

Castiglioni and his bike-enthusiastengineering team, has come a longway in the last few years. It went frombeing a niche bike maker with justthree models in the line-up in 2009 to aforecasted 19 models by the end of thisyear. Despite this growth, it remains amaker of exotic, upscale motorcycles.

MV Agusta is a builder of premiummotorcycles, Castiglioni tells me dur-ing dinner. We do not know how tobuild cheap motorcycles.

And at $19,995, its not cheap. But

for that price, what you get is an un-apologetic custom bike that looks as if itcame out of a California bike-buildersshop, but with an exotic, Italian air.It behaves like the roguish kid downthe block your parents told you to stayaway from: Its brash, its nervous andits a bad inuence. So, you naturallywant to befriend it.

Easy to turn heads as the

Dragster is a spectacular

looking bike, and it handles as

good as it looks.


29/84


LIST PRICE

$19,995WARRANTY

2 years, unlimited mileage

CONTACT

mvagustacanada.com

ENGINE TYPE

Liquid-cooled, inline-triple

DISPLACEMENT

798 cc

POWER

140 hp (103 kW) at 13,100 rpm

TORQUE

63.4 f-lb (86 Nm) at 10,100 rpm

BORE AND STROKE79 x 54.3 mm

COMPRESSION RATIO

13.3:1

FUEL DELIVERY

Mikuni EFI

TRANSMISSION

6-speed

FINAL DRIVE TYPE

Chain

FRONT SUSPENSION

43 mm inverted ork adjustable or

preload, compression and rebound

dampingREAR SUSPENSION

Single shock adjustable or preload,

compression and rebound damping

WHEEL TRAVEL

Front: 125 mm (4.9 in.); Rear: 125 mm (4.9 in.)

BRAKES

Front: Two 320 mm discs with radial

4-piston calipers; Rear: 220 mm disc

with 2-piston caliper; ABS

WHEELBASE

1380 mm (54.3 in.)

RAKE AND TRAIL

N/A / 95 mmTIRES

Front: 120/70ZR18; Rear: 200/55ZR17

WEIGHT (DRY)

167 kg (368 lb)

SEAT HEIGHT

810 mm (31.9 in.)

FUEL CAPACITY

16.6 litres

FUEL ECONOMY (CLAIMED)

N/A


N/A

2015 AGUSTA

DRAGSTER RR

Covers a large range of bikes

Large contact patch for excellent grip at alllean angles

Comprehensive range of sizes from modernto more traditional

Performance upgrade for classic and vintage

motorcycles

ROADRIDER

(800) 624-7470www.AvonMoto.comFree Road Hazard Warranty


30/84


Story by Marcus Martellacci

TRAVEL ALGOMA COUNTRY

A motorcyclists playground

for one, please

The

Algoma Loop

Grand


31/84


Ive never beenso glad to see hail or be pelted by it. Every stinging bite from the

pea-sized pellets reminded me that the freezing rain and snow were behind me.

However, the challenge of removing the ice buildup on my visor remained, and

scratching at it with a pair of winter gloves worked about as well as scraping a

windshield with a soggy Tim Hortons cup. Screw it, Im pulling over.

PHOTOS BY MARCUS MARTELLACCI, ROB LARUE, TRAVIS FAVRETTO, MIKE JACOBS

F A S T F A C T STHE WHERE AND WHAT OF IT

The Algoma District of Ontario consists of

48,735 square kilometres.

The Grand Algoma Loop is a round

trip of approximately 750 km.

DAMN DAM

Aubrey Falls is a series of spectacular

cascading waterfalls located next to a

hydroelectric station and dam, which

turns the falls completely off during nights

in non-peak season.

TOURIST ATTRACTION

The Mississagi River is a favourite

Algoma destination for anglers, boaters

and campers. Its also home to an endangered

population of lake sturgeon, Canadas

largest freshwater fish.

WE DIDNT START THE FIRE

In 1948, the Mississagi fires raged for more

than two months, destroying 750,000 acres of

forest. More than 1500 men were

recruited with the promise of 50 cents

per hour to fight the blaze and threatened

with jail time if they didnt go.

THERE BE MONSTERS

Pictographs on the shores of

Lake Superior P rovincial Park portray

images of at least three monsters thought

to lurk beneath Superiors surface.

THE FAIR ISLE

St. Joseph Island is the second-largest

island on Lake Huron, behind Manitoulin

Island, and the third largest on the Great Lakes

at 365 square ki lometres.

The vibrant fall colours are out of control

in Northern Ontario, but the fall also brings

wet and cold riding days in the north.


32/84



The weather in the weeks leading upto my trip on the Grand Algoma Loophad been sunny and warm, but as I pre-pared for my departure, so too did theweathermans optimistic forecast. By

the time I passed Sudbury in the earlyevening, it was 8 C and falling, withalmost 200 km to go.

Approaching Iron Bridge, forebod-ing clouds darkened the skies to a slategrey, roadside forest turned to exposedrock and each crest revealed an ever-expanding view of the country aheaduntil, at last, Lake Hurons shoresappeared before me for the rst time.Islands of granite rose up out of calmwaters, and at that moment the sunappeared, low on the horizon, casting

long shadows with its waning rays.

Welcome to Algoma

The magical moment was eeting, asmost are, and the sun disappearedagain, to be replaced with the cold, darknimbus clouds that prepared to dumptheir contents all over my parade.Watching their inevitable approachacross the huge landscape made me feelvery small and soon thereafter verywet. But as I would discover over thenext few days, for every moment of dis-

comfort I was dealt by Mother Nature,Algoma would present a new andamazing experience just down the road.

The last few kilometres into IronBridge followed the meanderings of theMississagi River, once used by the nativeOjibway as a primary means of trans-port from the expansive northern foreststo the coast of Lake Huron. The rivereventually deposited me at my destina-tion for the night, the Red Top Motor

Inn, just as darknessfell, the long ride onan unfamiliar bikehaving gone surpris-ingly well.

The experiencesshared among new friendsat the end of the day, over ameal, around a campre or across abar top, are a huge part of why I loveto travel. My hosts at the Red Top thatevening, Greg and Antonio, would bethe rst to bring a human element tomy trip and, ironically, the last.

After checking in and unpacking, Ireturned to the dining room to nd agourmet menu created by Antonio. Mydinner would be the last meal served

that night, and it was made even betterby the company of my hosts, their sto-ries and a generous wine selection.

From Here to There and Back to Here

Rising in the morning to aromas waft-ing out of the restaurant instantlybrightened the cool, damp conditions.A late start to my days ride saw theweather improve, and thanks to a tipfrom my hosts, a change in route tookme north from Highway 17 onto 556and 554, which then deposited me onto

Hwy 129 northbound toward Chapleau.The sky was pure blue in the rst houron the bike, highlighting fall coloursagainst hillsides and cliffs. Such wasthe breadth of my surroundings that Ipulled over in honour of my favouritemovie quote: Life moves pretty fast. Ifyou dont stop and look around once ina while, you could miss it. I thank youfor your wisdom, Ferris Bueller.

The road soon met up with the Mis-

sissagi River National Park, following

its namesakes route through rocky val-leys. Picturesque is an apt description,and it was easy to allow my eyes andmind to wander. During just such anepisode, the pavement suddenly turnedto gravel. The now intermittent loosesurfaces (being renish for the begin-ning of the 2015 riding season) had meswapping riding styles from at track tofull lean, on ever tightening corners thatsoon included abrupt elevation changes.Heres where I lost myself completely inthe exhilaration of the ride.

Dense forest lined the vast major-ity of my days route, with no villagesor towns to speak of. The feeling ofbeing truly alone was only interruptedby the odd logging truck their cargolling the air with the scent of fresh-cutpine, leaving behind a trail of sawdustthat danced on the road like a light fallof snow a thought I would come toregret. Days later, I found some of theairborne sawdust in my helmet. Theysay youll take a piece of this placehome with you, but Im not sure they

No stop in Wawa is complete

without a photo of the Wawa

Canada goose.

The view of a still pond can

be a stunning sight.

Holding more water than allof the other Great Lakes

combined, Lake Superior

contains enough water to

food both North and South

America to a depth of one

third of a metre.


33/84


meant it literally.

Approaching Chapleau, the temper-ature began to drop, and after a quickstop for gas, I donned another layer inpreparation for darkening skies and thelast leg to Wawa on Hwy 101.

Theres Something in My Eye

It began as a light rain, which thenturned to freezing rain, before becom-ing a full-blown whiteout. Ironically,my water-repellent gear was the onlything the snow stuck to other than myface shield, which in itself posed a small

problem.The snow mercifully turned to pea-

sized hail while I struggled to scrapemy visor with a soggy winter glovewith little avail. Pulling over seemedthe prudent choice, and I did so withvisions of a fellow motorist passing byto see this abominable snowman-likebiker failing about with a helmet-sizedsnowball in his hands trying not tobe pelted unconscious by the frozenprecipitation. Once again I neednt haveworried; no sooner had I stopped, the

17

17

17

17

548

101

101

129

129

L a k e S u p e r i o rP r o v i n c i a l P a r k

Lak

e S

up

erio

r

Sault Ste.Marie

IronBridge

WawaChapleau

ST. JOSEPH

ISLAND

AUBREY

FALLS


34/84


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Island BMWVictoria, BCTel: (250) 474-2088

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Pacifc MotorradRichmond, BCTel: (604) 276-2552

Bentley Motorrad

Kelowna, BCTel: (778) 755-5540

Argyll MotorradEdmonton, ABTel: (780) 435-6811

Blackfoot MotorradCalgary, ABTel: (403) 243-2636

European MotorradSaskatoon, SKTel: (306) 934-3717

Wildwood SportsWinnipeg, MBTel: (204) 477-1701

Budds BMWOakville, ONTel: (905) 845-3577

BMW TorontoToronto, ONTel: (416) 623-4269

Maranello Motorrad(Opening soon)Toronto, ONTel: (416) 997-1400

Endras MotorradAjax, ONTel: (905) 619-5522

Wolf BMWLondon, ONTel: (519) 951-9482

Ottawa MotorradOttawa, ONTel: (613) 731-9071

Monette SportsLaval, QCTel: (450) 668-6466

Moto InternationaleMontral, QCTel: (514) 483-6686

Moto VanierQubec, QC

Tel: (418) 527-6907

Carrier BMW(Now Open)Drummondville, QCTel: (819) 395-2464

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Atlantic MotoplexDieppe, NBTel: (506) 383-1022

Avalon MotorradSt Johns, NLTel: (709) 726-6500

For additional photos ofAlgoma Country visit:motorcyclemojo.com


world around me went dead calm, leav-ing just a bike, a rider and a peaceful,

seemingly endless wilderness.That night at the Wawa Motor Inn,

I had the pleasure of enjoying a fewpints with Gord Jones, owner of JonesPowersports, and one of his buddies.Gord and I share a very similar tastein bikes and humour apparently, aswas made evident upon discoveringwed both owned similar Italian-madedual-sport bikes.

Dawn the next day brought withit the sound of rain against my win-dow and a repeated battering for the

snooze button on my alarm. A muchmore respectable hour of day broughtmy actual awakening, followed by anobligatory picture of the Wawa Gooseand my subsequent departure, thensoon thereafter my rst glimpse of LakeSuperiors rugged coast.

The Greatest of Lakes

The massive wall of stone that anksOld Woman Bay loomed ahead, distract-ing motorists that should be preparingto veer left at the bottom of the hill

before plunging into the lake. Thank-fully, Lake Superior Provincial Park islittered with roadside areas from whichto admire the view or stay and camp.

The remainder of my day was spentwith Superiors rocky eastern shores onmy right and a seemingly innite rollercoaster of roadway ahead. Breaks weretaken frequently to walk along desertedbeaches and read placards containinginformation about the area and its history.

Saying farewell to Superior in theearly evening signalled my impending

arrival in Sault Ste. Marie. Old friends,

snow, sleet and hail greeted me there. Aquick visit was all I had time for and Iblasted through town, headed for LakeHuron and St. Joseph Island.

True to form, the sun came out onceI crossed the bridge onto beautiful St.

Joseph Island, and on my arrival at Hil-ton Beach, a rainbow appeared betweenthe island and the mainland.

Life on the Island

The last night of my Algoma adventurefeatured a perfect steak dinner at the

Tiltn Hilton Restaurant and a lakesideview from my room at the Hilton BeachInn. Awakening to the sun rising overthe marinas placid waters had me outof bed without delivering even a singleblow to the unsuspecting alarm clock.Wandering between slumbering ves-sels, perched on their blocks and stands,awaiting winters grip, the realizationthat this would be my last trip of theseason began to sink in.

Riding east on Hwy 17 allowed foran unobstructed view of Lake Hurons

North Channel, en route to the start-ing point of my loop in Iron Bridge. Icouldnt resist one more stop at the RedTop, as Greg and Antonio had told metoday would be the end of their season.I arrived just in time to enjoy the lastbreakfast they served before closing forthe winter and bid them farewell.

Pulling out of Iron Bridge, headedback east, marked the end of my GrandAlgoma Loop. It was a trip of remark-able contrasts between land and sea, dullgreys and vibrant colours, snow and sun-

shine, the chilling ride and the warmth ofcomplete strangers. Not seeing a singlemotorcyclist on those incredible roadsover four days was perhaps the moststriking contrast of all. Ill never forgetthe time I was lucky enough to haveAlgoma all to myself. For more informa-tion and riding routes in the Algomaregion, go to www.ridealgoma.ca.

For a very brief moment, the sun came out just

long enough for Marcus to capture a photo of

a rainbow in front of a storm cloud.


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TESTRIDE 2014 SYM WOLF CLASSIC

Theres no overstating the

importance o being understatedStory by Marcus Martellacci

SymplyPut

mall bikes are a blast.They make me feel like a kid again, and thats quite a feat these days.Perhaps its riding around at the peak of a machines ability without the fear of tickets or bodilyharm, or in this case maybe it was riding a motorcycle that began production before I was born.

My rejuvenation, so to speak, arrived in the form of a 2014 SYM 150 Wolf Classic, kindly deliveredto our ofces by SYMs Canadian distributor and Motorsports Canada Ltd. owner, Michael Wells. Hiswords, and I quote, were Keep it as long as youd like. So I did, and then I kept it a little longer.

Whats in a Name?For those not familiar with the SYM Motorcycle brand name, its a division of Sanyang Industry Co.Ltd. of Taiwan. SYM began assembling motorcycles under licence from Honda in 1961 and, moresignicantly in our case, began assembling Hondas CB125S overhead-cam single in 1969. WhenHonda terminated its contract with Sanyang in 2002, the assembly lines just kept on rolling. The bikewe tested is essentially an updated 150 cc version of the original CB125S, sold under the SYM banner.

A Technological Tour de Force It Is Not

In regard to specs and components, lets be frank, its not about high performance or cutting-edgetechnology. The Wolf Classic has less than 15 hp and weighs 120 kg, with a seat height of 760 mm;this motorcycle is as beginner-friendly and unintimidating as a bike could be. The power isadequate to keep you in the ow of trafc on all but super-slab surfaces, and fuel economy is a

miserly 2.7 L/100 km even with the throttle pinned from time to time. Its still

carbureted and fuelling is spot on, as were the clutch, shifter and gearbox. We couldliken the design to a smooth stone you might nd on the shoreline: 40 years ofrolling down SYMs assembly lines have rounded off any objectionable protrusionson this bikes character, performance and appearance. Well, almost. Other than theoccasional false neutral at high rpm, the bike we tested actually came with a pairof protrusions: small saddle bags that I was determined to remove. But theres noargument with their functionality. As the SYM turned into a long-term xture, sotoo did the effective little saddlebags.

Pin It to Win It

The riding experience on the Wolf Classic is where you can make a strong argumentfor purchasing this small, modestly propelled and priced motorbike. For the sumof $2,999 plus freight, prep and taxes, you get a reliable and handsome motorcycle


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THIS MOTORCYCLE IS AS

BEGINNER-FRIENDLYAND UNINTIMIDATING

AS A BIKE COULD BE

HALOGENHEADLIGHThelps to lightthe way.

AT 2.7 L/100 KM andan MSRP of $2,999,the Wolf Classic would

make a great cityrunabout.UPDATED VERSIONof a 1969 HondaCB125S will makeyou think youre akid again.

WHATS Acarburetor?

AIR-COOLED ENGINEbased on tried andproven retro Hondatechnology.

150 CC SINGLEdelivers 15 horsepowerand 9 ft.-lb. of torque.

240 MM DISC brakewith steel-braidedline delivers solid

brake feel.


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LIST PRICE

$2,999WARRANTY

24 months, limited warranty

CONTACT

symcanada.com

ENGINE TYPE

4-stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled

DISPLACEMENT

149.4 cc

POWER

15 hp (11 kW) at 8500 rpm

TORQUE

9 f-lb (12 Nm) at 9000 rpm

COMPRESSION RATIO9.6:1

FUEL DELIVERY

Carburetor

TRANSMISSION

5-speed

FINAL DRIVE

Chain

FRONT SUSPENSION

Telescopic ork

REAR SUSPENSION

Swingarm, dual-mounted shocks

BRAKES

Front: Single 240 mm disc with two-

piston caliper and steel-braided line

Rear: Drum

WHEELBASE

1250 mm (49.21 in.)TIRES

Front: 2.75 18; Rear: 3.00 17

WEIGHT (DRY)

120 kg (266 lb)

SEAT HEIGHT

760 mm (30 in.)

FUEL CAPACITY

12.5 L

FUEL ECONOMY (OBSERVED)

2.7 L/100 km


460 km

2014 SYM WOLF

CLASSIC

TESTRIDE 2014 SYM WOLF CLASSIC

that makes a good commuter in the cityor on surface streets. The Wolf Classicskips along at 80 km/h with little issue,and on a slight downhill, she can be

coaxed over 100 km/h. Even at thatspeed the front disc brake with steel-braided line has no problem slowingdown the fun. Ringing this bikes neckis part of the enjoyment, as it is withmost small bikes, and theres littleguilt associated thanks to the enginestough, Nikasil-coated bore and provencomponents being more than capable oftaking the ogging. Mind you, a moresedate approach to riding suits the SYMbest.

The Real DealThere was great satisfaction to be found

just putting along and taking in thepassing scenery that Id been blowingby in my car or on more powerfulbikes. How had I not noticed that half-covered 1968 Camaro rotting away nextto the old barn? Okay, so maybe thereare some things best left unseen, butthe point is, youll have time to lookaround. And while youre moseying,you may also notice people pointingand staring at you on this caf-esque

throwback that never actually gotthrown back or thrown away for thatmatter, just improved on since SYMstarted building these simple bikesall those years ago. So I guess youdcall it an authentic caf. It does havetwo-position adjustable clip-ons, a kick-starter, fork gaiters and chrome analoggauges after all. Anyway, I decidedthat the oglers and there were many either saw something familiar or

attractive about the SYM, with its classic,understated styling and eye-catchingred on white livery, or I had somethinglodged in my teeth, which they couldclearly identify owing to the stupid grinI was wearing most of the time.

Such Sweet Sorrow

I spent more time with the SYM WolfClassic than with any other bike overthe 2014 riding season and had nodesire to return it even after the snowarrived. It became a trusted companion,

never failing to start or deliver mefrom point to point, regardless of theconditions. But more importantly, itmade me feel like a kid every timeI rode it. And that experience alonewould be worth the price of admission,which is the same in Canada as it issouth of the border for 2015, regardlessof the exchange rate.

For additional photos of the2014 Sym Wolf Classic visit:motorcyclemojo.com

Old school rules: Not much

has changed over the years

from the late-sixties CB125S.

Simple chromed analog dials,

kick start and fork gaiters all

have a certain appeal that

is rarely found on modern

motorcycles.


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TRAVEL ITALY

Following part of the route that Karen

Nickels grandfather, along with 26,000

other Canadian troops, took more than

70 years ago put the finishing wrap on

an amazing Italian motorcycle tour

Canadians InvadeItaly(again)


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Story by

Curtis & Karen Nickel

Rome to Sicilyevokes visions

of twisty coastal and

mountain roads, medieval

villages, ancient ruins, as

well as Calabrian and Sicilian cuisine

and wine. Italy has attracted waves of

invaders over the centuries, includingthe Canadian army. Our local regiment

from the Belleville, Ont., area, the

Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment

(Karens grandfather was an ofcer in

the Hasty Ps), along with 26,000 other

Canadians, waded ashore in southern

Sicily under cover of darkness in the

early morning of July 10, 1943, and

struggled across its rugged mountain-

ous terrain, opposed by crack German

and Italian army units on their way to

Rome. Karen and I had always wanted

to see the land where they fought and

thousands died. To contend with the

reputation of Italian drivers, we invested

in high-visibility riding gear before we

departed. This time, they would see the

Canadian invasion coming.

F A S T F A C T STOUR LOCATION

Southwestern Italy and Sicily. Areas ridden

include Rome, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast,

Maratea, Tropea, Messina, Taormina,

Cefalu, Corleone, Agrigento, Piazza Armerina,

Agira and Catania.

CANADIAN CONNECTION

Canadian troops joined the Allied attack

on Sicily in 1943 and continued with its

advance to Rome.

TIME ON THE ROAD

Ten days and approximately 1600 km.

MOST FRIGHTENING RIDE

Navigating Rome rush hour traffic.

MOST DIFFICULT RIDE

The roller-coaster ride up to the Statue of

Christ the Redeemer (Statua el Cristo Redentore)

overlooking Maratea.

MOST BEAUTIFUL RIDE

The Amalfi Coast.

MOST MEMORABLE RIDE

The up-and-down twists and turns of the

Sicilian mountain roads.

HIGHLIGHT

The inspiring Canadian Agira War Cemetery.

Ancient Rome; the starting

point of a fantastic motorcycle

tour along the coast of the

Tyrrhenian Sea to Sicily. (left)

The rented 800GS inspects

the map of Tropea looking for

a way out of town. (below)


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Statue of Christ the Redeemer overlooking

Maratea. (above)

Beach resort along the Mediterranean coast. (below)

challenge, but even ying on the backof the Beemer at 130 to140 km/h, wewere still passed as if we were standingstill by other vehicles, including theoccasional Ducati.

Off the Autostrade, we quickly rosethrough the Lepini Mountains, learn-ing how to navigate the tight bendsand hairpin turns we would have tocontend with thousands of times overthe next 10 days. No gentle sweepershere. We descended into Naples onthe way to Pompeii with just enoughtime to have a private evening tourafter the busloads of tourists werelong gone. It felt surreal walking bythe lights of our cell phones throughthe abandoned streets and buildings

of this ancient city, obliterated by tonsof volcanic ash, which spouted fromMount Vesuvius in AD 79.

A Ride like No Other

Every riding skill we had developed(and new ones we had just learned)were tested on the Amalf Coast,navigating the narrow, twistedroad cut into the rocky promontoryfrom Sorrento to Salerno. With theMediterranean to our right, we threwourselves around hundreds of blindhairpin turns, passed slow-movingtrucks and buses with no room to spare,and threaded our way on upgradedcart paths through picturesque villagesclinging to the mountainside to arrive at


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TRAVEL ITALY

the south end, wantingto turn around and doit all over again.

After a hard dayof riding, a swim in

the cool, clear waterof the TyrrhenianSea, a fantastic pasta-based four-course meal,spectacular local wine anda good sleep, we were readyfor more days of riding bliss. Theroller coaster of a ride to the Statue ofChrist the Redeemer (Statua el CristoRedentore) on the high mountain cliffoverlooking Maratea was nerve-rack-ing for someone leery of heights (suchas myself). The view was breathtaking,

and after a prayer to the main manhimself, we made it back to the coast.

Following an espresso stop inTropea on one of our coastal ride days,Karen and I headed off on our own (gotlost). We had a most enjoyable experi-

ence exploring a roadto nowhere in themountains and quaintseaside towns, andstopping for cap-

puccino and gelatowith the local families

enjoying a beautiful,sunny Sunday afternoon.

Each evening before dinner,we would meet around the

pool patio and recount unbelievablestories embellished with copiousamounts of beer.

Volcanoes to Cobblestones

A ferry ride across the straights toMessina landed us in Sicily. After

climbing some adrenaline-pumpingcurves for our rst Sicilian coffeeshop, a resident pointed out an oldchurch made famous in the Godfather.We stayed near Taormina under theshadow of Mount Etna, an active

A smoking Mount Etna looms in

the hazy background. This active

volcano dominates eastern Sicily.

The local cheering section. Men sitting on

town benches were always friendly and

would wave as we rode by.


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Plaster casts

of some of the

800,000 Pompeii

residents who

died feeing the

fumes, ash and

lava of the AD 79

eruption of Mount

Vesuvius. (left)

The mountainous

shoreline of the

Tyrrhenian Sea.

(below)

volcano dominating eastern Sicily, in ahotel whose driveway had the inclineof a black diamond ski slope (mogulsincluded). The mountain town waspicturesque, with its well-preserved

Roman amphitheatre, but a bit of atourist trap, inundated with herds ofphoto-snapping travellers pouring outfrom tour buses.

The ne, black volcanic dust driftingdown from Mount Etna settled on themountain roads, mimicking freshly laidasphalt. It laid down two R1200RTs,leaving one with a ride-ending injury(leaking oil from a cracked cylinderhead), and the rider and passenger withcontusions, lacerations (trip to the localhospital for stitches), sprained wrist

and broken front teeth (beware failureof the ip-up helmet). The other Beemerand rider were up and back on theroad, shaken but not deterred.

The roads in Italy were difcult, butthe roads in central Sicily in particularwere tougher. Uneven surfaces, potholes,cobblestones, impossible turns, volcanicash and loose gravel added to the chal-lenge, especially with a bike that wasa bit too high for me. One of the tallerriders was cramping up on his SuzukiV-Strom, so we decided to do a test


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For additional photos ofItaly visit: motorcyclemojo.com

tain range after another. The rhythmbecame part of us as we leaned rightand left into the thousands of curves,with scarcely any straight road forhours of riding. We learned the perfect

line for these complicated, haphaz-ardly engineered roads, but it wasconstantly broken by potholes, gravel,livestock and the occasional wild boar.We dropped down for a ride along thenorthern coast to Cefal. Heading backinto the mountains, we roared throughCorleone, the famous home of theMaa, pointedly ignoring the smartlydressed young men in black suits andsunglasses lounging on black sedansparked in front of a local hangout. Agri-gento, on the south coast, is an ancient

Greek city of 800,000 many centuriesbefore the Roman era and was aston-ishing. Karen found the famous mosaicsof Villa Romano outstanding.

A special and unexpected highlightwas being directed out of a village thatheld no lunch possibilities to an oldhunting lodge down a treacherous dirtroad several kilometres out of town toenjoy massive plates of grilled meat.Picnics arranged by our guides, such asthe one in an old forest preserved as aState Park, will be remembered fondly

by all the riders. The image of a gasstation attendant peering into the gastank as he lled one of the bikes, a litcigarette loosely dangling from his lips,will be indelibly imprinted in my mind.

On July 10, 1943, 26,000 Canadians of the Hastings and Prince Edward

Regiment, the Royal Canadian Regiment and the 48th Highlanders ofCanada, invaded southern Sicily. They fought and pushed their way

through the Sicilian central mountain range. Canada has more than 5900 war

dead buried on Italian soil, including in the stunningly beautiful Canadian Agira

War Cemetery in the heart of Sicily, the sole European war cemetery in which

only Canadians are buried. One of the best descriptions of that time is from a

young Hasty Ps infantryman, Farley Mowat, who wrote, and no birds sang, a

line from his same-titled memoir. A humorous anecdote was when Mowat and his

friend were caught behind enemy lines on an army-issue Norton motorcycle. And

No Birds Sang is worth reading. The Normandy invasion the following year, while

not necessarily larger, eclipsed the Sicilian invasion, which for many is forgotten

or unknown. We must never forget these brave Canadians left behind in Italy.

The Forgotten

Canadiansin Italy

friends decided to tag along. We rodethe forgotten battlegrounds of PiazzaArmerina, Assoro, Agira, Catenanuovaand Regalbuto. The Canadian Agira WarCemetery was a moving experience. Fourhundred and ninety white tombstonesengraved with the name, age, unit andmemorial inscription are situated ona beautiful forested hillside under thelooming mountain village of Agira, whereso many of these young men had died.

Following an uphill path on extreme

In Search of the Battlegrounds

Nearing the end of our trip, Karenand I decided to head off on our ownagain to ride the difcult route takenby the Canadians as they fought theirway north through the mountains inthe dusty, hot summer of 1943. Haroldand Rita, two other Canadians on theride, and several of our new American

curves anking the western slopes ofMount Etna, we arrived in Catania, ourbikes silenced for the last time. We ate,drank and toasted away our last nightin Sicily with our new friends. We hadmet all the challenges and came awayexhausted, exhilarated and much bettermotorcyclists.


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Stor y & Photos

by Terry Sowden

TRAVEL CALIFORNIA

Sometimes youhave to keep that

ride promise,

no matter what

Rash

The Big Sur should be on everymotorcyclists bucket list. (above)

Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park,

California. (left)

Ride for


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Just a few years back, my brothers and I

formed a family motorcycle club. We call

it the Amibros MC, and in truth, its really

just an excuse to get together for road trips.

We are all in our fties and are spread across

the continent, and this excuse helps us stay

connected. The name, while a playful take on badass

biker gangs, also encapsulates how we feel about

each other: we are both friends and brothers.

FAST FACTSPACIFICCOASTHIGHWAYAnexcitingridingexperienceotwisting,cliff-huggingroadwaythatstretchesalmost200kmalongCaliorniasco

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