Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

As we roll closer to another riding season sans motorcycle shows, we miss out once again on the annual tradition of spending a winter’s day dreaming about and researching new locations to ride to, updating worn-out riding gear to new more comfortable and functional kit, and, maybe even most importantly, checking out all of the new motorcycles for the coming year. In this issue we try to make up for some of that by introducing the highly anticipated Husqvarna Norden 901. The Norden 901 shares a few similarities with the KTM 890 Adventure (KTM is Husky’s parent company) — mostly the engine, which is in the same state of tune on both bikes — but that is pretty much where the similarities end, making the rest of the Norden its…

I spit the dirt out of my mouth and laid still, wondering if I had broken any bones and how I had crashed. Nothing seemed broken, so I gratefully stood up. Other than being a little dizzy (a feeling I would become accustomed to), I seemed to have survived yet another crash. As I walked back to my bike, I could see that the chain had come off, locked up the rear wheel, and resulted in me being catapulted over the bars. I was 12 years old at the time and had no tools and no idea of how to get the chain unjammed and back onto the sprockets. Then, just as I began thinking of the five-mile walk I’d have to take to get home, I heard a two-stroke…

THE LARGEST FRESHWATER ISLAND IN THE WORLD Located 1,000 km east of Thunder Bay, or 560 km northwest of Toronto, Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater island in the world. Land access is only via a bridge on Highway 6 from Espanola, or by the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Tobermory. It’s easy to circle Georgian Bay in a weekend, making Manitoulin Island a popular destination for motorcyclists. VAST TRACTS OF LAND Eighty-seven per cent of Ontario is Crown land, of which 95 per cent is in Northern Ontario. While free camping is acceptable on some of Ontario’s Crown land for up to 21 days at a time, that isn’t always the case, so it’s best to refer to Ontario.ca to ensure you won’t get fined. NORTHERN ONTARIO LEGEND While Gogama was…

Shane Cuthbertson, organizer of the Red Bull Outliers race is a veteran pro racer, who’s raced in such events as Romaniacs, Erzberg Rodeo and the FIM ISDE, created the Red Bull Outliers event to showcase the tough and technical terrain offered in the Badlands of Alberta. The Red Bull Outliers race first started in 2019 as a two-day event format. The first day was an endurocross course set up in downtown Calgary, while the second day was a hard enduro set up in the Alberta Badlands; unfortunately, in 2019 the hard enduro portion was cancelled due to a snowstorm making the terrain unrideable. The event was altogether cancelled in 2020 due to the onset of the Corona virus, however, for 2021, Cuthbertson was able to hold the Extreme Hard Enduro…

USEFUL THREE-WHEELER The Servi-Car was produced by Harley-Davidson from model year 1932 to 1973. The 45 cu. in., flathead V-twin produced approximately 24 hp which drove a hand-shifted three-speed transmission with reverse making it easy to manoeuvre. People usually associate the Servi-Car with the 45 cu. in. flathead which had powered the WLA and WLC motorcycles during the Second World War. The Servi-Car was Harley-Davidson’s third motorcycle purposely designed for commercial use; first with the motorcycle truck (1913-1914) and then with the package truck (1915-1957). EARLY PARKING ENFORCEMENT Chalking tires was a practice used before parking meters were installed on city streets. Police and parking enforcement officers would carry a stick with a piece of chalk attached to it and would put a small chalk mark on a vehicle’s tire.…

MULTIPLE USES In 1969, while working with heated rods of a polymer called Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Robert W. Gore discovered that PTFE could be transformed in an entirely new physical state known as expanded PTFE. Originally, the material was used to insulate wires, but in 1976, Gore-Tex incorporated the material into garments. ALL MEMBRANES AREN’T CREATED EQUAL Gore’s version of PTFE is up to 10 times stronger than others, has a different microstructure and is porous, for better breathability compared to similar products. ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY PTFE was first created in 1938 by Roy J. Plunkett, who was working at DuPont and trying to find a safer way to build refrigerators. This newly discovered material was used during the Second World War to create durable seals and gaskets. After the war, it…

A LONG OVERDUE THANK YOU A quick message of gratitude and respect for Misti Hurst’s column “Take the Trip “in the December 2021 issue. I typically read/enjoy many of the wonderful insights and advice of all of the contributing columnists in MMM, but I will never, ever put a new issue down without first having read what Misti has shared in that particular month’s edition. I pretty much memorized a column of Misti’s several years back (“Riding Again After a Crash,” May 2017). The subject matter then was on breaking down the factors of a crash or mishap incurred while riding, after the fact. That specific column, which stressed the importance of owning and correcting the personal mistakes that may have led to going down, was absolutely invaluable to me…

Last summer I decided to start offroad racing. Growing up, I had always wanted to race, but as I got older, the desire I had to race turned, in a sense, into fear of having my riding ability defined and ranked by others. I knew I had well-rounded riding skills, but I became so worried about what others would think of my ability. So the thought festered over time, but last summer, I felt I had to face it head-on and put myself in a position to overcome my fear. I entered and raced in three competitions in total last year: two enduro races and one observed trials competition. I wasn’t too sure what to expect, but figured I had to start somewhere. With many races being cancelled, I finally…

At first glance, the KLR650 Adventure looks pricey, at $9,699. Add ABS and it’s a buck shy of $10k. Sure, the Adventure comes accessorized for long-distance duty, but maybe you’re thinking of buying the base model, adding the goodies yourself, and saving some cash. We priced the accessories individually (to the nearest dollar) and discovered that opting for the Adventure is a pretty good deal. The pre-tax total of the accessories included on the Adventure comes to $2,177, if purchased individually from Kawasaki. Add the price of the base KLR and the total cost comes to $9,676. You save $23 compared to the Adventure. And that doesn’t include the time and cost to install the accessories. If, however, you choose to go to the aftermarket for similar accessories, you can…

The ghost town of Steveville, Alta., is a quiet place — well, most of the time. You’d be surprised if you saw much else there but grazing cattle and the odd coyote meandering along the shoreline of the Red Deer River, except for on one day in 2021. On this exceptional day, you could expect to see RVs, tents, campers and pickup trucks loaded with dirt bikes as their occupants prepare to ride one of the toughest races Canada has ever seen. This day is when the Red Bull Outliers race took place. Steveville, a place that would be easily missed if you blinked while driving through it, holds unique terrain that attracted 150 racers in August 2021 to test their skills and push their abilities in attempts to claim…

Shortly after the 2021 Outliers event ended, it was announced that it would be inducted into the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship Series for 2022. This means that the top riders fighting to claim the title as the best in the world will be coming to Canada to experience this incredible event. Red Bull Outliers plans to come back in its envisioned form for 2022, incorporating the urban endurocross in downtown Calgary as well as the Extreme Hard Enduro sections in Steveville. In 2019, after the downtown Calgary portion of the event was deemed to be a great success, Cuthbertson noticed many more people coming out to spectate that may have never heard of the sport before, and hoping this could lead to a revival of the enduro scene itself…

Some basic terms you’ll want to understand. Membrane: The membrane is the actual waterproofing material created by various companies. These membranes are made of stretched polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which was accidentally created by Roy J. Plunkett while trying to create a more efficient coolant gas for refrigerators. Fabric: This is the outer material of the clothing that we can see and touch, often stylized for the type of riding we do. Many motorcycle clothing brands use strong abrasion-resistant and rip-stop materials such as Cordura or Denier; these materials not only protect us from abrasions on the road and on dirt but also protect the membrane underneath the material. Laminate: Lamination is the process of bonding the waterproof membrane that manufacturers use to the outer material, creating what we see as the…

I’ve found the perfect seat. Or, at least, I’ve found the perfect seat for my bony ass. It’s positively exquisite. Just the right shape with a nice “dish” to the seating area, a width that’s an ideal fit for my narrow butt, and outer edges that cup my lower buttocks like the hands of, well, let’s not go there. Better yet, even though its tractorlike convex shape coddles said gluteus minimus, it doesn’t necessitate any of those awkward scoot-up-and-pivotmy-pelvis routines that overly sculpted Gold Wing and Russel Day Long seats require every time you come to a stop sign. That’s because the designer has thoughtfully narrowed the front portion of the seat dramatically, the end result being a virtually normal reach from foot peg to ground. Throw in the fact…

Every time I come back from an enduro or adventure ride, I think to myself: “Whew! Made it home safe, but I need to make sure I’m more prepared next time, just in case.” And then the next time comes around, I make it home safely, and I think the same thing again. It’s like living in a little bubble of invincibility, thinking nothing bad can happen, and looping the same thoughts over and over again. Until, that is, something does happen, which emphasizes how important it is to be prepared. It started like any other enduro ride, with four of us meeting up on a late Sunday morning in November and zipping out into the bush. The forecast was bleak, with Metro Vancouver expecting fierce winds and torrential rain,…

CANADA’S BIGGEST HARD ENDURO COMPETITION There were four classifications that Red Bull Outliers racers could enter: PRO: Riders who have competed as a “Pro” in national, provincial or state event(s). EXPERT: Riders with advanced skill level and previous competition experience, but no Pro licence. VETERAN: Thirty-five years of age and older. AMATEUR: Riders with moderate skill level and some competition experience. After the qualifier round, which ran from 9:30–11:30 a.m., was the main event that ran from 1:00 -5:00 p.m. The main event was a chaotic mass-start per classification. Course lap was approximately eight to 10 km in length and race duration was nine laps or four hours. Completion of each lap by the leader would trigger another “Outliers” lap to be opened up, thereby making each lap progressively more…

Six years ago, I rolled into Pointe au Baril, Ont, drenched from head to toe after another trip from B.C. to Ontario. As I rode through the small town, I saw the Haven Restaurant, a name I found fitting for someone who desperately needed refuge from a relentless storm. The server looked me over as I dripped my way into the restaurant. She tossed me two tea towels and told me to undress. While initially shocked, I quickly realized that she was offering to dry my gear while I ate and warmed up. As I sat in my underwear with tea towels wrapped around my waist drinking hot chocolate, I finally understood why we should buy good gear. So, what constitutes good gear? There are a few obvious factors, such…

Carl Wener and I met in the early 1980s, because of a common interest: Motorcycles. Carl runs the performance division of a successful, family-owned auto parts store. While we’ve both been involved in motorcycling over the past several decades, Carl has taken his interest to another level. Several years ago, he began collecting Japanese motorcycles of the era in which we both got introduced to motorcycling. He currently owns almost 70 Japanese bikes. You read that right. The bikes range in age from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. Not all of them are runners, though the ones that do run are original and in very good condition, some of them with surprisingly low mileage. And his runners — of which there are more than 20 — don’t stay in…