#175 FREE
APRILIA’s Version of Adventure
Inside: A PRILIA Caponord 1200 Rally • Reviews The Ghost of The Hustler • Gear Stuff
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly®
Table of Contents June 2016
PUBLISHER
From The Hip
3
Victor Wanchena
4
MANAGING EDITOR
All The News That Fits Road Rash
Bruce Mike
REVIEW WRANGLER David Soderholm
5
Geezer With A Grudge Back in My Day
COLUMNISTS Thomas Day Paul Berglund
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CONTRIBUTORS Mark Descartes Tim Erickson David Harrington Brad Kopp Harry Martin
Photo by Brad Kopp
From The Hip
WEBMASTER Julie S. Mike Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® is published nine times a year by: Hartman Press, Inc. 7265 Balsam Lane North Maple Grove, MN 55369 Phone: 763.315.5396 email: bruce@mnmotorcycle.com www.mnmotorcycle.com Subscriptions are available for $14.00 a year (U.S. funds). See subscription form below. Advertising inquiries: sales@mnmotorcycle.com 763.315.5396 Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly encourages your submissions. M.M.M. will edit all accepted submissions and retains nonexclusive, multiple use rights to work published in M.M.M. Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly will return submissions only if accompanied by an SASE. “Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly” is a registered trademark. Copyright 2016 by Hartman Press, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bike Review 2016 APRILIA Caponord 1200 Rally
8
By Bruce Mike
G
etting older isn’t much fun. In fact sometimes it just sucks. I woke up one Friday morning this past February experiencing enough pain in my arms to make it almost impossible to move them. The night before I had played boot hockey without incident. I always wake up with some aches and pains but I had not been in pain like this before. By the end of the day I was feeling better and the next day was pretty much back to normal. It caused me enough concern to make a doctor appointment which started me on what’s become a three month adventure in our healthcare system.
Feature Dressed For The Occasion
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Gear Review Olympia Avenger Suit Review
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After my first meeting with a doctor who seemed to think I may be suffering from pinched nerves in my neck, I was sent for an MRI. The doctor then reviewed my MRI and rather than recommend what I should do next, he gave me options. I picked physical therapy because it seemed like the least amount of hassle. After spending two hours at the physical therapist I was told I needed to see a neurosurgeon. Apparently the physical therapist was a better doctor than the doctor who ordered the MRI. I also found out that you have to pay for physical therapy whether they do anything or not. They also won’t let you bill them for your time. I tried. After meeting with the neurosurgeon he recommended disk replacement surgery. Two or three of them in fact. He said it appeared I had suffered some kind of trauma to my neck. I told him I had crashed my trail bike pretty hard in Moab the year before and had been sore for quite some time afterward. I also told him I crashed my trail bike a lot so I didn’t think it was any one incident in particular. He said there was really no way to know for sure. He had me schedule another appointment a month later and to bring my wife. He also scheduled me for light cervical traction twice a week until I saw him again.
My wife and I attended the next appointment. After waiting nearly an hour after the appointment time he finally arrived. I found out I couldn’t bill him for my time either. He decided I needed another MRI and a “pain psych analysis”. Apparently the first MRI was “fuzzy” and they wanted to make sure the pain I was suffering from wasn’t making me suicidal. My frustration with our healthcare was starting to make me a little homicidal but I kept taking deep breaths and doing what I was told. There was another appointment set to meet with the neurosurgeon again and who knows, maybe surgery would get scheduled. So far, after paying my pretty hefty deductible, all I’ve gotten out of this experience is about eight hours of missed work and a home cervical traction machine. The traction machine is pretty cool and does make me feel better. At one point in the process one of these medical professionals said to me “you’ve reached your deductible so now you don’t have to pay for anything else”. Even the people working in the medical field don’t get it. We ALL pay for the inefficiencies, worthless appointments and bad practices.
Movie Review Motonomad Calendar
11
Random Scootering Scooters in Minnesota – There Aren’t Any
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Tales From The Road The Ghost of the Hustler Cover photo By Paul Berglund Review Bike Provided By Leo’s South 16375 Kenrick Avenue Lakeville, MN 55044 Phone: (952) 435-5371 Toll Free: (800) 685-2304 leossouth.com
When I was a younger man, I would fall down, get hurt, rub some dirt in it and get back to having fun. Those days are long gone. Now I fall down, get hurt and spend the next year going to doctors, writing fat checks, and hoping they can find a solution. Oh, how I miss the healing power of youth. MMM
Je Suis Charlie
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
All The News That Fits Fatalities Continue to Rise Motorcycle crash fatalities were on the rise in 2015 for the third year in a row. According to estimates from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) motorcycle fatalities on U.S. roads rose nearly 10% in 2015 with a total estimate of more than 5,000 motorcycle rider fatalities, up from 4,548 in 2014. In Minnesota for 2015 preliminary reports show there were 61 motorcycle fatalities, up from 44 fatalities in 2014, disturbing 39% increase.
The increases are blamed a variety of reasons including more motorcycles on the road and a mild winter meant a longer riding season. Crash researchers do warn against viewing year-to-year statistics without also looking at longer trends. These statistics are a reminder for the need to use good safety gear, be a licensed rider, and take rider training. On the bright side, the same study showed that ABS brakes are effective in reducing the chance of a fatal crash. According to the GHSA a motorcycle equipped with ABS is 31% less likely to be involved in a fatal crash.
Supercross Returns to Minnesota Supercross promoter Feld Entertainment has announced that the 2017 Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship, series is scheduled to return to Minneapolis on February 18, 2017. The 17-race championship will be making it debut making its debut at U.S. Bank Stadium after a three year absence from the state.
“I’m really looking forward to chasing my fourth 450SX Class title in 2017 and what could be three straight championships with Team Red Bull KTM,” said 2016 Monster Energy Supercross 450SX Class Champion Ryan Dungey. “It’s been a dream to achieve so much success together the last two seasons, and I’m ready for the challenge of another title run. It’s amazing to see Minneapolis back on the schedule. It’s my hometown race, and I have a lot of great memories there racing in front of the hometown crowd, including a win the last time we raced there in 2013. It’s been cool
to watch the progression of U.S. Bank Stadium, and I can’t wait to bring Supercross into that state-of-the-art facility. It’ll be memorable, for sure.” Tickets go on sale in October.
EPA Retracts Emissions Standards for Racing Vehicles After intense pressure from the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and racing sanctioning bodies, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced it has withdrawn its plan to regulate the emissions from motor vehicles, including motorcycles, built or used exclusively for racing. The regulations were issued in July 2015 as part of the Phase 2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards and Fuel Efficiency Standards for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles. Buried in the standards was what the EPA described as “clarifying language” that would have placed new restrictions on competition-only vehicles. The standards would outlawed owners from modifying engine and exhaust systems on street bikes used in competition events. Several groups, including the AMA and SEMA banded together to oppose the new restrictions and to support a bill in Congress to prevent EPA intrusion into motorsports. In response five members of Congress introduced a bill that would prevent the EPA from regulating the conversion of street bikes and other motor vehicles into competition-only racers. The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2016 (H.R. 4715, RPM Act) would create and clarify an exemption from a proposed EPA regulation for motor vehicles used solely for competition. The AMA included language in the RPM Act that specifically exempts competition motorcycles from EPA regulation. Despite the EPA’s withdrawal of its plan to regulate the emission of competition-only motor vehicles, the AMA and SEMA believe the RPM Act remains an important piece of legislation because it would prevent the EPA from ever initiating action
to regulate emissions produced by raceonly vehicles.
In an April announcement, the EPA said it “supports motorsports and its contributions to the American economy and communities all across the country.” They also stated, “EPA’s focus is not on vehicles built or used exclusively for racing, but on companies that don’t play by the rules and that make and sell products that disable pollution controls on motor vehicles used on public roads.” “The proposed language in the July 2015 proposal was never intended to represent any change in the law or in EPA’s policies or practices towards dedicated competition vehicles,” the EPA said. “Since our attempt to clarify led to confusion, EPA has decided to eliminate the proposed language from the final rule.”
Yamaha Wireless In April Yamaha announced it has invested $2 million in a California based startup company that is developing wireless networking, which provides communication between moving vehicles and stationary objects. The company, Veniam, is already working with transportation companies in Europe developing communication devices, data management and security. The announcement raises interesting speculation about various wireless technologies for motorcycles such as transponders that would warn other vehicles with they are about to turn in front of a motorcycle or provide warnings to a rider of things like corner speed or road surface conditions. Yamaha has not formally announced their intention to utilize such system on their product line.
Ride to Work Day Monday June 20th is Ride to Work (RTW ) Day for 2016. Every year RideToWork.org declares one day in June as RTW Day. All motorcycle and scooter riders are encouraged to ride their machine to work on that day. The idea is it’s a chance to demonstrate that motorcycling is good thing to you, your co-workers, boss, politicians, and the general public. RTW was first started in 1992 by Minnesota’s own Andy Goldfine as grassroots way to promote motorcycling as a social good. RTW’s goals are to show the following: • The number of motorcyclists to the general public and to politicians. • That motorcyclists are from all occupations and all walks of life. • That motorcyclists can reduce traffic and parking congestion in large cities.
• That motorcycles are for transportation as well as recreation.
RTW Day get MMM’s highest stamp of approval. Make sure you join us in riding to work June 20th.
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MMM
Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
Geezer With A Grudge
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Back in My Day back” and restore a motorcycle I once owned and loved, this bike would be it. I just pounded the snot out of that little Zundapp two-stroke and it kept ticking like a legendary battery bunny. I raced it in a half-dozen 100+ mile cross-country events, in several years of the Nebraska state motocross series, in a few enduros, and trail rode that bike almost every weekend for three years. When I wasn’t riding it, my wife was, until I bought her a brand new 1974 Yamaha MX100. Even then we sometimes argued over who’d get to ride the Rickman. I had tweeked, modified, and engineered that motorcycle for me to the point that it was recognizable at almost any distance. If you knew me, you probably knew my motorcycle. From the solid bars to the customcanted rear Boge Mulholland long travel shocks to the blueprinted engine ports to the hand formed and welded exhaust, my Rickman 125 fit me like a glove. It was the toughest motorcycle I’ve ever owned.
Photo by Thomas Day
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By Thomas Day
hen I was young enough to still have a little of that “magic and rubber” thing going for me, motorcycling was just about to hit its first economic snag (at least in my lifetime) in the early 1970’s. As a Texas friend once told me, “Back then the moon wasn’t born yet and the sun was a little tiny thing barely putting out enough light to read by on a summer afternoon.” When I used this picture as my Facebook Profile Picture, I got more than a few inquiries asking “when, what, where, and how?” We’ll start with the “when”. I was 26 years old, father of two, sole support of my family, going AGAT for the time with armored denim overalls, a Fury open face helmet with a snapon face shield and Scott goggles, Justin roper gloves, Malcom Smith/High Point ISDT enduro boots, and a kidney belt. Today, all that sounds a lot like riding naked, but it was gearedup for the day. I was as fearless then as I would
ever be. I drove a 1970’s Ford E100 Econoline van an average of 100,000 miles a year covering a service territory from North Dakota to Kansas and Iowa to Colorado. The truck housed a work bench and cabinets holding at least threequarter-ton of equipment and parts. If I had ever come to a sudden stop, I’d have been instantly crushed by all of that crap tearing loose and shifting forward in a contained avalanche. I was always late to every appointment because my boss couldn’t say “no” to anyone, so he promised me in at least three places at once, 100-500 miles apart. My average speed in that truck had to have been close to 80mph because I kept the throttle pegged anytime the coast was clear. Motorcycle racing seemed pretty tame compared to my work week. The “what” was a 1973 Rickman 125 ISDT enduro. The Rickman was my first real off-road motorcycle, a 1971 Kawasaki Big Horn 350 being the first half-ass off-road motorcycle I’d owned before that. If I were ever to want to “go
“Where” was central Nebraska, probably a little northeast of Palmer, Nebraska. Weekends, I “lived” on limited-access roads between Palmer, Archer, and Fullerton, Nebraska. If I’d been on a bigger bike, I might have been single-handedly responsible for the 1970’s gas crisis. As it was, I could ride pretty much all weekend on a tank-full of premixed premium and a spare three-gallon gas can. North of Highway 92 and south of Highway 22, there were hundreds of sandy abandoned roads between the fence lines of ranch land and a little farming. In 1975, some friends and I hosted a 125 mile cross-country race on those tractortrails where about 40 riders experienced what we took for granted: miles of amazing trails, often crossing the Loop River, but never a single paved road. Two years later, I’d moved to Fremont for my first engineering job and my racing days were over. Once I left driving that truck, racing a motorcycle seemed a little crazy for a guy with a family to support.
a night or two a few hundred yards off of the official farm-to-market roads. I’d built a bike trailer out of angle-iron, expanded metal, and an old car axle, that could hold 3 bikes, two forward and one rear-facing. We’d load up the Rickman, my wife’s Yamaha MX100, and my Suzuki RL250 trials bike and ride from early morning until the sun went down. The kids would play at the campsite with the children of friends who joined us and it was one big biker family party. When I’d first moved to Nebraska, I was introduced to a kid, Mike, with a Suzuki TS250 Enduro by an employee and one of our neighbors, Randy, had a Kawasaki F6 125 Enduro. Those two, eventually, took us to their favorite trails, camping sites, and riding hangouts. When I first started riding with Mike, he’d panic and run when we found a rancher or farmer parked on one of the trails. Since I knew we weren’t doing anything wrong, I rode up to their trucks and introduced myself. Mike would always hang back, expecting something awful to happen. Eventually, I got to know a lot of the ranchers who lived in the area. When we came on cattle loose or a busted fence line, I’d play cowboy on the bike and chase the cattle back into the pasture, put up the gate, cobble the fence back together, and stop at the ranch house to let the owners know their cattle had escaped, again. After a couple of years, we got to know the ranchers well enough that they helped with our one and only event. We were all kids, then. Kids with kids, in fact. Now, we’re all old. Some of us are dead. The fence lines have all been brought together and those limited-access roads are no more. Not only can you not go back, you can’t even go where we went. MMM
“How” is a little confusing. Mostly, I just tossed on my gear and gassed up the bike and snuck out of town (illegally, since the Rickman was unlicensed) via farm roads until I crossed 92 into the trails. Sometimes, the whole family came along and we made it into a regular outing, even camping for
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
2016 APRILIA Cap I
By Paul Berglund
t was an Aprilia 750 Shiver that ignited my love for V twins. I had ridden cruisers with V twins in them but I wanted a bike that did more than sound nice. The Shiver was brand new when we reviewed it for MMM. I wanted one vert much, but I didn’t have new bike money at the time. I looked around at comparable used bikes and found an odd looking Orange bike called a KTM 950 Supermoto. I bought it and we were in love. Then I found off road riding and I thought I would buy an Adventure bike that combined V twin power with a dual sport bike. I would have every thing I wanted in one package. One bike to rule them all! Sadly, there was one thing I was missing, skill. When it comes to riding a motorcycle off road, the skill of the rider must increase faster than the weight of the bike. You can have an adventure bike and ride it off road, but you must be a vastly better rider than I was at the time. For me it ended in tiers. I looked at 1200+ CC Adventure bikes as fantastic bikes that only a very few could ride to their true potential. I became jaded, and thought of them as a trendy status symbol. Then most of the manufactures came out with bikes that looked like Adventure bikes, but where never intended to go off road, and I thought what’s the point? Once again I got a text from MMM that would challenge my rusty brain. They asked me if I wanted to test ride an Aprilia Caponord Rally? I still have a strong love for any Italian V twin, so I said yes. It showed up at my garage with a full tank of gas. (A first for my fellow MMM writ-
Photo by Mark Descartes
It’s sport bike pedigree shines through on the twisties. ers.) It was beautiful in a manly Italian way. It sounded wonderful too. I climbed on and I immediately understood why you would want a road bike styled like a dirt bike. It is by far my favored way to sit on a motorcycle. For me, cruisers and sport bikes put my body in the wrong position for riding on the street.
This bike looked like a dirt bike not for style points, but because that’s the best damn way for a human to interact with a two wheeled machine. The loud clank that emanated from my feeble brain disturbed a bird sitting on the power line over head. Eureka! So, on to the road test. The Caponord doesn’t have a center stand. It sits on a rather short side stand. When you through a leg over it’s tallish saddle, and tilt the bike upright, it makes the bike feel heavier than it is. List weight is 525 pounds, that’s about what the Moto Guzzi V11 LeMans in my garage weighs. Once on the road, the feeling of having a tungsten gas tank lessens and all is forgiven when the throttle is twisted. It runs away from my Moto Guzzi. This is a modern, liquid cooled kind of V twin and it performs wonderfully. With one nit pick. It has driving modes. You can have it in sport, touring or rain. My first ride was with the bike in sport mode. I found it to be a bit buzzy in the pegs from 4500 RPMs and up. I was starting to furrow my brows, but then I switched to touring mode. The buzzing calmed down and I didn’t notice any loss in power. It was still a blast to ride aggressively, but it’s manners improved to the point that I would now introduce it to my friends. I wanted to get on highway 12 west of Minneapolis and ride it out to where it meets the Pacific ocean. It looks like the kind of bike you can cross the continent on and it feels that way too.
Photo by Mark Descartes
It’s an adventure bike that can pick up groceries.
At first I thought the Givi hard bags that come standard on the Rally were too small. You can’t fit a full face helmet in them. After living with the bike for a few days I came to the conclusion, I wouldn’t want bigger side bags on the Caponord. It would make the bike too wide. I love the functionality of Givi
bags. They are interchangeable, so you chose from many different sizes and shapes if you don’t like the bags that come with the bike. What I would do is buy a larger top case from Aprilia or one of the many Givi venders on line and have a happy home for my helmet when I’m off the bike. The windshield is manually adjustable. It has two positions in my humble opinion, low and loud. Riding the twisty back roads near Scandia with the shield in the low position resulted in fairly clean air flow, with minimal coverage from the elements. Raising the shield didn’t do much to protect me from the wind and the rain, it just made things louder and buffetier. (New word, just made it up.) The seat is surprisingly good. I can say that about a bike once every ten years or so. Turns out motorcycle stylists didn’t get enough love from their mothers when they were young, and they take it out on us. The person who designed this seat had a kind and loving mother. We should all send her a card of thanks. The seat, peg and handlebar relationship is healthy too. Like I mentioned at the beginning, it’s like a dirt bike and it just plane works. The dash has plenty of information. Of primary concern is a gas gauge and a gear indicator. The bike has many other modes and functions. None of which I understood very well. Lots of ABS this and traction control that. The brakes are great by the way. It even adjusts the suspension to one of several presets or it will monitor your riding and adjust the suspension to fit your style. I struggled to remember how to switch them about, but there was no real need. The Caponord Rally was smart enough to do that for me and the ride was sublime.
Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com
MMM
Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
7
ponord 1200 Rally I
By Mark Descartes
Downs Windscreen adjusts from loud to louder. Cruise control isn’t fully developed.
like twin-cylinder bikes. I have owned ten in my time. I also like dual-sport “adventure” (ADV) bikes. Four have rolled in and out of my shop. Italian hardware also trips my trigger. Three different machines from Italia have won my adoration. So when MMM’s Dave Soderholm asked if I would like to review an Italian V-twin ADV bike, I exclaimed “Si” and grabbed my gear before he could terminate the call. The Caponord 1200 Rally is Aprilia’s entry into the large ADV bike field. MMM® stalwart Paul Berglund and I picked up the gleaming beauty from Leo’s South in Burnsville, Minnesota, on a brisk spring morning. The Caponord 1200 certainly looks the part. The Rally model includes crash bars to protect the body work, a bash plate (plastic) below the motor and butch, aluminum-clad hard bags. Thick spokes are married to satin black rims. Perimeter spoke mounting gives you the lighter weight and greater strength of a spoked wheel but the ability to run tubeless tires. I liked our test bike’s verde Army (green) paint. Eccelente. Riding comfort and function are well-addressed on the Caponord. The saddle is exceptionally comfortable. In all my miles I never did squirm or fidget. Seat height is 33.1”, tall for some, but I was easily able to get one foot on the ground with my 32” inseam. Aprilia wisely offers a lower seat option. The seat-handlebarfootpeg triangle is classic sport-tourer. Honoring Aprilia’s race heritage, footpegs are higher than some of the competition, but this increases both cornering lean angle and the generous 7.5” ground clearance. Wide, dual-sport handlebars provide leverage, useful for picking lines on slower trails. Barmounted deflectors keep your hands out of the windblast and rain. Your torso is protected behind a manually-adjustable windshield and your legs stay dry, tucked into sculpted contours in the tank and fairing. I liked the ergos and wind protection. This is a bike built to devour miles. My only beef here is with the windshield. It adjusts vertically from loud to louder. I would immediately replace it with a larger screen or cut it down. The Rally edition is well-appointed. You get the crash bars, belly pan and hard bags, plus
Engine heat will roast you above 75º Wife’s First Reaction® “It looks like all those other big dirt bikes” Fuel Economy: 46/34/38mpg (hi/lo/avg)
Selected Competition: BMW 1200GS; Honda Africa Twin; Kawasaki Versys 1000; KTM 1190R; Moto Guzzi Stelvio, Suzuki V-Strom 1000 Adventure; Triumph Tiger Explorer; Yamaha Super Ténéré MMM
SPECIFICATIONS 2016 APRILIA Caponord 1200 Rally Photo by Bruce Mike
“The bike is beautiful in a manly italian way”. switchable ABS, cruise control, LED driving lights and a 12VDC port for a GPS or electric gear. The Caponord also comes with several electronic control systems. Throttle is ride-bywire and has three modes, Sport, Touring and Rain. I left her in “sport”, enjoying her torquey, punchy mid-range. The 1200 Rally also has a three-position electronic Traction Control (untested). I did enjoy the Dynamic Damping Control. You can easily set the damping rates for Rider, Rider + Luggage, 2-up, or 2-up + Luggage. There is also an automatic function which constantly reads the road, learns your riding style and automatically adjusts the suspension, front and rear. I tried the Rider, Rider + Luggage and Auto settings but ended up leaving it in Auto. Whether on crappy roads, smooth sweepers or quick transitions, I liked how the bike handled. The 1200 Rally felt more sportbike than 575-lb ADV tourer. Bravo, Aprilia! The brakes on the Caponord do not disappoint. The front wears dual discs pinched by radiallymounted, 4-piston Brembo calipers. The rear caliper is a lightweight, single-piston Brembo unit. Aprilia has changed ABS suppliers and the Caponord runs a system by Continental. I have
come to love ABS on bikes, as it stops you faster without lock up, even with marginal traction. The ABS on the 1200 Rally is switchable should you desire to practice slide turns in the dirt. The motor in the Caponord is a jewel, a 1,200cc, 90º, liquid-cooled V-twin that churns out endless torque. Aprilia Corsa DNA is felt in the light flywheel, as the motor spins readily to the 9,000rpm redline. Rear-wheel horsepower peaks at 107 (8,200 rpm) with max torque at 74 ft- lbs (7,200 rpm) While peak power and torque are at the top end, I kept the motor in the midrange, exploiting the available power. But be forewarned, you don’t get something for nothing, and all that power means heat. Our mornings were cool and I enjoyed the leg warming aspect but I would hate to be stuck in traffic on a hot summer day. The bottom line? The more I rode el Capo, the better I liked it. I liked the electronic Cruise Control. It is easy to operate and adjust speed. The engine brain adjusts for hills, which is a nice feature. Cruise reduces fatigue on long days and improves mileage. One nit with the system is there is no provision to incrementally bump your speed up or down. My, how whiny we’ve become. In addition to the low seat, other available options include heated grips and a center stand. The 690-watt alternator allows for heated grips and clothing, GPS and an espresso maker should you so desire. Average fuel mileage during our abbreviated test was 38 mpg. With 6.3-gallons (24 liters) of 91-octane premium, you can burn 239 miles before starting to look for a gas station. The Caponord 1200 Rally is really a kick-ass sport-touring bike in ADV clothing. With its high ground clearance and 19” front wheel, riders have the option to explore a gravel road or trail, but she really sings on twisty, two-lane roads. If you like twins, Adventure bikes and/or Italian style, do yourself a favor and test ride an Aprilia Caponord 1200 Rally.
Ups Snappy, torquey 90º V-twin power. Photo by Mark Descartes
It has that understated, Italian elegance.
Big tank + comfortable cockpit makes for relaxed mile-eating. Engine heat keeps you warm on brisk mornings.
MSRP:
$15,699
Warranty: 2-years, unlimited miles; plus 1-year roadside assistance ENGINE Type: 90º V-twin Bore x Stroke: 106mm x 67.8mm Displacement: 1,197cc Compression Ratio: 12.0:1 Valve Train: DOHC, 4-valve/cyl Fueling: EFI w/ 2 injectors/cylinder Cooling: Liquid-cooled PERFORMANCE (rear-wheel) Horsepower: 107 hp @ 8,200 rpm Torque: 74 lb.-ft. @ 7,200 rpm DRIVE TRAIN Transmission: 6-speed Final Drive: O-ring Chain CHASSIS Front Suspension: 43mm inverted Sachs fork, elec.-managed rebound + compression; manual preload, 6.7” travel Rear Suspension: Sachs monoshock elec.-managed preload, rebound + compression; 5.9” travel Front Brake: Dual 320mm discs w/ radial-mount 4-piston Brembo calipers and ABS Rear Brake: 240mm disc w/single-piston Brembo caliper and ABS Front Tire: 120/70R-19 Rear Tire: 170/60R-17 DIMENSIONS Seat Height: 33.1” Wheelbase: 62.0” Rake: 27.4º Trail: 4.6” Curb Weight: 575-lbs Fuel Capacity: 6.3-gals inc. 1.0-gal reserve Colors: Army Green Giallo Dune (yellow)
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
Dressed For The Occasion
Feature
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By Tim Erickson
ho among us hasn’t been on a ride and determined they are wearing the wrong stuff ? My riding closet hosts both a one-piece Aerostich Roadcrafter suit as well as a leather jacket and Aerostich Darien pants combo. Though I am free to choose either gear for every ride I take, inevitably there are days when I wish I had taken the other option. Clearly, there are pros and cons to each type. One piece or two, if it’s isn’t comfortable and offering free range of movement, it’s either the wrong size or wrong cut. With the high cost of quality riding gear, I’m betting I’m not the only one who cued up the P90x workout series to help ensure my waist still fits comfortably inside my riding pants – whereas I have room to grow in my one-piece with built in waist adjustments. Is that advantage one? If you’re on the fence about what gear will be line-itemed on your next Visa card statement, maybe these other advantages will help shape your decision.
Protection Advantage: one-piece If protection is of utmost import to you, this is the easiest gear to favor. Look no further than a motorcycle racing rule book to determine that a one-piece suit offers the best crash protection. Motorcycle leathers suitable for closed course combat do come in two piece versions, but they include a full-circumference, heavy-duty zipper to marry the two. A textile suit may survive one and only one crash, but the one-piece design has similar advantages.
hour traffic crawl in the urban jungle. The same sealer effect from the elements is a heat trap without the rush of wind streaming past your underarms.
Versatility & Convenience Advantage: two-piece A two piece pairing allows greater flexibility for layering as well as convenience when off the bike. Stop somewhere for lunch? Ditch the jacket and you’re reasonably comfortable wearing the pants. Stopping at the same establishment in a one piece and strip it off, you’re either toting its heft around or finding a place to secure it from theft. A quick beat around town offers a jacketonly option as well – if a one-piece is your only gear, you might find yourself hesitant to suit up for a short ride or motorcycle friendly errand.
Style Advantage: two-piece. Parking your bike and strolling into any public place or even stopping at a fuel stop while wearing a one-piece is a lesson in humility. “Aren’t you hot in that?” and “Is that a snowmobile suit?” are questions difficult to avoid from inquisitive riders and non-riders alike. While it’s a platform to educate others on safe and happy riding, defending your wardrobe gets tiresome. It’s a lot more fun talking about your adventurous spirit, no? MMM
The obvious concern is that a separate jacket and pants are just that – separate, which means during a rough and tumble with our glorious earth, its various paved or natural coverings can do our exposed bodies harm. Even zip-together two-piece pairings are prone to failure. One piece suits also have better protection from the elements. Rare is the two piece combo that completely eliminates all mid-section drafts that can make it hard to regulate your body temp.
Comfort & Fit: Advantage: one-piece Not only is this category infinitely subjective, but it’s also circumstantial. Many riders find greater overall riding comfort in a onepiece as two piece suits gap, pinch and wrinkle as you move about the saddle. And the waist area of motorcycle pants rarely mate well with any street clothes wardrobe that includes a belt. Get to a destination in a onepiece and the clothes you’re wearing underneath look freshly pressed. Minnesota’s own Aerostich company markets its Roadcrafter one-piece suits to business moto-commuters. Call me a sucker for the marketing, but I will happily verify the claim. When isn’t a one piece more comfortable? Vents are most effective when in motion and utterly ineffective when in a slow rush
Photos Courtesy of Aerostich
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
Gear Review
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By David Soderholm
ow does leaving pieces of yourself on the road during a crash sound? Becoming the cheese in the grater so to speak? Yep – it doesn’t appeal much to me either. But it’s reality for those that crash without gear on. So that begs an obvious question for every responsible motorcyclist. What to wear?? Let’s piggyback off of Tim Erickson’s excellent article on One vs. Two piece riding outfits. Being an ATGATT kind of guy, one piece outfits make the most sense to me. As Tim mentions - ease of use, protection, convenience and being able to wear anything underneath from business to a t-shirt and shorts are just some of the reasons I stick to the one-piece side of the equation. In this case we are looking at one of my top picks for motorcycle gear – The Olympia Avenger mesh one piece suit. After owning an Olympia Phantom (full textile) one piece for 10+ years I knew Kevin Rhea and the team at Olympia knew how to design versatile top notch gear for the avid rider. My Phantom one piece has 100 thousand miles or more on it and has been my go-to moto gear. Twenty second boot on entry / exit, great protection, features, build quality, venting and waterproofing have made it easy to slip into for commuting or trips. Enter the Avenger - Olympias moderate to hot weather riding one piece suit. It’s even easier to put on over clothes than the Odyssey (Phantom replacement). It has great impact and abrasion resistance and ballistic mesh panels in non-impact areas. This suit has moved to the top position in my sum-
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Olympia Avenger Suit Review mer riding gear selection. The outer shell of the Avenger is constructed of genuine DuPont 500d Cordura fabric. This is tough stuff and makes up the construct of the suit in all areas that are going to touch and slide on the road if you go down. Those same points on the suit have CE rated motion flex armor including the knees, hips, elbows, shoulder and full back pad. The other regions of the suit are covered in strong ballistic mesh airflow panels. This allows the breeze to blow right through and still have maximum protection if something goes wrong. The construction gives spectacular performance for hot weather riding. The wind moves through it like you didn’t even have it on. I often wear just shorts and a t-shirt underneath the suit in the summer time. If it’s really hot, I’ll wet down the t-shirt under the suit and get some hillbilly air conditioning that keeps me cool in the hottest (think 90+ degrees) of times. It’s never too hot to be an ATGATT when you have the Olympia Avenger hanging in the closet. For cooler (not cold) or wet weather, you’ll need to throw a rain or wind blocking jacket over or under the Avenger. It has no additional liners. Often in the early spring or even late summer I’ll throw a jacket liner over it to block the cool wind in the morning or late evening. The Avenger vents well enough that you could easily be cold otherwise. Obviously temperature tolerance varies according to riders, but I’d say the range without a wind block on would run mid 60 degree on up. Entry involves 3 simple YKK brand zips. One runs from mid collar bone down
to your right knee. This is a two way zipper. You also have two full length leg zippers that run from ankle to mid hip on each leg. Boots on entry and exit is amazingly easy and takes less than 10 seconds. The two way mid line zip is EXCELLENT for quick bathroom stops if you are a male – sorry ladies….. The suit has many other features, one of which is great customizability. This is accomplished by custom fit details at the collar, cuffs, elbows, waist and bottom hem. Buy the size you normally wear (It’s sized for over clothing) and you most likely will fit very well with the adjustability built in. It is also cut for the typical North American rider, so if you are a little bit broader you’ll be comfortable. It’s also got 3M Scotchlite reflective piping, neoprene lined collar and 4 pockets to hold your stuff. The Avenger comes in a classy Black and Hi-Viz or a more restrained Grey and Black. I’ll conclude with this. This summer will be my third season of riding with the Avenger. It, like the Phantom, has been absolutely bombproof. Nothing has failed and it has always given me a top notch comfortable and versatile riding experience. The best gear is the gear you like to wear – and I like wearing Olympias stuff a lot. Great Job Kevin! MMM Photo Courtesy of Olympia
Photo by David Soderholm
Every issue 1996 thru 2016 — www.mnmotorcycle.com
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
Motonomad
Movie Review
Motonomad Directed by Adam Riemann Motology Films, 2014 91 minutes By Victor Wanchena Motorcycle travel documentaries can be hit or miss. Some are a fascinating window into someone else’s adventure while others are just boring video clips from someone else’s vacation. This month’s movie review is definitely a window into a big adventure. Motonomad is the work Adam Riemann, best known for his work as an Australian moto-journalist, and chronicles a daring dual sport ride into the war torn Mid-East. Filmed during 2013, Motonomad follows Adam and co-rider Mark Portbury on their trip from the KTM factory in Austria to Egypt. The distance, route, and going unsupported is laudable, but isn’t new territory. What makes the trip infinitely bolder is the backdrop of the rising tensions in the Mid-East. The film begins with Adam and Mark picking up a pair of 500 EXC’s in Austria and beginning the prep work. After departing KTM headquarters in Mattighofen the pair find out how hard it is to find off-road riding in the home country of KTM. They push on through Eastern Europe through Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria and into Turkey. In Romania they attempt to follow some of the Red Bull Romainacs Enduo course. They push on to Turkey and begin
to feel the tensions of the political turmoil. All land routes to Egypt are blocked by war or civil unrest, so the pair get their bikes ferried across the Mediterranean to Alexandria, Egypt. Once on the ground in Egypt they confronted with the reality of filming and traveling in a chaotic country. They pull off an unauthorized ride past the pyramids and then push on into the lawless Sinai region. Daring to say the least. The filming well done especially considering the entire film was done without a film crew, and the scenery throughout the film is very grand. It’s all shot first person using GoPro’s, a camera equipped drone, and hand held video cameras. It’s even more remarkable given they carried all of this on two dirt bikes along with the gear needed to ride and camp for several weeks. Adam provides some narration throughout the film. I thoroughly enjoyed Motonomad, and was impressed by the quality of the production. It wasn’t poorly stitched together helmet camera footage. The film combines pure adventure aspects of a movie like Mondo Enduro (MMM June 2008) with the high quality production of Dust to Glory (MMM Winter 2007). Look for a review of the sequel, Motonomad II, in a coming issue of MMM. Motonomad is available through digital download for Motology Films (www. motologyfilms.com) for $20 or $30 on DVD. MMM
Calendar Ongoing 2nd Monday of the month, 7:00pm Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Gathering
Diamonds Coffee Shoppe, 1618 Central Avenue Northeast, Minneapolis, MN. Not Necessary To Be a Member to Attend Gathering.
Every Tuesday, 5:45-9:00pm Ride To Sir Bendicts
Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, 805 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802 Have dinner, talk bikes.
1st Thursday of the month, 5:00 pm Dulano’s Pizza Parking Lot Party
607 W Lake St, Minneapolis, MN Hang out, eat pizza, show off your bike, watch the variety of humanity.
3rd Thursday of the month, 6:00 pm Blue Cat Motorcycle Third Thursday
460 Prior Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN, bluecatmotorcycle.com Two wheel block party. The action starts at 6:00 PM.
June June 4, 10 am — Ride For Wishes
Fury Motorcycle, 740 Concord St N, South St Paul, MN chucksride.com Twelfth Annual Motorcycle Run, Street Dance & Barbecue. Parade leaves 5:00 PM sharp from Drkula’s 32 Bowl, Inver Grove Heights. Parade arrives at South St. Paul VFW at approximately 5:30
PM. Music, Food, Silent Auction, Raffles and More.
June 5, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm — 10,000 Lakes Concours d’ Elegance
Excelsior Commons, along the shore of Lake Minnetonka 10000lakesconcours.com The show field will overflow with one-of-a-kind historically significant automobiles, watercraft, and pre-1972 motorcycles.
June 10 - 11 — 2016 Minnesota 1000
16640 Kenrick Ave, Lakeville MN www.teamstrange.com/2016/mn1k 24-hour or multi-day rally. 6:30 pm Friday - Liar’s Banquet, 6:30 am Saturday - Rally Starts
June 10 - 11 — Viking Chapter AMCA
National Meet Minnesota State Fairgrounds, St Paul, MN www.vikingmc.org The Largest Antique Motorcycle meet in Minnesota!
June 11 - 12 — ARMCA D23 ATV/Motorcycle Flat Track Race
St. Croix Valley Raceway, St. Croix Falls, WI 5pm 651-253-1050 www.armca.org/schedules/dirt-track
June 25 — Moto Mania
Steele County Fairgrounds, Owatonna facebook.com/DirtybikerMotoMania Bikes. Dirt. Beer.
July July 9 & 10 — 27th Annual Hawgs for Dogs
Motorcycle Ride
Twin Cities Harley Davidson South, Lakeville, MN to The Hotel Marshfield, Marshfield, WI hawgsfordogs.org Saturday Dinner, Refreshments, Sunday Breakfast, Run swag, Trophies, Prizes, and more! $35 per person. ALL BIKES Benefit Run proceeds benefit Guide Dogs of America. We will depart from Twin Cities Harley Davidson-Lakeville, MN. We will ride to Hotel Marshfield, 2700 S. Central Avenue, Marshfield, Wisconsin.
July 14 - 17 — 2016 LCUSA Lambretta Jamboree
mnlambrettajamboree.weebly.com Duluth, MN. Over 100 vintage Lambrettas from all over the country are expected for the long weekend. Rides up the north shore, a traditional time trial, fish fry, meat raffle, show and shine and swap meet are planned along with a closing gala. The famed Wintermaster series 2 Lambretta is being raffled off to only those attending.
July 15 - 17 — British Biker Cooperative 36th Anniversary Motorcycle Rally & Show
Year of the Chopper. Eagle Cave Natural Park 16320 Cavern Lane, Blue River, Wisconsin 53518 britishbiker.net The event offers a weekend of activities including group rides and bike games, a Motorcycle Show, Friday night movie, band Saturday night, comfortable shaded camping with dedicated quiet areas, and refreshments. This event offers a
great opportunity to see both rare vintage and late model British motorcycles in action on some of the best riding roads in the Midwest. All motorcycle enthusiasts are welcome.
July 16 — 2016 Patriot Ride
Key Air – Anoka County Airport (North Entrance) thepatriotride.org Support Minnesota Military members and their families. Ride, Vendors, Raffle, Vintage Planes, Emerson Ave Band
July 30 - 31 — ARMCA D23 ATV/Motorcycle Flat Track Race
St. Croix Valley Raceway, St. Croix Falls, WI 5pm 651-253-1050 www.armca.org/schedules/dirt-track
August August 13, 6:30 am — Team Lyle Minnesota 8 Hour Rally teamstrange.com This Team Strange event is a perfect first rally for the rally curious, yet will offer plenty of challenge for grizzled rally veterans. This motorcycle riding, timed scavenger hunt, is a low key, casual and fun event. See the most current event listings on our website mnmotorcycle.com. Hosting an event? MMM will list your motorcycle event for free as a service to our readers. Email bruce@mnmotorcycle.com
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Minnesota Motorcycle Monthly® #175 June 2016
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Scooters in Minnesota – There Aren’t Any By David Harrington “It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination.” Douglas Adams – The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Yes, I needed an excuse to put one of my favorite quotes out there. In fact, the title of this little missive refers to the legal and licensing structure of powered two-wheeled conveyances in Minnesota. There are mopeds and there are motorcycles. Any scooters you may see from time to time are the products of a deranged imagination. MLS (Moped Legal Scooter) are those machines of 50cc or less with a maximum of two brake horsepower and a maximum speed of 30 MPH on a level road. Anyone with a valid driver’s license can operate a moped without further testing or endorsement. You will also need to insure and register said moped. In Minnesota, there are no mopeds for those who have a suspended or revoked driver’s license and there’s no way around the registration and in-
surance requirements. Beginning as young as 15 years, there is a process to get a moped operator’s permit that involves classes and testing.
Any powered two-wheeled conveyance other than described above is a motorcycle. Yes, in Minnesota, that cute little Yamaha Zuma 50F is a motorcycle. It’s only 50cc, but it is NOT restricted to 30MPH or 2 horsepower so it’s a motorcycle. So is that very popular Genuine Buddy 125cc. So is that 730 pound, 6 cylinder 160 horsepower BMW K1600. Yes, all the same in the eyes of the State of Minnesota. In order to be legal on any of those, one will need a valid driver’s license. If over 18, one begins with a permit. If under 18 one also begins with a permit AND a certificate of completion of a stateapproved motorcycle rider training course. To get that permit one must pass a knowledge (written) test. This must take place at a DMV location that offers knowledge tests which is NOT all locations. Now you’ve passed the written, paid the fee, and you have a permit. You must wear an approved helmet and eye protection, you can’t carry passengers, you can’t ride on the interstates and you can’t ride at night. You can go out and practice and become familiar with how this whole powered two-wheeled conveyance thing works. You also have a choice. You can ride until you feel you have reached an acceptable level of skill and then schedule a road test at a DMV road test location. As of this writing in the metro area that would be Arden Hills, Plymouth, Eagan, Anoka & Chaska. Or (I said you had a choice) you can take an approved
class. Upon successful completion of the class (which includes riding on a course) you can head over to an ordinary DMV with your certificate, pay the fee, and have the motorcycle endorsement added to you driver’s license.
Take the class. It’s an easier process, you’ll learn how to ride safely, you’ll have fun, there’s no downside. If you’re a scooterist (there may be no scooters, but there are scooterists) take the class at Rider Academy. All of the approved classes provide small displacement motorcycles, but to the best of my knowledge, Rider Academy is the only metro area class that will provide a scooter if requested. If you’re going to ride a scooter, in my opinion, you should learn and be tested on a scooter. That’s right, to blazes with the State of Minnesota. Ride a SCOOTER, even though they tell you it’s a motorcycle, you’ll know better.
Jed Duncan, the owner of Rider Academy, has an EXTENSIVE background in training and his operation holds small sized classes (4 – 12 riders) in a friendly environment (snacks & beverages included) and he’ll provide a scooter if asked. Call 612424-1595 or visit the website at rideracademy. com and remember to let them know you’d like a scooter to ride.
The learning and licensing process is pretty easy,
don’t shy away from it and limit yourself to a MLS (Moped Legal Scooter) at 30 MPH. Get on that rip-roaring 125cc (or even *gasp* 300cc) scooter and ride legally all over the place.
Twin Cities scooterist David Harrington owns and operates JustGottaScoot.com MMM
While-You-Wait Tire Mounting and Balancing GREAT SELECTION OF 2016 KTM • HUSQVARNA • MV AGUSTA BIKES IN STOCK, QUICK SERVICE TURN AROUND TIMES. 9521 Garfield Ave S Bloomington, MN 55420 952.405.8269 www.crosstowncycle.com info@crosstowncycle.com
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Tales From The Road
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The Ghost of the Hustler As we approached the race track a guy jumped out of a pick up truck that was partially blocking the entrance. I assumed he was going to chase us away. He did stop us and we sat on our running mini bikes and watched an open wheeled (and open exhaust) hot rod make hot laps of the dirt track. The grinning driver pulled off the track and the man from the pick up said: “Sorry about that guys, he was just blowing the carbon out.” He waved us through and shouted: “Have fun.” We twisted our throttles wide open and ran onto the track like a pack of giddy dogs.
By Paul Berglund
ack when I was a child a magical thing happened. My father, who was not a caring man and very stingy with a dollar, bought me a mini bike. To this day I don’t know why he did that. I do remember standing in the show room with several Rupp mini bikes on display. The top of the line model was the Black Widow. It had a head light and was street legal. I was years away from caring about what was or wasn’t legal, and the model that was in my fathers price range was a blue Rupp Hustler. That’s the one I went home with. I even had a matching metal flake blue open face helmet to go along with it. Together, the Hustler and I, roamed all about the fields and roads near my house. I came to love riding on two wheels. It was a gift of thrills and freedom that was worth far more than my father paid for that bike. I’ve had many other bikes since then. I’ve traveled much farther and faster and had bigger adventures on those bikes. Time. That’s the great thief in this story. It evaporates away much of the happy memories but struggles to erode the granite like bad ones. I’d forgotten that Rupp. It should have been given a Viking’s funeral and sent to live in the halls of Valhalla. We should all be singing songs about that mini bike. Once again the editor of this fine publication called upon me. He wanted me to go to Vintage Torque Fest in Dubuque Iowa (vintagetorquefest.com) with him. It’s a celebration of hot rods and motorcycles that’s held at the Dubuque fair grounds at the end of April every year. I was told I’d be provided with a mini bike so I could keep up with the small band of hooligans that was driving down to partake in the festival. It was one of those horrible small wheeled mini bikes with no suspension. A short donkey compared to my beloved long forgotten Hustler. We were taking the scenic route down to Dubuque. The twisty roads connecting the rolling hills that flank the Mississippi river. Once more into the breach, I
Photo by Rick Ashton
climbed into the Chevy 2500HD pulling a tiny trailer filled with tiny bikes, and we drove south. I was looking forward to seeing Torque Fest. The Hooligans had been there for three years running. It’s a younger crowd than the 12,000 cars and their owners that descend on the Minnesota State Fair grounds every June for the Back To The Fifties car show. Torque Fest is smaller in size and the cars, most hand built by their owners in their own garages, cost a lot less. You can feel the excitement of youth all around you as you mingle amongst the cars, trucks and motorcycles that fill the fairgrounds. There are bands, playing. Vendors selling food, clothing, art work, car parts and a huge swap meet of car and bike parts. And there is a race track. A real dirt race track.
men) all the bikes would be in a jumbled pile on the trailer. Much like kittens lay in a pile in the barn. I had won their respect. Plus my wife had made cookies with mint and chocolate chips. I was in the gang. Into the fairgrounds we rode. We glided around Torque Fest and took in the sights. We ate good food and bought tee shirts and stickers. I quickly learned to fear pot holes and gopher mounds. In less than an hour I managed to shorten my spine an inch or two. One large bump shot me off the seat a foot and the chain fell off the rear sprocket of my bike. I fixed the bike with out any tools. These are simpler bikes for simpler times and younger bones. At the appointed hour we gathered at the entrance to the race track.
For those of you used to the over protective, politically correct nanny state of Minnesota, let’s review. We were riding mini bikes wide open on a dirt race track in Iowa. We paid our admission at the gate when we first came in, but after that, no one asked us for identification. No one checked our qualifications. No one asked if we had any idea what we were doing or why we were doing it. Our safety, or complete lack of, was left entirely up to us. The only limitation put on us were the laws of nature. Mother nature got dirt in her eye that day my friend. Fun was had. I could feel the ghost of my long dead Hustler rise up from my forgotten past and it ascended. It is now parked in the halls of Odin. Later we sat beside that same race track as the sun went down. We sat on the wheeled thrones of our bikes and watched the locals bash into each other in a chain race. I had come to peace with a part of my past. I had received the same gift that was given long ago and it still held the power of happiness. MMM
When we pulled into the fairgrounds and unloaded the mini bikes, it was clear I had the red headed step child of mini bikes. I was a guest and my captors had given me this mount and asked nothing in return, so I was grateful. I had helped them strap down mini bikes onto the mini bouncing trailer. Before my help, each time we stopped to pee (these are not young
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