Inside Motorcycles – Volume 24, Issue 02

Glide through life at your speed.

The perfect balance of power and grace. The Street Glide® Special is built to lead, not to follow. One ride and you’ll understand why you’ve never passed one on the road.

Experience it for yourself. Schedule a test ride at an H-D® Dealer today.

H-D.com/TestRide

©2021 H-D or its affiliates. HARLEY-DAVIDSON, HARLEY, H-D, and the Bar and Shield Logo are among the trademarks of H-D U.S.A., LLC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INSIDE Opinions 10 18 20 22 46 48 50

Inside Line | Patrick Lambie On the Pipe | Mark Dzikowski The Sharp Edge | Toni Sharpless To the Limit | Brett McCormick The Dirt | Dawn McClintock Frankly Speaking | Frank Wood Road Race Reality | Colin Fraser

Volume 24 Issue 02 June/July 2021

INSIDE Features 36 Racing Against All Odds

2021 CSBK Guide 42 Inside Touring Hub-Cities 56 AMSA Spotlight

Dave Amyotte

INSIDE Competition INSIDE Impressions 24

30

Raring to Go The Distance 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX Seeing Red

2021 GasGas EX 350F

INSIDE Tech 54 Bumps

Why we feel them, why we don’t – Part 2

60

Rapid Classics Norton’s “Yellow Peril”

Also INSIDE 6 12 16 58

IM Zoom Inside News Inside Accessories Moto Guide

On the Cover: Kawasaki is serious about sport touring, with an emphasis on the sport. With 143 horsepower and 81.9 ft-lb of torque on tap, the 2021 Ninja 1000SX is built to get you where you want to go with plenty of time to spare. Cover Design: Dawn McClintock I Main Photo: Ben Quinn I Inset Photo: Patrick Lambie

The foothills west of Calgary, AB provided the perfect backdrop for off-road editor Mark Dzikowski’s time on the GasGas EX 350F. Mark’s review of this all-new motorcycle starts on page 30.

www.insidemotorcycles.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON CANADA

@inside_motorcyc

facebook.com/ InsideMotorcycles

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InsideMotorcycles.com 3

DEFYING GRAVITY

Thanks to racers like Scott Redding (No. 45, Aruba.it World Superbike team), motorcycle racing is more exciting than ever. Inside Motorcycles is proud to bring you the latest racing news from around the globe and here at home with industry leading journalist Colin Fraser. You will find Colin’s “Road Race Reality” column on page 50 of this issue and be sure to follow Colin at www.insidemotorcycles.com where he provides his unique perspective on the world of road racing throughout the season.

Photo courtesy of Ducati Media House.

6 Inside Motorcycles

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2021

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INSIDE LINE

BY PATRICK LAMBIE

Inside Track Communications, Inc. PO Box 370, Brights Grove, ON N0N 1C0 (Administration) 78 Airdrie Road, East York, ON M4G 1M2 (Editorial) 416-962-RACE (7223) • Fax: 416-962-7208 • www.insidemotorcycles.com

Community

W

riting the “Then as Now” feature (see page 14) always provides me with the chance to sit down to read an issue of Inside Motorcycles from ten years ago and reflect upon what was happening at that time.

This issue’s time travelling adventure took on a more personal moment as I turned to the table of contents on page 4 of the May/ June 2011 issue and saw, in an impossible-to-miss bold font, the words “Photo by Patrick Lambie.” The photo, which had been submitted as part of a mini road racing story written by Shawn Finn, was my first ever contribution to the magazine and kicked off an unexpected journey that culminated years later in a full-time position as the editor of Inside Motorcycles.

Sitting on top of all of the highlights and experiences of the past decade has been the opportunity to meet and learn from individuals throughout the motorcycle industry. Early on in this new career it became apparent that it is a close-knit community that looks beyond things like who you work for, where you live or what you ride, and instead focuses on the common passion for life on two wheels.

I can’t imagine doing this role without the support and friendship of the motorcycle community.

Sadly, this community became smaller this year with the passing of two of its long-time members and industry leaders.

For more than two decades, Chris Ellis was the man who you turned to in Canada for everything and anything related to Triumph.

At the helm of the brand’s Canadian operations, his tireless efforts promoting Triumph here at home and beyond reflected an undeniable passion for the people he worked with and the bikes they rode.

Even in “retirement” Chris’ commitment to the motorcycle industry was unwavering as he worked as a consultant, assisting smaller brands.

One of the highlights of the motorcycle shows was always the chance to sit down with Full Bore Marketing’s president and founder Herman Cornelsen. Herman was always anxious to talk about the latest products that his company would be rolling out to their dealer network, but the conversation would inevitably expand to his thoughts on the industry and even life in general. I will miss those conversations.

Both of these gentlemen left their mark on an industry that many of us are privileged to work in and were among those who set the benchmarks for those who choose to follow in their footsteps. On behalf of everyone here at Inside Motorcycles, I would like to extend our most sincere condolences to Chris and Herman’s families and friends along with a heartfelt thank you for sharing both of them with the motorcycle community.

Until next time, be sure to spend time with your family and friends, and, of course, get out and ride. IM

10 Inside Motorcycles

EDIT EDITOR Patrick Lambie patrick@insidemotorcycles.com

GENERAL MANAGER David Weber david@insidemotorcycles.com

SENIOR EDITORS Colin Fraser colin@csbk.ca

TECHNICAL EDITOR John Sharrard acceltech@sympatico.ca

Toni Sharpless tojam39@gmail.com

OFF-ROAD EDITOR Mark Dzikowski mark.dzik.moto@gmail.com

Jason Thorpe jason@insidemotorcycles.com

COPY EDITORS Andrew Trevitt Elisa Ward

Andrew Trevitt andrew.trevitt@gmail.com

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERS Ed Gatner, Ben Quinn, Tim McGill

Frank Wood motor_mouth43@hotmail.com

SALES/MARKETING David Weber david@insidemotorcycles.com

Mike Galipeau mike@insidemotorcycles.com

Lindsey Broad lindsey@insidemotorcycles.com

Rob Morton rob@insidemotorcycles.com

ART/PRODUCTION PRODUCTION MANAGER James Neilson james@insidetracknews.com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dawn McClintock Lindsey Broad

CIRCULATION/OFFICE OFFICE ADMINISTRATION Isabel Weber isabel@insidemotorcycles.com

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PUBLISHER Inside Motorcycles is published 8 times a year by Inside Track Communications, Inc. PRESIDENT: John Hopkins john@insidemotorcycles.com

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SECRETARY: Rob Morton rob@insidemotorcycles.com

CONTRIBUTORS Graham Clayton, Steve Hoffarth, Zac Kurylyk, Lee Martin, Brett McCormick, Suzanne Pelletier, Bruce Thomas, Shelby Turner, Todd Vallee.

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS Editorial contributions should be preceded by a query letter. Inside Track Communications Inc. assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to materials. Letters are considered “for publication,” unless otherwise indicated, and may be condensed.

PHOTOGRAPHERS Graham Clayton, Richard Coburn, Don Empey, Shelley Gamm, Les Kalman, Rob MacLennan, Tim McGill, John Meaney, Bill Murphy, Outlaw Productions, Paolo Pedicelli, Karolina Pelc, Bill Petro, Bob Szoke, John R. Walker.

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COPYRIGHT All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part of this publication without prior written permission of Inside Track Communications Inc. is strictly prohibited.

DISCLAIMER All content within this magazine is provided for general information, educational and resource purposes only.

Inside Motorcycles is not responsible or liable for any action that a reader takes in connection with the demonstrated exercises, instructions and riding advice provided in this magazine. Please note that certain activities described in this magazine may be dangerous, especially if proper safety equipment and clothing is not used.

RIDE SAFE All riders pictured and contributing to Inside Motorcycles are trained riders, riding in safe conditions.

Please take care in riding and wear all safety equipment.

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KISKA.COM Photo: R.Schedl

DRAW YOUR BATTLE LINES.

WITH PRECISION! There’s something special about slicing up on the inside of a screaming sports bike. Even more so, when you’re piloting a mid-sized naked. The KTM 890 DUKE – unexpectedly sharp.

SEE MORE AT WWW.KTM.COM Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European specification model shown for illustration purposes only.

Harley-Davidson Launches Icon Collection

Fans of classic motorcycles are in for a treat with the arrival of Harley-Davidson’s recently announced Icon Collection.

Designed to pay homage to classic H-D models, the Icon Collection will feature one or two limited edition models each year, commencing with the introduction of the 2021 Electra Glide Revival.

With styling cues taken from the 1969 Electra Glide, the 2021 re-imagining retains iconic design elements such as the batwing fairing and colour-matched birch white hard The 2021 Electra Glide Revival leads off the new Harley-Davidson Icon collection. saddlebags as well as solo saddle, chrome laced wheels and PHOTO COURTESY OF HARLEY-DAVIDSON wide whitewall tires.

Standard equipment on the Electra Glide Revival includes latest tech from Harley-Davidson starting with a 1,868 cc Milwaukee-Eight V-Twin engine producing a claimed 118 ft-lb of torque at 3,250 rpm. Other features include Harley-Davidson RDRS rider assists (lean-sensitive ABS and traction control, drag-torque slip control and hill hold control) and the Boom Box GTS infotainment system with colour touch screen and advanced navigation system.

Limited to 1,500 units worldwide, the 2021 Electra Glide Revival has a Canadian MSRP of $35,299. IM

Motovan Takes Over Full Bore Marketing

Motorcycle parts and accessories distributor Full Bore Marketing has announced that the Motovan powersports group has taken over management of the company following the passing of Full Bore’s president and founder Herman Cornelsen.

Founded by Cornelsen and two partners in 1985, Full Bore grew to be a leading wholesale distributor to the Canadian motorcycle industry representing multiple product lines including exclusive distribution of Arai helmets.

A company announcement dated April 8, 2021 indicated that all Full Bore staff will remain in place.

Visit www.fullboremarketing.ca to learn more about Full Bore and the products they distribute. Additional information on Motovan and their products can be found online at www.motovan.com. IM

KTM 2022 Off-Road

KTM continues to live the “Race on Sunday, sell on Monday” mantra. Building on the company’s on-track success with factory racers like Cooper Webb, KTM is able to offer leading-edge components such as the those found in the three-model four-stroke SX-F lineup that feature the latest WP Xact suspension technology and electronics including launch control, traction control and variable engine mapping.

Two-stroke motocrossers for 2022 include 125 cc, 150 cc and 250 cc models as well as five different minicycles. The all-electric SX-E 5 rounds out the company’s motocross lineup.

Built to take on the rigours of cross-country racing, KTM’s six-model XC lineup features three four-strokes (250, 350 and 450 cc) and three two-strokes (125, 250 and 300 cc) with both The 2022 KTM 300 XC TPI. PHOTO COURTESY OF KTM CANADA the 250 and 300 cc two-strokes utilizing fuel injection. While each model draws heavily on its motocross counterpart, the XC models are tailored to cross-country competition with larger capacity fuel tanks, 21-inch front and 18inch rear wheels and WP Xact suspension specifically setup for the requirements of cross-country riding. For 2022, each of the full-size KTM SX and XC models will feature orange powder-coated frames similar to those on the factory sponsored machines.

Enduro riders remain a key target market for KTM with a full 2022 lineup that includes three fuel-injected two-stroke XC-W models (150, 250 and 300 cc), as well as the four-stroke XCF-W (350 and 500 cc) and dual sport EXC-F (350 and 500 cc) models. All models in the 2022 enduro lineup receive WP suspension that has been reworked for 2022 with a focus on firmer feel, improved damping and better all-round performance. Visit www.ktm.com/en-ca for complete details on KTM’s 2022 off-road lineup. IM OUND

CHECKE FLAG RED BACKGR

12 Inside Motorcycles

Husqvarna Rolls out 2022 Off-Road Lineups

Whether your off-road pursuits involve hitting the trails or full-on cross-country and motocross competition, Husqvarna’s 2022 lineups have been developed to ensure there is something for everyone.

With three two-stroke TE models and four FE four-strokers, Husqvarna’s 2022 enduro lineup features a number of improvements including The 2022 FE 350s is one of two dual sport revisions to the WP Xplor forks and machines in the Husqvarna off-road lineup.

Xact rear shocks, designed to provide PHOTO COURTESY OF HUSQVARNA MOTORCYCLES NORTH AMERICA improved handling and rider comfort.

Braktec hydraulic clutch systems make their debut on each of the seven bikes in the off-road lineup along with Braktec brake systems on both the front and rear working with GSK wave brake discs.

The two dual sport models of the enduro lineup – the FE 350s and FE 501s – offer the combination of off-road capability with the requirement of riding on the street, including Continental TKC 80 tires that have been developed to provide an ideal balance of traction for both environments.

On the competition front, Husqvarna’s motocross and cross-country lineup features 12 models including two full size two-stroke motocrossers (TC125 and TC250) alongside the 250 cc, 350 cc and 450 cc four-stroke FC machines, each of which will gain a Brembo hydraulic clutch system for the 2022 model year.

The 2022 cross country lineup, which includes the fuel injected TX 300i twostroke, as well as the 350 cc and 450 cc FX models, combines the features of the motocross platforms with large-capacity fuel tanks, side stands and 21-inch front and 18-inch rear D.I.D DirtStar wheels shod with Dunlop Geomax AT81 tires.

Husqvarna continues to actively focus on the next generation of off-road riders with 50 cc, 65 cc, 85 cc and the all-electric EE5 minicycles. The 85 cc model is available with either 17-inch/14-inch or 19-inch/16-inch wheel combination.

Full details of Husqvarna’s off-road lineups can be found online by visiting www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com/en-ca. IM

Yamaha’s Latest R

Yamaha has unveiled the all-new 2022 YZF-R7 to fill the substantial gap between the entry-level YZF-R3 and the company’s flagship YZF-R1M that resulted with the departure of the YZF-R6 from the R lineup.

Rounding out Yamaha’s supersport lineup, The 2022 YZF-R7 is the latest the YZF-R7 is built around the same 689 cc addition to the Yamaha R family.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YAMAHA MOTOR CANADA liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine from the Yamaha MT-07 paired with an assist and slipper clutch.

Built around the narrow dimensions of the CP2 engine, the YZF-R7 features a narrow lightweight frame and the slimmest bodywork in the R family, providing reduced air resistance and superior aerodynamics. A fully adjustable 41 mm inverted front fork and horizontally mounted rear shock support a wide range of uses from street to track, while a radial brake master cylinder and radial-mount calipers from Brembo provide optimum stopping power with dual 298 mm front discs and a 245 mm rear disc.

Instrumentation on the YZF-R7 is provided by a high-contrast LCD panel with multifunction display which the rider is able to navigate through using handlebar switches. LED lighting including tail light, front and rear signals and an adaptive bi-functional headlight confirm the R7’s lineage as a member of Yamaha’s R family.

Available in Yamaha Blue and Performance Black, the YZF-R7 arrives in dealerships this June with an MSRP of $10,799. IM InsideMotorcycles.com 13

Wonderful Waiparous

Patrick, I just wanted to pass on my heartfelt thank you for the “Return to Waiparous” article in the current issue of Inside Motorcycles.

From the time we chatted at the Calgary Bike show a few years ago to now seeing it in print and sharing the experience with others was truly a thought / idea that we were able to bring to fruition.

You did a marvelous job in presentation, the pictures you selected and the attached captions were perfect. Then when I get to the end I see that you included the info and picture I passed on about “The Red Tanked Husky.” That was so very, very kind of you, I must admit it brought a lump to my throat…

To say that the article exceeded my expectations would be a true understatement. If the readers enjoy the article, even a portion of what I did, you achieved your objective, to inform and entertain.

Again, thank you, very well done…

Darrell Hilliard Hello Darrell, thank you for allowing us to bring your story to our readers. I hope the trails are treating you well and look forward to hearing more about your adventures with the Red Tanked Husky. -Ed.

Small-Displacement Fan

Howdy Brett, we’ve met a couple of times at AMP in NS and at Mosport once. We have started up Atlantic Mini in NS for schools and tracks days with mini moto bikes. I just read your article in Inside Motorcycles, spot on man.

We’ve been riding 100 Hondas on the ice in front of our place for seven years now. Is there a link to that article online so I could share it?

Jeff Martin Hello Jeff, Brett’s “To The Limit” column from the April/May 2021 issue of Inside Motorcycles can be found in the Features section at insidemotorcycles.com. -Ed.

Credit Where Credit is Due

Hi Patrick and Co., Love the mag, especially when you put in shots like the Zoom photo in the latest issue. But dude! No credits whatsoever, of who it is or even where it was. Obviously an oversight and will be credited in the next issue, right?

And I’ve already had my copy signed by the ‘King of Busa Wheelies’ himself, Mr. Beatch in the Hat! Cody Minor Hi Cody, when it came time to celebrate the history of the Suzuki Hayabusa, longtime CMDRA and MHDRA racer Gerald Beatch was the obvious choice. -Ed. IM

Can-Am Outliers

With the introduction of the Can-Am Spyder in 2007, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) delivered an alternative for the motorcycle world that went beyond two wheels.

As the stable of BRP on-road products has grown to include a full range of Spyder derived machines as well as the affordable stripped-down Ryker models that augmented the brand in 2018, the presence of these threewheeled machines travelling alongside their two-wheeled brethren has become a frequent sight.

Looking to build on its momentum and reputation as an outside-the-box alternative, BRP/ Can-Am have launched the Outliers campaign featuring rock legend Joan Jett and rap artist SAINt JHN. During a recent panel discussion, these new Can-Am ambassadors highlighted how BRP’s willingness to challenge stereotypes has resulted in new riders from all walks of life getting out and experiencing all that the open road has to offer.

The full Joan Jett and SAINt JHN panel discussion can be viewed by searching “Can-Am Outliers” on YouTube. IM 14 Inside Motorcycles

The cover of the May/June 2011 issue of Inside Motorcycles featured the latest touring machines from Honda and BMW. While the 2012 Gold Wing could be best described as an update to the previous year’s model, the K 1600 GTL, powered by BMW’s new inline six-cylinder engine, represented a major expansion of the company’s long-haul touring lineup. Ten years later, both machines retain loyal followings and remain as staples of their brand’s lineups.

Mini road racing was also front and centre in the pages of Inside Motorcycles in 2011, highlighting the four Western Canadian clubs that provided enthusiastic racers of all ages the opportunity to experience the thrill of twowheeled competition. Still active in 2021, mini road racing is Canada is set to take another major step with the launch of the Canadian Mini Superbike Series, bringing the vision of Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame member and road racing legend Toni Sharpless to reality.

Included among the racers who got their start through mini road racing is IM test rider and columnist Brett McCormick. Having spent the 2010 season racing in the United States, McCormick returned to CSBK competition one year later and the May/June 2011 issue of Inside Motorcycles accurately predicted an epic showdown between McCormick and the reigning Pro Superbike champion Jordan Szoke, which saw McCormick take the 2011 championship with a dramatic last corner pass in the penultimate race of the season.

The May/June 2011 issue wrapped up with a profile of John McBride and the McBride family’s contribution to motorcycling in Canada. Starting as McBride Cycle in 1909, John took over management of the business in 1977 for almost three decades. After leaving McBride Cycle in 2005, John started Riders Choice where he continues to work today alongside his son Matt, the fourth generation of McBrides dedicated to keeping Canadian motorcyclists safe on the road, trails and track. IM

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

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PEAC additive system was developed by Maxima and tested with factory teams like Monster Energy Kawasaki, Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki and Geico Factory Connection Honda. PEAC was designed to significantly improve performance in several critical areas: engine cleanliness, clutch performance, power & acceleration. This unique additive system is exclusive to the Maxima 4-stroke engine oil line-up. OEM Approved & Guaranteed by Maxima Racing Oils / Made in the USA / MaximaUSA.com

Leatt 5.5 FlexLock Enduro Boots

By Mark Dzikowski The South African motocross gear company got its start when the company founder, Dr. Chris Leatt, developed a neck brace to help prevent serious and fatal neck injuries in motorcycle racing.

Fifteen years later, the Leatt brand has expanded into other protective safety gear like helmets, boots, goggles and body armour. First up to review are the 2021 Leatt 5.5 FlexLock enduro boots.

With a steel shank and the patented adjustable FlexLock system, these boots illustrate Leatt’s dedication to safety and ankle protection. According to Leatt, the FlexLock system reduces forces to the ankle by up to 37 percent and the knee by up to 35 percent by locking out the ankle movement when over-flexed. The system also comes with an optional stiffer puck that reduces the sideways flex even more. When installed, I didn’t notice any difference in sideways stiffness compared to the standard puck during riding, which convinced me to stick with the stiffer puck.

The 5.5 boots’ feature that I have not seen on other boots is the SlideLock system, a one-way Velcro cuff design. It allows me to keep the top cuff loosely attached while I do up the buckles and then cinch it down tight for a final snug fit. It is a fantastic design and I wish all other boots had this. The aluminum buckles with Over-lock system and stainless steel base design is one of my favourites. It is easy to close them even when going for a super tight fit and you don’t need a hammer to do it, like some boots out there.

The dual-hardness sole is specially designed for enduro riding with a grippy heel and toe allowing for good traction when walking enduro sections or pushing the bike up a steep technical climb.

For my narrow feet, the fit was true to size and with an insole and thicker socks, the fit almost feels custom. I always try to minimize foot movement in the boot for maximum feel and fewer ankle injuries, so this is a great plus for me.

Pros Cons Visit www.kimpex.com for more details. IM – Excellent safety features and the – Priced as a top of the line

Sizes: 7 to 13 (US) MSRP: $599.99

SlideLock top cuff system – Very comfortable with excellent peg and shifter feel with just enough flex

boot. Durability still unknown – Squeaky right out of the box.

No lube included

Olympia Newport 2 Jacket

By Patrick Lambie Versatile gear is key to riding in Canada. With this in mind, Olympia Motosports offers up the Newport 2 jacket that combines a mesh outer shell with a removable windproof/waterproof liner. I had the opportunity to wear the Newport 2 jacket in various situations including riding to and from work in the city as well as all-day long highway trips and in each case found it to be a very capable piece of gear that was equally comfortable as it was flexible.

Constructed with 500D and 1000D Evo Thread fabric and abrasion-resistant mesh panels, the outer shell features sizing adjustments on the cuffs, forearms, collar and waist to ensure a comfortable fit. I have a 40-inch chest and the size Large left ample room to wear a sweater or hoodie underneath. CE Level 2 shoulder, elbow and back protection is included along with reflective surfaces on the arm and back that ensure the rider is visible. The large amount of mesh surfaces limits the number of pockets to the two exterior pockets which may be a limiting factor for those who like to carry multiple items on their person. The jacket also includes an eight-inch zipper at the back to connect to the matching pants. The liner, which can be worn under or over the jacket, provided great protection from the wind on early morning rides and was easy to install and remove. The only challenge I found is that forgetting to remove the liner as the temperature rises can create sauna-like temperatures. Surprisingly, I did not have the opportunity to test out the Newport 2 in the rain, which was disappointing as the ability to have the waterproof layer on the outside of the jacket promises to do a better job keeping the rider dry than other multi-layer jackets on the market.

All of these features for just $259.99 makes the Olympia Newport 2 a serious contender for your next jacket purchase. Visit www.motovan.com for complete details. IM

Sizes S to 4XL Colours: Black, Grey/Neon Yellow MSRP $259.99 16 Inside Motorcycles

Pros

– Versatile package – Great price

Cons

– Lack of ventilation in the rain jacket – Limited pockets

ON THE PIPE MARK DZIKOWSKI

Walking out of the bush

F

or the uninitiated woods riders/racers, one of the fears of riding off-road is the possibility of the irreparable motorcycle breakdown far away from the truck and the safety of civilization, spare parts and fully stocked repair shop. At least it was for me when I started riding. I had a dozen years of backcountry human-powered experience prior to getting into off-road riding, but for some reason it still made me uncomfortable. Motorized recreation in the backcountry is a different beast compared to human powered adventures. Namely, when backcountry skiing or hiking, you don’t even think of getting away too far into the wilderness without being prepared for an overnighter. On an off-road or dual sport motorcycle however, I can go for an evening ride and easily end up in a remote area, 50 kilometres away from the nearest road or civilization, in just an hour or two. Walking back to the truck or nearest spot with cell reception to call for help now seems a little more challenging, especially in off-road riding boots and gear. That is of course only possible if you’re not badly or critically injured and you can actually walk at all. It is

one of the main reasons why riding alone is never a good idea when venturing into the backcountry.

It just so happens that on my first ride of the year, where I got to test the 2021 GasGas EX 350F (see our first impressions of this bike on page 30) at a local riding area, we got into a similar situation when one of my riding buddies’ bike suddenly developed a starting problem. It was 6:30 p.m. by the time this happened and we were about 10 trail kilometres away from our staging area.

After 30 minutes of trying to start the bike where the motor would occasionally fire but die when at idle, the decision was made that he will try to get to the closest highway while we go back to fetch his truck and pick him up. Shortly after we separated, his bike quit completely; after exhausting his battery and his bike not having a kick starter, he made the last few kilometres on foot and was successfully picked up by one of our riding mates. The bike spent the night all alone in the bush and was rescued the next day.

This brings me to another point: The increasing amount of electronics that are creeping into our off-road machines makes

Good friends scratching their heads in solidarity as we try to solve the dead-bike issue is a comforting sight. PHOTO BY MARK DZIKOWSKI. 18 Inside Motorcycles

the occurrence described above more frequent than not. Back when carburetors were the only way to mix fuel and air, life was simpler and you could usually limp out of the bush if say, your fuel delivery system acted up. Now, if a fuel injector gets ripped off by a branch (happened to me a few years ago), a fuel pump gives up the ghost (also happened to me on one of the early Husabergs) or the ECU acts up like it did for my friend on this occasion, there is a very good chance that you’re getting a workout of bushwhacking yourself out of the woods back to civilization. Most of the two-stroke dirt bikes are still holding on to the simplicity of carburetors but in decreasing numbers as more and more of them are getting fuel injection to keep up with the ever-increasing emissions controls around the world. That is one of the reasons why two-stroke off-road bikes have dominated the hard enduro scene for decades now.

They are simple to fix, reliable, light and flickable in the tough terrain. But now with the fuel injection and other electronic fuel delivery systems, the first two points are becoming less and less common.

When I go on a ride these days, I never ride alone, I don’t leave home without a tool bag and a few survival items, and I let my wife know where I’m going and what time I’m expected back (she usually adds three hours to the time I tell her, and that usually works out perfect). A lot of the times, one of my riding buddies carries a satellite messenger like the SPOT or the now industry favourite Garmin inReach two-way communicator which adds another layer of safety. Sometimes not planning a route to ride for the day produces the best adventures, as planning sometimes takes away from the spontaneity; however, having a riding partner, some survival gear and planning for an unscheduled overnighter is an easy way to overcome the anxiety of trouble in the backcountry without eliminating the excitement of an unplanned adventure. IM

Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scene. Always wear protective safety gear and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations. The illustrated vehicle may vary in selected details from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European specification model shown for illustration purposes only.

Photos: R. Schedl, H. Mitterbauer

husqvarna-motorcycles.com

E

The road quickly disappears behind you as you turn off the asphalt and engage off-road ride mode on the fly. the mighty single powers you smoothly along the trail. With its cutting-edge electronics and nimble chassis, you’re ready to take on any terrain you choose.

n d u

701 r

o

Lean angle traction control 2 ride modes

21"/18" wheels

Versatility without compromise.

THE SHARP EDGE TONI SHARPLESS

Track Announcer’s Notebook

I

f you enjoy absorbing all things motorcycle, there is a podcast you may enjoy, as I do, called Track Announcer’s Notebook (TAN) with host Pat Gonsalves and co-host/ producer Stuart Nodell. The show airs every week live at 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday night via Zoom (email stuart@remaxhallmark.com) or you can pick up any previously recorded show anytime on YouTube.

What I like about the TAN show is its casual format and the feeling that I’m trackside among my peeps ‘talking the talk’ and absorbing the behind-the-scenes information.

Each show begins with a report on some of the current affairs of motorcycle competition in Canada and abroad then moves into the main segment of the show with an interview of a special guest or guests.

The show’s mix of nostalgia and current affairs has had a wide range of special guests including current and 14-time Canadian Superbike Champion Jordan Szoke to heroes of the past like Steve Crevier, winner of all three championships in 1989 (250 cc, 600 cc and Superbike) and Miguel Duhamel, five-time winner of the Daytona 200 to rising

Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame member Pat Gonsalves.

20 Inside Motorcycles

young-guns like Alex Dumas, Sam Guerin and Jordan Royds.

During the episode “TAN with Steve Crevier” you’ll see Steve flash his famous toothy grin as he relives his early days figuring out street riding on an RZ350 and his encounter with an off-duty cop. Then listen as Steve recounts through the ‘90s all of his different rides on top American race teams and why he jests today that Duhamel should give him one of his three Daytona 200 Rolex watches.

The most watched TAN episode to date is “Tales of Superbike Superstar-Miguel Duhamel” where you will hear Miguel respond to Pat when he mentions Crevier’s name, “Well, I’ve never heard of Steve Crevier, I’ll have to google that guy.” Then feel the tension as Miguel relives his thought strategy during that famous last lap on the banking when he made his “crazy move right to the wall” to break the draft against Scott Russell clinching another Daytona win in 1987.

In the episode, “The Flying Frenchmen” you can watch the rivalry forming between the young rookies from Quebec, Alex Dumas, winner of the MotoAmerica 2018 Junior Cup and 2019 Twins Cup championships and the 2020 runner-up Sam Guerin in his rookie year of CSBK Pro Superbike. Add to the mix, another rookie Jordan Royds, fresh from his Amateur Superbike championship wins, explains his 2021 program in the episode “Superbike Contender.” Now that I have virtually met all three of these 2021 CSBK rookies I will be cheering each of them on to the podium!

Of course, I will be cheering on other racers too as I got to ‘know’ them through the TAN shows. Ben Young, Trevor Daley, Michael Leon and Kenny Riedmann have all made guest appearances on TAN. It is interesting to hear how similar their individual training programs are in the off-season and to see the camaraderie among the racers. For example, in a surprising reveal in “Contenders or Pretenders” episode Ben tells the viewers how he lent a workout ma-

chine to rival Trevor when his broken ankle prevented him from using his usual training tool, the rowing machine.

As you may have guessed already, although the show covers a smattering of all forms of motorcycle racing, the focus of the show is on the road racing scene, the sport the show curators Pat and Stuart both grew up on.

Pat Gonsalves is the smooth-toned announcing voice of Canadian motorcycle road racing I grew up listening to in the paddock. Pat started his announcing career 1973 when Harry McCluney, one of the four men who bought the property and started Shannonville Motorsport Park, hired Pat to race call their club events. That job was announcing from the back of an old school bus with speakers balancing on top long before the now established Honda Tower was built.

But even from an old school bus the combination of Pat’s voice along with his knowledge from meticulous research on each of the competitors elevates an event to a new level. You could place a couple of traffic cones in an open parking lot, add two motorcycles, two racers and Pat’s announcing voice and you would have a main event worthy of sponsors!

Pat’s producer and co-host of the TAN show is Stuart Nodell, who is no stranger to road racing. In contrast to his quiet demeaner as Stuart reports on the MotoGP scene with “Nodell’s Notes,” his own race results speak volumes. Winning the 50 cc provincial production lightweight class in 1991, then notably the 2002 Can-Am 125 GP at Grattan, MI and the RACE Pro Formula championship in 2003, Stuart has demonstrated he knows the magic of momentum.

Now in their second season of the TAN show I hope Pat and Stuart carry that same momentum with them, as they aren’t just providing under-the-helmet insight that makes watching the races more fun, but they are unwittingly (or deliberately) recording our Canadian motorcycle racing history too. IM

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TO THE LIMIT BRETT MCCORMICK

Something to cheer for

A

very smart friend of mine from the racing industry once explained their take on local racing popularity. They said something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and it was along the lines of “For local racing to be popular, the local racing needs to feed into something bigger and better, or people won’t care.” This was a few years back but it’s stuck with me ever since.

A good parallel we all can relate to is in hockey. Our junior hockey system is massive across the country, with the OHL, WHL and QMJHL all building future NHL stars.

These junior leagues have an impressive following of fans and bring out enthusiastic local crowds. I’m a fan of the WHL and love watching games in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. What makes it exciting? Watching the young talent develop, and realizing these guys are one step away from the best league in the world. Without that part of the puzzle, do thousands of fans care to watch teenagers chase a puck around the ice? I honestly doubt it.

I’ve been a racing fan from the moment I was old enough to understand it, but throughout my life I’ve had different attention levels when it comes to following along.

I was a huge fan as a kid because anything on TV seemed untouchable, they’re stars.

I can remember watching MotoGP as a kid being blown away by the talent the riders had, and especially star-struck with the American riders like Hayden, Hopkins and Edwards. Faster was a movie I could watch on repeat and never get sick of.

This made the AMA and Canadian Superbike series exciting for me to watch, because you could watch the local racing and wonder “who’s next?” Who would be the next Canadian to go race in the AMA, and who would be the next guy to leave the AMA for the world circuits? Miguel Duhamel was still winning in the AMA, and Pascal Picotte had just come back to Canada after a successful decade racing in the US. You had Americans winning in MotoGP and World Superbike. A rewarding time for us fans.

As my career developed and I was winning races in Canada, looking on to the US or Europe a lot of the guys I grew up idolizing were still racing. It’s pretty wild to line up next to a guy on the grid that only a decade earlier you were watching on the movie Faster thinking they were from a different planet. The fifth-place World Superbike finish I got in Portugal back in 2012 battling with Rea and Biaggi was insane; making a pass on Biaggi, there were more than a few reminiscent thoughts running through

American Garrett Gerloff during 2021 pre-season WSBK testing. PHOTO COURTESY OF YAMAHA RACING 22 Inside Motorcycles

my head at the time. I know many of my Canadian buddies were yelling at the TV screen that day, something substantial for Canadian fans to cheer for. I’m not claiming to have made any big waves, but even having a Canadian racing in the series would be exciting for fans – and something that I hope to have the chance to cheer about in the near future.

The past number of years I haven’t tuned in to MotoGP a ton, but a bit more on World Superbike and MotoAmerica. I would keep up on MotoAmerica results to see how Alex Dumas was making out as he moved up through that series, and keep up on results of my US buddies still racing. World Superbike has been fun to follow along with the Americans racing the past number of years, but even more exciting now that Garrett Gerloff is at the front of the pack.

This year has changed for me, and I’ve been watching MotoGP religiously. Having North American riders to cheer for in Moto2 making their way to the front of that grid has been epic. It makes MotoAmerica even more interesting, too. Canadian Superbike is going to be extra exciting this year with Dumas racing, and I can’t wait to follow along. What if Dumas dominates Canada and gets back to a seat on a top American team, then leaps into World Superbike or Moto2! This is the excitement that brings fans out to the track: the hope that local talent doesn’t stop growing.

Don’t get me wrong, watching the best in the world compete is always worth tuning in to no matter where they come from – but it’s so much better to cheer on racers that come from your home soil. Gerloff up front in World Superbike, Cameron Beaubier and Joe Roberts in Moto2, and a lot more discussion around up and coming American riders heading overseas brings credibility to North American racing and excitement for the fans on multiple levels. Hopefully the next decade of racing is full of North American talent at the highest levels, and we all have something to cheer for and be proud of. IM

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INSIDE IMPRESSION | 2021 KAWASAKI NINJA 1000SX

24 Inside Motorcycles

RAA TORING GO

THE DISTANCE I

f you’re gonna ride a four-cylinder motorcycle, you might as well ride a large four-cylinder motorcycle. Over the years, I’ve tested a decent number of inline fours, and while I’ve had fun on all of them, my heart gravitates to the bigger ones.

A small four-cylinder bike doesn’t have that wide spread of torque that I crave – a top-end rush is nice, but the ability to honk a bike right off the bottom is what it takes to really grab my attention.

Now, I know what you’re thinking: What about the environment? What about fuel economy? Think of the children!

Meh. I’ll plant a tree in their name. Once again, for clarity: I like big four-cylinder bikes.

Case in point – the 2021 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX. One thousand cubic centimetres. Well, 1,043 cc to be exact, in a sport touring chassis that definitely leans toward the sport end of the equation. To that point, while the 1000SX isn’t exactly a full-on sport bike – it’s not a ZX-10R supersport with a set of bags and taller ‘bars – the 1000SX is an agile, fast motorcycle, and that’s a great combination in my books.

When I first approached the 1000SX at Kawasaki’s headquarters here in Toronto, I was somewhat surprised at how compact the bike appeared. Yes, this is a sport tourer, but the seat is flat and firm, the tank long and low, and it seemed to me that the overall profile of the motorcycle was much more closely related to that ZX-10R than some sort of upright dad bike.

Slinging a leg over the 1000SX continues the contradiction. The clip-on bars are raised up to a comfortable level, one that kept most of the weight off my crippled-up wrists. The pegs forced my knees up to a sub90-degree angle, but one that didn’t cramp my two steel hips. Compared to the average sport-tourer, the 1000SX’s riding position felt more like being strapped

on to Wile E. Coyote’s Acme rocket, but again, it was surprisingly comfortable.

Two years back, I found myself almost physically unable to ride the BMW R nineT Racer. So compact was its geometry that it pulled every tendon in my body tighter than a guitar string. Over the years, my tolerance for a true sporting riding position has faded, leaving me ambivalent about sport bikes in general. Aboard the 1000SX, however, I felt utterly at home. If you find that the 1000SX’s overall mission statement suits your needs, but are worried that it might be too cramped, I strongly suggest you source one out and try it for size – you might well be as surprised as I was.

Touring amenities are sparse. There’s no power outlet for a phone, GPS or heated clothing, although there is a knockout on the dash where you’d expect such a convenience to reside. Heated grips are not standard but are available as a dealer-installed option for an additional $368. Cruise control is standard, which is very nice to have. The windshield is not adjustable, but it sure looks like it would be easy to replace with a larger, more protective item. That said, the wind blast at highway speeds is well controlled, and the airflow is clean and turbulence free. The panniers, which retail for $990, are superb. They’re large and of extremely high quality. The latch engages with a positive click, and there’s little flex to the sides when open.

Thumbing the 1000SX’s starter is anticlimactic. The engine springs to life with a subdued burble, and the exhaust note is smooth and restrained. The gearbox is like butter. Snicking the lever down and releasing the clutch is equally uneventful. There’s tons of low-end power, and first gear is appropriately low. The 1000SX’s fuel injection is perfect, as I’ve come to expect over the past few years, with no lurching or flat spots, and an ideal relationship between throttle position and engine speed.

InsideMotorcycles.com 25

Weighted towards the sport side of the sport touring equation, the Kawasaki 1000SX provides an agile package that is equally capable on afternoon rips through the twisties and long-haul asphalt adventures. The lean-sensitive ABS equipped front brakes (below left) impressed, as did the full-colour display (below centre) and optional panniers (below right).

26 Inside Motorcycles

The meat and potatoes – the motor. It’s just wonderful. Kawasaki specifies 143 horsepower for the 1000SX – that’s a good number for any motor, but it sounds underwhelming for a thousand-cc inline four. Well, the 81.8 ft-lb torque number says more. There’s a liberal, globular wallop of torque available at any engine speed, in any gear. The engine is almost electric in its delivery, and that direct relationship between throttle position and engine speed combines into an almost telepathic command structure. You decide you want to be over there? Well just twist that throttle just so and the bike teleports you to that location. The 1000SX has several ride modes, but I just left the bike in the standard Road mode. Oh sure, there’s a Rain mode, but the motor is so tractable and well behaved that I felt no need to dial it down when it did in fact rain. And a Sport mode? Given what seemed like almost unlimited power available in the standard Road mode, I couldn’t see much point in engaging a berserker option.

Other electronic helpers abound. As a caveat, I will announce up front that I had no need or desire to experience the illumination of any form of traction control warning lights during my test period. The Kawasaki Traction Control and Cornering Management Function features were invisible to me, and – given the heavy load on hospital ICUs during this troubled time – I felt unwilling to push the bike to the limits required to engage their assistance. Still, there’s a ton of tech inside the 1000SX’s brain stem, and it’s nice to know it’s got your back should the need arise.

In top gear, the 1000SX revs at about 4,200 rpm at 100 km/h.

Jack the speed up to 125 km/h and the engine turns over at 5,700 rpm. Those are fairly high numbers and I found myself just a touch conflicted. On the one hand, I would have appreciated a slightly taller top gear, which would enable a more relaxed cruising experience. On the other hand, though, the Ninja felt quite at home at 125 km/h, and the engine’s smooth, composed demeanor didn’t let anything objectionable pass through the seat, bars or pegs. Top-gear roll-on also benefits from the low gearing. At anywhere over 90 km/h in top gear, a quick whack of the throttle yields instantaneous acceleration.

A taller top gear might also help fuel range. In mixed city and highway riding I managed 239 km before the low fuel indicator began to squawk its warning. At that time, the tank inhaled 14 litres of the juice. While this is reasonable range, a sport touring motorcycle, designed for all-day riding could handle slightly longer legs.

Of particular note while we’re discussing the gearbox, is the 1000SX’s quick shifter. Now, I’m not usually in such a hurry that I fuss around with such frippery, but I found the Ninja’s quick shifter to be surprisingly entertaining. Ripping down on-ramps, the quick shifter meshed perfectly with the silky gearbox, snapping off rapid-fire upshifts in a manner far smoother than other such gizmos of my experience. Same for downshifts – there was no sense of discontinuity, and I could bang the ‘box down a gear and the Ninja’s brain would match revs better than I could do myself.

While the 1000SX weighs in at a somewhat girthy 233 kg wet, the bike feels like a featherweight when it’s on the fly. Rider inputs translate instantaneously to direction changes. Think about where you want to go and the bike responds without hesitation.

Corner entry setup is quite important, as the bike holds its line well but can drift a bit if you don’t mind your bar input. That

said, midcorner corrections are ridiculously easy, and the bike responds well to such belated commands.

With its big front discs and radial-mount calipers, the 1000SX pulls down from highway speeds with a complete absence of drama. Lever feel is superb. The front brake has all of the power, control and feedback of the best sport-bike brakes, but there’s just a tiny bit of extra slack in the initial takeup. Rather than being any kind of flaw, this slight resilience makes the brake easy to modulate. It’s hard to imagine a better front brake on a road-going motorcycle. The rear brake is strong, works well and is an appropriate mate to the front end.

Kawasaki bestowed the 1000SX with a fully adjustable fork, and a shock with adjustable rebound damping and remote preload adjustment. That remote rear preload adjustment indicates that the 1000SX can accommodate wildly differing loads, such as a whole bunch of luggage or a passenger. The luggage part I get – it makes sense that you might want to add a large tail pack if you’re travelling for more than a night or two. However, the 1000SX’s pillion accommodations look rather sparse. The passenger seat is not something I’d want to inflict on my wife for longer than a short trip about town. It might be just me, and your travelling partner might be more accustomed to such sparse appointments, but my feeling is that the 1000SX is more appropriate to solo touring.

That said, both ends are superb. The suspension tracks uneven pavement with a complete absence of drama, bestowing that “riding on velvet feel,” which is the provenance of the very best components. There’s sufficient travel on hand to allow for a comfortable, controlled ride on seriously nasty, frost-heaved roads. The 1000SX never pitches or becomes unsettled over irregularities. Even leaned over in fast sweepers, the suspension remains settled and composed, relaying surface imperfections to the rider while keeping the bike level and committed to its line.

This unflappable combination of suspenders, along with the meaty, tractable, powerful motor and superb brakes combine into a motorcycle that exudes competence. The razor-sharp sport tourer is a thinly populated class and within that class, the Ninja 1000SX stands out for its adherence to the sport end of the spectrum. Here’s a motorcycle that’s not far off a true sport bike, but is comfortable, well behaved and technologically advanced.

What’s not to like? IM InsideMotorcycles.com 27

S P E C TA B L E

2021 Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX PROS:

+Incredibly refined package +Snappy quick shifter, great luggage

CONS:

-Fuel range could be better -No heated grips

Suggested Retail: $14,999 + $990 panniers

Torque: 81.9 ft-lb @ 8,000 rpm

Colours: Metallic Carbon Gray / Metallic Diablo Black, Metallic Moondust Gray / Metallic Diablo Black (+$200)

Fuel Delivery: Fuel injected

Engine: Liquid-cooled four-cylinder

Weight: 233 kg (514 lb) wet

Displacement: 1,043 cc Bore & Stroke: 77 x 56 mm Compression Ratio: 11.8:1 Power: 143 hp @ 10,000 rpm 28 Inside Motorcycles

Final Drive: Chain

Transmission: Six speed Frame: Aluminum twin tube Wheelbase: 1,440 mm (56.7 in) Seat Height: 820 mm (33 in) Suspension (front): 41 mm inverted fork adjustable for compression, rebound and preload

Suspension (rear): Single shock, adjustable for preload and rebound Tire (front): 120/70ZR17M Tire (rear): 190/50ZR17M Brakes (front): Dual 300 mm discs with radial-mount monobloc 4-piston calipers, ABS Brakes (rear): Single 250 mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS Fuel Capacity: 19 L

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InsideMotorcycles.com 29

INSIDE IMPRESSION | 2021 GASGAS EX 350F

30 Inside Motorcycles

SEEING RED M

ost people are aware of the Austrian orange brand’s (KTM) crusade of saving struggling motorcycle manufacturers from financial trouble in the last 26 years or so, when it first acquired the Swedish Husaberg brand and then followed up with the 2013 purchase of Husqvarna. The popularity of the KTM Group’s strategy of consolidation ranges in opinion from one end of the spectrum to the next, kind of like today’s US and Canadian politics. Some lament the end of diversity and originality between brands while others praise it for giving us more choices on specifications, configurations and colours. In 2019, another independent off-road and trials bike manufacturer was at risk of going the way of the dodo bird, when the Spanish GasGas brand, owned by the Torrot Group, struggled with sales numbers.

With GasGas being a staple in the trials and enduro world for decades, it would be a shame for another European brand to vanish off the showroom floors. But just like what happened to Husaberg and Husqvarna we didn’t have to wait long for the Spanish brand to hit the front-page news once again, when Stefan Pierer, CEO of the KTM AG group made the 60 percent acquisition of GasGas official and public.

With the GasGas name still alive and well, the next question was: Will it retain some of the Spanish brand’s technology or just slap some red plastics onto the KTMs and call it a day? Well, the answer is yes and no. While the GasGas trials bikes remained virtually unchanged and add another bike discipline to the parent KTM Group’s arsenal, the enduro and now new motocross bike range inherited the orange KTM pedigree, same as the two blue brands did in previous acquisitions. Even though KTM, Husqvarna and now GasGas share a lot of the same parts, geometries and components, the

various combinations give them unique characteristics from one another. For example, while all KTM enduro models and now GasGas have aluminum subframes, Husqvarna continues their unique carbon fibre design which evolved from their composite plastic predecessor. At the same time, while most KTM and Husqvarna racing models come with CNC-machined aluminum triple clamps, GasGas comes with forged aluminum clamps that are more economical to produce and are most often OEM equipped on KTM non-racing models, as well as apparently allowing for more flex. All these minor variations in components and geometries can translate to significantly different feel and characteristics of a motorcycle. With Husqvarna being the premium brand of the three, GasGas now fills the void on the more affordable spectrum compared to the brothers.

When launching a new brand, or maybe a rebranded brand, one of the marketing obstacles is hiring the right person to be the brand ambassador who can represent the company professionally locally, can ride the motorcycle at a high level and be able to effectively and in a friendly manner interact with industry folk and fellow riders. With many global brands/ companies investing in social media influencers to push their product, who sometimes have no idea about the product itself, it is refreshing to see that GasGas locked up the services of Shane Cuthbertson to be their brand ambassador. Cuthbertson has been at the pointy end of the Canadian off-road riding scene for close to 25 years and also successfully dabbled in international competition like the Erzberg Rodeo, Red Bull Romaniacs hard enduros and represented Canada on three occasions as a member of Canadian ISDE teams in 2005 in Slovakia, 2006 in New Zealand and 2013 in Sardinia, Italy where he finally secured his elusive first gold medal of the event.

Before signing on with GasGas, the now 45-year-old Cuthbertson was a Husqvarna brand ambassador for a number of years with both his sons also sponsored by the brand. The two young Cuthbertsons, Chase and Kale, appear to be following in their father’s footsteps as top up-and-coming Albertan and Canadian off-road and motocross stars, so future is looking bright in that household. When asked why he switched his ambassadorship to the new red brand, Cuthbertson elaborates that he really enjoys helping a brand from ground up and having the ability to make a positive influence in the direction of the brand. When he was associated with Husaberg, he InsideMotorcycles.com 31

The all new EX 350F handled everything that IM off-road editor Mark Dzikowski (left) and GasGas ambassador Shane Cuthbertson threw at it. Residing underneath the bright red bodywork and white GasGas logo (below left) a liquid-cooled 349.7 cc 4T single-cylinder engine (below centre) provides solid bottom-end power. The Brembo brake setup (below right) performed as expected with solid consistent feel.

32 Inside Motorcycles

made positive marketing impact on the Canadian off-road scene via the Corner Grass Husaberg Racing Team. This great marketing vehicle ended when Husqvarna absorbed the Husaberg name and morphed into the big blue and white brand we know today. At that point, the Husqvarna brand had simply just gotten too big for what Cuthbertson had in mind and his ability to make an impact. He initiated his conversations with GasGas as soon as the news of the acquisition became public which led to building a good relationship with GasGas Canada and culminated in his GasGas ambassador responsibilities becoming official in late 2020/Q1 2021.

With the 2020/2021 pandemic weird by-product in full effect, where apparently anything with two wheels is flying off the showroom floors faster than toilet paper disappeared off the shelves in March 2020, Inside Motorcycles has had trouble coming up with a test bike for our first look and ride on the “new” brand models.

Luckily, Cuthbertson was more than happy to let us ride his 2021 GasGas EX 350F enduro model.

In early May, Cuthbertson and I managed to get away for an afternoon where I could swing a leg over the EX 350F of his and see for myself what the new GasGas model had to offer. Being a 350 kind of guy, I was looking forward to the comparison, as I own a KTM 350 XC-F as my personal off-road bike. To be fully transparent, the GasGas we were testing wasn’t completely stock. It came with re-valved suspension more suited for the motocross track rather than beat-to-heck rooted off-road trails that we were riding on, non-OEM tires, a Bib mousse tire insert in the rear, a Guts seat cover, AXP skidplate and an OEM Hard Parts radiator fan kit. The gearing, ECU settings and pipe were all stock.

First thing I noticed was the absence of the map and traction control switch that resides on the left side of the handlebars on the KTMs and Husqvarnas. The second most noticeable difference are the forged aluminum triple clamps, plain-silver-unbranded Excel wheel rims as well as unbranded handlebars (Neken) on this GasGas off-road 4T racing model. Other differences like the lack of a built-in hour meter, lack of resonance chamber on the header pipe and of course the signature bright red body work with a white GasGas logo completes the main differences between the brands. The stripped GasGas version of the 350 compared to the KTM and Husky translate to a savings of around $800. The point GasGas is trying to make is that new off-road and motocross machines don’t have to cost upwards of $13,000 all-in and can still be extremely capable stock machines.

Based on current MSRP, the EX 350F ($10,999) is approximately nine percent cheaper than the orange ($11,949) and blue ($12,149) brothers.

Once I swung my leg over the machine, I immediately felt the familiar ergonomics of the orange brethren. The sitting position is comfortable with the Neken handlebar seemingly having a little bit less sweep than the more motocross focused models from KTM. Standing attack position feels neutral and the bike is flickable as ever with its neutral front to back balance. With

the WP Xact Aer fork and shock re-valved to Cuthbertson’s specifications, which he admitted is more set up for the motocross track, the valving was definitely stiffer than I was used to, but still very well balanced. The bike tracked well through the rough choppy single-track and only once I got tired near the end of the five hour ride, did I start making mistakes and getting even more fatigued from the stiff setup. I did not notice any difference between the forged and CNC triple clamp flexibility characteristics. Not saying there isn’t, I just cannot feel any distinguishable difference, and when I asked Cuthbertson about it, he shared my observation.

In the powerplant department, with the absence of the map switch (can be purchased separately as a plug-and-play option), the EX 350F is by default in the aggressive map that’s available on the bikes with the map switch.

The motor characteristics are the same as the KTM 350 XC-F, namely a perfect mix of linear bottom power that revs to the moon like a 250F. With the early May Alberta foothills trails in prime shape, we did not wish for the mellower map that I sometimes prefer in wet, slimy and slick conditions.

We also ventured into some slower, more technical terrain where the clutch and stock gearing got a bit of a workout with the 14-51 tooth configuration. While I usually change the front sprocket from a 14 to 13 tooth right away for my preferred riding terrain, the stock gearing on the EX 350F was surprisingly rideable when the going got slow and I only stalled it a few times in the gnarly sections.

When the terrain opens up, I actually prefer a slightly taller stock gearing that rewards carrying momentum through the corners which translates to a smoother and faster ride.

While some of the GasGas bike models like the EC 300 coming with the trials-derived Braktec brakes and clutch (which I have not had the pleasure to test yet), the EX 350F comes with proven Brembo brakes and clutch master cylinders. The Brembo setup has been the go-to clutch and brake setup for the premium KTM and Husqvarna brands for years; however, it has just been announced that the Husqvarna off-road lineup will come with Braktec components as stock in 2022. The DDS (Damped Diaphragm Steel) clutch engagement and brake feel was good and consistent as is expected from the Brembo setup. The rear brake pedal felt a bit soft compared to the other brand variations, but that could have been the different engagement point setup.

In summary, what the GasGas lineup gives us, the consumers, is another excellent option and pricing to choose from for the off-road and motocross market. With proven reliability of KTM and Husqvarna, there is no need to worry about the “new” red brand. While the trials offerings from GasGas that we did not cover in our review remain relatively unchanged, the new red version off-road lineup from the Austrian parent company gives us a great alternative and the large white GasGas logo will be a more common sight on the Canadian motocross tracks and backcountry trails. IM

InsideMotorcycles.com 33

S P E C TA B L E

2021 GasGas EX 350F

Suggested Retail: $10,999

Final Drive: Chain

Colour: Red

Weight: 100 kg (220.4 lb), dry

Engine: Liquid-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder Displacement: 349.7 cc Bore and Stroke: 88.0 mm x 57.5 mm Compression Ratio: 14.2:1 Power: n/a Torque: n/a Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection with 44 mm Keihin throttle body

34 Inside Motorcycles

Transmission: Six-speed Frame: Central double-cradle chromoly steel Wheelbase: 1,485 mm (58.5 in) Seat Height: 950 mm (37.4 in) Suspension (front): 48 mm WP Xact inverted fork adjustable for compression and rebound damping (310 mm of travel)

Suspension (rear): WP Xact monoshock adjustable for highand low-speed compression damping and rebound damping (300 mm of travel) Tire (front): 80/100-21 Tire (rear): 110/100-18 Brakes (front): 260 mm disc with Brembo caliper Brakes (rear): 220 mm disc with Brembo caliper Fuel Capacity: 8.5 L

Welcome to Canada Biker Down

Material Provided by Steph E. White s motorcyclists we often think of what we would do to prevent a crash, but how often do we think of what we would do if we were to witness a crash? What if one of the members of your group was in an accident? Would you know when or why you should or shouldn’t remove a downed rider’s helmet?

As an avid rider I constantly scan and judge the road for possible threats so I can avoid a collision. But as someone who has witnessed an accident, I felt I was very ill prepared to deal with that situation. I can think of at least five things Biker Down is now teaching Canadian that I would have done differently had I known what to do as the first responder to Motorcyclists what do at an accident scene. that incredibly horrific scene. It’s overwhelming to look back at the things that were going through my mind at that moment – in the moment I wish I had the training to fall back on. Knowing how to effectively manage an accident scene, how to provide initial care for a downed rider and how to help avoid being a downed rider are all teachable and invaluable expertise that can really be a matter of life and death.

Emergency scene management education, first aid specific to motorcyclists and the actual science of being seen are things that I personally feel can equip every motorcycle enthusiast with the critical skills and thinking to ensure that every ride is a successful one. With Biker Down training, you will discover topics not only relevant to being reactive and imperative at a scene, but also being proactive with regards to how we ride to mitigate the risks of being involved in a collision of any sort.

“Motorcycling, is not, in and of itself, inherently dangerous. It is, however, extremely unforgiving of inattention, ignorance, incompetence and stupidity.” – Anonymous.

Being a recipient of this specialized training, we become absolved of the ignorance, incompetence and stupidity of this quote.

I’m Steph E. White. I’m an artist and an advocate. I live and ride in Vancouver, BC. As someone who has been a part of the motorcycle community in one way or another for the past 15 years, I am so excited that Canada is going to have such an amazing resource like Biker Down! IM

A

What is Biker Down?

Empowering motorcyclists to save a rider’s life!

• 3.5 hour duration comprising 3 Modules • Delivered by 1st Responders personnel & volunteers • Based on Fire and Rescue training

Visit www.BikerDown.ca to register today!

Proudly Supported by:

We’re always looking for more like-minded supporters to work with.

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InsideMotorcycles.com 35

Fight for first in Pro Superbike national CSBK action at Grand Bend in 2019: Ben Young’s BMW leads the Kawasaki of Jordan Szoke and Suzuki’s Trevor Daley.

Super Sonic Roadrace School Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike competitors brave the tricky track conditions heading downhill into the daunting turn 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2020.

36 Inside Motorcycles

G

2020 CSBK National Champion and Canada Cup winner Jordan Szoke took all four 2020 feature race wins aboard the All Canada Warranty Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja Superbike, shown at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in August, 2020.

eorge Morin made history in 1980 when he was crowned as Canada’s first national Superbike champion. More than four decades later, this title remains one of the most sought after in Canadian motorsports and continues to attract and inspire the best motorcycle road racers in the country.

Following an abbreviated 2020 season, which saw reduced numbers on the starting line and only one of the five class championships awarded, the CSBK Pro Superbike Championship is scheduled to return to action on June 11 at the Grand Bend Motorplex in southwestern Ontario. With a full grid of racers signed up for the 2021 season, including the returning 2019 champion Ben Young who will be looking to play spoiler to reigning champion Jordan Szoke’s quest for a 15th Superbike title, race fans should be prepared for epic battles that will be talked about for decades to come.

Like so many other things today, the 2021 CSBK schedule remains in flux with the recent announcements of cancellation of the round scheduled for Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubenacadie, NS as well as the planned June 4 season-opening Pro Superbike race at Calabogie Motorsports Park. With the ongoing pandemic-related challenges and CSBK’s stated intention of adding a replacement round for the Shubenacadie event, further changes are likely to come and Inside Motorcycles will continue to bring the latest schedule news both in print as well as online at www.insidemotorcycles.com.

While current health restrictions in the province of Ontario may continue to limit the ability of spectators to take in the racing action at the track, complete CSBK races will continue to be available on TSN as well as the series’ YouTube channel. Whether you take in the races on TV, online or with a little bit of luck maybe even in person, we hope this 2021 CSBK primer proves to be a valuable resource as we take a look at the racers who will compete for CSBK gold, the bikes they will ride and the tracks that will play host to today’s stars of Canadian motorcycle road racing.

InsideMotorcycles.com 37

2021 CSBK SCHEDULE*

June 11 to 13............Grand Bend Motorplex, Grand Bend, ON July 10 to 11.............Calabogie Motorsports Park, Calabogie, ON August 14 to 15.......Canadian Tire Motorsport Park,

Bowmanville, ON *As at press time. Schedule is subject to change, with CSBK operators hoping to add another weekend event. Visit www.csbk.ca and www.insidemotorcycles.com for updates.

THE TRACKS

Grand Bend Motorplex

While Grand Bend may be best known as one of Ontario’s most popular vacation destinations, this beach town on the shores of Lake Huron is also home to Grand Bend Motorplex, where the CSBK 2021 season will get underway on June 11. A relatively new track to the CSBK series, who held their first race on the facility’s 2.2-kilometre road course in 2017, the Grand Bend track is known for its technical layout and spectator friendly views.

Location: 70292 Grand Bend Line, Grand Bend, ON Website: www.grandbendmotorplex.com National Lap Records: • Pro Superbike: 1:03.045 (Ben Young, BMW S 1000 RR, 2019) • Pro Sport Bike: 1:04.351 (Dylan Bauer, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2019) • Amateur Superbike: 1:05.909 (Jordan Royds, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2019) • Amateur Sport Bike: 1:05.960 (Jake LeClair, Yamaha YZF-R6, 2019) • Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike: Avery Hart, Yamaha YZF-R3, 1:11.616)

National Lap Records: • Pro Superbike: 2:00.584 (Jodi Christie, Honda CBR1000RR, 2015) • Pro Sport Bike: 2:02.603 (Jordan Szoke, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 2009) • Amateur Superbike: 2:06.805 (Stephane Chibot, Honda CBR1000RR, 2015) • Amateur Sport Bike: 2:07.239 (Cody Matechuk, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2009) • Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike: 2:23.405 (Avery Hart, Yamaha YZF-R3, 2019)

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

One of the oldest race tracks in North America, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport) is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2021. The track’s storied history includes Formula 1 and IndyCar races as well as World Superbike events and of course the 1967 Canadian GP. As the home to the CSBK’s season ending doubleheader race since 2003, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park has seen the crowning of many of the modern-day stars of Canadian road racing. The 3.9 kilometre CTMP track, which was repaved in 2020, is located near Bowmanville, ON, an easy 60 kilometre drive from downtown Toronto.

Location: 3233 Concession Road 10, Bowmanville, ON Website: www.canadiantiremotorsportpark.com National Lap Records: • Pro Superbike: 1:20.520 (Jordan Szoke, BMW S 1000 RR, 2017) • Pro Sport Bike: 1:22.653 (Jordan Szoke, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 2009) • Amateur Superbike: 1:22.822 (Christian Allard, Kawasaki ZX10R, 2019) • Amateur Sport Bike: 1:25.166 (Cody Matechuk, Suzuki GSX-R600, 2009) • Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike: 1:39.942 (Jacob Black, Kawasaki Ninja 400, 2019)

THE CLASSES OF 2021 – A CLOSER LOOK Superbike

Late in CSBK Pro Superbike feature race 2 at Calabogie, 2021, Jordan Szoke’s Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja holds off the new BMW S1000RR of “Jammin’ Jeff” Williams – they finished in this order, first and second.

Calabogie Motorsports Park

At over five kilometres in length, the Calabogie circuit is the longest on the CSBK tour. Featuring 20 corners, dramatic elevation changes and a 2,000-foot straight, the Alan Wilson designed track opened in 2006 and hosted the CSBK tour in 2008, 2009 and 2015.

Located 100 kilometres west of Ottawa on the outskirts of Calabogie, the circuit played host to a special round of the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class in 2019 before returning to the CSBK calendar in 2020 and remains on the schedule for 2021.

Location: 462 Wilson Farm Road, Calabogie, ON Website: www.calabogiemotorsports.com

38 Inside Motorcycles

Any discussion about CSBK classes naturally gravitates to the Superbikes. Not only are they the namesake of the series itself, but they are quite simply the fastest and most advanced motorcycles in the both Pro and Amateur ranks.

While they are created from stock motorcycles that can be bought off showroom floors around the country, these are highly modified machines built with the simple goal of crossing the finish line first on race day. In addition to the visibly obvious changes that see items like lighting, mirrors and stands replaced with race bodywork, rear-set footpegs and aftermarket exhausts, upgraded suspension components, electronics, brakes and even adjustments to the bike’s overall geometry are all key to a winning Superbike.

Grand Bend CSBK Amateur Superbike action in 2019, with the No. 140 BMW S 1000 RR of Andrew Haick fighting with the No. 337 Yamaha YZF-R1 of Jordan Royds.

With the bikes ready to roll, attention turns to the racers who will pilot them in the 2021 CSBK season and for race fans the stage is set for a showdown for the ages with 2019 Pro Superbike Champion Ben Young looking to reclaim his title after sitting out the 2020 season. Standing in Young’s way is 14-time and reigning champion, Jordan Szoke who continues to compete at a level that defies his increasing age as he focuses on adding even more hardware to his world-class trophy case. Of course, the grid will have more than Young and Szoke on race day.

Trevor Daley and two-time CSBK Pro Sport Bike Champion Tomas Casas are both capable of breakout seasons and either one could end up playing spoiler to Young and Szoke’s plans.

Add in the return of SOAR Regional Champion Steve Nickerson and the presence of MotoAmerica ace Alex Dumas, and nothing is a given until the final checkered flag drops.

While the Amateur Superbike class has more race-to-race fluctuation, making it harder to predict the racers to watch for, it is an equally exciting class and a chance to see some of the racers who will eventually be making the jump to the Pro ranks.

Top Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike class competitor in 2020 was Sebastien Tremblay on the Turcotte Performance Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, winner in the heat of Calabogie and the rain at “old Mosport.”

Recent CSBK Pro Superbike Champions: 2020 Jordan Szoke (Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja) 2019 Ben Young (BMW S 1000 RR) 2018 Jordan Szoke (BMW S 1000 RR) 2017 Jordan Szoke (BMW S 1000 RR) 2016 Jordan Szoke (BMW S 1000 RR) Recent CSBK Amateur Superbike Champions: 2020 championship not awarded 2019 Guillaume Fortin (Kawasaki ZX-10R) 2018 Luke Labranche (Yamaha YZF-R1) 2017 Samuel Desmarais (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 2016 Jean-Marc Bilger (BMW S 1000 RR)

2019 Liqui Moly Pro Sport Bike podium at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: (from far left) 2019 title winner Will Hornblower, 2020 class top gun Sebastien Tremblay and two time Pro Sport Bike No. 1 Tomas Casas.

al lap records confirms that trade-off between the straight line speed of the litre bikes and the handling and agility of a Sport Bike is not as dramatic as one may anticipate, and definitely adds a must-watch element to the Sport Bike classes.

With no Sport Bike championships awarded last season, 2019 champion and fan favourite Will Hornblower is coming into the 2021 season with a target on his back that will have him firmly in the sights of Sebastien Tremblay, who won both Pro Sport Bike races in 2020. Also expecting to make their presence known on the podium are Quebec speedsters Nicolas Meunier and Vincent Levallian as well other top contenders like David McKay, Connor Campbell and Dylan Bauer.

Recent CSBK Pro Sport Bike Champions: 2020 championship not awarded 2019 Will Hornblower (Yamaha YZF-R6) 2018 Tomas Casas (Yamaha YZF-R6) 2017 Tomas Casas (Yamaha YZF-R6) 2016 Kenny Riedmann (Kawasaki ZX-6R) Recent CSBK Amateur Sport Bike Champions: 2020 championship not awarded 2019 Christian Allard (Kawasaki ZX-6R) 2018 Luc Labranche (Yamaha YZF-R6) 2017 Jean-Francois Aubin (Suzuki GSX-R600) 2016 Chris Brent (Honda CBR600RR)

Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike

Introduced in 2018 as an alternative to previous brand-specific series, the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class is open to multiple brands and models (Kawasaki Ninja 250, Ninja 300, and Ninja 400, Honda CBR250R, CBR300R, CBR500R and the Yamaha YZF-R3) subject to meeting the CSBK’s 10 unit CanIn the most recent Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike round on a wet Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last August, Matt Simpson celebrates victory on his Honda CBR500R twin. Simpson moves up to Amateur Sport Bike for 2021.

Sport Bike

The road to the Superbike ranks is paved with multiple options, including the Sport Bike class, which has served as the launching pad for racers like 2014 CSBK Pro Superbike Champion Jodi Christie and current Superbike contender Tomas Casas, both of whom include Pro Sport Bike championships on their resumes.

Despite having more restrictions on upgrades and modifications as well as substantially lower horsepower limits (125 hp Pro Sport Bike vs 200 hp Pro Superbike), a look at CSBK nationInsideMotorcycles.com 39

adian import homologation requirement (see our sidebar to learn more about homologation). While a number of improvements and modifications are allowed, dollar limits on the amount that can be spent on key areas such as suspension help keep focus on the riders and their abilities.

New for 2021, the class will move from the previous Dunlop Q3+ spec tires to Dunlop racing slicks, which promises to deliver reduced lap times and intensify competition.

In addition to generating future CSBK stars, the Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike class has had the added bonus of inspiring many long-time racers, including Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame member Toni Sharpless, to return to the track. A true win-win for Canadian motorcycle road racing.

Amateur Lightweight Sport Bike Champions: 2020 championship not awarded 2019 Ben LeClair (Yamaha YZF-R3) 2018 Jake LeClair (Yamaha YZF-R3)

SPONSORS:

However you follow the CSBK action in 2021, whether it be in print, online, on television or hopefully even in person, it is important to remember that this series is made possible by the generous sponsors who dedicate their time and money.

Please take the time to acknowledge their contribution and if the opportunity should arise, thank them by supporting their businesses: • TSN • Dunlop Tires • Liqui Moly • Joe Rocket • Yuasa Batteries • Mopar • Super Sonic Road Race School • Brooklin Cycle Racing • Dynojet • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers • Pro 6 GP Regional Series

• AIM Insurance • Pro Cycle • BMW Motorrad • Kawasaki • Suzuki • Yamaha • Honda • Revs for RETT – Official Charity • MotorcycleCourse.com • Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada • Inside Motorcycles Magazine

WHAT EXACTLY IS

HOMOLOGATION?

H

omologation is the process utilized by production-model-based racing series to create a level playing field and avoid situations where purpose-built race machines are masqueraded as production models.

In order to ensure that all of the motorcycles in each CSBK class are based on actual street legal production models, the series stipulates there must be a minimum of 40 units imported into Canada each year of any Japanese manufactured motorcycle competing in either Superbike or Sport Bike. For nonJapanese manufactured motorcycles in the Superbike of Sport Bike classes the annual import requirement is 10 units, as it is for all motorcycles in the Lightweight Sport Bike classes.

In some cases, manufacturers might opt not to homologate every version of each model they import to Canada, such as BMW Motorrad and the M version of their successful S 1000 RR line.

40 Inside Motorcycles

WHAT’S WITH ALL THE FLAGS?

U

nlike many other disciplines of motorsport competition, motorcycle racers typically do not have any type of radio contact with their support team during a race.

While crew members utilize pit boards to provide information on each lap, track officials need to be able to communicate information about changing track conditions and safety issues in real time. This is accomplished through the use of flags displayed by the corner workers and track officials positioned around the track.

While the use of flags is standard practice in motorcycle racing (and track days), there are often slight variations in their use and associated rules. Here is a list of the flags you will see at CSBK races.

Green flag: indicates start of race or clear track conditions during practice sessions and warm-up laps. Races are started by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Start Lights Checkered flag: indicates the end of the race or practice session Red flag: indicates that the race or practice session has been stopped. All riders to reduce speed and proceed with caution to the next marshal’s station where they will receive further instructions Yellow flag with Red Stripes: Change of Adhesion - identifies that there is possible debris or fluid on the track. Where possible the track official holding the flag will point it at the specific area of concern. Riders should exercise caution.

Stationary Yellow flag: advises riders that there is a potentially hazardous situation on or near the track. Riders should exercise caution, but passing is allowed.

Waving Yellow flag: advises riders that there is a hazardous situation on or near the track. Passing is prohibited until the rider is safely clear of the incident including any safety equipment and workers.

White flag: indicates that there is a safety or emergency vehicle on track. Riders must exercise caution.

Black flag: communicates to a specific rider (pit board with plate number) that they must exit the track into the pit area at the end of the current lap.

Black flag with Orange Circle (the “Meatball” flag): communicates to a specific rider that there is serious mechanical issue with their bike and that they must immediately exit the track.

White and Blue flag (starter position): advises racers of final lap.

Flags crossed (starter position): indicates that the race has reached the midway point of the announced distance.

Blue Flag: racer is about to be lapped by leader(s).

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InsideMotorcycles.com 41

HUB CITIES Centralization for the win

BY R. BRUCE THOMAS

STunning and STimulating - the scenery and roads southwest of Calgary epitomize the beST reason for Sport Touring.

The view overlooking Pleasant Bay along Nova Scotia’s Cabot Trail is quite breathtaking.

42 Inside Motorcycles

The Glenora Ferry provides a short respite from the road between Kingston and Prince Edward County.

BOB, the Big Orange Bridge, welcomes another day to Nelson, BC - an ideal Hub City.

I

in the area, as well as lots to do in town if a person desires a n perfect 20/20 hindsight we’ve probably just come non-riding day. through the weirdest riding season any of us have exIn 2020 I had to cancel participation in a 36-hour rally perienced. Back on January 1, 2020 I doubt that anyone headquartered in Colorado, a number of planned Iron Butt would have guessed we’d all be in lockdown for months Rides that required heading south of the border, a months-long and that so many things we take for granted would be gone scavenger hunt event and a couple great riding destinations in (including bum fluff for a couple weeks!). One of the biggest the American Midwest.

But this didn’t mean I was lacking in things affected as the world battled the COVID-19 virus was opportunities.

I’ve ridden across Canada numerous times from international, and in some cases inter-provincial, travel. By Newfoundland to the Yukon and while some of those trips have mid-March travel was severely curtailed and quarantines been direct and completed on a tight timeline, I have been off were implemented for returning travellers. Travel was also the main routes enough to know there are many potentially hampered by the forced closures of restaurants and hotels. No terrific, and perhaps somewhat surprising, Hub City locations point going anywhere if you can’t find a place to eat or sleep.

Of course, March isn’t usually a busy time for travelling motorcyclists in most of Canada but even when the weather got nicer there were still impediments. On May 8, when a couple buddies joined The Great Sand Hills in me for a 400 km ride, our lunch destination still Saskatchewan rise in stark contrast to usual prairie scenery. wasn’t fully functioning, and it wasn’t the kind of day to sit on a bike and drink a coffee. Also, when we approached the Saddle Lake First Nation we were rightfully met with roadblocks, clipboards and The Wishing Well spot beside handheld digital thermometers. We hadn’t expected Clear Lake is a pleasant rest area this when we planned our route but once it was asin Riding Mountain National Park. certained that we weren’t planning to stop in Saddle Lake we were cleared through. Everyone was doing what they could to protect themselves.

The East Gate at Riding Mountain While the events of the summer of 2020 are still National Park in Manitoba is a fresh in my mind, they also seem so long ago. And National Historic Site. yet, as we enter May 2021, and COVID-19 and all the variants are still ravaging parts of Canada, it doesn’t look like this summer is going to be much different. With border closures and tight travel restrictions in places, staying close to home seems to be our only option. Let’s try to keep it interesting.

Professional sports leagues closed as part of the strategy to prevent large crowds of people from passing the virus amongst themselves. This caused much planning to get the games back to ‘normal,’ with everything except for fans in the stands. The concept of a Hub City was hatched to allow the games to commence sans the usual travel requirements. Teams would be sequestered in cordoned-off hotels close to their stadium or arena and play the games in a bubble with, hopefully, any infected persons outside the bubble. Edmonton, where I live, for touring in Canada. Let’s follow the sun across the country as was selected as a Hub City for the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs we explore some options. and, while the Oilers didn’t fare so well, the concept seemed to I’ve only been to The Rock twice and, while I’ve ridden from work well for the league.

St. John’s to Port aux Basques, there is no way I could identify a In terms of riding a motorcycle, a Hub City is not a new Hub City due to the distances involved. The interesting things concept. Touring companies have offered Hub & Spoke tours to see are too far apart with basically the Trans-Canada Highfor decades where clients stay in one location and do ‘out and way to get you around. All I can say is, just go to Newfoundback’ day trips during their ‘tour.’ Motorcycle rallies and events land when you can, you’ll love it. are another case where a central location may be utilized with I would suggest Antigonish, NS as a great Hub City since the surrounding area having something else to draw attendees.

Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail would be a good day Think Sturgis, where the party atmosphere and reputation of ride. Lunenberg, Peggy’s Cove, Grand Pré and the Annapolis the event are backdropped by the nearby Black Hills and the Valley are within reach and catching the Caribou Ferry to PEI Devils Tower. There are plenty of great roads and attractions InsideMotorcycles.com 43

Cap-Bon-Ami is one of the most scenic viewpoints in Parc National Forillon, QC.

Great Sand Hills provide an awe-inspiring disruption to normal prairie scenery. If you want a day off, you can tour Al Capone’s tunnels or take a relaxing day at the Temple Gardens Spa in the middle of the city.

I know Calgary, AB is not likely at the top of most Hub City lists but it is very favourably situated. In 2019 I was one of the prime disorganizers of a sport touring rally that attracted over 100 riders from as far away as Kentucky and Oklahoma. With the long summer daylight hours, it’s possible to ride northwest on the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and back, plus dinosaurs and hoodoos are not far away in the Drumheller region to the northeast. The southwest offers fantastic riding in the foothills of the Rocky Percé Rock is a visual highlight of Mountains plus the opportunity to ride through a circuit of the Gaspé Peninsula.

Kananaskis Country and cross Highwood Pass, Canada’s highest paved road. To the southeast there is a vast irrigation canal area including the Brooks Aqueduct National Historic Site. Be sure to explore the Starship Enterprise in Vulcan and Bow Lake is one of the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in the scenic highlights on Nanton during your travels. For non-riding days Alberta’s Icefields Parkway. there are plenty of things to do in Alberta’s most populous city including Studio Bell, home of the National Music Center.

Nelson, BC is an almost perfect location for a Hub City as adds another great destination. Moncton, NB would also be a it anchors an area isolated by three inland ferries at Balfour, great stepping off point to explore PEI. From Moncton you also Fauquier and Galena Bay. The resultant lack of through traffic have easy access to Fundy National Park and the wonderful and the exceptional curves and scenery make this an excellent Hopewell Rocks. While on your way to or from the Maritimes motorcycle playground. And at the end of the day the area it’s worth it to take the diversion around the Gaspé Peninsula, features plenty of hot spring resorts to soak away the joys of the which I prefer to the Cabot Trail. road. The International Selkirk Loop passes through Nelson and I believe Trois-Rivieres would be an excellent Hub City in even if the border remains closed it’s still possible to ride about Quebec. Since living in Cornwall, ON for a stretch several one third of it. decades ago I’ve always found the St. Lawrence River mesIn the Jan/Feb 2020 issue of IM editor Lambie detailed some merizing and enjoy riding beside it. I’ve enjoyed the scenery in Parc National de la Mauricie and also many of the wonderful of the great riding in the Penticton area. The promotional work undulations in the eastern townships. Quebec City, with all of that Penticton Tourism has done to prepare a ride guide and its history, is close by – perfect for a short riding day. The Lauencourage motorcycle tourism would have the small city in the rentians north of Montreal have also provided some inspiring Okanagan Valley in the running for my favourite Hub City. riding.

As previously mentioned, I’ve ridden across the country While I’ve never stayed in Peterborough, ON I’ve enjoyed numerous times but that doesn’t mean I’ve come close to excellent riding in that area and would love to spend more time seeing all there is to see or ridden all the great roads. What I’ve there as it seems almost ideal as a Hub City. Smiths Falls, Prince outlined here are just some of the areas I’m most familiar with.

Edward County, the Kawartha Lakes region... so many roads There is awesome scenery in multiple directions out of Whiteand hills and corners. And don’t forget the butter tarts and horse,YT but the big adventure is getting there. Yellowknife, NT Slickers Ice Cream! is basically the end of the road but it’s still an interesting trip.

Portage La Prairie seems ideally suited for loops to Dauphin My buddy Norm in Grande Prairie has lots of favourite routes and Riding Mountain National Park, to circle Lake Manitoba that could make that northern city a good hub location, but I via the Narrows or for exploring the Red River and the history haven’t ridden enough to make recommendations. around Selkirk. Portage is also close enough for a day trip into What I do know is that there are plenty of places in Canada Winnipeg if you want to visit the Forks, the Canadian Museum to ride. Create your own ideal Hub City where you’ve got a for Human Rights or perhaps the Royal Canadian Mint. variety of riding options, things to do if you want to take a day Moving further west I believe Moose Jaw, SK would be an off, good culinary options and maybe a craft brewery or two for ideal Hub City. To the east is the wonderful Qu’Appelle River after the bike is parked. Ensuring businesses will be open before Valley, to the southwest is Grassland National Park plus the you go is also an important part of trip planning in 2021. Most amazing T.rex Discovery Centre in Eastend. To the west the importantly, get out and ride. It sure beats Netflix and chill. IM 44 Inside Motorcycles

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THE DIRT Dawn McClintock

The future is unwritten

T

he year 2020 will go down in history for a lot of reasons, probably more negative than we care to count, but through it all we still have the great outdoors… or so we thought. As I sit and ponder this last year, I remain in my home in Ontario under Stay-at-Home order.

Golf courses and motocross tracks are all to remain shuttered for six weeks as the pandemic reaches record breaking numbers in our area.

With this new situation we have also seen the demand and supply choke for our industry. For the first time in over 30 years I have finally broken down and ordered myself a brand new dirt bike (due to arrive in April… still not here), but like everything else, delivery dates are just like Santa Claus, they aren’t real. It can’t be helped, it’s just the way of the world right now. As someone who works in the MX apparel industry, I too have experienced this phenomenon that has left most of our riders in a holding pattern for their gear, or without gear. Of anything we have learned, more than ever it requires patience and a stiff upper lip to get through all of this.

Navigating our way through the Canadian motocross national season last summer we saw a much-condensed schedule with any western rounds clipped from the calendar.

With every municipality answering to its own health unit regulations, it became a juggling act to find locations that would work to wedge a series in to a community that was willing to let it happen. The Rockstar Energy Triple Crown Series became reduced to just the MX Tour and the SX Tour with the AX Tour getting removed from the roster.

The Triple Crown MX Tour has always been the big ticket here in Canada, drawing fast Canadian pros, a real variety of good US pros who brought more notoriety to some of our factory teams, fast pro women riders, as well as some quality US privateer riders who would show up in their pickup truck and be that wildcard that came out of nowhere.

We didn’t see any of that last year. We had a handful of team-worthy guys up from the US who were willing to quarantine for 14 days and commit to spending the entire summer in Canada once here like Phil Nicoletti, Matt Goerke and Marshal Weltin to name a few.

We sadly missed seeing those privateers who filled the gate, the US pro women that always brought great competition to the women’s national class and of course our west coast riders who just couldn’t afford competing all the way out here in the east.

Walking through the pits was also a rather strange experience. After a full year

Tracks across the country are sitting dormant as we wait out the latest wave of COVID. PHOTO BY DAWN MCCLINTOCK 46 Inside Motorcycles

not seeing your moto peeps it was always the reuniting of good friends that made the nationals all part of the package. No spectators, no guys set up under the factory rig signing posters or handing out stickers for kids, no throngs of people at the podium to cheer on their favourite rider or swag to get thrown out into the crowd by the riders.

We saw Matt Goerke hang it up and retire after the last round of the SX Tour with little celebration outside of his own team’s encampment.

While it was called the SX Tour, it was really only two doubleheader weekends at Gopher Dunes where they were able to secure these outdoor venues and dub them as SX. It fit the bill because we were all just wanting something to work out. The show did go on, however, and I tip my hat to all those involved in the background who made it happen for Canadian moto last summer. I am always the optimist who has to somehow find a little ray of sunshine to throw at a less-than-ideal situation. How grateful we should be that there even was a moto season last year.

As we look back on last year’s moto season, we wonder where things will be headed for this summer. The Canadian Triple Crown series, now with the title sponsor Rockstar Energy removed, soldiered on and announced a new schedule a while back that included a western leg of the series starting in Calgary, AB. There has been no further information released with regards to the series, but I am not feeling hopeful that the series will be any more than what we had last year. With COVID cases still way higher than we saw last year at this time. I just hope we can pull together any sort of moto season at all. As we head into the summer months with our borders still closed and tracks currently closed, we are uncertain the direction of the moto season, so we do like we have done for over a year now: We sit and wait and just hope for the best. Maybe, with any luck, I will see you at the track sometime soon! Fingers crossed. IM

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F R A N K LY S P E A K I N G

BY FRANK WOOD

Dick Mann (1934 – 2021)

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had something else planned for you this month but the passing of Dick Mann and the memories that followed have taken precedence.

I never took the opportunity to speak with Dick Mann, having seen him just once up close at a dirt track half-mile race in Columbus, Ohio. He seemed so much older than the rest of the paddock; didn’t seem to fit the mould of the younger more effervescent riders he would compete against. I was especially sorry for that missed opportunity after speaking with Paul Germain. “You should’ve met him,” he said to the point, “You’d have a different opinion. I met him twice.” Germain recalls, “The first time was at Daytona at rider sign-in. He was standing alone in the hallway looking at the old black and white photos of races and racers from the old days and we started chatting.

He was so meek and mild mannered and naturally didn’t know me from Adam and it didn’t matter, it was like I was just one of the guys.” Paul wastes no time in conversation before moving on to their second meeting. “We were at Barber and it was the same thing. I don’t think he remembered me from Daytona but he was the same guy. I

was asking him questions regarding my BSA Trackmaster dirt track racer and he helped me out a lot. He knew the motor and the chassis inside out, and it’s funny, you know, as a racer he didn’t look fast, he wasn’t flashy he just went out there and got the job done. He was an observer, he was unassuming, he was a prince of a guy.”

After three years as an amateur Dick Mann entered the professional ranks in 1955 but it wasn’t until 1959 that he scored his first AMA national race win; the track was the Peoria TT and the motorcycle was a BSA. He scored a number of his victories on an assortment of different brands: two TT wins on Matchless, a short track win on an Ossa, his one and only two-stroke road race victory on a Yamaha, his final season on Triumph and of course his big win for Honda in the Daytona 200 in 1970.

Mann is most often associated with the BSA brand and yet it was the fact that BSA had not renewed Mann’s contract after the 1969 season that made him available for the Honda seat in 1970. BSA saw the error of their ways and re-signed Mann for 1971 and he promptly rewarded them with a win at the season opening Houston TT race and most

Dick Mann on the way to victory at the 1970 Daytona 200.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMERICAN HONDA 48 Inside Motorcycles

importantly just over a month later a victory at the Daytona 200. It was a great start to the season and that, coupled with a consistent flat track effort throughout the campaign as well as two more road race wins, would see him capture the No. 1 plate. That would be the last time to date that a British bike would carry the lonely single digit.

Hailed as the first rider to score a Grand Slam by winning races in all five of the AMA disciplines – short-track, TT, half-mile, mile and road race – Mann took almost his entire career to achieve that. Although he won at TT, road race and half-mile within his first three years as a pro, Mann took a full ten years before he captured his short track win.

That win was on an Ossa and to celebrate the factory created the Dick Mann Replica short tracker, available through Ossa dealers. In the second last win of his career, eighteen years after he started, Dick Mann finally completed the grand slam winning the Homewood mile late in the 1972 season, one year before retirement.

Much more than just a Grand National competitor, Mann excelled in other facets as well. He rode for the USA team in the ISDT in 1973 through ‘75 capturing a bronze medal in ‘75 mounted on a factory supported Ossa. It was also on an Ossa that Mann set another benchmark. In 1970 the AMA began sanctioning a motocross national championship and at the very first event Mann took victory. He was 36 years old at the time.

Mann was also known for his concerns about rider safety and monetary rewards and was suspended twice by the AMA for standing up for his convictions, yet he served the AMA as an advisor after his retirement. Through the latter part of his life Dick Mann was keenly involved with the American Historic Motorcycle Racing Association.

His career spanned an era from Resweber to Roberts, from the post war growth through to the ‘Golden Age’ of Grand National racing; it just may be that Dick Mann was America’s Greatest of All Time. IM

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InsideMotorcycles.com 49

ROAD RACE REALITY COLIN FRASER

Miller finally for real?

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enovo Ducati’s MotoGP works team leader, Australian Jack Miller, won his second-straight MotoGP race at round 5 of the world championships at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, France, May 16. The French GP success wasn’t surprising, given Miller’s reputation for delivering in changeable conditions.

However, two weeks earlier, in Jerez, Miller took first in a typical hot and non-crazy Spanish event. He now has three career wins in the premier category and might just be silencing the critics that say that he shouldn’t have one of the top rides available in the two-wheeled racing world today.

Miller, now 26, was runner-up in the 2014 Moto3 world title standings, with six victories aboard the Red Bull KTM. The teenager from Queensland then went straight into the top category with Honda. The Miller HRC period yielded a popular wet weather first for Marc VDS Honda at Assen in 2016 and started an era of Australian sports heroes drinking out of their boots on the rostrum.

Honda lost faith in Miller and he moved to Ducati with the satellite Pramac team starting in 2018. The next season, he earned five podiums and then in 2020 he showed more consistency, although tire issues and unforced errors remained a concern.

Miller joined the “A” Ducati effort in 2021, replacing the outgoing Andrea Dovizioso, the long-time development leader for the Italian

builder, currently owned by Audi. A rough start to the season at the two Qatar races led to the decision to get arm-pump surgery prior to the start of the Euro season, in Portugal. Miller fell early in round 3, but then set out on his current winning streak.

The French success was a master class, given the cool and drizzly conditions that often happen at Le Mans in May. A record number of practice and Q session falls set up a crazy race, when the riders changed machines early due to a sudden, if brief, rainstorm.

The leaders struggled to get to the pits, riding on slick tires on a slippery surface.

Miller almost fell just before the pit lane, and then exceeded the pit lane speed limit, forcing a pair of penalties.

“Winning two races in a row is such a dream for me,” started an emotional Miller.

“Especially after such a difficult race where I even had to take a double long lap penalty, and I was even was in the gravel early on.

“So, to be able to get this result is really extraordinary! The race seemed really long, and tough mentally. I tried to keep my concentration, telling myself to keep calm. In this way, I managed my tires well, and saved them for the end, managing the advantage over Johann (Zarco, on a satellite Pramac Ducati), and he was getting close by the end. It really was a fantastic victory.”

As the rare “flag-to-flag,” dry-wet-drying

Jack Miller celebrates his second win of the 2021 season. PHOTO COURTESY OF DUCATI MEDIA HOUSE 50 Inside Motorcycles

event progressed, it looked like at least one of the front-runners would gamble to change bikes for the second time, going back onto the slick Michelins. Most insiders figured Miller would be in tire trouble first.

Instead, Miller stayed out and kept a reasonable pace, and while Zarco disposed of the pole-sitting Monster Yamaha of Fabio Quartararo, he could only make slight inroads on leader Miller. Zarco was four seconds back for second at the end of a hectic 25 laps.

Quartararo was another ten seconds behind for the final podium spot, fourth going to the resurgent second works Ducati of Francesco Bagnaia. With third, Quartararo took over the championship points lead, with 80, exactly one point ahead of Bagnaia.

Zarco is third with 68 and Miller moves into striking distance, up to fourth, at 64 points.

“This was the strangest race of my life,” said a relieved Quartararo. “I had never done a flag-to-flag before. We were so fast on slicks before it started to rain. I saw that Maverick Vinales (second factory Yamaha), and Miller were careful in the first wet corners, so I went for it. Then it was raining a lot in turn nine, and the bike was going left-right-left-right without braking.

“When I arrive in the pits, I almost went into Bastianini’s box before pulling into my box. Then I almost took Maverick’s bike, it was a mess! So, to take the podium in these circumstances is amazing.”

2020 Moto2 World Champ Enea Bastianini wound up 14th overall, a minute back, on an Avintia Esponsorama Ducati.

Attracting lots of attention at Le Mans was Repsol Honda’s recovering team leader, eight-time World Champ Marc Marquez.

Charging from the start, Marquez came out of the pits in the rain on his second bike as the race leader, only to fall twice and retire with his factory RC213V too battered to continue.

“The positive is we were able to show our real speed today,” explained Marquez, a race leader for the first time this season. “It is true that we did not use the opportunity that the weather gave us.” IM

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InsideMotorcycles.com 51

Nick Kempers – CHU Stock Wheel Base 2020 Champion

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By Tanya Teetzel ow do you start as a father taking his 1963 Nova and children to the racetrack, and end up with a motorcycle drag racing addiction? This is exactly what happened to Nick Kempers and brought him to be the Stock Wheel Base Champion in the Maxima Racing Oils Canada Heads Up 2020 race series. Nick takes us through his history as a racer and how his 2014 ZX-14R came to be.

Eleven-year-old Nick had his first set of two wheels: a Honda Z50, ridden around the family farm. It didn’t take long for him to decide the bike wasn’t fast enough and he swapped in a manual transmission and a 70 cc cylinder on the 50 cc block.

Family influence did not stop at Dad, Nick’s brother purchased a 1998 Kawasaki ZX-6R, which quickly caught Nick’s interest in street bikes. The brothers made their way to Toronto Motorsports Park and, of course, Nick had to give it a try, running an 11.10 seconds at 126 mph. A ZX-9R replaced the ZX-6R, which is when Nick ran his first ever 10 second pass and knew he must have a bike of his own. Knowing he loved Kawasaki, and the power of a 600 cc motorcycle would not be enough, a 2000 Kawasaki ZX-12R became his first motorcycle. The bike was loved for 12 years and even received some swingarm extensions bringing a new personal best quarter mile time of 9.47 seconds at 147 mph. The bike then was sold with no intentions of purchasing a new bike.

52 Inside Motorcycles

This is where many motorcycle and drag racing enthusiasts have a small chuckle to themselves as we all know that’s never the case. Once racing is in your blood there is no escape. Not having a bike lasted less than a month before an orange and black 2009 ZX-14 Special Edition came into Nick’s life. Nick, along with his brother, spent many test and tune days at St. Thomas Raceway Park, which is where Randy Hope invited them to join CanCup drag racing series. Nick recalls this was the day where it went from a part-time enjoyment, to so much more. Racing in the Street Fighter 9.50 class with an amazing rival, Karen Hope, every race was a nail-biter and could go either way for both of them.

In 2016 a new bike joined the fleet; this time a 2014 ZX-14R. It was in this season that Nick ran his fastest passes on both bikes.

The stretched 2009 brought in a 9.35 seconds at 145 mph and the new bike, which had a stock wheel base, ran a 9.35 seconds at 150 mph. Just like that Nick fell in love with Stock Wheel Base, winning the CanCup Street Fighter championship in 2018.

Nick participated in the Canada Heads Up – Stock Wheel Base class in 2020. The unique part of this class is that power adders are permitted. Anxious to be on top, Nick turbocharged his ZX-14R. The class was competitive with some incredibly talented riders and it was an extremely close series all season. On the final race weekend of the series, the ZX-14R engine ended up hurt and was not able to perform after running an 8 second,

(Opposite page) Nick Kempers launching his turbocharged Kawasaki ZX-14R. (Above) Murray Lonsbary (centre) joins the Kempers family in the winners circle.

PHOTOS BY BLAKE FARNAN

173 mph test pass. To say Nick was overwhelmed with emotion is nearly an understatement. Murray Lonsbary offered his Stock Wheel Base bike to Nick so he could finish out the weekend and season. Nick managed to ride a bike he was unfamiliar with and obtain the points he needed to win the series championship, and this became the most memorable moment of the season.

So why run the turbo and not nitrous? For Nick, this was easy. He had been using power adders for many years. He knew nitrous would be a cheap initial investment to get power quickly, but you never truly finish paying for the system. Turbocharging the engine, for him, was the more economical way to go.

“Drag racing has been an amazing experience for me over the years. Between the friends that become family, to the way it helps me escape the everyday stresses and pressures,” is exactly how Nick describes racing to him. Balancing life and drag racing can be trying, with many late nights and even some all-nighters leading up to race weekends. Nick runs his own business and has a young family. This does not leave him much time for playing with the bike. “Lucky for me, my wife and kids enjoy what I do and support my racing addiction. It’s also a way for the family to enjoy some camping (trackside).”

The 2021 season will be a continuation of the 2020 season

for Nick and his 2014 ZX-14R, with more seat time and a few minor changes. The Canada Heads Up series, headed into its third year, is supported once again by Maxima Racing Oils with the addition of Speedwire Systems and RM Racing Lubricants for 2021. This year features a five-race series, split between St. Thomas Dragway and Toronto Motorsports Park. The JP Powder Coating Short Wheel Base Bike class is complemented with a Long Wheel Base option for pro category bike competitors as well as a bike dial-in (bracket) class. Canada Heads Up is presented by Ian Hill Racing Productions, their Board of Directors and volunteers with more info found on their website www. ianhillracing.com. IM

Motorcycle Specs

Bike: 2014 Kawasaki ZX-14R ABS, with BST wheels Weight: 545 lb Modifications: Stock motor, Garrett GT3071R turbo, Tial 8 psi wastegate, CBR F4i radiator, electric water pump, Spectrum lithium battery, air shifter, M2 S2 rear shock, Catalyst +4 rear tail, Catalyst Grudge tank cover, Hardcore fuel cell with external fuel pump, Unit 5 Grudge pegs Fastest Pass: 8.73 @ 177.47 mph

R.I.P. David Powell and David Dutton

The Vintage Road Racing Association lost two long-time and active members this spring with the passing of sidecar racer David Powell and motorcycle racer David Dutton.

Inside Motorcycles wishes to pay its sincere condolences and respects to the families and friends of both gentlemen and the entire VRRA community. IM

(Left to right) VRRA veterans David Powell and David Dutton. PHOTOS BY RICHARD COBURN

INSIDE TECH L

Bumps: why we feel them, why we don’t Part 2

ast month we discussed the very first component of ride comfort on today’s motorcycles, the amount of suspension travel our bikes have. We touched on the different categories of bikes, from street to dual purpose adventure bikes right up to full off-road or motocross bikes and why they need more or less travel. We came to the conclusion that more travel is better for comfort, but what are the negatives of too much suspension (or wheel) travel? To quickly recap for those that missed it, the bumps are smaller on the street, if we don’t count potholes, so eight inches of travel or more just drives the seat height up and can make the bike vague and flexy. A bike that is too high limits the number of people that will purchase it and too much travel, combined with the grip a warm tire has on pavement, can result in unwanted and unnecessary pitching front to back and wobble left to right. We then closed the column saying we would touch on optimizing the suspension your bike has now. So, rather than go and buy a bike with more travel, let’s see how good we can make the

54 Inside Motorcycles

By John Sharrard

bike you have now!

The very first thing we can all do that doesn’t cost a cent is to check the rider sag on your current bike. Basically, all you need are two friends, a paper, pencil and a tape measure. To begin, the bike should be loaded as you most often ride it. If you have a back pannier with tools, or your riding partner, they need to be included. Often when we do sags here at the shop, the main rider and passenger may both come and we will do sags for the rider by him or herself, and then the passenger hops on and we measure again, and then we will discuss a spring or preload solution to cover both scenarios. Or, if the passenger only hops on five percent of the time, we may just coach a small preload correction for this combination if the numbers dictate that we should. To be most accurate, the sags should be done with your helmet, boots, gloves and all your other gear on as well.

To prep the bike, we look up vertically from the centre of the rear axle and find somewhere convenient on the body above to measure to. On a race bike, it may be a corner of the number

plate or a seam in the body panel. If the bike has big saddlebags that make it difficult, we may remove the saddlebag to get into the frame and place the bag on top of the rear seat to maintain weight accuracy. If an opportune top measuring point isn’t blatantly obvious, a piece of masking tape will do just fine.

Now, we need to top up the rear suspension. If the bike has a centre stand, perfect, pop it up on that. If the bike has a robust side stand, the rider can often ‘pry’ the bike towards them carefully to extend the rear suspension and lift the rear tire off the ground. A motocross bike can go on a track stand for this step as they often don’t have a side stand. The rider should not be taking the first measurement! The person doing the final measurement needs to do the first measurement! Not only for practice (you would be surprised how many people can’t read a tape measure), but also the technique and the actual tape measure needs to be the same.

Now with the rear wheel off the ground, the measurer can insert the blade of the tape measure into the hollow of the rear axle and measure up to your top reference point. At this point, I may move my top reference point a little so I have a nice even number on my tape measure, say 500 mm. Write this number down and call it your ‘rear top-up.’ Now drop the bike down onto its own weight and take the measurement again with the rider just balancing the bike from the side with the handlebars straight. For a typical street bike with 125 to 130 mm travel we would expect to see something like 490 to 495 mm in our example. This second measurement is called our ‘rear static number.’ The static sag is then top up minus ‘rear static number’ equals ‘rear static sag.’ Write these numbers down. Ask the rider to gently push on the seat and release a few times. The number should come back to the same spot every time. If it doesn’t, you generally have sticky or rusty linkage or swingarm pivot bearings.

At this point, the bored but requested third person comes into play. They need to stand at the front of the bike to balance it while the rider takes a seat and puts their hands on the bars and feet on the pegs. Give them a moment as this is usually a new exercise for both these people. They will argue for a bit, the rider will lose confidence and put a foot down once or twice while accusing the holder of not holding them up straight. The holder will then counter and accuse the rider of leaning to one side... It is really quite entertaining. Once settled, ask the rider to gently bounce a couple times. They will, without fail, strangely misunderstand ‘gently’ and stand up and aggressively jump on the pegs a couple times, or endlessly it seems until I ask them to stop. If you have neglected to put up the side stand, the rider will hit the floor with it while jumping on the pegs and pitch the bike right, causing a repeat of the foot down and argue cycle again. Then I explain what the word gently means. We just want to break friction to see if our third rider-on measurement is good and repeatable. We are not trying to bottom the rear shock or dyno test the damper during this process. So, once all theatrics and explanations are completed, you should be able to get a repeatable rider-on number and you can have the rider hop down and start apologizing to the holder person, while insisting that they were right the whole time... I’ve seen it a thousand times.

Now, we have in our possession our hard fought top-up,

‘static’, and rider-on numbers. To recap the obvious, the static sag equals top-up minus ‘rear static’ numbers, and the rider sag equals top-up minus rider-on numbers. Often erroneously supplied to me over the phone, even by experienced racers, is the ‘static sag’ minus ‘rider sag,’ but this difference means nothing; both sags have to be taken from fully topped up. To circle back to our example, a street bike with five inches of travel (approximately 125 to 130 mm) should have a rider-on sag of about 30 mm, while race bikes are a tick tighter at 25 to 26 mm. Again, make sure all tools, clothing and passengers, if applicable, are on board for this measurement. If you are at 40 mm, you need to add preload to get to 30 mm. You may have a multi-position steel cam, aluminum threads, or a handy knob to turn to help you out. If you can’t get down to 30 mm or you can but lose all static sag getting there, you need a stronger spring!

Your goal is to hit the target rider sag while maintaining at least three to five mm of static sag. If you can, both your spring rate and preload are good for you and your application! Next month we can discuss the front fork and sag procedure, but the process is the same, with the targets closer to 40 mm rider and 30 mm static. Until then, ride safe, keep your stick on the ice and wear your mask, or better yet, your helmet! IM

(Opposite page) The team checking the front ‘rider on’ measurement on an RC-51. (Top) Here we are using the Motool sag measuring tool to check top-up, static and rider sag. Showing the ‘pry’ method to get the tire off the ground. (Above) Holding a tape measure to obtain our top-up measurement with the rear tire off the ground, and tape measure inserted into the rear axle.

InsideMotorcycles.com 55

The global pandemic hasn’t stopped David from turning throttle on his 2021 Beta 430 RR. PHOTO BY BRITTANY ELLENTHORPE.

B

orn in Oyama, BC, AMSA Off-Road rider David Amyotte moved to Calgary in his early 20s after travelling with some friends to the Calgary Stampede. The change of scenery didn’t matter much at that time because he was on the road often, as a heavy haul driver, moving heavy equipment all over North America. In his 30s Dave transitioned his career into motorsports and was able to pursue his passion for motorcycles personally and professionally.

Bikes were always a huge part of Dave’s life. Back home he started riding as a young kid borrowing his neighbour’s PW50.

The first bike of his own was an old 80 that he bought with $500 he made from mowing lawns. At age 12, Dave started walking dogs for a veterinarian. It was his first “real” job and it allowed him to buy his first “real” bike, a YZ85. Dave laughs about the memory of blowing it up though: “My dad asked me to get smokes for him one morning before I went riding and I was mad so I ripped down the road in fifth gear pinned and blew the bottom end leaving the biggest skid mark you’ve ever seen.”

Thankfully his dad helped him fix it and he was back on the gas.

Dave’s first brand new bike was a 1994 CR250. Ken Pople, who worked at the Vernon Yamaha dealership at the time, offered Dave the deal of a lifetime after months of frequenting the

56 Inside Motorcycles

shop, staring at the bike. Not knowing Dave from a hole in the wall, Ken asked Dave if he had a chequing account. Thankfully he did and Ken told Dave the bike would be his if he would provide $1,000 cash plus his trade and the balance distributed over 14 prewritten cheques. Dave got a big fat $1000 bill and 14 cheques from the bank and secured the bike. Sadly, Ken passed away tragically when he struck a cable hung across a dirt bike trail in the late 1990s, but his memory hasn’t been forgotten.

It was after those years of ripping on his ‘94 CR250 that Dave started his life in Calgary. When he transitioned into the motorcycle industry, he started in outside sales for Cycleworks for several years. Then Cycleworks bought Seitzco and Dave went with them. During the transition to his current role, Dave also worked for a stint at a Harley dealership where his gained an entirely new perspective on customer management in the motorcycle industry.

He realized that there needed to be balance between extraordinary customer service and personal life and that healthy boundaries could be (and needed to be) established. This shift helped him realize that mindset, personal value and self-confidence keep clients coming back and that networking drives the business.

During his years at various dealerships, Dave was passionate about street bike riding and racing. He spent most of his time

riding recreationally west of Calgary and in southern BC and hitting the pavement at Race City in Calgary, as well as tracks in Edmonton and Mission, BC. He rode several Suzuki GSX-R1000s and had one set up as a full race bike, one track day practice bike and one “stock-ish” street bike.

It wasn’t until he turned 37 that Dave set out to race dirt bikes. His first AMSA Off-Road race was at Porcupine Hills and it was snowing and raining, not unusual for May long weekend in the Rockies. In full MX fashion, Dave was decked out with a fresh new Fox kit, which was comical to his Pro AMSA OffRoad friends Jason Schrage and Nathan Knox who had suited up in garbage bags and duct tape, knowing exactly what was in store. That was Dave’s introduction to the XC world, and he stuck with it, achieving third in 30A that year in the AMSA OffRoad series. In the same year, Dave completed both the spring and fall series at the Wild Rose MX track and won the Vet Intermediate class. He topped that off with a trip to Glen Helen and walked away with sixth at the worlds in Vet Intermediate.

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into at worlds,” Dave recollects, “my competition was full factory with mechanics and even the MX GP World Champion for women was competing in my class, and she dominated.”

When asked about the most admirable riders in the off-road series, Dave explained, “Schrage and Knox. It’s their massive determination to win. I find myself thinking about other things, but they have the ability to let it all go on the course. It’s awesome because we can still get out for regular fun rides, hill climbing and enjoying the ride and on the course, they are gone.”

Similarly, Dave shared his admiration of Charlie Johnston and Danika White, two MX riders he’s known for years. “They’ve got amazing talent and they both give back so much to the industry.

You see them walk through the pits like rock stars in the community, and there they are on Saturday nights setting up BMX jumps.

Just awesome people.” Dave highlighted that these two riders are true ambassadors of the sport, understanding the business relationship between industry and racers. “Sponsorship is not an entitlement, and it’s not necessarily about being fast. It’s about relationships, networking and building the community.”

Most recently, Dave was able to take up an opportunity of a lifetime as General Manager for Jack Carter Powersports South (JCPS). Incorporating his lessons learned with his passion for motorcycles and racing, Dave now has 32 people working at his shop offering a combined 400 years of motorcycle experience.

“I have amazing, process-driven managers, the backing of Jack Carter, and my role is to drive the culture and vision and build a good team. It’s a dream come true.” Dave’s vision is that JCPS will be the base camp for adventures for his customers and staff.

Complimentary to Dave’s vision, Jack Carter Powersports South stepped up this year to be AMSA Off-Road’s title sponsor for the 2021 season. Stephen Foord, VP of AMSA Off-Road explains: “I’ve known Dave for about a decade. He treats everyone extremely well and has always been supportive of me and riders across all motorsport disciplines. He’s a very diverse rider whether MX, off-road, street biking or sledding. He’s one guy who has extensive knowledge of each discipline from experience and research he’s done. AMSA Off-Road is grateful for his support this year and we thank our riders and sponsors for their continued patience while we work through the challenges of COVID. Hopefully we will get past this soon and get back to racing.”

Jack Carter Powersports and David are proud to sponsor the AMSA Off-Road series.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY ELLENTHORPE.

David at the world championships in Glen Helen in 2016.

PHOTO BY PAT SHIPPIT.

Dave’s goal is to secure top five in Vet Master on his 2021 Beta 430 RR. In addition, he will be battling it out in MX on this 2021 YZ450 where he also hopes to achieve a top five finish. His setup for off-road will include a suspension kit from TNT, Bibs, slightly cut down bars to accommodate bark busters, geared down sprockets, and fresh tires. Once set up for the season, you’ll find Dave living up to his motto: “Ride more dirt bikes and less YouTube.”

Dave’s riding goal for the season is to dial his circle wheelies and his long-term goal is to be awarded a World Vet Championship trophy, which he hopes to achieve once the borders open up and he’s able to travel south again.

All in all, 2021 is looking promising as business, racing, community are all coming together. “I want to be a better person and treat people better,” Dave explains, thinking about his industry contributions. Reminiscing, he recalls what a previous employer once said: “The only reason you’ve made it this far is because you work hard and you’re a good person.” “I’ll take it,” Dave laughs.

Dave would like to thank the Carter Group and JCPS family for making his dreams come true and all the amazing people he has been able to ride and race with over the years. IM InsideMotorcycles.com 57

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NORTON’S ‘YELLOW PERIL’: THE 750 COMMANDO PRODUCTION RACER

I

Story by Graham Clayton I Photos Courtesy of Norman White

n 1971 Norton introduced what many regard as the ultimate version of the original road-legal 750 Commando OHV vertical twin, namely the Production Racer or PR. This limited-edition machine was based on a prototype Commando racer that in 1970 won the famous Thruxton 500-mile endurance race in the hands of Norton factory team riders Peter Williams and Charlie Sanby.

Norton had introduced its 750 Commando model in 1968 using an upgraded version of the long-stroke 745 cc Atlas motor and a newly developed ‘GlideRide’ isolastic frame. The engine (angled forward 20 degrees from the vertical), transmission and swingarm were assembled as a single unit. This was achieved using twin steel plates that anchored the engine and gearbox, and also supported the swingarm thereby preventing twisting of the final drive chain. This powertrain unit was bolted into the bike’s steel tube cradle frame near the bottom of the front and rear downtubes using special isolastic mounts that contained shimmed hard rubber blocks. There was also a rubber-mounted cylinder head-steady. This system effectively isolated the frame and the rider from the tremendous vibration that the 360-degree twin was noted for.

The Commando was a big hit being both powerful, fast and good handling, so it wasn’t long before Norton Villiers was offering several different versions including the 750 Roadster.

Stock Commandos produced between 58 and 60 horsepower and were capable of speeds of 185-plus km/h (115-plus mph), which for the time was very good. Many owners began production racing them and there was a growing demand for higher performance aftermarket parts.

In the highly lucrative US export market, the AMA had increased the displacement limit for its premier Class C racing series to 750 cc starting in 1970. This, and the growing interest in 750 cc-based racing series in both the UK and on the European continent, spurred Norton Villiers to start work on developing a production racing version of the Commando that could be homologated for use in the development of full-on Norton works racers.

The prototype racer used by Williams and Sanby to win the 1970 Thruxton 500 garnered Norton’s first major comeback win.

The following month at the Isle of Man, Williams led the 750 Production TT only to run out of gas on the last lap within sight of the finish line. He was passed just before crossing the line

by Triumph-mounted Malcolm Uphill. Williams’ race average speed of 160.5 km/h (97.7 mph) saw him finish barely 1.6 seconds behind Uphill.

Norton’s racing department was located in what came to be known as the ‘Long Shop’ located on the edge of the Thruxton racing circuit, a former WW II B-17 bomber base. The race shop and team were headed up by Peter Inchley, himself a seasoned racer and an expert engine development engineer. So too was the team’s lead rider Peter Williams. Using past experience, performance upgrading tricks carried over from the Domin-

60 Inside Motorcycles

ator-based twins and taking a try-it-and-see on track development approach, the team made steady progress. The Norton Villiers higher-ups rewarded this with increased resource support for the team and a decision to build a limited-edition over-the-counter high-performance production racer, the PR. The PR Commandos were based on the 750 Roadster model and all were built at the Long Shop, not at the nearby Andover Commando assembly factory. The frame, powertrain unit and isolastic mounts were all standard Commando items as befitting a production racer. Two frame exceptions were the omission of any fitting for a side stand and the location of the frame number being near the back of the frame under the seat rather than on the steering neck.

The bike’s telescopic fork had different valving and new fork legs, including a special right lower tube with mountings for a single Lockheed disc brake caliper that gripped an 11.5-inch (292 mm) rotor. The rear suspension employed twin Girling shocks with partially exposed springs. The rear brake was a standard eight-inch twin shoe drum brake that was vented above and below the rear axle for better cooling.

Unlike standard Commandos that rolled on 19-inch spoked wheels using WM3 chromed steel rims, the PRs were fitted with 19-inch Dunlop alloy rims. The front wheel used a special Norton alloy front hub laced with a Dunlop WM2 2.5-inch alloy rim, with a matching spoked Dunlop WM3 alloy rear wheel. These were fitted with Dunlop K81 high performance treaded tires, 3.60 front and 4.10 rear.

The PR’s bright yellow fibreglass bodywork consisted of a sporty front fender, a half-fairing with headlight aperture, a 16-litre (3.5 imperial gallons) fuel tank, side covers and a solo racing seat with a built-in number roundel. Larger racing fuel tanks (with five and six imperial gallon capacity) were an available option. The bikes came equipped with a street legal headlight, rear brake light and tail light.

The Commando Production Racer engines were blueprinted, used individually hand selected heads, barrels and engine cases, and were assembled with great precision. Extensive machining, porting and polishing work was carried out on the cylinder heads to improve gas flow. The heads were fitted with larger valves which required the use of special shorter pushrods. The heads also had phosphor-bronze valve guides and polished rockers. The standard crankshaft utilized matched conrods fitted with 10.25:1 high compression racing pistons.

Other upgrades included the use of Norvil’s 3S racing camshaft, the choice of either twin 32 mm Amal GP or Concentric carbs, the option of either a standard close-ratio four-speed gearbox or a Quaife five-speed, and the replacement of the standard points ignition with a Boyer-Bransden electronic unit.

Early Production Racers were fitted with AMC cigar tubetype mufflers, which were later replaced by twin reverse-cone megaphone exhausts. Standard instrumentation included a speedo, tach and ammeter. Standard rider controls were clip-on

(Top) Norman White at speed during the 1973 Thruxton 500. Note the right-side exhaust and vented rear drum brake. (Middle) Norman White (right) prepares to take over from Rex Butcher for the final leg of the 1973 500 Miler by the end of which the rear tire was worn right down to the cord. (Above) Restored 1973 works 750 PR in John Player Norton colours with right-side exhaust and long-distance racing tank as used by Butcher and White in winning the Thruxton 500.

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High road langley - Langley, BC (Above) Lineup of six early 750 Commando PRs with AMC mufflers ready for testing on the adjoining Thruxton racing circuit.

handlebars and rear-set foot controls. The finished machines weighed about 182 kg (400 lbs) dry, developed 70 hp at 7,000 rpm and could cover the standing-start quarter-mile in around 12.5 seconds with a trap speed of over the ton. The bike’s test-proven top speed was 210 km/h (130 mph). According to Norman White, Norton Villiers Commando PR test rider and works racer, some 119 production racers were built between 1971 and 1973. At least six PRs are known to have made it to Canada, though a much larger number made it to the US. These bikes were raced both sides of the border and achieved some good results, including setting production class lap records at various circuits.

In 1971 Peter Williams almost repeated his Thruxton 500 victory, crashing out in the last ten minutes of the six-hour race while leading the eventual winners Dave Croxford and Percy Tait (Triumph triple) by several laps. Croxford would soon move on to become a Norton teammate of Williams. In 1972 Croxford won the Thruxton 500 yet again only this time on a Norton 750 PR with co-racer Mick Grant. Other Norton racers, including Rex Butcher, finished second and fourth in the event. That year Peter Williams finished second on his works Norton in the IoM 750 Production TT with a race average speed of 155.4 km/h (96.53 mph).

In 1973 Rex Butcher teamed with Norton test rider and works racer Norman White to win the Thruxton 500 yet again on the No. 2 works Norton, by then in John Player Norton colours (white with red and blue striping), at a race average speed of 132.9 km/h (82.57 mph). White and Peter Pyket had modified the two works bikes in 1972 by raising the front frame lugs by 3/8 of an inch, subsequently raising the engine unit, and shifting the sub-assembly (engine cradle with engine, gearbox and transmission, and swingarm with rear wheel) to the right, lacing the wheel rim back to its original position. The purpose was to give more ground clearance as they had regularly grounded the primary chain case. Another 745 cc Norton twin followed them home in third place. It would be the last year that a Norton, or any Brit bike, would win the Thruxton event as for 1974 its format was changed away from production and the displacement limit was bumped up to 1,000 cc.

In the early 1970s the grids at British 750 cc production events were loaded with Norton Production Racers, which became a force to be reckoned with, scoring many race victories and podium finishes not just in the UK, but also at events on the continent. Needless to say, being based on a dated engine design originating with the 500 Dominator model, the Commando engines did have weaknesses that carried over into the PR model. Most of these were rectified by ongoing improvements carried out by the Long Shop team.

Production of the 750 PR model ended in 1973. The John Player Norton 750 replica bike that took its place in the Norton lineup was a cosmetic exercise, and not a replacement for the 750 cc ‘proddie’ racer. These days the 750 PR is the most sought-after Commando and draws premium prices on those rare occasions when a real one (not a replica) is offered for sale. IM 62 Inside Motorcycles

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