Inside Motorcycles - Volume 25, Issue 01

CANADA’S SOURCE FOR MOTORCYCLE NEWS DISPLAY UNTIL JUNE 3, 2022 • VOLUME 25, ISSUE 01 • $7.95

RACING TO THE CLOUDS

KISKA.COM Photo: R.Schedl

FEEL THE THRILL Experience pure race-inspired performance with the 2022 KTM RC 390. Featuring an impressive technology package, as well as race-derived styling, handling and addictive power delivery, hitting the street just got a little more thrilling.

SEE MORE AT KTM.COM Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes. Always wear protective safety gear and ride in a responsible manner.

The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected specifications from the production models and may feature optional equipment available at additional cost. European specification model shown for illustration purposes only.

TABLE OF CONTENTS INSIDE Opinions 10 14 15 16 40 42 44

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

INSIDE Features 32 36 52

Off-road Nova Scotia Style Beta 430 RR at the Thistle Hurt Enduro Inside Touring New Zealand Aotearoa – The best kind of different The Numb Bum Experience The highs and lows of Canada’s 24-hour ice race

INSIDE Competition INSIDE Impressions 18 26

King of the Hill 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak Practical Adventure 2021 KTM 890 Adventure

INSIDE Tech 50

Suspension Subsystems The rear shock absorber

April/May 2022 Volume 25, Issue 01

60

Also INSIDE 8 12 56

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On the Cover: Originally held in 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has grown to legendary status with the 20-kilometre, 156-turn course challenging the best from all forms of racing including motorcycles, which last challenged the mountain in 2019. Celebrating their rich history of victories on the mountain, Ducati introduced the Multistrada Pikes Peak in 2011, which has evolved into the 2022 Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak // Cover Design: Dawn McClintock // Main Photo: Ducati North America/David Schelske // Inset Photo: Mark Dzikowski // Below: Incorporated into the mountain ranges of southern California, the roads feature seemingly endless series of switchbacks, certain to increase the heart rate of every motorcyclist. Photo: Ducati Canada/Mike Levin

InsideMotorcycles.com 3

IF EVERY RIDE FEELS THE SAME, CHANGE IT. AS A RIDER, YOU’RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM AND EXCITEMENT OF THE OPEN ROAD. CAN-AM ON-ROAD HELPS YOU GO BEYOND THE BARRIERS OF TRADITION AND EXPLORE FAVORITE PLAYGROUNDS FROM A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE. WITH THE 2022 VEHICLE LINEUP, WE CAN ALL RIDE. EVERYONE CAN BE WHO THEY WANT TO BE ON THE ROAD AND EXPRESS THEMSELVES WITH A VARIETY OF MODELS, COLORS AND TRIMS. THERE’S NO BETTER TIME TO SHOW THE WORLD WHO YOU REALLY ARE. YOU IN?

SCAN HERE TO DISCOVER THE 2022 LINEUP. OR VISIT CANAMONROAD.COM ®

©2022 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. , TM and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Carefully read the operator’s guide and safety instructions. Observe applicable laws and regulations. Riding, alcohol and drugs don’t mix. See your authorized BRP dealer for details and visit canamonroad.com.

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ZOOM 8 Inside Motorcycles

ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH

One of the many benefits of off-road riding in Western Canada is access to unique perspectives of the Rocky Mountains. Our photo shoot with the KTM 890 Adventure took us through the popular off-road Waiparous area all the way to the eastern edge of the Banff National Park providing a view that will only ever be seen by those travelling this trail. Turn to page 26 to read more about the KTM 890 Adventure. PHOTO BY MARK DZIKOWSKI

InsideMotorcycles.com 9

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

Back in the saddle

W

ell, it has finally arrived. Despite the temporary presence of snow this morning – the product of a short-lived snowstorm – the 2022 riding season is upon us. With the move by most Canadian provinces to start relaxing public health restrictions coinciding with the retreat of winter, everywhere you look people are more than ready to get on with life and their favourite activities, and the return to our two-wheeled pursuits could not have come at a better time. With a surprising number of riders already out on the roads and trails over the last couple of months, and many more eager to join them in the coming weeks, the season will be in full swing by the time you are reading this.

While 2022 promises to offer a return to simple pleasures like stopping for lunch at your favourite roadside restaurant, it won’t be without its challenges. Whether it is the supply chain issues that limit inventories of new bikes, parts and gear, or the way that surging demand has driven the price of used bikes to impossible-to-believe levels, getting outfitted to ride will require patience and determination. Adding to the challenges is the price of fuel, and while it makes riding a bike an excellent economic choice, it is potentially going to have a negative impact on participation in motorcycle competition as racers and fans are faced with dramatic increases in the cost of travelling to events.

It’s not all doom and gloom this year. One of the most positive aspects in 2022 is the continued focus by manufacturers on expanding their lineups with new and improved motorcycles that capture our imagination and bring the latest technology and design into showrooms. Case in point are the two motorcycles featured in this issue. By combining their MotoGP-derived V4 engine with leading edge components and electronics, Ducati has created the most advanced Multistrada Pikes Peak model ever. At the same time, KTM has demonstrated a willingness to listen to their consumer base and create a motorcycle that meets the needs of the everyday ADV rider with the 890 Adventure.

Another exciting aspect of 2022 is the return to travel. As IM travel writer Bruce Thomas reminds us with his story about touring New Zealand, there is a whole world out there just waiting to be explored. Whether you cross the globe or stick close to home, the owners and staff of restaurants, coffee shops, gas stations and hotels are going to be as excited to see you as you are to see them.

This is going to be an exciting year and it’s important to be prepared to make the most of it. Before you head out on your latest adventure, please take the time to make sure bike is serviced, your gear is in good working condition and that you are prepared both mentally and physically to get the most out of your experience whether it is on the racetrack, off-road trails or the streets and highways. Ride safe and here’s to being back in the saddle in 2022. 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

Lindsey Broad lindsey@insidemotorcycles.com

Mike Galipeau mike@insidemotorcycles.com

Derek Rockel derek@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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VICE PRESIDENT: Greg MacPherson greg@insidemotorcycles.com CONTRIBUTORS Graham Clayton, Lee Martin, Dawn McClintock, Brett McCormick, Suzanne Pelletier, Bruce Thomas, Shelby Turner, Todd Vallee.

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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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.

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Only 50 of each special edition crafted for Canada. Learn more at Kawasaki.ca

Harley-Davidson Focuses on Performance in 2022

The influence of MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers series and the shift towards performance-based American V-twins is evident in several of the motorcycles that Harley-Davidson introduced in 2022 starting with the Road Glide and Street Glide ST models.

Powered by Harley’s Milwaukee-Eight 117 V-twin engine, these models represent the first time that the company’s largest displacement production motor has been used outside of the limited-edition models CVO lineup. Adding to the performance-focused design, these latest models feature upgraded rear shocks with additional travel. Visually, both models draw inspiration from the current performance bagger trends with matte finishes, blacked out components, standard-length saddlebags, heavy breather air intake, solo seat, trimmed front fender and low-profile tank console.

In addition to performance, both models incorporate standard features from H-D’s Grand American Touring lineup including Boom! Box GTS infotainment systems with fairing mounted speakers, electronic cruise control, security system and lean sensitive ABS and traction control. MSRP for the 2022 Road Glide ST is $36,999 and $36,399 for the Street Glide ST. Taking the concept of sport touring to a new level, Harley Davidson has also introduced the Low Rider ST model alongside an updated version of the brand’s popular Low Rider S. Both models also receive the Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine, representing a five percent increase in torque when compared to the Milwaukee-Eight 114 that powered the 2021 Low Rider S. Updates to the Low Rider S also include revised handlebar-mounted instrumentation replacing the tank console instruments found on the 2021 version.

Weighing in at 308 kg (679 lb) fully fuelled and ready to ride, the 2022 Low Rider S offers the highest power to weight ratio in the 2022 Harley-Davidson lineup.

Fitted with removable high-mounted saddlebags (combined capacity 53.8 litres) and an FXRT-inspired frame-mounted fairing, the all-new Low Rider ST expands the possibilities of the brand’s most powerful cruiser. Equipped with a taller rear monoshock compared to the standard Softail chassis, the Low Rider ST benefits from increased suspension travel and improved cornering clearance.

ABS brakes and security system are included as standard equipment. Optional accessories include an audio system powered by Rockford Fosgate. Similar to the Road Glide and Street Glide ST models, the Low Rider S and Low Rider ST feature hot rod inspired matte paint finishes and blacked-out components.

The 2022 Low Rider S MSRP is $23,799, with the Low Rider ST MSRP at $26,799. Visit www.harley-davidson.com/ca for detailed information on the complete 2022 Harley-Davidson lineup. IM

Can-Am to Go Electric

BRP Inc. has announced their intention to return to the production of two-wheeled vehicles with an all-new electric-powered motorcycle to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Can-Am brand. José Boisjoli, President and CEO of BRP: “With the motorcycle industry shifting to electric, we saw an opportunity to reclaim our motorcycle heritage and to re-enter the market. This new product category is extremely important to us, and we are thrilled that Can-Am motorcycles are the first EV models in BRP’s electric lineup to be confirmed to consumers.”

The first models of this all-new electric-powered lineup are expected to be available in mid-2024.

Stay tuned to www.brp.com for more details. IM

KTM Adventure Rally Canada

Registration is now open for the fourth instalment of the KTM Adventure Rally Canada.

Scheduled to be held at Auberge du Lac Taureau in Quebec, the event is open to riders of all brands of street-legal adventure bikes with displacement of 600 cc or more. Owners of KTM 390 Adventures are also eligible to participate in the rally. Held over two days on June 17 and 18, teams of two to four riders will be offered the option of two different courses, with the more basic route focusing on gravel roads while enthusiasts in search of a more intense experience will be able to challenge an aggressive course designed to test the off-road limits of rider and bike alike. KTM’s demo fleet of adventure bikes will be available for test rides throughout the event alongside other adventure product vendors.

Visit www.ktmadvrallycanada4.eventbrite.com to register. IM 12 Inside Motorcycles

Executive Changes at MMIC

The Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council (MMIC) has new leadership with the appointment of Michelle O’Hara as the organization’s new president, replacing retiring long-time MMIC president Robert Ramsay. O’Hara will also assume the roles of president for the Canadian Off-Highway Vehicles Distributors Council (COHV) and Power Sports Services (PSS).

A passionate motorcyclist and road racer, O’Hara brings an extensive background in the management of not-for-profit management, having held senior executive positions including, most recently Executive Director of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs.

In other MMIC news, Bianca Kennedy has been promoted to the position of Director of Market Expansion and Events for Power Sport Services. In addition to assuming the responsibilities previously held by retiring General Manager Ray Sriubiskis for planning and production of the Motorcycle Shows, Kennedy will also oversee efforts targeting the expansion of motorcycle and off-highway riding in Canada. To learn more about the MMIC and its associated organizations, please visit www.mmic.ca. IM

(Top) Michelle O’Hara.

(Above) Bianca Kennedy.

“Form and Function” headlined the April/May 2012 issue of Inside Motorcycles, referencing the winning combination of performance and style demonstrated by the Triumph Speed Triple R and Kawasaki Ninja 650 that shared the cover.

While these motorcycles were targeted at different demographics, they both demonstrated that the key elements design and power could co-exist. Ten years later, IM has returned to southern California where the Ninja 650 was unveiled in 2012 for the press launch of the Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak featured on the cover of this issue. Turn to page 18 of this issue to learn about this motorcycle’s own unique combination of style and performance.

The closure of Race City Motorsport Park in Calgary and the impact on local racing clubs was also making headlines in 2012. A decade later, road racing enthusiasts in Calgary will once again be back on track in 2022 with the scheduled opening of the 3.5-kilometre Rocky Mountain Motorsports circuit north of the city.

Jordan Szoke’s tour of the Rocky Mountains in southern British Columbia wrapped up the issue with the CSBK star’s impressions of the four different motorcycles he and his team rode on the trip as well as the roads and trails they discovered on their adventure. The Rocky Mountains continue to leave their impression on IM contributors and readers alike, including serving as the backdrop for our test of KTM’s 890 Adventure in this issue. IM InsideMotorcycles.com 13

ON THE PIPE MARK DZIKOWSKI

Dakar Rally Raid fever

W

ith the Dakar Rally in the books for 2022, it is time to reflect on the most anticipated race in the racing calendar – if not for everyone, it is at least for me. You see, I grew up watching this event, eagerly searching out the few snippets of news in the national newspaper sports section or hoping for helicopter-shot footage on one of the two black-and-white channels we had in Poland in the ‘80s.

This one event is partly responsible for my motorcycle obsession, especially since I don’t come from a motorcycle family. But the Dakar Rally had this magical appeal to me where it combined an exciting adventure of the unknown, of seeing new, faraway lands and doing it while racing cars, trucks and especially motorcycles across vast swaths of the Sahara Desert in Africa.

The race has changed a lot since its inception in 1978 by the Frenchman Thierry Sabine. Back then, it was called the Paris-Dakar Rally but since the race no longer takes place in Africa, it was shortened and trademarked to the Dakar Rally we know today.

As of 2020, the race now takes place in Saudi Arabia. Long gone are the days of the African Dakar where virtually anyone brave and willing enough to enter this race was allowed to do so. Regular and lightly modified cars, trucks and motorcycles entered the race to

compete alongside the more professional and well-funded teams. Cost of entry wasn’t as prohibitive as it is today either.

Today, the race is mainly reserved for the elite and/or the wealthy. The motorcycle category is now restricted to maximum 450 cc capacity machines and the race is virtually a flat-out sprint across the desert.

Not much is left for the dreamers and adventurers, with a bare bones entry in the motorcycle division, the cheapest category (Original by Motul, formerly known as Malle Moto) costing now around US$100,000. You hear stories of highly skilled racers having to sell everything they own and mortgage their home in order to fund their dream to enter the race (American Skyler Howes did just that). Even if you had the money for the entry, the experience requirement might be the end of the road for many. You either need professional racing experience or good results in races like the FIM Rally World Championships, ISDE, Baja or qualifying race under the “Road to Dakar” label. Getting experience like that will not be cheap.

I’m not entirely against this relatively new requirement, as this is a dangerous race, and under-qualified participants could risk their own and others’ lives causing the organizers legal and logistical nightmares.

Nonetheless, it is a shame the race is out

Sam Sunderland wins the 2022 Dakar Rally on the GasGas Factory Edition.

PHOTO COURTESY OF RED BULL CONTENT POOL

14 Inside Motorcycles

of reach for most, especially those in North America.

With this niche discipline being virtually non-existent in Canada, what can be done to prepare some of our own up and coming racers to be ready and be competitive in the Dakar? Canadian Dakar legend Lawrence Hacking has tried to start a series that would help Canadian riders on the international scene, but those events and series were short lived. The Rally Raid discipline introduces another skill that is not a part of any other motorcycle genre. That skill is navigation by road book. Success in the Dakar heavily depends on this skill. You can be the fastest rider in the world, but if you don’t know where you’re supposed to go, that speed is worth very little. Ex-Dakar racers like Jimmy Lewis put on navigation clinics in Nevada and California deserts (it is on my to-do list) which is one way, if not the only way, to get some legit navigation training locally on this continent before committing large capital to going overseas.

Despite all these changes to the Dakar over the years, I still can’t wait for January to arrive every single year and follow the race as much as I can from the comfort of my warm couch. The organizers (ASO) do a fantastic job of marketing the event and the helicopter footage of the race that I remember from my childhood days is still there, but now in 4K resolution, and it continues to give me goosebumps.

In the 2022 Dakar, the motorcycle category was again dominated by KTM (KTM, Husqvarna, GasGas) and Honda. The Brit Sam Sunderland won his second title but this time on the GasGas Factory Racing 450, a first for the brand even though its virtually a KTM in red plastics. Chilean Pablo Quintanilla took the runner-up spot on the Monster Energy Honda and the 2018 winner, Austrian Matthias Walkner took third on his Red Bull KTM. For the sole Canadian entry, Jack Lundin finished in 60th place on his HT Rally Raid Husqvarna, improving on his 77th position in 2018. IM

THE SHARP EDGE TONI SHARPLESS

Dad on any Sunday

I

pulling wheelies on bicycles, to Mert Lawwill, Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen going for a ride in the dunes together at the end of the film.

The movie is very identifiable to me. In 1971, my brothers and I were in age range of eight to eleven years old and every Sunday mom would pack up a cooler of food, our helmets and rubber boots then off we would go with dad to whatever motorcycle event he was taking part in that weekend.

I remember when the event was over dad would host a tailgate party while my brothers and I would fight over who got to ride dad’s trials bike first. After we sorted it out dad would put down his beer to lift one of us onto his bike, then give us a push to let the clutch lever out for us and off we’d go. When we were ready to hand off the bike to the next in line, we would circle the truck letting dad know we were ready to get off and he would run alongside on one of our passes and grab the clutch lever.

What I like about the On Any Sunday movie is how it brings back those memories. Memories of how much joy, pain and growth motorcycles have given me.

The movie depicts all aspects of motorcycle racing we did as kids: flat track, road racing, motocross, enduros, trials and ice racing describing each one to the audience in laymen’s terms with a keen observation making it easy for me to fall back into each world.

The narrator described road racing as, “Precise and exacting… it has a certain beauty to it and is also very dangerous.” The narrator then takes you on the 30-degree banking at Daytona, a place where dad and I have both raced and experienced, “Your suspension is bottomed out, your helmet is banging around, your eyes are forced into their sockets, your vision is blurred.” The on-board footage to demonstrate this is amazing when you think GoPro cameras had not been invented yet.

Flat track was really my first love of This Facebook post by Toni brought back memories motorcycle racing. My brothers and I for many. IMAGE COURTESY OF TONI SHARPLESS

recently posted the picture below on my Facebook page with the caption “Yup, that’s my dad on any Sunday.” What I was referring to was that the picture, taken by Ron Sale, is a depiction of what my dad, Bill Sharpless did typically every Sunday back in the day (unsure of the bike and the date, I believe it is circa 1969).

What surprised me was how many Facebook followers picked up on my inadvertent reference to the 1971 iconic motorcycle movie by Bruce Brown, On Any Sunday and the emotion brought along with it. I saw the movie for the first time at age 11 and a few more times since but not in the last decade – it was time to review.

I was able to find it quickly on YouTube one night and watched it with goosebumps and tears from the opening scene of kids

all raced flat track, dad not so much, but my brother Todd was the one who stayed with it for over 20 years earning an AMA national number. After mentioning the speeds reached on a half-mile of over 100 mph (160 km/h) the narrator says, “Then you sit up at the end of the straight and pitch it sideways into the corner.” My body winced when I watched the crashing sequences feeling every bruise, pulled muscle, torn ligament and broken bone. It is all part of racing as Dave Aldana famously says in the movie, “You never know how fast you can go until you crash.”

Motocross, “Man’s battle against the track itself,” the narrator says then adds a phrase I have heard many motorcyclists repeat, “Scientific tests have been made and motocross was found to be the second most physically demanding sport in the world following only soccer.” Although our family did not spend much time motocrossing, it was a good training ground for all the other competition we headed off to like off-road events. Brother Blair and my dad both really excelled in cross country and enduro events, earning gold medals from the ‘Olympics’ of off-road events, the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).

The narrator described off-road events this way: “The rougher and tougher the event, the more skill and human endurance it takes.” And that is exactly what American Malcolm Smith displayed in the movie. After riding the Baja 1000 he didn’t talk about “the dust, or how rough or tough it was,” he just grinned and said, “That was really neat.” That’s exactly what I have heard my dad say before with a mix of sweat and dirt on his face.

“Trials riders,” the narrator says, “are the magicians of the motorcycle world.” In the movie they show some pretty tame stuff in comparison to the magic acts rider and motorcycle can do today. Trials events are what dad spent his time at from when I can remember seen here in this picture doing what the narrator calls, “Bopping along watching the scenery.” IM InsideMotorcycles.com 15

TO THE LIMIT BRETT MCCORMICK

Springing to life

A

s I grow older my passion for motorcycles constantly grows to be more expansive, and more expensive.

When racing paid my bills, it was racing all the time and nothing else. Even when I was training on a motocross bike it was about racing the stopwatch, and throughout my career I didn’t spend any time venturing out of that mindset. I don’t share this with regret or negative connotation, it was just how I operated and that mindset helped me focus on what was needed to be successful at the races.

Now that I’m living a consistent daily life I can easily plan around, my taste and passion for two-wheel machines is a lot more flexible. Motocross, Harleys, sport bikes, offroad machines, touring – really any motorcycle can perk my interest in a different way.

I think this is important, and something most of us can relate to – a motorcycle enthusiast needs to have that chameleon trait if they don’t want to get burnt out.

I tend to get drawn into certain bike styles based on who I’m spending most of my time around. Naturally if you want someone to ride with it makes it easier to match bike styles, so you both enjoy the

McCormick with his coach, Pascal Picotte.

16 Inside Motorcycles

same riding. This can get expensive, but I’ve always believed the right number of bikes is a simple equation: X = N+1. Where X is the right number of bikes, and N is the number of bikes you currently have.

Keeping some variety in my motorcycle life has been a key to keeping the passion strong, and last year I made the mistake of being too one-dimensional. I got burnt out on motocross last fall, not to the point that I struggled to find motivation to go riding, but I wasn’t as pumped as I normally am. If I look back on the summer, motocross wasn’t my problem, it was the lack of other riding – I think I only rode my Harley a couple of days, which is a shame.

This might sound depressing, and relatable if you’ve ever had a summer like that – but just as you read this, I’m sure you’ve been gifted the exact same thing I have over the past three or four months. Winter! Gift is a strange word to use, but winter might be the least appreciated season for us motorcycle enthusiasts in Canada.

A winter off-season gives us time to recharge our own batteries, and get excited to ride again. Time to fix race-bike crash damage properly, and order worn out parts

for your touring machine. Don’t get me wrong, I dream of riding all year round, but I also think we go harder and appreciate things more than riders living in year-round riding climates.

I could be riding the same clapped-out bike for 35 years in a row, and no matter how bored I am of it come fall, I would still be thinking about riding every minute of the day once February hits and spring is in sight.

Luckily, I have plans for some new bikes this spring, so that makes it even more exciting.

Some riders plan their upgrades early and throw it on their Christmas list, but I’ve always been a February to April build kind of guy. Likely due to a later spring in Saskatchewan, but no matter where you live in Canada, right now is still a good planning time.

If you’re making budget plans for this riding season keep in mind one detail that we all tend to overlook and pay little attention to: Developing new skills, and setting out a plan for it. Learning new riding skills, or maybe learning new mechanic skills.

Skills aren’t cheap to develop, whether it be time or money invested, but they stay with you forever – unlike that new exhaust or set of tires.

There are riding coaches around for every discipline, and a lot of experts with bike setup and basic wrench turning that are willing to lend a hand. Social media has made it so easy to access experts, and you would be pleasantly surprised how many are willing to help you out in exchange for a fee when it comes to any coaching. I’ve spent a lot of time burning gas and parts up trying to figure out ways to go faster, but the advice I’ve received from coaches over the years always ends up being a shortcut in the long run – money up front that is hard to spend, but always worth it in the end!

That being said, you still need to be pumped to get on your bike and ride – so don’t hesitate to throw that new pipe on for the summer, I know I will be. Just don’t forget to work on yourself too, not always just the bike! IM

Maple Ridge Motorsports 20430 Lougheed Hwy Maple Ridge, BC 877-546-6384 mapleridgemotorsports.com

Blackstock Motorsports 3580 Byers Rd Blackstock, ON 905-986-4437 blackstockmotorsports.com

Burnaby Kawasaki 7771 Edmonds St. Burnaby, BC 604-525-9393 burnabykawasaki.com

InsideMotorcycles.com 17

I N S I D E I M P R E S S I O N | 2022 D U C AT I M U LT I S T R A D A V 4

KING OF THE HILL

2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak

BY PATRICK LAMBIE PHOTOS: DUCATI NORTH AMERICA

T

here I was sitting in my office doing a final edit of senior editor Colin Fraser’s review of Ducati’s Multistrada V4 S (Inside Motorcycles Feb./Mar. 2022) when I received a call inviting me to travel down to California the following week and test ride the all-new Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak model. While an opportunity to spend time in sunny California in December is never to be taken lightly, I did take a few minutes to consider whether it made sense to review a bike that was so similar to the one staring back at me from the computer screen. Then I called back and said, “Count me in!”

In reality, while they share the Multistrada moniker, Pikes Peak is a unique motorcycle unto itself created with entirely different intentions than the other members of the Multistrada family. Introduced in 2011 to celebrate the company’s success at the legendary hill climb event, the Pikes Peak model now accounts for one of every six Multistradas sold and Ducati has positioned the 2022 model as the most advanced version ever.

Built around Ducati’s potent 170-horsepower 1,158 cc Granturismo V-four engine, the bike’s GP-inspired livery, carbon fibre components and a single-sided swingarm provide the Pikes Peak with a unique visual that stands apart from the rest of the Multistrada lineup; however, these elements are just the tip of the iceberg. Closer inspection reveals a purpose-built frame designed to promote high-speed stability and precision handling with rake increased by 1.25 degrees to 25.75 degrees (compared to the base model Multistrada V4), trail increased to 120 mm and the resulting overall wheelbase of 1,595 mm (62.8 in) coming in 28 mm (1.1 in) greater than the base model. Footpegs moved up and back by 10 mm in each direction along with 18 Inside Motorcycles

a 15 mm lower handlebar repositions the rider to take full advantage of the V4 Pikes Peak’s enhanced handling capabilities.

Where the balance of the Multistrada lineup is intended to retain some capacity for off-road activities, the Pikes Peak model eschews the use of a larger 19-inch front wheel in favour of forged 17-inch Marchesini rims on both the front and rear. In addition to accommodating the bike’s sporting intentions, the Marchesini rims also reduce overall weight by four kilograms compared to the V4 S model, making the Pikes Peak the lightest V-four powered Multistrada model weighing in at 239 kg (527 lb) fully fuelled and ready to ride. Connecting the bike with the road, the Pikes Peak model ships standard with high-performance Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tires (120/70 ZR 17 front and 190/55 ZR 17 rear). An Akrapovic titanium-carbon fibre muffler is also included as standard equipment on the Pikes Peak model.

The 2022 Multistrada Pikes Peak also draws heavily from the premium V4 S Panigale and Streetfighter models including the

InsideMotorcycles.com 19

Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 electronic suspension setup and Brembo Stylema brake calipers. With the inclusion of Ohlins’ latest electronic suspension, the Pikes Peak benefits from the system’s ability to make real time adjustments based on rider input and road conditions. The electronics suite on the Pikes Peak also features a number of upgrades, including a dedicated Race ride mode, another first for the Ducati family. Each of the four ride modes (Urban, Touring, Sport and Race) features a pre-set configuration for engine output, throttle response and suspension as well as the level of intervention from the lean-sensitive ABS, traction control and wheelie control. In addition to selecting the ride mode using the joy stick beside the grip on left side of the handlebar to navigate through the menus displayed on the bike’s 6.5-inch full-colour TFT display, within each mode the rider can further customize each specific setting to their own preference.

The combination of premium components and advanced electronics package gives the Pikes Peak the capacity to fulfill the company’s “Rule All Mountains” slogan. The only question remaining was whether this impressive specification sheet would translate to an equally impressive riding experience. In search 20 Inside Motorcycles

of an answer, it was time to head out on a route that would encompass some of the most spectacular mountain passes in southern California – perfect for experiencing a motorcycle built on experience from North America’s most famous hill climb.

Prior to our departure, I took advantage of the opportunity to have the optional 20 mm lower seat installed on the bike. The standard seat height is adjustable between 840 mm (33.1 in) and 860 mm (33.9 in), which is definitely manageable for my 5-foot 8-inch frame, but ability to have firmer footing, not to mention that the optional seat was heated – heated grips and seat are surprisingly an extra option on the 2022 Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak – made this a choice I would appreciate when we hit freezing temperatures later in the day.

Heading through early morning Palm Springs traffic, I was simultaneously impressed and a little disappointed in the linear, even somewhat docile power delivery from the V4 Granturismo engine – after all, this engine has 170 horsepower on tap. However, whatever my impression in the first few minutes, it became completely irrelevant once our group made its way out of the city limits and onto the highway, where a Jekyll and Hyde persona emerged

as a snap of the wrist brought forth acceleration that totally smashed through every expectation I had. Switching through the ride modes provided even more diversity to the Pikes Peak’s personality with the Urban mode offering a very subdued interpretation of the bike’s available power and Race mode falling on the total extreme opposite end of the spectrum. Given that we were riding in unseasonably cool temperatures with the chance of even encountering snow at higher elevations, I settled on the Sport riding mode which features aggressive power but incorporates more intense ABS and traction control settings compared to the Race mode.

Heading south along Hwy 74 and leaving the palm-tree-lined streets of Palm Springs in the distance, elevation started to accumulate quickly, and the real fun kicked in with a seemingly never-ending series of switchbacks where the combination of the Pikes Peak’s sport-focused chassis and the physics-defying design of the V4’s counter-rotating crankshaft create an almost weightless sensation when transitioning from side to side.

With the engine responding immediately to every twist of the wrist, the stretches between corners offered the perfect venue to experience the bike’s adrenaline-inducing acceleration with the confidence-inspiring Brembo brake setup accommodating late braking with ease coming into the next corner. Tying everything

acceleration or hard braking, the Pikes Peak’s chassis, electronics and V-four powerplant worked in perfect harmony to provide a ride that left me dreaming of what it would have been like to ascend that legendary hill on its namesake motorcycle.

While it is not exclusive to the Pikes Peak model, a final stretch of freeway riding provided the chance to experiment with Ducati’s adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection systems, both of which are included as standard equipment. Utilizing radar-based technology derived from parent company Audi, the inclusion of these systems is a first for production motorcycles from any manufacturer. Setting the cruise control is the same as always and the additional step of selecting the distance to maintain from vehicles in front of the bike is just as easy. Once turned on the system was surprisingly smooth, applying brake or accelerating smoothly to maintain the selected distance. After some experimenting, I found that setting the cruise control about 10 mph higher than the flow of traffic worked well, allowing the bike to accelerate with authority when moving through traffic.

While blind spot detection has been a fixture on our cars for some time, I did find the yellow warning lights inserted in the tops of the mirrors a little distracting, but the ability to be forewarned that there is a vehicle in your blind spot when you signal a lane

Equipped with a wide range of leading-edge technology including Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 electronic suspension (above left) all of which are accessed through the full-colour TFT display (above centre), the 2022 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak V4 is the most advanced Multistrada model ever. The use of a single-sided swingarm (above right) is also unique amongst the Multistrada lineup.

together, the Ohlins electronic suspension was definitely in its element as the intensity of riding increased providing a solid and settled feel through corners, no squatting during acceleration and no front-end dive even under extreme braking. Add in the inclusion of Ducati’s latest quick shifter technology and it becomes apparent that in addition to being a great performance-based road bike, this latest edition of the Multistrada Pikes Peak has the capacity to be an excellent track day machine.

The team at Ducati had forewarned that the forecast for this region would require some warm weather gear and as we continued to head to higher elevations I was glad to have followed their advice, especially when temperatures fell to freezing level as we rode along over a mile high on Hwy 243 through Mount San Jacinto State Park. Yes, we did encounter snow. I guess Albert Hammond never thought to mention snow when he sang “It Never Rains in Southern California.” Oh well, with it being just a week before Christmas the snow seemed appropriate.

Coming back down, our return route to Palm Springs provided one last opportunity to experience the performance of the 2022 Pikes Peak model. Whether it was aggressive leans, full

change is quite simply a potential life saver.

A motorcycle like the 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is a rare breed. Designed and built with a specific purpose and goal, this motorcycle delivers on all fronts, and more. Of course, all of this comes at a price and while Canadian MSRP of $32,695 may result in an altered heart rate for some, this is definitely a case of “you get what you pay for,” and the 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is the chance to own a motorcycle that offers the pinnacle of modern design, technology and performance.

For those looking to take the Pikes Peak to an even higher level of performance, Ducati offers a full line of accessories including a dry clutch setup, more carbon fibre accents and full Akropovic racing exhaust system that will add a claimed 10 peak horsepower while also reducing overall weight by 15 kg (11 lb).

While the Pikes Peak hill climb is no longer open to motorcycles, it remains as a part of motorcycle history and the 2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 Pikes Peak is a chance to own an outstanding tribute to this tradition. Add in the fact that its design and performance will make you the envy of riders and non-riders alike and you have to ask yourself: “What am I waiting for?” IM InsideMotorcycles.com 21

S P E C TA B L E

2022 Ducati Multistrada V4 PROS:

+ V4 performance + Top shelf electronics

CONS:

- MSRP not for the faint of heart - At this price, heated grips and seat should be standard

Suggested Retail: $32,695

Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection with 46 mm elliptical throttle bodies

Colours: GP inspired red and white livery

Final Drive: Chain

Engine: Liquid-cooled 90-degree V-four Granturismo Displacement: 1,158 cc Bore & Stroke: 83 mm x 53.5 mm Compression Ratio: 14.0:1 Power: 170 hp at 10,500 rpm Torque: 92 ft-lb at 8,750 rpm

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Weight: 239 kg (527 lb) wet Transmission: Six-speed Frame: Aluminum monocoque frame Wheelbase: 1,595 mm (62.8 in) Seat Height: 840 mm - 860 mm (33.1 in - 33.9 in) adjustable Suspension (front): Ohlins 48 mm inverted fork, fullyadjustable with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based electronic suspension

Suspension (rear): Ohlins fully-adjustable monoshock with Ohlins Smart EC 2.0 event-based electronic suspension Tire (front): Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 120/70 ZR17 Tire (rear): Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 190/55 ZR17 Brakes (front): Dual 330 mm semi-floating discs with radially mounted Brembo Stylema monoblock 4-piston calipers Brakes (rear): Single 265 mm disc with Brembo 2-piston floating caliper Fuel Capacity: 22 L

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

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INSIDE IMPRESSION | KTM 890 ADVENTURE

PRACTICAL KTM 890 Adventure

BY PATRICK LAMBIE

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PHOTOS BY MARK DZIKOWSKI

he future of the adventure bike market is on an enviable trajectory as more and more riders continue to come to the realization that road doesn’t stop just because the asphalt does. Walk into any motorcycle dealership and the fact that adventure bikes are a hot commodity is apparent from the moment that you cross the threshold. Even brands with storied histories built on cruisers and heavyweight touring machines have jumped onto the bandwagon and added adventure bikes to their lineups.

In the case of KTM, adventure bikes have long been a staple for this Austrian manufacturer where legendary off-road performance is part of the company’s DNA. So, it was only logical that a new series of dual sport-oriented travellers would follow the introduction of the company’s compact 799 cc LC8c liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine in 2018. Brought to market as 2019 models, the 790 Adventure and 790 Adventure R were short lived with the 2020 introduction of the 890 Adventure R and 890 Adventure R Rally. Built around an upgraded LC8c engine with increased bore and stroke combining for an additional 90 cc of displacement (889 cc) along with a five-horsepower bump (100 hp at 8,000 rpm) and 74 ft-lb of torque, these latest mid-displacement adventure bikes took the best of the 790 Adventure lineup and moved it to a whole new level of performance. While the new models were well received, notably absent from the lineup was the base model 890 Adventure, which would wait for an additional year before breaking cover as a 2021 model.

At a passing glance, you would be forgiven if you did not recognize the 890 Adventure as the base model of KTM’s midsized adventure lineup. Unlike other brands where base model adventure bikes are often entry-level models retaining road-focused elements such as cast wheels, the 890 Adventure features 21-inch front and 18-inch rear tubeless wire-spoke wheels. The tread pattern of the Avon AV54 Trailrider tires, while falling short of all-out knobbies, confirm that this bike isn’t going to be shy about exploring beyond the pavement. The wide handlebar complete with full hand guards, skid plate, tall windscreen, solid 43 mm inverted front fork and split headlight round out a look that is both true adventure and unmistakably KTM. The first part of my week with the 890 Adventure was spent riding to and from the office in busy downtown traffic. While the seat is adjustable between 850 mm (33.5) and 830 mm (32.7 in), the narrow layout of the 890 Adventure that flows from the nicely-sculpted seat down through the slim LC8c engine, made reach26 Inside Motorcycles

ing the ground easy and negated the need to move the seat to the lower setting despite my limited 30-inch inseam. The combination of the upright adventure bike seating with great visibility, nimble handling and the torquey, responsive powerplant made navigating traffic a breeze. While the real test of suspension would wait until we moved into the off-road phase of our testing, the absence of any front-end diving during hard braking in stop-and-go traffic was a solid vote for the WP Apex front fork. Another musthave when riding in hectic urban traffic is easy-to-read instrumentation and the five-inch full-colour TFT display was clearly visible in all types of lighting. Our test bike also came equipped with the optional up/down quick shifter which is always a benefit when working your way through rush hour.

The opportunity to spend a day riding some of Alberta’s best highways while showing a visiting relative around the Rockies provided insight into the 890 Adventure’s capacity for long-distance travel. Once again, the 890 performed perfectly and I could easily see how the addition of panniers would make this an ideal bike for touring. For those who do decide to load the 890 up with luggage or a passenger, the rear WP Apex monoshock provides preload and rebound damping adjustment to accommodate the extra weight. Over the course of a nine-hour day of highway riding, the seat was as comfortable at the end of the day as it was at the beginning and footpegs are nicely positioned to eliminate any fatigue in the knees or legs. Six optional positions for the handlebar and the ability to adjust the seat height if required, provides the option to further dial in the ergonomics to each rider’s specific preference. The only complaint would be the lack of an adjustable windscreen, which takes away the ability to adjust airflow as riding environments change. On the highway the 890 Adventure cruises along at 120 km/h with the engine spinning at a respectable 4,500 rpm. Passing is as simple as twisting your wrist as the LC8c pulls hard from anywhere north of 2,500 rpm.

Of course, sooner or later, you are going to want to take your adventure bike off-road and this is where it becomes important to reconcile your intentions with reality and then balance the bike we think we want vs. the bike we really need. While it is easy to find ourselves daydreaming about riding full-out hardcore off-road single track alongside Chris Birch, for most of us the reality lays somewhere between there and coffee with our riding buddies in the Tim Hortons parking lot on a Sunday morning. If your future includes lofting your bike’s front end over logs and jumping over other obstructions, the 890 Adventure

ADVENTURE

InsideMotorcycles.com 27

should probably remain on the showroom floor and wait for a more suitable rider to pick it up. However, if your off-road desires include taking in some backroads, basic trails and relatively manageable surfaces, the 890 Adventure is raring to go.

Coming up with a location to test out the 890 Adventure’s offroad pedigree was as simple as tapping into IM off-road editor Mark Dzikowski’s catalogue of trails and back roads, which found us arriving at the Waiparous area north of Calgary for an afternoon of dirt and rocks. Following an initial stretch of gravel road, a photo stop provided a reminder to switch the ABS and ride mode settings to Off-Road. While the 890 Adventure incorporates Bosch controlled lean-sensitive ABS (and traction control), selecting the Off-Road ABS mode allows the rear wheel to be fully locked up and limits the amount of front wheel intervention. Similarly, the Off-Road ride mode, in addition to softening throttle response, accommodates a level of rear wheel slippage associated with off-road riding. The 890 Adventure we tested included the optional Rally Pack which gives the rider additional control with nine selectable levels of rear-wheel slip as well as the ability to customize throttle response.

Continuing along, as I frantically did my best to try and at least keep Mark within sight, the gravel road gave way to weather-worn dirt trails where the need to navigate around holes, deep surface cracks and pooling water meant that it was time to get my butt off the seat. For someone who doesn’t eat, sleep and breathe off-road riding, the concept of standing on the pegs while working through a series of obstacles is not

Above left to right: The Avon AV54 Trailrider tires proved effective for both on- and off-road adventures, while the 889 cc LC8c parallel twin engine provides ample torque to smoothly work your way through obstacles and accelerate easily out on the road. The full-colour, five-inch TFT display is easy to read in all lighting conditions.

necessarily a position you are used to, but on the 890 Adventure this position felt quite comfortable and definitely assisted with visibility and maintaining overall control. As the surface moved from packed dirt into large loose rocks, the LC8c powerplant really started to shine. Thanks to its low-end torque and smooth ride-by-wire throttle it was easy to leave the 890 in a high enough gear where a quick twist of the throttle translates to a solid yet controlled response at the rear tire.

Our travels included a few climbs up some rougher surfaces and on at least one occasion I did feel both the front fork and rear shock reach the limits of their 200 mm travel. In fairness, this was before I dropped 20 pounds during the off-season, but it still highlights the limitation of the 890 Adventure’s suspension. Despite this, the motorcycle remains well equipped for off-road adventures including the handguards that got tested 28 Inside Motorcycles

during a short stretch of single track and the skid plate that easily protected the engine during an unplanned jaunt over a 12-inch high rock that somehow managed to fixate my attention and draw me right on top of it.

There are a lot of adventure bikes on the market that will outperform the 890 Adventure in serious off-road conditions, but for most of these bikes on-road performance is an afterthought at best and certainly not a priority. With the 890 Adventure you get a motorcycle that incorporates enough of KTM’s off-road DNA to satisfy the majority of consumers while also maintaining the ability to excel as a daily ride around town and serious motorcycle out on the highway. If you are in the market for a middleweight adventure bike that is truly at home on and off the asphalt, this versatile motorcycle is ready to take on a starring role in your next chapter. IM

S P E C TA B L E

KTM 890 Adventure PROS:

+ A true “jack of all trades” + LC8c parallel twin

CONS:

- Serious off-road riders will quickly outgrow - Non-adjustable windscreen

Suggested Retail: $14,699 Colours: KTM Orange

Fuel Delivery: Electronic fuel injection, ride-by-wire throttle Final Drive: Chain

Engine: Liquid-cooled four-stroke parallel-twin

Weight: 196 kg (432 lb), dry

Displacement: 889 cc

Transmission: Six-speed

Bore & Stroke: 90.7 mm x 68.8 mm

Frame: CroMoly Tubular Steel, Engine as Stressed Member

Compression Ratio: 13.5:1 Power: 100 hp at 8,000 rpm Torque: 74 ft-lb at 6,500 rpm

Wheelbase: 1,509 mm (59.4 in) Seat Height: 850 mm / 830 mm (33.5 in / 32.7 in), adjustable

Suspension (front): WP Apex 43 mm inverted fork Suspension (rear): WP Apex monoshock adjustable for rebound damping and preload Tire (front): Avon AV54 Trailrider 90/90 R 21 Tire (rear): Avon AV54 Trailrider 150/70 R 18 Brakes (front): Dual 320 mm discs with radial-mounted four-piston calipers Brakes (rear): Single 260 mm disc with two-piston floating caliper Fuel Capacity: 20 L InsideMotorcycles.com 29

CONTACT US: 866.475.7111 1100 Champlain Court, Whitby, ON L1N 6K9 FOLLOW US ON

/gpbikeswhitby

@gpbikeswhitby

MAKING YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS A REALITY

Slick rocks and roots at the Thistle Hurt Enduro required hard enduro techniques to be applied like weighting of the footpegs and standing to create traction.

OFF-ROAD NOVA SCOTIA STYLE

Beta’s 430 RR Racing Edition takes on the Thistle Hurt Enduro

BY MARK DZIKOWSKI

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PHOTOS BY KATIE ANNE MACINNIS AND SEAN CARDINELL

ith the moto and retail industry being in supply-chain hell in 2020 and 2021, it is no wonder that the shortage of bikes would also affect the journalism side of our sport. With demo fleets being sold even before they were put into service across the country, I was extremely excited when Beta Canada told me that I could test one of their personal 2021 models, namely the 430 RR Racing Edition. With my family vacation destined for Nova Scotia in mid-July, this worked out perfectly. I would pick up the bike in Halifax and put it through its paces at one of the NSORRA (Nova Scotia Off Road Riders Association) hare scramble races in Cape Breton in the first week of August, namely the Thistle Hurt Enduro.

I’ve been itching to ride the Racing Edition (RE) of the Beta lineup ever since I went on my first Beta press launch in 2017.

You see, most press launches focus on the main consumer lineups and the racing or limited-edition versions are usually released in smaller numbers and later in the year when compared to the standard models and not present at the main launch. The main reason I’ve been itching to ride the RE of the models was to see whether it is a worthy upgrade from the standard model.

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While the standard model bikes come with the Sachs front and rear suspension components, which work very well in their own right, the RE comes with the proven KYB fork in the front but retains the excellent Sachs shock in the rear. Being a big fan of the KYB suspension, I couldn’t wait to swing my leg over the 430 RR Racing Edition. Besides the suspension upgrade, the bike comes with a few trick parts like the easy-pull front axle for quick tire changes, wide billet-machined footpegs, hand guards, various billet accessories and a non-slip seat cover with a timecard pouch. Wrap all of this in a dynamite-looking graphics package and the 430 RR RE is one sexy looking beast.

The part of Nova Scotia where we were vacationing does not have a lot of off-road motorcycle trails located on Crown land.

The county of Antigonish is well set up for ATV and snowmobile backcountry exploration with an excellent trail network that stretches for hundreds of kilometres and is well maintained via the ATV/Snowmobile clubs; however, motorcycle specific trails are virtually non-existent. I decided to stick to private trails that were available to me and with the Thistle Hurt Enduro race being a week away after I picked up the bike in Halifax, I decided to

cruise some easy but fast paced-trails to get warmed up to the 430.9 cc powered beast.

The Beta absolutely ate up the trails and the KYB AOS 48 mm closed cartridge fork performed exactly as I expected. While I found the Sachs fork a bit soft when pushed hard under race conditions, the KYB fork stayed up in the stroke and didn’t bottom out easily while still staying plush.

On July 6, 2022 I loaded the bike in the back of my father-in-law’s truck and headed north, across the Canso Causeway into Cape Breton to hook up with one of my good friends who lives north of Sydney. The rain was unrelenting for the whole three hour drive up, but when I arrived, the skies parted, and I was greeted with clear skies and a heck of a view of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the north. We quickly unloaded the bikes and three of us went for a shakedown ride on some techy terrain. I have not ridden much in eastern Canada and even though there is not a lot of elevation in this part of the world compared to what I’m used to in Alberta, those were some challenging trails. I mostly kept the 430 RR RE in first gear, which made it very apparent that stock gearing is not ideal for this type of riding and I could definitely feel the weight of the second biggest displacement offering from Beta. The Beta 300 RR two-stroke was more suited for this type of trail, but despite its weight, the 430 RR RE made up for it with its butter-smooth clutch engagement, the tractor-like motor and the KYB fork. After a few laps, I got good at keeping momentum on the low-traction east coast clay with some clutch work and restrained throttle hand.

The next morning was race day and we were greeted with bluebird skies and an anticipated 25 Celsius temperatures. Living in Alberta and being used to dry heat, it was going to be baptism-by-sweat for this cowboy as humidity was expected to hover around 90 to 100 percent after all the rain the day prior. We loaded the bikes and made our way towards Louisbourg, where the race site was located on a private Thistle Dew Farm owned by the Harnish family. The Harnishes also ride off-road and are big advocates of the sport in the area.

With my local friend’s guidance, I entered the Intermediate A class, which is one below the Pro/Expert class in the NSORRA regional hare scramble championship.

I didn’t know how I felt about that as I would be racing some fast-young whippersnappers. With me being in my mid-40s now and not having raced since 2016,

(Above) Grass tracks are a great way to test bike handling characteristics and practice cornering techniques. (Inset) The 430RR Racing Edition is one sexy-looking motorcycle. Red frame with the blue/red/white combo graphics kit really makes it one of the best stock enduro bikes on the market.

InsideMotorcycles.com 33

Ergonomics are the same as all other Beta models. Comfortable for me to get into the standing race position but compact when sitting down.

The slightly rearbiased footpeg position derived from its trials pedigree of Beta, really makes it easy and natural to practise some slow speed stand-up wheelies.

Even the pajama-wearing little guy couldn’t resist swinging a leg over this gorgeous looking machine.

paired with not being accustomed to the terrain or humidity, I felt I was getting myself into some hot water. With the main race being run in the afternoon after the Junior/Vintage race I could at least check out parts of the racecourse beforehand and see what I was getting myself into. This race was going to be slow and technical where the terrain was 95 percent tight woods and slippery clay-covered rocks in between. I also noticed that the lion’s share of bikes entered in the race were either 250/300 cc two-stroke or 250 cc four-stroke machines. Not a lot of big bore models like my 430 RR. Oh-oh.

With the A class having the most entries out of all the classes as we finally made it to the starting line, it became evident that all of us wouldn’t fit in a single row. The race promoter ordered the top 11 riders in the championship to the front row and everyone else in the second row to start 30 seconds after. That was fine by me as I didn’t want to interfere with the championship fight, and it would allow me to get warmed up on the first lap and hopefully manage to work up the order as the race went on. After the first lap I confirmed my fears that the racecourse was no joke. There was literally no time or place to rest and halfway through the second lap, with the bike and me overheating, I had to stop often to let the bike and my body cool down. The Thistle Hurt (This-Will-Hurt) Enduro was living up to its name.

While the Beta was out of its element in the tight technical trails, its weight paired with the KYB front suspension allowed the bike to plow through the rough stuff letting me off easy and not having to fight the bike to stay on course. With abundant power and torque on tap, I employed the same techniques as 34 Inside Motorcycles

the previous day’s practice and just let the tractor-like power delivery do its thing. I only stalled the bike a few times despite the tall stock gearing. After over two hours in the saddle, I was exhausted and happy to see the checkered flag. How did I do? I finished fifth in the A class which I was happy with, especially with the second row start and this would have put me in sixth in the Expert class. There are some ridiculous fast woods riders in Nova Scotia, so I was really happy to have a battle with a few of them, even if only for one race.

As to the 2021 Beta 430 RR Racing Edition, it met and surpassed my expectations when compared to the standard model.

It did much better than just survive this sufferfest of first- and second-gear slippery terrain and allowed this old man to be competitive with some fast local up and coming talent. The race tuned KYB fork is a good improvement over the Sachs fork and while plush over the roots and rocks at slow speeds, it also resisted bottoming well when speed picked up on a few faster but still rough sections in the race.

I would like to thank Beta Canada for allowing me to experience racing in the Nova Scotia off-road series, NSORRA for putting on an amazing event that I still talk about almost six months later and to the Thistle Dew farm for letting the event happen on its grounds. With so much public land being closed to off-road riding in Nova Scotia, most of the NSORRA events are held on private lands. Without people like the Harnish family, the future would be bleak for our next generation to experience the great family sport of off-road motorcycling. Hats off to you all! Thank you! IM

AOTEAROA

The best kind of different

BY R. BRUCE THOMAS

A huge understatement, but different in a good way for us prairie flatlanders.

Free motorcycle parking is plentiful in downtown Wellington.

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he year 2020 was different, and I planned it that way.

Well, from February 5 to March 5 at least, when we visited the country the Maori call Aotearoa, “the Land of the Long White Cloud.”

Mary and I had spent February 2010 riding in New Zealand, dividing the month evenly between the two main islands. There were parts we wanted to return to, and parts we hadn’t gotten to, so planning our 2020 route was the first different thing we dealt with. Another big difference was that NZ seems to have increased in popularity in 10 years. We had to book our flights, bikes and accommodations in July rather than September, and still had to make routing changes when some of my planned lodging choices were already full. We also invited some friends to join us, and two decided to come along. Mac was born in New Zealand and still has family there so our plan included visits with my “rellies” as well as Mac’s family members. Sadly, our other friend was diagnosed with prostate cancer a month before the trip and had to cancel, but, thankfully, surgery was successful and, a year later, he is cancer free.

We missed our connection in Auckland due to screening of incoming passengers for something new called the Coronavirus.

Mac’s sister and her husband were patiently waiting at the Christchurch airport when we arrived a few hours late. After collecting the bikes from Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Rentals the next morning, we headed to Akaroa on the Banks Peninsula for lunch, where something different was experienced in the form of a Kiwi Burger that, instead of tomato, included a slice of grilled beet with the beef patty. This so impressed Mary that she has added beets as a regular feature to our home garden.

Banks Peninsula is the remnants of two old volcanoes and the ride around the craters on sinuous Summit Road offered challenges and spectacular views. We ended the day in Timaru where Mac spent a day catching up with his sister while Mary and I did some local exploring.

Having crossed Haast and Lewis Passes in 2010 we completed our Southern Alps Highway Pass hat trick in 2020 by traversing the lovely Arthur’s Pass, the highest of the three. Once on the west coast we discovered the 135-year-old, single-lane, bidirectional Taramakau Road-Rail Bridge south of Greymouth, that I’d fretted about in 2010, was now just a railway bridge with vehicular traffic using a two-lane bridge that opened in 2018.

We rode up the dead-end Hwy 67 (reminiscent of Maui’s Road to Hana) towards Karamea before heading to Hanmer Hot Springs for a couple nights of thermal soaking. Between the soaking we explored the Alpine Pacific Triangle complete with vineyard visits near Waipara and fresh crayfish for lunch at the ocean-side Nin’s Bin north of Kaikoura, which is a Maori word meaning “eat crayfish.”

A couple got off a bike at one scenic stop on our way to Nelson

and told us most of the passing riders were heading home from Invercargill’s Burt Munro Challenge. The annual five-day event, honouring the famous Bonneville record-setting Kiwi, has beach, street and drag racing, hill climbing, plus track days. With thousands of attendees it is billed as the largest southern hemisphere rally and there is a real party atmosphere but, with a sideways glance at her husband, the lady was quick to point out that “There are lots of things to do. It’s not just a pisser (drunk).” Maybe next time.

New Zealand wines are famous, but our 2010 Nelson B&B hosts introduced us to a local cider that was part of a burgeoning industry. In 2017, National Geographic voted Nelson the Top Cider City in the World and we enjoyed visits to numerous cideries in 2020.

Takaka, NZ’s longest hill, is just west of Nelson and rises from near sea level to approximately 800 metres in 14.2 km with a less curvy 21 km descent on the other side. We’d abandoned our 2010 attempt about a quarter of the way up the 257-corner climb (think vertical Tail of the Dragon) due to cold, rain and reduced visibility. In 2020, we had beautiful weather and enjoyed our lunch near the end of the road in Collingwood before backtracking over the now familiar, but still formidable, Takaka Hill.

Following a relaxing three-and-a-halfhour Interislander ferry ride we spent the rest of the day and the next morning exploring downtown Wellington.

Once we’d had our fill of the walkable, bike-friendly, capital city, we headed north to Paraparaumu and the Southward Car Museum which houses an amazing collection of cars, bikes and one airplane, before a great visit with one of my cousins.

Shortly after enjoying the summit viewpoint, as we climbed over the steep and curvy Rimutaka Range the next morning, we stopped in Featherston for a coffee, and a Ducati rider pulled in. During conversation he asked if we planned to ride Gentle Annie when we were in Napier.

He said she’d been fully paved since 2010 so we made note of his recommendation.

After our coffee we enjoyed the ride to the stunning beach and lighthouse at Castlepoint before returning to Martinborough with all of its vineyards.

Next, we were off to Napier and a couple nights at Mac’s brother’s place, but first we had to make a stop in the south of England! Stonehenge Aotearoa is a modern adaptation, aligned with the celestial movements in the southern sky, of the centuries-old English monument. Neat! Near Napier, Mary and I ascended the narrow, steep road up Te Mata Peak (400 metres in seven km) before heading off to sample 92 of the 169 km of the rollicking route through the Gentle Annie Scenic Reserve, which was well worth it. Timing is everything and we again caught the tail end of the annual 1930s-inspired Napier Art Deco Festival with all the vintage costumes and automobiles.

From Napier we headed through the Waioeka Gorge to Opotiki before taking the lightly-traveled Pacific Coast Highway around InsideMotorcycles.com 37

The bidirectional Hobbit’s Hole is a highlight of The Forgotten World Highway.

The engine in this 1956 Norton Dominator 600 seized while racing at The Burt Munro Challenge.

Stonehenge Aotearoa, with the Rimutaka backdrop, would be a terrific place to attend some of the numerous astronomy programs that they host.

Hwy 67 between Westport and Karamea has curves typical of most of the country.

the scenic East Cape. We dined on fresh oysters at a waterfront restaurant while stingrays circled ominously close to shore looking for scraps. After a night sampling ciders in Gisborne we headed for Taupo and then took a day off to relax. In late afternoon we rode north of town to Bruce McLaren Motorsports Park (different name since 2010) to drive the Formula Challenge cars. Driving on a different circuit, and being able to talk to Mac on-track, it was a totally different experience, yet still very cool!

Since there is still 12 km of gravel on The Forgotten World Highway we’d had to get permission to ride the rented bikes on this 155 km route on our way to visit my uncle and cousins in New Plymouth. Highlights of the day included the Tangarakau Gorge, the Republic of Whangamomona Hotel, and the Hobbit’s Hole. The official name for this 180 metre long, single-lane, bidirectional hole, which opened in 1936, is the Moki Tunnel. The floor was lowered two metres in 1989 to allow modern semi-trailer trucks to pass.

Sadly, the plan to pave that last 12 km will likely increase traffic.

After visiting the rellies and circling Mount Taranaki we headed for the Coromandel Peninsula via the Awakino Gorge and Taupo. Our timing wasn’t right to catch low tide at The Hot Water Beach but we did enjoy a relaxing day in Coromandel.

This non-riding day was critical as I’d been too drained at the end of the 2010 trip to handle the 400 km ride to the tip of the North Island and didn’t want to miss out on Cape Reinga again. After having fantastic weather for three weeks we had regular rain during our last five days in the far north which the area desperately 38 Inside Motorcycles

The lighthouse at Castlepoint is a visual treat after a challenging ride.

needed having not had any precipitation since December. Mac’s cry one morning of “No tar snakes!” made us appreciate a big difference that chip-seal road surfacing makes in the rain.

By the time we returned the bikes in Auckland on March 5 we had six hours before our flight home. Sadly, the firm we’d booked our flights through was less than reliable so we had to skip a visit with my Auckland cousin and head straight to the airport to ensure we’d catch the flight. After COVID departure questioning before flying out of Auckland there was no indication of the pandemic in LAX or YYC and no restrictions once we arrived home. Mac stayed behind for a week to meet a sister flying in from Belgium and got home the day before self-isolation and lockdowns were implemented. In 25 riding days we covered 7,289 km for a daily average of 292 km, and that was plenty. Not only are New Zealand roads different, so are the people, and the entire country is the best kind of different in so many ways, the least of which was evidenced by the way they managed COVID throughout the year. IM

THE DIRT Dawn McClintock

Making the Cut

H

ave you ever considered reaching out to get sponsored by a company for your racing program? Some people may not realize there are plenty of benefits waiting for them that would help get them to the next level. Once the race season wraps up, it’s always time to start making plans for the following race season and that also includes taking time to thank your existing sponsors and preparing your resume to apply for race support for the upcoming season. Getting behind a brand that supports you is very important and brand loyalty goes a long way in achieving more support along the way. You may have a gear company that helps outfit you with jerseys, pants and gloves but maybe need some help with boots, goggles, helmets or parts. There is support out there for every level of rider, but you just have to know how to go about getting it.

Most diehard athletes have already made their way south for winter training in the United States and have got their sponsors already in order for the year ahead but it’s not too late to throw your name in the hat for

BC young gun Braxton Zeitner displaying his trophies from the 2021 Walton Canadian Amateur Grand National Championship. A prime example of a young athlete doing it right with his race program. PHOTO BY DAWN MCCLINTOCK

40 Inside Motorcycles

support. My job at FXR and MD Distributions is reading race resumes all day long and sending out new contracts. As an athlete you want to make sure you do your best to lay out all of your accomplishments and results to get the attention of the potential sponsor.

I look at hundreds of resumes every week and you can tell when someone has put the effort in to making theirs stand out.

What is key in grabbing the attention of a race support manager?

• Make sure your resume is direct and to the point, one to two pages at most. I’m going to gloss over if it’s four pages.

• Highlight any kind of top performance, finish or participation in a high-profile race that makes you stand out.

• Start with your most current results/races and work your way back. Keep it condensed to three or four years. If you are an intermediate rider, I don’t need to see your peewee results, unless you were a Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National rock star.

• Include links to race results or features you may have had in the media about your racing.

• Be sure to include a list of your current sponsors.

• Provide a list of goals for the upcoming season and race series or high-profile events you plan to attend.

• Include your social media account names.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA GAME Knowing your social media game is key in today’s racing world. The way I describe it to my athletes is, “Look at it as free advertising for you and your racing.” Here’s a way to showcase your racing career and a way to show your sponsors you care about their support they are giving you. You could be a mediocre racer with lacklustre results but may be killing it with your social media skills. These things are taken into consideration when a sponsor looks to support an athlete. As someone reading your resume, I will also take time to snoop your social

media accounts to see that you check out.

Even young riders, I see many parents who take the reins on their accounts and do a fantastic job promoting their kid’s race program.

TRACK PRESENCE How you conduct yourself on the track and off the track is something else a sponsor will look for. A keen athlete is the one who takes time to know their sponsor and go up and introduce themselves if they see them at the track. I’m at the track a lot during the summer and spend most of my time visiting with riders as I make my way through the pits and I take great interest in hearing what happened in their race or what other races they are planning to attend. Putting a face to the name is always advantageous for a rider when it comes to support renewal time. That impression can be lasting for future relationships with your sponsor.

APPRECIATE WHAT YOU’VE GOT I see it time and time again where an athlete who has been receiving really good support will continually have their hand out for more. Additional support is something that you must earn. Pushing your racing to the next level and results will show that is one way to have the sponsor turn their head. An unappreciative rider who just has their hand out because they want a better deal or want free stuff isn’t going to impress a sponsor. A rider who takes time to thank the sponsor and be appreciative of what they have been given are the first ones who will be considered for the following year along with the riders who also show improved racing skills.

It’s all about how you conduct yourself and it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Chasing the dream, no matter what the age, can always be made easier when you have a group of sponsors that have your back. Your race program is yours for the making and with a solid effort in self-promotion, training, courtesy and persistence, you would be surprised how far you can go. IM

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

BY FRANK WOOD

Moop

I

sation that I found interesting. “In the Sehl family it was Dave that was the great racer and Jim the great tuner. Doug was a combination of the two, he was a great flat track racer and truly one of the best setup and tuning men in the business.” I had to agree as I had personally benefitted from his skills, he took my ill handling Triumph and worked his magic. After Moop had his hands on that bike the results came. My two best efforts being a win at the Welland short track and a second place behind Doug’s brother Dave at the Drummondville, QC half-mile.

Further to that Peter Grant rode that much improved Triumph to a runaway win in the Senior class at the Calgary half-mile. Grant went on to win the CMA No. 1 plate on a Harley XR750, but to this day he claims the Triumph was the best dirt track race bike he ever rode; thanks to Doug.

There were a good number of hot-shoes who reaped the benefits of Doug Sehl’s tuning skills. In the AMA series Steve Morehead won two nationals on Doug’s XR and was promptly offered a factory H-D ride. Others were keen on riding for Sehl, including Terry Poovey who also won a national for him.

Doug’s sponsorship of others came about as his racing career came to an early end due to injury, but previous to that he himself had proven the capabilities of his mounts winning many races here in Canada and taking the No. 1 plate five times.

Doug never won an AMA championship flat track race, but he came exceedingly close at the 1974 Indianapolis mile leading from lap 15 only to be beaten to the stripe

by Gene Romero on a Yamaha. The following morning, Moop was at the Doug Sehl excelled in all facets of motorcycle racing including flat track.

CMA Woodstock,

’ve written several times on pages past about Doug “Moop” Sehl. The first time was to bolster his nomination to the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame back in April 2008. It took more than one column in IM to prove Doug was deserving. In my search through his scrapbooks I found that this third of four brothers was honoured by his local (Hamilton, ON) community with five separate civic awards for his accomplishments in motorcycle competition, and in 1976 received a Medal of Excellence from the Ontario provincial government.

Those civic and provincial awards coupled with a lengthy legacy of competition and tuning accomplishments made Sehl a ‘slam dunk’ for inclusion into the alumni of the CMHoF. The meat of the matter was his aforementioned riding and tuning skills. As a rider Doug first gained notoriety in motocross. Flat track would follow, but not before he was acknowledged with a comment from the MX world champion Torsten Hallman that Doug was the most promising of all the North American riders he had raced against.

Mike Flynn called me last week to tell me that Moop had passed away. It was no shock as we knew he had been battling cancer for the last few years. Mike was a longtime friend of Doug and had travelled extensively with him. He passed a comment in conver-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME

42 Inside Motorcycles

ON half-mile and with eyes starting to brim he explained to those there to greet him, “I lost my first national last night.” He quickly composed himself flashing a trademark smile and adding, “It’s just as well, my tire wouldn’t have completed a victory lap.”

Doug found some solace on that day by laying a pummelling on the field, winning by a straightaway. At the next AMA race, the Syracuse mile, Sehl continued his momentum taking second in qualifying to Kenny Roberts, winning the fastest heat race and leading the main event a number of times before eventually settling for third behind Hank Scott and Rex Beauchamp. It seems that but for injury Sehl most likely would have won a GNC race but that’s dirt track, there is a plethora of talented flat track racers who ‘coulda, shoulda.’

What seems lost in the telling was Doug’s road race career and just as motocross had lost a promising rider to flat track so too did road racing. In his first Daytona 200 race in 1973 he was the first Harley home, and followed that distinction with a fifth-place finish at the next contest in Dallas. It was enough to have Sehl invited to join the American team for the Match Race series versus the British team – a series that the Brits had never been beaten in prior to Sehl stepping ashore. Fulfilling his promise, Doug opened the first leg with a third place behind teammate Yvon Duhamel and Brit Dave Potter. In the second leg he was running second to Cal Rayborn but crashed, putting him out of the remaining races. However, the points he had gathered in the first leg was just what the US team needed to take the John Player Trans-Atlantic Trophy for the first time.

Back to my chat with Mike Flynn. I had to know where the nickname came from that heads this column. “It turns out it was Jimmy (Doug’s oldest brother) that gave it to him,” Mike explained. “Jim called him ‘Moop the Scoop’ one day and the Moop stuck with him.”

Goodbye Moop. IM

ROAD RACE REALITY COLIN FRASER

Helmets always on our mind

R

ecently, a friend was talking about the last time we had a normal motorcycle event, pre-COVID. We had both attended the Montreal Motorcycle Show in late February 2020, just a few days prior to pandemic restrictions.

With shows likely to return soonish for the first time in two years, we discussed how things might change compared to the pre-lockdown world. One area that seems to be delayed is premier helmets, where the selection of designs and availability of accessories looks to be affected for the next year or two.

This got me thinking about when I got involved in motorcycling and bike competition in the 1970s. Sports bikes didn’t really exist back then, but we were happy with the sorta-sporty abilities of the era’s machinery.

Pre-internet, the variety of accessories was small, and availability always an issue.

Everyone wore the Bell Star helmet, and at the track it was unusual to see anything else. If you watched for deals, you could certainly get a full-face Bell for less than $100, paying an additional $10 if you opted for the

Early Shoei adoptors Hindle and McMurter at Mosport in 1981.

44 Inside Motorcycles

only design choice – International Orange!

A casual view of track images for auto and bike racing from this era proved just how ubiquitous the Bell Star became. Even some of the “other” helmets that top racers were paid to wear were Bells with paint and stickers!

Racers learned that the best way to get free Bell helmets was to attend the various Daytona races in March, where Bell had a trailer and basically used the entry lists to guide their impromptu sponsorship choices.

If you were smart enough to bring a resume that suggested you were someone important in your home region, you might get two!

Another big attraction at the Bell trailer at the Speedway was accessories, since you would also get a wide range of visors. Back then, the Bell helmet visor stayed up by jamming against the shell of the helmet, so some taping was required to avoid damaging components.

The long-gone KRW helmet impressed everyone with a plastic ratchet system that kept the visor in place, but it wasn’t enough to affect the Bell Star status quo.

As well, visors were flimsy, and damaged very easily. Top racers threw visors away – not just tear-offs – after every session.

Regular privateers fished these visors out of the garbage!

Car racers were required to use visors of much stronger construction compared to the stock Bell parts, so that was a useful, safer but expensive option – when you could find them.

I first moved away from the Bell establishment in the late 1970s, when Arai rebranded and started a push with top racers of the day including Superbike king Wes Cooley. I was impressed with the build quality of the Arai, and especially their aftermarket National Hydron visors – much better quality than anything else available at the time.

One major problem back then was visor fogging, and various home-brewed solutions evolved to try to keep condensation away from your shield. Holes, scoops and ducts were home brewed, until the Fog City

face shield insert arrived in the mid-1990s.

Now a similar but much better option, the Pinlock insert, is a much-appreciated standard solution to a previously insurmountable challenge.

In Canada, the first major challenge to Bell came from Shoei, another Japanese brand that would get a huge push from distributor Action Accessories. By 1980, the Bell-like Shoei was common at the track, and the brand supported early-era Superbike starts like Lang Hindle and especially Rueben McMurter.

Soon Shoei were branching out in terms of design and presentation and were no longer an imitator of any existing design.

Bell’s influence faded in the early 1980s, while Arai and Shoei became the established players.

Shoei in Canada were huge, and did much to support the career of McMurter, who raced more in the US than at home during portions of the 1980s. Shoei were key in getting McMurter to the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race, and “the Rueb” was one of the first North American aces to establish a reputation in Japan.

By the mid-1980s, Shoei were the dominant brand of lid in Canada, both on the street and on the track. Every spring would reveal that almost every Canadian Pro competitor was receiving support from Shoei.

These days, no one helmet is dominant, and a wide range of designs offer an intriguing number of features that generate loyalty among their users. Of course, I cannot promise you that your helmet of choice is currently available via retail, so you might have to wait. For racers, who view helmets as a consumable, this is no big deal For street riders, given the cost of a good lid, it is more of a concern.

People ask me for advice regarding helmets, and I suggest you buy the best you can afford. In terms of safety, I would recommend a little research, and don’t settle for second best. Thankfully, today there is a selection of good choices. IM

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InsideMotorcycles.com 45

READY FOR 2022

E

ach year as the arrival of spring brings along with it a return to racetracks and courses, race fans everywhere commence an annual ritual of contemplating which racers are going to run at the front, bring home championships and take their competitive endeavours to the next level. With this in mind here is IM’s look at a few of the many Canadians who will be making headlines in 2022, both here at home and around the globe.

ALEX DUMAS – CSBK PRO SUPERBIKE Adding the 2021 Canadian Pro Superbike title in his inaugural CSBK season to an ever-growing resume that already included multiple MotoAmerica championships solidified 19-year-old Alex Dumas’ position amongst the elite of Canadian road racing.

With Dumas now confirmed to return to defend his CSBK title in 2022, it also placed a target squarely on his back as the one to beat. With a host of veterans including Jordan Szoke, Ben Young, Trevor Daley and Michael Leon as well as fellow young gun Tomas Casas each looking to play spoiler to Dumas’ victory lap, the 2022 CSBK season is already on track to legendary status TRYSTAN HART – HARD ENDURO IM’s 2021 Athlete of the Year Trystan Hart enters his third year as a member of the FMF KTM Factory Racing Team in 2022 set to defend his AMA Extreme Enduro No. 1 plate. Hart will also look to improve upon his seventh-place finish at the 2021 Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro with a goal of reaching the podium at both the 2022 Romaniacs and Erzberg Rodeo. Here at home in Canada, Hart will be busy defending his 2021 titles in both the Red Bull Outliers event in Alberta as well as Ontario’s Promation Corduroy Enduro.

TORIN COLLINS – MOTO3 JR. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Alberta’s Torin Collins will continue his pursuit of road racing excellence in 2022. Having accumulated multiple Canadian national championships by the age of 11, Collins set his sights on Europe where he competed in the British Talent Cup in 2019 followed by two seasons in the European Talent Cup. Now 16 years old, Collins is currently residing in Barcelona, Spain as he prepares for the upcoming 2022 FIM JuniorGP World Championships.

(Top to bottom) Alex Dumas, Trystan Hart and Torin Collins PHOTOS BY TIM MCGILL, TORIN COLLINS RACING AND RED BULL CONTENT POOL

46 Inside Motorcycles

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SHELBY TURNER – TEAM CANADA ISDE Five-time AMA Endurocross champion Shelby Turner returns to ISDE competition in 2022 as a member of the Canadian Women’s Trophy Team that will travel to Le Puy-en-Velay in France this August in search of a record fifth ISDE gold medal. Coming off a 2021 season that included the Corduroy Enduro Pro Women’t title as well as the AMA Endurocross championship, Turner is currently competing south of the border in the 2022 Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC).

JORDAN SZOKE – CSBK PRO SUPERBIKE The 2021 CSBK season proved to be challenging for Jordan Szoke. While his four podium finishes, including two wins, and third place overall finish in the seven-race season would be an excellent result for many in the series, for the 14-time CSBK champion, the only goal that matters is adding championship number 15. At 43 years of age, Szoke’s professional road racing career is definitely approaching its twilight, but as he continues to demonstrate out on the track, he is not ready to call it a day just yet.

TYLER MEDAGLIA – TEAM CANADA ISDE Looking back at Tyler Medaglia’s 2021 season, it would be easy to assume that you were looking at the accomplishments of several people instead of just a single racer. In addition to competing in the 450 MX class in the Canadian Triple Crown Series, representing Canada at the MX of Nations and competing in the GNCC series, Medaglia and the Canadian Men’s Trophy Team delivered a best-ever seventh-place overall finish at the 2021 ISDE in Italy. This season will be just as hectic with Medaglia currently running select GNCC events before returning to Canada to compete in the Triple Crown Series and then once again representing Canada at the ISDE. SEBASTIAN TREMBLAY – CSBK PRO SPORT BIKE / PRO SUPERBIKE The CSBK Pro Sport Bike championship finally found its way to Sebastian Tremblay in 2021 as the “Shaker” ran undefeated in the class for the second season in a row (the Pro Sport Bike title was not awarded in the shortened 2020 season). While en route to his Pro Sport Bike championship, Tremblay also found himself factoring into several battles at the front of the Pro Superbike class where he would finish in fifth place overall.

With Tremblay appearing to be racing at the top of his game it will be interesting to see if 2022 is the year he adds a Superbike win to his resume. IM (Top to bottom) Shelby Turner, Jordan Szoke, Tyler Medaglia and Sebastian Tremblay.

PHOTOS BY MJSMOTOPHOTOS, TIM MCGILL AND RED BULL CONTENT POOL

48 Inside Motorcycles

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Larry’s Small Engines 286270 County Road 10 Mono, ON 519-941-1517 larryssmallengines.ca

Xtreme FX Motorcycles & Powersports 2800 Deziel Dr. Windsor, ON 519-727-6840 xtremefx.ca

Jack Carter Powersports Calgary, AB N: 630 46 Ave NE. #117 403-277-0099 jcpowersportsnorth.com S: 15220 Shaw Rd SE. 403-230-7777 jcpowersportssouth.com

Blackstock Motorsports 3580 Byers Rd Blackstock, ON 905-986-4437 blackstockmotorsports.com

West City Powersports 676 Dundas St. West Belleville, ON 613-966-8828 westcitypowersports.ca

InsideMotorcycles.com 49

(Left) This K-Tech DDS Pro is from a BMW S 1000 RR. It offers compression damping, rebound damping, quick hydraulic preload adjust, adjustable ride height and a proprietary damping bypass valve.

INSIDE TECH M

The rear shock absorber subsystem

uch like our cars and trucks, motorcycles have several subsystems that can be damaged, serviced, improved or exchanged entirely. Our cars are littered with subsystems: the air conditioning system with its compressor and controls, the power windows with their switches and motors, the radio with its controller and speakers, the list goes on and on. Part of the appeal of a motorcycle is in its pure raw simplicity, often devoid of more than the bare necessities.

Sure, Gold Wings and touring bikes from BMW and the other manufacturers start to approach the complexity and list of amenities found on most cars, but at the other end of the extreme are customs and bobbers that really have just the basics.

Let’s strip this down and touch on those basics a bit, the items a motorcycle really needs at its core.

I think we would have to start with the chassis. Most motorcycles have a frame that is much like a building. All the other niceties get attached to it or put inside it to make up a finished home. All the other subsystems get bolted to or put on this frame or chassis, but it can definitely be considered its own system. Next, the core or heart of the system would most definitely be its engine and mandatory controls. This engine system really defines our bike. Is it a high-output multi-cylinder race engine engineered for peak power over longevity, or is it a modest two-cylinder boxer engine designed for predictable low rpm torque for years of trouble-free touring? Perhaps it is a very

50 Inside Motorcycles

By John Sharrard

light but powerful single-cylinder engine set into a competition off-road bike, or a very small displacement air-cooled engine that will take a home in a minibike destined for a far off country.

Whatever the architecture of that engine, when combined with the frame or chassis, it really defines the intention of the motorcycle.

The next subsystem that comes to mind as I prioritize them by importance, must be the brakes. Motorcycles with their very high power to weight ratio can accelerate at an incredible rate, and due to their small aerodynamic cross section can turn these two realities into blinding top speeds, which for some of us is part of the appeal. They didn’t get their old nickname of crotch rockets for nothing! So, with the ability to accelerate quickly and reach high speeds, the need to slow them down with even more capability can’t be understated enough. Road race bikes (other than drag bikes) attain the highest rates of acceleration and highest top speeds of all and as such, will have the strongest and most elaborate braking systems. Also, the reality of operating on pavement means that the riders can utilize the traction for deceleration to a much higher extent than can an off-road racer. Braking systems will become simpler, and unfortunately cheaper, as the cost point, speed potential and the intended terrain that the bike will be operated on changes.

Until we break down into smaller categories of things like the wiring harness and electronics, this leaves us with the suspen-

sion as one of the remaining very important, but perhaps not critical, subsystems. Let’s be realistic here, if the engine fails, you are going nowhere unless you are pushing the bike, and at that time is it really a “motor” cycle? If the frame breaks and fails, if it doesn’t bring the bike to an immediate stop, it will soon. Without brakes, (assuming a complete failure of the front or rear brake system) the bike could feasibly be driven a short distance as the rider uses the ‘other’ brake, but his or her chances of a possibly fatal impact go up dramatically. But, as many of our customers prove to us year after year, you actually can ride a motorcycle with failed suspension for years! The suspension’s job is fairly simple in explanation, if perhaps not in execution. If we polled a classroom, the first answer I am sure, would be to isolate us from the bumps. The deeper thinkers in the room might say to try to keep the tires in contact with the ground at all times, which promotes safety and control. Others may say we need it to hold up the load of the chassis, engine, fuel, rider and passengers. As we can see, the importance of the front and rear suspension is starting to grow as we look at the many hats it must wear. Due to the suspension system being somewhat lower on the priority scale than the chassis, engine and brakes, the accountants (or bean counters as they are often humorously called) will often pick on this system when they want to keep the cost of the bike under a certain previously agreed upon number. Most motorcycle manufacturers, especially the Japanese ones, seem to put out wonderful bikes with nice paint, great ergonomics, a fantastic engine and absolutely crappy suspension. European suppliers like BMW and KTM seem to draw a line in the sand and keep decent suspension in more of their models, but then perhaps they can’t offer a bike at a price point as low as the Japanese suppliers can. This isn’t a bad thing as it allows buyers to become riders at an affordable level. I guess it all comes down to target markets.

Like the engine and brakes, aftermarket companies have capitalized on the opportunity to address the need of dramatically improving these subsystems. There are many companies that sell brake pads with higher levels of friction, larger diameter brake rotors, better hoses and stronger master cylinders to improve the braking system; you just need to research your specific needs or complaints and the solutions materialize. There are thousands of companies ready to improve your engine. Exhaust manufacturers, air filter companies, camshaft suppliers, piston forgers and casters, spark plug importers; the list is seemingly endless. Again, just research your desire or complaint to begin to narrow down your search and select products.

Circling back to suspension, we can improve those bikes that come with low quality shocks and forks, bringing the whole bike up to a quality level we were perhaps expecting when we bought the bike in the showroom, not realizing the front and rear suspension damping systems were so sub-par. When guiding customers to what options are out there, we often laugh at the response we get when quoting quality suspension components. A customer will look wide eyed at us and say “Why would I spend $2,000 on my bike, when it’s only worth eight grand?” I try to take the opportunity to turn this around and ask them if they like the ergonomics and the engine. They often smile proudly and say “Yes, I love it.” So then I help them with the math and tell them they will have an amazing bike of

(Top) Optional upgrade to an Ohlins TTX GP shock absorber with rebound, compression, hydraulic preload and adjustable ride height. (Above) This is a pair of Hyperpro dampers going into a new BMW with a Telelever front end that uses two shocks. The rear shock has an add-on system to remotely adjust hydraulic preload with no tools required to help the rider accommodate a change in gear or passenger load quickly. It also has low- and high-speed compression damping as well as rebound adjustability.

their dreams for only $10,000 invested, and that’s pretty darn reasonable. Another option is that they could go spend $18,000 and still not get the quality of shock or fork cartridges we are discussing at that point. I then often say that it is the guy or girl that just dropped $20,000 on a bike and still needs a better shock that should be annoyed!

Companies like Ohlins and K-Tech make amazing aftermarket shocks for most high-end racing or sport bike applications, where suppliers like TracTive, Wilbers, Stadium, Race Tech and Hyperpro focus a bit more on touring and adventure bike applications. These suppliers and their dealers will work with you to pick a spring support strategy and a damping system to dramatically improve the comfort level, safety and enjoyment of your ride. They will ask questions you won’t get asked by your dealer, like “What is your height and weight?” “How much gear do you carry?” “Is it important to you to correct for gear weight often and easily?” “What percentage of time do you carry a passenger?” The list goes on and on. The nice thing is, when you are asked these questions, you should now have the expectation that this criteria will actually be met when you open up your wallet. So remember, your existing motorcycle experience can be massively improved with a modest investment after the purchase, and when shopping for a new bike, pick the important things that can’t be easily changed like application, ergonomics and the engine architecture. The other subsystems can be improved or replaced altogether! Until next month, don’t just dream of spring, prepare for it! IM InsideMotorcycles.com 51

The

numb bum EXPERIENCE

The highs and lows of Canada’s 24-hour ice race

BY TREVOR DALEY

F

rom north to south, shore to shore, when many think of Canada’s iconic or stereotypical things, the loonie, the Mountie, the beaver or maybe even a leaf-shaped bottle of maple syrup come to mind. But what could be more ‘Canadiana’ to a motorcycle enthusiast or racer than the Numb Bum! Wait, the what? Numb who? Sounds cold! Do I need to get tested for that? No, the Numb Bum!

52 Inside Motorcycles

I admit, up until a few weeks before the race I had never heard of the Numb Bum 24-hour endurance ice race myself and yet, 2022 is the 30th running of the event. So where, you may ask, do they hold such a cold event where bums go numb? Its ‘only’ a 48-hour drive for a team of Quebec City ice racers to Sandy Beach, AB (30 minutes north of Edmonton). The drive may sound crazy, but completely fitting in the level of crazy ambition it takes to race and prepare to compete in a 24-hour event.

With the state of our country being slightly divisive when it comes to mandates and such, for the better or the worse, what we can all recognize is the reach of social media. So, whether you are following your favourite MotoGP racers or trying to follow the latest happenings in the ever-changing realm of politics, there is something for everyone. While scrolling along one day, I saw my idea of ‘heaven’ in fellow CSBK racer Sam Guerin’s Instagram story. That was a picture of a 15 km long ice racing track on a snow-covered northern lake. Who knew that me commenting, “Bleep yes!” on that picture would lead to an invite to be part of a team competing in this year’s Numb Bum. In addition to enough fuel to last for 24 hours, a supply of tires Fast forward a couple weeks, it’s February 20, 12:00 turned out to be a critical requirement of the Numb Bum race. noon (more like 1:15 p.m. as the timing and scoring system had issues), the green flag flew on track and also to get a feel for the bike. and the riders started to run. Yes run, As we pitted each lap, a Sharpie line was on ice! A Le Mans style start, completedrawn on the side of the gas tank to show ly fitting with the 24 Hours of Le Mans the fuel level and after lap 5 we would be race in France being the most iconic cutting it close. endurance race in the world. Did I Now as I mentioned, science does mention my teammates were from indeed play a factor. Fuel mileage at Quebec City? A French theme here the start of the race when it was above with the maple syrup and all. freezing and fuel mileage at night Samuel Dastous was our first team when it was 26 degrees Celsius below rider out and he was in the lead as he zero would not be the same. Also, as came around to start lap 2. Not much What started with a social media post, the track conditions deteriorated and English from Samuel but no language quickly became Trevor Daley’s opportunity fatigue set in, the increase in lap times barrier either. ‘Brappp’ and the wrist to join this team for the 2022 Numb Bum. was also a consideration, so space on turn hand signal means ‘Fast’ in Engthe tank below the ‘lap 5’ Sharpie line lish and ‘Fast’ in French – and Samuel was necessary. I completed my first stint of the race after Samuel was fast! I was rider 2, Cedric Leclair 3rd on deck and Sam and our lead was growing as Cedric mounted for his first time Guerin last but not least of our four-rider team. out approximately at hour 3 of the race.

This year’s track layout was 15 km and riding the circuit itself A 24 hour race is long enough, but made longer by your teamwas a challenge. With the longest laps we turn on CSBK tracks mate or rider not coming around to complete his lap. Where was being around two minutes, and ample practice prior to Superbike Cedric? 20 minutes later he and our race bike arrived in the back races starting, learning the 11-minute Numb Bum track while of one of the race support vehicles, which happened to be plowing racing was a bit daunting. Add the lack of recent snow in the area the section of the track where Cedric had stopped at with a flat tire. meaning that the snowbanks defining the track were close to noNot just a ‘flat’ but the rear tire had de-beaded off the rim. I have nexistent; no clear sky for the sun to show any depth or definition had this happen to me while ice riding and if I can paint a clear of turns vs. straightaways; and what snow was coming down was picture of the issue for anyone who has never seen an ice tire and is blowing in at a 45-degree angle. One lap, not to mention 24 hours saying, “Why didn’t he just ride it into the pits slow?” Well 14 mm of them was going to be tough.

Almost an hour into the race, it was time for our first pit stop and ice studs gouging into the swingarm or chain wouldn’t have been doing us any favours for the next 21 hours and Cedric’s patience rider change. The race bike was fitted with an oversized fuel tank was a blessing. The team reacted quickly, the wheel wrench came and fuel capacity was essentially what dictated when we had to out – a.k.a. adjustable crescent wrenches – to remove the axle nuts. stop. Our calculations for fuel mileage were by no means scientific Admittedly I chuckled there wasn’t a ratchet in sight, but nonethebut simple and effective. On Friday, the day prior to the race, we less, the tire was changed and back on track we were. all had our go at a lap or two to figure out where we were going InsideMotorcycles.com 53

So, where were we? Three-and-a-half hours into the race, a long way to go, and that lead... gone. When trucked into the pits, not only is there additional time vs. riding the track, but the bike also does not cross the start/finish line, essentially losing a lap. Eighth place and down almost two laps, it was Sam Guerin’s turn to enter the race.

Sticking to the plan Sam cranked out his five laps, clawing back time with each one and this was the case as the four of us rotated through our time on the bike hour by hour. Half race distance came and the two-lap deficit was now us back in the lead by two laps. Smooth sailing to the end... not quite.

While attempting to get a few minutes of shut-eye between the time on the bike and curled up trying to regain feeling in my fingers and toes, a French Canadian ‘wrecking ball’ burst into our trailer at approximately 2 a.m. No this wasn’t part of the crew, nor one of the other riders. It was Mr. Dan Cheron, the race organizer and head official. Why the commotion, I wondered, peeling my toque from over my closed eyes, wondering what was being said as the conversation was not in English.

Well somewhere between my late addition to our team’s rider lineup and the ‘casual’ riders meeting, which was more about handing out free duct tape than how the race was to be run, a mistake was made. I had signed the spectator wavier and not the rider wavier and therefore, not considered part of the race. A simple and honest mistake, which – as someone who has more than one race under my belt – I take responsibility for and for not making more effort prior to the race start to clarify... but like I said, free duct tape!

Mistakes are part of life and this one could have been rectified with a conversation and not a scolding where the entire team were called ‘cheaters.’ A discussion that could have taken place prior to it being publicly announced on the race’s Facebook page that our team was immediately excluded from the race. Instead the discussion consisted of myself and my Quebecois racer compatriots being told by Dan, that as a fellow French Canadian himself, he had to make an example of us to avoid any potential accusations of favouritism.

Politics are politics and open your social media platforms or turn on the TV and you are blasted with a never-ending feed of them. Racing, unfortunately, whether at Sandy Beach or any track across the continent, has them too. I can understand and appreciate safety is the top concern for any race organizer but as a whole, things could have come to a better resolution. The reso54 Inside Motorcycles

Just in case a 24-hour ice race wasn’t unique enough, the Numb Bum includes a standing Lemans-style start.

While Sandy Lake is known for its summer activities, the Numb Bum race brings a new element to the area (above inset).

lution that was came to was that Samuel, Cedric and Sam could complete the remaining race time but would not be classified.

The spectator waiver is what I signed and now I was officially a spectator. I was not ‘Numb Bummed,’ just flat out bummed.

Maybe it was the flow of Red Bull or the smell of coffee but the attitude in the trailer quickly rebounded; the 48-hour drive was not going to waste, and trophy or not, we were going to win the race.

Track conditions continued to worsen, bikes and ATVs alike out there simultaneously lapping, the race entered its final stages. Now on rear tire 3 and still on our original set of brake pads, the guys pounded away the laps, as the laps pounded away on them. Bike No. 19 crossed the finish line at the 24-hour mark over five laps ahead of second place. An unprecedented feat to win by more than an hour and 20 minutes. Ironic in a way as the checkered came out at our 24-hour mark and not the eventual race winners, who notably were very gracious in acknowledging our team on the podium.

The Numb Bum 24-hour race, where for one reason or another in 2022, everyone walked away a little numb. IM

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I

Profile shot shows the Girdraulic fork’s aluminum alloy blades and long hydraulic dampers, tank and seat, twin-shock cantilever rear suspension and the three individual seven-inch drum brakes.

t’s rare for a particular motorcycle to make such a profound impression on the racing public that fans begin referring to it by name. Harley’s “Lucifer’s Hammer,” Ducati’s “Old Blue“ / “California Hot-Rod,” and Triumph’s five-times IoM Production TT winner “Slippery Sam” are three examples of such machines. In the late 1940s and early ‘50s these legendary bikes were preceded by a production-reject Vincent HRD Series B Rapide that came to be known as “Gunga Din.” In 1928 Phillip Vincent purchased the name rights, tooling, patterns and parts of HRD Motors Ltd., a failing British motorcycle manufacturer, and launched a new company named Vincent HRD Co. Ltd. Vincent established new production operations located in Stevenage just north of London. Vincent had built a motorcycle of his own in 1927 powered by a JAP fourstroke single engine. He had earlier developed and patented a unique cantilever rear suspension system that would become a standard feature of Vincent motorcycles.

Initially Vincent, like HRD, had outsourced engines to power his bikes, but this came to a halt in 1934 when all three of his

60 Inside Motorcycles

entries in the IoM TT races did not finish due to engine failures.

In 1931 Vincent hired Australian designer Phil Irving. It was he who designed Vincent’s first engine, an OHV 500 single dubbed the Meteor, that soon went into production. A sports version of the Meteor named the Comet came next.

In 1936 Irving came up with the idea for a new 1,000 cc V-twin that would use a shared bottom end, fitted with Meteor top ends and a separate four-speed gearbox. Phil Vincent loved the idea and by year-end the bike was in production as the Vincent HRD Series A Rapide.

The new 998 cc 47.5-degree V-twin engine was fitted into a slightly stretched variant of the Comet steel tube frame, with standard cantilever rear suspension and Brampton girder front forks, plus twin front and single rear seven-inch (180 mm) SLS drum brakes to stop the 206 kg (453 lb) bike. With a 6.8:1 compression ratio and twin Amal 1-and-1/16-inch carbs, the bike developed 45 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a claimed top speed of 177 km/h (110 mph).

During WW II Vincent worked on an upgraded version of the Rapide, which was launched in 1946 as the Series B. It was pow-

ered by a new 45 hp unit-construction 50-degree V-twin motor designed to be a stressed component of a radically new chassis design that reduced the bike’s weight to 195 kg (430 lb) and also its wheelbase by 38 mm to 1,440 mm (56.5 in).

The old steel tube frame of the Series A Rapide was replaced with a rear frame member (RFM) and an upper frame member (UFM), that used the engine as a stressed chassis component.

The RFM was bolted to the lower back of the engine case and the UFM to the twin cylinder heads. The RFM was made of steel tube and included Vincent’s cantilever suspension. The UFM was a steel box-section backbone structure that served as both the upper frame member and oil tank for the engine. The RFM was connected to the UFM via the twin near-horizontal rear shocks. The bottom of the shocks were bolted to the top of the swingarm cantilever while the top of the shocks were bolted to the front head-lug near the bottom of the steering neck. Perhaps surprisingly Vincent continued to use Brampton girder forks on the front of the bike.

George Brown, a former Vincent test rider before the war, returned to the firm in 1946 to work in their development department. In fairly short order Brown was given the go-ahead to build hot-rodded 500 Comet. That bike, then Vincent’s only works supported racer, proved to be highly competitive and nearly unbeatable at Cadwell Park with Brown in the saddle.

The bike came to be known as the “Cadwell Special.” Phil Irving knew that the new Vincent V-twin had a lot of horsepower potential so in March 1947 the development department was given a Series B Rapide with a noisy engine for use as a factory test mule and performance parts developer. That bike soon became Vincent’s second works racer.

Improvements to the Rapide engine started with porting and polishing the cylinder heads, the use of larger carburetors and higher compression pistons, plus other engine tweaks. It didn’t take long to boost its power to 55 hp.

Brown’s first race outing on the Rapide came at the 1947 Cadwell Park Easter Meet where he won. This was followed by a 1,000 cc race at Abridge where he again won. His next outing was at the Hartlepool sprints (drag races) where he placed third.

Then came the 1947 Hutchinson 100-Mile race at RAF Dunholme Lodge on the airfield circuit against a field that included works riders aboard full-on factory road racing machines. AJS works rider Ted Frend won the race on a model E90 AJS Porcupine with George Brown as the runner-up. This was in front of a crowd of 50,000 spectators. Unlike the Porcupine the Vincent had its muffler re-installed and was ridden back to its factory.

Shortly afterwards Brown’s Rapide special was provided to motorcycle journalist Charles Markham of Motor Cycling magazine for extensive road testing, It was in Markham’s glowing magazine report on the Rapide’s all-around performance that prompted him to dub the bike as Gunga Din, it having abilities that well surpassed his own riding talents, and the name stuck.

By then Clifford Brown, George’s brother, had been promoted

“Gunga Din’s” 70 hp engine with front-mounted magneto, rightside dual exhaust headers, cylinder head steadies and the rear carb with remote float.

to race mechanic for Vincent’s team. In addition to competing in road races, drag racing and European-style hill climbs in which bikes were raced to the top of a winding uphill road in the shortest amount of time, “Gunga Din” was still actively involved in performance parts development for Vincent’s big twins. These included what would become the new Series C Black Shadow road bike and the Black Lightning racer. This required Smiths to develop a special large face 150 mph (240 km/h) speedometer to clock the 125-plus mph top speeds of the new twins.

In the 1948 1,000 cc IoM Clubman TT Brown built up a huge lead aboard Gunga Din, including setting the fastest lap of the race at an average of 139.5 km/h (86.639 mph) before running out of gas on the last lap and pushing home for sixth. By then “Gunga Din” was much lighter and fitted with Vincent’s new ‘Girdraulic’ aluminum alloy-blade girder forks with long assisting hydraulic dampeners.

Vincent and Irving had become interested in setting new world records for acceleration and top speeds. This led to a trip to Lances, Belgium where Gunga Din set a class solo and a fourth overall solo speed of 194 km/h (120.5 mph) for the Flying Kilometre with Rene Milhoux in the saddle. Milhoux also ran the Flying Kilometre with a sidecar at 157 km/h (97.5 mph).

During its life as a works racer Gunga Din was continuously improved, incurred the occasional crash or major engine failure, but continued to win events and set new records ridden by George Brown and other riders. Many of the road race events of the period were held at RAF or USAF airbase circuits such as Ansty, Brough, Blandford, Boreham, Silverstone and Castle Combe. During 1948

InsideMotorcycles.com 61

Montlhery fuel tank with central oil filler and left-side fuel cap, Smiths tach, drilled and polished friction damper and fork uppers.

to ‘49 Gunga Din won at Ansty, Blandford and Silverstone with George Brown in the saddle, and at Brough and Haddenham with C. Horn the rider.

In 1949 Brown also set new hill climb track records on two separate occasions at Shelsey Walsh, won the standing start mile at the Redcar Speed Trials with a record terminal speed of 147.9 km/h (91.84 mph), set a new Unlimited Class record time of 12.7 seconds at the Hartlepool Sprint Races and set two new speed records at Jabbecke, Belgium of 206.08 km/h (128 mph) for the Flying Kilometre and 203 km/h (126 mph) for the 5 km.

It was that year Phil Irving left Vincent returning to Australia.

George Brown left Vincent in 1951 to start his own motorcycle dealership as many ex-successful racers did back them.

He went on to achieve many new world sprint records with his Vincent-powered dragsters “Nero” and “Super Nero,” but that is another story.

After Brown’s departure Vincent’s racing efforts wound down, but in 1952 four Vincents, including Gunga Din were taken to Montlhery, France where they set eight new world speed records including 100 mph for 24 Hours. Gunga Din set a six-hour world speed record at 162 km/h (100.53 mph). In 1953 Gunga Din made its final successful racing appearance setting a new Irish motorcycle speed record of 230 km/h (143 mph) on the Carrigrohane Straight. After that the bike went into obscure seclusion. This was followed two years later by the bankruptcy and closing of Vincent Engineers (Stevenage) Ltd, but what of Gunga Din? IM

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THE RESURRECTION OF GUNGA DIN At the end of its racing days Gunga Din was discarded and left to corrode in a low use building at the Stevenage site. Vincent Engineers (Stevenage) Ltd. built its last motorcycle at the end of 1955, and finally went into receivership in 1959 and the plant was taken over by Harper Engines Ltd. Harper put Gunga Din up for sale as is, but there were no takers. Eventually it was purchased by Tom Pelkey, an American who brought it to the US and began selling off the famous racer’s parts. That’s when Vincent buff Richard Garrett, verifying the parts originality, began buying them. Garrett was able to acquire most of the special works race parts, but lacked the finances required to restore the bike. Around 1975 he sold all of his “Gunga Din” stuff to Vincent collector Keith Hazelton. Incredibly Keith would spend the next 20 years tracking down most of the remaining parts that Garrett had missed, including its tach and prototype Girdraulic fork.

In 2009 Hazelton sold his extensive collection of disassembled Gunga Din parts to another Vincent buff by the name of Paul Pflugfelder of Massachusetts. Pflugfelder had the financial means required to fund a first-class restoration of Gunga Din, so he gave the job to AR Precision of Newburyport, MA who carried out the full restoration in a scant four months.

In August 2009 Gunga Din and the Barber Museum AJS Model E95 Porcupine both scored top points with 99.5 out of 100 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. That was the first year that motorcycles were ever allowed at Pebble Beach.

Canada’s Bar Hodgson purchased Gunga Din shortly after Pebble Beach in 2010 and entered it in the remaining rounds of the three-round Concours d’Elegance of America at Meadow Brook and Amelia Island taking best bike in show at both events. Since then Gunga Din has won numerous awards for Hodgson including Best Vincent in Show at the 2011 North American International Vincent Owners Rally and the prestigious Margaret Dunning Spirit of Driving Award at Canada’s Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance. IM 62 Inside Motorcycles

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