Motorcycle Mojo Magazine January/February 2021

We are now in our 20th year of publishing Motorcycle Mojo, and this issue is our 150th issue. I know some of you are thinking that the simple math just doesn’t add up – 10 issues per year times 19 years; shouldn’t this be 190 issues, not 150? We began publishing Motorcycle Mojo as a digest-sized magazine with a frequency of only four times per year. Then many of our subscribers told us that they needed more. As time and finances permitted, we grew incrementally to five issues per year in 2004, having added a summer Special Edition issue. That eventually turned into six issues annually. That sustained growth continued to eight issues per year and, finally, 10 issues per year in 2011. We still hear from our long-time subscribers that they…

HEADLINES Aprilia RS660 Aprilia is looking to rekindle interest in the middleweight sport bike category by introducing the 2021 RS660. The Aprilia RS660 is a new, lightweight supersport machine that features an all-new 659 cc parallel twin based on the company’s 1,078 cc V4, sharing the larger engine’s 81 mm bore but with a longer stroke (63.9 mm versus 52.3). The RS660’s engine features a 270-degree crankpin layout and claims 98 horsepower (73.5 kW) and 49 ft-lb of torque. The engine is used as a stressed member within a twin-beam aluminum frame, with the massive aluminum swingarm pivoting off the rear of the engine. Kayaba provides the suspension, which includes a single shock and a 41 mm inverted fork; suspension is adjustable for rebound damping and spring preload at both ends. Claimed wet weight…

5/23 May 23 is the new date for the 2021 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR). The organizers of the DGR changed the date from the last Sunday of September to ensure that more people, especially in Canada and the northern hemisphere at large, can ride for the cause. 6 The number of Canadian MMIC motorcycle shows that have been cancelled in 2021 due to Covid-19. Don’t fret, as show organizers have already set dates in hopes of running in 2022. 150 The approximate number of motorcycles owned by Mark Lane, founder of Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum in Sorento, B.C. 4 The number of years Triumph has worked to bring the Trident 660 Triple project to life. After a long wait, the Trident is expected to be available in 2021. 349 The number of cubic centimetres of the Meteor 350, Royal Enfield’s…

WE AREN’T GETTING ANY YOUNGER Clinton Smout’s article, “The Aging Motorcyclist,” in the November 2020 issue certainly struck a chord with me. After 55 years of riding, I find myself with all the issues Clinton touches on: bike is too tall, too heavy, too difficult to get on and off, and to man handle around the garage or parking lot. I ride a BMW R1200GSA and being comfortable on those far-flung wilderness gravel adventure roads is now becoming more difficult. Last year, after a successful trip on the Trans-Taiga Road in Northern Quebec, I told my wife: “No more long-distance travel to far-flung wilderness destinations.” What comes next has preoccupied me for some time. As Clinton writes, a smaller, lighter, more manageable bike should be the answer. Problem is there are literally dozens…

Got a favourite restaurant or pub? Send us an email to editor@motorcyclemojo.com and tell us why. From Christopher Thiessen Water Valley Saloon One of my favourite places to eat is the Water Valley Saloon at 5210 Main St. on Hwy 579 in Water Valley, Alta. I rode to this saloon with friends on a group ride recently. The food was really good and the building’s country / farm atmosphere is really authentic. Many cattle brands from local ranchers are burned into the wood walls. The Biker Burger is one of the specials, and I highly recommend ordering it. You can take the paved road or the gravel roads northwest of Calgary to get there. The scenery in the area is beautiful, with lots of trees and views of the Rocky Mountains. Watch out for cattle grids,…

One of the best ways to avoid a crash is to learn what may cause that kind of crash in the first place. A long-time subscriber of Motorcycle Mojo recently wrote us, asking about causes of a lowside crash. First of all, what is a lowside? A low side crash is when the front or rear tire loses grip while you are leaned over in a turn, which causes the bike to fall over. The opposite of a lowside, and typically much more violent, is a highside crash. This is when rear grip is lost while you are leaned over, causing the rear of the bike to slide out as before, but then grip is regained momentarily, which causes the bike to stand up violently and flip onto its other side,…