Motorcycle Mojo Magazine November 2017

It isn’t often that our daughter, Emily, comes to visit here in Ontario. She has always been quite adventurous, and for that reason she resides in Revelstoke, B.C. during the winter months. It’s the tall peaks of the Columbia Mountains along with dozens of metres of snow that call her west every year. During her days off from her job in the powersports and guiding industries in this winter wonderland, she snowboards and enjoys heading out into the majestic mountains on a snowmobile or a Timbersled. The past two summers Emily has returned to Ontario, where she has worked at Clinton Smout’s SMART Adventures training school as an offroad instructor, or whatever is required of her. Gwen and I feel quite fortunate that we’re able to see her a couple times…

THREADS MOTORCYCLE INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION Harley-Davidson will be celebrating 115 years of production in 2018 with the largest-ever product development project in the company’s history. The result is a complete revamping of its Softail lineup and the introduction of the all-new Fat Boy, Heritage Classic, Low Rider, Softail Slim, Deluxe, Breakout, Fat Bob and Street Bob motorcycles. According to Paul James, manager of product portfolio, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, “Thousands of hours of research and testing were put into the complete ground-up design of these new cruisers.” In all, that’s eight brand-new Softail custom motorcycles ready for 2018, all with a stiffer, lighter steel frame and swingarm, plus the addition of premium front and rear suspension. Brad Richards, the company’s vice-president of styling and design, says, “Harley- Davidson motorcycles are not a commodity; they…

End of the Confederacy Confederate Motorcycles has announced it will be closing down after the final run of its recently released FA-13 Combat Bomber. As of this writing, the company is planning a resurrection under the name Curtiss Motorcycles (a tribute to aviator Glenn Curtiss) following an undisclosed “dark period.” Once up and running, Curtiss Motorcycles will be offering high-performance electric motorcycles. Best of luck goes out to the company, and we’re looking forward to seeing more of their unique styling and technology down the road. Yamaha announces new Star Eluder Yamaha recently announced its new 2018 Star Eluder, based on the same platform as its 1,854 cc, air-cooled Star Venture TC flagship. Unfortunately, this announcement comes just days after Yamaha issued a statement regarding production delays for the Venture TC, resulting in…

2019 The year Suzuki’s Hayabusa will celebrate its 20th anniversary. Word is, there’s the possibility of a refresh and maybe even a turbo for the big event. 1,103 The displacement in cubic centimetres of the Ducati Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, which produces a claimed 210 hp and 88.5 ft-lb of torque. 17 The number of years H-D produced the V-Rod, which has now quietly been left behind for 2018. RIP V-Rod. 15,000 The number of people who gathered at Italy’s Lake Como to celebrate Moto Guzzi’s 96th anniversary. The event also marked 50 years of the V7. 464 The quantity of BMW R nineT motorcycles affected by Transport Canada Recall #2017399, regarding loosening of the swingarm pivot pin bolt.…

The advent of the motorcycle marked a massive step forward for personal transportation around the globe and, indeed, here in rural Canada. The benefits of an economical and accessible means of transportation, at a time when most families still relied on a horse and carriage, opened new possibilities and freedoms for the average person. But, it was also during this time that the world began to experience conflict on a scale previously unknown – conflicts made possible by the very technological breakthroughs meant to improve our quality of life. By the outbreak of the First World War, the motorcycle was being pressed into service as a means of delivering orders and intelligence quickly and efficiently. As has always been the case, the job of dispatch rider was a volunteer position, and…

editor@motorcyclemojo.com THE FINAL FRONTIER I absolutely loved her [Lisa Morris’] story, to the point of reading it twice [“The Final Frontier,” June 2017]. Words, emotions, sincerity . . . excellent writing, experience and trek. I would gladly purchase more Mojos just knowing she may again write from her memoirs. DENIS GOSSELIN VIA EMAIL SHOW AND TELL Very nice “Life in the Fast Lane” story by Misti Hurst. Great “Motorcycle Show and Tell” for your readers too. MIKE FOREST VIA EMAIL DIGGING THE DIRTBAG Very well-written article [“California Dirtbag,” Sept/Oct 2017] – it’s inspiring. I will add State Route 33 to my bucket list. I’m also a big fan of Triumph. Glad to see a fellow rider enjoying the brand. Thanks Claire [Crimp]. Tom via motorcyclemojo.com Beautifully written! Loved hearing about your [Claire Crimp’s] adventure! There’s nothing like adversity on a trip…