Motorcycle Mojo Magazine

When I do daily menial tasks like cutting the lawn, painting a piece of trim, or anything that doesn’t require concentration, I’ll often think random thoughts that range anywhere from wondering where people I knew in high school or that I used to work with are now, why the sky is blue or how the centripetal force on my wheels affects carving the perfect corner. There might be a hundred thoughts flashing through my mind in just a few seconds. Sometimes they circle around and make sense in a bizzare sort of way, and sometimes they are just that: fleeting thoughts. I might take a break from what I’m doing and look around, thinking of ways I can make my environment more efficient — how I can rearrange my office or…

You’re probably familiar with the Can-Am name, likely because of the company’s ATVs or Spyder three-wheelers. However, if you rode dirt bikes in the 1970s, you probably remember that the name originally flanked the fuel tanks of Canadian-made motocross and enduro motorcycles, from 1973 to 1982. Those bikes were competitive, too, winning gold in the International Six Days Trial in 1973, and topping the AMA 250 cc motocross championship in 1974. At the time, Can-Am belonged to the larger Bombardier conglomerate, a company that also produced snowmobiles, commercial jets, train cars, and eventually ATVs and watercraft under different brand names. Funding was eventually diverted to the production of trains and planes, and motorcycle production ceased in Canada. While production continued in the U.K. under licence by Armstrong-CCM, Can-Am two-wheelers disappeared altogether…

Arizona has joined Utah in legalizing lane filtering for motorcycles. Lane filtering is the practice of riding a motorcycle between two lanes of traffic that are moving in the same direction, when vehicles in both of those lanes are at a stop. This allows motorcycles to move through stopped traffic, or to move to the front of the line at traffic lights. As defined by the new Arizona law, which parallels the Utah law that took effect in 2019, motorcyclists can travel between two lanes of stopped traffic at a speed not exceeding 15 mph (24 km/h), on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less. Lane filtering is reportedly safer for motorcyclists than sitting in stopped traffic, as it reduces the likelihood of being rear-ended. According to data…

.007 The separation in seconds between first and second place at the Daytona 200. Brandon Paasch rode across the finish line on his Triumph Street Triple 765 RS; a split second behind him was Cameron Peterson. Paasch came from fourth place in the last lap to take the exciting win. 2015 The year MotoAmerica took the reins of the Superbike Race series (formally the AMA Superbike series), as sanctioned by the AMA and FIM. 20 The first rider to have 20 AMA Superbike wins under his belt was Fred Merkel, achieved in 1986. Merkel went on to win the first and second Superbike World Championships in 1988 and 1989. 17 The most wins during one season of the MotoAmerica Superbike Race Series. This record belongs to Jake Gagne, who entered the 2021 season never having won a…

STAYING DRY… OR NOT? Just a wee note to compliment your organization on another excellent issue! (March 2022) It arrived last week and I have read every word (as usual), including the ads (which your advertisers will like!) I also want to compliment Emily Roberts on her superb article: “Protection from the Elements.” It is a pleasure to witness her growth in writing. This was a very thorough, in-depth and educational article. Thank you to all your writers. Dick Beresford via email In the March 2022 issue, Emily Roberts discusses the benefits of membranes, especially Gore-Tex (Protection from the Elements). She highlights an example of a 15-year-old jacket that got replaced. My experience is somewhat different. On my way to the BMW MOA rally in 2019, I stopped for a few days of riding in Virginia. Camped next to…

When Lori Reith, a member of the BMW Motorcycle Club in Ottawa, was abruptly diagnosed with Stage IV ovarian cancer, her friends and fellow riders were stunned. What they learned in the early days of her diagnosis was grim. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest form of cancer facing women today. More than 3,000 women in Canada will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and over half of them will die from the disease within five years. There is no early detection test, few treatment options, and no cure. Lori’s friends Fiona Brown, Denise Charlebois, Jean Copas, Dr. Marcie Lorenzen, and Bonnie St. Julien wanted to change that, so they created the Dawn Ride. The Dawn Ride challenges motorcyclists across Canada to help raise funds for ovarian cancer research. They want to…