Winter 2007
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Shoulder Check - by Rick O'Brien
The two big bike shows have come and gone for another season here in Toronto. I was lucky enough to attend both shows on behalf of Humber College.
Aside from the chance to oogle all the bikes I won't be able to afford for a while (ie: until they are sufficiently used), the shows are an opportunity to take note of all the latest trends in the motorcycle marketplace. I detected some trends that may or may not become significant in the years to come.
I noticed a proliferation of new manufacturers -- mostly from Korea and China. Some were offering small, strictly off-road machines. Others offered a full line of bikes and ATVs from small dirt bikes and scooters to 650cc sportbikes and cruisers. It is easy to dismiss these newcomers until you remember that Honda started after WWII making moped conversion kits for bicycles and that as little as 45 years ago was selling 50cc bikes in hardware stores.
I also noticed a continuation of something that started a couple of years ago: scooters. Like it or not, scooters were everywhere. Driven partly by their oh-so-cool factor among the artsy/cafe crowd and partly by high fuel prices and overcrowded public transit, the easy to ride and insure little scooter has almost gone mainstream. And they are not so little anymore, available with displacement and performance that would have put them in the big bike class not that many years ago. Part of what makes scooters so user-friendly is their lack of clutch and shift levers. New riders who have never driven a car without an automatic transmission have taken to the shiftless scooters eagerly as have many older, experienced riders whose arthritic left hands have pulled a clutch lever a few thousand times too many.
Bike manufacturers are also testing the waters again with automatic or semi-automatic sport-tourers and cruisers. Is it the beginning of the end for that secret handshake of motorcycling: the clutch lever?
Time will tell.
Adjusting Your Motorcycle Controls - by Ray Barker
While teaching the Motorcycle Maintenance Courses I often encounter students who complain about the control location being uncomfortable. People new to motorcycling generally feel that they should ride the bike the way it was delivered to them. In fact, most bikes allow you to change the position of the handlebars, the control levers, the rear brake lever and the gear shifter lever. Some bikes also permit adjustment to seat height. Remember, the manufacturers build the bikes to suit the "average" person - but no-one knows what is average. The exact procedures for adjusting the controls are detailed in the Manufacturer's Maintenance and Repair Manual.
HandlebarsBikes that have tubular handlebars can usually be adjusted front to back. i.e. either bringing the bar closer to the rider or moving it away from the rider. A taller person may like the bars a little farther forward while a shorter person may want them farther back.
Brake and Clutch LeversThese controls can be rotated on the handlebar to ensure that your wrist is in a comfortable position. Avoid having your wrist twisted at an angle that will cause discomfort after riding any distance. My preference is to have these controls pointed down slightly. Often rear view mirrors are attached to these controls so they will need to be re-adjusted after the levers are rotated.
Rear Brake PedalThis should be adjusted so that you don't have to move your foot a significant amount when you are applying the brake. Also you should avoid having your foot resting on the brake pedal while you are riding. This may result in the brake being partially applied causing excessive wear and perhaps damage to the brakes. After the brake pedal location has been adjusted, make sure that the brake light switch is also adjusted so that it only comes on when the brakes are applied.
Gear Shift PedalAs with the rear brake pedal, the shifter pedal should be adjusted so that you don't have to move your foot significantly when you need to change gears. Again, avoid having your foot directly over the pedal because hitting a large bump could cause you to shift gears accidentally. For those folks that ride Dual Sport bikes, they may want to raise the shift lever so that it is easier to get a dirt bike style boot underneath it.
Seat PositionSome motorcycles such as BMW touring models have multi position seats. The seats can be raised or lowered to enable you to reach the ground or provide more room between the seat and the foot peg. Check your Owners Manual to see if your bike has this provision.
My Gadget Of Choice: GPS - by Dan Hill
Of the many electronic gadgets that we can affix to our motorcycles, my favorite is a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. I have had a GPS device since 2001 when I purchased a Garmin product named the eMap. It was a small, handheld, battery operated device with a greyscale lcd display. The advantages were that is was fairly affordable (under $500) and you could purchase memory modules that allowed you to load on "large" amounts of mapping (several states even). One downside of devices of that time were that they did not provide turn-by-turn directions, all you had was an arrow pointing towards your final destination and a distance to that point "as the crow flies".
Since that time GPS devices have become considerably more mainstream and slightly more affordable. GPS devices are now available at most consumer electronic stores. With wider acceptance have come more features at more affordable prices. Devices now provide turn by turn routing with spoken directions, colour displays with multiple points of view. Several models are waterproof to battle the elements and some are designed with motorcyclists in mind.
An important aspect of GPS devices is the mapping provided with the unit. Some of the inexpensive units come with only what is refered to as base mapping. Base mapping generally includes cities, major highways (400 Series in Canada or Interstates in US), large bodies of water and main rivers. This level of detail would allow you to conclude that you are in Ontario, North of Hamilton and West of Toronto (Guelph). Some of the lesser known brands might claim to have comprehensive mapping of North America but in reality provide acceptable coverage for the USA but considerably less for Canada.
The more sophisticated devices include a CD or DVD with mapping and the capacity to load that mapping onto internal memory in the device or onto add-in memory that you install into the device. You have the option to load as much or as little of the area you are interested in onto that memory.
The top of the food chain are devices that come pre-loaded with very detailed mapping for all of North America. One thing to note, at some retail stores or via authorized dealers you will usually find devices that are targeted only to your locality, for us that means North America, and if we wish to travel to Europe additional mapping will have to be purchased and added to the device. Mapping for other regions can be pricey. Many of the GPS device manufacturers use mapping that they aquire through a company called NavTeq. (www.navteq) It is important to find out how detailed the maps for the area that you will be riding are. In 2001 one manufacturer considered Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Vancouver the full extent of Canada. On current products road coverage is very good, the majority of roads are present, though you might find details in newly developed areas missing. Every manufacturer faces these issues because the mapping is a snapshot in time that is loaded on the devices. This is why it is good to inquire if the device you are considering has the ability to update the mapping.
I tend to favour devices that use solidstate memory for the storage of the data. You can add the quantity of memory that you need to hold the mapping for the area that you are interested in. Some devices provide the data on micro harddrives which I personally don't feel is as good a choice when combined with a motorcycle that vibrates. Many of the products come with the mapping pre-installed on the device to provide a fully featured product right out of the box. Some manufacturers are making motorcycle specific devices such as Garmin's Zumo or TomTom's Rider. These devices have been designed with the rider in mind and include features like buttons on the left side, touch screens that are glove friendly, and waterproofness. Many automotive oriented devices also provide similar features but may be more susceptible to moisture and vibration.
The best thing about GPS that I have read in a few articles was that you can get lost better by using a GPS because you are free to roam wherever you wish and always know that you can find your way home at the end of the ride. It is for this reason that I prefer to use a GPS device as a general reference when I am riding to somewhere unfamiliar and as a tool when I am going to a specific location or address. To learn more about GPS devices check out the sites listed below.
The Big Landforms Tour - by Rick O'Brien
Ten years ago this summer I had a month between jobs with three months severance pay to spend and a chance to take a trip I had wanted to do for many years: across Canada and up the Alaska Highway to visit my sister Pat in Whitehorse, Yukon. I kept a daily journal, parts of which appear here.
Day 1: June 14
I left my friend Andy's place near Dunnville for Michigan via the Sarnia/Port Huron bridge. It was the Saturday after a June Friday the 13th in Port Dover. The plan was to cut some time and clicks off the trip up to the Yukon by cutting through the States, south of Lake Superior. My route hugged the shoreline of Lake Huron and Saginaw
Bay. I wimped out early after 603 km and spent the night in Standish, Michigan.
Day 2: June 15
The biggest letdown of the day was the "Big Mac" bridge over the Straits of Mackinac.
No big deal, just a bigger than average bridge. The weather turned ugly almost as soon as I reached the north shore of Lake Michigan. It was cold and miserable with very heavy rain all through the rest of the day. I finally called it quits in Bessemer, Michigan near the Wisconsin border. Total distance for the day was 822 km. No photos due to the weather.
Day 3: June 16
Started with the short hop through Wisconsin to Duluth, Minnesota where l took a side trip to the home of Aero Designs to splurge on an Aerostitch riding suit. Once away from the tip of Lake Superior, the prairies began almost immediately. Between Duluth and Grand Forks, three watersheds are crossed. The first rivers flow back into Superior and down to the Atlantic. Next you cross the Mississippi flowing south into the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, at Grand Forks, you cross the Red River flowing north to Hudson's Bay. I spent the night at Devil's Lake, North Dakota after 764 km.
Day 4: June 17
After passing the Geographical Center of North America near Rugby, North Dakota
my route veered north through the beginning of the badlands toward the Saskatchewan border. Following close to the Souris River valley, I crossed back into Canada near Estevan. From here it was a series of grain elevators, then Regina, then finally
Saskatoon for the night. An 873 km day.
Day 5: June 18
This turned out to be one of the toughest days of the trip. Heavy rain with strong headwinds started just outside Lloydminster and continued almost all day. This is the "oil patch". There is a real boom-town feel about Grand Prairie, where I spent the night. Everything is new, cheap, and has never been cleaned. The motel parking lot was full of diesel pickups and the walls had been punched in by drunks. Longest day so far at 996 km.
Day 6: June 19
I was starting to get discouraged at this point. I had just done a 1000 km day and I was still over 1600 km from Whitehorse. This meant staying overnight halfway up the Alaska highway. The heavy rains continued and once into B.C. and past Dawson Creek, the road really deteriorated. There were long stretches of water-filled potholes. The RV parades had begun too, reducing visibility to next to zero in the spray. I was hoping to make Toad River my overnight but first had to cross Steamboat Pass near Summit Lake. This area is the highest elevation on the Alaska Highway. It was also under construction: wet clay, truck and RV ruts and continued heavy rain. It's unfortunate that weather and road conditions did not allow any stops to take photos. Here you are literally riding right up to the clouds and there is still ice and snow on the shoulder. I treated myself to a warm, dry cabin at Toad River after 787 km. Almost there now!
Day 7: June 20
After crossing into the Yukon for the first time near Watson Lake, the road got smoother, wider and straighter. The rain finally let up as well. Long stretches of new gravel surface. Starting to see some wildlife at the roadside now: deer, black bears and the ever-dangerous moose. Not as dangerous as the RVs though! Finally make it to Pat's after 781 km.
This is a magic time of year in the north. I had arrived right on the eve of the longest day of the year. At the summer solstice the sun dips below the horizon for just over an hour. It never gets darker than twilight. I planned to head back after my sister's birthday on July 1. Until then, I had a chance to play tourist. We got out to admire some of the local landmarks, including The Carcross Desert and Emerald Lake.
Hike to the top of Grey Mountain:
For me, this was the high point of the trip so far. Grey Mountain overlooks Whitehorse from the east side of the Yukon River valley. We hiked up an access road to the microwave relay towers, then followed a trail to the summit. The top is just under 5000 feet above sea-level, a gain of 2000 feet from the starting point. The entire round trip hike took us six and a half hours. There were lots of breaks for photos or just to take in the view.
Kluane National Park:
We did a one day drive to Haines Junction and the edge of the park. This is the real deal with snowcapped mountains and glaciers, containing Mt. Logan, Canada's tallest mountain at 19,525 feet. No one is allowed in the park without a "flight plan". (They come looking for you if you don't come out as scheduled.) We contented ourselves with a look from the perimeter. Made Grey Mountain look pretty puny!
Return Trip Day 1: July 2
The Stewart-Cassiar Highway was the "loneliest" part of the trip. It connects Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway with Prince George, providing access to Stewart, B.C. and
Hyder, Alaska. North of the Stewart cut-off facilities are scarce. There are places where you can ride for an hour on gravel and not see another vehicle. I found a cabin near Iskut with no water or electricity. Total distance for the day: 763 km.
Day 2: July 3
South of the Stewart cut-off the highway improves considerably This is logging country with convoys of logging trucks and large areas of clear-cut proudly marked "Harvested" and "Re-planted." After New Hazelton, it's back to civilization with yuppie women in designer sunglasses driving BMW convertibles. I spent the night in Prince George after 882 km.
Day 3: July 4
The road from Prince George to Kamloops leads down into the dry, hot centre of B.C. Without irrigation, this area would be desert. There is a gradual transition from logging to ranching. Hay and ginseng are two of the major crops. I had a late start looking for a bike shop in Prince George and called it quits early due to the heat after a 551 km day.
Day 4: July 5
This was easily the most scenic ride of the whole trip. I followed the western shore of Okanagan Lake to Kelowna then continued south to Osoyoos at the Washington border.
Lots of roller coaster twisties with switchbacks. Lots of orchards and vineyards. The entire Okanagan valley is a paradise: hot and dry with a big, beautiful lake in the middle.
Called it a day in Creston, just over the Kootenay Pass. 688 km.
Day 5: July 6
After the scenery the previous day, the Crowsnest Pass was a bit of a disappointment. All the curves had been removed so that the trucks and motorhomes could sail serenely through the mountains. Once into Alberta, the change back to prairie was swift. There was nothing to do but make time. Ran into a doozy of a storm on the way into Swift Current: heavy rain, wind and then hail. 817 km.
Day 6: July 7
Having seen enough of the prairies, I decided that this was going to be a tank-up-and-go, eat-lunch-standing-in-the-parking-lot kind of day. The rain that started just past Regina made it even easier to just keep riding. I made it from Swift Current, Saskatchewan to Kenora, Ontario, a total of 1046 km.
Day 7: July 8
I thought that I was on the home stretch at this point, unaware that it would still be almost three days before I was home. I took the scenic route south from Kenora through Rainy River and Fort Francis, partly because of construction on the Trans-Canada. I made it to Dorion (just before Nipigon) after 656 km.
Day 8: July 9
After consulting the maps, I decided to head south at Espanola and take the ferry from Manitoulin Island to Tobermory instead of fighting the traffic on Highways 69 & 400. I spent the night in South Baymouth. A 984 km day.
Day 9: July 10
The ferry ride took just under two hours. Motorcycles get preferential treatment: first on and first off. As it turned out, the most harrowing part of my whole trip was the last leg back into Toronto on the 401. It takes a while to re-adjust to being tailgated by tractor-trailers at 130 km/h. Total for the day (not including the ferry trip) 357 km.
Looking back on the trip now, it certainly would have been nicer to have a more comfortable bike with more luggage space and a bigger gas tank. As with any trip, it also would have been better to have more time to explore and rest along the way. Maybe next time...
Featured Instructors - Al and Lynn Jasiunas
Husband and wife instructor team Al and Lynn are starting their fourth season at Humber. Lynn describes what got them started and what keeps them going:
"Passion! That’s what makes life worth living. My husband Al and I have traveled hundreds of roads throughout Canada and the United States. Some of these roads have led us to nowhere and others have taken us to the colourful people in many incredible riding areas. Destinations such as the Americade touring rally in beautiful Lake George NY, the Tail of the Dragon and Blue Ridge Parkway in Tennessee and North Carolina as well as many of the beautiful back roads of the Carolinas, Tennessee, Maryland, and Pennsylvania are just some the motorcycle playgrounds that we have traveled."
"We are still astonished to find that the exhilaration of riding motorcycles on a gorgeous day has brought so much passion to our lives. It was this unbridled infatuation that prompted us both to take the motorcycle instructor training course at Humber College in 2004 so that we could introduce this natural high to new and returning riders."
"My current ride is a red Kawasaki 800cc Vulcan and Al has the Kawasaki 1500cc Nomad. This cruiser style motorcycle is the one that best suits our riding style and preference for leisurely travels both as a couple and with groups of friends."
"Riding down a beautiful curvy, scenic, undulating, twisty road makes me feel like my bike and I are doing a sexy Samba,… Ahhhh!…, yes, the other passion that we both share: ballroom dancing. But that’s another story perhaps for another time."
"The sense of personal accomplishment I feel in helping the students learn and then ultimately passing the course, is overwhelming. This is one of the the main reasons that Al and I will continue to teach the motorcycle course at Humber College."
"Live your life with passion! Take a motorcycle course with Humber College. It’s a great way to start looking for the passion in your life."
"Let the good times roll!"
Reader's Ride
Humber instructor Doug Penney owns a number of bikes, including a couple of classic BMW twins, but the Honda Passport pictured here is his favourite. Doug explains:
"Here I am with my favourite bike on the day I brought it home. Having owned one when I was a teenager, I couldn't resist the opportunity to pick this one up. I'm the 4th owner of this 1982 model. Luckily I didn't need to put too much into it to make it look new again. Sharp-eyed readers will notice the white side covers need to be replaced with the correct red ones."
"Pound for pound, the little C70 has got to be the most fun bike to ride. You don't have to go far or fast to find adventure. Early Sunday mornings I can be seen heading out with a couple of good friends, all on little Hondas, exploring back roads north of the city."