January/February 2018 Archives

My Beloved Snap-On

Ratchet My career in the motorcycle industry began in 1982, when I apprenticed as a mechanic at a small Honda dealership in Montreal. Barely out of school, I didn’t own any tools, so I worked using...

Girl Meets Bike

First, if you love Moto Guzzi’s, you’ll want this in your collection. There is a lot of time devoted to lovingly portraying the ‘91 Moto Guzzi 1000S that Kat (the “girl”) learns to ride....

The Best Bar in America

This film deserves some attention. Filled with fine acting and interesting characters, it had me wanting to pack my saddlebags and head for the southwest on a similar quest, but I don’t think my...

Fatheadz Eyewear

Those with slightly larger-than-normal sized heads often have to compromise comfort for fashion. Because of this, Fatheadz Eyewear was born out of necessity. Back in 2004, a fellow named Rico Elmore...

Stories from the Road

As told by women who ride. Women have been riding motorcycles pretty much since they were invented (the motorcycles, not women). Why, in 1915, Effie Hotchkiss and her mother, Avis, became the first...

Back in the Saddle

Even just talking about and being around motorcycles can lead to a slippery slope for the re-entry rider. My last bike was a BMW R69S, which I sold in 1971 but have never forgotten. If, like me, you...

Stop Talking & Just Do it

The call of crystal-blue waters has been on hold for far too long. The sun casts a shadow through the blinds in my bedroom window. It’s just after 5 a.m. on Friday and my wife, Lori, is peacefully...

Ghost Town Rider

Remembering a town that was I was going to say goodbye to a little town called Jordan River on the southwestern edge of Vancouver Island, about halfway between Sooke and Port Renfrew. The hamlet is...

Gaspe’s Legendary Loop

A last-minute route change puts the BMW S1000XR through its paces. Our original plan was to head back to Ontario from New Brunswick through the northeastern states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont...

The Lap of Luxury

BMW’s new Bagger attempts to eclipse the competition. By press event standards, the launch of the 2018 BMW K1600B Bagger, held just outside of Asheville, North Carolina, was exceptional. But that...

A Perfect Day in L.A.

The newest Scout has enough attitude to make city riding a blast. Those familiar with Los Angeles know that between the smog, the crowds and the suffocating traffic, the concept of a perfect day is...