Excerpt from our column Let’s Ride, Wheels section of the Chronicle Herald, October 1, 2009
What a great way to spend the last weekend of summer, joining 800+ motorcyclists in Cape Breton for Gord’s Annual Ride 4 the Cure, around the spectacular Cabot Trail!
Riders come from all across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island for this great fundraiser and always leave with a smile and fond memories.
On Friday night at the pre-ride party and celebrations, Gord kept everyone up-to-date with the latest weather forecasts and first hinted at a postponement of the ride until Sunday morning at 9am.
Despite the disappointment of the cancellation at 7am the next morning, riders were soon grateful as they learned of heavy rains, high winds and waves crashing over the highways at Cheticamp and beyond along the trail.
It was a good and prudent call to postpone the ride in the interest of riders safety and enjoyment; and under dry skies in the Sydney area, riders spent the day taking short rides to Baddeck, Louisbourg and Glace Bay.
Then at 6pm we all met at the Membertou Centre for the post-ride celebrations and entertainment. All registered riders received their poker hands and the giveaways and prize awards began.
With over $25 thousand in donated prizes, the winning numbers called were fast and furious. Bill Steele won the best poker hand and is now the proud owner of a 2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 valued at $9500 dollars.
Gord and Mary (his proud, hardworking and supportive wife) also initiated a Top Ten Fundraiser Club this year with the top award going to Dave Hall of Bedford. Raising a whopping $11,765 for the cause, Dave won a PGO Scooter valued at $4,000, donated by Gord’s Sport Racing Centre.
As all the prizes were finally awarded, J.P. Cormier took the stage to complete the evening’s entertainment.
But one special prize remained, a Yamaha custom-made Ride 4 the Cure Guitar, signed by J.P. Cormier and later awarded to Sam Wall of Coxheath.
A ride of this magnitude cannot be achieved without the efforts of volunteers, and a huge thank you to all who donated their time and efforts. From the RCMP’s escort out of Sydney, to the Cape Breton Freewheelin’ members on patrol at intersections; and to all the volunteers along the route, thank you for making our ride safe and enjoyable.
The gracious Inverary Resort's hot beverages and delicious baked goods were appreciated at the first stop of the ride in Baddeck.
Again the special efforts of the sponsors along the route at the Inverary Resort in Baddeck, the village of Cheticamp and the Keltic Lodge Resort in Ingonish who provided hot & cold refreshments, muffins, cookies, hot dogs and scrumptious homemade apple pie to all participants, thank you!
Your efforts were delicious and much appreciated.
The majestic Keltic Lodge was the last stop of the day.
We are proud to be featured in the 2010 Ride 4 the Cure Calendars and the $15 price tag goes entirely to support breast cancer research.
So if you want to purchase one call Gord at 902-539-4673 or log on Ride4theCure for more information.
Join the Ride 4 the Cure next year and this could be you!
It has been another great, and too-short summer; but remember fall is an awesome time of year for quick jaunts around Nova Scotia. Get out and go for a ride to enjoy the pumpkin people and scarecrows on display amongst the beautiful fall colours.
We ALL can make a difference in today’s world, if only a small one, so make a child smile and join in the last events of the year supporting children at Christmas.
Stay safe and take care.
For more photos from the Ride4theCure, visit the photo section of this website.
Excerpt from our column Let’s Ride, Wheels section of the Chronicle Herald, June 25, 2009
With the weatherman promising a 5-day stretch of sun, the wanderlust took over and we started packing, deciding to tour the Gaspésie Peninsula of Quebec.
We have always wanted to ride this remote area, so with pre-tourist season pricing and higher than normal temperatures expected; we donned warm riding gear and began a 5-day coastal adventure to Quebec.
DAY ONE: On the road by 10:30am, we headed to Truro on Hwy #102, and then joined Rte #4 at Masstown, riding through the Wentworth Valley to Oxford; and joined Hwy #104 to Amherst.
From the NS/NB border, we followed Hwy #2 to Moncton, and then took Rte #15 to Shediac along the Northumberland Strait.
Hugging the coastline mainly on Rte’s #140, #530 and #134, we rode on to the Bouchtouche area, well-known for it’s beautiful sand beaches and offshore dunes.
Next we followed Rte #475 and #505, before rejoining #134 at Richibucto. Rte #134 becomes Rte #117 as you ride through the Kouchibouguac National Park. Unfortunately the highway is placed well back from the coastline, so to see the dunes you must enter into the park’s picnic and swimming areas.
However, on exiting the park Rte #117 follows the coastline of Miramichi Bay, and leads to the bridge spanning the Miramichi River and Rte #11 heading to the Acadian Peninsula.
Starting to tire from a full day in the wind and sun, we had a late supper and spent the night at the Motel Beausejour in Neguac.
DAY TWO: Under clear blue skies we continued north on Rte #11 before turning onto Rte #113 to explore The Acadian Isles, and riding to the end of Miscou Island.
Back on the mainland we now cruised along the coast of the Bay of Chaleur on both Rte #11 and #134 towards Bathurst.
Now the terrain gradually begins to change from the flat landscapes at sea level to occasional hills and cliffs near Dalhousie and Campbellton.
Next we crossed the bridge, which joins Campbellton with Point-à-la-Croix on the Gaspésie in Quebec. A quick trip to the tourism centre for maps and we begin our journey up the lower coast on Rte #132.
After about 20kms we find ourselves under the only rain cloud in the sky, and about 100kms later decide to call it a day, finding a charming seaside cabin at Auberge le Chalet in New Richmond.
To our delight the rain ends by the time we are unpacked and we enjoy a fabulous sunset as we eat supper from our cabin deck overlooking the bay.
DAY THREE: After a tasty breakfast of fresh croissants at the local bakery, we continue our journey through the 5 regions of the Gaspésie.
Leaving The Bay and we now enter Land’s End, where we plan to visit Percé for lunch and view the famed Percé Rock. This limestone rock formation was formed on the ocean floor 375 million years ago. It is 438m (1,545’) long and 88m (288’) high.
We arrived at Perce Rock just in time for a hot seafood lunch to warm us up.
After a feast of fresh mussels and hearty clam chowder we ride on to pretty Gaspé, which reminds us of home and the Cabot Trail.
Staying on Rte #132 we next enter the Forillon National Park on the top tip of the peninsula. After riding through the forests, the sight of the lighthouse at Cap-Des-Rosiers was breathtaking.
The lighthouse at Forillon National Park.
As we arrived whales were playing offshore and a small cruise ship was sailing by from the Iles-de-la-Madeleine to Quebec City.
Rounding the point the breezes offshore began to build, but the scenery was wonderful along the upper coast. Entering The Haute-Gaspésie region, the curvy road hugs the mountainside for many miles with warnings of waves crashing onto the highway.
We next stopped for the night at the seaside Motel Beaurivage in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts. As we watched the sunset from the beach, the cruise ship we had seen earlier in the day slowly sailed past with it’s lights reflecting across the St. Lawrence River.
DAY FOUR: Morning brought more blue skies and warmer breezes as we next entered The Coast region, heading to Sainte-Flavie, where we will leave the shoreline. Rte #132 now leads into The Valley, a splendid run southward through the Appalachian Mountains.
The scenery changes again as the highway travels through wide valleys, along large lakes and the noted salmon fishing Matapédia River.
By late afternoon we had come full circle and were leaving the Gaspésie and re-entering New Brunswick at Campbellton. Deciding to stay one more night along the coast, we settled down at the Motel l’Acadien in Petit-Rocher.
DAY FIVE: With the forecast of heavy rains expected, we decided to arrive home early and dry. We rode along Rte #8 from Bathurst to Miramichi, then Rte #11 to Moncton, and the TCH #2 to Amherst. Then retracing our steps we rode the TCH #104, Rte #4 and TCH #102 arriving home in Waverley in time for supper.
What a great experience to travel early in the season! Traffic is light and although there is a fair amount of road construction everywhere, we didn’t encounter any major holdups.
We covered around 2,563 kms, spending $173.94 on gas; and the off-season rates enabled us to stay at up-scale locations for $338.55 (including tax) for 4 nights.
It was a grand adventure, and almost everyone speaks some English, so language wasn’t a problem. But don’t expect a Tim Horton’s or burger joint on every corner. It is advisable to pre-plan your stops on the peninsula, and gas up before running near empty.
Till next time ride safe and have fun putting on the miles!
For more photos from our trip, visit the photo section of this website.
Excerpt from our column Let’s Ride, Wheels section of the Chronicle Herald, May 21, 2009
Suzuki describes their all-new stylish and streamlined Boulevard M90 as a power cruiser.
Now many people may find the words ‘power cruiser’ a bit intimidating, when considering moving up from the 450cc or 750cc motorcycle they have ridden for years. But this motorcycle is a far cry from the larger and heavy street bikes of the early 90’s.
The Boulevard M90 is a great example of how Suzuki has made moving up to a performance-oriented motorcycle easy for experienced riders.
The all-new Suzuki M90 Boulevard is a power cruiser with class.
The M90 is powered by a 1500cc high tech V-twin power plant featuring a 32bit, 512kb ROM engine management computer. This streamlined stylish motorcycle uses design concepts found on the award winning M109R.
Harold’s comments on the Boulevard M90 test ride follow:
“As I climbed aboard this motorcycle, the low seat height of 28.2”/716mm was welcomed. The dual exhausts gave a nice deep but mellow tone, hardly noticeable except on acceleration.
The pull back risers with flat bend chrome handlebars, forward foot pegs and controls all combined with the low seating to give a bit of that old school chopper feeling.
But the Boulevard M90 is definitely not old school in its appearance or performance!
The overall streamlined look flows from front to rear from the well-designed and compact fairing, stretched gas tank to the smooth sculptured rear fender, sporting a LED taillight over the massive 200mm rear tire.
While riding the Boulevard M90, the horsepower, torque, and wide ratio 5-speed transmission all combined to create a powerhouse on command.
The torque at low RPMs allows the rider to pull away from various situations without immediate downshifting, and the M90 can perform at highway speeds in 3rd, 4th or 5th gear without breaking a sweat.
The lower centre of gravity gives this motorcycle an overall light feel and it was both nimble and fun to ride.”
Specifications:
Engine: 1462cc, 4-stroke, 2-cylinder, liquid-cooled, OHC
Fuel System: Fuel injection
Compression Ratio: 9.5 : 1
Transmission: 5-speed, constant mesh
Seat Height: 716mm/28.2 in.
Curb Weight: 328kg/723 lbs.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 18L
Front Brakes: 2-piston calipers, 290mm disc, twin
Rear Brakes: 2-piston caliper, 275mm disc
Front Tires: 120/70ZR18M/C (59W), tubeless
Rear Tires: 200/50ZR17M/C (75W), tubeless
MSRP: $13,499
Thank you to Peter Dunsworth of ProCycle, Dartmouth for the opportunity to test ride the exciting new M90 Boulevard from Suzuki. For more information on this nimble power cruiser, contact ProCycle at 902-468-2518 or your nearest Suzuki dealership.
Excerpt from our column Let’s Ride, Wheels section of the Chronicle Herald, May 14, 2009
Over the past five years motorcycle registrations in Nova Scotia have increased by 48%, bringing about 13,000 more riders to our highways.
With increasing popularity in the recreational aspects of motorcycling and our ever-increasing gas prices, we can only expect more registrations in the future.
Motorcyclists outside Province House as Motorcycle Awareness Month is proclaimed in Nova Scotia
Hence on May 1st, the Province of Nova Scotia and Safety Services Nova Scotia proclaimed the month of May to be Motorcycle Awareness Month. Through news releases and promotions locally, the hopes are to improve driver awareness of increased motorcycle traffic on Nova Scotian roads.
In 2007 there were 12 motorcycle fatalities in Nova Scotia, 8 of which were caused by car driver error. We must as both riders and drivers become more aware and vigilant on our highways, and stop this unnecessary loss of life and rider injury.
In Nova Scotia, concerned motorcyclists have joined together to assist injured riders and their families through the not-for-profit Bikers Down Society, 100% run by volunteers wishing to help their fellow riders.
This Society is committed to provide temporary financial assistance to motorcyclists and their families during times of financial and emotional stress as a result of a legitimate motorcycle accident.
Requirements for Assistance:
- Must have a valid Nova Scotia Motorcycle license (5A)
- Must not have been provided with assistance by Bikers Down Society within the last twelve months
- Must provide police or accident report if applicable
The Bikers Down Society does not condone drinking and driving nor does it condone operating a motorcycle in a reckless or unsafe manner. The Society reserves the right to refuse assistance if an accident was the result of intoxication or recklessness.
Pictured left to right are Jimmie Swinamer and Pam Vickery of the Bikers Down Society and Nancy White and Ed Snow of Safety Services Nova Scotia.
Bikers In Need Top 15 Safety Tips:
- Good training is better than good luck. Take a class and/or practice your skills. Don’t depend on being lucky to survive.
- Don’t drink and ride. Even one drink can affect your riding ability.
- Don’t do drugs and ride. Even some prescription drugs can impair your riding ability.
- Don’t ride when fatigued. Fatigue can be just as dangerous when riding as alcohol and drugs.
- Wear all of your protective gear. When you fall, you will be glad you had it on.
- Maintain your motorcycle. Breakdowns can be costly and dangerous.
- Get a bike that you can handle and fits you. Start small and work your way up in size as your skill and riding ability improve.
- Practice your skills whenever you can. Find a vacant lot and work on your skills so they are second nature.
- Learn to ride on all types of roads and conditions. It will rain sometime in your riding career so be prepared for it. Gravel, sand, rain, grooved concrete, and blacktop all are different.
- Ride at your own skill and comfort level. Don’t take challenges or be pushed by others to ride above your level. That includes your husband and your friends!
- Bigger always wins. Don’t challenge anything with more wheels than you.
- Always leave yourself an out. Try to anticipate what could happen and be prepared for your escape.
- Don’t be afraid to slow down when you are in doubt. It is better to go slow than go down.
- When approaching an intersection look left, right, left. Remember the vehicle coming from your left will hit you first.
- Be Visible, See and Be Seen. There is no such thing as a safe intersection, don’t take them for granted.
For more information, to volunteer your time, or to make a donation, please contact:
Bikers Down Society
Toad Memorial Fund
86 Amaranth Crescent
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, B2W 4B9
Phone (902) 462-7466
Email: bikersdown@gmail.com
Excerpt from our column Let’s Ride, Wheels section of the Chronicle Herald, May 7, 2009
In today’s competitive world, it has become increasingly difficult to stand out in a crowd and operate a successful business; but the Harley-Davidson Company has evolved to meet change and the current marketplace demands.
The new Sportster XR1200 is a prime example. Featuring a retro look (like the XR750 of the 70’s), well known for racing dirt track across North America; this motorcycle has many performance features not found on other Harleys.
Harley-Davidson's new Sportster XR1200
The new XR1200 features inverted forks, typical to sportbikes; and is fitted with radial tires, not found on any other production H-D motorcycle.
Closer view of upswept exhaust
The upswept exhaust creates a note similar to that of Buell motorcycles, perhaps a result of Eric Buell’s expertise incorporated in the engine design.
The engine has a 10.0:1 compression ratio, performance cams, downdraft fuel injection and is the first V-twin Harley-Davidson to have oil-cooled heads.
1st V-twin Harley-Davidson to have oil-cooled heads
The cooler engine is more efficient and creates more power over a wider range of riding, and the lightweight aluminum swing arm frame improves handling and compliments the overall performance.
Harold had the chance to test ride the Sportster XR1200 last Friday and his comments follow.
“The seating position is similar to a sport bike, a bit more upright, with the foot pegs placed further back along the frame, almost to the rear wheel.
The 1200 V-twin pumps out immediate torque through the smooth five-speed gearbox, noticeable when merging into higher speed highway traffic.
The tachometer is the most prominent gauge, and while cruising at highway speeds in fifth gear, the engine runs at a moderate 3,500rpm of the 7,000rpm redline.
Braking is excellent with the dual 4-piston discs up front and the Dunlop Sportmax radial tires making firm contact with the road.
The Sportster XR1200 proved to be nimble, fast on command and easy to handle. This motorcycle gives you the ride and performance of a sportbike while carrying the Harley-Davidson name.
Although not designed primarily with economy in mind, this motorcycle delivers great mileage with a near 60 hwy/45 city miles per gallon rating, and a moderate price tag beginning at $13,729.”
XR1200 Specifications:
Dry Weight: 562.0 lbs/254.92 kg
Seat Height: 30.5 in/774.70 mm
Engine: Air-cooled, Evolution®
Displacement: 1200cc
Torque: 73.91 ft.lbs @ 4,000rpm
Horsepower: 90hp
Fuel Capacity: 2.91 gal/13.25L
Brakes: Dual 4-Piston, fixed front, single-piston floating rear
Wheels: Black, 3 Spoke Cast Aluminum
Tires: Front 120/70ZR 18 M/C, Rear 180/55ZR 17 M/C
Exhaust: Brushed, straight-shot exhaust w/dual mufflers
Our thanks to John Larson of Privateers Harley-Davidson, 100 Susie Lake Crescent, Halifax for the opportunity to test ride the new XR1200.
If you would like more information on this new Sportster, call the H-D dealership nearest you. Privateers H-D, Halifax at 902-444-4647, or Ramsay’s H-D, Cape Breton at 902-539-1730.
For three consecutive years Privateers Harley-Davidson has won the prestigious Trev Deeley Award for Retailer of the Year, which exemplifies performance excellence in Canada. In fact this dealership has actually won 4 times out of the last five years, an unprecedented feat for any Canadian dealership.
Congratulations to John and all your staff! Your commitment to customer service and satisfaction has once again earned your dealership the top award in Canada, and a reputation based on trust and respect.
A quick reminder to everyone that May is Motorcycle Awareness Month. With the warming temperatures more and more riders will be on our roadways and major highways.
Please respect the rules of the road and remember motorcycles are like any other motorized vehicle. We travel the posted speed limits and also need the same amount of time to stop to avoid a collision. So please everyone use extra caution at stop signs and intersections.
