2019-06-01_Motorcycle_Mojo_Magazine

pring has sprung and it’s

time for a tune-up. Not on

my bike, but on me. I had a

feeble riding season last year

after having some work done

on the internal workings of

my right shoulder that grounded me

for most of the summer. My only real

ride of the year was when our daughter,

Emily, and I rode from Ontario to

British Columbia together, and then my

subsequent solo return.

I look forward to getting back out on

the road and in the dirt this year more

than any other year I can remember.

I’ve been riding for well over 40

years, but not being able to ride last

season left me feeling a little awkward

on the bike, as though I didn’t have

the same coordination I used to have.

Regular contributor Clinton Smout calls

this muscle memory, or in my case, lack

thereof. Much like anything else that

needs to be used regularly to stay in top

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get rusty and they need to be retrained

occasionally.

So to prep for a riding season in

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kilometres, I’ll be looking for a training

school that offers a refresher course,

which shouldn’t be hard. I’ll probably

also book a track day in addition to

heading to Horseshoe Valley near

Barrie, Ont., for an off-road refresher

course from Clinton at his Smart Riding

Adventures school. In my opinion,

getting out on forest trails on a trail

bike or an adventure bike is one of life’s

greatest pleasures – I grin from ear to

ear when I’m amongst the trees. In fact,

I think I missed trail riding more than I

did street riding last year.

In the past, I wasn’t able to get out

on the trails as much as I’d have liked,

so this year I’m going to build a small

adventure track with obstacles in my

backyard so I can routinely practise my

off-road skills on my Triumph Tiger

800XC. As an added bonus, it’ll mean

less grass to cut, too.

All in all, this is going to be an

amazing riding season.

Sadly, we recently lost a couple

of important people in Canada’s motor-

cycle scene, and I feel it’s important to

say a few words about them.

Harry Watts’ biggest claim to fame,

at least for Canadian motorcycling, was

his contribution as a dispatch rider in

the Second World War. In fact, he wrote

a book about his initial training and his

days riding around Europe during the

war called The Dispatch Rider. We’ve

known Harry for many years and carry

his book on our website. He donated

all the proceeds from the sale of his

books to programs for service dogs for

children with autism and for veterans

suffering from PTSD, and to public

schools. Harry was a member of the

Canadian Army Veterans. He always

had a big smile and kind words to say

about everyone and everything. He

was a good man and he’ll be missed by

many. Harry Watts was 95 years young.

When speaking about Canadian

custom-motorcycle builders, Bob

McKay, age 67, was one of the

country’s most acclaimed. He began

working in the motorcycle industry

in 1970 and had since built hundreds

of custom motorcycles. He had bikes

featured in both international and

national magazines (this one included)

since 1974. I’m sure he had forgotten

more about motorcycles than you or

I will ever know. Bob and his wife,

Dianne, owned Bob McKay’s Harley-

Davidson in Shallow Lake, Ont., from

1986 to 2002. In addition to building

and customizing bikes, he also

restored vintage Harley-Davidsons

and designed parts for the aftermarket

industry. Gone far too soon.

CROSSROADS

by Glenn Roberts

15 ADMORE LIGHTING

64 AEROSTICH

67 ATLANTICADE

15 AYRES ADVENTURES

32 BMW DEALERS

2 COUNTERACT BALANCING BEADS

59 DEAN FOSTER ART

63 DURHAM COLLEGE MOTORCYCLE TRAINING

64 GP BIKES – TRIUMPH

72 HARLEY-DAVIDSON CANADA

66 HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERS

51 HELPING HAND INC.

64 HERBERT’S BOOTS AND

WESTERN WEAR

60 HEROES HIGHWAY RIDE

17 HOGTUNES

65 HONDA DEALERS

7 HUMBER MOTORCYCLE TRAINING

25 INDIAN OF OAKVILLE AND BARRIE

64 KAWASAKI DEALERS

71 KLIM

66 KTM DEALERS

13 LEGION NATIONAL MEMORIAL RIDE

13 MACKESY SMYE LLP,

BARRISTER & SOLICITORS

17 MARANELLO MOTO SPORT

42 MOTORCYCLE CONFEDERATION

OF CANADA

50 MOTORCYCLE INNOVATIONS

30 MOTORCYCLE MOJO

INTERACTIVE TRAVEL MAP

50 MOTORCYCLE TOUR GUIDE

ATLANTIC CANADA

5 PENTICTON TOURISM

25 RENEDIAN ADVENTURES

66 RIDERS PLUS INSURANCE

69 ROBINSON MOTORCYCLE

65 ROK STRAPS

50 S100 TOTAL CYCLE CLEANER

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69 SHARP RIDER MOTORCYCLE TRAINING

51 SLINGSHOT DEALERS

59 SMART

68 SUZUKI DEALERS

68 T’S CAFÉ

59 TWISTED THROTTLE

51 VICAR’S VIEW

68 WALRIDGE MOTORS

43 YAMAHA CANADA

61 YAMAHA DEALERS

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FEELING A LITTLE RUSTY

6 MOTORCYCLE MOJO MAY 2019