Category: Features

Kudos to the Ride Lake Superior Campaign

You’ve got to give kudos to the Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association for their Ride Lake Superior advertising campaign encouraging motorcyclists to the area. The site features a map section, with multiple circle tours of the area, highlighting accommodations and essential services for motorcyclists – accommodations, food, gas and motorcycle shops.

BC’s New Motorcycle Laws: Diminishing Civil Liberties Rather than Improving Safety

It’s after June 1st, 2012, and that strange nagging feeling you’re getting is the erosion of common sense from motorcycle laws here in BC. A re-emphasis of “The operator of a motorcycle must be seated astride the driver’s seat.” [see: Standing Illegal] comes packed with a $121.00 fine and the potential unconstitutional seizing of your motorcycle.

Death Valley: Core, Not Too Hard (GPX Included)

This spring, thanks to a rainy season, Death Valley became the driest destination in California for motorcycle adventure media; many of whom touted Death Valley as the upper end of intrepid Adventure. Looking at Mic Cumming, a long time street rider with a number of dirt outings countable on an amputee’s hand, we can’t help but think the hardcore context these outlets are giving to Death Valley might be harming the destinations adventure approachability.

BC’s Backroads: Rural Destinations Gain the Edge

One of the key focuses of the wordily titled document Gaining the Edge: A Five-year Strategy for Tourism in British Columbia 2012 – 2016 from the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation is the promotion of BC’s rural areas. At the moment I couldn’t agree more. Taking a new adventure convert out for a spin we’ve found a sand practice area, none of our group of four knew existed. While the new adventurist is seeing BC with an entirely novel sense of freedom, we’ve been reminded just how diverse our province is.

Standing Illegal: BC’s New Motorcycle Safety Laws and Re-emphasized Flaws

Amongst the fanfare of British Columbia Ministry of Justice’s April 30th, 2012 announcing new motorcycling laws requiring DOT, Snell M2005, Snell M2010 or ECE certified helmets are far reaching penalties for being out of the saddle. The release re-emphasizes Motor Vehicle Act Section 55, which sees standing to improve motorcycle control on unpaved surfaces as illegal. Largely rural, a majority of BC’s roads are unpaved and by the letter this law does endanger, if not make outlaws of, responsible dual sport, adventure and supermoto riders.

Blisters, Bruises, and Bliss – An Adventure Rider Does the Desert 100

It’s one of the most massive mass starts any rider could concieve. I’m one of 1000 riders forming a mile-long line of dirtbikes. We’re all waiting for the firing of the start cannon, before sprinting to our bikes and launching across the open desert towards a 25-ft wide choke point in the course. Welcome to an utterly unique motorcycling experience, the Desert 100.

Fifty Years of Kicks: Off-Road Inspiration for a Youthful Later Life

Aging, agism, youthfulness, mortality on the trail, and the soul of off-road riding are heavy themes for a motorcycle documentary to explore in 19 minutes, but 50 Years of Kicks examines these with a deft and graceful touch that highlights the ills in current motorcycle media.

Farewell to a Trail: Cheakamus Canyon

This is a farewell to one of the enduro riding trails where I cut my dirt riding teeth. Conveniently located off Highway 99, the Cheakamus Canyon trail offered excitement, challenge and just a hint of danger. Inevitably, it’s been dumbed down as part of the Sea to Sky Trail, connecting the communities from Squamish to D’Arcy.

This is my KLR – An Adventure Riding Sentiment

YouTuber HalfThrottle has an adventure bike sentiment that we can probably all get behind. Sure the video happens to be about his KLR, but we all have our bikes and if we’re lucky they hold a special place in our hearts and take us on grand adventures.

Returning to a Brand: A Story of 2 BMWs and 1 Jack

I don’t like salesman Jack much; my inner voice has dubbed him Jack, short for “Jackass”. Despite my introduction including I’m a former BMW R1200GS rider, he’s walked me over to a bike that, “would be perfect for me.” It is a KLR 250. A 250. I repeat, a 250. So what’s delivered me into the hands of the sexist now HOLDING THE HANDLEBARS FOR ME? As if I, a girl, couldn’t possibly hold the meagre 250 up by myself.