Wednesday, December 29, 2010

RYCA Motors CS-1 Cafe Racer

So, you want to build a Cafe Racer but don't have experience with custom builds...you had better check out RYCA Motors and their CS-1 Cafe Racer Kit for the Suzuki S40 (Savage). For $3000.00 you can purchase a CS-1 kit and according to RYCA Motors owner Casey Stevenson, all you need are basic mechanical skills and a few tools to do the conversion. Oh ya, you need a Suzuki S40 unless you want RYCA to build one for you...but that wouldn't be any fun!







Not sure this is for me, but it is a cool concept and a most interesting business model.

For further info, visit RYCA Motors Web Site

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Back in Business!

For Christmas, I received the latest copy of Motorcyclist magazine - January 2011 edition. Being the owner of a Buell Motorcycle, one of the articles caught my interest..."Erik Buell is Back in Business. This time, Erik Buell is doing it his way."



As you may recall, I blogged about EBR Racing back in October - Buell Resurrected in Street Mode, so the interview in Motorcyclist magazine is very timely, especially if we are to see something new for Buell enthusiasts. Speaking for myself, I look forward to seeing the day when a new street legal sport bike is available from Erik Buell.

The complete interview: Erik Buell is Back in Business. This time, Erik Buell is doing it his way.

Season's Greetings to all and Happy New Year!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

New Models

A "Secret Santa" in my office got me this 1/18th scale model of a 1952 Harley Davidson "K " Model, very cool! Note the Erik Buell Racing (EBR) Coffee Mug too!



This will go very nice with the 1/12th scale model of my 2009 Buell 1125R that another friend gave to me, can you see it in the lower left hand corner by my monitor?



It's only December and winter is just starting and I am already itching for spring and the 2011 riding season! For those of you who get to ride year round, ride safe and crank the throttle for me a few times.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

And another riding season comes to an end...

November 13th, 2010 and another riding season has come to an end, at least for me it has. Today was an uncharacteristic weather day, especially for the month of November. The temperature reached a high of 14C/57F, the sun was shining and many motorcyclists were getting that last ride in, yours' truly included. I went for a short ride around the city and then a nice ride along the Nashwaak River. Although short, I really appreciated this ride as I knew it would be the last of the season.

Looking back, it has been a great riding season. We had an early start to the season and the weather was the best that it has been in years. The 2010 season saw the sale of the Ninja 250 that I rebuilt for my son and the addition of a 2009 Buell 1125R to my collection!

The season also included an excellent 5 day road trip through the Acadian Coast of New Brunswick, the Gaspé Region of Quebec and on to Quebec City. There were also many day trips and short rides around the local area. And of course, I would be amiss if I did not mention how much fun the 1125R is...I really enjoyed riding around on it this summer. I actually put more miles on the 1125R than on the VStar 1100 Classic!

The VStar and the Ninja 500 were put away for the long winters' nap several weeks back and today the 1125R joined them.





The bikes will be fine over the winter months as the garage has an oil furnace and the temperature is controlled. Over the winter, I have to do a bit of work to do on the Ninja and the VStar, but nothing major. I also have to winterize the 1125R and do a some work to my 4-wheeler (1986 Honda TRX350).



So, with a slight tear in my eye, I put the covers on the bikes knowing that they will be there for me to work on over the winter months and will be calling out to me in the spring.





I have lots of work to do over the winter and despite my complaining at times, I actually enjoy the winter season. I will also spend the winter season living vicariously through my Twitter friends who get to ride year round...you know who you are!

Until my next time, ride safe!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Buell Resurrected in Street Mode?

I recently came across this video teaser on YouTube from RatPak Records and Erik Buell Racing (EBR), it really peaked my interest.



I watched it several times and tried to figure out what the video was about. After some online research and a visit to the Hell for Leather web site, I found out that Erik Buell Racing was going to be releasing a street version of their 1190RR race bike...the EBR1190RS! Being the owner of a 2009 Buell 1125R, you can imagine my excitement upon discovering this news.

Further online research took me to the RatPac Records web site where I discovered that you can purchase EBR1190RS merchandise...and yes, I placed an order during my visit. This was further evidence that Erik Buell would be releasing a street legal motorcycle under the name EBR1190RS.



According to the Hell for Leather web site, Erik Buell's non-competition agreement with Harley Davidson Motorcycles expires in February 2011 and at that time we can expect to see the EBR1190RS. It will more than likely be a limited release motorcycle. I look forward to hearing more about the EBR1190RS.

So, as I sit here wearing my new EBR1190RS t-shirt, I only have one thing to say, welcome back Erik Buell!

Until next time, ride hard and ride safe!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Stanley High Auto Show

Today, a good friend of mine and I attended a car show at local high school. It was a great show and all proceeds from the show will support the Stanley High School Auto Club! The weather was great and the turnout was even better! Check out the short video that I put together. See if you can find my friend's 1964 Ford Galaxie convertible!



One of the highlights for my friend and I was not a car, it was a 1920 6HP McCormick Deering Engine. It was on the back of a Ford Ranger truck. We spoke to the owner and asked if he would give us a demo and he obliged.



What a great way to spend an afternoon, checking out old cars, supporting one of our local schools and spending time with a friend! Best of all, my friend won the 50/50 draw and walked away with $180 in cash!

Until next time, ride safe!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Day 5 - The Ride Home (July 27, 2010)

We really enjoyed our time in Quebec City and as mentioned in my previous blog post, it is a must visit city! Our plan for day 5 was pretty simple, jump on the bikes and ride the 600+km back to Fredericton; 740km for Zal! We made a quick stop for fuel, coffee and a bite to eat and were on our way.

We rode from just outside Quebec City to Rivière-du-Loup before making a stop, approximately 190km. The only excitement, just outside of Rivière-du-Loup, I got stung by hornet just to the side of my right eye! Not fun when you are riding at a speed of 120kmh! We stopped for fuel and said good bye to La Belle Province (English: The Beautiful Province). We continued on Highway 20 and then on to the Trans Canada Highway #2.



The next stop was Grand Falls, NB...fuel & lunch at the Irving Big Stop. After that, we rode to Woodstock, NB for a quick stretch and then it was the last 100km to home.

Overall, this was an excellent 5 day ride! The Acadian Peninsula, the Gaspé Coast and Quebec City were amazing places to ride and visit...the pics and scenery are evidence of that! I would highly recommend these locations as motorcycle destinations. The weather was great...during the 5 days, we rode a total of one hour in the rain!

I also have to mention that Zal and Luc are excellent guys to ride with and I expect that we will be traveling together again!

Finally, to close off this 5 day ride, here are some random shots of the trip courtesy of Zal & Luc!

Luc gets a nice shot of the coastal highway!



Faceyman discovers his rear shock is leaking oil!



Luc has some tire pressure issues!



Zal has no worries!



A view from Zal's FJR 1300...



Stuck in road construction somewhere on the Gaspé Coast...



Zal makes new friends wherever we go!



Taking a picture from the bushes...



Our last stop!



Until next time, keep the right hand cranked and ride safe!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Day 4 - Quebec City (July 26, 2010)

The weather was a bit cloudy as we prepared for day 4 and our early morning journey from Rimouski to Quebec City...about a 315km ride. We only stopped for coffee, fuel and a few pics on the direct ride to Quebec City.



We were very fortunate to have Zal as part of our ride! Zal, used to truck long haul, so he was very familiar with Quebec City..definite bonus! We made a quick stop at a Canadian Tire Store in Levis, QC prior to entering Quebec City ...Zal wanted to purchase a brake lock for his FJR 1300. We found accommodations in Sainte-Foy (a suburb of Quebec City) and unloaded our bikes. We decided that we were going to be tourists for the day; the bikes would stay at the hotel and we would take a taxi to the downtown area...great idea, no worries about parking, traffic, etc.

Old Quebec City dates back 400 years and has a very rich history. The old city is completely fortified and has played an important strategic role in the defense of the city. The architecture has been restored to an immaculate condition and the military history is visible through the fortress walls and the cannons placed to defend the city from attack. Here is one of two entrances to Old Quebec!



We stopped at St. Patrick's Irish Pub for a bite to eat prior to touring the rest of the city.



After lunch, we enjoyed a walk through the streets of Old Quebec. I think the pictures speak for themselves.













After touring the streets of Old Quebec, we moved to the Citadelle of Quebec. The fortress was constructed by the British in 1820 mainly as a source of defense against a possible American invasion. The Americans had tried on two different occasions to invade, 1775 and 1812, each time without success. Today, the Citadelle of Quebec is still active as it is the home of the Royal 22e Régiment of the Canadian Armed Forces...a very distinguished Regiment of the Canadian Military.









After our tour, we met up with Zal's cousin and her partner. We joined them for a very nice evening dinner and then went on an evening walk to the Quebec Parliament and the nightclub district of Quebec City. On the way to meet Zal's cousin, we came across a couple of cool Moto Guzzi's...



An evening view of the Quebec Parliament...



It was getting rather late in the evening, so we bid our good-byes to Zal's cousin and her partner (great people BTW) and caught a cab back to the hotel. What a great day in Quebec City...a must visit if you are in the area!

Next, day 5 and the ride home.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Day 3 - The Gaspé Peninsula - continued (July 25, 2010)

We awoke on day 3 to rain; we knew it was coming from the forecast the evening before. We decided to wait it out for a bit as the forecast for late morning/afternoon looked good. So, it was off to nice morning breakfast and a relaxed time packing our gear...it is so nice when you are not in a big hurray to hit the road.

After breakfast, the rain had slowed and we decided to load up and hit the road.



As soon as we hit highway 132, the skies opened up and the rain started to fall. We stopped for fuel and continued on in the rain; it was a mixture of heavy rain and light rain...it lasted for about 37km. The sky started to clear and I caught the glimpse of a lighthouse off in the distance. We stopped and I said to Luc & Zal, we need to go check out this lighthouse. We arrived at the lighthouse and to my embarrassment, it was only a small model!



The ride over the next 30km consisted of twisted roads through the Appalachian hills. We made another quick stop to take in the view of the wind generating stations located in the hills. As we traveled throughout the day, we must have seen at least a hundred wind generating stations.



The weather began to turn again and the heavy rains started; this turned out to be a scary point in the ride for both Luc and I! One of the hills had fresh pavement and when the rain hit, it became very slippery. Both Luc and I felt the rear ends of our bikes start to slide as we started through the twisties...talk about your heart jumping up into your throat! The rain only lasted for 15km, then much to our liking, the skies cleared and we continued our ride through the hills.



Over the next hour or so, we traveled through several small communities. One thing that always strikes me as I travel through Francophone communities is the significance of the Roman Catholic Church. Virtually every community we traveled through on the Gaspé coast had huge Catholic churches, usually located near the center of the community. Beautiful in architecture, they were stunning to look at at. The church below in the community of Grande-Vallée is just one example of what you can expect to see if you make this trip.



After a quick stop for fuel, we continued on. We eventually found a real lighthouse in the community of Riviere Madeline; we had to stop for a pic so I could recover from my embarrassment of the last lighthouse stop.



The next part of the journey may have been the best; at least for me. It was an 80+ kilometer ride along the coast. The sun was shining, the surf was high and the natural scenery was spectacular. I will let the images do the describing for me.











We stopped in Sainte-Anne-des-Monts for fuel and a bite to eat. At that point in time, we decided that we would ride to Rimouski and stay for the evening. Luc made a quick phone call, booked a room and we hit the road for our last 180km of the day.

We continued along the the coast on highway 132. As the sun started to set, the temperature changed and it became rather cool. We arrived in the City of Rimouski around 8:00pm, checked into our hotel and then stepped out for dinner. At dinner, we had a brief discussion as to where day 4's journey would take us. I asked Luc if he had every been to Quebec City; his response was no. I looked at Zal and he said, "Quebec City it is"! We returned to the hotel, made plans to get up early in the morning and ride to Quebec City.

Total riding time for day 3...approximately 5.5 hours, 400 kilometers. Stay tuned for day 4 - Old Quebec City!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Day 2 - The Gaspé Peninsula (July 24, 2010)

We were quite excited for day 2 and the start of our ride to the Gaspé Peninsula. We were up quite early, loaded bikes and prepped for our journey across the bridge to Quebec.





We stopped at the Pointe-à-la-Croix tourist bureau to pick up some literature regarding the Gaspé Coast. We asked about places to stay and things to see and went on our merry old way. We had planned on stopping at a mountain top monastery, but we missed the exit; we realized this when we were 80km past, so we opted not to go back. At that point we stopped for fuel and a quick bite to eat.

Our next stop was a short distance away in the community of Paspébiac. One of the first things that caught our attention were the custom painted fire hydrants.





Originally, Paspébiac was a fishing community with codfish being the main source for the local economy. We toured a restored fishing museum called The LeBoutillier Warehouse, it was constructed between 1838 and 1855 and used for many years for drying codfish and preparing for shipping.



Below are the barrels that were used to ship dried codfish to different locations around the world. They are called "Hogsheads" and could hold up to 448 pounds of dried codfish. Apparently when they were full, they were easy to move by rolling along the ground.



The buildings at this site were restored to an immaculate condition.



After a quick visit, we hit the road and continued on our journey. The view along the coast was breathtaking and we stopped to take a few pictures such as the ones shown below.







Our next stop was the community of Percé and this was a real treat! Percé is quite a tourist destination due to it's natural geography and the famous Percé Rock; it really is quite a site!





Bonaventure Island is another popular area in Percé; it is a national historic site and is a protected bird sanctuary. 293 different species of migratory birds have been recorded on the island and it also houses a community of Northern Gannets which exceeds 100,000.



The older homes in the community were also quite fascinating to take a look at!





We had lunch in Percé and just enjoyed the afternoon. After lunch, we were not quite sure how much further we were going to ride. We decided that we would ride to the Town of Gaspé and determine our plan of action from there!

The ride between Percé and Gaspé was a blast! We rode through the hills and the twisties were so much fun! The road was a bit rough, but that was okay. Upon arrival in Gaspé we decided that we would stay there for the evening. Luc called a hotel, booked a room and we were off to check in. The room was perfect, it was huge, had three double beds and was located in the downtown core!

Once unpacked, we went for a walk around town and found a great cafe for a late evening dinner! Total riding distance for day 2 - 331km.

Stay tuned for day 3 of the ride!