Canadian Biker - May 2011
The April 2011 issue of Canadian Biker, Canada’s most diverse motorcycle magazine, is now on news stands and mailed to our subscribers.
On the cover is the new Triumph Tiger 800XC, being steered down an Arizona desert trail by test rider Bertrand Gahel. The 800XC (don’t call it the little Tiger), is a serious leap forward in the adventure touring category for the English company. There have been various versions of the “big” Tiger, but none as committed to the segment as the new XC. Aimed squarely, and certainly stylistically, at the BMW GS800, time will tell how this offering stacks up to the competition.
This month, ‘Robert Smith’s Vintage Hall’ features a Triumph Bonneville and BSA Lightning dating from 1970 and 1966 respectively. Nice!
Ever had the urge to run out to the garage, grab a few rattle cans and give the bike a new paint job? Certainly, given the current widespread though inexplicable taste for matte paint, it’s almost possible to get a factory finish with a couple of cans of Rustoleum from your local Canadian Tire. But what if you want to venture into the world of gloss and clearcoat? Then, a few tips might be useful. Find them this issue in the feature “Talking Paint,” written by CB tech advisor Rich Burgess. Ghost flames might be out of reach but a nice finish is certainly within grasp.
The Ultra Classic Electra Glide Limited with the 103 engine gets the Stage II kit. Intake, cam shafts, mufflers, revised fuel injection mapping result in more ponies. In the words of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor: “more power!” Is there anything wrong with that (aside from that empty feeling in your wallet)? Read “Love Unlimited” to hear about one rider’s experience installing the kit.
“Breaking Winter” tells how some motorcyclists survive winter in Saskatchewan. The story is an echo of last month’s “Cold Play” in which we met Paul Heglund, who rides every month of the year regardless of conditions. But “Breaking Winter” is more about staying sane, if not amused, through the dog days of a prairie winter.
Finally, the travel feature “Bella Coola 3D” is about a multi-generational ride to a remote BC coastal mountain town. All three generations, son, father, grandfather offer their perspective of the trip. The bikes: a 1994 BMW R1000, 2007 Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and a modified SV650. For those of you who might get squeamish, a chipmunk is eaten in this story.
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