Issue #238 2008 Here We Come | Have, Canada, Canadian, Some, Bikes

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Issue #238 2008 Here We Come

Written by John Molony
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
With the start of the season, 2008 looks to be an exciting year for motorcyclists across Canada as new manufacturers are introduced to the country. Some are household names that haven’t yet been brought into Canada, while others are lesser known names looking to broaden their appeal. For those of you attending any of the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council of Canada-sanctioned shows, stop by the Canadian Biker booth and take a look at the OCC Motorcycles production bikes that will be traveling with us throughout the show circuit. It will be the first major viewing of the bikes in Canada and we are very interested in the crowd reaction to these offerings from the first family of custom bikes. OCC Motorcycles and the Teutuls are only the latest of several US custom builders to join the likes of Saxon and American IronHorse in eyeing the Canadian consumer as the custom market in the US has softened and the economy, and American consumers’ wallets, tighten. We have word of a couple more big names that have designs on Canada in the new year but nothing has been confirmed. It seems that the rising Canadian dollar has made some of the high end bikes more feasible to market to Canadians who previously would have balked at the cost based on a 70-cent Canadian dollar. However, often the most difficult part of bringing custom production bikes into Canada is getting the radically styled machines approved by Transport Canada. It is a serious commitment in both time and dollars which illustrates these companies belief that Canada is, or could be, a lucrative market for their products. There are some exciting new models on the way this year. We have already covered the BRP Spyder and whether you love it (some of you apparently do) or hate it (which some of you apparently do as well) it illustrates the diversity that is an integral aspect of the market today. Never before has there been this level of choice for the Canadian motorcyclist. Many of the established OEMs have entirely new models coming into Canada—some of which, such as the Canadian Limited Edition Bandit, are exclusive to Canada and most of them will be displayed at the motorcycle shows. So if you have the opportunity to attend one, they are well worth the price of admission. CB Editor John Campbell has provided a good run down of the 2008 highlight models in this issue of the magazine. There are several that we will be testing in coming issues so, with any luck, we will land on your favourite. Canadian Biker will also be going places in 2008 as travel stories will continue to be a big part of the make-up of the magazine. We are always amazed at the breadth and diversity of Canadians riding their motorcycles around the world. Fortunately many share their stories with us, as few of us will have the opportunity to ride across Mongolia or around Tasmania. However we will have a contributor in Africa in February. Len will be reporting from the road when something catches his eye as he makes his way to points south. At Canadian Biker we have a resolution for the new year: to continue to give the best readers in Canada the best motorcycle magazine. It’s one we are going to keep. We’ll see you in 2008! Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment You must be logged in to a comment. Please register if you do not have an account yet.