We hope that the April 2015 issue of Canadian Biker will have you thinking about spring even though many of you may still be seeing ice and snow out the window. We will try to not only get you thinking about spring but give you a few ideas for events and destinations you might want to check out once the riding season is under way. We start with the grand-daddy of spring events – Daytona Bike Week. If you haven’t been or are thinking about heading down we have a primer for you. No, it isn’t all about coleslaw wrestling and sunburns. Do they even do that anymore. Some more research might be in order.
BMW S1000RR
Road tested in this issue of Canadian Biker is the BMW S1000RR. It didn’t seem too long ago that 200 hp was a big number. It still is but in today’s marketplace there are several production bikes that exceed that number quite handily. BMW decided to go a little conservative and call the power output on the S1000RR 199hp. Still plenty enough to get you around the block in a hurry but, with the help of a bike load of electronics, the BMW S1000RR may well be the easiest riding 199 hp bike on the planet. That doesn’t mean you can’t get in trouble but the the bike will provide you as much leeway as its busy little cpu will allow.
The Polaris Slingshot
Down there on the corner of the cover is the Polaris Slingshot. Polaris for a variety of reasons calls the machine a motorcycle – vigorously calls it a motorcycle. We look at the Slingshot from that perspective and a few others. If it is going to have a steering wheel and three wheels and stick its bumper into the motorcycle world it has to expect a little investigation. Our contributor Bertrand Gahel decides to look at the subject from a more spiritual point of view.
Not always in touch with our sensitive side we sometimes have difficulty with that whole spiritual thing so we also take a look at what else has been and may be coming down the pike as a motorcycle – if we are to take the Polaris definition of motorcycle as the guideline. A few of the machines are interesting, a few look like they would be fun to take for a spin but a few are definitely cars with a missing wheel. The odd part about this story is that almost all the three wheeled vehicles mention motorcycles as part of their reason for being.
Judging A Custom Bike Show
Ever wanted to judge a custom bike contest? Decide which outrageous design is the most outrageous? Perhaps your favourite would be a simple and classic take on the custom bike rather than a big wheeled bagger. How about a nice little bobber? In this issue we talk to a custom bike judge to get his take on what makes a winner.
Saddlebags. Hard or soft? What is the best way to go if the bike you bought yourself didn’t come with bags and you have a sudden urge to make a run across the country? We look at that very question and perhaps even come up with an acceptable answer. Who knew that a story about saddlebags could be this interesting!
The Travel Story
Our Canadian Biker touring story is a trip across Canada that didn’t quite make it all the way across Canada. It is just as well that the destination is only a small part of the journey.
Enjoy the April 2015 issue of Canadian Biker and let the riding season arrive sooner than later!
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