Spring has arrived…finally. It has been a long winter in Ontario, thanks in no small part to Global climate changes, but finally warmer weather has arrived. Only now that we are into April, are we getting temperatures that are consistently warm enough to ride in. Although some riders like myself, have been riding on and off throughout the winter (road conditions permitting) most riders and certainly most bikes don’t fair well in the winter. The cold air and ground temperatures don’t leave for much traction nor do they allow for a comfortable ride, unless the proper gear is worn. Special attention must be given to staying warm, especially when riding at highway speeds when the wind-chill may be cold enough for a rider to get frostbite in just a couple of minutes.

Okay, so enough of the cold talk…it’s Spring now! More and more riders are being spotted on the road as the riding season comes into full swing but what about you? Are you on the road yet? Are you even ready? Well if not, check out your local bike shops so that you can pickup whatever parts, gear, accessories or other goodies that you may still need or want. Most major cities have a Spring motorcycle show of some sort, so that may provide a good chance to pick up what you need at a slightly reduced price.

What about others on the road? Are they ready for us? Many times this winter, I saw the wide-eyed and shocked look on peoples faces as they stared at me in bewilderment when I pulled up along side them at a stop, while the temps were well below freezing. Well, despite the warmer weathers, most cagers are still not used to seeing us on the roads yet. They certainly won’t be thinking about if there is a bike in their blind spot at this point so ensure that you consider that while passing cars on the road.

What about your bike? If your bike has been in storage all winter, you really need to take the time to do a full inspection. Battery, chain, sprockets, fork seals, etc. all need to be checked out before that first ride. Make sure nothing is kinked or leaking and that everything that is supposed to be snug is nice and tight and all the moving bits are well lubricated (dont forget to check your fluid levels).

Personally, this new year of riding will be done on a new bike (in fact I’ve already done over 1200kms so far this year). I will be doing some nice long rides on my (new to me) 2006 BMW F650GS including trips to Mt. Washington, Thunder Bay, Mont Tremblant, and the Adirondack Mountains, not to mention many one and two day trips in and around Southern Ontario. Also, since my bike is a dual sport style, I will also be trying out a little dirt and trail riding.

Whatever you’re riding preference or bike of choice…just get out and ride!

Man what a scary ride last night!

I got caught off guard by last night’s snowstorm. The forecast called for snow “overnight” and I wasn’t going to be more then a couple hours so what the hell right? When I got on the bike, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.

Not quite the case when I was coming home though. I was on the highway when it first started and the road was getting wet and the snow was falling fast but really it wasn’t as bad as some of the rain that I’ve ridden through.

When I needed to leave the highway, I came to the off ramp…all I thought was “OH CRAP!” as I looked at the road ahead and I couldn’t see the ground…it was completely white with that really slippery kind of snow.

I remembered to ignore the front brake (using it is bad) and I tried only the rear and it started locking up. It was so slippery that no matter how lightly I pressed…it locked up anyway.

I double downshifted and used a combination of clutch and throttle to slow the rear wheel without stopping it from turning all together…but from the time I entered the ramp…all the way to the stop light…the back end was drifting out. Not exactly a fun experience. Especially when I can see cars in my mirrors waiting to turn me into a speed bump.

Then the snow really started coming down hard! Eventually I had to leave the main roads and get on the side streets to get home…and those side streets where 10x worse then the ramp was. I had another saucer-eyed moment, when I’m going down a slight hill with a curve and I see a car sideways blocking the road. I damn near wet myself. LOL
I didn’t hit him though…I was lucky and was able to skid around him.

Moral of the story…check the weather every hour if you are thinking of riding and if you get caught off guard…park it.

Shaun

Well usually this time of year, opportunities to ride are few and far between but thankfully we have a couple motorcycle shows to occupy our thoughts and provide a chance to pickup any needed or desired goodies at a reduced cost.

The North American International Motorcycle Supershow was held at the Toronto International Centre near the airport and was absolutely huge. Over 500 hundred vendors were present selling everything possibly related to motorcycles and even some things that weren’t. In fact it was so large that I would suspect that it would take both days to see everything. Anything you need could be found here.

Personally, I was able to pick up a new GPS unit designed for motorcycles, which will be a huge improvement over the handheld unit I was previously using (not to mention far safer), some new riding pants that actually fit properly and will be more versatile for various weather conditions and lastly some proper rain gear that can be worn over top of my riding gear (for half price due to a subtle mismatch in colours). I also bought a communications kit that will allow me to talk to my passengers (I no longer have to guess why they are tapping my shoulder) as well as other riders who may also have a radio kit set up on their bike.

All in all, I’m looking pretty set for some serious touring this summer, once the warmer weather returns.