Learn to wrench your own ride

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I love my motorcycle, I love riding my motorcycle, but I also love working on motorcycles. There is an incredible sense of satisfaction you get working on a bike. Wether it’s preforming basic maintenance like an oil change, or installing a new exhaust system or for the more advanced getting that project bike on the running, the knowledge that you did it you self makes the bike more than just a machine, it becomes a part of you   an extension of you.

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Neither Carly or I are in any way, shape or form bike mechanics (find a good one and keep them close!) but we both love to spend time in the garage working on our bikes. Truth be told we prefer upgrading or style changes over maintenance but the end result is the same, when were done the next ride is always sweeter because you look at your bike and think, I did that!

If you’re looking to learn to do your own oil changes or how to handle some basic repairs in case of a break down but have no real experience working on bikes, first you’ll need to upgrade your wrenching skills.

 

The crew Moto Revere DIY Garage in Toronto can help.

Check out the courses they are offering over the off season, from basic maintenance to electrical it’s everything you need to get started taking care of your ride or maybe start that project thats been collecting dust in the garage! details here https://www.motorevere.com/collections/courses

Back down under

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G’Day!

For those of you who don’t know this blog started as more of a travel blog that Carly and I started to document our wedding in Mexico and our 3 month honeymoon traveling around Australia. Well four years on and we’re finally headed back to “Straya!”

Now that our lives pretty much revolve around motorcycles we will be updating the blog with our experiences riding down under, Thanks to my legend of a brother-in-law and his mate Deano we’ve secured bikes for a part of our trip!

We’re both really excited to get back to Australia and see all our family and friends, we’re also taking my (Ewan’s) parents with us, and are stoked to show them around. So stay tuned for updates!

Ewan & Carly

 

New light bar on Carlys V-Star

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I Just have to give a shout out to the fine folks at Blue Collar Bobbers. Due to my front light bar being busted after a run in with a parked car, and no it was not me moving the bike! 😳). I had already been thinking of switching out the signal lights simply for aesthetic reasons (the stock lights on my ’04 VStar are not the most attractive) but the afore mentioned incident forced my hand. After countless hours searching online I settled on the kit from Blue Collar Bobbers.

I bought the Classic front light kit in black nickel. The service I received was absolutely fantastic, from the numerous emails asking questions, the 2 days it took to get to me, and the extremely helpful colour picture instruction booklet that made instillation very easy.

Between the fantastic service, quality parts and maybe the best price out there I will definitely be using them again! 😊

Chat soon,

Carly #WanderingWinters

Biltwell Lane Splitter/Rusty Butcher Helmet

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So I was sitting down to write a post about how much I want to get my hands on Biltwell Inc.’s newest helmet the Lane Splitter, because… well just look at it! Then I revisited their website and saw THIS!

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The Lane Splitter was already cool enough, but Biltwell teamed up with The Rusty Butcher (Mark Atkins) and dropped this limited edition on the world! For those of you who don’t know the Rusty Butcher, you should. Motorcycle racer, moto culture influencer and all around hooligan, oh and he sells cool stuff too. Check it all out here

I was already thinking I wanted this helmet, but this version had made it more of a need.   This helmet is definitely taking its styling cues from the Simpson Bandit line, and screams badass. But priced at a very reasonable $249.00 ($299 for The Rusty Butcher Edition) makes Biltwell’s offering really shine.

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This helmet isn’t just a pretty face, it’s actually got a load of great features especially at this price point. The injection molded ABS outer Shell is hand painted, inner shell is expanded polystyrene and the liner boasts removable quilted open cell foam padding and audio pockets for those running a comm system. Generous chin venting paired up with rear exhaust vents to keep air flowing and a large eye port with an anti-scratch  polycarbonate visor make it easy for you to mad dog the jack wagon on his cell phone beside you. The Lane Splitter also meets DOT & ECE safety standards to keep your insurance company and the fuzz happy.

Now Carly likes to point out that I just got a new helmet, but can you really put a price on safety?? This helmet would make a fine addition to anyones arsenal, and I think rocking this bad boy might finally make me cool enough to make it into on of Darth VTwin’s moto vlogs…maybe.

Do you like this helmet as much as I do? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section, or drop us a line on Facebook or Instagram.

I’ll leave you with a favourite quote from the guys at Biltwell and this money shot of the Rusty Butcher edition Lane Splitter.

#RideMotorcyclesHave Fun

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Win a motorcycle! 

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We just caught wind of another great contest, This one from Yamaha Canada. 

 Yamaha is giving away a brand new SCR950 and all you have to do is sign up!

In case you don’t spend as much time as I do going to dealer shows and reading every possible piece of Moto news, the SCR950 is the latest iteration of the popular Bolt lineup. Last year Yamaha jumped into the scrambler market following the success of scramblers from Ducati and Triumph. 

I haven’t had the chance to ride one of these yet but as an owner of a Yamaha Bolt R-Spec I can tell you this is a very capable motorcycle. 

The SCR950 shares the familiar 942cc air cooled V-twin, which pumps out surprisingly good torque and smooth power through all five gears. A slightly redesigned frame and seat give the SCR a comfortable upright seating position. This coupled with the knobby tires, up-swept exhaust, Moto style handlebars and a vintage style number plate give the SCR950 the vintage look that would impress even the most discerning hipster in Liberty Villiage. 

 Yamaha describes the original Bolt as an “urban performance Bobber” and I would say this holds true to the SCR950 being an urban performance scrambler. Probably more suited to tearing up city streets and two lane highways in search of the newest craft IPA, than navigating single track. Although the raised suspension and knobby tires opens up a world of gravel roads to explore and who doesn’t like the idea of exploring new roads and the ability to slide around corners like a motocross racer! 

 I for one am looking forward to getting my hands on one of these this spring and who doesn’t want a chance to win a motorcycle. 

The winner will be announced live on the Weather Channel May 25th. For full contest details and to enter visit https://www.yamaha-motor.ca/micro/contest/winamotorcycle/ 

Good luck! 

Contest Alert 🚨 

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One of our favourite Moto companies Lords Of Gastown is about to head out on its first Lust 4 Dust Run to Moto Week in Mazatlàn Mexico via Coachella. 

The first leg of the trip is from Vancouver to Vestal Village California where they are having an invite only party at an undisclosed site outside of Palm Desert. 

You and your favourite Moto Homie can win your spot along with a crazy amount of swag from some rad brands like Biltwell Inc., Two Brothers Racing and BMC Motorcycle Co. just to name a few! 

For full contest details head on over to Instagram and check out @Lordsofgastown‘s page. 

Full disclosure we’re hoping that we win but figured we should share there info with everyone #SupportThoseWhoSupportYou 

Good luck 👊 🏍 

Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival 

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Mark your calendars moto folks, Toronto is getting a motorcycle film festival! September 29-30, 2017 the Revue Cinema  which is a cool venue all on its own will play host to another rad Moto event. 
 It’s so great to see the growth of the motorcycle community in Toronto and across Canada in recent years and this event is sure to bring out lots of great people to celebrate the machines we all love. 

The festival is looking to showcase the best narrative and documentary motorcycle films and is open to submissions from anywhere in the world. If you’re a film maker or think your GoPro / Moto Vlog game is on point you can submit your film for inclusion in the festival. Submitions are due by June 30th. 

We can’t wait to see what films are announced as part on the line up and will definitely be checking this event out. Maybe a pre festival ride/meet up is on order?? 

Hope to see you out there

Ewan 

Cleveland CycleWerks to Manufacture Motorcycles in the U.S.

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If you’re not familiar with Cleveland CycleWerks, you should be. Established in 2009 Celevlands founder Steve Colosimo set out to build bikes in the U.S. but after being shut down by multiple manufactures he looked to China to get his bikes built.

The company has done well in overseas markets with a number of models being produced from the 110cc FXx and FXr dirt bike – mountain bike crossover

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to my two favourites the Heist (pictured in the feature image of this post) a super rad little 250cc custom bobber and the retro inspired Misfit.

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The company’s website recently posted a press release  stating that they have started the process of manufacturing motorcycles in the U.S with a currently unnamed partner that “has many years of U.S. manufacturing experience in metal manufacturing and metal fabrication”. Although I can’t confirm this, I have heard from sources that the partner in question is Bruce Belfer who was trying to resurrect Erik Buell Racing. There is also chatter of larger displacement models rolling off the assembly line however there are no dates saying when that will happen . All of this will lead to better dealer support and customer service and I hope that will mean more access to these super cool value brand motorcycles in Canada and the U.S.

I admittedly hadn’t heard of Cleveland CycleWerks until a few years ago. I was in Australia visiting family and was spending my mornings in Brisbane hanging out at Rocker Classic Motorcycles / the Ton Up Cafe. They were just down the street from Carly’s parents place at the time and they had a couple of Heist’s that they’d done some custom work on and I was instantly drawn to these super rad little bobbers despite the selection of super cool cafes and other classic bikes. If you’re in the Brisbane area I highly recommend a visit to Rocker, there are rad bikes, burgers and beer, it really doesn’t get much better!

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Cleveland CycleWerks Heist at Rocker Classic Motorcycles in Brisbane  

We will definitely be keeping our eyes on things at Cleveland, and if you’re looking for affordable and easily customizable bike you should too.

 

Coming up on Wondering Winters 

Brutal Beauty Tour – We were at the Toronto launch of 3 new Triumph Motorcycles

Toronto Motorcycle Show – Feb 17-19

Biltwell Exfil-7 review

 

Curing PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) 

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pms

Canadian winters can be tough on bikers. Months of no riding  and longingly looking at your parked bike can take its toll.

If you’re like me you probably spend the off-season with your head buried in motorcycle mags, online articles, or in a deep hole of YouTube videos dreaming of warmer weather and getting back on the road.

Here are a couple of ways we cope with the PMS and pass the time until we can get back in the saddle.

Motorcycle Shows 

Living in Ontario we see 3 motorcycle shows roll through town each off-season and they are a great opportunity to get out, see old friends, make new ones and find some inspiration for the upcoming riding season. We love checking out all the new bikes and gear as well as just being able to talk bikes with like minded people. There are always new clubs and lots of ride and rally info to get you stoked for the season, not to mention the deals on gear.

For you Ontario riders check out these upcoming shows. Not in Ontario? Most shows in the offseason are a traveling motorcycle circus so hop on the ol google box and find a show near you.

Toronto Motorcycle Show
Motorcycle Spring Show

Work on your bike! 

There’s no better way to pass the time and feel connected to your bike than working on it. Use the off-season to really get to know your ride, whether its basic maintenance or the never ending job of adding to fast and or look cool parts! Even simple tasks like oil changes will help you understand how things work and give you a sense of pride in your machine.  If you’re not sure about tackling projects many cities have co-op or membership style garage spaces offering classes, advice and community to help you learn the basics or take on your first custom build. If you’re in the Toronto area check out https://www.motorevere.com for more info.

Trip Planning 

Carly and I love to spend time pouring over maps and looking for new rallies or rides. Having rides and moto events to look forward to really helps deal with the PMS and it’s a great excuse to get together with riding buddies, cracking a few beers and talking motorcycles. You don’t need to be planning a trip around the world (although we wish we were) we swap ideas on anything from day trips to weekend rides, cool roads we want to check out to long distance trips. Find something to keep your stoke level at 💯. It’s really about inspiration, as we prefer to travel without much of a plan, with motorcycles we find that no matter how cool the destination it’s usually the journey that makes the trip.

Here are a couple of events and rides we’re looking at for 2017. Let us know what you’re planning this year and maybe we’ll see you out there!

The Moto Social
Georgian Bay Run
Freedom Machines Show
The Bad Ride
Hogs For Hospice

Cool Moto link of the week

Here’s a link to check out for some rad motorcycle photography and culture to help with the winter blues #TheMotoFoto