RidersQuest Magazine is published six times a year. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the editor is prohibited. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information at press time, the publisher, editor, sales special-ist, and contributors assume no liability for any loss or damage caused to any party by errors or omissions resulting from any cause or source.

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Contributing WritersJohn McCleanRick HardingJamie AshbyPatsie MilneAnn-Marie

Publisher/EditorJason Milnejridersquest@gmail.comText: 7057687993

Member of the CMA,Retreads, and theNorthern Old Bastards

What a year.. I first want to thank all of the people that helped me get this far in my ven-ture and in my Quest to find the great motorcycle roads here in Ontario. I have had a number of people come and go in the past few years but these few have stuck with me through the hard times, thanks to John McClean, Rick Harding, Jamie Ashby and Ann-Marie for believing in Rid-ersQuest and doing a great job capturing their own unique take on motorcycling. Thanks to my family for the overwhelming support and sacrifices we have all made to allow me the opertunity to pursue this path, without you this would not be possible at all. A big thank you goes out to all of our subscribers and to the riders that have purchased our “Route Maps”, and to our sponsors, you have been amazing. The year 2012 has been a tough one at times but we are back on track. With health issues, and a big move behind us we are very excited about 2013 and some of the plans and ideas we have roll-ing around.. This winter/spring we will be taking a stock 2013 Kawasaki KLR650 and adding aftermarket accessories to allow John and I to ride through North-ern Quebec on to Labrador and on to the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the routes we have planned for next summer will be:

Exploring the Grey Bruce, a tour through the Kawarthas, a ride through the stunning Ottawa Val-ley and much more. As you have probably noticed we have also gone digital with our online issue of RidersQuest. This allows us to be a very inter-active publication with features like video links to the routes and products we will be testing. In addition, you can click on an advertisement, featured bike or even an event and it will take you right to the website for further in-formation. In the future we will be offering the digital copy, hard copies and even an app so you can read us on your phone(wow technology)...After saying all of that, here is our 2nd digital issue. In this is-sue we take a look back at some of the events we attended, John writes about the 3 days he had to him self for riding, Jamie goes to see the folks at OCC, A favour-ite article from Rick Harding that was previously enjoyed in one of our earlier issues (but it is worth a 2nd look), Ann-Marie talks about her experience learning to ride a motorcycle for the first time and I take a ride to the amazing “Big Chute”. I hope you enjoy this issue and we will see you at the shows this winter. JM

Sometimes it’s not the destination, but the path we follow that gains remem-brance. This was the case when the idea struck me to plan a trip, simply for the trip. Destinations were just longer stops, still important, but not as memorable as get-ting there. This was the true calling of a spontaneous adventure. The miles cov-ered, the route travelled, and the direc-tion taken were what mattered most.Our departure date was August 3rd, 2012. Our route was planned and our stops calculated. With our bikes prepped and packed, we left at 8:30 pm, hoping to hit the US border before midnight. The weather forecast for the east coast called for a clear night with a chance of rain over the weekend, so we wanted to have as much clear weather riding as possible before having to don any raingear. We had three days and three hundred dollars each. Let the adventure begin!Heading to the US border, we decided to go all highway (407 & QEW) in order to save as much time as possible. We had travelled this area of Southern Ontario many times before so we didn’t feel like we were missing anything, especially with the sun going down. After a few pit stops, we hit the border just before 10:30 pm and we were across by 11:00 pm (a new record!)The GPS took us right by the Seneca Ni-agara Casino, so we decided to stop and check it out. To our surprise, there was a large number of bikers already there. We squeezed our sport bikes in with the Har-leys and decided to rest and stretch our legs. After a quick text message home to make sure everyone knew we were still alive and kicking, we were back on our way.I’ll be honest here. New York State at night is not the most ideal place to be when you have no real idea where you are and find yourself relying heavily on a GPS. But fortunately, we didn’t get lost and managed to get back on route. The interstate was dark and contained little traffic, so we were thankful that we took the time to mount deer whistles onto our

bikes. Aside from the many warning signs for deer crossings, the number of dead deer along the side of the road was a strong reminder to keep a watchful eye and to stay alert. We stopped along I-90 a few times and were very pleased to see Tim Horton’s along the way.Our first real stop was in Farmington, NY, about 280 kilometers from home. It was creeping up to 2 am and we were both very tired. Finding a small motel, we decided to turn in and catch a few hours sleep. For the life of me, I have no idea what the place was called, but I am sure it was featured in many low budget horror movies. After our check-in, we pulled around to our room and was once again pleased to see a group of bike al-ready parked, from Ontario as well. The decor was straight out of 1976 but it was clean. I think I just managed to kick my boots off before falling right to sleep.5:30 am came too soon, but with the sun shining, we wanted to get back on that road. I think I used every ounce of hot water this motel had. My hips and knees reminded me of my age as I hobbled to get ready.Back out on Route 17, we found yet an-other Tim Horton’s and stopped for a quick breakfast. Once again, we ran into another biker, a local, but this time we spoke for a bit. We discussed our routes and plans for the day, and then wished each other safe travels. Before we knew it, we were on our way again.

Next stop Orange County Choppers...

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This second article will take you through the ups and downs that I had over the past few months as I venture closer to becoming a confident female motorcycle rider...... I left that first “lesson” feeling really great-ready to ‘conquer the world’ (on 2 wheels that is) So, every chance I got I would take my bike out and practice do-ing starts/stops, signalling, then eventually going a bit further (out of my “teachers” eye site even)..... I was still feeling confi-dent with this purchase and challenge I had started. Eventually, I had enough courage to go past the 60km/h speed I had mastered and decided to venture to some corners and 80km/h!!!! I know, I know...it was a big step—was I ready?? So, off I went to a less driven road that had some corners and that 80km/h road sign... I was nervous, I was excited, I was ready.... I had no problem going through all 6 gears on the bike (and asked myself if it had any more?).. I approached the first corner with a bit of hesitation, reduced my speed slightly, but I got the job done! After the corner, I passed a car and looked that driver right in the eye as if to say “ yeah that’s right I just completed my first corner!!” I continued on my road of choice, adjusting my speed with my level of comfort. Eventually, I had come to the end of the road (a dead end) where I stopped the bike to reflect on what I had just accomplished. With a big pat on my back, I hopped back on the bike, ready for the return trip home.. (about 10 mins round trip for those curious) As the days and weeks went by, I decided this is where I would continue to stay—go-ing 80km/h down a less driven road with a few corners---perfect! Well as with any challenge, I was ready for the next step and to prepare for the M1 exit test... I decided that I should get used to a different road, maybe one with a few more cars on it. So, I chose a road that was also 80km/h but had a bit more traffic to ensure that I would actually do the posted speed limit. Off I go.....destination......10 mins down the road...yes, 20 minutes round trip! ( I was really stepping things up I know...) Well I was right, a much busier stretch of road...I had cars in front of me, behind me, and yes on the other side of the road even...almost seemed like a real motorcycle ride. I was feeling a bit nervous, but confident that I could do this. About half way down the road, I felt something weird, something un-familiar, something that almost made me set

back for home. Nobody had prepared me for this feeling.....WIND!!!! Yes, driving a nice light bike is great for so many reasons, but maybe not so wonderful with the ele-ments nature has in store... Well, I pressed on, I reached my destination (a small store with a big parking lot for me to turn around in). I entered the parking lot with a big grin, because I pushed myself past my comfort zone and I did it well. So onward I figured.......to a real destina-tion , a real “route” so to speak. I confident-ly got on the bike, ready for my first road trip.. I quickly realized the clouds looked ugly, and the wind was less than ‘light”. I pressed on down the road, despite knowing a storm was brewing. Well, I suddenly felt a lot “out of my comfort zone”, with 55km plus winds challenging my light bike and my skill level. Let’s just say, I postponed this trip and sadly it took the “wind” right out of my sails. This is something I had cer-tainly had not banked on with my new bik-ing hobby. This did set me back and I sort of “retired” the thought of motorcycling and fighting the elements for a while (insert big sad face here). Unfortunately, there was a looming date to keep in mind for me....that date was my road test for the M1 exit test!! How was I to complete this test with my deflated self con-fidence? What if it was windy? Raining? Well, off I went back to the original parking lot I had practiced in. I needed to re-new my self-confidence of riding a motorcycle. Taking off, changing gears, walking with my bike, sudden stops and the dreaded py-lons were my challenge. M1 exit test day......Turns out to be an overcast day, with only 4 people in my group. Words probably can’t express how nervous I was prior to the test. Nerves were definitely going to be a factor in this test... In the end, I passed the test, and did much better than I had anticipated! Excitement was now the feeling as I had passed the test, and felt better about my skill level and driv-ing a motorcycle. As with every seasonal hobby, it must come to an end..and so did my motorcycle adventure for now. I am sure that when spring arrives and the motorcycles start to roll out again, I will need to build my con-fidence again. I am also confident that with some further practice, and some hot sum-mer days I will be part of the motorcycle community. So look for me...I will be sure to give you that unspoken look that says “hey good to see that you are out enjoying a ride on a beautiful day too”, with that wave that says “enjoy your adventure”.........

RIDERSQUEST 10

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This route will be of particular interest to all riders who are ‘water worshippers’. It begins in the “Sunshine City” of Orillia also known as the home of the popular Casino Rama. It is located in Simcoe County in South Central Ontario between Lake Couchiching and Lake Sim-coe. Orillia boasts of a large waterfront which attracts many tourists to the area every year as well as a number of annual festivals and other cultural attractions.The history of this region extends back several thousand years. In the “Narrows” a small waterway that connects Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe there is a marine archaeological evidence of fishing by the Huron and Iroquois people. Also the area provides evidence of trading and hunting camps of the Native Americans. The famed French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the area in early 17th century. A monu-ment to him can be found in Couchiching Beach Park and is a National Historic Site of Canada.

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While you are in Orillia you will notice several of the businesses make reference to Mariposa. This is be-cause in Stephen Leacock’s book “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town”, Orillia was used as the basis for the fictional town known as ‘Mariposa”. This novel is based on Leacock’s experiences in Orillia and the Stephen Leacock Museum is located in the city and it too is a National Historic Site.Orillia also boasts of being the first municipality in North America to introduce Daylight Saving Time

and it had the first municipal Hydro Electric transmis-sion plant in North America.Orillia, the Sunshine City maintains a certain ‘small town’ look which is a part of its great appeal for visi-tors. Of course its waterfront parks, Couchiching Beach Park/Centennial Park/ Port of Orillia and its position as a gateway to Lake Country and other natural attractions add to the appeal. The city’s waterfront has an exten-sive lakeshore boardwalk, a large port with two beaches and an outdoor theatre.If you happen to be in Orillia on June 24th, you will be able to enjoy the “Christmas in June”. This is an an-nual event held in the Port of Orillia and includes a boat decorating contest and a turkey buffet. Also a must see is the Mariposa Folk Festival which is a popular event in Orillia.After taking in the sites in Orillia, we head to Cold-water, also known as the “Village on the River”. In Coldwater, you’ll discover wonderful shops that sell everything from handmade gifts and gourmet foods to

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everyday convenience products. A magical time of year in Coldwater is Fall…Autumn…Indian Summer or whatever you prefer. You don’t want to miss the vibrant leaves changing colors, crisp mornings and warm afternoons, not to mention the great Fall Fair and Farmer’s Market.

The text on the Coldwa-ter Mill plaque tells of the history of this com-munity. In 1830 a newly opened road connect-ing the Narrows(Orillia) and Coldwater was the home of a reserve. Cap-tain Anderson and a band of Ojibwa under Chief Aisana settled Coldwa-ter. Unfortunately land hungry settlers influenced the government to move the natives to Rama and Beausoleil Island in 1838-39. The grist mill which was financed with Indian funds has been in opera-tion for over 125 years.

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While in Coldwater enjoy a walk by the river as it beckons you by its gurgle to sit on its banks, rest and enjoy. The people of Coldwater are friendly and it is a great place to grab a coffee or an ice-cream cone or simply enjoy lunch outside on a patio. A saying that originates in Coldwater reads: “There are no strangers, just friends not yet met.” After your time in the “Village on the River”, you will take good memories with you as you continue on Highway 17. We now head to Big Chute known for its Big Chute Marine Railway which is at Lock 44 on the Trent-Severn Waterway.

It is very unique in that it works on an inclined plane to carry boats in individual cradles over a change of height of about 60 feet. It is the only marine railway of its kind in use in North America. Surprisingly not many people are aware of the wonderful winding road leading to Big Cute Marine Railway and yet it is part of the most picturesque rides in south central Ontario. On this route we see Ontario at its finest.

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We pass through stunning views of lakes, islands, thick forests, marshes and rocky formations ending up at the railway boat lift.Another great place to stop for a rest is at the White Falls Rd. (route34).At the end of White Falls Road is the area where you can witness boats being hauled over the hill at Big Chute lift. There are spacious picnic grounds which are available to the general public. This is across from the dam which transforms into a spectacular ravine when emptied. Rest is over and we continue.

Heading west we arrive at Honey Harbour, a busy little port community in the summer months. This region brags of some of the best motorcycle roads around Georgian Bay. As we cruise these great roads we enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the clear blue water.

We ride roads less travelled and stop to discover some of the at-tractions around the bay as well as some of the best scenic vistas. This region has some of the Best beaches on Georgian Bay. We are able to choose from several mo-torcycle friendly accommodations and dine at the end of a wonderful day of riding.

Another must see attraction is Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay. If you are not interested in meeting a rattlesnake you may want to avoid this little excursion. Beausoleil Island is one of the last refuges for the seldom seen East-ern Mississauga rattlesnake. This snake is the only one in Ontario whose venom is potentially dan-gerous. The scenery however is striking. On a sunny day the co-balt waters of Georgian Bay form a beautiful counterpart to the light blue of the sky, the pinkish hue of the Canadian Shield rocks and the deep greens of the famous wind-swept pines of the forest making this an especially striking view of the region’s natural features. The north end of Beausoleil Island con-tains many species and is a major breeding ground for amphibians, turtles, and snakes because of the bedrock and wetland environment.

So concludes our wonderful adventure. How appro-priate to begin enjoying the waters of Orillia and end-

ing on the mighty Georgian Bay.

RIDERSQUEST 18

I was working away down stairs when I thought I heard my name. Okay I’m hearing impaired so I often think I’m hearing things. Laurel my wife usually bangs on the floor above me in the most gentle manner, depending on how much trouble I’m in. Laurel only yells if some-thing is wrong, I did not hear anything hitting the floor no bumps, thumps or outright crashes but I thought I’d check. I no sooner had opened my office door when my name rang out again, even my hearing aid crackled at the sound of my own name being called. I had two hear-ing aids but my daughter’s cat ate one, no kidding. I made it to the bottom of the stairs when in a even louder voice came my name or part of it as she was leaning over the railing in a attempt to direct her voice towards my office. Of course my response was automatic, I’ve been mar-ried almost thirty years. Yes dear, what’s wrong? The words leaving my mouth as my brain said don’t do it, too late. I re-ceived the nonverbal married female au-tomatic response, “THE LOOK” I’m half way up the stairs and the look stopped me dead in my tracks...... here it comes. “I’m having a girls weekend at the trailer this weekend, were going up on Thursday, so you can do what you want this weekend”. My brain went into in-stant overload. This was only the sec-ond weekend I would not be with Laurel since she was involved in a car accident August 2009. Wow... the ideas just kept coming, I’m standing on the stairs hold-ing onto the railing, I can leave Thursday morning, stay at Bob’s or Pat’s in BostonMA Thursday night, Friday night I could be down at Greg’s in Richmond VA, Sat-urday I could ride the north part of the Blue Ridge Parkway, poke along Skyline Drive and spend the night at Marty`s in Meadville PA. I did this a couple of years ago going the other way. Oh, I could do the Lake Superior loop or both sides of Lake Erie, I can`t remember all of the ideas, there were just lots of them bur-ied in my cranium screaming to get out. John... JOHN! Theres that loud voice again, oops not in my head. I must have turned off my hearing aid or something

because I didn`t hear a word from Lau-rel after “you can do what you want this weekend” did you hear me? The dumb look on my face gave me away, busted. The cat needs meds at 8AM and 11PM. Of course my brain responded with a drawn out wwwhat? The cat needs meds two times a day so you need to be home to take care of him. A cat, hum, my head dropped, the cat, that phrase somehow had become stuck in my mind. Every-thing else was disappearing faster than balloons at a ten year old’s birthday party, pop went my plans, I had somehow be-come a victim to a cats evil plan to con-trol my weekend. Okay slipped between my lips while I’m certain my teeth were clenched as I headed back down the stairs to my office. I felt dejected, beat up by acat, I know I could have talked my boss into letting me have a couple of days off, but whom could I get to take care of a cat, give him pills that he does not like to take. My hands have endured many wounds from sticking pills down his throat. I’m doomed to cat sit, yahoo yuk. I went back to work but could not stop my mind from wondering, yes I was working but the back of my mind was elsewhere. I headed back upstairs, I was in need of a tea, something to readjust my mind. Laurel and I usually have a cup together around 3pm so it was time for a break anyway. It’s only Tuesday, my mind kept racing, I’ve got to ride this weekend. I couldn’t even sit to drink my tea so I headed back down to my office, referred to as my hideout to check the ride notices and our calendar of events. I no sooner loaded the internet site up when I’m advised of a meeting Friday after-noon in Gravenhurst. Then later a Thurs-day morning meeting in Peterborough is booked. I think my boss knew I wanted to play hooky. I finished the work day and decided to take a look at the posts. Seems a few groups were going to head to the same location Friday night for a meet and greet. A & W in Mount Forest 618 Main St. North. I put the address in my planner it’s a possibility I could make it. Thursday morning arrived and I loaded the van with bags and food and the ladies carried the important things, the wine.

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Seemed like more wine then food to me but I was not going to stick my head in that noose, nope, leave that one alone. We said the goodbyes and I was re-minded about the cat, yes the cat! The ladies headed north while others would be arriving Friday night, they had eve-rything planned, whom was bring what food for what meal, sleeping arrange-ments and whom was cooking what. I was feeling left out, depressed even, frozen pizza for dinner tonight, yummy. The weather was looking great for rid-ing, heck anything this weekend and I had the “CAT” I know he was just rub-bing it in when he kept coming into my office and stared at me, wanting to be picked up and petted, it had nothing to do with the fact that HE and I were the only ones here. I worked through the day and had my frozen pizza for dinner then watched TV and checked the in-ternet. The posts for rides this weekend were a little on the slim side, most were going to involve staying overnight and that was out. I’ll do a couple of loops Saturday and Sunday on my own. Friday arrived with a flurry of phone calls making me late for leaving for Gravenhurst so a little extra turn with the right hand was in order and the old concours loved it, taking the back roads up to #169 then #11 into town. I had completed our meeting and it was just after 3pm. I pulled out my trusty Ontario map. I could have referred to our Rid-ersQuest Maps If I hadn’t given my last set away at a charity ride, note to self, call Jason for more maps. A GPS can get you there but it can’t give you a really good over view of how you can link up to the twisty roads. I headed south on #11 seeing the north bound traffic was already building. After all it’s a Friday. I jumped off at Sedore Side Road head-ing south, then a right on #19, then a left onto Southwood Road, the road was pretty rough in some places. I did not want to get back on #11 so I took at right at #49 canning Road heading east, going over the river the road changes it’s name to Sparrow Lake Road and turns south, again I avoid getting back onto #11 at Hawkins Corners

by turning right on Cambrian Rd head-ing west. I take a left on Burnside Line passing through New Uhthoff south-bound then a right on Warnminister heading west and through the town it-self. I’ve been having fun it’s been a re-laxing ride through the farm lands and small towns but I actually need to get somewhere. I made a left onto the 10th, 11th or 12th heading south to Regional Road 22 Horseshoe Valley Road and headed west. I’m zooming along with a guy trying to draft off my rear tire in hopes of saving fuel I think, over the 400 and traffic is bumper to bumper. Regional Road ends at #26, a getaway out of Barrie to the cottage country. I make a right and follow it over to #10 Sunnydale Rd and head south. I make a right onto the 9th to see if my brother in law is still home. He’s already gone north so I carry on leaving a message in his mail box. I continue west until I get to #42/#18 Airport Road and head south again. Taking a right on the 20th side road towards Tera Nova westbound. Just west of town the road turns into theRiver Rd, and I smile as it winds its way down to Kilgorie. In town I make a right following the River Rd, and it ends at Horning Mills. I head south on main St #14 on get on #124 south for a couple of minutes before taking a right onto the 17th and it ends at #89. It’s time to pick up the pace so I keep up with the traffic. I was really enjoy-ing the solitude of the back roads and no traffic. Keeping in the right lane I almost missed the group of riders at a hamberger place on the south side of the road. I change lanes and pull in to find these are the guys that posted the ride to mount Forest from Georgina, Cannington and Oshawa. All the bikes fired up and we had a convoy of 30 plus bike’s heading along #89 then north upMain Street in Mount Forest to the A & W. The Saugeen & Maitland (S&M)chapter of the Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers (CMC) were having their nor-mal weekly meet and greet. Luckily a few people gave them the heads up that a few other chapters would stop by. However the little A&W were not

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expecting the crowd that had formed but were elated to see the donation jar for the local hospital filling up. Upon ar-rival everyone was presented with the standard S&M gift, a pair of mini cuffs. Groups from Cambridge to Oshawa had converged on the little town within a few minutes of each other filling the parking lot. I had everyone gather for a group photo with the normal announcement “pictures taken today would be used for our enjoyment and could end up any-where” Amazingly everyone stayed for the picture so here it is, I lost count af-ter 10. A couple of guys from the Cam-bridge chapter asked if I would be inter-ested in a day ride with them. They had planned a group ride out to Port Stanley starting in Cambridge, my mind started to wonder on how this could fit in so I told them If I show up that means I’m in, laughing at my own reply. Since no one was home I might sleep until noon. Now good fun is really fun but it would seem that a couple of riders in the Canning-ton Chapter stepped out of line so they were cuffed and left to fend for them-selves while others enjoyed some food and drinks. They were released when it was time to go and unfortunately the sun was setting all too soon. Groups started to form and head home. The ride home was well typical of a group ride at night, sticking to the main roads and I kept track as riders tapped out since I was tail gunner. We stopped at #9 & #27 for coffee for a regrouping and a num-bers check, groups would be splitting off for Newmarket, Keswick, Uxbridge, leaving me with one other female rider following me on the way back to Can-nington where she tapped out. I arrived home right on time at midnight just in time to take care of the cat. The house is quiet and I glance over at the clock... six am. Why? I can’t be-lieve this, I could have slept until noon. Amazingly the cat is sitting on my bed, wide awake staring at me. Okay I can roll over and try to get back to sleep, like that is going to happen. The com-ments about meeting at Tim Hortons in Cambridge kicked me right up. I hit the shower and cleaned up in record time and headed out the door, I even

remembered to feed and administer the cat his pill. No time to lolly dog, I shot south for #7, did a zig zag through the back roads at Sunderland, over to #23 to Davis Dr. then south on the 404 to the 407. I pulled into the Tim’s around 9am. No other bikers were there, was I late? I went in for a coffee and stood by my bike. Now what ? Thirty sec-onds later a fellow comes in on a HD trike wearing a CMC vest and before he’s parked more show up. Introduc-tions were made and a few from last night were in attendance, but not the guys that invited me. Apparently they were called into work and were to join us later. I remembered we had about 10 bikes in all headed out to Port Dalhou-sie. This was going to be fun I thought to myself as I moved to the back of the group. Before I knew it we were on back roads in an area where I had not been, enjoying the views of the farm lands and the fresh smell of the country air. After a while we pulled into a park-ing lot of a night club for a break. How-ever when we started to mount up a HD refused to come to life. A number of us came up with ideas and checked the spark, grounds all of the normal things one would remember on the side of the road. This HD would not fire and in no time the battery told the true story. A quick call home confirmed her husband was still at work so the trusty CAA card was called into action. Unfortunately it took 2 hours for a flatbed to arrive and load the ailing HD. On the other hand we were able to spend time in an air conditioned bar drinking pop, yup pop and avoiding the blistering sun. The CMC, Canadian Motorcycle Cruisers have a strict rule of no drinking while riding. We proceeded down more back roads and ended up in Port Dalhousie and parking at the Marina parking lot. By this time food was in order so we walked over to the Port Mansion Thea-tre Restaurant and occupied a couple of tables and enjoyed lunch and lots of re-freshments. This is when I was advised of the mandatory merry go round ride. It’s all original and ten cents a ride. A treat provided to everyone by the

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officers of the group. I think it was because we all behaved ourselves on the way over. When the merry go round ride was over we walked along the sidewalks checking out the boats in port giving our lunch time to settle before bringing the bikes back to life. We headed back out of town and were treated to more back roads over look-ing Lake Ontario and passing by the Devils pulpit and then to an ice cream place in Stoney Creek. I have no idea as to how we got to Port Dalhousie or Stoney Creek there were just too many little roads to remember. Stoney Creek is where I said my goodbye’s and found my way over to the QEW and 407 get-ting me home in plenty of time to take care of the cat around 9pm. Sunday morning was a repeat of Sat-urday. I’m convinced that this cat is out to make sure that he gets me up at 6am. I looked out side, the road was still wet from last night’s rain. The skies were full of heavy rain clouds with the odd break here and there. I don’t like head-ing out in rain…. But if it’s not rain-ing when I leave and the rain comes later, well that’s okay. Today’s ride was not going to be a big or even a long ride. The Kawartha lakes Charity Ride would be starting from the River Wood Trailer Park just off of #35 south of Lindsay a mere 20 minutes away. I ar-rived just in time to seek shelter and the skies opened up soaking everything in minutes. This ride is for the families in the area that need assistance so every-one was asked to make a cash donation or bring an unwrapped gift. The event has been running for years and seems to be bigger every year. The parade of motorcycles is led by the local police and OPP through the streets of Lindsay. Then the Kawaratha Charity Riders lead the way on back roads for a cou-ple of hours before heading back to the River Wood Trailer Park. After the ride lots of entertainment was provided by local talent and a number of draws and thank you’s were given to many people whom have devoted years of service to the event, like the host’s Dave and Lynda Chessman whom have been in-volved for over 20 years. Check out the

number of motorcycles in the pictures and compare that to the number of gifts on the tables. The so called ruff and tuff bikers (were a gang if we have more than 2 bikes) have shown without any question that they have very big hearts. This event runs every year to assist Vic-toria’s Shelter and Amy’s Next Step Housing Projects. It is unfortunate that shelters are required but without the shelters many woman and children would have no place to go. I attended 3 separate events and two of them were to assist in communities where we knew someone or no one. Our attendance helped the local econ-omy as we purchased fuel for the bikes and food for ourselves. The fact that we, the bike riding community are able to help others in need while enjoying our hobby is something we should all be proud of.

Thank youJohn McClean

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Bobcaygeon Bikefest! What can I say, its Bobcaygeon and it’s great bikes.. This was the second year for the event and I have a feeling if it continues to grow like it is, it just might be the next Port Dover event. The organizers did a great job this year and from where we were everyone was having a great time.

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Chrome on the Canal! This event is always a nice event to attend. With the Trent Severn Waterway as the back drop and the road narrowed down it is laid out so you can just stroll along and check out the bikes cars and vendors and not miss a thing.. The event is a small one but is worth the ride to check it out.

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Ottawa Valley Motorcycle and Tattoo Show. This event had a lit-tle of everything, from bikes, cars, tattoo’s, stunt riders, paintball, re-mote controlled cars, hand crafted furniture and 4x4 mud runs, we were never bored, Kerry thought of everything. In the evening we had a few local bands that rocked the house and kept the party going all weekend long..

28RIDERSQUEST

Dimple® products use extreme magnetism to rip the metal particles out of your oil and keep them out. All magnets are not created equal - Dimple® magnets are made under contract to ensure that they continue to be the strongest high-temper-ature grade neodymium magnets in the world. These high-temperature neodymium magnets do not lose magnetism like regular neodymium magnets do at only 175 degrees F.

These feature-rich gloves allow users to conven-iently and safely control their Bluetooth enabled smart phone functions such as music and phone calls. Simple touches of the thumb to the appro-priate finger will activate the desired function on the target device. The removable module on the back of the glove can be used with any of the future series of BEARTek gloves. You can also control music and calls without taking your hands away from key safety controls.

HD Active Suspension a new hydraulic sus-pension which can adjust the motorcycle’s ride height to the choice of the rider. This revolutionary design is, by far, the best so-lution to address ride height, comfort & every other concern related to your bike sitting too high for you – bar none!

Motorbike helmets serve one pur-pose - to protect. Reevu have taken this concept further, producing the world’s first motorbike helmets with an integrated rear vision system that helps prevent accidents. A new age in motorcycle helmets has arrived.

4 Full-sized Folded Maps that cover 4 separate regions of On-tario. They’re clear, concise and accurate, and are made to easily fit a tankbag. Each highly-de-tailed map includes points of in-terest and historical sites. In ad-dition to that, the best motorcycle roads are highlighted according to their Twistie and Scenic value.

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What I won’t be providing you with is technical data. I will leave that up to the infi-nitely more capable people that will be covering that aspect. Besides, I couldn’t do the technical side of our industry justice because I really don’t know much about torque, and bore and stroke, and g-force. What I do know though, is people; and it is in that vein that I hope we will be mutually beneficial to each other. My articles to you, your input back. It’s going to be that simple.

Why do we ride? A simple question, but a really complicated answer. Actually, there is not one answer, but thousands of answers because everyone who rides has a reason of their own. Why on earth would anybody in their right mind opt to fly down the road, open, on 700 pounds of motorcycle, suffering the slings and arrows of cold, heat, potholes, rain, traffic, bad drivers, bad roads, cross winds, bugs, and debris, when for roughly the same monthly payment (few of us really own anything) one can enjoy the comfort of a 2011 Whatever, with a comfy seat, windshield wipers, heat, air condi-tioning, great sound, comparable gas mileage (what’s that all about?), and about 3800 pounds of cage around you. It just doesn’t make sense. Hmm... lets think about this.

If you asked me in 1963 my answer would have been that I ride because of the sheer thrill of getting on the back of my buddy’s 1941 Norton 500 Single, hoping to impress camp girls in Minden and Haliburton.

If you asked me in 1965 it would have been the thrill of riding my black 1965 Honda S 65 (that’s right, 65cc), roaring around the side streets of Lindsay trying to keep up with the S 90’s, wearing my puffy yellow ski jacket, green stadium half hel-met with little built-in reflectors on it, and a stiff Donald Duck bill type of visor, and my brother’s Wellingtons. The whole purpose, of course, was to ride through the A&W, scarf down a Teen Burger, and hope that the local girls would ask for a ride, even though I was wearing that green, reflective stadium helmet.

If you asked why I rode in the early 70’s it was the thrill of the first big trip on my 1972 Kawasaki 350 Triple. Twenty-two gas stops (do the math: 24 miles per gallon, 3 gallon tank), and four days of non-stop rain and presto - we are in Miami.

If you asked me in the late 70’s and early 80’s why I rode, it would be the thrill you got when you ventured with your buddies to far parts of Canada and the USA. The GS 750’s and CB 750’s; the KZ’s with a Craig Vetter fairing and bungee cords, and reasonably good clothing made it possible to cover hundreds of miles per day. Always fun. A tight group. A pre-determined destination. These were the days before cell phones so you had to stay informed. No sense in some poor soul being on his own for days. That wouldn’t be fun or fair.

If I was asked in the late 80’s and early 90’s why I rode it would be the thrill of experiencing all those amaz-ing rallies - Sturgis, Laconia, Daytona, Ride for Sight, Hol-lister. Immersing yourself in the Biker culture - the shows, the vendors, the food, the ride out, the ride back, clothing and equipment bordering on really good, helmets that fit and of-fered some protection. And the bikes... WOW! The Wings, the Harleys, the Nomads, those odd looking Beemers, the Sport Bikes. Everything ran well. Even the tires didn’t go flat (too often).

My reason for riding in the mid to late 90’s and the 21st Century? The thrill of of the exotic and international riding. Great desti-nations such as Australia, North Af-rica, South Africa, Mexico, and the Dalton, the Dempster, and all points north of 66 degrees latitude. Cloth-ing that is totally waterproof, won-derful helmets, and state of the art machines. Lodgings that actually are glad that you are there. “Welcome Bikers” signs everywhere (didn’t see those in the earlier years).

So, why do I ride? Why have I kept faithful to this sport (is it a sport?), for the past 49 years?

First, if I analyze it, it wasn’t showing off in front of the girls. It was, and is, the travelling. It didn’t matter if I was ten miles from Minden down a dirt road, or at the Arctic Ocean; the side streets of Lindsay, or crossing the Kalahari in Africa. I was out and on the road.

I have lived in the same home for 47 years, love it dearly, and am happy to be here, but it is the journey that rounds out my life and makes sense of it all. It is the sensation of movement. 900,000 years of genetic coding is hard to cover with 10,000 years of civilization.

Secondly, I gave you a hint all through the article in the form of one word, and that word was “thrill”. Riding is just plain and simply thrilling. Every time I throw my leg over my bike (even though sometimes I have to take a run at it), it is thrilling. I can’t think of any-thing that has consistently provided me with that boost. When I hit the start button (yeah, all my bikes have electric start), and it is idling, and I am standing there doing up my helmet, looking for my other glove, and trying to find my wallet, once I thow my leg over and settle down into the saddle, squeeze my left hand, roll my right wrist, and click down once I just know, good or bad, this is going to be thrilling. Some thrills last forever. That’s the way I see it anyway.

Rick Harding

www.usedhd.ca

www.bensmotorcycles.ca

tirewhisperer@gmail.com

www.acceltechracing.com

readyhondapowersports.com

www.mototecnica.ca

www.readysuzuki.com

www.readyvictory.com

www.hbcycle.com

www.kahunapowersports.com

www.spoiledsports.com

www.asselstines.com

www.tonycycle.com

link to website

www.uralcanada.com

www.longleyhd.com

www.wilnotavern.com

www.ashgroveinn.com

www.justforthehalibut.com

www.caygeonlanes.com