You may recall that last season on A Motorcycle Experience, host David Hatch made a side bet with Yamaha “Scooter Sense” host, Bryan Hudgin.
Dave bet Bryan that he couldn’t ride his Yamaha BWS125 scooter from Montreal to Toronto – with stops in Ottawa and Kingston along the way – using only a $25.00 gas card, tent and sleeping bag for the 3-day trek. Well Bryan not only accepted the challenge but he also completed the journey in record time with gas money to spare. Bryan wisely used “Scooter Sense” t-shirts to barter for food and lodging was provided by the great outdoors. He was able to camp out on viewer Bruce Haskin’s lawn on the first night while sneaking into a provincial park for the second!
In the end, Dave lost the bet and was forced to wear a Yamaha motocross jersey for 7 days straight. Dave has nothing against Yamaha off-road apparel, but he certainly did stand out at a good friend’s wedding!
So, as the fall riding season approaches, Dave and Bryan are at it again. Dave wants Bryan to push the envelope and take on another challenge. Will it be a “Northern Lights” ride from Toronto to James Bay? A “Rocky Mountain High” cruise from Vancouver to Calgary? A “Maritime Mayhem” tour of the East Coast?
Neither man can decide. Instead they are throwing the challenge out to the loyal Motorcycle Experience TV audience….putting you in the saddle! Do YOU have a great idea for his challenge? We’d like to hear it. Post it here on the Yamaha motorcycle blog under the “Leave a Comment” section! Perhaps you’d like to invite Bryan and the Motorcycle Experience crew to explore your home town or favourite local back roads? It’s completely up to you. Just remember, Bryan must remain safe while executing the challenge. Beyond that, the sky’s the limit!
Please send us your suggestions by August 15th. Dave and Bryan will weigh the pros and cons of each submission and decide upon a winner – then they‘ll shake hands and it will be game on!
Stay tuned to the Yamaha motorcycle blog at http://motorcycles.yamahablogs.ca for updates on when and where the challenge will take place. Bryan will also be updating to the blog and Yamaha Facebook page as the challenge plays out. Finally, you can watch the tour in it’s entirety on TSN’s A Motorcycle Experience in the spring of 2011.
Don’t delay! Get your submissions in before August 15th! We may choose yours!
I’m guessing for all you scooter folk out there, things are a little slow right now. Between the snow and cold temps, it’s probably not quite as thrilling cruising the streets (or rural roads). I definitely give props to those brave souls who are enjoying the odd “brisk” ride …..
From Meager Scooter Girl to Full-fledged Biker Chick: True Stories of the Hard-Life by Amy “Cowbell” Campbell
Amy Campbell ain’t no tart – she’s a biker chick!
I live approx. an hour and a half north of Toronto, which is definitely on purpose. For those who know me, know I am not a fan of city life. I recently spent 2 days downtown Toronto for training, and was overjoyed each night to return to my little 2-horse town …..
[In the tune of "Bicycle Race" by Queen.] “Dan Pecora wants to ride his motorcycle … he wants to ride his bike…. ” And he wants to ride it a lot! So who is Dan Pecora? He’s your average Joe kinda guy who really, really likes to ride motorcycles, and after reading an email of his where he marveled at some new Yamaha models, I decided to call him up for a few words on the blog….
Everyday, we’re seeing more and more women riding motorcycles, and it’s a beautiful thing. No matter what your gender is, there is no better sense of freedom and expression than hitting the open road, track or trail with your bike, twisting the throttle and feeling all of your cares float away….
While we here at YMCA would love to support every racer with a fresh steed, box full of parts and accessories, and a contingency plan big enough so they can say ”yes, I would like to Biggie Size my combo!” it’s just not in the budget. That said, we do our best to support as many riders as possible, in whatever ways that we can. For today’s blog, we’re spotlighting a “real world rider” and his race last weekend.
Adam Millson, a mild mannered, expert level Yamaha off-road rider sent us in a race report from this past weekend. The humerous part? There was nothing mild about his weekend. The Pontypool, ON native has been on fire ever since receiving his 2009 contract from PR Specialist, Bryan Hudgin, which consisted of a handshake and a lanyard. Maybe next year, “Mills.”
This past weekend, Mills headed north for a CMA Harescramble in Barrie, where he piloted his 2006 YZ250 to the top step of the Expert class podium. As a privateer racer, Mills can barely afford a change of underwear following his three-hour race, let alone a PR guy, so he writes his own race reports instead.
Mills’ (77) grabs the holeshot on his trusty 2006 YZ250.
It was Saturday afternoon and we were headed to the Boyle residence to shoot some wedding pictures for my brother’s wedding. Two hours later, the memory card was full and we were thirsty from all the smiling! So it’s off to the hall for dinner, of course, my speech time was getting closer so I was getting pretty nervous. Fortunately, after building up some courage with some help from friends, the speech went really well. I kept everyone laughing the whole time anyway. I ended up staying much later than planned and was counting down the hours before my race the next day. On my way out, I noticed one of my friend’s had a little too much fun and found a cozy spot to rest on the lawn. I ended up sleeping on Rob and Kristal’s living room floor at around 2:30am. Aw, the life of a blue-collared racer….
Adam’s son, Travis, is ready to line up!
I woke up an hour late and had to walk back to the hall to get the car, drive home and have a shower. At this point I was really glad my parents had babysat for us for the evening. I loaded the bike and off I went, feeling like five hundred thousand bucks! (50%). I arrived at the race just in time for sign in (noon). The track was awesome, just like back in the day. Lined up at the far inside behind “Wojo” and watched him holeshot the Pro class, and then I pulled a famous James Stewart holeshot myself and ran away with the whole show. I felt like being sick on the last two laps but managed to hang on for the win!
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Job well done, Mills! Not everyone can get the Colton Facciotti treatment and we appreciate the effort!!
If you’re a real world Yamaha rider, like Mills, and want to send in some results and pictures of your weekend outings, send them in to danny_brault@yamaha-motor.ca and I’ll try and put them up!
Last week we featured a video tour of the Team Toyota Yamaha OTSFF pits and rig. Today, we’re introducing you to the racers, Kevin Lacombe, Tony Kasper, and Royce McLean. It’s a pretty unique combination we have between these guys.
Lacombe, who finished on the podium in both classes last year, is obviously our flagship rider and is the most capable of taking down the green goblin, Jordan Szoke. Flanking him is Minnesota’s Tony Kasper, an accomplished racer in AMA racing and snocross, and 14-year-old phenom, Royce McLean.
Learn a little more about these racers by watching the video below …
After distracting security guards with shiny things and cute puppies, Bryan Hudgin and I managed to sneak into the pits of Team Toyota Yamaha OTSFF at the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championships in Calabogie, ON. Get a feel for what it’s like to be “factory” by watching the video below …
Along with our road racing team, we’ll also be following Team Toyota/Yamaha/Red Bull/Blackfoot/Fox Racing at some nationals (which kick off this weekend in Kamloops, BC), so stay tuned for some behind the scenes action from those guys as well. And if there is anything specifiic you’d like to see, hear or smell, let us know and we’ll plug it into the script.
Hi, my name is Andre Harris (you can call me Dre’); I’m the Events and Show Coordinator in the marketing department of Yamaha Motor Canada.
I’ll be one of the folks blogging here; often I’ll blog about sport bikes, though I’ll cover anything motorcycle-related (especially if you ask me to!
Now, a bit about my background…
I’ve worked at Yamaha Motor Canada for going on five years. I like my job – the company is full of enthusiasts, and I get to travel and meet like-minded individuals. And I get to sample the latest and greatest of a wide selection equipment – from dirt bikes and sport bikes to large-displacement cruisers, even beginner bikes.
And quite often, I’m testing one-of-a-kind equipment,before it even goes into mass production! Cool, eh?
I’ve been riding since 1974 (I’m NOT telling you my age! I was out of diapers, but not old enough to get a mature rider insurance discount
My first bike, way back when, was virtually unheard of in Canada, but it was all I could afford – brand new for $600! It was a Jawa CZ 175 [JaWa the first two letters of the developer’s name- Janecek – and first two from a competitor’s model Wanderer; the CZ for Czechoslovakia.)
I was asked recently if I have a favourite bike; I don’t think so – really, any bike with an attitude (but not too obnoxious!) The MT-01 torque sport bike, Vmax, and Roadliner all come to mind.
My hobbies? If it’s got a motor and handle bars… I want to ride it!
Why am I blogging? ‘Cause I want to share my passion (obsession?), relay my stories and experience – and generally be part of the never-ending quest for what it is about motorcycling that we true enthusiasts like so much!
Living 17 km from my workplace – Yamaha Motor Canada in the northeast end of Toronto – definitely has its advantages, primarily that I’m able to ride my BW scooter to and from work every day. (They don’t call me BeeWeeMan for nothing!)
Not only does it save me money, scootering is also way more fun than my car to take to work. And with the increasing gas prices of late, I’ve noticed a steady increase of fellow scooter commuters (aka “scoommuters”) on the roads.
For those of you out there who are terrified of car and truck motorists (aka “cage drivers”) – don’t be. I have yet to have any serious problems with cars… Mind you, I play by the rules.
Every once and while I’ll see a fellow scooter rider weaving in and out of traffic, driving in the bicycle lanes, or cutting around cars at stop lights. Please don’t do this!! Not only are you putting yourself at risk, but you’re giving your fellow scoommuters a bad name!
It’s important to remember that scooters only have two wheels with a little bit of metal to hold them together. Most cars wouldn’t think twice about pulling in front of a scooter to prevent it from driving around them.
I don’t know about you, but I like having the use of all of my limbs!
I’d like to hear any experiences, or tips, that other scoommuters might have to help stay safe the cage-drivers world.
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