no cancer

For my Dad, who said - among countless other words of encouragement - “That’s a great site!”
This post is just for you.

My father hasn't been permitted to drive for the past few years on account of having had brain cancer, leaving him prone to potential seizures. He beat his brain tumor only to be hit with cancer in the central nervous system in his spine. This isn't a sad story. Au contraire, it's my answer to not only what was my greatest motorcycle memory of 2011, but also a day I will remember forever.

Read more: Greatest Motorcycle Memory

T.O. Riders

It’s not easy being a motorcyclist in Toronto, Canada. Here in the Great White North motorcyclists are few and far between. We’re a rare breed still frowned upon as non-sensible, a band of hooligans in the eyes of our coworkers, friends, and family. Our riding season is short and our weather is unfriendly. We have no organized motorcycle races within the city save for the once or twice MX comes to town, and our downtown motorcycle stuntshows have been moved to outside of the city, but one Toronto motorcyclist dares to say: “Baby, it’s all good.”

Read more: Motorcycles in Toronto

Be Seen!

User Submission: Al Wells shares his experience and offers advice on how to avoid road rage and traffic accidents.

Education is sometimes defined as a “planned experience, designed to bring about a change of behaviour.”

We are all teachers! Don't believe me? Check your self-talk the next time that idiot in the cage cuts you off! You will likely find yourself saying “I'll teach that ... .... a lesson” with some added colourful and graphic expletives that would make a sailor proud! Our imaginations then go into overtime to find some creative “plan of action” that will “bring about a change of behaviour” such as a heavy boot finding its way through the driver's side window.

Read more: Motorcycle Safety Tips

Stage 1 Kit

So you want to get a little more power from your Harley-Davidson Sportster, but you're not sure where to start. You've come to the right place. Here's some basic info on Stage 1 tuning your Harley-Davidson Sportster, the pros and cons, and the costs. We'll look at what it means to Stage 1 a motorcycle, what the required components are, how to do it, and what benefits you can expect.

Read more: FAQ: How to Stage 1 Kit a Harley-Davidson Sportster

250R vs. 250R

The 250cc motorcycle market has finally opened up in the Western hemisphere. In North America, where the Ninja seemed to sit at the top of the 250cc sportbike throne all alone, it now faces challenges from both Hyosung, as well as from Honda's new CBR-250R. If you're looking for a 250cc cruiser, the only one available in Canada or the USA we'd recommend is the KYMCO Venox, but if sportbike motorcycles are your thing, here's a comparison of acceleration, speeds, braking and fuel economy:

Read more: Best 250cc Beginner Motorcycle: Honda CBR-250R vs. Kawasaki Ninja 250R vs. Hyosung GT-250

Crash!

Ashley was involved in a motorcycle accident on her CBR-125R back in March, 2011. Someone who was stopped (illegally) in a bicycle lane pulled a U-Turn right in front of her. She hit the brakes and the horn and swerved to try to avoid the car, but the car didn’t yield and blocked her exit and they collided.

Read more: Ashley's Motorcycle Accident

The Dealer

Let's look at how to bargain for a brand new (or even used) motorcycle or scooter from a dealership. We'll start with some general tips and then look at how dealer pricing works.

Read more: Buy a new motorcycle cheaper: Bargaining strategies at the dealership

VENOX

In stock form, the KYMCO Venox has a great top speed for a cruiser. It does over 140 km/hr, but 5th gear is a bit of an overdrive and the bike doesn't have much pull left at that speed. The bike cruisers comfortably at 120 or up to 130, but at those speeds there isn't a lot of power left for passing.

Read more: How To Make Your KYMCO Venox Faster

Part of our on-going How to Buy your First Motorcycle series. We've already looked at motorcycle insurance, the M1 license, including an M1 practice test, now it's time for the M2 test. We'll cover:

• Should I take an M1 exit course (a.k.a. MSF riding school course), or just take the test with the ministry?
   
• Does taking a course for my M1 exit test help me save on motorcycle insurance?
   
• What are the approved ministry of transportation motorcycle courses and which one should I take?

Read more: Get your M2 Intermediate Motorcycle License

Ride safe

Read more: Scooter Safety Tips