Motorcycles
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first and (maybe) the only track day of 2026. testing out my new POV cam..
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JC’s custom “Not a Harley”.
As you can tell from the stickers, JC has an affinity for another local club.
(Photos taken at last Thursday’s Club meeting.)
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Friday ride
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A couple of weeks ago was a big bike day at our place. We went and picked up a Vespa in Vancouver for my wife on the Saturday and then went to another island to pick up a bike on Sunday for me. I told my youngest son that if he got his motorcycle learners permit/license, I’d give him one of my bikes when he did. Well, he did it and I kept my word. I was originally thinking of giving him my Harley when I first told him about 5 years ago. The Harley is definitely too much bike for him at this stage and he likes my Suzuki DR 650 better for the style of riding he wants to do. I’ll probably sell my Harley as it doesn’t the love it deserves.
Here are a couple of pictures of my wife when she got it. She used to have her motorcycle license and a bike when we lived in Japan, but it didn’t transfer when we moved to Canada. When we were in Thailand this winter, we rented scooters and she fell in love with riding again. The Vespa is only 50cc and doesn’t require a motorcycle license. It’s a perfect island scooter for her to get around. I’m secretly hoping she’ll want to get a MC license again, but time will tell. So far she is really enjoying riding, owning and taking care of it.
I had been looking at Triumph and BMW for a while and found a great bike and deal at the perfect time. It’s a 2009 BMW F800GS with only 20,000km (now close to 22,000kms). The previous owners had taken meticulous care of it and came with a recent service and all service records. It had a brand new set of Michelin Anakee III road tires that I put about 1,400kms on. Set up like that, it a great road bike that loves to corner. It’s my first BMW and am really impressed with the overall ride quality experience. After riding my DR650 for a few years, it definitely feels like a step up and can see this bike getting a lot of use.
Yesterday I put some knobby tires on it and replaced the chain and sprockets. I’ll probably get some engine guards for it next as I plan on riding it off-road as much as I can. We are fortunate to have some great trails and forest service roads all over Vancouver Island. I’m hoping to ride the North Island 1000 this summer with my son. Today I took my son off roading and had a great time. It was the first time taking the bike in the dirt and it felt at home. It’s a bit bigger and heavier than the DR650, but feels more planted and confidence inspiring. I can still flat foot it at a stop and doesn’t feel too big like some bikes I’ve tried.
Here are a couple of pictures of my son with his bike. As you can tell from the last picture of him, he ate a lot of my dust today
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congrats to your awesome new bike @Denman-John those trips on Vancouver island must be real fun
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@Denman-John thats a perfect bike family.
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@Denman-John I’m smiling
TBH, if I lived anywhere near a city, I would probably buy a Vespas or one of the old Hondas for quick trips and errands.
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@Denman-John So cool. A family that rides together
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A couple legendary Asbury Park bars
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@Denimhead-0
Oh man, that gfy shirt tho; love it -
Goonin'
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@Denimhead-0 Great seeing you tonight. Really cool shots!
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That turquoise station wagon is rad!
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Last weekend I loaded the bike and headed up island to start the Vancouver Island 1000. It’s mostly an off road route and gets to some very beautiful and remote places. I ended up camping across the lake from Zeballos after a great day of riding. Surprised to wake up to almost freezing temps. I’ll chip away at it this summer and hope to have it completed by the end of the season.
