Rally Bike Build Part Deux

So how does the rally bike build for next year been shaping up. Well I have the type of bike narrowed down to two. I know initially it was to be the CRF250L, but my friend and Yamaha dealer, Tim Hovey mentioned that I would look even better on kitted out WR250R. Let's face it, it is all about looks.

The good part is, this project which will documented here on the blog, and videoed into a multi-part web series has gotten the green light from the grand poobah of Canadian motorcycle journalism himself, editor-at-large Rob Harris of Canada Moto Guide. So Rob is gonna work his magic on the vendors.

So which bike has the most hop up potential? The WR is pretty well suspended right from the factory, that is the CRF's downfall. That means an all new suspension set up for the CRF. Both require larger gas tanks, bar risers, new bars, hand guards, exhaust, header, FI remapping, tires, maybe wheels, foot-pegs, shift and brake levers, tail tidy kit, bash plate, foldable mirrors, soft luggage, new seat, chain and sprockets, and a good solid GPS mount with small fairing. Am I forgetting anything? Some cosmetic bling to make it look even cooler, of course.

The CRF needs more work, which would be better for web series, but the WR has more power stock. Stay tuned to see what happens next.

Yes folks this is a CRF250L

Yamaha's WR450F version. Turning a WR250R into this would be very cool as well. Compliments of Enduro21.com

YAMAHA WR450F RALLY BY REBEL X SPORTS

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Developed by Rebel X Sport in conjunction with Yamaha Italy this Yamaha WR450F Rally bike can be yours for just 13.490 euro (£10,500, $17,200 approx) excluding tax!

Designed to be ‘a bike dedicated to big adventure and exploration but also ready to race’ the Yamaha WR450F Rally has been built to deliver affordable performance, reliability and simplicity. It’s also possible for those who already own a Yamaha WR450F to buy the Rally Kit separately at a retail price of 5.690 euro vat excl.
Here’s what the Rebel X Sports press release has to say about the Yamaha WR450F Rally…
A new Dakar-ready bike from Yamaha Italy, priced at 13.490 euro (£10,500, $17,200 approx.)
Today we are proud to present the Yamaha WR450F Rally in its final customer version at the incredible retail price of 13.490 euro (vat excl.).
The bike meets the Dakar regulations standards and so this gives the chance to any rider to have a machine ready to race Dakar and any other international rally without having to make any modifications.
Some of the main features of the WR450F Rally are a fuel tank capacity of almost 29 litres distributed in a homogeneous way through the 2 plastic tanks, which deliver autonomy of over 300km on offroad. A special bash plate has been designed with a water reserve, a water pump protector and a big toolbox in order to avoid having to wear a tool bag – favouring the position of the weights lower to the ground. The bike is equipped with full navigation system – an electric road book holder, a trip master and a handlebar command that let’s you adjust both navigational instruments.


The navigation tower is developed with a new innovative patented frame bracket system, which excludes any modification and gives the chance to quickly and easily switch the bike from rally configuration to enduro. The whole tower can be dismounted simply by taking out two bolts. Furthermore the tower is machined from solid, this giving the structure a great resistance to impacts and it comes right away with Iritrack mount, fuse box, speedocap mount, second trip master mount and GPS/Iritrack Antennas support bracket.

The lights are LED with a power of 50 watt each, mounted inside a special plastic shell that removes light glare from the transparent Plexiglas fairing. The fairing is mounted on the tower and front fuel tank with six quick release buckles to make it extremely quick to mount/dismount without the need of any tools.
The exhaust system was developed with a long series of dyno tests in order to achieve a generally better performance both at high and low rpm and predispose the bike for rallies where generally average speed are much higher.


For this reason together with the exhaust ECU has been re-mapped. Due to the higher speeds the brake system needed improvements so a 270mm oversize front wave brake disk is mounted together with a calliper support on which the trip master sensor is inserted.
One other important features comes from the electrical section where under the seat you can find a 14 Ah lithium battery which has a weight of only 700gr and grants enough power to keep all the navigations instruments turned on without fear of the battery running out. The navigation equipment has its own separate circuit going into the battery so if switching to enduro is simple and plug&play.

The WR450F Rally features graphics on the tanks and fairing made out of crystal to ensure maximum protection from scratches. Thanks to a special glue combined with little cuts on the stickers, these eliminate bubble formation from fuel evaporation.




Ultimately people that want upgrades such as cush drive wheels, steering damper, higher seat and so on, there will be a series of options available with which you can customize the bike.
The Yamaha WR450F Rally can be purchased from today through the only exclusive distributor of this model, Rebel X Sports Srl.
For more info contact Yamaha Motor Italy or Rebel X Sports through their website www.rebelxsports.com, or email rebelxsports@gmail.com
Developing the Yamaha WR450F Rally by Rebel X Sports...
At the end of January a new rally prototype bike was presented by Yamaha Motor Italy at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona (Italy). The great consensus and appreciation from the public brought to the decision to develop a customer version to enable anyone to start dreaming about Dakar but also simply about exploring the desert and the unknown.
In May 2014 the Yamaha WR450F Rally made its debut on the race scene, as part of the testing process, at the Italian Baja Championship with the factory supported rider and 2012 Baja World Champion, Manuel Lucchese. The bike immediately made it on the top of the podium with an overall win, which helped also catch the Championship leadership but mostly demonstrating the potential of this model.


The R&D went throughout a 12 months period since the start of the project in October 2013 with a key objective, to produce a rally bike that would be the most affordable on the market but also that would grant reliability and performance.
To achieve this the Italian rider Manuel Lucchese was hired to guide the engineers in the right direction since he has on his back 2 Dakar participations as a privateer and several years racing in the World Cross Country Rallies Championship.
The biggest challenge was to deliver a bike that without the need of upgrades could bring anyone to conquer the Dakar finish and subsequently any other rally without having to worry about the need of having particular mechanical knowledge and last but not least making the Yamaha WR450F Rally come out at an affordable and human price.

- See more at: http://www.enduro21.com/index.php/component/k2/item/2216-yamaha-wr450f-rally-by-rebel-x-sports#sthash.ITNgvMfR.dpuf

What's New in The Dirty World of Two Wheels and the Grand Opening of Motorsport Plus

The cool nip of winter is in the air, and it's the season of the bike show. The major manufacturers have released all the details of the new 2015 models, and most riders cannot wait for spring already. Time for some new wheels.

I was attending the grand opening of Motorsport Plus today in Saint John, which is happening all week, so please drop in for a donut, coffee, buy a new sled, ATV or bike.  If you remember from a previous posting, MSP is the life long dream turned reality for my friend Tim Hovey. So being the nice guy I am, I dropped in to once again congratulate him, and for my own selfish reasons, to look at shiny new bikes, plus they had free coffee and donuts. While I sipped away on that free java, Tim and I discussed the newest, let's get dirty, offerings from Yamaha and Suzuki.

Let's kick it off with the newly designed WR250F, Yamaha's four-stroke enduro bike. So what's been changed from the old one, well the big change is fuel-injection, and from what I can gather ( I am not a real technical guy, more of a get on a go type of fella) the engine is now based around the current generation YZ motocross one, plus there are numerous cosmetic changes and the bike looks really kick-ass now.

Here is what Yamaha has to say:

We've taken our revolutionary YZ four stroke motocross technology and applied it to the enduro world. Rearward slanted engine, reversed cylinder, forward mounted fuel injection and a compact chassis are just some of the key features found on the new WR250F. Delivering light, agile handling on tight trails, the new WR with its excellent reliability record is also a great choice for the experienced recreational rider too.

The new bike is now really the little brother of the WR450R. If only Yamaha had made this street-legal like a KTM EXC,  I would then be in line to get one. My days of trailering bikes to to go ride is over. The good part.....MSRP $8799 CDN Pesos. Imagine if you could get this plated for the road at this price. 

What really surprised me this year was Team Blue's new YZ250FX. At first I thought it was gonna be some kind of stock freestyle MX bike, which would be weird, not sure there is a large market for that, or even a minute market. 

Harescrambles have become quite a popular form of racing in the last few years, and other than the offerings from the Orange side and a few select Euro manufacturers there really isn't a true dedicated HS bike offered by the Japanese....until now. I have to say I did not see this coming, and it's refreshing to see this. Oh and yes folks it comes with both a kickstart and an e-start, all for the low price of $8749.00

The high flying, high paced action of motocross is not for everyone. As a result, the slightly less intense world of cross country / harescramble racing is experiencing solid growth and interest. Yamaha is pleased to announce the YZ250FX, a cross country focused model with the performance potential of the YZ250F. If you are serious about winning, the new YZ250FX could be the machine for you.

Suzuki doesn't have much to announce other than their new Vstrom 650. Well, when I say new, I mean new styling, essentially the bike remains unchanged other than wire wheels, the new beak, and long name.....Suzuki VStrom 650X ABS EXP. The EXP comes with some addition goodies, luggage, crash bars, skid plate, hand guards, etc. Pretty much roll out of the showroom and head around the world on your next adventure. It does come with a price tag of $11,399 though. You can still buy a standard, no frills 650 for $8999.

I was hoping Suzuki would revamp there dual sports. Since they were designed back in the 80's, and they are getting long in the tooth. I don't imagine sales of DRZ's and DR's are very big anymore. Fuel-injection anyone??? Maybe some modern styling. Jeez, not too much to ask for.

I'd also like to see Honda come out with a CRF650L too. 

So why all the dirty bikes, well there may just be a documentary in the works for next year.......trails, dual purpose bikes and a week of dusty, muddy, rocky, sandy travel. That's all I'm divulging yet.

URAL I Want, No AIMExpo for Me and Motosport Plus

Yes, it's that time of the month again, for what bike does Terry want now. Not much has changed, I am still lusting after a Ural. Time for some three-wheeled fun I think.

To me it's the ultimate adventure bike. Two-wheeled drive, go anywhere, year round, kick ass, take your kids, wife, dog(s), and look really cool while doing it, machine. Plus, it's such a basic machine, with 1930's technology, that it's easy to wrench on. Which is important for someone with limited mechanical skills, like myself.

I have read all the horror stories in ADVRider.com on how unreliable they are, however almost every bike on ADVRider has horror stories. I'm surprised anyone buys BMW 1200's for fear of final-drive failure. The true Uralist's rave about them, and yes they do require more routine maintenance than say a Honda, with shorter oil-change and valve check intervals, but that's not the end of the world. I would also like to become more mechanically savvy, so having to work on a bike a little more is something I look forward to. Plus if I really mess up I have a friend who owns a bike shop with real mechanics to bail me out. More on that later.

I am looking at a Ural Patrol, most likely a 2013 model, as they are a little cheaper in price, unless I can come across a well priced 2014. Ural updated the whole line this year, and came out with fuel-injection, triple disc brakes (rear drums on the previous models) and an upgraded steering damper. All the things I would like to have, but the price tag is over $20K with tax. A new 2013 can be had for $17K tax in.

It's a lot of money for a bike designed by BMW in the 1930's, however it's the only one designed to be used with a sidecar, and the only one with two-wheeled drive. I'd also ride it all year round. They go great through the snow. What about the dreaded salt covered roads? I'd have it undercoated, and use liberal amounts of rust inhibitor spray throughout the winter. Plus my garage is not heated.

There's a group of Uralists in Maine and New Hampshire that ride all year with no issue and they deal with road salt all the time.

Anyone interested in 2006 Vstrom 1000 with 26000 miles on it?

I was supposed to be reporting to you from the Orange County Convention Center in sunny Orlando again this year, however work plans changed. 

Last year I was in Orlando for my yearly flight simulator training, and was able to take in the Expo compliments of CMG and their press passes for the show. I was once again sked for training at the same time, and was going to go early and take in the show before it opened to the public, do the real Joe Reporter thing. I was pretty stoked, Ducati and Kawasaki where attending this year too.

About a month ago the boss changed my sked. They needed one of the senior guys for a week long overseas trip, so it was given to yours truly. Nice to be needed. Now a week in Europe is not a bad thing either, but no demo rides or shiny new bikes to lust after for Terry.

Remember that friend of mine with a bike shop? If you are familiar with Saint John, New Brunswick, you'll know that Maclean's Powersport has been a fixture on Rothesay Avenue for a lot of years. It was by no means the best bike shop around. It was a dark, bland, I'd almost say junky kind of spot where the employees were unmotivated. The had a great location and building, but it was lifeless.

Well that's all changed, thanks to new owner Tim Hovey who bought Maclean's and has renamed it Motosport Plus. Tim was with another dealer selling Harley Davidson's for years, and was most recently sales manager for one of the big car dealers in town before making his dream of owning a bike shop a reality. You will not find a nicer guy wanting to sell you the latest recreational toy.

Tim has since hired some new, very experienced staff, and is in the middle of remodelling the shop. The place looks a lot brighter and more organized, and the staff seem stoked about the new changes.

They are currently a dealer for Yamaha, Suzuki, and Arctic Cat, but there are hints of some possible additional brands. Hint, hint, maybe Ural Tim? I'll help you sell them.

Of course their grand opening is next week, while I am overseas. If you are in the area stop in say hi, and checkout what they have to offer. I will be doing a more thorough write-up and interview with Tim later on.

I wish Tim, his family and all the staff the best of luck with Motosport Plus. I'm sure it will become one of Saint John's top recreational motorsports retailers.

New Honda ADV Bike in The Works? A Real ADV Bike?

​I stumbled upon this article from a post on Facebook. If this is indeed true, it will be a very exciting year for ADV riders in 2016. Will it make to showrooms in Canada? Will it make it to showrooms anywhere? Who knows, but if it's as good as the article says it is, Honda will have a real winner on it's hands. We can only hope and pray.

Could we be so lucky to get any of these. Especially a rally inspired bike.

Has Honda Finally Aced The Adventure Bike?

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Wes Siler

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Wes Siler

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• 2016 HONDA AFRICA TWIN
• 2016 HONDA CRF1000L
• HONDA
• AFRICA TWIN
• CRF1000L

5/20/14 1:43pm

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Next year, Honda will take the wraps off its new, large-capacity adventure motorcycle. Will it be any good? To find out, we talked top-secret details with a company insider. 

"The first round of prototype bikes are built and the second iteration are being put together now," our insider tells us. "By the looks of it, it won't be released as a 2015 model."

The bike he's speaking about is, of course, the heavily-rumored new Honda Africa Twin. Apparently, it wears that name "right on the side" and will be called that in the US market too, although it could also wear the CRF1000L moniker. 

That name gives away the capacity, that 1,000cc, liquid-cooled motor will be a parallel-twin, designed to provide good torque and a front wheel-biased weight distribution that's ideal for off-road performance. 

And this thing will go off-road. "It's aimed squarely at the KTM 990 Adventure," says our guy. "Rim sizes are 21-inch (front) and 17-inch (rear). Spoked wheels and no-fucking-around tires as stock."

What our insider was unable to confirm was the rumored weight, said by German magazine Motorrad to be around 200kg or 440lbs (wet). If true, that will give the bike a huge unique selling point. Even mid-capacity ADV bikes now tip the scales north of 500lbs when carrying fuel and the big, 1,200cc touring-oriented ADV bikes can weigh much more; the 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere, for example, weighs 636lbs (wet, with its standard-fit boxes)!

Adventure Tested: 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere ES

Weighing in at 636lbs (wet), the 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere ES is the heaviest adventure motorcycle…Read more

Such a bike would neatly split the difference between most ADV bikes (which aren't terribly good off-road) and the 650cc, single-cylinder dual sports that are very good off-road, but are now left far behind on it. 

That's not to say the Africa Twin will be a spartan dirt bike. "ABS, Traction Control, Supermoto Mode, the works," says our guy, describing its electronic rider aid package. "Supermoto Mode" sounds the most intriguing, likely giving the rider an easy ability to optimize performance between dirt and street riding. 

What Honda seems to be doing here is building a bike that actually lives up to the promise of the ADV class — genuine dirt performance in a package that's still civilized and comfortable on the street. It could be the first bike to manage that that isn't made in Austria. What Honda can offer over KTM is a more affordable price tag, greater long-term quality and reliability and a much, much larger dealer network. Don't under estimate the power of that last advantage, no matter where you live, there's likely a Honda dealer within striking distance. That not only makes the initial purchase easier, but also subsequent servicing and repairs. Those qualities will be a boon to world travelers too. 

"Based on what I've seen, it'll look like a cross between the CRF250L and a Tiger 800," says our guy. "I'll be honest, this Africa Twin is probably the first bike from Honda I'll seriously consider buying."

IndefinitelyWild is a new publication about adventure travel in the outdoors, the vehicles and gear that get us there and the people we meet along the way. Follow us on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram.

Honda CRF250L Fundy Adventure Rally Build

As you all know I have been mulling over a smaller dual-sport bike for awhile. Actually if you read this blog on a daily basis, you'd know I mull over a lot of bikes. However, I do want another dirt bike to replace my long gone XR250R. This time I'd like something street-legal because quite frankly it's pain in the arse to trailer a bike to go ride. Oh, and I hate kickstarting a bike, I'll be 46 years old, too old for that shit.

A couple of weeks ago I came across Patrick Trahan's Facebook page of a CRF250L he's building into a rally bike. It inspired me to do the same thing on a slightly smaller scale. I will not need a fancy roll book holder, and the various other gadgets required for a professional rally, such as Pat's bike below, but it will require some modification, especially in the suspension department.

The rally I am gunning for is obviously the Fundy Adventure Rally. I want to be able to hold the now famous plastic cup above my head, and be proclaimed the winner.

So what does that involve.....well, first I need to acquire a CRF250L. I believe that will be a springtime purchase, since it is now October. Why have an extra bike in the garage over the long winter. Unless of course I can find a cheaper used one and save some money. Kijiji here I come.

Once I have the bike, I'll document what needs to be modified, added, and thrown out in order to turn this meek, mild, under sprung dual-sport into a small reliable Rally/ADV weapon. I use the term weapon loosely, because after all it is a 250. I'm thinking this will be my film project for next year. Bike prep and training for the big Fundy Rally, with a slightly sarcastic, funny edge to it.

I'm thinking something like this, with a good solid GPS mount, and a small tail bag for extras during the rally, and some soft saddlebags like a Giant Loop for multi-day off road excursions. It will also need a larger fuel tank too. 

Update, Editor 'Arris of CMG thinks the rally build is a wonderfully cool idea, enough of a good idea to tuurn it into a CMG/Bigland vid project. I get the bike and CMG is gonna get me the various parts necessary from the vendors. How cool is that?

Gear Review to Help You Stay Warm

I figured this week instead of telling you what new bike I'm lusting after now. No new ones by the way. Still debating on getting a CRF250L to go with the Strom, or going for a BMW Sertao. That's an ongoing debate for later.

Over the past year I have added some new gear to my collection,  Alpinstar Scout waterproof boots, and Oxford heated grips, and most recently a FirstGear heated jacket. Since the cooler weather is upon us, I thought it was fitting to write about those things that keep us warm and extend our riding season.

The Alpinstar Scout boots were a replacement for my 7 year old Joe Rocket Meteor boots. I really like the Meteor, above the ankle length, waterproof and easy to put on, and wear with jeans. However on my trip to Labrador last year the waterproofness (not sure that's a word) went away, especially the left boot.

For Christmas my lovely wife gave me the Scouts, and I have had a chance to put a season of riding on them. Most notably the Fundy Adventure Rally where they were given a good test.

My impressions so far....very comfortable. Easy to walk around in compared to a motocross boot. Great sole, with lots of grip, which is important when pushing a bike around, or helping pull an overturned KLR out of the ditch. The boot is warm, which is a good thing in the northeast, however even on 25C day my feet were never hot. Yes, they are waterproof, I spent enough time in the mud puddles at the rally and have ridden in the rain to work in them. They also have adequate protection for the rigors ADV riding.

The downside, I can't wear them under jeans, and they are not as easy to slip on and off as my previous boot. Not a big deal. I have found that a couple of buckles have become difficult to close. Not sure if they need a slight cleaning and adjustment or not.

Overall, a great, comfortable, warm, waterproof boot, which is perfect for the ADV rider, at a reasonable price. $269.00 from Canada's Motorcycle online store.

Next up Oxford Heated Grips. Heated grips are must have in our neck of the woods, I even use them in summer time for my arthritic hands. Personally I think every bike sold in Canada should come standard with them.

I installed these early in the spring, and really wished I'd had them last year in Labrador. I purchased them through Avicious Cycle in Ontario, and for $89.00, I consider them a bargain. Installation was fairly easy, peel off the old grips, install the new ones. The throttle side required some modification, the ridges on the throttle sleeve need to be filed down to allow the new grip to slide on. I ran the wires under the tank back to the battery. It comes with a fuse, and a battery protector. If you accidentally leave the heat on, they will shut off automatically to prevent battery depletion.

The controller has five settings 30% to 100%. I find I usually run them at 40-50%. I mounted the controller on the left handlebar, allowing me easy access.

They come in a variety of styles, cruiser, sport and adventure. Guess what I got? The grips have a wider diameter than the stock, which I really like. People with small hands may not like that.

For years I have avoided buying heated clothes. I figured I have ridden in some damn cold weather and never needed them, just throw on some extra layers. Well, I have since changed my tune. Keith McKenney, who I met at the FAR rally convinced me. He's a very smart man, Ph.D, works in the field of genetics. He related being warm to a safety issue, and I agree.

I have in the past come home from rides mildly hypothermic. Probably not a good thing. Now that I am running ultra marathons, my body fat content is on the low side, I'm down 20lbs from this time last year, and I am cold a lot of the time. Even on a 20C day I have my rainliner zipped into my Olympia X-Moto jacket to stay warm.

So on the advice of the good Dr. McKinney I purchased a FirstGear 65W heated jacket. I pondered getting the vest only, but now I am glad I paid the extra for the jacket after my first ride. The jacket comes with plugs at the sleeves to add heated gloves, and a y-splitter to add heated pants.

I ordered everything from Canada's Motorcycle online store, I like to keep my money in Canada and the prices are not a whole lot different than the U.S.

The jacket itself is $215.00, and then you have to add a controller, I decided to go with Gerbings single controller $75.99, and a BMW coax power adapter $16.95, to plug it all into my powerlet on the bike.

I went out yesterday morning for a two hour ride, it was 8C when I left, with cool fog hanging in the valleys. I, however was toasty warm, almost too warm at times. It was awesome. I, for the life of me, cannot understand why I never had a heated jacket before. I really don't see a downside to it, other than having to plug and unplug from your bike when getting off and on. The controller has quite a lot of heat adjustment and it is easy to find a comfortable temp. I do need to find a way to mount the controller near my tank bag. Maybe adding a clip to it. I'm hoping Santa brings me heated pants this year.

The only drawback.....which was my fault. I should have ordered a tall size. I wish there was an extra inch of length in the body. I found at times there was a slight draft. But that is no fault of the jacket.

So that's it for this week. Reminder for all of you in the Saint John area, the Freeze Your Nuts Off Ride is coming up on the weekend of November 1st, with a rain/snow date of the 2nd. Stay tuned for more details.

Also work on the Fundy Adventure Rally promo video is well underway, and should be completed within the next week. Hopefully editor 'Arris will be coming down in the next couple of days to give his blessing on what I have done so far.

Beautiful weekend coming up.....get out and ride.

I'm in Love......With a Rugged Italian Beauty

Yes folks I am madly in love, and no it's a large masculine Italian woman. My darling wife.... no it's not another woman, yes, once again it's another week and another bike to lust after for yours truly. It's different this time. Honestly.

Ducati has been teasing us with a new Scrambler for the last few months. I honestly wasn't paying too much attention. I love the Italian breed, but the only Ducati's I would consider would be a Multistrada or Hyperstrada. Both a little to rich for my wallet, and they didn't really stir my soul. I liked them, but didn't really want one.

While surfing the pages of CMG this morning I came across an article unveiling the Scrambler. Well if a picture is worth a thousand words, the picture of the new Scrambler left me speechless. Love at first sight. There was even a Euro/hipster video with cool young people longboarding, kitesurfing, and even windsurfing. One of my longtime passions. I mean this bike just screams Terry Burt.

Sporty/hipster video

If it wasn't 6am in the morning I think I would have called Troy at Atlantic Motoplex and put a deposit on the first one they get. Not many bikes have given me that reaction. It reminds me of when I first saw the new redesigned MINI Cooper in 2002. I had to have one. I rushed out and put a deposit down and waited three months for my car to arrive. I had the fifth MINI Cooper in Halifax at the time.

According to Ducati, there will be four different models, which to me are just cosmetic and price differences.

The Icon will be the first model available in Canada and will retail for $9299, the Full Throttle will be $9995, Urban Enduro and Classic for $10,995. Damn good price for a new Ducati me thinks.

Jamie from MotoGeo can tell you all about the new Duc.

The big question is.........will I buy one? I do love it, but it's just a picture right now, I'd have to throw a leg over it to be sure, although I've always wanted a Ducati, and this one seems perfect. Nice big engine in a simple bike that I can ride on logging and dirt roads, commute to work and then throw on some soft luggage and take off for a week on the backroads. What's not to love.

Now to decide on what model of Scrambler to get and the all important question....what colour?

For more info, pics, etc go to Ducati's Scrambler website http://scramblerducati.com/en