Give thanks for motorcycles, nice weather and great friends

Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving holiday mid-October, a month before the USA. I'm pretty sure our weather has something to do with it. Perhaps I'll Google it later and find out if I'm bored enough to know.
A group of riding friends gathered at Planet Tour headquarters for a night of celebration and copious amounts of food and drink. The following day a ride was planned, 5 bikes and 6 people.

Sunny October sky

Since we had so much food left over, one of the group suggested a Thanksgiving picnic. With turkey bun-wiches, salads and a pumpkin pie we set out. The food packed in cooler bags and stored in the bikes with full luggage. As the sun warmed the day we headed west and south from Calgary. Our destination was Sheep River Falls area.
This year's Thanksgiving weather was nothing short of amazing for this time of year in Alberta.
A crisp fall morning soon gave way to a rapidly warming sun. There was little to be had for a breeze. Fall days like this just put a smile on my face. Our first fuel stop most of us were peeling off layers as the blue sky and sun embraced us.

Thomas the stuffed turkey mascot on a test flight

A short while later we found ourselves on a road I had yet to explore,  Highway 546 just west out of of Turner Valley, AB. The road winds through the foothills before becoming Township road 194A. Traffic was light, almost as light as road maintenance. The pavement became progressively worse, each bike slowing to pick their way through the potholes, broken pavement and several Texas gates with bumpy crossings. There was one dual sport bike which was way in the lead, seemingly unaffected by the rough road. I made a note to look into getting one.
While a group of sport bikes and sport touring bikes are best suited to nice black top, the road was passable by taking it easy, which was fine as it allowed one to take in the scenery. Fall colors greeted us with tones of yellow, orange and in some areas green still. Nature was wearing her fall colors with style.
Our intended destination area was closed due to the earlier floods Alberta had in June. Our dual sport rider had managed to scout ahead and find a spot before the slower sport bikes caught up (I never thought I'd ever write those words LOL). Soon we were hauling all our goodies past families that also had the same picnic idea.
I suppose bikers carrying a pie, veggie platter and bags of turkey on a bun looked harmless as the usual reaction to "bikers" was not there. Maybe it was the fact one rider had brought Thomas, a stuffed turkey toy, for the occasion. Smiles and hellos abounded as we greeted tables on our way to a vacant one. Thomas served duty as our center piece but not before a test flight or 2. 

Despite snow being visible in the shadows of the forest the day was warm and almost springlike. It was one of those "good to be alive" days, something to truly give thanks for. The group went into action, two of them collecting wood for a campfire (for ambiance) and the rest of us getting the feast laid out on the table. It mattered not that we were having some of the same stuff as the night before, the scenery seemed to make the food burst with new flavor and fun.

Thomas enjoying the meal.

With Sheep River babbling near by, the fresh air warmed by the afternoon sun and the camaraderie of good friends. What more could you ask for?

Sheep River

Thanksgiving bikers

Here's hoping you had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Whether you celebrate this holiday or not my advice is when someone comes up with a fun idea on a nice fall day be thankful you were included. To our American friends, I hope your holiday goes well next month.
Cheers,
Daryl, the gang and Thomas

A fun group, thanks for being there Shannon, Brian, Lasia, Carl and Matt

Its the little things that count

Forget Me Not Pond- Alberta

Based on the title and the limits of storage on a motorcycle you'd almost think that this might be another article for packing small. Relax, it's not.

I would like to focus on the little places one can discover, the places not found in  glossy brochures. Little hidden gems tucked away in unique locations that make you wonder why more people do not visit it, then again, maybe its best they don't. These places are my favorite  memories even though sometimes what you find only lasts for awhile and then its gone.
While doing some of my early motorcycle runs last year I took time to stop at "Forget me not pond"  on Highway 66 just southwest of Calgary in Little Elbow Provincial Park
Less than an hour from Canada's 4th largest city, visitors are treated to a pristine pond, often sporting a mirror like surface, surrounded by trees, stunning alpine views and that big, beautiful, blue  sky of Alberta.

If you visit early in the day, before any wind picks up, the pond surface is like glass creating that reflection off the water that makes me conjure up my best Forrest Gump impression: "It was like there were 2 skies Jenny".
The water is clear and inviting but I warn you, diving in may cause "shrinkage". Remember, this is mountain country where water is freshly melted from snow and it's icy cold.
While the pond is accessible to all who drive out and is easily found on maps and in brochures, it still has its hidden treats you have to find on your own.
A short walk past the picnic sites brought me to a clearing near the river. The Elbow River rushes past on its way to tumble over Elbow falls then on to Calgary to help feed the city's water supply.
It was back here, off the paths, where few wander, that gave me a sense of adventurous roaming. This is where I discovered the great picnic table pyramid! The parks department had been storing picnic tables back here and someone had taken the time to stack some into a pyramid.

Great Canadian Picnic Pyramid

All I had, in my haste to get out and ride, was my smart phone to record the moment and I had no assistant. I wish I had my camera, with the timer, with me as I would have loved a picture of me climbing the pyramid. One of just the tables would have to suffice.
A chattering squirrel near by and a raven circling overhead were my only company as I clicked away at this "monument to the picnic gods"...or whatever it was supposed to represent. It just had that "Meanwhile in Canada..." moment written across it.
A few weeks later I was back in the area and wandered back in toward the river. The picnic tables were all gone. No more Canadian pyramid. I could only assume the parks department had hauled them off to their new locations.
Moral of the story: Always take advantage of viewing anything unique or cool while you have the chance .

Apes love open fires

Nothing is permanent. If you have a camera with you record it. Save the memory of cool sites you see. You never know when the moment is gone or if you will even see it again. I mean really, how often does a guy in a gorilla suit crash your bonfire? Better snap that pic just in case.
Enjoy your journey
Daryl

Review of an extinct tank bag.

I do reviews, from time to time, on some of the gear I use on The Planet Tour but this is going to be a different kind of review. Mainly due to the fact that this product is  no longer available for you to buy.
Say what?

Its a tank bag whose only marking is "KG" stamped into the leather flap on the front. I've searched and searched but the KG Tank Bag company, or anything about a KG tank bag no longer exists. I'm not even sure what model it is or where it was made. I did find one on ebay though so they sold a few.
It's the history behind this particular bag as to why I decided to do a product review on it. Call it a posthumous product review
The bag was sponsored in a way.

No longer available KG Tank Bag

I had been using a magnetic bag on my old bike, but my new bike's tank is all plastic so I was in search of a replacement. My good friend and riding buddy, James Moore, (creator of Comedy Monday Night ) loaned me his old tank bag while I was without.
This bag had some history.
It was used by James on his solo trip down the west coast over a quarter century ago when he strapped it to his trusty Yamaha 650 Seca along with a small duffle on the back. He used it from Calgary to San Diego plus many other trips.

The KG on the new K1300S 25 years later

This same bag was used again on the 25th anniversary of that same epic trip in 2009, a trip I was lucky enough to go on. James found it fitting to use the same, old, reliable, tank bag and he strapped it to his shiny new BMW K1300S. It had been stored in his garage for many years. The map pocket window had started to discolor but other than that, everything was functional. Despite the age gap this 80's vintage bag did not look out of place on this sleek new touring missile.
For 27 days we played down the coast on the famed Pacific Coast Highway. The bag worked wonderfully. He could now say that he rode down the coast of California and back twice with the same tank bag on trips separated by a mere 25 years. After all these years it was still serviceable so, when James offered it up for my use I thought,  "Why not?".

At Mile Zero - Alaska Highway

It strapped on easily, to my BMW K1200RS I bought in 2010, with an anchor strap that went around the steering head plus two more that came up from under the seat. It was very easy to attach. I then loaded it up and went across Canada. This well traveled bag was about to get another workout. It faced heavy rain, hot sun, humidity, salt air and a lot of over-stuffing by me.
The map pouch was easy to access, even with gloves and the main compartment had plenty of storage. In addition there were side compartments for those odds and ends you need to keep at the ready.
It was home for my cameras so I was happy the rain cover was still usable. I used this vintage tank bag for over 20,000  kilometers and it worked wonderfully. Maybe that is why KJ is no longer in business, no repeat customers?

Loaded with lots of gear

The bag worked well but only had one design shortcoming; the rain cover, but that goes for all tank bags that use rain covers. Is it that difficult to make a bag that can survive the elements without having to put a heavy duty shower cap on it? While the covers do make the bag waterproof they can come loose at highway speed plus they also require you to stop the bike to put them on. This is not always possible with surprise showers. I then searched for a waterproof tank bag that would suit my needs and came up empty.
Since I couldn't get a KG and was unable to find a fully waterproof tank bag I went one better and made my own tank case.

Waterproof

I purchased a small, used Pelican brand case for my cameras and an aftermarket locking ring system to attach it to my gas cap ring.
Now I have a waterproof, shockproof case that mounts up off the tank with no contact to the paint surface. I am sure its the kind of system KG would have come up with eventually.
Its not quite as roomy as the KG but I believe it will suffice.

The new tank "case"

Thanks again to James Moore of Comedy Monday Night for the use of his classic KG tank bag.

Loaded up

Now, I look forward to testing my new one.

Chill Out man!

Long term review of Oxford Chill Out undergarments

4 years ago Keyport Lock, the Canadian distributor for Chill Out garments, sponsored The Planet Tour with some great gear from Oxford. Probably my favourite, and most used, item has been my Chill Out undergarments.
For cool weather, wet weather and less than mild temperatures they are fantastic at keeping the chill off your body. They breathe so well you almost never feel any body moisture build up.

Made from Chilltex™ they are Waterproof, Windproof yet Breathable. They also contain an insulating  lining, which is soft in touch to the skin and possess a wicking action to remove moisture.
While wearing rain gear, they helped prevent that clammy feeling so many waterproof outer shells create.

The front zips up like a high turtle neck giving great wind protection to the neck area while keeping the chill air from sneaking in under your jacket's collar.
There are extensions on the sleeve, with a thumb hole, to keep drafts from sneaking in past your gloves and chilling your arms.

A lot of my touring has taken me through the Rocky Mountains of Canada and to both coasts in North America where temperatures can fluctuate wildly. The Oxford Chillouts provided great protection, comfort and warmth without a lot of bulk.  I found them comfortable up to 24 Celsius (75 Fahrenheit). You can easily zip open the neck to cool down while riding, if necessary. If the mercury climbed any higher I would switch to a lighter base layer, at least on my torso. For early spring or late fall rides they are invaluable for keeping a rider warm and comfortable which also relates into a safer rider with less fatigue.

 The fabric itself is anti bacterial and rarely became "ripe" smelling even after days of non-stop use. While you can machine wash them I often used a sink or motel bath tub, with a small amount of soap, to give them a quick clean. Hanging them to dry they are usually ready the next day for more use.

Multifunctional

As a touring rider that also camps,  they also served double duty as insulating pajamas on cold nights.  I have also used them as my base layer for many downhill ski trips and winter hiking trips.
Combine an Oxford balclava and you have a makeshift Halloween outfit as shown here in my "Ninja on vacation" costume last year.

After 4 years of hard use and over 120,000 kms of travel they are still in great shape and will be used for at least another season or 2.
If you are looking for a way to extend your riding season/days I highly recommend a set of Chillouts. I believe you will find them as indispensable as I have.
If you live in the Calgary area these are available at Universal Cycle
Happy riding and be safe out there.

Cheers
Daryl Makk

Winter time = Prep time

Winter, its the bane of every motorcycle rider's happiness. During this time I keep my sanity, or what's left of it, in check by doing the following list of 10:
1- Work on my motorcycle.
Bikes are machines and as such they require maintenance. If you have a garage or shop to bring it inside you are one of the luckier ones. I use this time to fix anything that requires my attention as well as doing modifications so the bike is custom tailored to me. Lets face it, there is no such thing as the "perfect motorcycle" but with a few tweaks we can get our ride close.

During this winter I took care of leaky engine seals, spark plugs as well as adding several options to make this year's riding season even more enjoyable. If you are not mechanically inclined take it to a reputable bike shop. In Calgary Universal Cycle is a great choice.
2- Prep for the next riding season. Spend the cold winter months doing research. Magazines, online forums and sites are filled with ride reports. Decide which part of the planet you wish to explore.
For me it is a double task as I have to line up bookings, for my live shows, in the areas I wish to visit.
3- Shop!! Do you require new gear? Winter is a slow time for merchants so there are many deals to be had during the snowy months. Save money and buy the stuff you need before you need it.
If you are shopping for a new ride, again, the best deals to be had are when most people are not riding. There are many motorcycle shows across the country during the winter months and deals are there to be had as well as a chance to shop for a new bike.
4- Repair any gear you are keeping. Just because a zipper or buckle has failed does not mean your garment is finished. Like a bike, some gear requires maintenance. Before you drop big bucks on a new piece of clothing see if it can be repaired. I have had jackets, gloves, boots and pants brought back to full use for a fraction of replacement cost. If you live in my city of Calgary I recommend Conti's Biker shop for repair to leather and textile riding clothing.
5- Watch motorcycle videos to help you get your fix. I have posted several and there are many others like me that have riding videos for you to live vicariously through. Do a Google or Youtube search
6- Hone up on safety rules and skills before the melt.
Nothing dulls your reaction times quite like sitting around for snow to melt. Refresh your memory on riding techniques and how to avoid the ever present inattentive drivers. You don't want your season to end just as it begins. Consider signing up for an early season riding course to re-learn what you may have forgotten. In Calgary I highly recommend Too Cool Motorcycle School.

7- Have a biker get together. Invite your riding friends over to swap stories and plan rides. Nothing heats up winter better than hanging with your riding pals. Allow them to bring friends so you may grow your circle of 2 wheeled pals.
8- Reminisce. Go over photos from last year ( you did take pictures...right?) Think of all the fun you had, remember the things that went wrong that you can now laugh about. You did the trips so why not relive them?
9- Save! Riding takes money and an unexpected break down, even from a flat tire, can end the fun of a trip quickly. Squirrel away some emergency cash and keep it accessible, in case you need it on the road.

10- Stay in shape with another fun activity. Nothing hurts more on your first ride of the season than sore, out of shape muscles. Riding takes some physical stamina so find things that are fun to do during winter. To stay in shape and have fun.

For me, its skiing.  I also like to do archery as it helps with mind relaxation and concentration. Just don't sit in front of the boob tube yearning for summer. It will make you cabin fever crazy!!

Hoping this riding season is your best yet!


Daryl Makk and The Planet Tour

Long Term Test of Tourmaster Epic Jacket

I would like to thank Gamma Sales for sponsoring my touring jacket for The Planet Tour. For the past 2 seasons I have used the Tourmaster Epic series touring jacket as my only riding jacket.

In that time I have put it through 32,000+ kms of extreme conditions that have ranged from +3 Celsius up to +41 Celsius (37 F to 106F).  It has seen snow, rain, wind, dust, sunshine, campfire smoke, food spills and a pile of insects as well as protecting me from 2 bird impacts at highway speed.
Designed as a touring jacket it also had to pull duty as my daily garment in all situations and did so with impressive performance.
Unless I was careless in closing one of the many vents it never leaked even on all day rides in heavy rain.
On hot days, with all the vents open (4 in the front and 3 large ones in the back), it provided great ventilation while riding. Sure, it did get warm in stop and go traffic but as a touring rider that happens so infrequently. Not many jackets will keep you cool when stopped in rush hour although I did find good air flow once moving above 40km .
The shoulder vent openings could be folded over to resemble scoops that effectively rammed air flow into the jacket with such efficiency at times I thought I was wearing a mesh unit. Most vents I was able to open while in motion but to properly close them usually required pulling over.
It never leaked once although water would wick up the inside of the sleeve liner if my glove failed to keep the rain out of the gauntlet and running down my hand. It wasn't unbearable but you could notice it.

All outer pockets lived up to their waterproof claim. While I am on the subject, the waterproof hood hidden in the collar was great for those times one had the foresight to put it on. The hood fit under my helmet with no bulk and did a great job of keeping the rain from rolling down into my jacket as well as making a good wind blocker for the back of the neck.
I did have to replace the velcro on the neck closure tab. Perhaps I open and close that flap more than others or 23,000km was its life span? A quick stitching with some new heavy velcro and it's good as new.
The shell has started to show some UV fading. Nothing extreme but up close its easy to tell the jacket is well traveled but still looks totally functional.

It comes with a zip-in quilted liner for cold weather but I only used that in early spring or late fall as it was not wearable as an off bike jacket so therefore too much extra bulk for most of my touring. Apparently this is only with Canadian models and due to some government meddling of tariffs to protect a garment industry in a certain province (I'll let you figure out which) that does not even make motorcycle gear. To make it a wearable jacket/liner can add almost $150 in tariff costs I've heard. When will politics just die like the parasite of fun it is? To solve this I used a light jacket as a liner when needed and had an off bike jacket for cool weather.

Thumbs up

1. Waterproof shell as claimed yet the jacket was breathable. I never felt clammy on wet days.
2. Built-in kidney belt is great for saving the ol' organs as well as a great draft stopper. Cinching it closed keeps those nasty drafts from finding their way in.
3. Waterproof hood in collar is a great feature. I just wished it came with a reminder to use it
4. Storage compartment along the back is great for keeping much needed items handy. In there I stowed: First Aid kit, tire gauge, Oxford neck comfy, zip ties and a small folding knife and had room left over.
5. Comfortable with great adjustment in arms and waist to custom fit it. The arms had a natural bend perfect for riding.
6. Great ventilation for a full length touring jacket
7. Lots of pockets to store items. This helps keep the tank bag less cluttered.
8. Very good reflective piping for night visibility. Much of the reflective parts are the invisible style that you can't even notice by day (until you take a photo and leave the flash on) but glows nicely when headlights shine on it.
9. Nice styling. The jacket drew compliments from other riders.
10. Great value for the price. I was shocked at how inexpensive the garment was considering how well made and feature packed it was.
11. Zipper attachment for pants with extra zipper lead to sew on any non Tourmaster riding pants you may have.

Thumbs down

1. Velcro on neck tab wore out but was cheap to fix
2. Inner waterproof pocket was only on one side. I put my wallet and registration in there. Behind the pocket was another inside pocket for my smart phone. Together they stacked up and it got quite bulky. I would prefer an extra waterproof inner pocket or move one to the opposite side.
3. Liner was useless as a secondary garment (This is not really the fault of Tourmaster).

To sum it up, I think this is a great touring jacket especially when you consider its low cost. If you are like me and hate fussing with pull-on style rain gear and enjoy well thought out jackets for motorcycling I'd go check out the Tourmaster Epic series. In Calgary you can get them at Universal Cycle, my preferred bike shop.
I can see myself getting another season 20,000km, or more, use out of it still.

I was really there!

I was really there! I can say that about a lot of places now.
I thank my parents daily for one tool for school  they purchased for us kids, which was really more like a gift to me. A big set of encyclopedias. World Book encyclopedias to be exact. Not exactly the kind of thing most kids look for at Christmas or birthdays but I was an information sponge and I loved them. I wanted to know more than what was just around me.
As a young lad and into my teens I would just grab a volume then flip through until I found something of interest and then read, repeat. I went through everyone of them. It was my version of the internet only better. There were no distractions like Facebook, Twitter, how to buy Viagra, earn a "college" degree online, how to make money (not really) on the internet, spam and the myriad of other useless distractions. It was just me and my books of information which I would explore, seeing the world through words and pictures, vowing to do some exploring of it in person. I'd say all of it but I am a bit of a realist and realize seeing everything was impossible.

Through these books I explored earth and space, or at least as much as was recorded in those volumes. I was intrigued with places to see. Some attainable only through those pages, or so I thought. I recall seeing a picture of the giant redwoods in northern California. Star Wars - Return of the Jedi shared them with me on the big screen only Hollywood called them a forest on the moon of Endor. Both the still images and  movie of these magnificent trees had me enthralled. In the encyclopedia was one tree in particular, one with a road through it. A plant so large that a hole large enough for a car to pass yet the tree was still alive? Our many family vacations took me to interesting places but never the redwoods and this drive thru tree.

It was on my list of things to see but over the years plans changed, life got busy and the tree was pushed into the recesses of my mind. Having seen news of forest fires and driven through smoke filled valleys I half convinced myself it probably didn't exist anymore. That picture was from a long time ago...in my lifespan, but memory can be selective, especially when presented with data that is hard to digest. Given my prairie upbringing, rain forest was just a term and it never really sank in that this tree, this giant redwood, was approximately 2400 years old. My life span was like a day in this tree's life.

Moving from my youth, past young adult hood I still never found the time to visit these giants, or more correctly nothing or nobody had lit the fire under my arse until my friend James,  just a few years ago. He had told me of these roads that started in the redwoods and then followed the coast. He was speaking of Highway 1, The Pacific Coast Highway. He went on about the curves, one after the other until you were convinced the road had been built by a sport motorcycle rider. When you emerged from the redwood forest suddenly wham! You were staring at the Pacific Ocean.
He had me at redwoods but the corners were enticing too.

James was planning a 25th year anniversary of his epic motorcycle trip down the coast. One he had done solo as every other riding buddy had found a lame excuse to jam out. (I did not know James then or I would have gone).
 "Would you like to go on my 25th anniversary of this trip? It will be the entire month of June."
If I had not been halfway through getting my breathing started again my response would have been a millisecond faster- "YES!"
Finally the day arrived and we were off. Up towards Whistler BC so we could then ride all the continuous paved road down the coast. Our final goal was San Diego. It took us 4 days from Whistler to get through Washington State and the scenic Oregon Coast before California appeared. The corners had been plentiful and fun but James said, "Just wait."
Huh? I had ridden what I thought was paradise and this was not impressing him? What lay ahead?
Following the 101 we saw fantastic ocean views, some fun corners but we left that where the 1 begins, in Leggett. That is where the tree is, Chandelier Tree. The one from my beloved World Book. It was still alive. I couldn't believe it and they only wanted $3.00 to go through it. My first major motorcycle trip and I got to see my tree I've been thinking of on and off all these years.
I was finally here! The last of 3 like it, with roads through. Once they die or burn down they will make no more due to new legislation protecting them. Riding through a forest of them still feels like a dream-like memory.  It was that moment it really clicked. I needed to get out and see all that I had seen in my encyclopedias and beyond those volumes I had read, all the places I had read about in magazines or heard from travellers. See it before this stuff is gone, or I am.
It is that desire that drives The Planet Tour, and I want to see as close to all of it as I can on 2 wheels. Once you find these gems you can proudly say "I can't believe I was really there! Holy shit I was!" I want to say that about a lot of places.