Test Rides Archives - Canada Moto Guide

KTM 890 SMT: Super Moto Touring At Its Finest

Zac Kurylyk — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:06:32 +0000

All photos: Zac Kurylyk Wayyyy back when the 990-series V-twin ruled the roost at KTM, they built something out-of-the-ordinary: A supermoto touring bike. The KTM 990 SMT was a version of the 950 Supermoto upscaled for touring (obviously, it was also closely related to KTM’s 990 Adventure). For about a decade, it seemed like the idea was dead, as KTM focused on ADVs and its Duke lineup, and then…

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Royal Enfield Himalayan 450

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:59:06 +0000

When Royal Enfield introduced the first-generation Himalayan, it was a bold move into a new segment for the Indian manufacturer. The first-gen Himi was popular with many buyers, but very limited in its performance, and it was a learning curve for the company. Royal Enfield performed mid-production updates to fix weaknesses as they appeared, but ultimately, the bike was limited by its chassis and…

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Dual Sport Dynamo: GasGas ES700 Enduro Review

Zac Kurylyk — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 09:25:00 +0000

“A GasGas? What’s that?” asked the guy at the gas station in upstate New York. He was probably at least an hour away from the nearest motorcycle dealer, and there weren’t any racks of magazines in his country store, telling him about the latest developments in the moto industry. He’d thought I rolled in on a Honda, and judging by the colour of the bike, I could understand. “It’s basically a KTM,”…

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Review: 2024 Honda Transalp

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 13:08:21 +0000

Honda’s Transalp is a bike with a lot of history—but most of that history took place outside the borders of Canada. The original Transalp was only imported to North America for a short run at the end of the ’80s, although the rest of the world had it from 1987 through 2012. There was much rejoicing when Honda confirmed the new Transalp model in the fall of 2022, and North Americans were even…

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2023 KTM 390 Adventure: Peak Small Bike?

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 13:01:01 +0000

What kind of bike do you need for touring? When I started riding, one of my dad’s friends said he’d never take anything smaller than a 750 out on the highway. These days, he’d be laughed at; I’ve seen people complaining their 800 wasn’t enough machine for the long haul. But, I’d contend that one of the best touring bikes you can buy is half that size. The KTM 390 Adventure is a very good travel…

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Review: 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800DE

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:07:41 +0000

These days, Suzuki doesn’t have a reputation for innovation. It’s still developing new bikes and engines, but those come rarely. When a new Suzuki does appear on the market, it’s invariably closely based on a previous design. The GSX-S1000GT sport tourer is the perfect example, with an engine that goes back to the mid-2000s. So when Suzuki announced the new V-Strom 800DE in 2022…

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Review: Kawasaki Vulcan S

Zac Kurylyk — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 10:35:34 +0000

Once upon a time, Japan made a lot of cruisers that weren’t V-twins. Through the late 1970s and the early-to-mid 1980s, the Big Four sold a lot of “low rider” bikes with parallel twin engines, inline fours, even triples. But eventually, they mostly shifted to American-style V-twins. There’s been the odd exception to this rule, powered by other engines, and one stands above the rest over the past…

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Review: Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition

Zac Kurylyk — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 05:01:41 +0000

“It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” Thus Ferris Bueller described a rare Ferrari belonging to his pal Cameron’s dad… before he woodsed it. And I’d say the same about the Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition, a bike that I thankfully avoided woodsing, although I’ve just come back from taking this new adventure tourer on the sketchiest ride of my life.

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