Kawazacky

Halloween Horror: Zac’s Yamaha XS650

Zac Kurylyk — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 10:35:03 +0000

Hey CMGers, it’s been a while since this ghastly tale ran on our site, but since it’s Halloween today, we thought you might enjoy this spine-chilling re-run read! Is … is it a zombie story? -gasp- Enjoy! — Editor. Gather close, boils and ghouls! Let me tell you the tale of the Cursed XS650! The Yamaha, a 1984 Heritage Special, came into my possession via a trade, a few months after I started…

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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: GIVI Tanklock Tankbag

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 19 Jul 2024 21:06:47 +0000

I’ve had around a dozen tankbags over the years, of all kinds. Small ones, that can only handle a cellphone and wallet. Big ones, that can handle all the clothes needed for a weekend. But all these tankbags had a problem: They could scratch your tank. When I bought a Suzuki Bandit 1200S a few months back, I decided I wanted to try going with a quick-release tankbag that mounted to the top of the…

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MV’s Back At The Superbike Game

Zac Kurylyk — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 12:52:25 +0000

There’s been a lot going on with MV Agusta lately. Their first adventure bike. Their takeover by KTM. For a while, superbikes took a back seat, with their naked bikes at the forefront as the company retooled, but now that’s changing with the new Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro. The Superveloce 1000 Serie Oro uses the same inline four that powers the Brutale 1000 RR. The new Superveloce is very much a…

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Commentary: Chinese Motorcycles Are Here In Canada To Stay

Zac Kurylyk — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 04:47:12 +0000

Once upon a time there was a very young journalist on the east coast of Canada who submitted a story about his Chinese motorcycle to Canada Moto Guide (back then, it was CMG Online). That bike was a Lifan GY-5, and that journo was me. This happened 15 years ago this year, and ever since that first story, I’ve been watching the fortunes—the rise and fall and rise again—of Chinese motorcycles in…

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Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month And Government Hypocrisy

Zac Kurylyk — Thu, 02 May 2024 13:57:14 +0000

It’s May, and you know what that means—an onslaught of messages from federal and provincial government agencies telling us it’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Thanks for your help, guys, but it’s time to call out the hypocrisy. There’s a growing danger for all motorists on Canadian roads, with motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users particularly imperiled—and the government itself is…

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