The Tiger 800 XC and Tiger Explorer 1200 are a direct attack on BMW’s F800GS Siegfried and R1200GS Roy, but the Triumphs are capable of standing on their own merits. That raises another question, which big cat to take home? Contributor Neil Johnston puts the two Tigers to the test to find out.
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Shooting bikes day 2
Another great day at the track, as the Riders Choice lapping day participants enjoyed another hot and sunny day at Mosport. Two days in a row and I’m wiped out, so just one photo for now, but lots to follow tomorrow.
In this shot, 2 dudes attack Mosport’s infamous turn 2 with gusto!
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Something new in The Garage: Bike lapping
Having grown up around race cars, I’ve never really gotten in to the whole motorcycle thing. I’ve ridden a couple of times, but beyond that…nothing. That all changed today, as I spent the day at the track shooting bikes instead of cars. No, I’m not likely to be lubed into leathers any time soon, but I had a great time shooting two wheelers on the track. In fact, the best part of the day was the people. Here in The Garage, we’re always talking about how friendly club racers are and I’ve gotta say that the riders (and their friends & family) were even more approachable than most car racers. It was interesting to find a bunch of folks that I have worked with in the car industry. That rarely happens around the cars. Weird.
The event itself was one of several each year that Riders Choice holds for their customers. It was run pretty much the same as most car lapping days except that the results of a brain fart or exceeding one’s limit are a bit more harsh. I watched one rider put it straight into the tires at the bottom of 2. It was not a pretty sight. Well, once the dust settled and I could actually see. Our friend Jay also took a spill in 2 in an afternoon session. I don’t know if the whole crashing a bike thing is exactly something I want to try!
To all the great folks I met today, the huge gallery after the break is just the beginning. Drop me an email to thegarageguy at rogers.com or leave a comment on this post. Let me know which bike is yours and I’ll get digging through the massive pool of images I shot today to find yours. I’ll be around the track again all day tomorrow if you have any special location shot requests.
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Baja: Tropic of Cancer 1 – Prelude
Neil Johnston and Kevin Miklossy, our motorcycle contributors from OneWheelDrive.Net, got ahold of two Honda Varaderos this spring. Now, in Canada the Varadero is being marketed as an adventure bike, and that requires a suitable destination? How about Mexico’s Baja, because that should be adventurous enough. Big bikes, sand, Mexico; what could possible go wrong?
I Rest My Case
I have seen so many blogs and websites that blatantly brag about street racing and if that isn’t idiotic as it is, trying to tell them how dumb it is is more akin to preaching to the Choir.
Watch Will crash and burn at Thunderhill
This post is a long time coming, as I’ve been fighting with drivers on the new PC and its too much of a pain to slide over to Mamma G’s side of the desk to hear the audio side of videos.
A couple of weeks ago, occasional contributor to The Garage, Will Faules attacked the dirt surrounding Thunderhill Raceway in his first bike race. Fortunately for us, Will had the foresight to use a trick helmet cam which allows us to see him eat the dirt. Twice!
For the highlights, check out this vid.
Dirt Bike Crash Helmet Cam – Watch more free videos
To see a full 10 minutes of Will’s greatness, check out another vid after the break.
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2007 BMW R1200R – Bloody Gouts of Torque
Almost every bike has a one defining element, something that differentiates it in a crowded market place. Occasionally that’s luscious looks, cosseting comfort, prodigious power, outstanding handling (okay, I ran out of alliteration there); with the BMW R1200R you’ve got to dig as deep as your first good pull of the throttle. There it is, what defines an otherwise plain Jane “nakedâ€Â… an engine that gouts torque like a Monty Python skit gouts blood.
1967 Castrol book of Achievements
It’s been a while since we’ve delved into the archives here in The Garage, so for this pre Christmas weekend I thought it might be cool to spin back to 1967 with the Castrol Book of Acheivments. This nice little magazine covers all sorts of motorsports. Rallycross, Formula 1, Grand Prix motorcycles, jet airplanes and even trials testing of boats. Perhaps most notable however are some of the differences in motorsports media from the Sixties to today.