#BmwR1200rt

Another new year has begun, and with it comes a fresh crop of motorcycles to lust after. We’ve already gotten a jump on 2014 products with recent introductions such as MV Agusta’s rapier-like F3 800 and KTM’s beastly 1290 Super Duke R, plus a pair of exciting and capable Kawasaki literbikes, the Z1000 ABS streetfighter and the sporty-touring Ninja 1000 ABS.

I have to admit, when I was asked to cover The Bikers Reunion in New Liskeard for the third year in the row, I had to ask myself “What’s the point?” A hot, sweaty mess in the public campgrounds, into the wilds of Northern Ontario, with gangs of chromed-out Harleys and faux-tough bikers getting even sweatier in “tent city” was not my idea of a good time. And I’d been there twice before. My first year, in 2011, I got there late and hid in my RV with the AC on full blast. I walked around, but was pretty skeptical of the “refugee palace” where locals and bikers alike were “partying” on Canada Day. My second year, I had 24 hours with a photo and video crew to get to the bottom of the event that I’d dismissed the year before (follow this link for that story.) I’d ridden over from Sault Ste. Marie on Highway 64 (one of my favorite roads) with just enough time to sleep, miss the start of the first group ride, eat some deep fried pickles and head back to the Soo.