Who needs a garage?

So last summer I decided to ride my bike from Vancouver to Toronto and back...

I can't say it was the easiest thing I've ever done, or the hardest, but I can say it taught me a lot about myself. I am currently writing a short book about my trip, experiences on the road, and the incredible people I met a long the way. When it's all finished (assuming I do finish it), it will be titled 'The Great North: On Two Wheels', and I will likely be hand making these books in the style of a 'Zine', or commissioning someone rad to do them for me.

Anyways, my bike got it pretty good on the way back from Toronto. My sissy bar snapped just outside of Calgary, causing myself, my packs, and my seat to collapse onto my rear wheel at 120 km/hr. I managed to keep the shiny side up, and I walked away from the accident in one piece. It was scary, and I don't ever want to experience it again, though it will likely happen at some point.

I dabbled with the idea of getting the bike fixed in Calgary, but with barely any funds left, just a 1,000km roughly from home, I wasn't able to afford to fix the bike. Since I have returned from my trip, it's been a slow process of getting set back up on my feet, and I am just finally able to start slowly working on getting the bike together again. It needs new rear rubber, plugs, seals, the rear rim needs to be re-built (an $850 cost I endured right before leaving on the trip), and many other small repairs. I also wouldn't mind putting a springer front end on it, getting an old/new seat, making a gnarly sissy bar, and changing a lot of shit up on it, possibly some super cool bars, and a groovy paint job if I can afford it, or the gear to do it myself.

It will be a bit before I see this baby running again, never mind the personal modifications I would like to do to it, as I bought the bike in the condition it's still in, aside from the wear I've put into it. Although I do have one glimmer of hope to get the bike back on the road soon (read next post), and to do what I've always wanted to do to it, but for now, it's being parked in my bedroom right where my comfy bed once was. It's just me, my bike, and the couch for the next bit...

Welcome home <3

 Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: Monster Truck - The Lion

Happy New Year!

Welp,

I've been slacking, but hey! I blogged a lot in the month of December to start it off big, and to get most of my stories out of the way before a fresh new year of experiences. It's been a nice extended holiday, and I am back to work on the 22nd, so I might as well get started with this new year of writing, before 15 hour days start kicking my ass.

I just wanted to start 2015 off with a Happy New Year post. Stick to your resolutions, ride hard, love harder, and most importantly, be safe out there on your bikes this year! Please...

Enjoy this video of Robbie Maddison shredding the Olympic park, in Park City, Utah. This guy is mad, no pun intended.

I normally share motorcycle related music videos in my signature, or at least good Rock 'N' Roll tunes good for partying and the garage, but I figured I'd share something I am influenced by in my personal time. Before getting involved with motorcycles, I played guitar in numerous bands for over a decade, and it was my dream to tour. This is an accurate representation of the music that I am passionate about, and listen to on a daily basis. Hope you enjoy! (SPOILER ALERT: It's not Rock 'N' Roll, it's non-motorcycle related, and it's extremely heavy.)

Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: Northlane - Dream Awake

Santa Rides Too!

Merry Christmas! Hope everyone has a great night. Be safe over the holidays, and best wishes to all in the new year! May 2015 bring you lots of joy and all that sweet stuff...

Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: RUN DMC - Christmas In Hollis

Trev Deeley Motorcycles

I know I already spoiled the surprise in a post earlier this month, but I got to meet up with Ryan Bolding, Shop Supervisor at Trev Deeley Motorcycles a couple weeks back, and he gave me quite the tour of the place. I didn't know what to expect heading down to check out one of the very first Harley Davidson dealerships in the world (and the very first Honda motorcycle distributor in the English speaking world), but needless to say, it was unreal.

I was expecting to see some old grumpy dude walk through the door, squeeze my hand half to death and give me a 5 minute tour of the service shop. It wasn't like that. First off, Ryan was rad. Second off, he didn't try hurt me or my hand. Third, he knows his shit, and 'Deeleys' is running a tight ship down there. I was there for over 2 hours, so no matter how much I write in this blog, I won't fully be able to explain how great the shop and entire facility is.

He started out showing me a bit about the system they have that keeps their workflow organized. They leave little room for error, and you certainly won't have to call them up to remind them to pull your bike out of the back to get it done. Bikes that need work get priority, and they even have a quick service center for bikes that need small maintenance or upgrades done last minute, as well as seasonal storage availability. They have a detailing bay, where bikes are cleaned before they go out, and they never give a bike back to its owner without making sure it's been for a test ride, and is safe. Dealing with motorcycles, safety seems to be the main concern at the shop.

While I was there, I was lucky to get to see some of the 'Dyno' process being done. The Dynometer they have in the shop is quite the machine. Fully enclosed, sound proofed, with viewing glass, and the customer was standing right there while the work was being done. It was awesome to see this guy watching his bike get tuned right before his eyes, and he was quite passionate about it. The Dyno-Tech did a great job and the customer was happy. Very rad to see these interactions going down. It was also pretty cool to see there is a legit machine shop in the back, where they actually do a fair amount of metal work on site. These guys aren't just ordering parts and slapping them on to your bike, they do real work.

Ryan walked me around the entire shop, which was pretty nice of him to do, considering he's currently using a crutch to get around after a broken femur from a non-work related accident. We talked a bit about about how he got into motorcycle mechanics, and what it's been like starting out at Deeleys, though it's not where he got his first start. Believe it or not, they are just like any other shop out there. They don't care what piece of paper you have in your hand that says your qualified to be a Harley Davidson mechanic, because the mechanic stuff can be learned by anyone. They care about weather or not you are passionate about motorcycles, if you have a desire to learn, and if you are going to be a good addition to the close team they have going. It wasn't always easy for Ryan either. The first few seasons we're hard for him being at the bottom of the totem pole, but he has stuck with it and worked his way up over time to get where he is as shop supervisor.

To be completely honest, for a bit I forgot I was on a tour, and forgot I was there for the purpose of writing a post about the service shop for my blog. I felt like I was being shown around on my first day of work, and when I snapped back into reality, I was a little bummed that I would eventually have to leave this place and go back to my unexciting job as a Production Assistant in film & television. I would much rather be learning about bikes and hanging out with the rad crew at the Trev Deeley Motorcycles service shop. Anybody who gets the chance to work there is lucky, and anyone who gets there bike worked on at the shop can sleep easy knowing their bike is in good hands.

After we walked around and checked the shop out real good, we had a seat at Ryan's work station, and just had a rad chat, about bikes, our childhood riding experiences, family life, and everything in between. It was pretty cool, getting to chat about old bikes, and choppers, and our mutual love for dirt bikes. I had a blast. Since Ryan has an injured leg at the moment, it's been a perfect time for him to get some stuff done on his personal bike (I believe it's a '49 EL), during whatever free time he can find in the shop. I'm glad I got to catch it while it was there, and he was kind enough to let me snap a few pics. It wasn't the only legit chopper in the shop either.

Thanks for the tour Ryan, and Happy Holidays to you and your family, and everyone else at Trev's!

Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: The Wild - Party 'Til You're Dead

Iron, Throttle, & Wheels

This summer I went on an epic motorcycle ride, from Vancouver to Toronto and back, making it 9,000 of the 10,000 planned km's (full story coming in the new year). On the trip I was lucky enough to make it to the Montreal Tattoo Convention where I was given this amazing tattoo from my friend Mitch Kirilo of Gastown Tattoo Parlour, as a gift to represent my trip.

The Tattoo I was very fortunate to get, is part of a series of Flash from Mitch that has been featured in a book called 'Iron, Throttle, & Wheels' Aka 'ITW Book'. A hardcover collection of Tattoo artists that ride motorcycles, and their motorcycle related artwork. The book is bad ass, and I feel super honored to have this tattoo from Mitch. I love that it's on my clutch hand, where I can always see it. The fact that I got it on my first cross country chopper ride, from a friend who I ride with all the time at home, while we hung out on the other side of the country, just makes it that much more special.

If you're ever down in Gastown, and thinking about booking an appointment for a tattoo with a great shop, stop into Gastown Tattoo Parlour @ 105 West Cordova Street. Lots of great artists and usually a motorcycle or two parked out front.

(Left: A photo I found on Mitch's instagram that he took of the ITW Book. I know most of the designs have been tattooed, but there may be 1 or 2 that have still yet to be done.)

You can order one of these rad books through the book's instagram page - @itwbook


Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: Motorhead - Ace Of Spades

My rad experience at The Shop Vancouver

Earlier this spring, I found out The Shop Vancouver was looking for a part-time employee to help out the odd day Andrew had school. So I rode down to the shop as fast as I could, and tried so hard to sell myself to T.J as a good potential employee. I hardly believed it when he told me to be there two days later to start. I didn't know shit about bikes, or products really, but I knew I wanted that opportunity to be a part of The Shop, so I was beyond stoked I was being given a chance.

It was fucking awesome. Getting to come down and open the shop up, help people find gear they want, and talk motorcycles all day, was definitely a highlight of my life. I will never forget it. I can be pretty quiet at times, and in the end I only stayed a short time at The Shop. I decided working in a retail environment wasn't for me, and I just wanted to hang out at The Shop, and continue to support it in any way I could, when I could. I learned a lot, and had some rad times, but as the summer approached, it was the perfect time in my life to take a short break from working, to just live and ride, and come back in the fall to my regular work in the film & television industry.

I will always love The Shop. The atmosphere is amazing. I recommend anyone new to riding, who wants to make friends to ride with, or find some rad new gear, denim, helmets, parts for your bike etc. Head to The Shop. Everything you need plus more is there. If you read my Disasterdaze '13 post, you'll see I would probably still have no one to ride with in Vancouver if I didn't meet up at the shop for the Disasterdaze ride. It was a game changer for me, and I met some rad people I will always be friends with on that ride. I also made some amazing connections with people while working at the shop, who I still consider close friends. It's amazing the sense of community around that place, so many people coming through with awesome attitudes and positive vibes, and everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand.

Head down to 432 Columbia Street in Vancouver, and check it out for yourself.

Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: The Sheepdogs - The Way It Is

12 O'clock Boys

There aren't many words for this one. Watch this trailer and if you are as intrigued as I am, you will watch the full movie and share. These dudes are nuts, I fully dig it.

Cory - The Great North ---- Currently listening to: Meek Mill - I Don't Know