Pipestone Flyer
Vol. 15 Issue 3, Leduc-Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer
Love or hate them, we might as well get used to seeing motorcycles grace the Alberta highways. Motorcycling has become one of the fastest growing summer motorsports in North America. In fact the largest growth saw a rapid rise in the number of women riding the two wheeled machines and manufacturers are taking note.
Last weekend Edmonton hosted the annual Motorcycle Show at the Expo Centre at Northlands. Always well attended, thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts ignored the blistering snow to see what this years riding season has to offer. It was not just the adults that came out, but also young Jonathan Hagger who is no stranger to long biker trips on the back of his father's Honda Goldwing, who enjoyed hopping on and off the coolest rides on exhibit.
The show displayed motorcycles from many manufacturers, including Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Harley-Davidson, BMW, MotoGuzzi, Aprilia, Ducati, Polaris, Triumph, Victory, KTM, Hyosung and BRP.
One of the great attractions this year was the Yamaha Kids Riding Academy. The attraction introduced young riders between the ages of 6 and 12 to the motorsport. As always it was a popular feature which allowed the young motorcycle enthusiasts who are proficient on a two wheel bike the opportunity to receive professional instruction on the basics of riding off-road. Following the training the young riders were provided the opportunity to test out the latest Yamaha PW50 off-road motorcycles in a safe, supervised environment.
The Edmonton Motorcycle Show is a co-operative effort between the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council (MMIC), Canadian Off Highway Vehicle Association (COHV) and Canadian National Sportsmen’s Shows. Similar shows are held in Red Deer and Calgary, however with so many riders' associations and family friendly motorcycle clubs forming in the Edmonton region in recent years, the Edmonton show is always an anticipated event.