New places, new faces - no turning back!

<img alt="New places, new faces - no turning back!" class="img-responsive" src="/images/a/8/2/d/5/a82d5cda1bd286b3dda2cc3bee48dd77779ba074-01-fouryears.jpg" />

<p>Look at the date of the last journal entry... February 2020! In a month, it will be four years! How did that happen? Has nothing interesting happened in my life since 2020? The last thing I wrote was my <a href="https://vintagemoto.ca/notes/raising-the-bar-with-ian-coristine">personal elegy to my friend Ian</a> who caught a nasty case of cancer and died shortly after. Have...</p>

Horsepower and Medicine

<img alt="Horsepower and Medicine" class="img-responsive" src="/images/3/a/5/e/8/3a5e88deba251b628118c3b98bdc9631900c3caf-01-horsepower.jpg" />

<p>When I turned 40, I finally put some effort into learning to play guitar. A year or two later I sold my Yamaha motorcycle and bought a Yamaha Guitar. I didn't stop riding dirt-bikes, I just reduced my seat-time. I did manage to learn to play guitar well enough to have fun around a campfire and it...</p>

Meet the riders - Patagonia 2018

<img alt="Meet the riders - Patagonia 2018" class="img-responsive" src="/images/0/b/a/b/f/0babf395dd661e755755052d217d95a9c3e89391-01patagonia.jpg" />

<h4>With the rally getting underway in just over a month, more details are emerging so I thought it would be a good time to introduce all the riders for the 2018 Rally for Rangers Patagonia ride.</h4> <h3>Tom Medema</h3> <p><img alt="Tom Medema" class="img-responsive" src="/images/a/4/c/0/c/a4c0c52090c47aabdb3b07e960231776aca29d8e-tommedema.jpg"><br> <strong>Tom Medema</strong> developed a passion for national parks at a young age on family vacations throu...</p>

Final donation for Patagonia Rally

<img alt="Final donation for Patagonia Rally" class="img-responsive" src="/images/b/3/8/9/b/b389bbb4d87f8eee1dc497a666ab9ca4bde7b0f7-00mongolia-2018-riders.jpg" />

<p>Today I made my final donation for the Rally for Rangers Patagonia Ride. I have also booked some of the filghts, when December rolls around I will be ready. I am very proud of to have received support from so many people- family, friends and strangers alike. Your generosity toward this great cause...</p>

The Burnt River vintage moto invasion

<img alt="The Burnt River vintage moto invasion" class="img-responsive" src="/images/3/0/a/c/8/30ac8ed35cb040320a6722a4247cd647e2ec5ba7-01the-team.jpg" />

<h4>The back-story</h4> <p>In September of 2017, I attended a vintage motocross race at <a href="http://www.mx101life.com/">SandDelLee in Ottawa</a>. The event was organized by John Lebrecht, a Canadian motocross legend from the early 60s, and Johnny Grant of <a href="http://www.mx101life.com/">MX101</a>. The event was well attended. We had about 25 bikes on display and 10 or 12 r...</p>

The progress of man - Let's get heavy!

<img alt="The progress of man - Let&#039;s get heavy!" class="img-responsive" src="/images/6/0/e/7/2/60e726e33c983e3dd71fa7003ded5433368972b7-01-bikes.jpg" />

<p>I remember fondly my 1982 YZ250. It was really heavy compared to the competition. Riding that bike is what made me move to the 125cc class in 1983. I went from riding a bike that weighed 240 pounds to one that weighed 190 - or so the manufacturers say in their specifications. Every year, there i...</p>

Friendships forged in the fires of adventure

<img alt="Friendships forged in the fires of adventure" class="img-responsive" src="/images/3/b/5/4/5/3b5458aa941366acb8897d7d9bc3ead20141d8bd-01-hero.jpg" />

<p>In reflecting on the benefits gleaned through a life of passionate dirt biking, many formative experiences leap to mind. But I would have to state, without reservation, that the most significant blessings are the lasting personal friendships forged in the fires of adventure. Or sometimes misadventu...</p>

Bob Chabluk a picture and a quick story

<img alt="Bob Chabluk a picture and a quick story" class="img-responsive" src="/images/2/c/5/4/2/2c5425dbebb8e736ed09a5d348cc74e900d63065-01-bob-chabluk.jpg" />

<p>Murrillo race track 1979. Finished 1st overall that day 250 senior/ expert. Great battle with Ron Doiron all 3 races . Was late lining up this race and just threw my shoulder pads over my jersey lol . Oh and that was the day my Husky broke down and a fellow rider (Dickie) lent me his Husqvarna to r...</p>

Don't make me laugh - a story by Bernie Cox

<img alt="Don&#039;t make me laugh - a story by Bernie Cox" class="img-responsive" src="/images/1/0/c/a/b/10cab7ac08e511741272e462aeec284d7b7da7ce-01-bcox.jpeg" />

<p>It's a funny old world. Since Mike inspired, encouraged, cajoled and convinced me to <a href="/notes/honda-c100">write a story</a> for his <a href="http://rally.vintagemoto.ca">Rally for Rangers fund raising challenge</a>, I find myself living more and more in the past. Memories, some from more than fifty years ago, have begun waltzing unchecked through the mosh pit...</p>

Honda C100 - Where it began for the Cox family

<img alt="Honda C100 - Where it began for the Cox family" class="img-responsive" src="/images/5/0/f/5/3/50f53137c62b2b47301781bb129ddc98ca0439c7-01-honda-c100.jpg" />

<p>In the spring of 1969. I was 13 my sister Cathy 11, brother Jimmy 10 and the youngest brothers Pat and Mike were 6 and 4 respectively. We were all gathered at the Saturn Avenue playground for perhaps the most exciting moment in our young lives. The excitement level roughly proportionate to Christma...</p>

Bernie's crash as remembered by Gord

<img alt="Bernie&#039;s crash as remembered by Gord" class="img-responsive" src="/images/5/b/a/c/a/5baca2e5c10552cae403a3eb05f0b7eb88c31aa3-01-gord-desert.jpg" />

<p>I remember the incident and will probably never forget the day I thought I killed my friend on the track. I think I was in the second flag drop, not sure but Bernie was out of the gate and gone, I think I was in 250 Junior class and Bernie had moved up to Senior but was hanging with the experts and had the skills to do so. I believe they let the seniors and experts go out on one gate so Bernie was going to be out hanging with the big dogs because well because that's what Bernie does...</p> <h3>This story is in response to <a href="/notes/42-stitches-in-the-what">Fourty two stitches in the what</a>?</h3>

42 stitches in the what?

<img alt="42 stitches in the what?" class="img-responsive" src="/images/d/9/f/e/4/d9fe491109e88c15e6a2c39ade1d205f73591bd8-01-bcox.jpg" />

<p>A couple years ago I went on a fantastic road-trip to BC with my oldest brother Bernie. The purpose for this trip was to go riding- and we did ride. We had a fantastic time on the bikes and the social time between rides was almost as fun. <a href="http://vintagemoto.ca/notes/third-annual-bc-adventure">I wrote a story about the first few days of that trip</a> an...</p>

Struggles at the Bench - Riding in BC, 2017

<img alt="Struggles at the Bench - Riding in BC, 2017" class="img-responsive" src="/images/1/b/0/b/5/1b0b57c45a87d480fe535f4605244bbb48578041-struggles-at-the-bench.jpg" />

<p>I don't own a GoPro camera yet, there are usually enough of them mounted on the helmets of my riding mates to make hundreds of hours of video footage- and really, how much could one more camera add? For the spring BC ride of 2017, there were usually three cameras recording the adventures. In revie...</p>

First race for a 33-year-old Suzuki

<img alt="First race for a 33-year-old Suzuki" class="img-responsive" src="/images/4/c/a/5/a/4ca5ad7b16c56a9fa70ed3653e4e4cb48f6e6b8e-01leaving-the-house.jpg" />

<p>Just like I would have done back in '84, I woke early, jumped in the car and set out to the races. And just like back in the day, I had two bikes in tow. Many motocross racers in the 80s had two bikes; a 125 and a 250. If you wanted to run more than two motos in a day, your only option was to buy...</p>

Historic Flooding at Port of Call Marina

<img alt="Historic Flooding at Port of Call Marina" class="img-responsive" src="/images/b/3/5/d/9/b35d91e653332e5276ee3279a21b377b63a44c0d-01bike.jpg" />

<p>We have seen our share of high water here at Port of Call Marina. It is not uncommon for the launch ramp to be all but gone, or even the old washroom building to get wet. In 1979 the water level at the marina set a record at 60.24 meters above sea level. That year the old gazebo building had a fo...</p>