CyberDukes Open Road

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This website is a father and son endeavour where we talk about bikes and our rides, and post bits of information that can be useful to other riders. We live in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, right across the river from Parliament Hill in Ottawa. This area is great for rides, specially the Gatineau Parkway, small version of the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap in the States.

New 2017 riding season begins

CyberDukes father and son riding together

This is the first of many videos to come of the 2017 riding season. (Click on video to open.)

This is what we mean by Open Road. Riding my custom Rocker C with my son Richard on his Sporster. We had a great time. Ride was fantastic and temperature was nice but still a bit chilly on the highway as it's the start of the new riding season. Its the beginning of April and there is still a bit of snow left on the ground, but Spring is around the corner and it should get warmer for the next rides.

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I've been interested in motorcycles ever since I learned how to ride one in the Army Reserve. I was 15 at the time (lied about my age), now 69, and had the time of my life one one of these old Triumphs when we were in a war game in Kingston Ontario. But it was many years after that I really got the fever about the freedom of the open road when I bought a Honda four cylinder from a friend. I just couldn't get enough, it was in my blood, so a while after I bought myself a brand new Virago, couldn't afford a Ha

ley at the time, but I don't regret a moment of it. I was definitely hooked for life. That's when I taught my son Richard how to ride and he loved every minute of it. Now he's got his own Harley, he worked hard, saved his money and paid cash for it, he was even thinking lately of getting a new Fatboy, but that's still in the future.

John (Duke)

Richard

Many times I've been tempted to get one of those cool looking choppers like the Big Dog K9, the Saxon Griffin or Warlord, the Big Bear Devil's Advocate, or the Titan Sidewinder, but I always came back to Harley. The choppers are nice looking but most of their manufacturers went bankrupt and they didn't have the service offered by a string of dealers like Harley has across the country and in the States. You just cant go wrong with a Harley Davidson, they have great bikes and great service (depending on the dealers of course, as some of them are real assholes). Like everyone I have my favourites in the Harley line-up, the Street Glide being number one on my list, mostly because of my age, but then I also like the Fatboy very much and the Softail Custom or FXSTC, but my preferred model is the Rocker C with the Heartland conversion kit and 16 inch lightning Ape Hangers from B&R Bars in New York State. Now that makes for a cool chopper, and its a Harley, not one of those fly by night manufacturer here today and gone tomorrow. I did look at the Breakout, nice bike and a lot of potential to make it your own, but I find the FXCWC more appealing to my taste, even at my age. I might be old but I'm still young at heart and has long as my body and my health can take it then I will ride the shit out of my (FXCWC) Rocker C.

MOTORCYCLE RALLIES

Get into any conversation about motorcycle rallies, and you're likely to hear first and most often about the big three: Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia. With attendance estimates generally around a half-million riders and more every year, these are the most famous and the oldest of all in the States bike gatherings. Builders, vendors and manufacturers treat them like expos, meaning a rally is also your chance to see the newest bikes, improvements and modifications before anyone else.

STURGIS

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which takes place in mid-August in South Dakota, gets up to 650,000 attendees, depending on gas prices in a given year. It was founded in 1938 and it's only been called off twice, thanks to rationing during WWII. This tiny town in the Black Hills only has about 7,000 full-time residents, which makes it even clearer how big a deal this rally has become. Dramatic landscapes and runs offer excitement, while the sheer volume of fellow riders ensures that you'll have a blast.

DAYTONA

Daytona Bike Week started in 1937 but spent five years (1942 to 1947) on hiatus during World War II. At least, officially. Many bikers found their way to Daytona during that time anyway, to continue the week's events. Close to Silver Springs, Kennedy Space Center, and several theme and water parks, Daytona's great as a home base if you'd like to explore the surrounding countryside -- but with traditions like Big Daddy Rat's Custom Chopper Show and coleslaw wrestling matches, you may find it difficult to tear yourself away.

LACONIA

Further north, there's Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, N.H. Started in 1924, Laconia is now generally known as the third largest of the big three. Famous for its Biggest Beer Belly contest and thrilling demo rides, it's also close to a few other spots of interest, such as the Motorcyclist Shrine in Colebrook, a few hours north, and the reenacted frontier life of Charlestown, a couple hours southwest.