News

Get Creative! by R. Bruce Thomas It’s that time of year again where the Advent Calendar, in all kinds of iterations, seems to be everywhere. Most are just something to spend money on and have nothing to do with the religious history of Advent. Chocolates, beer, wine, LEGO. I was Read more…

Make yourself be seen! by R. Bruce Thomas As I slowed to a stop at a dark T-Intersection recently I noticed a woman crossing the main road. I should say “barely noticed” the woman. She was dressed all in black from head to toe and was nearly invisible. My first Read more…

Follow Our Leader by R. Bruce Thomas In August 2023 I had a trip planned that included four days riding a number of the great roads in the Wasatch Mountain Range, a sub-range of the Rocky Mountains, to the east of Salt Lake City, Utah. The riding in the area Read more…

Avoiding, & Recovering from, Punctures by R. Bruce Thomas Knowing how to plug/change your tires makes it easier to keep moving if you find yourself where wind turbines outnumber retail shops. When I started seriously touring and putting down big kilometers I got a bit of a rude awakening. Getting Read more…

Using power – when appropriate by R. Bruce Thomas On my recent ride down east I was sitting at a red light on the Trans Canada in a small community in Northern Ontario behind a car with a Texas licence plate. When the light turned green, the car didn’t move. Read more…

One size fits every bike! by R. Bruce Thomas To start with this month I want to step back a bit to last month and my notes on the Ride for Dad and The Man Van. I’ve long believed every major center should have access to a mobile PSA testing Read more…

Telling you were to go… by R. Bruce Thomas Have you been riding yet? I feel a bit like a stuck record asking that every year. And I’m also thinking that saying “a stuck record” may not be a good analogy in this digital age. But, knowing how the kids Read more…

Breaking it Down… by R. Bruce Thomas In October 2023 a report commissioned by Moto Canada, the Canadian Quad Council, and the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada was released with the title “Economic Impact Study of On-road Motorcycles and Off-highway Vehicle Recreation in Canada” (Press Release). The study is based on Read more…

Read the “Fine” Manual by R. Bruce Thomas Yes, I know. The typical expansion of the acronym at the top of this piece is a little different than what I have used here but that’s because this is a family-friendly organization. At this time of year I find myself thinking Read more…

Remember the Fun Moments by R. Bruce Thomas Ahh, March. In like a lion, we can only hope it goes out like a lamb. But, since we can’t do anything about the weather, and it is still technically winter until March 19, there is nothing quite like curling up with Read more…

Objects & Calendars by R. Bruce Thomas Saying Happy New Year at the end of January always feels a little weird but this is the first AMSS dispatch of the year so it fits. And so far, 2024 is off to a very Happy start. Of course, we had that Read more…

Prepare for Safe Success by R. Bruce Thomas Here we are at the beginning of the last month of 2023 and we’ve only had a small amount of snow. And it didn’t stick around. This nice weather makes me sad as my bike has been parked since October 7, meaning Read more…

Reflection and looking forward by R. Bruce Thomas How is it that we are at the end of October already and there has already been snow on the ground? This year seems to have just sped by and riding season is over for most people. However, looking back at it, Read more…

After a summer of riding! by R. Bruce Thomas 1 – For many years I’ve worn Motoport Kevlar riding overpants and jacket. I bought it for the protection the gear offers me and know it works after “road testing” it when I got t-boned. I never counted on the entertainment Read more…

But they still happen… by R. Bruce Thomas Well, about a week after the last AMSS monthly edition was published the AB Government changed the highway rules for passing stopped vehicles with flashing lights. We’ve had to slow down or move over for Police, Ambulances, tow trucks and firetrucks and Read more…

plus Road Work Season by: R. Bruce Thomas EDIT from AMSS: At the time of this article was written and published (July 31, 2023), the changes were expected to be what you read below – simply adding in snowplows and the move over a lane.  At this time, there is Read more…

Big and small considerations for a successful trip by: R. Bruce Thomas With all the border restrictions finally removed it is likely that people are finally looking at heading south of the 49th to ride some of the many great roads in the United States. Perhaps you have a hankering Read more…

And today is not a good day to die by: R. Bruce Thomas (no major spoilers) I had no idea what I was going to write about this month and then my wife and I just watched the series finale of Star Trek: Picard. This three-season series focused on Captain Read more…

Spring Tips to Consider by: R. Bruce Thomas Wow. It’s that time of year again. Have you been out riding yet? We didn’t get tons of snow over the winter so many roads are bare and dry as long as you don’t go out too early when there could still Read more…

Featuring a simple training video by: R. Bruce Thomas Motorcycles are dangerous. Ask anyone. Ask your Mom. That’s how I started the last piece and it seems rather fitting with the subject this time. Some people would think this activity is very dangerous. And it could be, if you just Read more…

Maybe Someday by R. Bruce Thomas Motorcycles are dangerous. Ask anyone. Ask your Mom. The thing is, motorcycles are not dangerous. Granted, you can suffer greater injury if you are involved in a crash while riding a motorcycle than if you were in a car, but that doesn’t make the Read more…

A dive into the pandemic years and more. by R. Bruce Thomas AMSS President Liane Langlois reached out to me with a topic suggestion for this News edition – look at fatality stats during the COVID years. Since my post in February 2022 was Why We Crash, it seemed fitting Read more…

Visibility Tips by R. Bruce Thomas A recent conversation with AMSS Board Member Jon Watchuk turned, not surprisingly, to the topic of safety features in automobiles that have an impact on the safety of motorcyclists. The presence on many vehicles now of Blind Spot Warning (BSW) lights on side mirrors Read more…

Listen up when something just doesn’t feel right by R. Bruce Thomas It was late at night and the Trans Canada Highway was dark and empty as Norm and I got closer to our destination – Kirkland Lake, ON. I was leading the way and had my high beams and Read more…

Ask for what you want by R. Bruce Thomas As I sit here at my computer in the early hours of August 25th I realize it is four months until Christmas and, while I shudder at the thought of the snow and cold that comes with the winter holiday season, Read more…