News

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…

The Things You Learn by R. Bruce Thomas I had some thoughts on topics for this edition and told Liane to expect my submission within a couple of days. A day later and I had yet to decide which way I was going to go or to start putting words Read more…

Or Any Ride for that Matter by R. Bruce Thomas Is my side stand up I’d hate to stall it on this first ride before everything becomes automatic again Were all my lights working before starting this ride Early season rides are perfect – no bugs Is my visor clean Read more…

(later) Been there, Done that by R. Bruce Thomas Welcome to June. It’s hard to believe that one of my favorite parts of the riding season has already gone by. For the next four months things will get a little messy. You know what I’m talking about as it happens Read more…

Don’t let a little sand and gravel stop you. by R. Bruce Thomas I was in to the dentist near the end of March for my annual checkup and the two of us got talking about things, as one does when sitting in the chair. He told me about some Read more…

Tips from women to women! by: R. Bruce Thomas Last year I sent out a request to my riding friends asking for input into what became a three-part series here called Advice For (new) Riders. This year, at the suggestion of my little sister who had her own Kawasaki KZ400 Read more…

Insight into AMSS by: R. Bruce Thomas The tagline on the Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society web site says “Safety, Education, and Awareness for Alberta Motorcycle Riders”.  As an organizational slogan this seems to be pretty succinct and a fitting goal for the group. But a group is made up of Read more…

Winter reading, plus an Art Gallery surprise! by R. Bruce Thomas In the off season, one thing I like to do is plan rides and trips for the upcoming summer riding. This keeps me thinking about riding and gets me excited and ready to ride once the roads clear up. Read more…

Things to check out! by R. Bruce Thomas At times like this I can’t help but think of the closing scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it seems like a good time for a whistle and a song. “Some things in life are bad They can really make Read more…

Give it a rest by R. Bruce Thomas As I followed my new friend Mark along I-15 I noticed he was tapping his hand to the music. What struck me as odd was it was his right hand on his right leg. We were cruising and his efforts at being Read more…

Not just for vacationing children by R. Bruce Thomas When I was a youngster and my family went on summer vacations across Canada and into the United States, my siblings and I would play The License Plate Game. It gave us something to do as the seemingly endless miles rolled Read more…

Good for trains, tough on motorcycles by R. Bruce Thomas Wedged wheels, mangled mirrors, pummelled panniers, and broken body parts. The more I read, the more I got freaked out. And I had many months through the winter of 2009 to remain in that state since Google Street View didn’t Read more…

A Cautionary Tale By: R. Bruce Thomas It was 4:30 AM and the smell of burning rubber had been hanging heavy in the cool, early morning air for about 15 minutes as Norm and I rode through the Kaibab National Forest in Northern Arizona. I mentioned to Norm that something Read more…

Khan you hear me now? By: R. Bruce Thomas The day had begun like most; we’d risen, had breakfast, packed the bikes (our friend Mac was along with us), and hit the road. Our usual pattern had us riding for about an hour and a half before stopping for a Read more…

The Sequel By: R. Bruce Thomas Quick show of hands. How many have been out riding already this year? Spring came early and March had some very nice days, as did April, and here we are at the end of May. Well, let’s call it the start of June since Read more…

And other slow speed maneuvers By: R. Bruce Thomas One of the young fellows at the office had purchased a Kawasaki Ninja 300 near the end of the previous riding season and had done a small amount of riding before winter. He was confident that his years of driving a Read more…

Riding By: R. Bruce Thomas & Friends** Just as in real life, where there are always things beyond our control or influence, it is important to understand when riding a motorcycle that you can’t control other vehicles, so be in control of your own. Hopefully, all that recommended reading in Read more…

Training & Learning By: R. Bruce Thomas & Friends** In his 2016 book Far and Wide: Bring That Horizon to Me!, the late Neil Peart used only eight words to acknowledge the ever-present risks which every rider should be aware of, while articulating a safety-conscious approach to riding that I’ve Read more…

Your Motorcycle By: R. Bruce Thomas & Friends Happy New Year everyone! Yes, it’s February, but the AMSS doesn’t put out a News Update in January so here we are wishing you a Happy New Year and yearning for new beginnings in February. Which, although a month late by the Read more…

Things that can kill you! By: R. Bruce Thomas A dozen years ago my wife and I enjoyed a few days of riding in BC’s Kootenay region before heading to Vernon for a visit with her brother and his family. To get from one region to another we had to Read more…

It’s not just for when you’re riding! By: R. Bruce Thomas It was a Wednesday and I was sitting in the Emergency Room wearing shorts when a fellow in a wheelchair got rolled up beside me. His left leg was extended straight out in a full cast and was supported Read more…

Quality Time By: R. Bruce Thomas The screaming started almost immediately. One of the ladies who worked with my wife confided one day that riding on a motorcycle was an item on her bucket list, and she wondered if I would consider taking her for a ride. Mary came home Read more…