I have been involved with motorcycles for most of my life, and I can honestly say that the power of two wheels has given me a tremendous amount of satisfaction.

I have owned street bikes, dirt bikes, and racing bikes, and they all delivered something different. But what they all shared was the way they changed my perception of time and space. The freedom that riding a motorcycle gives you is truly remarkable.

When I got my first bike, it was simply what I could afford to get around, and I was just old enough to earn my licence. I may also have been influenced by Mike Hailwood winning the World Championship that year on the Honda RC162.

That was 65 years ago on a Honda CB72 Hawk wich cost me $650 wich was a lot of money for me. I was working at the Honda distributer in Toronto and made about $45 per week. I do not remember my bike ever being as clean as this one.

Today, at 81, I still smile every time I ride.

Smiles and motorcycles go hand in hand, and you do not have to look very hard to find the company that has probably produced the most smiles worldwide. Since 1948, Honda has delivered more than 500 million motorcycles globally.

Honda has long understood that small bikes can produce huge smiles, and that legacy continues here in Canada today with the 2026 Monkey Bike.

I doubt anyone could sit on a Monkey Bike and not smile.