Marauder meandering around Westman

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This article was published 01/07/2022 (1551 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cruising down the highways around Westman any chance he gets, Aubrey Kraeker has quickly amassed the miles on his 1997 Suzuki Marauder.

Kraeker is a former security guard at Sand Hills Casino. He would stand holding the door open for visitors and was always struck by the beautiful bikes that would pull up in the parking lot or drive by the casino.

“Lot of bikes would go by and I would wish that was me,” Kraeker said.

He admired the rad rods for two years and decided to get his motorcycle licence so he could join the fleets of two-wheelers.

He kept the idea in the back of his mind for a couple of years and decided 2022 was the year to get his motorcycle licence.

Kraeker got his licence at the end of May after completing his knowledge test at the start of spring. He bought his bike a week later and got his tires on the asphalt as soon as possible.

His first weekend taking the Marauder out on the road Kraeker put on more than 700 kilometres exploring Westman.

“I went down to Boissevain, I went up to Rivers [during] the first ride. I went back to Brandon, down to Boissevain and Killarney, and back up to Brandon,” Kraeker said with a grin. “I just drove.”

Exploring the roads around Brandon can make a rider “feel really small,” he said.

A week into riding, he had a close call in Brandon when another car failed to shoulder check, he said. It began moving over and almost hit Kraeker. He quickly pulled his clutch and revved the bike to try and get the driver’s attention while honking his horn as he slowed to avoid the car.

It was a close call the driver never even noticed, Kraeker said.

“It’s a big eye-opener — the time goes by fast and there’s a lot of things to look out for versus a car,” Kraeker said.

“In a vehicle, you have all this protection … but on a bike, the odds are if you hit something you might be dead or you might not be walking.”

Kraeker discovered the Suzuki online and made the purchase fast because he liked the condition of the bike and its low kilometre count.

“I had a steal of a deal for what it was, I guess you could say.”

He purchased the bike in Deloraine after a buddy sent him a link to the posting. Kraeker said he took off immediately south to see the bike and bought it that same night.

The bike was in good shape and Kraeker has had to do minimal work on it.

After the Marauder passed its provincial safety inspection, Kraeker removed the baffles to give the bike some noise, Kraeker said, and he added a tail light to give it more personality.

“It rides really nice,” Kraeker said. “For a beginner bike, it’s pretty nice. It’s big and bulky.”

The Marauder has proved to be great for cruising with a modest horsepower of 50 with an 800 engine. It weighs in at around a couple hundred pounds, making it easy to maneouver while driving — the key is keeping his balance.

Kraeker is debating what modifications to add to the bike.

“I’m all over the place with what I want to do with it.”

His next bike will be a v-rod possibly, but he has also thought about turning his current ride into a street bike by putting a Yamaha R600 engine in the Marauder.

Kraeker is planning on bringing the Suzuki and his car to Super Run at the end of July.

He said he loves seeing the diverse selection of vehicles and talking to others about their rides. Kraeker is an official member of the Road Rebels and appreciates the connections he has been able to make with the car club.

“It’s a cool thing to get involved in. I’ve never actually been in a big club before.

“There’s a lot of opportunities to get to know people and learn things, and show all the older people what a kid can know.”

He plans on exploring as much as possible this summer, Kraeker said, but it will largely depend on his work schedule. His work keeps him busy and this can make it hard to plan, so he takes life day by day.

“I’ve gotten out as much as I can.”

» ckemp@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp