falco wrote:Hello once again.
Very pleased to have re-joined and be able to post on this great thread once more...
ITS A GREAT DAY WHEN YOUR TICKETS SAY: YYZ!
They really do too, in what might be my greatest motorcycle adventure, myself and 76 year old buddy (who is as much an inspiration to me as NEP) are flying out from the UK to Canada, in August 2015.
Im nearly bursting with excitement already, come August, I'll be a trembling wreck.
In a neat forum & thread link we are hiring GS1200's and riding a leisurely 2000 or so miles in two weeks around B.C. in a loop out from Vancouver.
Staying somewhere Neil did was a hope too far but hoping that I might well be riding some of the same roads will be good enough for me
Any hints & tips on the area or for Noobies on riding GS's very welcome!
Best Wishes - Frank
Frank,
Nice to hear from you! Your summer motorcycle tour in Canada sounds awesome. Neil lives in Southern California most of the time, and in Quebec part of the year, but he's ridden just about everywhere in North America. It wouldn't surprise me if he's been on some of the same roads that you'll be riding on. By the way, Rush is doing a 40th anniversary tour this year, including a show in Vancouver on July 17, in case you want to fly over a little earlier!
I'm not terribly familiar with British Columbia; I enjoyed a day in Vancouver some years ago. A good resource for touring in BC (or anywhere else in North America) is
OpenSeaMap. I've attached a sample below; each of the red circles and bubbles has a link to a Wikipedia article regarding that location--e.g., historic houses, parks, waterways, you name it. It's a great way to find places of interest along the route you'll be riding.
As for R1200GS's, I think you'll find that they're wonderful touring bikes--very flexible, plenty fast, comfortable for long stints, and decent fuel mileage and range. The turn signals might take you a little while to get used to, if you're not already familiar with BMWs. The brakes are linked, such that you can control both front and rear brakes using just the front brake lever. And the ABS works flawlessly on slippery surfaces. The saddle adjusts to higher or lower positions, which I'm sure they'll show you at the rental place.
Have a great time, and be sure to let us know how your trip goes!
Rick
For all my tour articles, check out
rsftripreporter.net.
2020 Mercedes-Benz SL550
2013 BMW 335i convertible (sold)
2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (sold)
2006 BMW Z4 3.0i roadster (sold)
2005 BMW R1200GS (retired)
2003 BMW F650CS (sold)