The Canadian Caper - Turning my New VFR into a Real Adventure *Final Installment*

[NorthernVFRDave]

No tell me its not over? :mellow: :huh:

Amazing story, been great to follow along.

Running low on fuel does suck, I did the same first year I had my 07 on the east coast. Running around the Cabot Trail looking for fuel, when I found a gas station I put 21.5L in to a 22L tank. 425km on a tank and never come close since. Its a real bad feeling when you ride for almost an hour with that low fuel light flashing at you.

I had turned on Google Latitude on the Blackberry so that people could track my progress.

I hope you have a better dataplan than mine, I forgot and left it running this summer well I was in the Lake Placid area and ended up with a $30 charge for 2meg of data usage.

[Olive]

I've run out of gas on the F800S before and had to push it until I found a suitable place to park. That bike weighs in 100lbs lighter than the VFR and I recall it was plenty heavy. The uphill slope probably didn't help much. Given the short period of time on that bike between the low fuel light and the no fuel sputter, I wasn't thrilled with how long I was riding on almost empty with the VFR.

[Dutchy]

Thanks Olive for keeping us entertained while we ride our office seats......

:biggrin:

[V4 Rosso]

Excellent trip report and what a way to get familiar with your new ride. Thank you for sharing it with us :fing02:

A roadside rest stop provided maps, and restrooms for men, women and man's best friend.

:laughing6-hehe: Now that's funny.

[Chuckster]

I really enjoyed tagging along on your journey. You're a very good writer and your details make one feel like they are right there along on the trip. Thanks for sharing it! :biggrin:

Chuck

[dr.toto]

Excellent report. I'm so very pleased that you and the bike are home in good shape. I'd ride with you anytime.

[skuuter]

Where are we ridin' to next year Olive....really enjoyed ridin' with You this year....still got lotsa' Roads I need to show You.... :biggrin: :fing02:

[Polarbear]

There is a silent beauty to western plains though isnt there, solitude and plenty of time to reflect on things and just think - some say its boring but for me I love the solitude, its rehabilitating.

Best way to "get in the zone" and forget about everything else. Problems, worries, all gone. Maybe it's just me...

Thanks for the report Olive, really enjoyed it. You write well and take some pretty good pics to boot! :fing02:

C

[Belfry]

Olive, thanks for the ride report and excellent photos! Further evidence that we Canucks will travel any distance for a good deal. Of course, the dollar is at par--now! :biggrin:

As I wrote elsewhere, I picked up my new-to-me 2006 in Texas last summer and rode it home. One of my oldest and best friends (since the 7th grade), is a dual citizen (born in Connecticut, grew up in Canada) and now lives in Denver. We have a summer ritual of picking a location for a get-together and meeting there. This almost always involves a road trip since we usually try to find someplace that splits the distance between Vancouver and Denver where we can hike, do some sightseeing, drink beer and tell stories. :beer: For the past several years I've been doing the trip on two wheels. I used to camp, then alternate camping with motels, and on my ride north last summer I only stayed in motels (mostly because I didn't want to lug the gear and pay extra to take it on the plane--those baggage fees add up!).

I enjoyed reading your observations since I've come to similar conclusions on my many US trips:

1.) Secondary highways are almost always better--unless you need to make up time on the interslab.

2.) Getting there (on a bike), is at least half the fun.

3.) A bike and a Canadian plate are great conversation starters--especially when you are 1,000+ miles from home. While it's a little hard to separate, I don't think the reaction you reported is strictly because you're a woman. I often get a friendly, mildly impressed: "You came all this way--on that?" even when I'm relatively close to home as when I was in Yellowstone (a mere 900 miles away) a couple of years ago on the DR.

4.) Group rides can be enjoyable, but distance riding solo is good for the soul.

5.) Avoiding cities and riding the wide-open spaces of the prairies, or the mountain passes of the Rockies, is fun--and also good for the soul.

6.) Amercians in smaller towns are, on average, friendlier than Canadians in similarly-sized towns. I don't really know what accounts for this--possibly the British reserve that is part of our heritage--but I find it to be true. Canadians might look at someone travelling alone on a bike and think: "That guy is travelling alone, I won't disturb him;" while Americans seem to think: "That guy is travelling alone, I should say hello."

And while travelling on a bike, people in the US are always ready to provide assistance (as when I had my flat on the VFR), directions, advice, encouragement, a hot drink on a cold day (most recently from a nice older couple in a motorhome met at a rest stop), etc.

7.) Related to the last point, Amercians in service jobs (gas stations, restaurants, motels, campsites, etc.) are, on average, friendlier than Canadians in similar jobs. It often seems to me that Canadians in these jobs have the attitude that the job is beneath them so they do it only minimally well. Most Americans in these jobs seem genuinely pleased to see you and receive your business and often go out of their way to help.

8.) Riding south feels like riding downhill.

9.) Riding north feels like riding uphill--but it also feels like heading home.

I love Canada and wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but I really enjoy my US travels and plan to continue them for many years to come.

Thanks again for the great trip report and photos.

[Guest]

Great story Olive. Thanks for sharing it. I can't help recalling the time when a friend of mine landed a small helicopter on one of our beaches. A class of schoolkids went racing over to meet the pilot but they didn't know how to deal with the redheaded sheila that emerged.

I note that you were using soft panniers and I was wondering how they performed in terms of damaging the paintwork and dealing with the heat from your exhausts?

Cheers

Joe

[Olive]

Great story Olive. Thanks for sharing it. I can't help recalling the time when a friend of mine landed a small helicopter on one of our beaches. A class of schoolkids went racing over to meet the pilot but they didn't know how to deal with the redheaded sheila that emerged.

I note that you were using soft panniers and I was wondering how they performed in terms of damaging the paintwork and dealing with the heat from your exhausts?

Cheers

Joe

I've used the soft panniers on the BMWF800S as well as this bike. I didn't have any issues with damage to the paintwork from them, nor was the exhaust an issue. I was a little worried about the strap going across the rear seat cowl but even that didn't cause any major issues. The sides of the panniers touching in the exhaust have a heat resistant coating which fares quite well when it sits against the exhaust, keeping the bags and their contents reasonably cool. For this trip I had the panniers fully expanded, and they really took on a "saggy" look with the weight. Mind you, I did have a lot stuffed in them - sleeping bag, ground sheet, sleeping pad, tools, first aid kit as well as clothing. The tent was strapped on top of the bike.

On the BMW I didn't have any issues installing and removing the panniers under the seat, however on the VFR conclusively proved that four grown adults could fight with them for twenty minutes trying to get the seat to settle down over top of the straps. After doing this dance a few days in a row I finally concluded that it made the most sense to simply leave the panniers on the bike overnight, after pulling out what I needed.

The best solution for the bike would be hard luggage, although that is outside of the budget at this time. I will likely pick up mounting hardware for a GIVI top case over the winter. I already have the top case, just need to mount it.

[timmythecop]

I will likely pick up mounting hardware for a GIVI top case over the winter. I already have the top case, just need to mount it.

Did I sell you that top-box? I sell so much stuff I forgot. I know that I sent one to canda.

[Olive]

Did I sell you that top-box? I sell so much stuff I forgot. I know that I sent one to canda.

Nope. I bought it new from a local dealership a few bikes ago.

[timmythecop]

Did I sell you that top-box? I sell so much stuff I forgot. I know that I sent one to canda.

Nope. I bought it new from a local dealership a few bikes ago.

damn, I was hoping that at least something I used to own could go along on these epic travels.

[DIMford]

That's a fine ride report. I felt like I was there and it made me ache for the open road. I hope that I can pass on a report like that about my travels in Japan. Good luck and enjoy the VFR.

[Guest]

Great write up and thanks for sharing..