34468Randy

I'm in for the event this summer - looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting a few riders that I only know from the form.

What?!? Huh?!?!??!? We can LIKE posts now?!? I have never noticed it before. Interesting...

This being said, that is good news Olive. A Hootenanny without you wouldn't be the same....

BTW, how do you ever choose between the twins?!??! Just curious...

Cheers,

C

They used to have this feature over at VFRW as well but it disappeared a few years ago. Too bad. It is a great feature. Lets people know you are on line with their line of thought.

I gave a heads up to an Auzzie who will be here for July - September. He was making mention of renting a bike and taking his son on a tour sometime. I sent him the link.

Well here is some irony. After 5 years of pining about making it out to one of our events, everything finally manged to work out where I signed up for this one. Then an great deal came up on a concours and I traded the VFR in.

Hope nobody minds me showing up on a different ride.

I am confident you will not be the only one there without a VFR. You will be expected to do many things though. Most bikes will require debugging at the end of the day, VFR's first of course, while we suck back on ice cold ambers.

My intended travel plans for this year are all screwed up....except this one. Still looking forward to it. All those wishing to attend, please help Funkie by getting registered and paid.

Looking forward to meeting a lot of you, and renewing acquaintances with a couple.

Foot note. Let me know if you prefer for me to keep your phone number to myself

There is a fair sized crew from the Wet Coast riding though. Google maps claims it is just shy of 7 hours from Chilliwack to Nelson. I think that is being conservative, especially with a larger group. All of those west coasters who are interested in riding out as a group let me know via private message. I will keep a list off line until a few days before departure then post up.

Send me your PM here at VFRD with the following:

34468Randy, Chilliwack, 1 person, 1 bike departing home 09:00, 2 hours per tank of fuel, Contact number 604-316-6447

We will muster here in Chilliwack at the Tim Horton's on Luckakuck Way in the same plaza as Real Canadian Superstore. Many will be familiar with the one on Vedder and Luckakuck but it that is too congested. This one is just about 200 meters east of that at 45793 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, BC V2R 5S3. It is a far better meeting point. Lots of room and easy access to the road when leaving. There is only one traffic light between there and the freeway access so we can regroup after that traffic light easily at a less busy access ramp if need be. Most if not all of us can make Princeton on a tank I would think. We can determine our next stop from there. We can pick up anyone on the way. With a stop for lunch we can arrive with lots of time to spare and shew the fat Friday afternoon and evening in Nelson. Kick stands up at 10:00 sharp.

This is a suggestion. It is our commute, not mine. I will just act as the slave. I am open for minor changes but not last minute ones unless that cannot be avoided. Lets keep this thread clear of our clutter and do this via PM. I will post up our plans ahead of time so that others will know.

Gotcha. I'll keep updating the confirmed and paid list in the main post.

I just sent you an email for clarification Mike. Wanting to change my reservations by adding to it.

Booked

If I were riding from Winnipeg through to Medicine Hat again, cause I have done that, I could flip Depot Division the birdy as I rode by Regina That in itself makes that ride worthwhile.

Seriously though, I think the prairies gets a bad rap. Granted, if that was all I had to ride in every day, I may tire of that. But the prairies has its own beauty. I know just north east of Jeff, there is some really gorgeous country.

Trailer! My oath!

Trailer! My oath!

It actually works out to about $37.50 per night or $75.00 for your stay for the two nights. Now that is a deal.

Hell yeah, that's an incredible deal - that's what I'm talkin' about right there! More beer money!

Do they have a fire pit on site for us to have some wobbly's around at night?

@Randy ... which way are you heading back home? I'm thinking I might take a few extra days and visit family in Kelowna for a day.

I would post some pix of fine parking in north east Oregon if I could figure out how to all photos to this site.

Thank you for your work on this. Much appreciated. I know it is a lot of work.

Now. That sounds a whole lot better.

Even though I have only met a couple of you, I am really feeling the connection here.

No VFR. Back of the pak, second in food line, and bottom of beer jug. You're all cheat'n no good traitors.

When we get closer to the date, I will try to arrange a group convoy of those from the Fraser Valley. Looks like we will be reasonably represented. Even the ride to Nelson from here is a nice ride. The Crowsnest Hwy (Hwy3) is a nice bike ride almost the whole way. Have to hustle my but back home right after though for my wedding anniversary. Someone would not be amused if I were out riding about then.

Sheat. I'm old enough to be your daddy....maybe...I don't think the savings you would realize traveling stateside will make a huge difference on a bike. The asphalt along the northern states is quite aggressive so your traction is great, but it is much harder on your rubber, so I think it would be an even trade off. If I were you, I would get off the TCH at Medicine Hat and take the Crowsnest through to Nelson. Unless of course, you intend on meeting up with Superfunc. Then again, he might agree to meet you down around Ft MacLeod.

This is gonna be great Hope rjgti can make it.

I think he needs to get a permission slip as well. :)

What's that!

Hummmm. I'm thinking. I've taken the trans-Canada hwy before on trips to Banff for camping. I recall vast prairie/grasslands/farm fields. Great for making time. Not so much for scenery. But then No. Dakota and E. Montana is no better. And Canada may be cooler. But I'm old and slow.

Still thinking.

Yah, it's pretty wide open and straight, very much like ND and MT ... your dollar will go further that's for sure.

It's OK ... I'm no spring chicken either, and if we can rjgti to come as well, he's not either! :)

Let me know either way ... we have lots of time to figure it out. I'll likely be doing a Black Hills trip in early June as well.

Sheat. I'm old enough to be your daddy....maybe...I don't think the savings you would realize traveling stateside will make a huge difference on a bike. The asphalt along the northern states is quite aggressive so your traction is great, but it is much harder on your rubber, so I think it would be an even trade off. If I were you, I would get off the TCH at Medicine Hat and take the Crowsnest through to Nelson. Unless of course, you intend on meeting up with Superfunc. Then again, he might agree to meet you down around Ft MacLeod.

This is gonna be great Hope rjgti can make it.

196,000 km??? Randy, you are now my hero!!

C

Nah. Not really. When I stop, I increase my chances of falling over. Its an age thing you know. So best keep moving. Been looking for training wheels. You know. Like a walker for bikers.

I'm in. But go easy on me cause I am a VFRD ride virgin...well sorta. Went on a couple joint VFRD/VFRW rides.

Goig to be a busy time. End of May I am heading down to VFRW's R3 2016 if it is held. Hauling the 5th wheel to Winnipeg in June, then this ride

Just hope the bike holds up. It is over 196,000 km now. I didn't see the payment plans. Maybe tomorrow I will read over this in case I missed it. $75.00 a night is not bad, but it is a stretch to call that cheap. Regardless, I can sell myself on the CHilliwack street corners to raise the required funds

Bring her with you. Problem solved.

She has made it perfectly clear to me, she will not get on this bike. I've had it since August 06, since new, and she has never even straddled the seat so I kinda think that is out. Besides....bring your wife on a group ride? She does not have my balls in her purse you know.

Just found this one. Would have loved to go but t ends on my wedding anniversary. Wife is pretty good about my taking off for days at a time for rides, one actually lasting 5 weeks and some 7,000 miles. But I think I would be buying her an new home if I weren't home for the anniversary. Also going on another few rides and trying the Border to Border Iron butt this spring so being on fixed income, I have to pick and choose. Sorry Choco. Would have been good to see you again.

So Rain off is basically the same as Rainex. Use that stuff on my visor with pretty good success. But as the visor becomes pitted from use, that becomes less effective.

I will have to google rainoff. Never heard of that. I am always looking for something better. FYI. I started riding in August 2006 with a new in the crate bike. Now I have just over 100,000 miles. Until I retired this past spring I rode to and from work 100 miles round trip, mostly freeway here on the west coast of Canada year round. Several times I had been caught in -10C temps and many many more times, typically ride in sub freezing temps. Been caught in the snow too but did not like that one bit. I do not have electric grips. I have used Technik winter gloves and have stayed quite comfortable with them alone. But in the very heavy rain, my hands got wet.

Now having said that, I like what Monk has there. If they are rubber coated, they would be the cat's ass for keeping my hands dry. And keeping wind off the hands is probably 50% of the issue to keep warm hands. Especially when I make my annual pilgimage from Chilliwack BC to Atascadero California on the US Memorial Day weekend. Typically it is very wet until I get over the Siskiew Pass on the I-5 and down into the warmer northern California valley.

I have the Nova HID lights. They are nice and bright but to be quite honest with you, I would never buy them again. Between the four I have on my bike, and the four I have on my truck, I have replaced the ballasts at least 4 or 5 times in two years. They are lifetime warranty but the dealer who sells them in the lower mainland of BC moves his business more often that I wash my bike. Usually when I show up for a new ballast, he is not there and has passed the problem off to one of his partners or staff.

If I were to do it all over again, I would go for the Pias.