2019 Epic Trip - Help
- Thread starter Mad Mike
- Start date
Iceman
Well-known member
Perhaps, but they have released a lot of new tires in recent years. No way are those Yokohama molds from the 90's.
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Hack
Well-known member
Oh for sure... I think just initially they bought EVERYTHING, but have probably developed more stuff since.
'Read an article that said Shinko HQ and design is in Japan... Manufacture is done in Korea.
There’s a lot of hills in that photo. That’s not what I remember of the prairies - I swore I could see Calgary from Winnipeg at one point. 
Hack
Well-known member
There’s a lot of hills in that photo. That’s not what I remember of the prairies - I swore I could see Calgary from Winnipeg at one point.
On a clear day yes...
Somewhere between Swift Current and Moose Jaw... August. 38 degrees.
Yup, that's how I recall it.On a clear day yes...
Somewhere between Swift Current and Moose Jaw... August. 38 degrees.
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There’s a lot of hills in that photo. That’s not what I remember of the prairies - I swore I could see Calgary from Winnipeg at one point.
There are some really beautiful valleys west of moosejaw (near belle plaine). It wasnt terrain that I was expecting.
lighter bike.
I did say Great Plains ...not the Prairies....yes there is lots of flat but not all especially in the US.
In reality ...there is only 560 km of really flat from Audubon Minn to the foot hills of the Rockies and that can be blitzed at 140 kph+
https://goo.gl/maps/nf5zMkoSMdT2
Good audio book will get you through that....me too maybe this June if all goes well.
I did say Great Plains ...not the Prairies....yes there is lots of flat but not all especially in the US.
In reality ...there is only 560 km of really flat from Audubon Minn to the foot hills of the Rockies and that can be blitzed at 140 kph+
https://goo.gl/maps/nf5zMkoSMdT2
Good audio book will get you through that....me too maybe this June if all goes well.
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Mad Mike
Well-known member
270's a great, like I mentioned I have them on a little scrambler and I've run them on ADV bikes in the past. This trip is all on roads -- some highway, hardtop and gravel -- I need durability and high speed manners on all types of highway surfaces. The KLR and DL650 are also different -- the DL is about 15% heavier, puts out double the power, and can run well above the 270's speed limit. I'm not a hooligan, but I do run hard and sometimes fast -- the 270 is a respectable tire and on some bikes the right choice -- I just don't think it's what I need for this trip.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I have a few things yet to figure out for this trip:
1) Best weeks to travel - considerations are weather and bugs.
2) Tires. I have liots of experience with lightweight ADV tires in the 50/50 category. I'm planning for some good highway speeds and nothing off road. Probably 80/20. I currently run Metzler Roadtechs -- excellent on pavement, not so good off road. This tour is gonna be on asphalt and come loose gravel highway. Need to figure out the best tires.
3) Looking for recommendations on camp stops and motels. I'm OK camping but like a motel stop every 5 days.
1) Best weeks to travel - considerations are weather and bugs.
2) Tires. I have liots of experience with lightweight ADV tires in the 50/50 category. I'm planning for some good highway speeds and nothing off road. Probably 80/20. I currently run Metzler Roadtechs -- excellent on pavement, not so good off road. This tour is gonna be on asphalt and come loose gravel highway. Need to figure out the best tires.
3) Looking for recommendations on camp stops and motels. I'm OK camping but like a motel stop every 5 days.
Unless you're travelling through a big city where finding either/or could be a problem, or you are in an area with a known large event that is apt to have all available options booked out, just wing it. You'll often get better rates on motels just showing up out of the blue and just being politely blunt and asking them to offer you something better than their rack rate - showing up to a motel with a mostly empty parking lot in the late evening (7-9PM) will often yield a better rate as motel owners know it's a "best to get something vs nothing" situation at that point.
Same for campgrounds - unless you are against rough camping somewhere should you find all available campground options full, just wing it....again, short of major cities or busy areas.
I've travelled long distances by motorcycle with both meticulously laid plans, and no plans at all. I found the latter far more liberating and enjoyable, again, assuming that you're willing to just pitch your tent just about anywhere if need be and crash for the night.
J_F
Guest
a tight agenda doesn't work well on a bike
too many variables that can reduced anticipated kms done in a day
a proper GPS is your best friend for bike tripping
you can do your research first, and plot on a paper map
potential stops for gas, food, lodging
knowing exactly where you are
and accurate timelines to get to certain places
is where a quality GPS with map data built in is a godsend
can't rely on phone connectivity, and phone nav apps generally suck
to each their own
but on long trips I only look ahead about 1/2 day at a time
with of course a rough outline of where I need to be over the course of a few days
this allows variances for negative factors, and positive distractions
too many variables that can reduced anticipated kms done in a day
a proper GPS is your best friend for bike tripping
you can do your research first, and plot on a paper map
potential stops for gas, food, lodging
knowing exactly where you are
and accurate timelines to get to certain places
is where a quality GPS with map data built in is a godsend
can't rely on phone connectivity, and phone nav apps generally suck
to each their own
but on long trips I only look ahead about 1/2 day at a time
with of course a rough outline of where I need to be over the course of a few days
this allows variances for negative factors, and positive distractions
Depends on direction.
I favour June all around for the long days but going west if you are doing Glacier then might be too early.
North Shore on the St Lawrence can be bloody chilly too yet July and August are really jammed for accommodation in the east.
With the Arctic so warm ....fronts are stalling so you might get epic rains that don't want to move out....you can also get long lovely stretches of high pressure that stick around.
Frankly I'd have a secondary route sorted. You do have an El Nino almost certain for the spring ...starting as early as Feb 2019 and that might see warm temperatures in the west.
I'd plot two trips.
I do think Mitas E07s your best bet for the DL650. I think you'll miss the stability of the 50/50 in gravel.
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Hack
Well-known member
I'm usually a chain type hotel guest, however... I did stop one night in a place called Wolseley Sask. http://www.wolseleymotel.ca/our-hotel.html
It doesn't look like much from the outside, but... The room was SPOTLESS, modern and very nicely appointed... Service was excellent and price was well withing reason.
The Ambassador Motel in Sault St,. Marie was also very good...
Mad Mike
Well-known member
I'm not worried about the trip logistics... I spent 20+ straight years bumbling my way around Canada and the USA -- my rendition of "I've been everywhere Man" is longer than Stompin' Tom and Johnny Cash's strung together.
I plan road trips loosely leaving lots of allowances for routes and arrival times - I'm learned not to be a slave to routines, routes or schedules. I've also learned to make the best of what you have, sometimes that's a tent pitched wherever you can find 50sq feet of dry ground.
I'm leaning toward the Trans Lab trip since it's one of the places Ive never been. That route has no secondary routes... there's only one lonely 1710km road between Baie Comeau and Blanc Sablon.
My 1st cut at a rough plan looks like this:
Day 1: Toronto to 3 Rivers
Day 2: Baie Comeau (QC) (Motel)
Day 3: Fire Lake (Lab)
Day 4: Churchill Falls
Day 5: Happy Valley (Motel)
Day 6: Mary's Harbour
Day 7: Pidgeon Cove (NL)
Day 8: Rocky Harbour
Day 9 North Sydney (NS) (Motel)
Day 10 Around Cape Breton
Day 11 Saint John
Day 12 Bangor ME
Day 13 Tupper Lake NY
Day 14 Home
I have an extra 7 days available should attractions, hazards or weather decide to have their way with me.
I plan road trips loosely leaving lots of allowances for routes and arrival times - I'm learned not to be a slave to routines, routes or schedules. I've also learned to make the best of what you have, sometimes that's a tent pitched wherever you can find 50sq feet of dry ground.
I'm leaning toward the Trans Lab trip since it's one of the places Ive never been. That route has no secondary routes... there's only one lonely 1710km road between Baie Comeau and Blanc Sablon.
My 1st cut at a rough plan looks like this:
Day 1: Toronto to 3 Rivers
Day 2: Baie Comeau (QC) (Motel)
Day 3: Fire Lake (Lab)
Day 4: Churchill Falls
Day 5: Happy Valley (Motel)
Day 6: Mary's Harbour
Day 7: Pidgeon Cove (NL)
Day 8: Rocky Harbour
Day 9 North Sydney (NS) (Motel)
Day 10 Around Cape Breton
Day 11 Saint John
Day 12 Bangor ME
Day 13 Tupper Lake NY
Day 14 Home
I have an extra 7 days available should attractions, hazards or weather decide to have their way with me.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
No St John's. Been around the Rock a few times, things change slowly there so I don't need to do it again. Also the ferry from Argentia is uncomfortably long, from checkin to departure is 18-20 hours and sleeping on that boat is tough. I also want to see more of the Gros Morne and the western fjords.
Trail attack 2 would be my tire recommendation i have been surprised how well they do on and off road. They look like a sport touring tire but work very well in dirt.
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