heading to detroit...anything interesting along the way? | GTAMotorcycle.com

heading to detroit...anything interesting along the way?

iblastoff

Well-known member
coming from west end of toronto.

also curious which border should i try to get across? the one up at sarnia or the tunnel? this would be on an early monday morning/afternoon.
 
Aim for Windsor.
You'll have two choices to cross into the USA, a bridge (Ambassador) or the tunnel.
The tunnel is a fume tube.
 
401 from London to Windsor is a pain in the ass - been under construction for years....
Crossing over, don't know if bikes are allowed in the tunnel (I don't know they aren't either...) - but I'd aim for the bridge if given the option.
 
There is basically nothing interesting for a motorcyclist SW of the Escarpment except Grand Bend Motoplex. You're gonna see flat roads, lots of windmills, and smell **** in the fields.

Kinda sad that the most interesting motorcycle road through that area is the 401.
 
Nope, nope, nope. No interest at all in riding anywhere out that way except at Grand Bend, and maybe the north shore of Lake Erie. Flat, boring, grid-pattern roads otherwise.

What's the purpose of the trip? If it's business or shopping or visiting people etc., take the car. If the motorcycle is your only functioning choice of transportation then you might as well just take the main roads because the secondary roads are not interesting anyhow. Depending on "where" in Detroit you are going, I have a slight preference for the 402 - Sarnia - I94 route, simply because the interruption at passport control happens an hour earlier when it's good to take a little break anyhow. And at least there's a nice view out over Lake Huron from the Blue Water Bridge.
 
also curious which border should i try to get across? the one up at sarnia or the tunnel?
I used to drive to Dearborn from Milton every week before covid. Leave at 6 am, in the office between 8:30-9 am.
Tried all borders , Sarnia was the best, Windsor worst.
I eventually got Nexus and border crossing was a breeze.
 
Last time I was there was 2017, so things may have changed since. Nothing worth mentioning in Ontario, but if you go through Sarnia, two places in Michigan I used to visit are:

sportbiketrackgear.com: Sportbike Track Gear · 56844 Mound Rd, Shelby Township, MI 48316

Lebanese Grill on Hall Rd: Lebanese Grill · 45278 Market St, Shelby Township, MI 48315

Sportbiketrackgear.com didn't charge local tax if you were from Canada, and although they have a small showroom, most of their sales are online, so you browse their website to see if you like anything, then call and ask for local pickup.

Lebanese Grill used to have an amazing house specialty beef medallions with lemon herb sauce on rice. While it's long gone from their menu, they still made it for me every time I dropped by and told them how much I loved it. Taste-wise, it's actually closer to Greek/Italian than Lebanese, which suits me fine. If I'm in Michigan for any reason, I always stop to eat there, even if it's out of the way.
 
I stayed at an Airbnb in Leamington on one of my trips last year.
Had a 9:00am departure and followed the lake around.
It was a nice ride.
Light traffic until I got close to Sarnia.
There was a closure of Hwy3 East of Point Pelee due to sections falling into Lake Erie.
West of Point Peele was fine.
It may be a bit of a detour but on one of my trips from Edmonton to California I stopped in Prince Edward County
because "It was along the way"

Leamington-Windsor.jpg
 
Back in the early 70s cruising Woodward Ave was the thing to do.
Detroit was the murder capital of North America at the time with 600 to 700 a year.
 
I have always crossed in Sarnia. Be careful with possible backups on the 402. I saw a fatal crash happen there where a tractor trailer didn't touch the brakes for stopped traffic.
 
#3 along the northern shore of Lake Erie is scenic but the road has washed away just east of Wheatley.
 
Go to Hell.........

...Michigan
Or better yet Dine with Jesus on the way to Hell. It's a great place (nicely shaded) for a picnic and when we did it the community center next to it was having a car show. Got to break bread with the J man while watching rods roll in.


EDIT: The J man sculpter is Canadian
 
Nope, nope, nope. No interest at all in riding anywhere out that way except at Grand Bend, and maybe the north shore of Lake Erie. Flat, boring, grid-pattern roads otherwise.

What's the purpose of the trip? If it's business or shopping or visiting people etc., take the car. If the motorcycle is your only functioning choice of transportation then you might as well just take the main roads because the secondary roads are not interesting anyhow. Depending on "where" in Detroit you are going, I have a slight preference for the 402 - Sarnia - I94 route, simply because the interruption at passport control happens an hour earlier when it's good to take a little break anyhow. And at least there's a nice view out over Lake Huron from the Blue Water Bridge.
purpose is to get to a concert venue in detroit for the night! definitely not a planned trip specifically for a nice bike ride or anything.

sounds like main road it is!
 

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