Your loooongest ride. | Page 3 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Your loooongest ride.

A little late to this party.

Back in 2006 I rode out to the east coast with a friend of mine. I was on an a 2000 R6 and he was on a late 90's Katana.
This was pre GPS days and we followed a paper map. I actually made the route using Microsoft Streets & Trips and printed out each section which was placed into a tank bag with map pocket.
Entire ride was about 5000 kms and 11 days total. We tented each day. Actually no..... one night in NS somewhere near Liverpool NS, we got late to the campsite so we opted for a "cabin".

This is the route we took (counter clockwise). This a rough example of it as I do not have the files nor printed copies. Knowing me, I may have them somewhere but not sure where but I would like to find them. I no longer use the email I used back then to send files to my friend.

I can't remember if we did PEI on this trip or not. I did repeat the same trip the following year in a cage with my GF at the time and we actually got engaged in Charlottetown, PEI. We drove the Cape Breton Island clockwise in the car and counterclockwise on the bike. The idea was that you would get better views if we were closer to the ocean on the outside lane. However, IMHO you experience better views if you do it clockwise.

Some highlights from the trip.
-Other then highways, we only averaged 300-400 kms each day. Mainly because we stopped often for a picture etc.

-Met a couple at a campsite in Maine. He was on a Goldwing pulling a small pop-up trailer and she was on something else. They stopped as his GW was having issues and needed to go into the shop. We saw them again heading into CBI as we were leaving. They stood out as he had the trademark yellow Goldwing with a trailer

-Surprisingly we made it across HWY 8 in NS in one piece. This is where we stayed in the cabin. The owner asked if we saw any wildlife. Thankfully we didn't as it was already late at night, we were in a rush to get to our site and there was a house (with no lights on) every few kms only. If we had an encounter with a deer or moose, I'm not sure how quick we would have received help. Oh... and no cell service either.

-Needed a new sprocket and chain somewhere in NS. Of course no shop had anything in stock. If I remember correctly, I had the chain adjusted so I can make it home.

-This was my second year of riding and on my first bike. At this point I realized that sport bikes are not my thing and I prefer the touring part of riding. This is also when I learned what a VStrom was and wanted one ever since. I jus couldn't get past the look as the early generations were fugly. 17 years later I purchased my first VStrom (DL1050)

-We figured since we are in lobster territory (top end of Cape Breton Island) , we would have a lobster for dinner. Needless to say, that was my first and last time having lobster. I have a feeling it wasn't cooked right as it was very rubbery and it almost came back up onto the plate. Other then fish, I am not a huge fan of seafood anyways.

-HWY 108 in NB was another nail biter. Long stretch between gas stations and we were lucky to make it on fumes from one station to the next.

-We actually did have in helmet communicators for the ride. Voice activated but we needed to blow into the mic to activate it. Still have my half of the pair in the basement.

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Did this is 2011. Just around 7,000km bike (2008 KLR) & ferry. Google maps wouldn't route via Argentia NL to N. Sydney so I added it myself (in blue). It was a group ride till I hit Gros Morne, had a friend re join to St. Johns and then met up again with people from the earlier section on the ferry & then solo from N. Sydney home.
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Downside is no one to help if you need it. My kid bailed me out in Pennsylvania when I had a flat.

'Gotta be self reliant.
Failing that you can usually rely on the kindness of strangers.
Or... if you don't mind really wimping out get yourself that gold tier CAA membership :)
 
if you don't mind really wimping out get yourself that gold tier CAA membership :)
When you're in the USA, that membership card isn't worth the plastic they issue.
AAA will "say" everything you need to hear.
But, three separate events have left 3 of us stranded. Tow trucks can't seem to find you, even with gps coordinates.
 
When you're in the USA, that membership card isn't worth the plastic they issue.
AAA will "say" everything you need to hear.
But, three separate events have left 3 of us stranded. Tow trucks can't seem to find you, even with gps coordinates.
I was in Colorado and my fuel pump died, my CAA card worked AAA sent a tow truck and was towed back to my hotel.
 
When you're in the USA, that membership card isn't worth the plastic they issue.
AAA will "say" everything you need to hear.

That hasn't been my experience...
As far as locating... 'Few years ago the rear axle on my F150 snapped somewhere in somewhat rural Missouri...
I didn't really know where I was, but they somehow ping'd my cell phone and were able to direct the tow truck operator to my location.
 
I was in Colorado and my fuel pump died, my CAA card worked AAA sent a tow truck and was towed back to my hotel.
Eight miles north of Warren PA, on a main road close to a golf course, we waited roadside from 2:30pm until 10pm after I crashed.
AAA said they'd haul my bike and my sorry ass to the duty free at the Peace Bridge, where CAA would transfer my bike and take me home.
None of that happened. Cops towed it, and I never saw it again.
$1400 later in a "one way" UHaul, I made it home. CAA reimbursed $600 (because gold card, otherwise $200 for basic).

Buddy broke down a couple miles outside Maryville TN. Called AAA and all goodness was arranged. Long story short.......multiple tow truck drivers couldn't find the church parking lot we waited in for 6 hours. Finally, a good Samaritan went home, hitched up his utility trailer, and took buddy's bike to Wheelers, for a fee.
He got a partial refund.

Another was waiting over 4 hours for a flat tire near Buffalo......no one from AAA showed.
Again, a good Samaritan helped me out.
No reimbursement.

Yet, after all this bs, I'm still a member, and don't know why.
 
Eight miles north of Warren PA, on a main road close to a golf course, we waited roadside from 2:30pm until 10pm after I crashed.
AAA said they'd haul my bike and my sorry ass to the duty free at the Peace Bridge, where CAA would transfer my bike and take me home.
None of that happened. Cops towed it, and I never saw it again.
$1400 later in a "one way" UHaul, I made it home. CAA reimbursed $600 (because gold card, otherwise $200 for basic).

Buddy broke down a couple miles outside Maryville TN. Called AAA and all goodness was arranged. Long story short.......multiple tow truck drivers couldn't find the church parking lot we waited in for 6 hours. Finally, a good Samaritan went home, hitched up his utility trailer, and took buddy's bike to Wheelers, for a fee.
He got a partial refund.

Another was waiting over 4 hours for a flat tire near Buffalo......no one from AAA showed.
Again, a good Samaritan helped me out.
No reimbursement.

Yet, after all this bs, I'm still a member, and don't know why.
Holy crap. That was the one and only time I used it. There was a delay and it was my fault. I war right at the mile marker on the I70 and thought I was in Colorado, but was in Utah, tow truck called me to ask where I was as he was looking at the mile marker (eastern Colorado). Said he can't make it I called AAA again, and guy showed up in 1/2 hour. I guess I was lucky. My incident was in August 2016
 
Eight miles north of Warren PA, on a main road close to a golf course, we waited roadside from 2:30pm until 10pm after I crashed.
AAA said they'd haul my bike and my sorry ass to the duty free at the Peace Bridge, where CAA would transfer my bike and take me home.
None of that happened. Cops towed it, and I never saw it again.


Man... If it weren't for bad luck you'd have no luck at all...!
 
On the road now. Some things in the USA are great.
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That’s the most I’ve paid today.
 
Made the 1500miles in just under 35hrs. Left Sunday at noon, finished about an hour ago.

Time for a cocktail then a well deserved sleep.
 
Furthest distance from home on a motorcycle was in India. Chandigarh to Chennai via Gujrat & Maharashtra: ~3200kms.

I sold my CBR 250 to my brother in law, back in 2015, as I had moved to Singapore a year earlier. The bike was in the northern part of India, in a city called Chandigarh. He had started working in Chennai, which is a city in Southern India. He asked me to assist in transporting the bike from Chandigarh to where he was no located i.e. if I knew of any movers/packers that could pack, load and ship the bike to him etc.

I told him to give me the money he intended on paying the movers, and I will ride it down to him. I just wanted the opportunity to ride, and being my BIL, there were absolutely no concerns from the wife :D

I flew to Delhi, and then to Chandigarh from Singapore. Carried my helmet with me. Picked up the bike, and rode it down to Chennai in a week.

Though I have done longer riders, as far as the odometer goes, but those were always round trips. This one particular saw me ride down, hand over the bike to my BIL, and fly back to Singapore a happy camper :)

One of the very few pics I have from that ride

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In my case, it was my honeymoon. We travelled about 3200 km from Mexico City to Bacalar, Tulum, and Merida and then back to Mexico City, which took around 14 days. However, only 7 of them were on the road; the rest were doing tourist stuff in the places we visited.

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Our longest day was the first one, which we did around 800 km. In this pic, we still have 230 kms to our destination and the sun was setting. It was horrible driving at night in an unknown place. (here, the mofo that came up with the idea).

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My wife is the champ, as she did this in the back of an F800R, far from a comfortable place.
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Less than a week later we were moving to Toronto to start our life here. That is why we took this photo with the two flags together
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