Ride Report- BC to Ontario on my XJ (Grab a seat and coffee)

This has been a long time coming but my computer froze the last time I tried to post this and I lost what I had at that point. Hope you find this inspiring or at least enjoyable.

I had been working in Invermere, British Columbia this past summer and once work was done I decided that I had 3 weeks before I had to be home for my best friend's wedding so I would do some sight seeing around the west coast before riding my XJ550 back home to Ontario.

I should start out with how I got my bike out west for the summer. I have a small car which isn't capable of towing a trailer, at least not through the mountains, and I left at the beginning of May so riding across the country wasn't a great idea as there was still snow in some parts along the way. So short of buying truck just to get me out west, I was left with this option...



Me and my sister loaded the bike up in my parents Dodge Caravan and drove 3 days to Invermere where she left me with my XJ for the summer.

Invermere is in southeastern BC near the Alberta border, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, and some of the most pristine mountain riding in the country! I headed out on the morning of September 7 and took hwy 95 north to the TransCanada (TCan) Highway 1 and turned west. No real complaints on the TCan but not much to really write home about either. Good conditions, good scenery, but also a lot of traffic and, with it being single lane most of the way to Vancouver, you end up getting stuck behind RVs and trucks until you get to a passing lane.







I stayed with family in Kamloops for the night and then continued on towards Chilliwack the next day. I opted to follow Hwy 1 versus the Coquihalla Hwy to avoid the freeway driving and to see a bit more of the backcountry. The scenery didn't disappoint! For the last couple hours before you get into Hope the highway twists along the Thompson River valley with great views of the river and adjacent rock faces (which I apparently forgot to take any pictures of...).

About halfway between Hope and Chilliwack is a turnoff for Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park which has a nice picnic area if you're looking for a spot to stop for lunch, and a nice 10-15 minute walk to the falls.



I spent the weekend in the Vancouver area. No real riding to tell of other than the Langley Show 'n Shine which was on that weekend with some cool custom bike builders on display.

Monday morning had me on the ferry headed for Vancouver Island. I have to say that motorcycle is the best way to travel on the ferry because you are the first one on and the first one off. Or worst case they can squeeze you on at the last minute if you're late (Speaking from experience).





Staying with a friend in Nanaimo, we did some daytripping to Port Alberni, Tofino, and Comox. The part of the island I saw was all beautiful but I think the climax of the scenery was once you turn off the Inland Island Highway towards Port Alberni and on towards Tofino. If you're looking for twisties the stretch from Port Alberni to the coast is what you're looking for; comparable to the Tail of the Dragon IMO.

Tofino was a nice surprise because with all the hype you hear about it you expect it to be pretty touristy, but the residents have done well to keep the small, surf town feel to it. Me and my buddy Matt spent the day surfing before heading back to Nanaimo (yes, we double rode on my 550 for 3+ hours each way!).







Upon returning to the mainland I headed north out of Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. Once again, good twisty sections and great coastal vistas. I rode through Whistler and Pemberton where I followed Hwy 99 onto the Duffy Lake Road which boasts upwards of 20% grades.

Despite the rain that had followed me to Pemberton, this was the best day of riding of the entire trip! The Duffy Lake Road's combination of highway speeds, sweeping curves, mountain switchbacks, sparse traffic, and phenomenal scenery makes it a must for any motorcyclist traveling through this area!




Unfortunately the morning rain fogged up my camera for the rest of the day.

The next 2 days found me from Kamploops back to Invermere and then on to Calgary, Alberta, and the rain followed me the whole way, only sparing me for the last hour into Calgary where the skies opened up and brought along a 20 mph wind at my back to help me along. It was especially unnerving when riding through Roger's Pass, just east of Revelstoke and watching the snow turn to rain above me.

I spent an extra day in Calgary to let the rain get ahead of me. And upon leaving Calgary the next day it was clear to me that I was in the prairies!



There's really not much to say about the riding that day; flat, cloudy, cold and windy. For anyone with the same name, I took a stop by Kyle, Saskatchewan, a personal goal since I found it in my grade 7 geography book.



Upon entering Saskatchewan I watched my speedometer self destruct as the needle started bouncing from one end of the numbers to the other and ultimately snapped itself right off. A few kilometres later I actually watched the backplate of the speedometer snap in half and the one piece jam itself into the tripometer.



11 hours, and just shy of 900 kilometres found me in Regina, SK for the night at the Regina International Hostel. Had it not been for what happened the next day, Regina would have left a nice impression on me; a clean city with its old legislative buildings and residential areas giving it a small town feel.



The next morning started with a run to the border with my next destination being Duluth, Minnesota; a mere 1150 kilometers from Regina. Saskatchewan, however, had other plans for me because 5 miles out of town I heard the "rat-tat-tat" of a chain skipping across the teeth of a sprocket. What I had initially thought to be my first gear slipping turned out to be a stretched chain. So of course to get to the chain to tighten it up I had to take off my duffel bag and my uncle's old softail saddlebags. With all my gear spread out on the shoulder I managed to tighten up the chain enough to hobble back into town to a bike shop.



Parts were going to be upwards of 4 days to come in which, if nothing else went wrong, would get me home 2 days before my buddy's wedding. At that point it wasn't a risk I was willing to take so I left my bike there, packed up my stuff, and headed towards the Regina airport.

I flew home, made it to the wedding with lots of time to spare, and then loaded up the mini-van and made the 3 day trip each way to go pick up my baby. Kind of suiting that I should bring it home by the same means that got me out west at the beginning of the summer.

I have to admit, given the other circumstances I was under at the time, I actually considered selling my bike in Regina before heading home. It was a very low point, but I am really glad I held on to it, even with the extra hassle of getting it home.

Overall, the 2 weeks I spent on my bike were some of the best weeks of my life! I learned a lot about motorcycle tripping and even with as miserable as I was after that last day across Saskatchewan and once I got home, within a couple days I was dying to be back on my bike again!

I have to send out a couple shout-outs; first to my sister for taking me out west in the first place, and for booking my plane ticket and picking me up from the airport when I flew home. To my mom, who came with me to pick the bike up again after i got home, and for letting me borrow her van for both trips. To Alsport Sales in Regina, and especially to Blair Galger behind the service desk who stored my bike for nearly a month completely free of charge! If you ever find yourself in a pinch in Regina, I highly recommend them. And lastly to every member of this forum who helped me rebuild my bike last winter, fix my mistakes through the summer, and who will help me keep the bike running tip-top for years, and trips, to come!

 

Wow man sounds like a awesome trip. Im hopeing to make it out to tour BC on my bike next year. Definitaly going to try to get to Duffy Lake RD.

 

Nice Pictures. Need to try that someday. Would like to check out the Rockies. I had the same problem with my speedometer but it bounced till it snapped the needle off. Replaced it once with a piece of shrink tubing. Painted red looks great & now Speedometer back in action.

 

Great pics, beautiful scenery we should have a few more of these reports always good to see other members part of the world.
Looks cold.
Thanks a lot enjoyed the read.

 

Great story. I love how everybody says 550s are "too small" for road trips, yet Ranger G., you, me, and a few others do just fine traveling on them.

Tip for traveling on a chain-driven bike: Be sure to add the tools necessary for adjusting the chain to the onboard tool kit, a few new cotter pins, and I carry a "travel size" can of chain lube as well.

Good stuff. Oh, and your instrument cluster comes apart, so the speedo "guts" can be easily replaced.

 

Absolutely awesome -- love these road trip stories -- and pictures -- the 550 cast agaist a field of disinterested cows is priceless -- any ending where you are back safely is a good ending!!!

 

Great story and pics! One of these days....

 

Thanks for sharing your story! I too love the ride reports. Maybe the fact that the XJ is stuck in the corner of the garage waiting for spring has something to do with my enjoyment of these reports.
At ADVrider.com there are tons of ride reports from all over the world, but its great to see one here from someone who did it on an XJ!

 

Thanks guys! Glad you enjoyed it. I should mention that the total distance of the trip was just short of 4200 km in 15 days.

 

Thanks for sharing It's always cool to see what other people are doing with their XJs.

Here's to better mechanical luck next time, eh?

 

Awesome! Nice ride, nice story, nice pics.. Congratulations on a job well done!

 

Re: Ride Report- BC to Ontario on my XJ (Grab a seat and cof

Nice report of a great trip. The names of some of the Canadian cities make me smile. Chilliwack? In Washington state we have some doozies too. How about Humptulips?

Thanks for the report,

Loren