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Anyone Out There?

2K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Bevin 
#1 ·
Does anyone still read this forum? I rode my GL650 from Surrey BC to Grasslands NP in Saskatchewan last summer, 4200 trouble-free kms. I leave for this year's trip to Salt Ste. Marie ON on July 26th so wave if you see me.
 
#4 ·
Bevin, in addition to many others, I also read this forum. How about posting some pictures from your previous trips and some from this years. If this years trip had been scheduled later in the summer you could have linked up with DaveF and looped down to Pa and the Amish rally! Maybe next year. Doubt if I will see you go by but I can offer a big
and wish you a safe trip!



Gene
 
#7 ·
I'm leaving Surrey this Friday, July 20 - overnight in Revelstoke or Golden, then through Banff and south on Alberta 22 to Lethbridge. Hwy 3 to Medicine Hat then to Fort Walsh SK (Ft Walsh was one of the historic sites I wanted to visit last year but I turned around just south of Maple Creek due to severe thunderstorms). From there a southern route via Weyburne SK, Winkler, MB then into the USA across Minnesota and the UP of Michigan to the Soo. Coming home its all Canada, via T. Bay. Wimnipeg, the Yellowhead to Saskatoon then to Calgary, Banff again and down 95 to Cranbrook in time for a Bob Dylan concert with my son on Aug 12. Should be a good trip. I'll post a few times enroute (especially since many Tim's now have wifi!)
 
#8 ·
Sounds like a great trip. You will be hustling to get to Revelstoke or Golden. But it will be nice once you leave the Vancouver traffic behind.



Have you been to Fort Steele outside of Cranbrook? It's worth a stop.



Keep us posted.If you come through the Okanogan we will try and meet up and ride a ways with you.



Kevin
 
#9 ·
Hey Bevin,



Its 4:45 PM and we had a massive rain storm through the Okanagan. Not sure how far you made it today. I'm not listed on the Travelers Assistance, but if your soaking wet, your welcome to lodge at my place. You can reach me at 250 767 six five six zero. You can dry out overnight, have breakfast and be on your way.



Tuy_Kat
 
#10 ·
Well I'm halfway through my trip. I'm just finishing a week's R&R at a relative's lakefront cottage at Batchawana Bay north of Sault Ste. Marie with my wife and grandaughter who flew in from Vancouver. Tomorrow I leave on the westward leg.



I left my home in Surrey BC (a suburb of Vancouver) on Saturday July 21. I travelled the Crow's Nest route, Hwy 3 camping beside the Columbia River at Trail BC the first night. Sunday morning I went over the Kootenay Pass and had lunch with my son and daughter in-law in Cranbrook BC and on to Lethbridge AB, camping at Henderson Lake right in the city on Sunday night. Monday morning I set out on Hwy 3 and joined the Trans Canada at Medicine Hat into Saskatchewan.



I went onto reserve on a desolate stretch of Number 1 much sooner than I expected. I should have gassed up in Maple Creek but didn't want to leave the highway now various running out of gas scenerios went through my mind. I virtually coasted into the Co-Op station at Tompkins - I was never so glad to see gas pumps in my life! I went onto reserve again only 240 km later since I was fighting a very strong Saskatchewan head wind, but I was nearly to Moose Jaw where I camped for the night.



After a night of listening to the transports on Hwy 1 and the westbound trains on the CPR mainline I headed towards Weyburn and Estevan. I crossed into North Dakota at 12:30 on Tuesday and made my way to Minot ND and US 2. I managed to stay ahead of a thunder storm from Minot to Grand Forks where it finally caught up to me so I decided to motel it.



Wednesday morning was fime and I headed out on Hwy 2 across MN and WI and into MI. I was planning to camp in Ironwood MI but there was a motel right across the highway from the campsite with a $39 Single Senior rate which grabbed my attention. Ironwood turned out to be a dry town, no beer at either of the restaurants I went to. The motel turned out to be a good decision as it rained overnight and was still raining off and on in the morning



I put my raingear on for the first time and started out. I took Hwy 28 at Wakefield MI and started across the UP. The rain stopped before Marquette MI and I got out of my raingear. At 3:00 Thursday I reached I75 and crossed the bridge and border back into Canada at Sault ste. Marie. 3703 km as per my optimistic speedometer in 6 days, not bad.



Tomorrow I head west, Hwy 17 to Thunder Bay. I've been seeing lots of stuff about the Circle Lake Superior Tour so when I get to Thunder Bay I'm going to cross into MN towards Duluth. This will complete my personal circumnavigation of the Big Lake.



From there the plan is north to International Falls and Kenora ON, Hwy 1 to Winnipeg then the Yellowhead to Jasper AB, down the parkway towards Banff and Hwy 93 through the Kootenays to Cranbrook in time for the Bob Dylan concert there on August 12.



Something I just realized - Bob Dylan (aka Robert Zimmerman) was born in Duluth MN - Hwy 61 is the route from Thunder Bay to Duluth - will I be travelling down the namesake of the title of Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited on a motorcycle heading towards his concert? Cool.
 
#11 ·
Well, I completed my Vancouver to Sault Ste. Marie return trip.



I left the cottage on Batchawana Bay on Friday, Aug. 3 taking the Canadian route, Hwy 17 North, around Lake Superior. I camped at Rainbow Falls PP at Rossport and had a great prime rib dinner at the Serendipity Gardens restaurant in Rossport. I woke early Saturday to a beautiful red sky which had me reciting the old mantra, "red sky at night ... etc". Well the "red sky in the morning, sailor take warning" turned out to be accurate, thankfully it only started raining after I had the bike packed for departure. By time I got to the Terry Fox memorial near Thunder Bay the rain had stopped. I went through Thunder Bay to Hwy 61 and south to the US border. The stretch from T Bay to the border is a great stretch of road, curves and great scenery.



I crossed into Minnesota at Grand Portage and continued south to Duluth, completing my circumnavigation of Lake Superior. I was pleased to see that the portion of Hwy 61 in Duluth is sign posted Bob Dylan Way. After a false start in downtown Duluth I finally found Hwy 53 and headed northwest through the Iron Range.



The sky was dark and threatening so I stopped at Cook MN and put my rain gear on. Wise decision as I rode through several thundershowers on the way to International Falls where I took a motel for the night. I crossed the short but expensive toll bridge into Canada at Fort Frances early Sunday morning and headed west and north on Hwy 71 through the relatively flat farmland and then into the rocky lake-filled landscape of the Nestor Falls and Sioux Lookout Lake of the Woods area joining the TCH Hwy 17 again at Kenora.



We lived in Winnipeg for a few years in the early 1970's and one thing that always struck me then was the transition from forest to prairie at Steinbach MB, I was looking forward to seeing it again and wasn't disappointed. (I am always reminded of this when I travel west on Hwy 1 toward Chilliwack BC, you round a curve on a hill and suddenly the forest gives way to the flatness of the eastern Fraser Valley.)



I had planned a couple of days in Winnipeg but after not being able to contact our friends on the long weekend, I decided to continue heading west. I couldn't find a campsite near Brandon so kept on to Virden MB, finally camping after a 1030 km day. I rode into town looking for dinner and found Wendell's Cafe on the highway. I had a wonderful, home-cooked dinner which I could barely finish, a full rack of ribs (with gravy, not BBQ), soup, coleslaw, baked potato, vegetables and coffee for only $11.50!



Beautiful weather greeted me on the holiday Monday as I crossed into Saskatchewan. Other than stopping for a coffee and wi-fi break I had no reason to linger in Regina so headed towards Moose Jaw. I had intended to gas up and have lunch but didn't feel hungry so skipped it. The temperature was soaring and I decided that I would stop for an ice cream and a drink at the shorebird interpretive Nature Centre at Chaplin. Before I got there I was shocked to see my voltage meter fluctuating wildly and showing a discharge. I pulled in to Chaplin for a half hour break, and as I got ready to leave the starter barely turned over but the bike did start, the guage still showed discharge even when I revved the engine and I thought, "Stator - again, third time!" I rode slowly through the town (pop 400) but everything was closed for the long weekend - I did note an agricultural machinery shop and a Greyhound agent so thought at worst case I could probably leave the bike there, catch a bus to Regina and fly home. As I puttered through the town I glanced at the voltage meter and it was charging! It kept charging so I decided to make for Swift Current where there were more options available. As long as I kept my speed between 90 and 100 kph the bike kept charging, over 5000 rpm and the needle fluctuated wildly, so I kept to the left side of my lane and tried to enjoy the leisurely, though stressful pace.



102 degrees at Swift Current! I stopped for gas and the bike fired up OK, so I continued west toward Medicine Hat AB at the same under 100 kph rate with countless semis hauling 2 53 foot trailers passing me like I was standing still. I rode through Medicine Hat (also 102 F) looking for a motel and at the junction of Hwy 3 made a quick decision to head towards Lethbridge. My ultimate goal was to make it to my son's place in Cranbrook BC.



I stopped for the night at Taber AB after 900 stressful kms. I carried a multimeter and battery tender/charger with me so I removed the battery and took it into the room with me. The battery, which I just bought in June, was low on water, particularly 2 of the cells. I topped it up with drinking water, put it on charge and dropped into bed for the best night's sleep of the trip.



In the morning the red light on the battery charger was still glowing indicating that the battery had not taken a full charge. I replaced the battery, refilled the coolant (did I mention the white smoke?) loaded up and headed out. The bike started and ran great! 110 kph with no problem, charging and temperature in the low-normal range. What the heck?



Just past Lethbridge the Rockies came into view on the horizon, excellent sight! I stopped at Blairmore AB before tackling the Crow's Nest Pass and the bike was reluctant to start, the starter just turned over but it finally caught on one cylinder and blew a cloud of white smoke from both mufflers that would make a 2-stroke jealous. With BC within view I continued on, and once moving the bike seemed to run fine. I made Cranbrook with no further issues and after a short stop decided the keep on going, my overnight goal was now Grand Forks BC. I stopped at Creston BC to decide which route to follow. The choices were to continue on Hwy 3 over the Kootenay Pass or the flatter route, Hwy 3A to Nelson via the Kootenay Lake ferry.



I opted for the Pass thinking that if I had major problems going up I could coast back down and be near Creston. There was a travel trailer ahead of me maintaining 80-90 kph up the hill which suited me fine, I hung back and tailed him. The bike's temperature was climbing but not into the red, over the summit and downhill the temperature dropped to low normal. I stopped in Castlegar for gas before tackling the Bonanza Pass enroute to Grand Forks. I reached the campsite in Grand Forks at about 5 pm and after a short rest decided that since it was still early I would continue on towards Osoyoos. The ride was uneventful until I stopped at the Anarchist Mountain summit to clean my windshield since I was riding directly into the setting sun. When the bike started it blew tremendous amounts of white smoke which took longer to clear than usual. As I rode into Osoyoos I realized that I would be lucky to find a campsite there and if I did it would be expensive, so once again I decided to continue on, this time towards the Stemwinder BC PP campsite west of Hedley BC.



I considered continuing, even making for home since it was under 300 kms however the thought of traveling the deer infested Hope-Princeton section at night brought me to my senses and set up camp at Stemwinder. I arose early, packed and started out, after a breakfast stop in Princeton and a near-deer incident, I hit rain and low cloud/fog near the Hope Slide. The wet weather continued until I broke out into the valley near Chilliwack (see earlier comment). The bike continued to run well, it certainly likes the cooler temperatures and I pulled into my garage at 11 am, 5 1/2 days from the Soo.



Total trip 7966 kms, 11 1/2 days of riding.



PS - I took the battery back to Canadian Tire where it load tested OK and charged to 13.5 V. I think heat was the real issue causing my charging problems. I've ordered a rear tire, head gaskets and o rings and will tackle that over the next week or so.
 
#15 ·
Yes pictures! We do like pictures. Now that you are back in temperate Vancouver your charging problems will go away for a while. Great trip and thanks for telling us about it, I need to look at a map. If you had come in on the Lougheed Highway you would have ridden those extra 34 klicks and made it 8 grand.
And 1030k in one day. My record is 650 and I had some serious grief from my butt and right leg. So congrats and we hopfully await a few photos. K
 
#16 ·
Thanks very much for the story, Bevin. What a ride! And it reminded me of when I rode my XS650 from Vancouver to Toronto. About 50 miles west of Thunder Bay my alternator light went on and I began to lose power. But I noticed that when I leaned into a right turn, the light went out and I got some more juice. I realized the alternator brushes made contact only when leaning the bike, so even on straight stretches I leaned the bike to charge the battery. The drivers behind me must have thought I was nuts! I limped into Thunder Bay, replaced the brushes, then carried on. One good thing about that bike was that it had a dry alternator with one cover to remove for easy access. Unfortunately, no liquid cooling, shaft drive, or unusual cylinder arrangement.
 
#17 ·
Sorry guys I took neither photos nor prisoners this trip. Missing Linkage you have more stamina they I do. I also have a 1980 XS65SG which I rode home from Lumby a few years ago. I had to stop at the Field's store in Princeton and buy some foam rubber and duct tape to augment my seat - I doubt I would have made it home without it.
 
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